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Right. And now I give you:

Chapter Twelve

She could have gone straight home as Ramuh had asked—she could have begun practicing her reading before Black came to meet with her, but the devious part of her mind had taken hold once more. She wanted answers now, not later. Her experiences with the summons over the last few days had been strange; one day they were friendly and the next they were distant. Even Ramuh had been acting a bit off kilter, and before she knew it her routine had been tossed around again like a rag doll to the benefit of everyone else. One day they placed their trust in her and the next they snatched it away.

There were a lot of things that didn't make sense, a lot of contradicting stories, but she had an idea where she might find her answers and they started with Black. For some reason an idea so absurd it both excited and frightened her had entered her mind. She didn't want to wait for Black, she wanted to get to the bottom of this latest development before it was pushed to the back of everyone's minds like yesterday's news. She knew she wasn't just imagining things, there were hostilities between the summons and she was the cause, but this time the reason confused her. Shiva wasn't against her particularly, it was Ramuh she had an issue with and it had all started yesterday. It wasn't just Black she wanted to see, it was where she might find him. The library. The closest place to the throne room and the two summons who would definitely be aware of what was happening. Perhaps she might "accidentally" hear something while she was there. It was too tempting a notion to pass.

She had checked to be sure no one was looking before she turned down the road to the building. There was no one at the door, no onlookers; it was a quiet day as was normal in this section of the city, due in part to her very presence there. But when she reached the door, her hand froze at the handle. She couldn't decide if this was worth the risk or not, but if Black was there and he had heard something lately about Ramuh, she wanted to know about it. Making a split-second decision, she opened the door and slipped quickly inside, casting about for signs of anyone else in the room. All she saw, though, were tables and chairs with piles of books on top of them in the soft lamp glow. When she was sure no one was there, she set about thinking of where Black might be if he was, in fact, in the library. Reluctant to call out his name, she began to circle the room, weaving in and out of the rows of shelves. The steep cliffs of tomes to either side of her gave her the feeling of being trapped, and she felt her mouth go dry at the memories of tight passages and narrow spaces she had been with Cecil and Tellah. This, however, was without a doubt one of the eeriest places she'd ever been. It was somehow worse than the caverns, but she couldn't really come to understand why. Here she was surrounded by silent stories and spells all bound in leather and laid to rest on the shelves. She couldn't even begin to imagine just how many secrets were in their pages or how she was going to decipher them all. Just glancing down the aisle, her eyes began to blur. She hoped Black didn't mean for her to read all of them.

She finished her circle of the room and stood with her hands on her hips, exhaling with a mix of anxiety and relief. Black wasn't on the first floor. Her gaze fell on the staircase leading down to the second basement. Entering the library without permission was one thing, but going even deeper was another, even though her original plan had been just that. She bit her lip, wondering if there was even a chance she could hear anything being said in the throne room from down there. Would Black be down there? Curiosity overrode caution and she slowly crept toward the staircase leading down. She stood at the top stair for a moment and strained her ears for anyone down below. When she heard no one she made her way down step by step, careful not to make a sound. She reached the bottom and peered around the corner, looking for anyone who might be hidden between the shelves. Seeing no one as on the first level, she tip-toed across the room and approached the final staircase. She heard voices from down below, but after a few short minutes, a door was closed and all sounds ceased. Rydia slumped against the wall, thwarted. She could go no further. Unwilling to return just yet, she rested in the library basement and allowed her ears to adjust to the stillness. At first she thought she was hearing things, but when she focused her attention on it, sure enough, there were sounds coming from below. She pulled herself up and began to pace around the room again, listening for where the sounds were strongest. Her quest for the source led her to a back corner of the room where, to her surprise, she felt a warm draft coming from behind a shelf. She was about to find a way past the shelf and into the hidden passageway when a lightning fast streak of fur erupted from the hole, angry amber eyes boring into her own.

"What are you doing here?" Black hissed.

Rydia had fallen backwards in shock, and could only stare at him with her heart racing a mile a minute. She wasn't sure what she should tell him--nothing sounded good.

"I came here looking for you," she answered feebly.

He stalked past her and swished his tail, refusing to look at her. It was obvious from his rapidly twitching ears, he was listening for others.

"You picked a bad time," he snapped, turning around to face her. "Why didn't you wait for me? You could have spared us both a heart attack."

