Disclaimer: I do not own Madlax or El Cazador , Both shows belong to BeeTrain, -But i do own this story.
Authors note: one epilogue Chapter left :)
Thoughts are in "Bold"
Day of arrival at high council clergy mansion
Boss loaned Madlax one of his jeeps and handed her a map of the high council mansion, before her departure he reminded her about the effects of the book. "Madlax if Elian has the book in his possession you won't be able to use your powers, however if you get a hold of the page of summoning your power will stay. Be careful, don't let history repeat itself." She took his words seriously, said goodbye then went on to get the jeep. Vanessa and Ellis were waiting for her on top of a green camouflage military jeep in the back of boss's garage. Madlax opened the door to the driver's seat, hoped in then gazed at Ellis and asked. "Are you coming as well –its dangerous you know?" Ellis dressed in her usual jeans jacket and light pink dress gave a look of resolve, and then stated. "Nadie is in there somewhere and I will save her. Madlax you aren't doing this for Nadie, your doing this for your own reasons … I love her and I'm going to be the one to save her!" Madlax started the car, looked straight ahead then replied. "Yes you are, Vanessa told me how much you love her … I'm sorry for taking her away from you. When you save her you'll be the one there for her –I'll be the bastard who cares more about killing Elian and destroying the organization." Yesterday Vanessa and Madlax discussed the whole recent relationships ordeal, Madlax honestly told Vanessa everything about herself and Nadie then Vanessa spoke of the whole fling with Clare. Both compromised and forgave each other for being with another woman. Madlax was happy to hear Clare hooked up with Natalia and that Ellis loved Nadie but wasn't sure if Ellis would receive love back in return.
Thirty miles away was the mansion, they'd need to park far enough away so the jeep would be undetected. Madlax dreaded that Vanessa had to come along, she would have preferred her stay somewhere safe however Vanessa needed to be within a mile from her and the book for the summoning page to work. The plan was simple enough, first they'd rescue Nadie, bring her to the jeep with Vanessa and Ellis, and then Madlax would go back, find the book and kill Elian along with the organization. As trees passed by, vines slapped Vanessa in the face and rocks caused the car to jump in random patterns, Madlax kept thinking of the moment that'd end this once and for all. No one but Vanessa spoke during the entire ride, Vanessa kept pleading for Madlax to be careful and for her true love to comeback to her unharmed after everything ends. Softly the sandy blonde whispered as she glanced at the dark burgundy haired woman sitting next to her. "Don't worry, I promise not to fail. After I'm done with this final assignment I'll be back to you and never leave your side again Vanessa." A long white building stretching for miles ahead came in view. Madlax turned a corner, sending the jeep trough uncut grasses and ferns –out of the sight of watch towers planted at the front of the building. When the sandy blonde saw no more surveillance, she stopped the truck in between a dense forest of trees about a hundred yards away from the back entrance to the building. Based on what the map said, this was the door leading trough a long hall at the end of which was a staircase leading to an array of prison chambers where boss said Nadie would be located. First Madlax grabbed two powerful handguns, loaded them with ammo then grabbed a string of bullets, hung it across her chest, sighed then turned to Vanessa and pointed out. "There is a chance some random organization members will spot you while I'm gone, if so you need this." Madlax handed Vanessa a long sniper riffle with a zooming device. "I know this isn't the gun you'd prefer but with the lousy aim you displayed yesterday –you'll need a bit of
help so this gun should do." Hesitantly Vanessa took it without saying anything but a mumbled. "Thank you Madlax … I'll use it if I have to." Madlax gave the woman one of her sincere smiles, opened the jeep door, walked out, slammed it then stood motionlessly whilst waiting for Ellis to get out. After another minute both were halfway to the door. Ellis kept a close distance to Madlax, tip toeing behind the tall sandy blonde who was footpath walking her way to a white metal door seemingly locked from the inside. Without a tread of dithering, Madlax swung her right arm up with a gun pointed at the keyhole, closed her eyelids then pulled the trigger. Immediately the door dangled back hard against the concrete wall. "Stay behind me Ellis; hold on to my jacket or something." Madlax commanded the adorable short blonde. Seeing the girl comply, the sandy blonde walked trough the doorway. A long hall of many doors on each side and one door she needed to pass trough appeared before her eyes. Madlax didn't expect to find any adversaries in this hall, although boss mentioned there'd be guars in the prison cambers so Madlax prepared her guns as she reached the stairs leading down to the chambers. 3/4th the way down Ellis nudged the sandy blonde's jacket, as Madlax swung around Ellis pointed at Madlax's second gun and asked. "May I borrow it … I know how to use it –Nadie taught me how to shoot." Madlax felt a strong urge to refuse but knowing Ellis would be better off with self-protection, she handed the short girl the gun but warned. "Be careful not to shoot yourself or me." –"Yes Sir, I'll be careful!" Ellis loudly replied. Madlax placed a finger before her lips, reminding Ellis to keep her voice down. As they reached the last stair, they stopped and Madlax peered to make out the relative location of the guards. She motioned her hand for Ellis to proceed behind her. Two men each standing opposite the other with a gun positioned on his belt were the only guards in the long prison corridor. Madlax walked softly as to not arose attention, when she reached her shooting range, she swung up one arm, began to pull the trigger then paused as she heard a shot behind her. Instantly the two men previously loafing around reached out their guns and aimed them. Before they could fire a bullet pierced trough ones heart and the others skull. Madlax tilted her head to see Ellis. "Thanks for shooting the other one and the guy behind us –you're pretty good." Ellis smiled at Madlax and bluntly stated. "I learned from the very best." –"Sure you have." The sandy blonde responded. "Anyways let's keep going. Oh and keep your eyes peeved on every cell, Nadie could be in any one of them." Both girls kept moving forward, observing the interior of every prison cell. Just as they reached the end of the prison hallway, sounds of rushing footsteps rattled them. Madlax clutched Ellis's jacket, pulled the girl against a wall and motioned for her to get ready to gun down whoever came trough the hall. "Ellis you all set?" –"Yes I'm prepared." Swiftly Madlax kicked off then jumped away from the wall whilst yelling. "Okay then fire, now!" Something