CHAPTER 18: THE ELF AND THE VOID
(Tiffania POV)
"...What does Romalia want with you?"
"R-romalia?" she stuttered nervously. "I d-don't know what you're talking about."
?!
At that moment, the blonde-haired female found herself trembling in fear, as the pink-haired female gazed at her with chillingly cold eyes. For she could see it, the aura of power emanating from the pinkette.
Sensing danger, she immediately placed her hands together and began chanting, to cast a spell which would remove her memories...
"Skyscraper."
But before she could finish it, the blonde found herself flung skywards, until she was so close to the two moons, it was almost as if she could touch them, the stars clustered in the heavens clearly visible.
She was stunned, shocked, not sure exactly what was happening, but before she could even begin to process what was going on.
?!
Chains suddenly started appearing from nowhere, binding her arms and legs, completely hindering her movement.
"ROAAARRRR!"
Suddenly, she heard a beastly cried echoing around her, and in the next moment.
"KYAAAA!"
She could not help but scream in horror, as the fabric of space in front of her ripped open, through which a giant, hideous, monstrous creature appeared.
"Tiffania Westwood," it rumbled in a terrible voice. "Were you the one who tried to brainwash my master?"
"N-no, I didn't," the girl tried to replied, her voice trembling.
"YOU LIE!" the monster echoed angrily. "YOU WERE THE ONE WHO CAST THAT SPELL TO TRY AND ERASE MY MASTER'S MEMORIES! AND NOW YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR CRIME!" At this, the creature roared in fury, as it extended its huge arms forward, its sharp claws clearly visible, ready to rip its victim to shreds.
Realizing the mortal danger she was in, the blonde-haired female did the only logical thing she could think of, and screamed at the top of her voice.
"ALRIGHT, IT WAS ME! I DID IT, BUT I DIDN'T MEAN TO! IT WASN'T MY INTENTION!"
The girl knew it might not save her life. Yes, she had noticed, she was aware, that she was probably under an illusion spell. However, she was trapped, and while she was trying her best to dispel it, she knew that she was at the point in time helpless in the real world. Yes, she was already prepared for the worst, and if it was only her, she would not have minded dying.
However, her life was not for herself alone.
She had to try, more for there were people who depended on her. The children needed her. Her sister would grieve over her death. Even if it was hopeless, she would do everything in her power to try and stay alive.
?!
Suddenly, the monster had stopped moving, and the twisted world around her began to shatter like breaking glass. What surprised the blonde-hair female, however, was the fact that it was not her who had undone the curse.
Rather, it was the caster who had voluntarily dispelled it.
And before she knew it, she was back in the real world, on top of the roof of her house, finding herself face to face with the pink-haired female who was looking at her with a unreadable expression.
"I believe you," the girl stated emotionlessly, while she slowly retracted her hand, which, as the blonde now noticed, was only a couple of inches away from her neck, and the girl was probably planning to strangle h...
?!
Suddenly, a feeling of panic overwhelmed her, and tried to run away, as she noticed that white aura that was encircling the girl whose name was Meredy, the aura of power which she had seen leaking out of her the night before.
"Where do you think you're going?"
To her horror, however, she realized that she could not move, for she was bound. Apparently, while the nightmare world was an illusion, the chains were not, and now, she was trapped, helpless, unable to defend herself. Desperate, the blonde-haired female tried to cast a spell, yet to her dismay, it did not work. For while it was true that her brand of magic did not need the use of a wand, with her level of experience, she still needed to have both of her hands together to be able to cast them, which unfortunately, were chained apart from each other.
"I believe you," the girl repeated, her voice monotonous, yet her eyes were icy cold, without the warmth that Tiffania had seen in them when she was playing with the children. "However, I still need you to answer a few questions."
And the blonde-haired female could not help but curse her own naivety and helplessness, blaming herself for her current predicament.
It was true. She was the one who had cast her spell, Mind Wipe, the night before. However, the girl, who she originally thought was a man, who was apparently helping her and the children, was not one of her intended targets , and she had only been aiming at the three Romalian mages. Unfortunately, the masked figure was also caught up in it. Feeling guilty about what she had done, Tiffania, after wiping up the memories of the remaining mages who had been taken out by the man, decided to take her along with them to her house, where to her surprise, she found out that the man was actually a girl.
