Well, I'm back again. I figured that since school is now mostly in session that I should get one last post in celebrating the summer. I will miss you summer, and the amount of free time that you bestowed upon me. But now summer is gone, and I have returned to school. Bleh.
Deth Star Apacolypse- Thanks for the kind words. I'm also glad that I've finally reached the point in the story where Rue and Mint are beginning to grow closer, but never fear, I still have a few surprises up my sleeve.
Tsuppi- Nice Triple Threat o' Reviews there. I'm glad you are enjoying my fight scenes and hope the next lives up to what the last ones. Thanks for your reviews.
Ryumasa the Ryuhaitou- I'm always trying to add a little bit more depth to the characters then the original story provided, in an attempt to make them feel like my own, even though they are owned by square, and an attempt to make the story seem fresh. Wylaf's character has alwas given me a bit of trouble, as I'm never really sure how he should be moving or sounding. Oh, well, glad I did decently well. And thanks for the comments. I was hoping people might pick up on his jeer at Mint.
Marowe- It's getting hard to praise me? Well, I'm finding it a little difficult to say thanks in new and nice ways to those kind enough to review my story. Yes, Mint has had it rougher then Rue, but I also try to show that Rue has had some strife, but nothing compared to what I've got in store for him one day down the line.
SuGaR HiGh MoNkEy- Yeah. I've been a bit tough on Rue as of late, but there is a thinly veiled reason for that. And thanks for the review and explaining what "U wc" means.
Kairi21- I'm always writing. You should be pestering me about proofing. Anyway, It's good to see you back from your school induced disappearance. Thanks for the kind words, and I hope you enjoy the next chapter.
The town of Carona loomed in the distance, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me. The ordeal on the Raging Mountain had taken its toll and I was beginning to feel as if I might collapse at any moment.
"It's about time," Mint complained after noticing the city.
Mint placed her hands on the small of her back and pushed, stretching out her muscles, which were probably just as tired as mine, and yawned, causing a yawn to build in me. I stifled it with my hand, before stretching out my tired back and shoulder muscles. I groaned as I felt my muscles loosen.
Suddenly, I felt something hit me on the back of the head. I spun, just in time to see a small acorn fall softly to the ground and roll back towards Mint. I looked up at her, and she smiled mischievously, hiding her hands behind her back.
"Did you throw this?" I asked, bending down and picking up the acorn.
"And what makes you think that I would hit you with an acorn?" she asked, with mock indignation.
"Because you could," I replied, rolling the acorn around in between my thumb and middle finger.
"Well, I didn't," she barked, turning her head away with a humph but still not removing her hands from behind her back.
"Do you think," she began. "That I just do any trivial and childish thing that pops into my mind?"
I smiled and shook my head as Mint continued to berate me.
"Hey Mint!" I called out.
"What?" she asked, turning to face me.
I raised the hand with the acorn in it and flicked it at her.
"Ack!" she cried, swatting at the oncoming projectile. The acorns that had been hidden behind her back spilled onto the dusty path.
"No fair!" she cried, dropping down and scooping several of the acorns back into her hand. "Men are not supposed to attack ladies, especially not princesses."
"So I should just stand here and allow you to pelt me with acorns?" I asked, backing away.
"It's the only manly thing to do," she said standing up and taking aim. "Now be a man and stay still."
Mint quickly began tossing her remaining projectiles at me, which I attempted to dodge but failed miserably. One of the acorns caught me surprisingly hard in between the eyes, causing me to yelp and fall backwards. Instantly, Mint burst into fits of laughter. I just watched, as her own joyful noises created lesser ones in me.
"There they are," a gruff voice called out.
I turned to look at the voice as Mint wiped the tears from her eyes. Blood walked quickly over to us, his brother trailing behind. I shook my head and groaned as I stood up. Not those two.
"What do you want?" I called out as they approached, glancing over to see Mint eyeing them warily.
"We're here to make you pay for that last fight," Blood said, taking a step forward.
"We're gonna beat youze good," Smoke chimed in, his fat roll vibrating from the slow, choppy laugh that escaped his lips every few moments.
I sighed. I was not looking forward to this. I really just wanted to get some food and rest, and maybe think up something I could tell Mira about the state of my clothing. She was going to kill me.
"So you want…" I began, but soon found myself without reason to continue. Without warning, Mint dashed forward and spun, striking Blood in the jaw with the back of her heel, sending him tumbling.
"What the hell was that for, you crazy bitch," Blood shouted, rising from the ground. A trickle of blood ran from a split in his lip and from the corner of his mouth.
"You're bleeding," I told him, trying to disarm the situation. If we could get through this without a fight, I'd be happy.