"I had to find you. Something's wrong with Ramuh and he won't tell me what it is. Besides, now Shiva is giving him trouble and I figured you were the only one who would know what was going on. I think Shiva wants him to stop teaching me."

"I know."

She paused, the words she was about to say never reaching her tongue. "You what?"

He frowned, his whiskers turning down as a result. "Things have been happening lately. I can't say for certain what they are, but you're not the only one with concerns. Also, do you know how much trouble you're in for coming here--on your own, no less? And do you ever listen to what others tell you?"

"Only sometimes," she replied with a hint of a grin.

He sniffed disdainfully. "Didn't anyone tell you you weren't allowed in here?" he continued.

"You're the only one who would have told me, and you never did," she answered.

He stared at her blankly, his tail whipping back and forth the only sign of his agitation. "The truth is, neither of us is supposed to be here," he added. "You just had to go and make things more complicated, didn't you."

"You've been spying?"

He cocked one ear at her. Rydia had become used to reading ear movements as expressions of his mood, and she could tell he was uncomfortable by her question.

"Couldn't the same be said of you?" he countered with a touch of accusation in his voice.

"Black, please. Tell me honestly that there's something being hidden from me, something important. You've told me parts, and explained a lot of things to me lately, but you haven't told me everything."

"You're not old enough to understand everything that goes on around here," he replied.

"Every day I grow a little bit older," she justified. "I have a right to know."

"Why again--why now?"

"Now? Because I don't want to lose Ramuh as my teacher, not after what we've been through together. He looks after me," she explained.

"He's not the only one, you know," Black retorted, the snappish tone returning to his voice.

"You know what I mean, Black."

"I'm not sure if I do. Please, explain it to me. You think Ramuh's the only one here who looks after you?"

She stared at him. "What? What are you saying, Black?"

"He's not the only one who looks after you and cares about what happens to you, just so you know."

Rydia gave him a baffled look. "Are you jealous, Black?"

His eyes locked onto hers. "I didn't say that! I'm just saying that the next time you go on about the people who care about you, don't forget to mention the ones who are standing right in front of you."

"I think I've been here too long," she said slowly. "Because I think you just admitted that you care about me? I thought you couldn't stand me, despite all my progress!"

"Well, I do, and keep your voice down. If we're caught—" he stopped mid-sentence and looked past Rydia's shoulder, both ears forward. He glanced at her wide-eyed.

"So much for an easy escape," he muttered, and then looked at the hidden passage. "You'd better come with me," he said as he shot back toward the opening in the shelf between the books, pushing more aside to make room for Rydia.

She squeezed through the shelf and into the dark enclosure, following Black's lithe figure deeper into the darkness. Sure enough, there were footsteps coming from the main room. Black went to see who it was, and once whoever it was was gone, he returned to Rydia and whispered the name in her ear.

"Shiva," he said.

Rydia suddenly snapped to attention. This had not been a part of her plan. Now she was trapped in the library and couldn't get out with Shiva just a floor below.

Black brushed past her and when he spoke again, Rydia realized he had gone quite a bit farther down the passage than she thought it went.

"If you want to find any of those answers you came here looking for, come here," he whispered to her.

She did as he said, approaching him and what turned out to be a small vent in the floor. Through it, she could see part of the throne room, but seeing wasn't important, it was hearing.

Sure enough, Shiva's icy tone carried up through the vent. It was difficult to tell what was being said because she was already in the middle of a conversation, but Rydia was soon able to pick out the names "Ramuh" and "the girl". She had a few good guesses as to where this conversation would be going.

"Your majesties, I feel it has fallen upon me to bring up the incident in the caverns," Shiva's voice reached her. "If I hadn't reached him in time, this city might be swarming with beasts as we speak. The monsters in the caves have been multiplying more these days and it has been more difficult to repel them. Ramuh is feeling his age, there's no easy way to put it. He was nearly overrun yesterday, barely able to keep his balance. He can't be entrusted with guarding this city anymore. That, or I highly suggest that we block the portal. Do we truly need such a device? It's only temporary freedom from this place, but is that worth making ourselves so vulnerable?

"Ramuh was nearly overrun? He told a slightly different story," Asura mused.

"Because he doesn't want to lose his credibility," Shiva pointed out. "He doesn't want to lose the girl. I just don't know if he has the energy to give her his full attention, or all the devoted teaching she needs."

