Chapter 10: Joining the Hunt
Dark and gloomy, that was what it appeared to be like outside the Basilicom of Planeptune in Historire's eyes. The Tome Fairy of Planeptune was in the middle of singing away paperwork in her office while also looking over various amounts of reports concerning the integrity and overall state of things within Planeptune as well as the regions outside the borders within the other nations, and from what Histoire had read it did not appear to be all that well. While faith in the goddesses appeared to have stopped going lower it was still a cause for high concern, then there were the recent incidents in Leanbox with the Spartans and the unrest that followed in their path, then of course there were the just as mysterious mercenaries known as the Talon Company who had taken residence in Lastation; no one was fully sure who they were led by, but all that was known about them was that they were an arm of the Lastation Guild. The Talon Company were even more ruthless than the Spartans, and rather undisciplined, no to mention rash and overly prideful to the point of complete arrogance. Of course, the other problem was the Lowee Guild, which seemed to be cutting ties with the very nation that made it in the first place. It was a nightmare for Histoire to read over.
What was even more troubling for the little fairy was how she was supposed to handle the state of affairs in Planeptune now that Neptune, Nepgear, Plutia, Angel and Peashy were missing in what she could only presume as another dimension. She had handled tough situations before in the past, but this time it was different, this time there was a chance that they could never come back, especially if she could not make any contact with them. How was the Oracle going to deal with the unrest that was stating to plague Planeptune now that the Goddesses' influence was gone? Histoire did not know. She needed help, she needed advice. But from whom? The Basilicom staff? They numbered only a few guards and cleaners, hardly a group to ask for help concerning the business of government, at least that was how Histoire reasoned it.
Still, it was a lot of work for one person to do alone, yet it was how Historie was handling it all. No help, no advice, nothing. The Tome Fairy had taken all responsibility and burden of running the government of Planeptune upon her small shoulders, and it was starting to wear her out. It was easier to see the dark patches underneath her eyes, the way her handwriting was starting to become sloppy, not to mention the way she would always mumbling tiredly to herself when she thought no one else was around. Some could not decide whether to pity Histoire or to believe that it was her just dessert for ruining a lot of their fun over the previous years; they believed that the blonde haired fairy was too serious for her own good. However, whatever they felt towards the Tome Fairy mattered little to her, she was too occupied with the amount of paperwork that was piled in front of her to care what the rest of the surprisingly small staff thought.
Histoire sighed as she signed away at yet more paperwork, failing to notice that a member of the Planeptune Basilicom staff had entered her office. The staff member was holding a few empty trays that had been used to store pieces of paper whenever they were finished being signed and needed to be filed away, or if they had to be sent to another source such as a business company, the army or another Basilicom. Once the woman had set the trays down onto the desk Histoire finally noticed that there was someone else in the room. "Oh my, I'm sorry that I did not notice you before," Histoire apologised.
The staff member bowed politely and gave the Oracle a smile. "No, it's all right, Lady Histoire. I should have said something when I entered the office," she replied back, brushing aside the orange bangs that flowed down her forehead. "I managed to find some trays that you could use, if you want to use them that is."
"Thank you, but I didn't ask for them in the first place. How did you know that I need them?" Histoire asked after she moved the trays over to where she needed them and began to pile signed paperwork into them.
"Just a simple and easy guess really," the orange haired staff member replied. "You're working incredibly hard on keeping Planeptune afloat with the rest of Gamindustri, and it's starting to show. You look more fatigued than you usually do, you keep mumbling to yourself and you are a lot more dismissive than ever. It's making us staff members worry."
Histoire shook her head in disapproval, apparently she was not too pleased that there were people worrying about her when they could very well just help Planeptune in their own way instead. The Oracle then made that point very clear to the short, orange haired staff member. "You need not worry yourself over what I have to do for Planeptune, it would only make it worse for me. Instead, you should devote the time and energy that you waste worrying for me into something that is worth Planeptune's continuing existence. I refuse to let this country, and Gamindustri as a whole, be consumed into total anarchy and die just because of a few mercenary groups, rogue soldiers, disillusioned guilds and missing CPUs."