Blood reached up and rubbed his mouth, jerking his hand away as he ran his fingers across the badly bleeding corner. I gasped as he opened his mouth. His teeth were no longer their usual pale yellow, but had taken on a dark red tint. Blood stuck his finger in his mouth, and began to probe. Suddenly, his hands began to quiver.
He muttered something incoherent, as he began to wiggle his finger. He glared at Mint for a moment, before gagging into his open, blood coated hand.
"My tooth," he said, picking up the small bit of bone in his fingers, before clenching it in his fist. "You damned bitch. Look at what the hell you did!"
"It's not my fault," Mint countered, shrugging her shoulders. "You're the one that rushed us and challenged us to a fight."
"I didn't mean this instant!" he shouted as he reached for his side. I quickly dropped into battle stance and grabbed the hilt of my blade.
"Heh!" he chuckled, glancing at me with a sneer. "Little jumpy today, ain't cha?"
I glared at him as he pulled a dirty strip of pale yellow paper from the pocket of his pants. He flicked it towards me, and without taking my eyes off him, I bent down and picked up the scrap.
"Every thing you need to know is in that letter," he told me, as he turned and began heading back to town. "Don't chicken out."
"We'll be there," Mint countered.
It took me a minute to open the letter, which was more like a sentence or two. I gave the letter a quick go over then paused out of sheer shock before reading it over a few more times. I shook my head as I allowed the letter to flutter to the ground. Reaching up with my hands, I slowly began to rub my eyes. That letter was incredible. It actually hurt to read.
"You ok?" Mint asked as she bent down to pick up the note.
"Yeah. I'm fine," I said, waving my hand. "My eyes are just tired."
Mint nodded before looking down at the note.
"You'r a cocke git and wer not guna take it ane mor. Wer gona bust you up real good. Meat us in the forest fur a fair fight at first liht."
My head drooped in amazement. I didn't want to believe that they could be that… uneducated. Mint placed the note on the palm of her hand and summoned a small flame, which quickly burned it into ashes.
"That was actually offensive to read," she said, dumping the ashes onto the ground and scattering them with her foot.
"Well," I began, turning to walk towards town. "What do you think we should do about it?"
"I say we fight," Mint replied, jogging up beside me. "It's not like we have to fight them right now, and besides a decent morning warm-up is hard to find."
"Yeah," I said, nodding. "It would be better for us to fight them now and hopefully stop them from instigating any more battles."
"It doesn't matter to me how many times we have to fight them," Mint said. "I'll kick their asses every time. Practice for when I have to keep the average peon in line."
I chuckled and shook my head.
"In any case," I replied. "I think we should definitely drop the Phantomite off at Klaus' so that nothing happens to it during the fight with those two."
"Good idea," Mint said, slapping me on the back. "I knew there was a reason we were partners. We should also consider how to get that tiara back from Belle and Duke."
"Maybe we could just ask?" I threw out as we made our way into the city.
"Just ask?" Mint replied, in astonishment. "Rue, remember, they stole it from us and have been doing everything in their power to stop us from reaching our goals. What makes you think they'd just hand it over?"
"What do we have to lose?" I countered. "We don't even…"
"Rue! Mint! Welcome back," a voice called out interrupting what I was about to say. I turned to see the fatherly smile of Klaus as he wobbled over to us weighted down with bags.
"Hello," I called out, making my way quickly over to him and pulling a couple of the bags into my own arms. I stumbled backwards under the new weight, but Mint quickly steadied me.
"What's in these bags?" I asked, as I began following Klaus back to his place.
"This would be our dinner," he said, shaking the bags slightly. "Mira was adamant that we be well prepared for your return from the Raging Mountain with plenty of food. So, she sent me to pick it up, saying I'd been cooped up in that basement for too long. Anyway, how was the adventure?"
"It was a piece of cake," Mint said, flipping her hands back. "For me at least. Rue, on the other hand, ran into a few problems along the way."
"Rue?" Klaus asked, concern filling his voice.
He stopped to turn and look me over. I could only manage a weak and embarrassed smile. I looked down and noticed the frayed edges of my tunic.
"Nothing terrible," I told him, still looking away. "I just made a few mistakes."
"We all do, Rue," Klaus said, resuming his walk back to the house. "Just don't get yourself killed making them."
I yawned as Mint and I made our way through the murky darkness of the forest. As we walked along, I found my mind drifting off to the night before. Mint and I had eaten a wonderful meal at Klaus' and had discussed our plans for the day ahead, but as we prepared to leave, Mira approached me and told me that Rod had shown up earlier that day and wanted to know when I'd return. Mira said she had assured him that she would send me out his way. I nodded and waved good-bye to Mint and everyone else before disappearing down the alley to Rod's.