"I take it you have some proposal of your own, Shiva?'' Leviathan asked.

"I would like to assist him in her training. He needs more rest and she needs more teaching. This can't work for the best as the situation stands."

"I don't like this," Asura interrupted her. "We shouldn't have to be teaching a human how to use magics in the first place. I'm more concerned about what that girl could be capable of more than anything else. Ramuh was given the task of instructing her against my wishes, as were many things of late, and I will not have another be given such access," she said sourly.

There was a pause. Obviously, Shiva was at a loss for words.

"She's here now, and there's no changing that. What do you suggest, Asura, returning her to her own kind with what she knows of us? Better to keep her here and train her ourselves than let other humans do the job for us," Leviathan objected.

"What is your intention with all this, Leviathan," Asura countered, her voice dropping lower with anger. "Keep a human here as a pet? Do you truly think that a human, a human child, will want to free us from the bondage her own people laid upon us? Or are you manipulating her simply for your own entertainment and to my great distress?"

"Asura you know that without the summoners our time is limited. Think of the good that could be done with her being here. If we can trust each other, perhaps someday we can be free of them for good, able to live our own lives again as we once did. And she needs us as well. How else will she help her allies if she has no knowledge of magic? If someone aims to control the crystals for his own uses, nothing good can come of it for anything and anyone that walks the earth. We need each other, and that is what is important."

"You've said all this before, Leviathan. All I'm hearing is a lot of talk and very few results."

"Peace, Asura!" Leviathan snapped. "I ask for patience in this, not scathing counter remarks. Shiva, I grant you permission to assist Ramuh in teaching Rydia. If you believe you can be of use, by all means. However, send Ramuh to see me later. I want to discuss his failings in the caverns to greater length."

"Your Majesty, if I may, what about the portal? What should be done about this? We can't have summons outside every evening defending the city. It's too draining, and it's dangerous besides."

"I agree with her, Leviathan," Asura stated, joining the conversation again. "This device you created has led us to more grief than good. It was well conceived, but its uses have not been mostly to our benefit as we had thought. I admit, it was useful in regards to the sylphs and the dwarves, but the caves are pressing in on us. We chose this place to make an impenetrable defense, not be overtaken ourselves. That, and it has allowed a human access. That itself was a mighty risk."

Rydia heard Leviathan sigh. "The portal may yet prove its worth to us. I will not block it. Besides, it has already proven effective in leaving the spell and returning, as well as allowing us to use our magics more acutely than we would have been able inside this place."

"Of course, husband. And soon we'll also find humans of every sort finding their way through that portal you devised. We'll have to defend ourselves against both humans and monsters soon enough, that is, of course, if we survive all this."

"I will not block the portal. I will defend this city myself if I must, but I will not close us off entirely. We need the few contacts on the outside we have left to inform us of what is going on in the world. Your sight, while valuable, is not always reliable, Asura. Especially now that we no longer have the summoners. The portal will remain open, but Ramuh will no longer be one of those who guards it."

"That's it, then?" Shiva pressed.

"I have granted you permission to help teach the girl. Take your victories where you can, Shiva. Be sure you give him time to make arrangements and introduce you to her."

"We've already been introduced," she replied.

There was a pause. "Then do as you will."

"I will. Thank you, your majesties."

"If there was nothing else to discuss, you are dismissed, Shiva."

"That was all."

"Good afternoon then, creature of ice," Leviathan told her as she departed.

Rydia heard Shiva as she climbed the throne room stairs and crossed the second basement level. She and Black knelt in the shadows for quite a while. Waiting until Shiva's footsteps retreated up the final staircase and out of the library. Even then, neither of them moved.

The conversation in the basement had shifted.

"I will not have you cultivating disrespect, Asura," Leviathan scolded, his rich voice low. "Do you think you're the only one who's considered this situation. I have made my choice and weighed the alternatives. She is only a little girl. She may not turn out as you think."

"Still, I do not believe it was a decision you had the right to make for us all," she countered.

"Do not spread doubts and rumors among the others. I will have none of that."

"And you hope she will learn all you want her to? She doesn't have much time as it is. This Cecil, the dark knight, has been taking his time pursuing the stolen crystals. It seems he is now attempting to climb a mountain, possibly Mount Ordeals, but to what purpose? I have already seen what the thief is planning, and it worries me. My contact in the west has seen strange signs of activity near the tower of Bab-il and Eblan. I believe he wishes to achieve something there, and if the tower is involved, you know what evil this could spawn."