"I know, we all know, but… but we can't stop worrying that you're going to kill yourself by overworking. It's already starting to show, and it is only going to get worse now that the peaceful balance of Gamindustri is hanging by a thread on the edge of a knife," the staff member retorted with a stern expression as her crossed her arms underneath her small sized chest. "We all know that something is going on, that there is something or someone behind all of this growing discontent towards the CPUs. A crisis is brewing, we all know that; you haven't been the best at keeping serious topics away from prying ears and eyes."
"Is that so? Well, I have to do whatever I can to ensure that Planeptuen survives, no matter the cost. There is little I can do for the rest of Gamindustri, for my sphere of influence only reaches throughout the Land of Purple Progress. I'm just… I'm just at my wits end." Histoire sighed and shook her head, making it obvious that she was just too tired to do anything else, although that did not seem to kick into her head, instead the fairy Oracle appeared oblivious to the amount of fatigue she was going through.
As Histoire continued on with her work, choosing to remain oblivious as to why the staff were being worry warts towards her, the orange haired woman continued to stand still and observe the small, blonde fairy. It seemed that Histoire had not taken into consideration what the Basilicom staff were worrying about at all, and that made the orange haired woman more than annoyed. Just as she was about to leave the orange haired staff member noticed that Histoire was starting to become more and more tired, eventually the Planeptunian Oracle staggered about atop her tome and mumbled tiredly to herself, then she drew back from the desk and shook her head, rubbing her temples in frustration. "Ugh, this is getting annoying," the Tome Fairy grumbled as she breathed in and out deeply.
"I tried to tell you, Lady Histoire, I really did," the staff member said with a condescending tone, finally pleased that her point had been taken into consideration, although the unamused stare she received from Histoire made it clear that the fairy Oracle did not share the same sort of feeling. "Anyway, why not get some fresh air to clear your mind, then get some rest afterwards? It would do you some good to get outside."
Histoire was not quite sure how to feel about being instructed what to do with her life for the day, it made her feel uncertain about it all, although it made the Oracle of Planeptune think about how it must feel for everyone else when they got berated by her on a daily basis. However, the blonde haired fairy decided to listen to the advice of the highly concerned staff member "Very well then, I suppose I could do with a bit of fresh air. It might help me with some thinking as well, there is some thoughts that I need to think over anyway."
"Hmm? What sort of things, Lady Histoire?" the staff member asked with curiosity.
"Nothing to worry yourself over, that is for certain. I just need some time to myself so I can think over a few important and personal matters. Let's just hope that taking a bit of time off outside will do the trick," Histoire replied as she floated over towards the doorway. She stopped and looked back to the orange haired woman. "It pains me to ask for assistance, but can you and some other members of the staff please sort out the paperwork? It would help me in the long run when I get back to signing them."
The orange haired staff member was delighted that she was being asked to help with the paperwork for once; it made her a bit too happy, which was a bit confusing at first for Histoire, until she realised that most of the work had been hogged by her for quite some time. The woman bowed before the Oracle and gave her a bright smile. "Don't you worry, Lady Histoire, we'll get it sorted out. Try to have a good time outside, and please do ignore any bad comments thrown towards the goddesses, we don't want a scene again."
"I know that well enough, there are several groups of people who are currently against CPU rule due to past events, not to mention all the rallies that have been held by that Abnes person," the Tome Fairy responded before leaving the room. "Farewell for now, I will probably come back with something if I decide to go shopping, which I might – could take my mind of a few things for all I know."
"Very well then. Have a good time, or at least try to anyway." Once the fairy Oracle had floated down the hallway and disappeared into the elevator, the orange haired staff member brushed her bangs aside once more and immediately got to work with sorting out the different paperwork that was littered all over the Oracle's desk, placing the work into separate trays that indicated what was what, although it was rather time consuming and dull. However, sorting out paperwork would be one of the lesser problems that would later come to plague Histoire and the Basilicom staff.