"Rod!" I called out as my boots shifted through the damp night grass. "Hey Rod! Are you here?"
Small but excited barking sounded through the dull clangs of metal upon metal as Johnny Wolf tore out of the cave where Rod worked his forge. The dog bound over to me and began wagging his tail, which caused the whole of his back end to shake with him. Johnny Wolf barked again before he started pawing at my shin guards.
"Hey boy," I said, kneeling down to pet the dog.
As my hand approached his head, the dog flopped onto his back. I smiled and shook my head. I moved my hand and began scratching at the dog's tummy, causing him to shake his leg as I found a spot that needed a good scratching.
"Got a new friend, Rue?" a voice called out, causing my to stop my scratching and turn.
"Mint?" I questioned.
The girl nodded as she sat at the entrance to the meadow, her legs dangling from the top of the stairs. I stood up and turned to face her. I wanted to ask her what she was doing here, but my breath caught in my throat. Mint was silhouetted by the moon. The light wind that played through the meadow tossed her hair, every strand visible before the pale brightness.
"You ok?" she asked at length, hopping down from her seat.
"Yeah," I said, shaking my head.
I turned quickly as Mint began to look at me oddly and continued to scratch the now whining dog's belly. My face felt hot, and I began to berate myself silently for staring.
"Why are you here?" I asked once I felt I had regained enough composure that I could avoid further embarrassment.
"Rod called you out here," she replied, hooking one of her legs behind her ankle. "And in all honesty, that's not really normal for him, so I figured it must be important, and if it's important then I deserve to know."
I looked up at her, but only for a moment. The moonlight played across her features giving her a porcelain quality that I hadn't noticed before. I shook my head as I returned my attentions back to the dog. Porcelain was breakable, but Mint seemed to lack that quality, which gave her a strength I'd seldom seen in others.
"It could be," I told her, not lifting my eyes from Johnny Wolf. "But then I also asked him to rebuild the Arc Edge. It could very well just be about the state of that project."
Mint shook her head as she hopped down from the stairs and came over and sat down next to me. I could feel my heart thump in my chest. My hands shook, which I tried to hide by scratching the dog with more enthusiasm. My arm began to burn slightly from the effort, but that wasn't what was on my mind. Every few moments, I could feel Mint brush against me.
"Can I?" she asked, reaching her hand out towards the dog.
"Um, sure," I croaked out. My throat had, for some reason, gone dry.
Mint smiled softly and began patting the ground, making little clicking noises to get the dog's attention. He flipped over, wagging his tail and crawled into her lap. Mint laughed out loud as the dog planted his feet on her shoulders and began to lick her face. I shifted around away from the scene and began to watch to moon as it made its way slowly across the sky.
"He's really friendly, isn't he?" Mint asked, after a time.
I glanced back and noticed that the little guy had fallen asleep. I shook my head slightly and murmured my agreement before turning back to face the moon. It was much easier to concentrate on the celestial orb then on the heat, radiating from Mint's arm and the confusion said heat caused me.
"Hey Rue," Mint said, so softly that I had to question if I had actually heard her. "Tell me about Claire."
"Claire?" I asked, my voice quivering. The pounding in my chest had sprung up again. "Why do you want to know about her?"
"I just… want to know a little about her, that's all," she said as she began to tug lightly on Johnny Wolf's ear.
I ran my hand through my hair repeatedly. I didn't want to talk about Claire. Not now. But, Mint deserved to know, and I shouldn't be afraid to talk about her. I shook my head and bolstered up as much courage as I could.
"All right," I replied, swallowing in an attempt to relieve my dry throat. " Claire was probably the kindest woman I've ever met. I know that must seem like a stretch to you, but without her I'd…"
"Rue!" an excited voice called out, causing me to spring to my feet and clutch my chest.
I panted hard, trying to calm my beating heart. Rod jogged over to us waving, his body covered in its usual after work soot. Slowly, my pulse returned to normal. I chuckled. He sure gave me a fright.
"Sorry I didn't come out here as soon as you called," Rod apologized, scratching the back of his head. "But I was in the middle of working on your weapon. Hiya Mint."
"No problem," I said, waving my hand. Mint waved in response to his greeting, her face darker then normal. "Mira said you wanted to talk to me."
"Yeah, I did," he said, reaching into his pocket. "Tell me what you make of this."
Rod pulled his hand from his pocket and presented it to me. I gasped. There, rolling around slowly in Rod's hand, was a small green gem, which caught the moonlight sending small beams of light from its jagged edges.
"Phantomite?" I asked, reaching out and taking the gem into my hand. "Rod. Where'd you get this?"