caught both girls attention, two men were holding an unconscious red haired girl and a third was unlocking a prison cell. The same thought ran trough their heads. "That girl, she's –Nadie." By now the men noticed two blonde-haired women, one tall and the other short, one aiming a gun, the other firing one. Whilst Madlax shot the man unlocking the gate down, Ellis forgot about everything sane and dashed off at full speed with arms wide towards the crimson haired girl. "What the hell is she doing?" Madlax thought as she saw Ellis run toward two armed men with triggers being pulled as she neared a yard from them. Too slow were Madlax's actions as she fired at each organization member, their guns fired a second early at Ellis. Nothing happened except both members fell backwards, Nadie landed in Ellis's arms and Ellis fell back as well, only to be caught by Madlax as she rushed up to help. Madlax thought Ellis to be shot; she saw those guns fire pointblank at the girl's tiny body. "Ellis … Ellis are you alright? Are you hurt?" Breathlessly Madlax pleaded. Seconds later she experienced a slight movement
on top of her. Ellis blinked her eyelids a few times, rose her head up, and then pushed off Madlax's chest with Nadie's unconscious body lying in her arms. Madlax noticed no wounds on Ellis, so she curiously asked. "How did you stop those bullets?" –"My powers do that kind of thing when I'm in danger –it's a reflex." Relieved, the sandy blonde nodded, looked over at an unconscious Nadie then asked Ellis. "We saved her you know, but sense she's sleeping and didn't see what happened –we'll pan it off as if you saved her all on your own. Now it would be better if I carried her to the jeep." Ellis liked Madlax's words. She picked herself up with Nadie in her arms, and then let the sandy blonde sweep Nadie away from her. Madlax got a firm hold on the crimson haired girl, looked at Ellis, back to Nadie then ahead. "Ellis I'll take you and Nadie back to the jeep, there you'll wait for my return –got it?" There wasn't a reply; however Madlax took it as a yes.
Vanessa greeted them when Madlax came back with Nadie's body in her arms and Ellis standing next to her. Madlax gently placed Nadie in the backseat of the camouflage jeep. Vanessa came up from behind, swung both arms around Madlax's chest, leaned her lips to the sandy blonde's left ear and whispered whilst tightening the embrace. "Don't be reckless out there … and don't take too long because it's hard for me to wait for you –if you aren't back in two hours I'll go inside to find you myself." Softly Madlax replied. "I promise to be back long before that." The embrace lasted another five minutes before Madlax had to untangle from Vanessa's craving warm arms. Just as Madlax began to descend trough the forest, she noticed Ellis tracking close behind her. While moving forward, Madlax asked Ellis in a straight forward way. "Why are you following me? You came here for Nadie so what else do you need?" –"I want to help you Madlax … Nadie wanted to help you and I want to as well. Boss said I could help and I'm doing this because I'm as against what this organization stands for as you and he!" Madlax thought on how to respond. "Ellis could actually help me … if boss encouraged her then she might be of assistance and with that power to stop bullets from hitting her –yeah she can help." When they reached an opening leading to a heavily guarded portion of the mansion, Madlax stopped, looked up and softly said. "You can come along Ellis –that is if you can fly." Madlax had no idea as to how powerful Ellis truly was, she thought the girl couldn't zip trough air –she was wrong. Before Madlax herself flew, Ellis was already 15 feet above ground. "How are you doing that?" Madlax shouted to Ellis. "It's my witches power … my true power is greater then this and I have control over it so if what you want is to destroy this place, I'm the girl to help you do it." –"Thanks I'll appreciate your help!" Gathering the colorless string-like energy she last used 160 years ago, Madlax felt air brush against her skin as she lifted up to the same elevation as Ellis. Madlax's plan was to first find the book then Elian. "Ellis one more thing before we go … you have to be prepared to kill lots of people, if your not then there's no point." –"I know and I'm fine with it." With the confirmation, Madlax pulled a map out her jacket pocket, looked over it, pointed to the furthest and tallest structure of the mansion then before a second passed was ascending trough the air towards the building with Ellis trailing close behind. High enough to be undetected by watchtower men, Madlax zoomed trough air. She hasn't experienced what being practically weightless and embraced by the strange powers felt like for too long, however she instantly took charge of the ability as if it was as basic as breathing. After they passed the watchtowers, the tall structure became more vivid. A whole platoon of military men in official uniforms stood aligned and ready to shoot anyone who dared walk trough the front doors. Madlax didn't see a choice; there weren't any windows to this rectangular build, all steel-hard walls. Madlax twirled around in air, stretched her right arm out to halt Ellis in place right
above the solders, and then softly spoke in straightforward words. "We or maybe just I have to kill each and every one of them, so we can get inside –if we don't Elian will be informed before I take the book. Ellis close your eyes, I'll do this!" Madlax looked down, took in a deep breathe, clasped both arms together, shut her eyelids, next mentally visualized the sharpening strings of power extending down from the invisible aura around her. Pinpoint on the perfect alignment of armed men like a finger aiming to knock down dominos stretching forward, the strands of samurai blade sharp energy thinner than a needle rushed trough the upper arm of one man and onto the rest. It was painless and unnoticeable, but it pierced trough each solder like a long microscopic bullet soaked in lethal acids capable of destroying everything biological it pierced instantly from the inside out. Whilst Madlax levitated in full concentration with her eyelids shut, Ellis watched the whole process occurring with eyes peeved. The man first ripped trough by the microscopic death bullet collapsed to his knees, at first appearing as if exhausted or about to faint. Two solders from behind rushed up to him, one in a fearful voice stammered. "Number 24 are you alright?" No response, the solder on his knees let out a screech … then absolute silence. Instantly every other guard crashed against the ground. What seemed like a hole began to form in the first solders arm, followed in perfect timing by the rest. The disturbing part –it was empty, no blood, as if evaporating into air. Energy pierced trough all the way however, less then a second later the upper half of the first solder fell off and disappeared into nothingness bit by bit whilst the other half remained to decay with blood eventually seeping out into a crimson puddle. This