The day did indeed appear gloomy, not only that but it also felt like it as well. Histoire remembered how much more brighter the city used to be in the past, but considering all that had happened over the last year it was not surprising that the city, and the entire nation, was in a grim state of affairs. The Massacre of Haruno Village, the mildly suppressed rumours of the Shadow Walker's return and finally the disappearance of the CPUs was making the people edgy and, in some cases, unpredictable with their emotions, striking out at anyone and everything in their way. It had not helped the matter that a young-looking woman, who was rumoured to be much older than she looked, was stirring up trouble by holding rallies where she would publicly slander the CPUs for all to hear. Whether anyone believed her was up to debate, although it was clear to everyone that this Abnes person wholeheartedly believed in her own words, and there were some who took it to heart as well.
Histoire floated down the street upon her flying tome, passing by people with only a mere glance every now and then. Not many people wanted to talk to her, the weather was just too grim for them, not to mention that there was a rally being held somewhere a few streets down. From what the Tome Fairy of Planeptune could tell it sounded as if Abnes was running her mouth again, this time it sounded as if it was about Histoire herself who was the subject at hand, the looks from some people made it obvious. The blonde fairy did not seem to mind it, she had been alive for around two thousand years and had been the subject of criticism for just about half that time, as far as she could remember anyway – being alive for a long period of time had made her forget some really important details concerning not only herself, but everything as a whole.
Still, it barely bothered Histoire, so she paid it no heed. Eventually, after a short of simply floating around down the street in an aimless direction, the Tome Fairy found herself outside the Planeptune Mall. As usual the mall was packed full of people in the middle of shopping, dating, eating and goddess knows what else. Histoire gazed into the large structure, watching people pass by. Then a thought came to her mind. Hmm, there isn't much to do out here, aside from seeing what that boisterous, badly dressed Abnes is up to. I think I will do some shopping while I'm here, the Basilicom staff need some supplies, plus if Neptune and the others make it back from wherever they were sent to. I hope they are all right and keeping themselves out of trouble as well as trying to find a way back.
Without a second thought Histoire floated into the mall, gazing at the many stores that were located all over the place. There was a small open area around the centre of the mall where people gathered to eat, talk, boast loudly, read books or magazines and just about be as lazy as possible whenever the opportunity would arise. The many shops that occupied the space within the mall itself were of a regular size, which was roughly around the size of a café, and filled with all sort of objects of many shapes and sizes, not to mention the various bright colours that could be found within the stores. Despite the dark weather and all the gloominess that radiated outside, the mall itself appeared to be only mildly effected by how everyone was feeling outside. Inside the giant, multi story complex, the people appeared to have forgotten the gloomy feeling that the others felt, instead they seemed to be more joyful to an extent due to the multiple cafés, clothes stores, pudding stands, mediocre small book stores and general banter. Everything seemed pretty good.
The blonde Tome Fairy wandered – floated to be more accurate – past many of these stores, minding her own business as she gazed inside every now and then, ignoring whatever sort of look people directed towards her. The looks that Histoire received from the people who passed by were mixed, although they never seemed to be hostile of any sort, in fact a lot of the people who passed by appeared to be more sympathetic, in their own way of course. A few nodded a 'hello' to her, others actually greeted her in a respectful way, although there were some people who simply ignored her while there were a few who gave the Oracle of Planeptune a displeased look – the latter was nothing unusual, in fact Histoire had gotten used to it over the last few centuries after making decisions that proved to be not too popular with the citizens of Purple Progress.
Histoire was the oldest entity in all of Gamindustri's history, and she knew how people would think in certain situations, at least she thought she did anyway. Times change and the attitude of people also change along with it. Most of the time a person's attitude and personality would be reminiscent and similar to how the local CPU would think, act and work in certain countries, at least sometimes to an extent. Things were different centuries ago during the rule of Uranus, Minerva, Venus and Bellona, and the attitudes were completely different during the Interregnum – it spanned for many, many years before the four senior goddess of the modern age were born from the people's faith. Personalities and attitudes change constantly whenever a different situation presented itself, Histoire had seen it happen many times, first during the Interregnum and during the Console War. Still, it was something that she was used to.