"That's the thing," Rod said, taking the gem as I returned it to him. "Phantomite is an extremely rare energy gem."
"Energy gem?" Mint asked, standing up and walking over next to me.
"An energy gem is just a term smithies use to describe a gem stone that is capable of either storing, receiving, or sending energy. Usually that energy is of a magical nature."
"But where did you find it?" I interrupted, confused as to why Rod would have what Mint and I had just hunted down.
"In the Arc Edge," he replied, looking away.
"What?" I asked, shocked.
Why would my weapon have Phantomite in it? What use would I have for it?
"I found a good number, about seven sizeable chunks of the stuff at various places through out the weapon," he told me as I sat there and blinked. "Three alone were in the hilt, two ran along the back, and the other two were in the actual blade. Smaller bits of the stuff was scattered throughout the weapon, but they weren't of any concern, much to small."
"What are you trying to say?" Mint asked, her tone annoyed and angry.
"I'm not trying to say anything," Rod defended, bringing his hands up in front of himself. "I'm merely informing you that the weapon seems to have been made for a specific purpose."
"But what could that be?" I asked, rubbing my head.
"No clue," Rod replied, with a shrug. "I figured that's what your job was, to find out."
I nodded.
"My job," Rod said with a smile as he jerked his thumb at himself. "Is to reconstruct the Arc Edge into better then new condition. That way, when it is needed, it'll be ready."
With that, Rod bowed and walked away but not without flashing me a reassuring smile. I sighed as I turned and made my way slowly up the path back to town. Phantomite was one of the items we needed to make the Prima Doll work. I shuddered. Was that the purpose it served for me? I reached up and rubbed my arm, felling the flesh up past the normal feeling elbow.
"Rue?" Mint questioned, coming up behind me as I stopped just inside the town of Carona.
"Yeah?" I replied vacantly.
"Rue are you ok?" she asked, walking up behind me.
I felt her hand come to rest on my shoulder, and I jerked, stumbling away from her.
"Don't touch me!" I squawked, my heart thumping in my chest.
I could still fell the warmth from her fingers, and unconsciously I found myself rubbing the place she had touched. Mint took a step back from me. Her eyes shuddered for only a moment. I clamped my eyes shut and turned away from her.
"What am I?" I asked, my voice quivering in fear.
"What do you…?"
"Exactly what it sounds like!" I snapped, whirling around. "I want to know what I am!"
Mint stumbled backwards from my shout, bringing her hand up to her mouth. My teeth were clenched, and my short nails dug into the flesh of my hand.
"Rue. It's ok," she said softly, her eyes pleading with me to calm down.
"No. It's not ok!" I stormed, flinging my hands out to the side. I reached up quickly and tore my cap from my head, flinging it to the ground. "Look at me!"
"Look at this!" I shouted, placing my hands on the small gem that was embedded deep in my skull. I rapped on it lightly. "What is this? No human has a gem stuck in their skull, protruding through the skin! It's not even a wound!"
"Rue," Mint said softly, walking up to me.
"I just don't get it," I uttered as I collapsed onto the side of the fountain. "First this gem, then the Phantomite in my blade. What does it mean? Am I like the Prima Doll? Am I just a stupid doll?"
"Rue. Listen to me," Mint practically shouted, grabbing my head forcibly between her two hands and staring into my eyes. "You are human. I don't care what you or anyone else has to say about it."
"But," I murmured, turning my eyes away. Mint jerked on my head, forcing my eyes to rejoin hers.
"No buts," she said. "I don't give a damn what powers you possess, or what strange things protrude from your skin. I just don't care."
"Mint," I breathed.
She shook her head and stepped back, her eyes shimmered in the moonlight. Her pained features gazing into mine
"You're still one of the kindest people I've ever met, and nothing will change that. So please stop saying that you're not human," she said, her eyes strained. She looked like she might…
I shook my head. That just wasn't Mint. I looked up at the girl in front of me.
"But I'm not human," I said, as I stood up. "I'm nothing like you or Rod or Klaus. I've never seen anyone whose hair was pure white this early in life or that has black eyes. I've traveled the world Mint, and I've never seen anything like that, except in one place. I saw myself in the Ghost Temple, Mint. I am a monster!"
Crack!
I felt my neck twist sharply, and I stumbled. My hand shot up and I rubbed the stinging and already swelling welt on my cheek. I looked at Mint, and my heart burst, as I watched tears trickle out of the corner of her eyes.
"I said I don't give a damn about that!" she bellowed, jabbing her finger into my chest. I winced as I felt the nail dig into my skin and drew blood. "Humanity is not about how you look. What matters is how you think and how you feel! And… And you can't possibly be a monster."