happened to each solder one second apart, each saw the one before him die just before he died. All were dead, Ellis felt a chill run trough her spine –Madlax was scary. Without opening her eyes Madlax descended to the bloody ground, avoided the red liquid nearing her black boots and walked to the door she opened with just a pull. Ellis felt like throwing up when she passed by the half corpses, she quickly entered the building to avoid having to see the mess outside. Madlax honestly didn't see anything she did, she knew what she did but watching it wasn't in her tastes –she didn't like violence. A wide hallway lit with candle shaped light bulbs without a single soul blocking the way stood beyond the door. Softly Madlax said to Ellis. "This isn't the worst that will be done today –you can still go back now Ellis…" Violently the adorable short blonde girl shook her head. "No, I want to help you bring down this organization, but tell me what's so important about the book?" Madlax began to walk and placed a finger over her lips, trying to think of an easy way to describe the importance of the book of her own creation. "The memories I acquired of the books realm … they gave me some of the books own powers –I was capable of immortalizing Nadie. Boss said I'd disappear if those realm memories fully awakened, I'd become someone else –the books essence itself. I need to destroy the unremembered books realm memories with the book … then I'll destroy the book itself so its power is never used again." As she reached an elevator at then end of the long hall, she pressed a button. The doors spread open, Madlax and Ellis walked inside, as the doors shut Madlax clicked on the 4th floor button, next turned to face Ellis and came up with a quick answer. "The book will destroy me if I don't eventually use it to destroy itself and of course the organization. Also if anyone uses its summoning page, they'll be granted what they desire –but there are setbacks." Ellis understood the implications, she saw Elian as the same kind of man as Rosenberg and the book along with Madlax as what she was in his plot. The elevator display above the doors showed an arrow hit the number four, the doors opened, an empty room covered in darkness and only a lighted bookstand positioned in the middle came in view. Madlax loaded her gun, tilted her head, seeing Ellis was doing the same thing, and then stepped out. Even though she didn't like to see violence,
using a gun as her weapon was morally exceptional if used correctly –death would be unfelt. As Madlax approached the stand, Ellis asked from behind. "Is that the book we're looking for?" –"Yes boss said this is where Elian keeps it." Madlax stated while picking the book up from a transparent glass stand. She thought as she glanced over the cover then flipped trough the pages. "Its different … the book from 160 years ago didn't look like this, it had rips in it and this is a replica –shit then where is the real book." Abruptly Madlax threw the fake book down against the floor, swung around then in an imploring tone said. "This isn't the book, Ellis, boss thought this was it but its not. We haven't a choice but to find Elian first then the book –he might have known I was coming here." Madlax didn't know where Elian currently was but she would easily find out by asking the next one of his men to pass by her. Slowly the sandy blonde and Ellis walked back into the elevator with a fast new plan of action. The second floor, the location where highly ranked organization members gathered to speak of future tactics, brag, gamble and of course smoke their biggest cigars. Madlax would be crashing their party, guns in arms. As the elevator arrived on the casino floor, Madlax grinned, quickly pulled out her iPod, stuck both earphones in her ears, picked a loud rock song, pressed play, next gazed over at Ellis, and then said as the doors began to open. "These damn cruel pigs are going to get a taste of their own medicine –in style. Ellis here put on the dark tent sunglasses, when the doors open I want you to shoot every man in a dark cloak and anyone you don't like –not me though." Ellis thought Madlax to be insane at the moment, yet took the glasses; put them over her blue eyes, aimed her gun forward and waited. The doors opened; a large ballroom with many blackjack tables in the center, slot machines in rows to the far left, a cocktail bar to the far right and the smoking room filled with dozens of organization members of the highest ranks. No one noticed a sexy sandy blonde woman stride in with sunglasses covering her eyes, dressed in a military jacket, low cut shorts, a red shirt and a gun in her right hand with a shorter girl just as armed marching beside her. Madlax honestly didn't expect for things to go like this, she thought the book would be found but with things this way she'd have more personal revenge against the organization. "I will kill Elian's pigs … all of them… in the past I crashed a lot of parties and massacred the guests as ordered by boss, and then ten years ago I killed in style for Elian's version of the organization." A young woman wearing a short tight white dress and carrying a drink tray walked right passed Madlax as she made her way to the smoking room where her victims were. Madlax slyly took a multi-colored drink into her free hand off the tray, smiled at the waitress and complimented. "That dress looks nice on you –do you by any chance know where I could get one like that … now?" The woman looked strangely at the sandy blonde who appeared like a female Rock star in sunglasses, and then politely responded. "Well this is a rare piece so there aren't any others like it." Madlax shrugged, suddenly pulled the gun to the waitress's stomach whilst directly stating. "I'll buy this dress from you right here and now for 1,000 … if you agree with my proposal then would you kindly lead me to the restroom where we can make our deal." Ellis began to think Madlax was insane but she didn't know how obsessed the sandy blonde was with killing in style … wearing a feminine white dress while she kills, it was a tradition for Madlax. When they reached a corner next to the bar, Madlax asked Ellis to wait whilst she changed into her new dress. After about two minutes a sexy tall blonde woman walked out the restroom holding a circular silver tray with a napkin covering something hard. The woman was Madlax dressed in a beautiful dress too small for her, revealing her body outline completely. Covered by a napkin on the tray was a loaded gun and sunglasses. Madlax tilted her head to Ellis then softly said. "I need you to stay at the slots and watch as I play my game –when you see me pull out the gun … start shooting and help me." Without another word