The Tome Fairy had been alive for a long, long, long time, even longer than the dimension time travelling god known as Wraith. It often made her think about life as a whole, and not in a great way. Histoire tended to not interact with a whole lot of people, most specifically humans who did not work for the Guilds or for the CPUs, mainly because she did not want to get attached to them. Victor the Wind Mage was an exception, but only because she raised him as a child, as were IF, Compa and several others whom had been designated as 'Makers' by the blonde haired Oracle. Even on the street the Tome Fairy would not interact with many people who passed by her, even if they bumped into her on accident. However, that changed after the Planeptunian Oracle bumped into someone as she gazed into a large supermarket, wondering whether if she wanted to get some supplies or not from that store. The immortal Tome Fairy floated towards the large supermarket entrance, which was where she bumped into a person she failed to notice until the last minute. The blonde fairy was almost fall off her tome before she was caught and was placed back onto her floating book of knowledge.
"Thank you for the assistance, Mr…" Histoire attempted to thank the man who she bumped into and helped back onto her tome, yet she felt awkward about not knowing his name. From what she could see, the man had shoulder-length red hair, cold yellow eyes that appeared to glow dimly with red energy every now and then, an unzipped black jacket with a hood, a red shirt, black jeans and black boots, for some reason there was also a mysterious horizontal mark across his neck.
"Er… Bob. Call me Bob. I know it sounds generic, but that's what I call myself," the stranger replied in response to Histoire's question.
The Tome Fairy raised an eyebrow at the strange man, wondering if he was actually being serious, but after a short time she realised that he was. "Well, thank you, Bob. Anyway, I must be off now, I have some shopping to do."
"So do I. Mind if I accompany you? I've got nothing better to do aside from getting some basic supplies." the strange man asked, nodding towards the supermarket beside them.
Histoire raised an eyebrow at the suggestion, confused as to why he was asking to accompany her in the supermarket, and the Planeptunian Oracle decided to make her thought clear. "Um, sir, I was going to go and shop alone, just to make it a lot quicker for myself. Besides, I would most likely bore you to sleep, so I think it would be easier of we both went our separate ways from here on out. I am sorry, but that is simply how I'm feeling right now."
Bob chuckled in a light-hearted manner and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, apparently he seemed to be a little embarrassed, yet there was also sadness in his eyes and a hint of it was in his expression as well. "Well, okay then, Lady Histoire, if you insist. I was just feeling a little lonely and you seemed pretty troubled, so I just… um… yeah, this is starting to get awkward, isn't it?"
The blonde haired fairy nodded, although she could not help but giggle soon afterwards as she saw the strangely odd man become embarrassed, his gaze falling away from the Tome Fairy, his fingers fidgeting. "Nervous? Don't worry, I'm not annoyed with you, so you can clam down, Bob. Hmm… if it makes you feel better then I will accompany you in the supermarket, something tells me that there is more to this chance meeting than meets the eye."
"If you say so, Lady Histoire," Bob replied, regaining his previous stance. Soon enough, both the mysterious Bob and the tired Histoire entered the supermarket together.
It was an odd sight for people to see the Oracle of Planeptune and some random person walk, talk and shop together, they thought that it was nigh impossible for anyone who was not a member of the Basilicom staff, the Guild, a friend of the Goddesses or the Goddesses themselves to have a friendly yet awkward conversation with the immortal Tome Fairy. The two of them seemed to be inseparable from each other as they walked down the various aisles of food, ingredients, sugary treats and all sort of goodies; they were smiling and talking as they went along with their shopping. Histoire felt something that she had not felt for a while: joy. It was a weird feeling for her now, considering everything that had happened over the past year, and now the Planeptunian CPUs were missing as well, leaving only IF and her adopted son Victor to defend the Land of Purple Progress with a small, underdeveloped army and a Guild filled with idealogical people, and not all of them were in the best interest of the nation, much to Histoire's disappointment.