"Mint, I'm sorry," I said, reaching my hand out to her. "I'm just…"
"Good night, Rue," she said sharply, before whirling and storming back into the inn.
I slumped down onto the ground, still rubbing my cheek. I'm so stupid, I told myself. I slammed a fist into my knee, jerking my hand back as pain coursed up my arm and through my leg. I sighed. I had to apologize to her. My head drooped onto my knee. I had never wanted to inflict physical pain on myself more then at that moment, even more then I already had. I had made Mint cry, and that, I felt, was the ultimate wrong.
"We're almost there," Mint said, snapping me from my thoughts.
I shook my head and gazed into the forest. The first rays of the sun cast a weak light through the leaves of the trees, providing just barely enough light to see. I breathed deep the cool morning air, trying desperately to push last night out of my mind, but nothing was working.
"Mint?" I asked cautiously.
"It shouldn't take very long for us to reach the spot where we should be facing those two idiots," She glanced back at me with a confident smile. "And then, we'll teach those two not to mess with us."
"Mint?" I uttered again with the same weak tone.
"I can't believe the stupidity of those two, can you?" she said, turning her head to face the ruins. "Challenging us like that? Didn't they learn from their first beating?"
I shook my head. Was she ignoring me? I wouldn't blame her if she was. I'm such a jerk. I took a deep breath before rushing past her. I whirled to a stop in front of her and just stared into her eyes. Mint stopped, confusion evident in her wine red eyes.
"Rue, what…?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
"I'm sorry," I replied, my head dropping onto my chest.
"What?" she asked again, her voice shocked and confused.
"I'm sorry," I repeated, louder this time, making sure that she could hear every word. "I'm sorry for what I said, last night, for what I did."
"Rue, you don't…" she started, but I didn't let her finish.
"Yes I do," I replied softly. "Mint… You cried last night. That was something, I didn't think I'd ever see you do, and I certainly never expected to be the cause of."
"Rue…" she said softly, gazing up at me with soft, sad eyes.
"You always seemed so strong and so in control of…everything that I just thought you'd never cry." I shook my head softly and turned to look out into the forest. "Mint, hit me."
"What?" she asked, stumbling back in shock. "Why?"
"I deserve it," I replied.
"You're just being stupid now," she said, annoyed, placing her hands on her hips.
"I'm sure," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "But humor me. I don't think I can concentrate on the fight if I don't receive some form of punishment?"
"You want me to hit you?" she asked, dubiously. "You really are stupid."
"I know," I murmured, a small smile forming on my lips.
"Are you sure?" she asked, raising her fist. "Cause I'm not just gonna hit you in the arm. If I hit you, I'm gonna deck you."
"I know," I said, standing up and sticking out my chin slightly. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. "Fire away."
"All right," she said. I could almost hear her eyes roll.
Moments passed as I waited for what I deserved. I swallowed, as I heard her feet begin to move slowly. My hands began to tremble. Then I felt the impact, but not that of her fist to my face. I felt something graze my sides and a soft weight press against my body. I froze, my body jerking straight up in surprise.
"Mint?" I questioned, my eyes snapping open. The only thing I could see looking down was Mint's flame red hair.
"If you really want to make it up to me," she said, hugging tighter. "Then you'll stop calling yourself a monster."
"I'm sorry," I uttered, wiggling my fingers. I was so confused. I had no idea what I was supposed to do in this kind of situation.
"Promise me," she said, her voice firm and demanding.
"I promise," I said.
"You could hug me back," she said after a few moments.
"Oh," I uttered, tentatively reaching up and wrapping my arms around her shoulders.
"That's how it's done," she laughed, pulling back out of my arms.
"You're one of my best friends, Rue," she said, smiling. "So, no more attacking yourself, ok?"
I nodded, and she smirked, turning around and facing the ruins.
"C'mon, we've got an appointment to keep," she shouted with a wave and rushed off towards the ruins.
I picked up my own pace and began to chase her through the forest, ducking and weaving through trees and several branches as Mint had apparently decided that the path wasn't interesting enough. I heard her laughter through the trees as I began to catch up. Soon though, the trees would clear and we would rush into the open space of the ruins.
I looked around as I caught my breath. The ruins took on a more sinister appearance at this time of the day. Long shadows stretched from the still standing pillars and from the giant stone head that rested upon the raised platform. The short wall that still stood housed splotches of darkness complete enough to hide a human body without any fear of detection.
"They don't seem to be here," Mint said, walking forward into the center of the ruin's courtyard.
She scanned the ruins, looking for the two men that we were supposed to meet.