There was silence. "That tower has indeed been an unusual part of our lives for as long as I can recall. I believe it was built shortly after the arrival of the crystals, and has some connection with them, but to say if that purpose is evil? I do not know."

"Better to be wary, than not," Asura replied. "The dark knight will have to move quickly if he wants to put a stop to all this. If he does not, she won't have any reason to be learning and no reason to be here. We will all be in danger. Or dead."

"How long ago did you see this?"

"Only yesterday. "

"Regardless of what happens aboveground, I believe she can be useful to us here and we to her. Maybe this is where she belongs."

Asura laughed dryly.

"I'll believe it when I see it," she replied.

"Then let her be and do not interfere. In the meantime, help me review this charter the sylphs have sent," he said, changing the subject.

The conversation in the throne room softened and petered out as the king and queen retreated to a more private place. Black finally stirred and Rydia turned to him. "Is it true?" she asked. "That Ramuh was losing to monsters yesterday? Is that why he was so tired?"

"He's old. I didn't think he was that old," Black muttered. "Looks like you have Shiva keeping an extra set of eyes on you now."

He walked back to the opening in the hidden chamber and she could see his silhouette as he peered out. Her head was reeling with the flow of new information she had just learned as she crept toward the light, wanting to speak to Black about it more.

Black was about to leave her, but she grabbed his tail without realizing it.

He swiftly whipped around and bared his teeth.

"In the future if you want my attention, don't do that again," he growled.

She released his tail and frowned.

"Black," she whispered, "What did Asura mean when she said that Cecil was making slow progress? How could she know that? I thought only Leviathan could learn about me and my surroundings through my summonings."

Black's keen eyes studied her. Without a word he tried to make his way through the shelf.

"Black, answer me. How could she know that? Does she go up to watch them like Leviathan did for me? Why doesn't she do anything?"

"It doesn't work that way," he replied, placing one solid look before turning away again.

"Then what—is it a spell or a—"

"Listen, Rydia, you're asking questions of things that are beyond you. We have our ways here, and some things are not necessary for you to know."

"You mean to say you all have your secrets and it's best for you to keep me uninformed."

"That's one way of putting it."

"Black, knowing what's happened to Cecil is important to me. It's not enough just knowing he's alive as Leviathan told me. I want to know that he's okay and if he's found Rosa. If anyone knows how to see what's going on, I have to know too. You can't just keep me here in the dark."

Black's pause was long. "It's a seeing spell. I believe you humans call it 'sight' but this is a different variety."

"Why didn't Leviathan just use that to find me?"

"It's not that simple. You can only see someone if you know who you're looking for."

"So she could spy on me whenever she chose if she wanted to?"

"I don't think it works here in the city. You'd have to be outside of the caverns. The magic here interferes with many magics, including that one. I could be wrong, though. How's that for watching what you say when no one's looking?"

"So Asura watches Cecil…how does she even know who he is?"

"I don't know. You'd have to ask her."

"What about Mist? Couldn't she have known about Mist?"

"When she couldn't see anyone at all in the village, she knew something was wrong. It isn't as if she spends all of her time keeping track of human affairs. It was unexpected to all of us when we learned the summoners were gone."

"How long have you been spying?"

"Only recently. Usually I'm allowed into the throne room but ever since you came, they considered me too great a risk to have around."

"Anything interesting?"

"The time's are changing."

"That's it?"

"Rydia, believe me when I say that you're not old enough to know everything."

"I need to speak with Asura," she declared.

Black looked at her as if she was crazy. "Why?"

"If she knows something about Cecil, then I want to know too. I didn't ask before because I didn't know if such a thing were possible, but now that I do…"

"Rydia…what if the news was bad. Would you still want to know?"

"I would."

He sighed. "Arranging a meeting with Asura could be difficult."

"Black, she has information about my friends. I have a right to know."

"Alright, alright. I'll see what I can do. For the time being, we need to figure out how to get you out of here."

Black trotted off and disappeared from Rydia's view, going to find an escape route for her. She waited in the dark for several minutes, trying to piece together all she had heard. Ramuh in trouble and Cecil taking his time. She was still lost in thought when Black's whiskered face appeared in front of the entrance to the passage.

"We'll have to move fast," he said, breaking her concentration. "Follow me quickly and if I tell you to do something, do it. There's no one here, and no one outside, so now's the time. If anyone does see us, say that you had just gone looking for me when I found you on the street."

Rydia nodded slowly.

"Don't just sit there gawking, get out of there, let's go!"

Rydia crawled out of the passage and through the shelf. Black dashed off ahead of her and bounded back up the staircase. Rydia hurried after him, brushing cobwebs and dust off of her cloak. When she reached the top, Black was waiting by the doorway. He was peeking out into the street and only looked back at her when she approached.

"Looks clear. We'll go back to your house and pick up our lessons from where we left off. Remember, you say nothing of this. Asura is not to know I've been listening or neither of us will ever know what's going on."

"I know, I know. You've said this before," she replied exasperated.

"Not to Ramuh, not to anyone."

"I understand."

"Good. Go now."

Rydia rushed out and skipped along the road until she was a decent distance away. She slowed her pace and tried to appear as innocent and normal as possible, but the thought of Asura even having a slight possibility of knowing what she was up to made her heart beat a little faster than normal.

Black joined her a few moments later.

"Had to be sure no one saw me," he informed her, as they walked side by side.

They walked that way in silence for most of the way back to Rydia's small home, but when they neared it she felt the need to ask him something else. "Black, will Shiva be giving me my reading lessons as well? Because I don't know if I'll be able to go as fast as she would want me to. I only just got started, and I can't even imagine what she would make me do."

"One day at a time," he replied, and trotted ahead to pop the door open to her house. The moment they were both safely inside Rydia's questions immediately changed.

"Black, I know you think I can, but I can't! I can't do this! What am I even doing here? What am I doing this for? No one told me about Cecil, Ramuh couldn't even tell me what was going on, and now he's too old to teach me? It's like no matter what I do, nothing ever gets better!"

For a moment Black just stared at her, overwhelmed by the barrage of questions she was throwing at him. All he could say was: "It's complicated."

"What isn't?" she retorted. "Do you know why the crystals are being stolen? Do you really think that them being moved is enough to destroy you? There has to be more!"
"They're—look, Rydia, this is hard enough for adults to understand."

"You look. I have serious questions, very important ones! I still don't know why my village was destroyed, why my mom had to die, and why my friends are in danger. All of that trouble because one man wants some stones? Something's missing!"

He studied her, her frustrated green eyes staring so determinedly back at him.

"Rydia, I don't have all the answers. Why you've dealt with everything you have, I don't know, but maybe that man Golbez does. He's the one who started this mess and got all of us involved."

"So I may never know."

"I wouldn't say that."

"Black, every time I think I'm doing well, I find out I'm not. I can't keep doing this."

Black reflected for a moment. "Maybe Asura can help you."

"Asura?" she gasped. "She wants nothing to do with me."

"Prove her wrong. Prove to her that she can trust you."

"How?"

"By being you. You proved the rest of us wrong easily enough."

"Easily?" she scoffed. "But, Black, I never see her. How can I make her trust me if I never see her?"

"You wanted to meet with her, remember? Until then, just do your best in your studies so she'll have nothing bad to say when you meet with her."

"What about Cecil? How can I ask her about what she sees without letting her know I overheard?"

"You probably can't. Not without getting the both of us in trouble."

"It's going to take a dozen meetings before she tells me anything like that!"

"If that's what it takes. Rydia, you have to fight for the things you want. Very little ever comes for free."

"Do you think you can set up that many meetings?"

"I don't know, but if it's that important to you…"

"Thank you, Black, it really is."

He sighed. "You really are just a magnet for trouble, aren't you."

"I had a good teacher," she said with a slight grin.

He rolled his eyes. "Alright, you. We'll discuss this another time. Right now, get back to work."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Author's Note:

Hoooly goodness. Where on earth has my time gone??? I just realized that I have nine projects due in two weeks. Darn it all…and yet I still found time to FINALLY finish this blasted chapter. Hopefully I'll have time to finish chapter thirteen soon, but don't hold your breath.

I'm not sure what else to say about this chapter other than…a whole new can of worms has been opened.

Thanks to all of you for reading and for suggestions and overall encouragement You're awesome. Sorry I suck at updating on a regular basis.

Till next chapter (and hopefully a more quickly updated one)

myth.