It was when Bob was picking out some cooking spices for whatever he had planned to cook that night that the Tome Fairy Oracle of Planeptune decided to ask what was bothering him, the stranger man did mention that there were some issues that were plaguing his mind. "Excuse me, Bob, may I ask you what has been bothering you?"
The red haired man placed some more spices into his shopping basket and looked back at Histoire, ready to talk about the subject at hand. "Well, it's just everything really. A whole lot has happened over the last year and I don't really know what to believe in any more. It's just been… crazy I guess. I'm afraid about what might happen if the Shadow Walker returns, I'm afraid of all this talk about a change in the way we are ruled thanks to that damn little blonde girl in the pink frilly dress, I'm afraid of all the new breads of monsters that are starting to appear throughout Gamindustri. I'm just afraid of it all. It's that Shadow Walker's fault, if he hadn't gone psychotic and slaughtered Haruno Village we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place."
"So you are with the thought of blaming Brian the Shadow Walker for all the troubles that have plagued Gamindustri?" Histoire asked, her attention now fully focused on the troubled redhead. When Bob nodded while his expression hardened into a grim look, the Tome Fairy sighed and felt guilty for all that had happened over the past year. "I'm… sorry for everything that has happened, I truly am, Bob."
"I know you are, Lady Histoire, I don't doubt that," Bob replied as he and Histoire wandered down the shopping aisle and walk towards the cold section of the supermarket. It was there that Bob opened one of the store's fridges and grabbed some butter while Histoire merely observed the area as to where the pudding would be, but after a short while it became apparent that there were no puddings to be seen. That was when Bob decided to give Histoire a piece of advice. "Excuse me, Lady Histoire, have you ever been acquainted with military strategy?"
She shook her head in response, answering many of the red haired man's thoughts. "No, I am not too acquainted with military strategies, I am more used to peaceful plans that help with the governance of Gamindustri and its nations. Why do you ask, though?"
"Because what I have to say will help you in dealing with the problems of the modern age," Bob replied, his gaze sternly fixed in the Tome Fairy's direction. "You see, I was once a soldier, fighting in the war for what I believed in. During all those years of fighting I learned many valuable things, many of which were military strategies that ensured victory from the jaws of defeat. One of these tactics is to cut the head off the snake, which in common terms means to kill or at least defeat the head of the problem. Do you see where I am going with this, Lady Histoire?"
The Planeptunian Oracle nodded, understanding what the yellow eyed man was suggesting. "Yes, I can see where this is heading towards. You are suggesting that I should have someone, or a group of people, track down the Shadow Walker and have him killed. Am I correct in thinking that?"
Bob nodded, almost too enthusiastically in fact. "Exactly. I assume you already know of the Shadow Walker's bounty and how many are attempting to track him down for his head. I suggest that to minimise casualties you should send a team filled with the best fighters and tacticians you can find, for only they could be able to bring down the greatest threat that Gamindustri has ever faced to date. What do you say to that, Lady Histoire? Do you think it would be worth a shot? Less Guild Members and Agents who have turned into bounty hunters would lose their lives."
It sounded like a promising idea, even if it was something that Histoire did not want to think about too much. The Tome Fairy knew full well about the situation with Brian's bounty, she was also aware that people who turned to bounty hunting would inevitably get themselves either hurt or killed thanks to their eagerness to fight Brian for the reward of one million credits, although the bounty itself could be a whole lot higher than that. However, was it really necessary to send a crack team of people to go after the young man and eliminate him once and for all? In the back of her mind, Historie still reasoned with herself that Brian the Shadow Walker was the one who was prophesied in the Ancient Prophecy of the Shadow Walker, who was foretold to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to destroy the darkness. How the mighty had fallen indeed.