"You don't suppose we came to the wrong place?" I asked, as I followed Mint in, staring intently into the dark shadows.
I didn't trust this. During the day, this would be a prime spot for a fair fight, due to the flat terrain and the open area, however, at night and into the early morning, this place was perfect to set up an ambush.
"About time you showed up," Blood's grating voice echoed into the forest.
I sighed and shook my head while turning to face him. Luckily, the thought of ambushing us probably never entered either Blood nor Smokey's minds. Blood was leaning up against the far side of the carved head, while his brother stood by his side.
"I'm surprised you guys came alone," Blood called out, chuckling towards his brother. "Who's going to carry your bodies back to town?"
"What do you mean?" Smokey asked, turning to face his brother, a look of pure perplexity etched into his features. "Won't dey just walk back?"
"Just shut up!" Blood hollered, annoyed.
I glanced over at Mint. I watched as she rolled her eyes, and I couldn't help but smile. Smokey seemed like he could be more clueless then I had originally thought.
"Can we get this over with already?" Mint asked, flipping her hair back. "There are things I'd much rather be doing."
"Tch. You sure talk big for such a little girl," Blood replied, glaring down his nose at Mint. "But you won't be talking so big once we're through with you."
"I bet," Mint replied sardonically.
"You see," Blood began, walking forward. "I knew that we wouldn't be able to beat you alone, so we got some help."
"Help?" I asked, reaching for my blade. I began to scan the area.
"Yo, boss!" Blood shouted, cupping his hand to his mouth and shouting towards the top of the stone head.
I heard a whoosh of wind, and I flung myself back, pulling the Silver Breeze from its scabbard. My feet hit the ground as an intense explosion rocked the area. I clamped my eyes shut, and my arm raised up to block the flying clumps of dirt that assailed me. I coughed as I opened my eyes. There, crouched in a small hole was a man, with his fist pressed against the ground.
He stood up slowly, his spiky red hair stuck tight, never wavering, like the spines of a porcupine. He wore a pair of black pants under a long flowing yellow coat, which was buttoned half way up, and hid the rest of him from view. His eyes opened into a constant glare. His lips were drawn into a thin line of annoyance.
"What… the… hell," the man said at length. His voice filled with condescending anger. "You're Rue? Damn it, I was expecting some tough looking dude. But you? You look like such a damned pussy it's not even funny. You ain't even gonna last a minute against me."
My eyes narrowed, and my fist clenched tighter around my blade. What was he insulting me for? He was the one working for Blood and Smokey.
"Big talk from a walking porcupine," Mint said, crossing her arms and glaring back at the man.
"What'd you say, you prissy bitch?" The man said, turning towards Mint. "Do you have any idea who you're dealing with? I'm Trap Master, ya damn moron. No one disrespects me. Just for that remark, I'm gonna bust your head like a piñata."
"Yeah, get her real good, boss," Smokey cheered, pumping his chubby fist into the air.
Trap Master turned and glared at Smokey. He slowly lifted his hand and pointed it the over weight man. A flare of light blinded me, as I turned I heard a soft groan and something crumple to the ground. When I looked back, Smokey lay in a heap on the ground.
"Shut up, ya fat ass!" Trap Master ordered, never taking his eyes off the unconscious man. "I'm in charge here, so I'll fight when I get damn well good and ready."
I gasped as I gazed at Smokey. I looked quickly at his brother, only to find him coldly looking down at the other man. I felt sick to my stomach. What kind of monster is he?
"Now, where the hell was I?" the porcupine asked, as he turned around. "Ah, yes. I was dealing with these dumb asses. You ready to go a round, ya sissy girls? Cause I'm just itching to kill you both."
"Beat em up real good, boss!" Blood encouraged, sitting down next to his brother. "I've got a hefty reward ready."
"Yea Yea," Trap Master said with a wave of his hand. "Just sit back and enjoy the show. It'll be over in moments."
"You're all talk," Mint said, pulling her rings from behind her back, and dropping into her battle stance. "You wanna fight? Let's go! I'm going to pay you back for both of those pumpkins."
Trap Master reached up and flicked the end of his nose with his thumb.
"You think you're big time?" he asked, his voice dropping from simply angry to cold, and I felt my hairs stand on end. Something was wrong. "You think you can beat me? Well, it's a pity that you've already fallen into my trap."
"What?" I cried, as a bright light flared around me.
I flopped backwards onto the hard tile floor, as I began pawing at my eyes, trying to regain some form of visibility. Slowly the world came back into focus.
"Rue? You ok?" Mint called out as I stood back up, still rubbing my eyes.
"Yeah, I'm… fine," I replied as I pulled my hand away from my eyes.
The ruins were gone, only to be replaced by what appeared to be the inside of a box. Carved white lines glowed as they cut through the dark tiles that coated the wall, ceiling and floor.
"Welcome to my own personal battle field," Trap Master said, leaning against the far wall with his arms crossed. "What do you think? I'm much too powerful to fight outside. Just end up destroying too much stuff."
I bent down slowly and picked up the Silver Breeze, which had fallen from my hand when we were brought to this place. I didn't take my eyes off Trap Master.
"You're full of hot air," Mint said, flipping her hair back. "C'mon lets fight already."
"Bitch," Trap Master uttered, before lunging forward.
I ran to the side as Trap Master chunked several small metal balls. I heard the clack of their connecting with the floor, and then I felt the rush of heat as the balls exploded into plumes of fire.
I cried out, as I was thrown to the ground from the force of the explosion.
I hit the ground hard and rolled. I picked myself up quickly and continued to move. I could hear more explosions sound behind me. I turned and saw Mint running too, columns of fire erupting into the sky behind here.
"Damn it!" she cursed loudly. "What are those things?"
"Just something to tire you out," Trap Master said, as he chunked more of them at us.
It was then that I felt something hit my foot and I stumbled. Looking up, I saw one of the metal orbs flying straight for me. I reacted without thinking and threw up my hands to block. The orb hit me in the arm, cracking loudly against the bone, and popped up into the air. I screamed in pain and grabbed my arm. Then it caught my eye, the orb was falling to the floor. I tried to dodge.
"Rue!"
I felt the column of flame hurl my burning body into the air. I could fell the air whip past my skin as I crumpled back to the floor.
"Bastard!" Mint screamed.
My body hurt all over. Every inch I moved sent a searing pain that ripped away at every ounce of humanity that I had. I couldn't think. The pain was overwhelming. Was this what had hit Smokey? Was this the pain he felt for no reason?
I felt my anger beginning to boil hotter then any fire that Trap Master could produce. What reason did he have for this? What made him hurt Smokey, his ally? I gnashed my teeth as I fought to stand, but I couldn't. My legs were so weak. It was like trying to move jelly. Then I heard it.
Her scream.
It tore through me like the talons of a hawk, ripping my heart from my chest and crushing it in its powerful grasp. I turned my head slowly.
"Mint?" I breathed, the pain fading quickly from my senses.
I heard Trap Master chuckle as he kneeled next to her, one hand pressing down against her chest.
"Does this hurt?" he asked, as a sadistic smile spread across his feature. Mint let out a pained filled scream in response. "I could do much worse."
Slowly he shifted the hand on her chest and lifted her into a seated position. His other hand reached down and grabbed her ankle, bending her knee backwards. He stood up and laughed out loud.
"Painful, isn't it?" he asked kicking at her. "Well, if you want to live then don't move. I'm going to deal with the ashes over there."
He turned around slowly, and stumbled back. I took a slow step forward. I no longer felt any of the pain in my body. I could only feel hers and the anger that coursed through me. I could see her now. Her arm leg snapped at the knee and bent backwards, her foot resting on her shoulder. Her eyes were clenched tight in pain, but no tears leaked from her eyes. Her arms were bruised and burned.
This man deserved to die.
"Tch," he uttered, stepping forward. My eyes matched his: cold, narrowed, and deadly.
"You surprised me. I figured you would be unconscious just like that fat ass."
"Shut up," I replied.
"What'd you say?" he erupted, flailing his hands about. "I can kill you at any moment."
"You talk too much," I told him.
His eyes narrowed even tighter, and he lunged forward, launching another one of those metal balls at me. I jumped back and swung my free hand up, catching the ball in the palm of my hand.
"I figured out your little trick," I said, tapping my foot on the floor. "It's flint, and when this hits, it creates a small spark that catches onto one of the multiple hair short fuses. That's why it didn't blow up on contact with my arm."
I flicked my wrist and flung the ball. Another explosion rocked the room, scorching the spot where Trap Master had just been. My eyes followed him as he landed from his jump. His coat was singed from the explosion.
"I'll give you one thing, Rue," he said, a smirk appearing on his lips. "You may be a wuss, but you aren't dumb."
Suddenly, he lunged forward, his hand glowing with a pale orange light. He slammed his fist onto the ground, and a small blast of energy ripped from the hand and into the floor, denting it slightly. He stood up and turned to look at me.
"Like it?" he asked, before jerking his head towards Mint. "It's what broke her leg."
My eyes clenched as I shook from rage.
"Are you proud of that?" I asked, my voice quivering. "Are you proud that you hurt her?"
"Immensely," he replied, and I bowed my head.
I lunged forward suddenly, slashing at him with my blade. I chased that blow with another, catching his coat and slashing through it. He jumped back quickly, and his back hit the wall. I rushed forward, slamming my blade into the wall through his coat. He tugged hard trying to free his coat, but the heavy fabric wouldn't rip.
"Just wait until I get this coat off," he said, trying to remove the coat from his hands. "Then I'll…"
"You'll what?" Mint asked, pressing one of her Dual Halos hard against the man's throat.
"Mint? You're ok?" I asked, shocked that she wasn't hurt.
"Nothing a heavy dose of healing magic wouldn't heal," she replied with a weak smile.
I smiled back and turned to face Trap Master. He glared at us, breathing heavily, as droplets of sweat began to trickle down his face.
"Damn it," he cursed, as the wall behind him began to glow.
I covered my eyes quickly this time, blocking out the bright lights that had blinded me in the first place. I opened my eyes as the light faded and the Silver Breeze landed with a thunk in the dirt. Trap master stumbled backwards, fleeing the weapon pressed against his throat.
"You two ain't half bad," he said, as he fought to catch his breath. "Hell, I even managed to work up a little sweat."
"But, you're sweating like crazy," I said as I bent down to pick up the Arc Edge.
"What'd you say, you piece of shit?" the man shouted, stepping forward and raising his fist. "I wasn't even half serious in there. Do you want to see what I can really do? Do you want to die?"
Trap Master lunged forward and slammed his fist into the ground inches in front of Mint and me. I raised my guard quickly, in the hopes that I could defend myself about what ever attack was coming, but none came. Suddenly, I heard cruel laughter escape the man's lips. I lowered my guard.
"Damn, you're a couple of wimps," he said, pointing his finger at us. "Did you crap yourself? Did I fill you with so much fear you just couldn't control your body?"
I narrowed my eyes at him and raised my blade. I was beginning to feel the pain of my previous injuries again, but I was itching to fight this guy again. This time, I'd do worse then just pinning him to a wall.
"You know what?" he inquired, turning away from us and beginning to walk away. "I just remembered. I'm not allowed to kill you. So enjoy life, girls. I won't be so easy next time."
"Wait," Mint shouted, giving chase. "You're running away. What kind of a coward are you?"
"You want me to bury you right here?" Trap Master asked, whirling around, as I rushed forward. "The only reason you're both still alive is cause I got orders."
"Orders?" I asked, as I came to a stop next to Mint. Mint and I glanced at each other for a moment before looking back at Trap Master.
"Who are you working for?" Mint asked.
"You think I'd tell you?" Trap Master spat. "Go hump a tree, ya bitch."
"What did you just say to me?" Mint shouted at Trap Master as he walked into the forest. "Get back here you jerk and let me kick your ass!"
"Mint?" I asked, stepping away from the fuming red head.
"Damn it!" she cursed, stomping her foot repeatedly into the ground. "Why did I let him say all that? I should have kicked him in the face. Repeatedly!"
"Um, you ok?" I asked, hoping that this wasn't going to somehow lead back to what happened last night.
"No!" she shouted, whirling around to face me. She stomped her way over to me. "Does it look like I'm ok? He made a damn fool out of me! I need to kick something!"
My eyes shot open and I retreated quickly, putting several feet of distance between myself and my soon to be violent companion.
"Not you," she hissed, rolling her eyes. "We're partners. Hurting you anymore then you are is counter productive. Besides, I'm out of magic, so it's not like I could heal you afterwards anyway?"
"Out of magic?" I wondered, confused as to how one could run out of magic.
Mint opens her mouth to speak, but the snapping of a twig stopped her. I quickly glanced in the direction of the sound, and couldn't help but chuckle at what I saw. Smokey was looking frantically between his brother and a small stick that jutted up from under his foot. I glanced back at Mint and noticed that a malicious grin had spread its way across her face.
"You there!" she shouted as she spun, pulling one of her sleeves up her arm, exposing the pale, creamy white skin to the air. "This is all your fault! Now come here so you can make it up to me!"
I laughed as Mint charged forward causing Blood to signal a retreat. I watched as the two thugs ran in circles along the parameter of the ruins, with Mint right behind them. On the third pass, I began to wonder if they'd ever think of just running into the woods.
A/N: I'm really nervous about this chapter, as one of my goals is to make the bad guys a little more evil. However, I know that many of you guys really like Trap Master, so I tried to make him come off as darker but still hold true to most of his character, though I'm not sure if it came off well or not. I hope you guys enjoyed this and I hope there weren't too many mistakes. Till next time! On another note, is not letting me add my normal scene breaks, so I'm putting in those annoying lines.