of direction Madlax began to catwalk to the other end of the casino, swinging her hips, looking like a French woman in high heels with too much fiery sex-appeal. When she was an agent in the late 90s, Madlax remembered hanging out in this casino; she also remembered what this place was before that. "160 years ago this was the ballroom were I once danced with Vanessa, now it's a casino." As she neared the round tables of the smoking room, she heard the man sitting in the far back with the most bodyguards say to a less important looking member. "Sir Elian will be arriving here shortly; we'll finally see his face." Madlax thought as she heard. "Perfect … now I'll crash his party. When he arrives I'm sure he'll be happy to see this place destroyed, and since he has the book I'll end this here in this casino room." A man tapped her from behind; she turned around to face him, and then asked. "How may I help you?" Surprisingly he said something inappropriate, something that made Madlax tick. She smirked at him, placed a heel between his legs, and moved just a bit closer with the tray nearing his face. In a breathy voice she asked. "Would you like to see what is under this … clothe?" He grinned in a dirty way then nodded his head, thinking she was talking about her dress. Swiftly Madlax swooshed her left hand over the tray, throwing the white clothe off, onto the table. Instantly she took the gun and threw on the glasses, without the man even realizing what happened she placed the gun at his forehead, pulled the trigger whilst slightly smiling. Motionlessly the gun and her arm did all work with eyelids shut. The two bodyguards who were standing behind her fell back, a man in the seat across from the one her leg was still planted on fell head first into a bowl of chowder –turning the liquid red. She opened her eyes, released her powers then watched as the tables grew smaller whilst she ascended trough the air in a ceiling-reaching jump. All at once over fifty bodyguard organization members dressed in black suits pulled out their guns. One by one they fell, Madlax managed to get a glimpse of a short girl with a gun march straight up and fire a few rounds without being herself penetrated by bullets –Ellis. Ellis crutched down next to a dead person, took his machine gun, pressed onto the automatic trigger and felt waves of intense vibrations shake her like a drill as she shot into random directions –hitting down a good number of people (even the bartender). A number of rounds flew upwards passed Madlax who was levitating right below the large glass chandelier which got hit by Ellis's bullets and would fall. Madlax flew away just as the chandelier tumbled down onto the blackjack tables, killing the dealer and a few low ranked organization members instantly into a bright red spot under a ton of shattered see-trough glass. The whole place by now looked like a warzone. People were dead, blood was spilled, and corpses lay scattered, glass smashed and bullet halls were dented in practically everything. Ellis caused this whole mess without even using her powers and Madlax missed a grand opportunity at showing of her moves. Seeing no threats, Madlax descended atop a table and watched as Ellis ran up to her with tears in her eyes. Madlax hopped down, caught Ellis into a hug, and then softly whispered. "Why are you crying Ellis…" –"Their dead, I killed the innocent people working here … waiters, casino workers –all of them." Ellis sobbed unto Madlax. Noting the hysteric mood Ellis was in, Madlax tried to calm her by saying. "Their organization members too, anyways you said you'd be ready to kill so don't back down now." Seconds later Madlax heard loud noise, as if a horde of backup organization members was being sent out to fight whoever caused this. Madlax undid the hug with Ellis, took the girls hand, looked her in the eyes then quickly stated. "This is headquarters; there are maybe a hundred-thousand organization members here –if not more. Ellis for whatever happens now use your powers … guns won't be enough against them. You can still leave though." Ellis shook her head. "My new powers can take on more than that." Without a second guess Ellis gathered her witches' power, flew up high enough to see every inch
of the casino, gazed over at Madlax who was doing the same thing to her right, and then shouted. "Ever since Natalia told me of your powers and immortality I wanted to see for myself … now I can, so when they rush inside you'll be in charge of killing the right half and I'll take care of the left. Don't you want to know whose power is better?" In an energized voice, Madlax shouted back. "I don't like comparing two different things, my powers were created by the book, and yours are created by something else, so let's just fight together without comparing!" Now both ready for the attack, Madlax and Ellis each focused her power together into a thin undistorted line for Madlax and a total aura for Ellis. In that moment every casino door swung open at once, like ants organization members in helmets and bulletproof vests rushed in. The girls didn't make a sound but observed as the room filled with a herd of members. After all were in, a man dressed in a fancy robe with jewels, and a book in his gloved hang stepped onto the second floor balcony of the casino. Madlax instantly recognized him. "Its Elian and the book –he has it. I can't hurt him as long as he has that book; I need to snatch the book. But these men would get in the way so first them then the book." Before Madlax swung her string like power trough every man like a domino, Ellis again outdid her. A fire formed out of nowhere over the heads of the organization members, Ellis swooshed her hand down, the fire crashed onto the members –a casino full. Madlax thought. "What kind of power is that … I used something similar to that in the past, Ellis is beyond doubt powerful, however this is my fight." Just as Madlax finished her train of thought, she saw Ellis appear as if about to faint. Quickly she flew to her comrade, caught her then looked down. The fire was gone and all organization members were unharmed because of the protective clothes and the book in Elian's hands. She heard Elian yell from across the second floor balcony. "With you here and the book in my hands, Madlax I will destroy you. See last time you grabbed the book away but now you're too far away and I can just destroy you now … or better yet wipe out just your memories and keep the books power at bay forever." A smirk formed out of the sandy blonde's lips, she wasn't an idiot. The page she found in France was here with her, why the book worked and why again both had power over the book simultaneously. Killing the men bellow wasn't important to Madlax, they had nothing to do with 160 years ago, plus Boss asked her to leave him at least a fair number of high council clergy members he could rule over. Across the room, Madlax shouted back to Elian. "I can kill you too Elian! Take a look at this –its summoning page, the most powerful page of the book." Before he gasped out in shock, Madlax connected her power with that of the page; Instantly Ellis disappeared from her arms. "I have to finish this myself Ellis, its easier without someone he could easily kill in my arms; you'll be safe back there with Vanessa and Nadie." With Ellis gone, in the next second Madlax used the page to teleport over to the balcony on which Elian stood.