In the end, after several more minutes of dedicated thought, with Bob glancing periodically at her from time to time, the hard pressed and overworked Oracle of Planeptune decided that the safety of the nation, and all of Gamindustri, mattered more than the Prophecy of the Shadow Walker. After all, someone once said that those who followed a prophecy were merely mad. It was with this in mind that she decided to give Bob the red haired man her answer. "I know that a part of me will regret it forever, but I have decided to take your suggestion on board and see what I can do with it, at least I will give it some more thought anyway when I return to the Basilicom and discuss it with the rest of the staff."
"If you are going to consider it when you return to the Basilicom then that is good enough for me," the yellow eyed man said, seeming ot be rather pleased with the response he received from the Tome Fairy of Planeptune. "Just know that I don't only speak for myself, I am speaking more many people not only in Planeptune, but throughout all of Gamindustri. We all need justice, we deserve that much, Lady Histoire. Even if you decide to not have the specific chosen team kill the Shadow Walker when they see him but instead capture him, that would be good enough for most people."
Histoire nodded to confirm everything that she had just been informed about by Bob. "Very well then, Bob. Thank you for bringing this to me, and… thanks for the advice in general, I think it is nice to have some ideas and advice from someone who is not a member of the Basilicom staff and is not in a position of power. Thank you."
"Your welcome. It's good to help out every now and then, especially if it is a leader who needs it." The red haired man seemed pleased with the response, as the smile on his face proved. The blonde fairy then continued to gather several more ingredients, some of which she doubted were needed but could come in handy down the track later on, yet there was still no sign of any puddings to be found. Well, it was not as if she was going to eat any, at least that was what Historie reasoned to herself anyway.
After several more minutes of silence and shopping, it was time to call it a day, and to reflect on all that had been said previously. Once both Histoire and Bob were out of the supermarket and back into the main part of the mall, with bags full of items bought from before, the two looked at each other and parted ways with polite words. "Well, thank you for the advice and for accompanying me today, Bob. It was… interesting to say the least," Historie said before the two parted ways.
"Same here, it was good to meet and talk to a leading member of Planeptune," Bob replied enthusiastically. "You should get out more and speak to the people of this fine nation, that could also help you with all the problems that are plaguing today."
Histoire bowed her head downwards politely before floating away atop her tome, her direction was back towards the Basilicom, her thoughts were deeply focused on the suggestions and information that had been given to her by practically a stranger, a friendly stranger at that. It was quite indeed a great chance meeting Histoire thought to herself as she made her way back home. The Tome Fairy of Planeptune could not have been more wrong. It was no chance meeting that she and Bob had met, quite the opposite in fact, for it was meant to happen.
Bob continued to stare at Histoire as she made her way out of the mall and back onto the street, where the sky was still dark and rain had begun to fall down upon the land. The red haired man grinned malevolently at the Oracle as a shade of red flashed through his eyes, then he began to walk off outside into the rain. Unlike any other passer-by who walked or ran past the strange, yellow eyed man, he seemed to be ignoring the rain altogether as he made his way towards an alleyway. Upon entering a shadow covered area of the alleyway, Bob disappeared into it as some sort of magical energy began to circle around him. The redhead then found himself in what looked like another plane of reality, or at least something similar anyway. It was then that the magical energy disappeared as 'Bob' was now wearing a dark, black cloak along with a black hood that covered his head, then there was the chainmail, black rags that covered it, leather pieces and a dark steel helmet with spikes.
As the darkness grew around him he knelt down as four moving shadows appeared form the darkness, then the four shadows began to take a humanoid shape, their gazes directed towards the kneeling man. It was difficult to see who or what they were, considering that they were simply shadow thoughts, plus they would see each other and 'Bob' the same way as well. The larger and more powerful of the dark shades looked down at the hooded man and spoke in a deathly voice that would have chilled the blood of any living beings who would have been nearby. "Report," was all he said.
"I have informed the enemy on what to do, giving hints and suggestions on how it should be handled. She bought it, completely and utterly. If the plan works it should allow our own plans to be initiated much more easier," the armoured man responded, raising his head to gaze at the powerful, ghostly shade.