She knew exactly what her spell did. After all, it was not the first time that someone had tried to attacked her, although last night had been the first time she had been caught off guard, and thus she knew full well the extent of the damage her spell had caused. Permanent memory erasure. True, she felt unpleasant whenever she had to use it, but she had to, for the sake of the children.
Destroying the mind of someone who did them no harm, however, was another matter, and it was for this reason that she decided to take her in. She knew that it was not enough to make up for what she had done, but it was all the she could do. For sadly, while she had the ability to remove memories, she did not have the ability to restore them
At first, she had felt somehow relieved, when her Mind Swipe spell did not work as it was intended. However, she still could not help but feel guilty, for it seemed that the spell she had case had partially worked, and she was not sure just how much damage it had caused.
Now, however, as she found herself chained and helpless, she could not help but regret her decision. Perhaps it would have been better if she had just lost her memories like the rest of them. Maybe she should have just left her out there with the rest of them. She had thought, based from her recent actions, as well as her instinct that was beyond human, that the girl was a good person.
Yet now, as she looked at her eyes, which no longer held warmth, but had that cold, calculating look of a killer, she knew that she had made a grievous mistake.
Realizing that she was once again in a similar position to the one she was in the night before, Tiffania knew that there was only thing she could do.
"Please, ask anything you want. Do anything you want with me. Just please, don't hurt the children."
Beg and ask for mercy.
?!
She knew it was uncertain, she was not sure if it would work, but it was the one and only thing she was capable of doing in her state.
"I see."
To her surprise, however, the moment she said these words, the pink-haired female's eyes softened, and returned to how their kind and friendly demeanour.
"I think I understand now, what those children saw in you," the pinkette began quietly. "You are just like your sister, always prioritizing others before yourself."
And as she said these words, the blonde-haired female could not help but gaze in wonder, for the girl was now wearing a sad smile on her face, as she turned her gaze toward the forest, as if to let her mind wander.
-BREAK-
(Louise POV)
"Okay, that's enough for today!"
"AAAAAAWWWWW," the children echoed, looking rather disappointed, who were having fun enjoying the show. Not happy with the fact that it was about to end, they decided using their strongest arsenal against me.
"Just one more?"
"Pretty please?"
"I promise I'll be good."
Their cute pouting voices and the puppy dog eyes.
"Okay, fine," I sighed, as I cast an Illusion Theatre, while the children yelled in delight. This time, it was about how Prince Jellal rescued Edolas from the claws of the Great Demon Lord Dragneel and his minions. Unlike the true events which transpired, however, my story was an altered version, in which he and his minions were truly evil, and while I have no qualms with portraying the fire and iron dragon slayer in this way, I could not help but feel slightly guilty about doing it to the sky maiden.
The Founder be damned. Why the hell am I sucker for this kind of thing?
It had been three days since I first arrived in Albion, two of which I spent here in the orphanage, getting pushed around by the monsters who were disguised as cute little things.
Well, they weren't really monsters, and I have to admit I'm growing quite fond of them, but during one of the missions I had taken which involved babysitting the sons of daughters of some rich people comprised of ten boys and ten girls for three days, and I have to admit it wasn't easy, even with six mages and two exceeds on the job.
For whenever one of them went into a tantrum, it was torture, if two began complaining, it was like a living hell, if three began throwing a temper, it was worse than hell.
And it was all because we failed to pull off that damn play, courtesy of a dragon slayer being too fired up literally burning everything in his sight, and a certain weapons expert scarlet-haired female who, no offense, was being a wannabe actress who is really good at practice but has stage fright and performs like crap in front of an audience. It was no wonder the pay for that particular mission was equivalent to an S-Class one.
Sadly, we did not get paid, since the amount offered was exactly the amount needed to pay for the property damage we caused, most of which coming from our fiasco of a performance. It was actually a miracle that nobody was hurt, well, too badly.
Not that we got nothing out of it of course, since we did receive for a reward a complaint which had been forwarded by the council, accusing us of child abuse and other crude things, thanks to the ice mage stripping in front of the kids, which was what triggered me to cast the spell which wrecked the place in the first place, effectively bringing down the house, in a desperate effort to stop him from corrupting their minds.
Unfortunately, not only was I too late to stop it, he did so at the exact same moment that the children's parents came home, and witnessed the mess we made, as well as saw him in all his naked glory.
Still, all of it, was my fault. Well, not really, but I was the one who initiated it.
If only I had listened to Mira, who told us of how their theatre-related missions end up, I would never have suggested performing a play to try and please the children in the first place.
Still, at least now that I have a fair grasp of Illusion Magic, there is no need for me to fear, since everything is under my control.
"GO GET THAT MONSTER, PRINCE JELLAL!" one of the children cheered.
"YEAH, BEAT HIM TO A PULP!" shouted another voice cheerfully.
?!
"OW! THAT HURT! WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!"
"DIE, GREAT DEMON LORD DRAGNEEL!"
"Alright, children that's enough for tonight!" a blonde-haired female stated without shouting, yet in a voice that was loud enough to be heard over the din, as she clapped her hands."Bedtime!"
On second thought, perhaps it wasn't such a good idea showing them this particular tale, and I could not help but feel relieved for Tiffania's timely intervention, who unlike me, seemed to be immune to their puppy dog eye attack. True, she rarely raised her voice on them, but she was still able to keep them in check all the time.
"AWWWW!"
Well, most of the time. This time though, the children were being more unruly than usual.
Knowing what it is that was compelling them to be rebellious, I immediately lifted my illusion.
"UWAAAA!"
?!
Instead of my action causing them to behave, however, it did exactly the opposite, and now I found myself surrounded by cute little monsters whose magical beady eyes were so powerful it was really difficult to say no to them. Still, it was already getting late, and little children needed sleep if they want to grow up tall and strong.
"They're really quite a handful, aren't they?" I asked Tiffania, after we finished sending the children to bed, which, I might add, wasn't easy, considering that the adrenaline from what they just watched was still there, and I was actually forced to cast a gentle drowsing spell on them to calm their nerves.
"Indeed they are," the blonde-haired woman replied with a sigh.
"Have you thought it over?"
As I said these words, I could feel that the air around us had become tense, as I stared at her straight in the eyes, her smile fading away, knowing full well what I was referring to.
"Not yet," the girl replied after a while, as she turned away from my gaze. "Anyway, I believe it's time for us to turn is as well. Goodnight, Meredy."
And with that, the blonde-haired female immediately hurried off to retire to her room.
Yes, I know I might be being harsh, trying to force her to make such a decision, but I did not really have any other option. Much as I wanted to, I know that I couldn't stay here. However, as far as I could tell...
The same could be said for them.
Which was why I was giving Tiffania a few days to think about it, before I set out once again. The choice was hers to make, and whatever she decides to do.
Well, she still has one more day to make her decision.
-BREAK-
(Tiffania POV)
Click.
Inside of her room in the orphanage, the blonde-haired female who was in charge of the place, threw herself into bed, to get some rest, yet sadly, even though she was exhausted, sleep did not seem to want to claim her.
And as she moved her body to face the ceiling, she could not help but worry, the words which Meredy told her during their conversation on the roof still echoing in her head.
...
"You cannot stay here."
...
She still had some doubts about her motives, but now, she was much more certain than not, that the pinkette was in all honestly, simply trying to help them. She may seem harsh and cruel when she wanted to be, but as Tiffania noticed, the girl had a soft spot for children. It was definitely the reason why she wanted them to leave. Meredy was concerned about their safety. And aside from that...
...
"You're half-elf? What about it?"
...
She was the first person Tiffinia had met, aside from her mother, her sister, and her children, who did not hate her for being what she was the moment they discovered. She was half-elf, which, in the opinion of the society, was worse than being a full one. Elves are feared as well as hated, but in her case, it was even worse. Because she was half, she was an outcast, unwanted, shunned, despised, by both humans and elves alike, and it was for this reason that her parents were killed by their own kind when the affair was discovered.
Yes, Meredy was different. When she had first conferred the truth to her, and showed the pinkette her ears, she had a look of surprise on her face. However, there was no trace of fear, nor was there any hatred.
...
"You know, you remind me of some friends of mine who had ears just like yours, although one of them only has them when she's really pissed off."
...
In fact, she actually seemed nostalgic when they delved on the subject. And when it came right down to it, she was not really bothered by it, and did not view her differently because of it.
...
"I checked the tracks they left, and what I found is not to my liking. Their trailed showed that they were heading in this direction, in the direction of the orphanage. They know where you are staying, Tiffania."
...
Yes, she already knew this, that her enemies have knowledge of her location. So far, however, she had been able to fend off all of their assaults. She may not be fully knowledgeable with magic, but she knew enough spells, that would allow her to defend herself, as well as the children, from anyone who tried to harm them. From bandits who simply chanced upon the place, to nobles who came with the intent of getting rid of the taboo, to simply travellers who go rogue out of necessity.
And it was for this reason that she had not her sister, Mathilda about it. For Tiffania knew that her sister was a busy person, and she did not want to be a burden, did not want to add to her worries. After all, she had been able to effective fend them off by herself in the past few years with her Mind Wipe Magic.
Until a few days ago that is, when she and the children had been caught off guard while they were out gathering firewood.
And now, she has become more nervous and unsure than ever. Before, her skills had been enough to protect the orphanage, to protect the children, who were precious to her, and who she considered as her family. Now, however, she realized just how lucky they must have been.
Which was why the half-elf was finding it difficult, really difficult, to make her choice.
She knew that Meredy was right. If they stayed, someone skilled and powerful enough to negate her magic might come, and in fact, the pinkette herself was such a person. Sadly, even though she was half-elf, Tiffania did not know much magic, either Elven or human. All she had, was her Mind Wiping Magic, and the ability utilize a ring to heal people. She had no knowledge whatsoever of any other forms of magic, which, unfortunately, leaves her, as well as the children, exposed, vulnerable.
However, what would they get if they left? The orphanage had been where they were staying for a long time, and thus, the children would be quite attached, and it would be very difficult to convince them not to leave.. The trees around them, as well as their small farm and livestock in the middle of the forest had been providing them with their daily needs.
And if they did choose to leave, where would they go? Tiffania did have an old horse-driven hay wagon, but the question is, where to? While Meredy's argument was definitely valid, the half-elf, unfortunately, did not know any other place where they could find shelter. True, there were other orphanages present, but with the current state of Albion, no place was safe. True, there were other orphanages around, but Tiffania was not sure she could entrust the children to people she did not know. And worse, what if someone recognized her? What if they chanced upon some noble who knew who she was and told either the Royal Family or the Reconquista. Either way, it would not make a difference, since both sides were prejudiced to those with pointy ears and they were more likely than not going to try and kill her.
As well as everyone who was associated to her.
"What am I supposed to do?" the blonde-haired woman muttered to herself, as she curled up on her bed, unsure of what should be her next course of action.
-BREAK-
(Eleonore POV)
It was early morning. The clouds which seemed to be almost on level with the land, was starting get an orange tinge, from the light coming from the eastern portion of the sky.
And the sun slowly rose from the horizon, two hooded figures on horseback, had been riding since the previous night, riding as swiftly as they could, yet stopping and slowing down from time to time, taking detours, treading carefully, to avoid encountering soldiers who, based from the flag they use, were not part of the royal family, but members of the rebel force. Of course, when they had no other choice, or had to cross checkpoints, they would tell the guards that they were simply travelling merchants of noble lineage. Normally, they would have been considered as suspicious, but with a combination of Cattleya's gentle personality, as well as some tip for the exhausted guards, they had so far managed to get by.
Just as the Princess had told them, Reconquista had already conquered most of Albion, and the Tudor family and their loyalists were bound to fall soon.
"Cattleya?"
"Yes, sister Eleonore?"
"Are you sure that Louise went in this direction?"
"Yes," the pink-haired woman replied calmly.
"How can you be sure?" the older of the two asked sceptically.
"I can feel it," the younger sister answered simply.
Yes, the two of them, had been given an important mission by the Princess of Tristain, to retrieve a letter which she had written to Prince Wales of Albion, who was her secret lover, and given its contents, if the Germanians got wind of its existence, which the rebels would undoubtedly make sure of, it would be a heavy grounds for cancelling the marriage of the bratty Princess to the Emperor of said country, and thus, the alliance between the two nations would not be solidified, which would of course, leave Trsitain vulnerable to an attack from Albion, which as of present, has been almost completely conquered by Reconquista.
As of the moment, though, their priority, was not the mission, but rather, it was finding their little sister, who had ran off with the letter and ring from the Princess, and without it, they would not be able to prove their claim to Prince Wales, and would thus render them unable to get the item they were tasked to retrieve.
Yes, Eleonore was not sure how Cattleya could tell, but she knew her well, and the blonde-haired woman, although sceptical, decided to trust her younger sister's instincts on this matter. After all, she had been the first one to say that she could sense that Louise was still alive, and she was right.
They knew, that the direction they were heading to, was in the opposite of the direction in which New Castle was located. And Eleonore could not help but suspect that their youngest sister had some other agenda in mind.
Was it possible? Could she actually be trying to compromise mission? Was she actually helping the rebel forces. Or even worse, was she actually part of Reconquista?
Eleonore did not know for sure. However, to her, as well as to Cattleya, it did not matter much to them, what they're youngest sister's true objective was. To them, her safety was what was most important. It would indeed be painful, and it would certainly hurt, if her theories were found to be true, but they were willing to accept it, they were willing to forgive her for it. All that mattered to them, all they wanted to make sure of, was that she was safe and sound.
"Curse the Founder."
?!
Still, as the two of them continued on their journey, the eldest daughter of the Valliere family could not help but look nervously sideways, not at the possibility of an ambush or an enemy springing up on them, but rather, at her younger sister. For as she stared at her at the moment, Eleonore could not help but be reminded just how much Cattleya resembled their mother.
And just a while before, she realized that it was not just in appearance.
...
"DIE!"
"AAARGH!" a group of bandits screamed, who soon found themselves facing a large wave of mud that was about to engulf them.
...
And it was not exactly a pleasant experience.
For she had seen it. She had witnessed it. For the first time in her life, Eleonore had seen a side to Cattleya which she would never have even thought existed. For beneath her gentle smile and appearance.
Was a cruel persona. Hidden within, was her sadistic nature which was comparable to the one which their mother, Karin the Heavy Wind, had.
Yes, Eleonore knew, that she too, had some of her mother's traits when it comes to harshness. Yes, she had maimed and injured people before, mostly commoners who annoyed her, and sometimes other nobles, although most of the time it was justified. Still, she had not yet gone so far as, nor does she think she ever will be able to, to kill someone. Cattleya, on the other hand...
Had just buried a group bandits alive, ensuring their deaths. True, Eleonore believed they deserved it, yet she could not help but feel shocked and terrified at the fact that her sister went all the way, without remorse or hesitation, when the blonde-haired woman had been planning to spare them.
She knew that this was not the time to think about it. What was of utmost importance, was that they find their youngest sister.
Still, as they rode quietly up a hill, she could not help but wonder, about what happened six months before. For at that time, on their way to a city to try and find clues on their missing sister, they had also been ambushed by bandits, for she had been knocked out during the confrontation. And when she was awakened by Cattleya, they were already at their destination, who had simply told her that everything was alright, that everything has been taken of. And with the recent incident, the blonde-haired woman could not help but feel that that situation has been handled in that exact same fashion.
-BREAK-
(Louise POV)
"Are you sure about this?"
"I am."
It was early morning, and as of the moment, I was once again wearing my 'Mystogan' outfit, having packed all the things which I need for my journey, ready to depart.
And as I looked at the blonde-haired female in front of me, I could not help but smile sadly, for I was not sure if I would ever be able to see her, to see them, again.
I had always known that this would probably be the decision Tiffania would make. After all, it was in this place that she, that the children, had been living in for years. This place was their home after all, and it was unlikely that they would want to leave it, or exchange it for staying somewhere else, and I have to admit, I know how they feel. For even though I enjoyed the comfortable environment of this place, or of Tristain Magical Academy, even if I were offered a castle, I would never accept it. For like them, I too, have a place which I consider home. And my home, is in Magnolia. My home, is Fairy Tail.
Had she decided otherwise, that they leave this place, I was ready to help them, to escort them through their journey. I know that it would not be easy, looking out for many children, but I am sure that we'll somehow manage. It will be difficult to move around, especially since Tiffania was a half-elf and it will probably cause me a lot of delays, but it would not have mattered, for I would make sure that no one would find out, even if I have to knock some people out or fight my way to do so. I made a promise to her that if they decided to leave, I would stay with them until they find a new home, regardless of where it is, and I am someone who keeps her promises.
However, she had already decided, she had already made her decision, and as I saw the determined look in her eyes, I knew that there was no convincing her otherwise.
"I understand," I told her, and I could not help but sigh.
Still, even if there was no way to convince her, I simply could not leave her house undefended. Which was why, I had discreetly cast some defensive spells around the house. It was not much, just a few illusion spells, since this kind of thing was not exactly my specialty, but at least these would hopefully buy them enough time if ever they were attacked, which sadly, I knew for sure would happen. Perhaps, once I was done with my mission, I could come back here, but for now, there was a task which I needed to accomplish.
"Farewell, Tiffania Westwood," I stated, bidding her goodbye, as I controlled my emotions, to stop the tears from flowing from eyes, for I would miss her, I would miss them. This was exactly the reason why I decided to leave while the children were still asleep. For if even one of them was awake, it would make things even harder for me to leave, and I might not be able to control myself, I might even decide to stay. It was a situation which I knew I had to avoid. "Until we meet agai..MMMP?!"
In truth, I was actually feeling gloomy, for a part of me, a part of my heart was telling me not to leave. However, as of the moment, I could no longer focus on my own heart, for currently, I could hear Tiffania's heart beating. And the reason why I could hear it.
Was because the girl had moved forward and embraced me, burying my head in her chest.
Still, I have to admit, it felt warm. Somehow, even if it was just for a moment, I could feel my problems going away.
"WHAT IN THE FOUNDER'S NAME DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"
?!
Sadly, it seemed as if it really was meant to last for just a moment.
And as Tiffania and I broke from our embrace, we both turned around towards the direction where the voice came from.
"Sister?"
And found ourselves staring at a green-haired female with glasses, who was glaring at me with fury in her eyes.
"You..." she growled.
?!
Without warning, a large rock, about the size of a chair, was sent flying at incredible speed in my direction. Still, dodging this was nothing compared to lightning or multiple attacks at the same time.
"KYAAAA!"
Unfortunately, due to the panic I felt, I had reacted instinctively by dodging to the right, completely forgetting that a certain blonde-haired half-elf was standing at that exact same spot.
Thud.
"MMMPH!"
Had such a thing happened to me under normal circumstances, it would have been embarrassing enough. However, even though I was in the middle of a crisis, even though I knew that I had crucial task to perform, even though I knew that there was an angry woman out to get me, at that moment in time, I couldn't care less, feeling the heat rising to my face, as I felt the heart in my chest thumping wildly.
Tastes like sunshine, was the only thought that registered in my crumbling mind, as Tiffania's lips pressed against mine.
AUTHOR'S NOTES
Alright, another chapter out. I must admit, it was not easy writing this chapter. I was actually tempted to go immediately to the war part, but scenes like this simply could not be excluded, and I had to keep my pace.
Anyway, as of the moment, I was thunking pieces of information about ZnT universe. First, was the presence of Jossette, Tabitha's twin sister. I don't think she made an appearance in the anime, just a passing mention I think, but she was significant in the novels, so I'm actually contemplating on giving her a significant role on the story.
Also, as for the pairings. Well, who knows. This chapter was actually already finished, when a friend of mine passed by and gave a rather interesting idea, which, I think you've noticed, I've already incorporated.
Just to add, based from what I've read from the light novels, Cattleya could use water healing spells, so I'm assuming she's a line level when it comes to water. So if she's a triangle earth mage and a line water mage, she's beyond square. Of course, Karin was officially written down as square class, but based from the devastation she could cause, I'll be assuming in my fic it's only the official record, and not her true level. She'll be making an appearance later, but as friend or foe? I won't reveal just yet.
This story is definitely going to divert from canon, and it will not be following either the anime or the light novel routes.
Now, to those who insist that Fairy Tail Mages do not kill, that is not true I believe. Mashima toned down the violent parts and hyphed up the ecchi and comical parts of his story, but while he doesn't imply it directly, it's a fact of life. And remember what Erza said when she used Purgatory Armor against Ikaruga, that no one has ever seen it before and lived to tell the tale? That's already a clue there. They may refrain from killing as much as possible but it doesn't mean they don't if there was no other choice.
Now, I am actually planning to make another Fate/Stay Night-Harry Potter Crossover fic which is to be a sequel to my first one, A New Fate. Yes, I know it's not yet finished, but the idea keeps bugging me, so there's a chance that I might write a couple of chapters, or at least it's prologue, in the next few days. So to those who are following it, I hope you like this one.
But enough about that...
And like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...
Later then, people...