Ellis teleported back to the jeep in the middle of the forest
A push on the shoulder rattled Ellis; slowly she opened her eyelids to see what happened. Leather seats, metallic doors, a burgundy haired woman's hand pushing against her arm were all sensations Ellis
experienced as she sat up in her seat next to Vanessa. "I was fighting along side Madlax, my powers weakened; I remember her catching me and then –nothing." Before Ellis comprehended how she came to be here, something more important grabbed her attention, Nadie awake and sitting in the front seat of the roofless jeep. Self-restraints left Ellis as she hopped into the driver's seat next to the crimson haired girl; leaned her torso towards Nadie then swung both arms tight around her true loves back. She didn't care what Nadie would think at the moment, the only thing important … to feel the warmth of Nadie's skin. Ellis whispered. "Nadie I'm glad to see you again. I love you … I'm in love with you!" No response came from the girl she confessed her love to. Ellis didn't care; she tightened her embrace and in a gloomy tone added. "If you don't love me back then please tell me." Nadie didn't say anything, didn't do anything but just starred at the girl hugging her unknowingly. Vanessa knew what was wrong, why Nadie wasn't responding, as she watched Ellis, she pondered. "An hour ago, when Nadie woke up I tried speaking to her but she didn't understand a word I said and didn't respond with any of her own words. There is something wrong with her memories, with all of them –she is like a blank sheet of paper who doesn't know what the world is. Damn the organization did this to her." Even though Ellis would be devastated to realize the truth, Vanessa stood up, stretched both arms out, took hold of Ellis's shoulders then pulled the girl away from Nadie. After getting the adorable short blonde's attention, in a heartrending voice Vanessa explained Nadie's extreme amnesia-like state to Ellis. "She doesn't know who you are Ellis; she doesn't know what anything is. I don't know if this is permanent but probably is. We should have found her sooner … the damn bastard Elian must have done this –I hope Madlax kills him violently." Ellis wasn't sure on what to say or do at the moment, she managed to ask. "So you're saying the Nadie I knew is gone, she's dead and this is just her body without the mind of memories we shared?" Sheepishly Vanessa replied. "Yes she's gone, if Elian shot her in the head then the memories faded forever out of reach." Ellis pulled away from Vanessa, took hold of Nadie's arms then brought the memory less girl into another embrace. With a slight glimpse, Ellis noticed a small white sheet of paper crumbled up inside of Nadie's shorts pocket. Gently she reached her hand in the crimson haired girl's pocket, took the paper, reached it out, unfolded the paper then read over it. Vanessa looked over Ellis's shoulder and also saw the paper –instantly recognizing the particular page style and material before even reading what it said. The page read, "Ellis I'm sorry for leaving you, it was a mistake. My memories will be forever gone and only you can return me if you have this page in perfect circumstance." Not as stupid as Elian thought she was, Nadie beforehand found a familiar blank sheet of paper in the chamber with a globe of the old world, she recognized it as a page very similar to the one Madlax called the page of her own creation –except this one was blank. Whilst in the lab watching Elian receiving his facial transplant, Nadie asked a nice young female scientist for a pen, with that she wrote this tiny bit on the very special page and stuffed it far into her pocket. She didn't know if it'd work but it was the best she had.
Vanessa's lips twitched into a smile of relief as she recognized the page to be a blank front of the book. Ellis however felt like screaming as loud as she could and using her powers to destroy all she could. Seeing Ellis didn't understand the possibility, Vanessa snatched the page away, smiled as the sorrowing girl turned to face her and quickly said. "You can bring Nadie back with this page Ellis –it's a page of the book and sense the book, me and Madlax are all close by, you should be able to use its infinite power to get what you want. However you should know … one regular page equals one wish. This is a regular one
so be careful using it –Madlax has the special summoning page which is infinite but this is only good for one wish." Vanessa demonstrated using a regular piece of ordinary paper. First she placed her right hand over the paper, next she whispered two words. Ellis nodded her head in understanding of the procedure. Swiftly Vanessa handed Ellis the page. With her left hand Ellis took it, twirled her head to see Nadie's empty gaze, smiled then whispered her desire out loud. "I want the Nadie I knew back, Nadie before meeting Madlax … Nadie not loving Madlax." As she positioned her right hand over the page, she felt a jolt of information on how the book works seep into her subconscious mind. Instantly she became aware of what the book could and couldn't do, how Nadie's memories might be returned and how they couldn't. "All of Nadie's memories can't laterally be returned but with the books power and my witch's power combined… I can bring back the Nadie from my own memory –which isn't what I want. But the power to reverse time selectively can bring the real Nadie back." Ellis stated as she experienced a flow of knowledge gush trough her hand, into her head and out her mouth. A bright aura emitted from the page, sank around Nadie's body. The blank blue of Nadie's eyes turned a deeper color then suddenly the colorless aura grew and encircled the entire jeep and a radius of fifteen yards around it. From colorless to light pink the aura shifted as it received energy from both the page and Ellis. Immense guests of wind hit against the veil of pink light from every direction as time reversed then sank back memories straight into the aura which connected to Nadie's brainwaves. Both Ellis and Vanessa saw the memories as if they were happening now. With her hand still on the page, Ellis closed her eyes and concentrated on every recollection she made with Nadie in the past year she knew the girl. Those recollections mixed in with Nadie's actual memories, creating a version of her thoughts that were more intimately connected with Ellis then anyone else. Vanessa sat back and watched the whole ordeal with amazement sparking from within her soul. Seeing how time reversed physically reactive events could be formed by one girl thinking what the other experienced in her past. "Nadie will be back as the real her but with –a better understanding of Ellis's feelings and without any memories of knowing or loving Madlax … the last thing she'll remember is the moment before she met Madlax –which is good by me and Ellis." At the peek of the aura's growth Vanessa couldn't see anything in the front seat, it was blindingly bright. As the thoughts echoing around simultaneously rushed into Nadie's previously empty mind, her body shook, her arms swung straight to her sides then out and as the last thought seeped in, she fell forward only to be caught in a tight embrace by an overjoyed Ellis. Every spark of pink evaporated, leaving a clear view of the front seat. Vanessa's eyes grew wide as she first saw the page wither particle by particle into eternal nothingness, and then something a bit more interesting caught her attention. "Couldn't she wait till the girl at least regained her consciousness?" She thought as she witnessed Ellis move back by an inch from Nadie, pick Nadie's chin up with her fingers next lean in for the unavoidable desire plaguing her for months now. At first Ellis kissed the outline of Nadie's soft motionless lips, savoring every bit of flavor brushing onto hers. A slight twitch of Nadie's lips caused Ellis's face to overflow with red color. She moved away enough to see the entire cuteness of a sleeping crimson haired girl. Many contradictions told her to stop even now –but she didn't. Breathlessly Ellis whispered as she leaned in for a bigger kiss. "I love you Nadie, I love you so much … I can't even control my desires any longer." Just as Ellis's lips met hers, Nadie opened her eyes wide. Seeing Ellis crash her lips into hers with eyes closed, Nadie didn't know how to respond, she couldn't remember what day it was much less why all of the sudden Ellis was kissing her. She thought as she experienced Ellis part her lips with her tongue. "Why is Ellis kissing me like that –why am I letting her?" Nadie tried saying something but as her mouth opened
to say it, a soft sensation on her lower lip caused a breathless sigh to come out instead. "Is this how Ellis feels about me … she wants to keep kissing me? Ever sense the time I and Ricardo dinned at the five star restaurant Ellis showed signs of being attracted to me, so she is attracted to me." Without thinking Nadie wrapped her arms around Ellis which elicited a response, Ellis moved her lips off, opened her eyes then gazed straight into Nadie's blue orbs whilst feeling excessive warmth from Nadie's arms and blushing red face. In a shaky voice Nadie asked one question. "The kiss… Ellis remember the time I asked you in which way you love me, you said as more then a lover, but why couldn't you just say as a lover and more –that night we could have become…" –"I'm sorry for saying I love you in a wrong way back then Nadie. But what do you love me as?" The blush only grew tenfold in heat and color as Nadie tried to think up an appropriate response. "I love her as –a companion who I am close to on infinite levels, as someone I'm willing to be loved by." With her poise more or less intact Nadie undid her right hand from around Ellis, raised it up to Ellis's face then carefully brushed the longer then she remembered tresses with her fingers. Nadie whispered. "I love you as the one and only special person meant for me, someone who I cant live without and want to live with for as long as I live." Those words instantly made Ellis the happiest girl alive and she could hear Vanessa inhaling long overexcited breaths of anticipation coming from the backseat. A single contradiction however came in Nadie's sentence and she fixed it by beaming a smile and saying. "Nadie then it means you want to live with me forever –there's a long story to it but simply your immortal and I have mastered my powers as well so we can be together forever. Kiss me Nadie." A tingle ran down Nadie's spine and butterflies in her stomach violently flew back and forth. Hearing Ellis say it was something unexpected, but with a single very deep breath Nadie proceeded with Ellis's pleading request. She parted her lips then moved them against Ellis's. Another tingle ran trough her as Nadie felt Ellis's tongue brush against hers randomly in caresses. Not a thought lingered in a love hormone drugged mind of Nadie. She previously wondered who the dark brown haired woman with a riffle backseat was but at the present moment could care less. Ellis had who she wanted most in her arms and devoted to only her. She only hoped Madlax would defeat Elian for everyone's happy ending. Vanessa watched the passion between Nadie and Ellis with awe and empathy, she pondered. "I'm happy they're together. Madlax is someone Nadie doesn't remember. Damn Madlax it's been more than two hours –you better be back soon so I can kiss you like that instead of watching them do it. If you disappear I don't know what I'll do."
Meanwhile: Madlax has a life and death duel with Elian in the book's realm
Knowing there wasn't a way out, Elian agreed to Madlax's proposition of having a duel in an empty realm of the book. Rules were: Madlax wouldn't posses her powers in this realm and would be entirely mortal, tangible by wounds upon her skin, next each would be granted a single identical quantum sharp sword and an antique pistol loaded with one bullet. The surroundings transformed from a casino balcony with thousands of organization members armed and ready to fire below to an endless white space with regular dimensions and laws of physics intact. Before initiating the duel, Madlax gazed over the page in her left hand then glimpsed at the book in Elian's grasp, and stated. "We can't fight with the
book and page in ether of our hands –cheating would be too easy. We'll agree to this Elian." He reluctantly nodded, opened the book to an unused page, placed his hand over it then waited as Madlax spoke the agreed upon dueling rules to the book and page. Madlax starred at the page and spoke. "Both this page and the book will disappear from us and not return till one of us is dead, return to the one who's alive. Now grant us our weapons and vanish!" Instantly the page and book faded away. Madlax felt her strange energy evaporate, next a sword form in her right hand and a pistol in her left. She knew Elian had as much a chance at winning as she however he wasn't experienced with swords this sharp in actual combat. A quick upwards dodge took Madlax a few feet off ground –he missed by a mere inch. Another swing circled the air as Madlax landed in crutching position. So far she was playing defensively. Elian appeared obsessed with the desire to stab trough Madlax, he thought as he swung numerously and missed. "If I stab her just once she'll be mortally injured … this sword will cut anything it touches with zero force necessary. Madlax today you die." Whilst rotating on one leg Madlax managed to avoid a fatal thrust by positioning the gun then shooting at the sword. The bullet bent Elian's sword into a crook and recoil push caused Madlax to fall back. Angry, Elian dropped his damaged sword, aimed his gun at Madlax's forehead then pulled the trigger. Unfortunately for him, the sandy blonde jerked her head to the left, and threw her sword upward as a deflective shield. The bullet hit the sword, shattered it in two, and bounced off into infinite white length of the room. One-half the sword propelled across Elian's face –slicing skin deep before hitting the ground. Madlax strained to see what happened. She soared up into standing pose then watched as half of Elian's facial transplant rolled off like a piece of fruit by the foot. It was sickening as he blinked once, looked down to his hand and watched as a slice of his skin slid onto it. She knew this wasn't over; he was alive and capable of fighting her to the death. Whilst he stood motionless, mesmerized by what lay in his gloved hand, Madlax scrambled to pick his bent sword up from the endless white floor. As she reached for it, a throbbing elbow hit the back of her neck. Her face stopped right at the sharp edge of the sword as she caught the floor with both arms as if doing a pushup. This time a punch came streaming her way from behind. With a rolling motion she missed it, hopped up, ran behind Elian then pushed him hard into the ground where the bent sword lay pointed up. Hilarious as it was, Elian fell on the edge fist first; the sword pierced and remained crest in the middle knuckle of his fist and point trough the shoulder. At this perfect opportunity, Madlax picked up the remaining half of her sword, walked over to the screaming half-faced, stabbed trough arm Elian, next pointed the sharp piece of metal in his face and softly said. "We both know who the victor of this duel is … Elian you lose, you die and so does your organization –the book is mine." Before a gasp escaped his jaw, the sharp metal stabbed trough it. His eyes rolled back and seconds later he crashed to the ground –lifeless. Just as agreed upon the book returned right into Madlax's hands. With this book and summoning page together she could bend reality to her liking –which she would certainly do. As she regained her immortality and teleported back to the casino balcony, she pondered. "I did it, he's dead and the book is here. The organization is currently mine …I suppose killing the leader in a duel is more than reason to make me the leader, and with the book its all the more true. Boss I know you wanted your organization back but I don't give a fuck about you –with the books power I'll turn the high council clergy into a nonprofit food for the hungry organization and you Boss will be the leader of that. You'll forget about me and I'll never deal with this again –I'll be enjoying life with Vanessa." Time seemed to stay where it was when Madlax entered the books realm, all the solders stood with guns aimed up, ready to fire. She sighed, opened the book up to summoning page, placed her hand onto it
then watched as things around her shifted and changed like a fantasy becoming reality. The buildings interior shifted from a casino to an orphanage playroom, in her mind she witnessed the layout of every other room change as well, all she thought for this change was, "transform this into something good for humanity and erase the memory of the high council clergies existence from everyone but me, Vanessa, Natalia and Ellis." The thousands of solders previously positioned below transformed into caretakers, doctors and religious missionaries all now physically harmless and psychologically different people. Madlax was no longer standing in a balcony, but outside, floating high above the mansion with book at hand. Almost done but not quite –Madlax had yet to release the books realm memories and destroy the book itself. With a surge of thoughts regarding Madlax's final wishes, the book levitated out of her hand, flew above her head and slowly depilated into specs of colorful glittering dust throughout the air, leaving no remains. She smiled at the bright sun above, closed her eyes and thought of the location where she last left Vanessa in the jeep with a riffle. A spiral of energy wrapped around Madlax, instantly erasing her from hovering above the mansion to standing a couple feet before the jeep. The first person who caught her eye was Vanessa pointing the riffle at her, next she saw Nadie and Ellis in front seat and holding one another close in an embrace. Vanessa recognized the love of her life being back in front of her, she threw the sniper riffle far into the trees, brought her arms out and tossed herself unto Madlax's soft chest. Whilst enjoying the sensations Vanessa gave her, Madlax brushed the back of Vanessa's head and curiously yelled to Nadie. "I'm sorry but it won't workout between us Na…" She stopped as she felt Vanessa's index finger hush her. Vanessa leaned to the sandy blonde's left ear then whispered. "She doesn't remember you Madlax, she remembers everything up to the point of meeting you and that's a good thing because it wouldn't be good for anyone if she loved you but you didn't." Madlax was confused by Vanessa, she wasn't aware Nadie lost every tinge of her memory and Ellis returned everything but the recollections of the sandy blonde. Knowing this, Vanessa led her clueless lover to the jeep, asked Nadie and Ellis to take the backseats then settled in the driver's seat with Madlax residing beside her. As the jeep began to zoom by tropical trees and towards a prominent path leading to the airport 40 miles away, Vanessa in a whisper began to retell Madlax as to why Nadie didn't remember her. After hearing the whole event Madlax thought a bit before giving Vanessa her opinion on the way things turned out. "Nadie doesn't know who I am now, I suppose it's a good thing –she would be devastated to see me leave her for Vanessa. Also Vanessa said Ellis and the Nadie who doesn't remember me are in love … its perfect for all of us and it would be stupid of me to tell Nadie the truth –plus both Vanessa and Ellis would torment and curse me for it." Madlax compromised with Vanessa never to speak of the forgotten past with Nadie. With it settled Madlax twirled around in her seat, peered over at the cute couple backseat then eagerly asked them. "Nadie, Ellis where do you two want to go? If you don't own a house than I have a perfect estate for you two –what do you two say about a private island in the Bahamas?" Both girls were struck speechless; Nadie wasn't sure why a perfect stranger would offer her something, whilst Ellis couldn't make out why Madlax cared about her and Nadie. Ellis stood up in a moving jeep, grabbed on to the back of Madlax's seat, gazed the girl straight in the eyes and inquired. "Where did you get an island?" –"The high council clergy owned lots of land that is now mine … with the book I made sure of it. Anyways the reason I'm doing this is –I want Nadie to be happy, and she will be happy on an island containing you and her." Madlax swooshed her bangs back then cheerfully added. "You're my friend now Ellis and so is Nadie whether she remembers it or not, I don't have many friends and you two are by far the closest. So please except the airplane
tickets I'll buy when we arrive at the airport. On a private island you will be able to exercise your powers as you please Ellis!" Contently, Ellis nodded her head once, next she fell back one seat before her own, into Nadie's lap. With utter joy in her words Ellis shouted at the top of her lungs and lat the sound reverberate throughout the surrounding mountain valleys of Sonika. "Nadie and I will live happily together on an island of our own like a rich married couple!" Nadie felt a slight blush water trough her as she heard Ellis shout. She was out the loop with everything except she knew she and Ellis were going to be together. Instinctively Nadie wrapped her arms around Ellis's waist like a seatbelt partially to hold the girl and moreover to make sure she wouldn't hit the front seats face first when a bump in the road surfaced. Ellis sank into Nadie's caring arms and even rubbed her cheek against Nadie's shoulder. Soon both fell asleep in each others arms. Vanessa glimpsed the whole thing trough the front mirror and Madlax watched with her head tilted back a notch. Softly Vanessa whispered to Madlax. "I actually think it's a good thing she lost her memories of you. Think about it, if she remembered you then Nadie would be desperately in love with the wrong person … leaving Ellis in one-sided love with Nadie –even though we'd be well off either way, its better that she's with Ellis. Don't you think?" –"Yes I agree. So Vanessa, after we drop them off at the airport, what then?" A long reminiscing smile formed out of Vanessa's beautiful lips as she pondered on the endless possibility. "After this we need to spend a lot of time catching up Madlax… starting with many nights and days of intimate time spent together somewhere eye-catching. We have eternity to amend our relationship unto new heights." With her mind made up, Vanessa abruptly pressed down the brakes, turned her head to face Madlax's forest green eyes then pointed at a faraway mountain valley in a round formation and spoke. "That's where we'll go after we drop these two of at the airport. You do remember… it's the waterfall valley between which is an abundant number of isles on one of which there is a small wooden cabin, in which we made love for the first time." Madlax would never disregard a place so important to her, she gave Vanessa a playful smile, and then suggested. "Let me take you there now! I'm sure they can drive another mile –and I can fly you there now, so what do you say Vanessa?" –"agreed, I say yes." Instantly Madlax hopped out the jeep and unto a side of the path nearing a mountain edge. Vanessa opened her door, walked over to Madlax, swung her arms around the sandy blonde's neck, tilted her head in Ellis's direction then informed. "We have to leave you two a bit early, but you can drive to the airport without us." With a swift index finger motion Madlax pointed to a bag of money spread across the passenger's seat floor then yelled. "You won't have money troubles Ellis and Nadie … the islands ownership will be transferred automatically to the two of you. So you don't worry about a thing. And we'll se each other again –I promise Nadie and Ellis." Madlax gave a single wave with her left hand as she fell backwards from the mountain edge with Vanessa in her arms.
Nadie gasped, thinking the sandy blonde woman was suicidal, however when she saw Madlax levitate upwards she felt relieved. After seeing Madlax and Vanessa disappear into the distance of foggy mountain valleys ragging as far as one could see, Nadie waited for Ellis to get off her lap then stepped over to the driver's seat, sat down, backed the car for a slight turn and took off into the direction of the Sonika airport. She had yet to hear an explanation for all of this from Ellis, but she knew two things in concrete –one, her relationship with Ellis would never be the same again, two, she was now a landowner. "When we arrive on our island –I wonder what the first thing we do will be. Ellis and I kissed passionately back then so we might… Nadie what are you thinking?" Intense red swept over
Nadie's face –which Ellis noticed and curiously asked. "Why are you blushing Nadie?" Not wanting to lie, Nadie responded cunningly. "I was thinking something inappropriate! It involves you and me doing something together on our island … in our bedroom." Ellis boldly asked. "Is that something … making love?" Nadie's face practically looked like someone painted it with red dye as she responded. "What if I said yes?" Ellis turned her head to look out her window, with an uninterested expression on her face, Ellis stated. "Then I'd say –I can't wait that long."
Madlax creates a beautiful place for herself and Vanessa in the middle of the waterfall Valley
Nearing the valley where Madlax's cabin from over 160 years ago was, she tightened her hold on Vanessa, brushed her left cheek against Vanessa's right then softly asked. "What do you want our house to be like … I mean we need a better place than an old cabin?" –"Whatever you want is what I want Madlax. But if you must ask, I would like a house with the most romantic bedroom imaginable, a place where all my romantic fantasy's come true –a place with you there." A wide smile spread over Madlax's lips at hearing Vanessa's sweet words. Now above the circular center of the valley, Madlax looked downwards, trying to catch where the small isle with a probably destroyed cabin atop it was located. Vanessa was first to see and point at it. After seeing it as well, Madlax soared down at immense speeds till she was hovering right above the smashed up rooftop. Without hesitation, Madlax closed her eyes and visualized the form and structure of the perfect home for her and Vanessa. The string-like energy capable of slicing trough anything was also the power to create any non-living object Madlax could imagine. It could be described as an advanced form of nanotechnology or even as alchemy. Vanessa's eyes grew wide as she saw the wooden logs grow to the size of trees in proportion. Other materials seemed to form out of thin air. A flat brown roof structure formed right over the rectangular shape tree-sized logs, next everything connected and all gaps filled with either more wood or cement. The house from the outside appeared as a perfectly rectangular two floor castle with over ten rooms. Windows were large and rectangular, a staircase leading to a wooden bridge that particle by particle formed over the water, leading from flower isle to vegetable isle spanned all the way trough the circular middle between tall mountains with waterfalls raining down between the plots of land. From a birds eye view, it looked like a circle filled with water, isles floating on the water connected by maze-like bridges with a rectangular house planted on the biggest islet in the center. With the house completed in her mind and in the world, Madlax opened her eyes to see Vanessa's face blocking the view. "Vanessa our home awaits us." Madlax said whilst experiencing the dark burgundy haired woman's breaths hit against her nose and lips. Vanessa with her creative ideas gave Madlax a suggestive smile then in a sensual voice pointed out. "You know we never once made love in the sky … and with you being able to levitate we should –now!" –"Okay Vanessa we'll do that … but I'm warning you. I tend to lose my concentration on levitating when I'm making love to you so if we fall it's your fault."