"Excellent. Our enemy will be scattered and divided while their leaders are helpless from a deep loss of faith," the power shade said, pleased with what had happened. "Now comes the next stage of our plan. I want you to return to the ruins of Haruno Village and ready your forces on standby, then I want you to keep sowing dissent not only in Planeptune but throughout all of Gamindustri."
"And what of us, master?" one of the shades asked, its voice belonging to someone who sounded as if he had severe burning.
"You three will continue with the tasks I have already given you. Outmanoeuvre the Goddesses, gain the trust and loyalty of their forces and closest advisers, then wait for my signal. Gamindustri will be ours. A new age will dawn and darkness will cover this land, and I will finally fulfil my own duty," the power, ghostly shade responded, hinting that there was more to what was going on than simply what was already happening. "Now go, do what must be done."
'Bob' stood up and grinned at the large, powerful shade before leaving. "Very well then. We will not fail you, Agandur, Dark Lord of all things."
The rain was still falling down lightly upon Planeptune as two powerful and, in some cases, famous figures walked down the path towards the Basilicom, both sharing a single umbrella as they passed on by people who made their way back and forth from whatever they were up to. These two figures were none other than IF the Wind Walker of Gamindustri and Victor the Wind Mage, and both of them were quite famous in their own right. Things seemed pretty serious with the two of them from the grim and stern looks on their faces, but in reality they were afraid of what was going to happen. Plus there was another matter that was heavy on their minds at the same time.
"Y-You know, it was not completely necessary to use me as a seat while we were… you know, k-kissing," Victor informed IF in a hushed tone, his cheeks blushing a light shade of red. A far cry from the Guild Agent's expression soon afterwards.
"I-I-I was just caught up in th-the m-moment is all, w-we haven't been all that intimate like what happened before Histoire called us," IF explained, her cheeks blushing a light shade of red. "B-Besides, we don't usually get intimate l-like that."
"Well, n-not often anyway," the Wind Mage corrected her, which only resulted in silence between the two of them, which only made it even more awkward for them.
However, IF could not help but smile as her thoughts turned towards the memories she and Victor had created together with all the dates they had together, coupled with Guild quests as well. It was all she had ever wanted to do with Victor ever since she fell in love with him all those years ago. I've enjoyed out time together, I really have. I… I love him, no matter what. I wonder, is this how Blanc feels about Brian still? If so then she has some major issues. Better to not delve to deep into that territory, I remember the last time I saw someone talk to her about that topic. It was like seeing Plutia get all sadistic.
Eventually IF and Victor arrived at the entrance of the Basilicom, where the few Basilicom Guards were located, and they appeared to be affected by the grim weather like several other people throughout the city. It was rather saddening for IF and Victor to see. The two famous members of the Planeptune Guild kept close together as they walked down the hallway and entered the glass panelled elevator, their gazes wandering from each other to the dark clouded scenery outside back to each other, when they then chuckled as their gazes fell upon each other. "Well, things have been… interesting, haven't they?" IF asked with a sigh.
Victor nodded, his usual stoic expression breaking out into a fond smile. "Yeah, it sure has been an interesting experience, both good and bad. It's been good sharing this whole experience with you, IF, really it has," the Wind Mage said in response, which only made the Guild Agent break out into an embarrassed state, then the top hat wearing man continued speaking with an important question. "Also, um… h-how is our r-relationship going?"
"Huh? Our relationship? Well, I think it's going pretty well. It's rather slow, but we seem to be going well with that so far," the brunette responded, keeping her gaze directed towards the young man as she gave him her answer. Swiftly afterwards IF's cheeks reddened once more and her gaze fell to the floor while she twiddled her fingers about. "Do you… maybe… want to s-s-speed it up a bit?"
Victor could not help but feel a little bit excited with the suggestion. They had been taking it rather slowly for the past year, in fact all they had done together was several dates, Guild quests, watch films together, hold hands and the occasional kiss. "W-Well, I wouldn't m-mind it if we speeded things up a bit," the Wind Mage replied honsetly, rubbing the back of his neck with a nervous expression.
That was when the elevator stopped moving and the doors slid open. IF and Victor silently agreed to talk about their romantic life later, more specifically after they met Histoire and see what was bothering her, if anything was actually bothering the Tome Fairy at all; the way she spoke down the phone indicated that there was at least something going on with her. As soon as IF and Victor reached and entered Histoire's office they saw the Oracle upon her tome in front of the desk, her expression was grim and full of sorrow; it seemed that in this state she was unable to realise that IF and Victor had arrived. The Wind Mage looked over at the Guild Agent for some advice, yet it was not forthcoming. Soon enough the cane-wielding man politely knocked on Histoire's desk, stirring her from whatever thoughts were going through her mind.
"Oh, Victor, IF, sorry not noticing you," the Tome Fairy apologised while feeling quite embarrassed about it.
"That's okay, Lady Histoire, it does not matter," Victor reassured her with a wave of his hand. "However, you seem to be troubled about something. What is the matter?"
Histoire sighed, glanced around the are of a short moment, then looked back at Victor and IF, who were waiting patiently for a reply. Then Histoire finally explaiend everything. "It is about Brian. I was taking a break earlier today when I accidentally bumped into a man named Bob, after a bit of talking he accompanied me into the supermarket to buy some cooking ingredients. I listened to what he had to say about the current state of things in Gamindustri, and they were making him afraid of everything. After some more talking I learned that he had been a soldier who fought in the war, which I can only guess is the Console War. Well, Bob explained that to cure the troubles of this world we would have to 'cut the head of the snake'."
Victor's expression turned grim and sour as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, but it was IF who made the first reply. "Cut the head of the snake? Isn't that a military strategy?"
"Yes it is, IF, and I think I know what this 'Bob' person was referring to. Brian is the snake as all troubles were caused by his actions a year ago, but if he were to be 'removed' then those troubles would cease to be over time," Victor explained to the Wind Walker. "So if that is the case, then I presume me and IF here are the blade that cuts the snake's head off, am I right?"
Histoire nodded, although it was easy to see that it was a painful decision and one that did not sit well with her. "Yes, that is exactly what I want you two to do. If you do manage to find Brian then deal with him as you see fit. You two are the only ones who can do this. The other Goddesses are weakened by a lack of Faith while the bounty hunters are disappearing at an alarming rate, only the two of you are capable of defeating Brian the Shadow Walker as of now. Now go, please."
Victor and IF nodded and left Histoire's office, noticing that the Tome Fairy seemed to be regretting the decision in some small way already. As they walked back towards the elevator, IF decided to make her feelings about the situation very clear. "I don't like this, Victor. I mean, I… still have fond memories of Brian back before all this crap happened. Besides, isn't he supposed to be a prophesied hero?"
"You have misread it. It does not say anywhere that Brian is, or was, meant to be a hero. Also, not all prophecies come true, I learned that from all the books and old tomes I read during my lonely travels," the Wind Mage responded as soon as they entered the elevator. "I have a plan: you go and get Compa for the journey – we will undoubtedly need her medical expertise – and I will get some supplies. We'll meet back out the front of the Basilicom in forty minutes."
IF nodded in agreement to the plan, knowing that Compa would be needed and that Victor would be best to gather the right amount and type of supplies. But in the back of the Guild Agent's mind she could not help but think about what would happen if she, Victor and possibly Compa catch up with Brian, and the battle that could very well occur. Brian and me. Shadow Walker of the Ancients against Wind Walker of Gamindustri. I don't know if I can do it.
A/N: Hello there, readers, it's been a while since I last updated this story, and for that I completely apologise. I do have other commitments besides this fanfic, which is quite obvious really. I do also apologise for this chapter being smaller than the others, but I was not completely sure what to put in it after suffering from Writer's Block for so long, and I'm stumped as to what is going to be in the next chapter, so expect longer update delays. However, I am trying my best to get back into this story as I have had some ideas about future chapters, but it remains to be seen if I can even reach those points. Anyway, thanks for reading as well as keeping your sanity for waiting this long for a god-damn update. Regardless, have a good day if possible.
Chapter 11: