Sasha looked out over the desert. The sun had set all the way by now, and the only light now came from the crescent moon that hung in the sky.
Kato walked up next to her. "Since the sun is down, we shall not have a problem from sunstroke," he stated.
Sasha nodded, shivering a little. "Yeah... It actually feels kind of cold."
"Indeed." Kato folded his arms. "Are you ready for this, Sasha?"
Sasha turned to look at Zain, where they had set him on the ground. Maybe... If we can find Talah Rama, maybe Zain will finally wake up... "I'm ready," she said decisively. "Let's pick him up."
Kato held up a hand, stopping her. "I have a better option in mind than the two of us carrying him across the desert," he revealed. "I am going to transform. When I do, load Zain onto my back."
Sasha blinked. "Oh, I forgot you can transform yourself," she said, feeling stupid.
"But when I am carrying Zain, I will not be able to react as well to danger," Kato continued. "If we encounter trouble, such as creatures of the Madness, you will be primarily responsible for defending us."
"Oh." Sasha looked at the ground. "But I'm not strong. I don't know if I can..."
Kato put a hand on her shoulder. "You can," he said. "Zain constantly spoke of the times when you protected him. And I have been with you long enough to know what you are capable of. I believe in you, Sasha. I have no doubts about trusting you with my safety."
Meeting his gaze, Sasha nodded. "...Okay. I'll do it." She smiled slightly. "Thanks, Kato..."
Kato nodded back, and walked over near Zain. He concentrated, preparing himself. "PSI Form Change!"
Sasha watched as Kato suddenly transformed into a mule. She walked over to him. "Kato... Can you talk while you're in that form?"
He answered by braying loudly and shaking his head. Sasha sighed. "Well, you're not going to be much for conversation, then," she joked.
Kato snorted and glared at Sasha impatiently. She held up a hand. "Okay, okay, I was just kidding."
She walked over to Zain and tried to lift him, without much success. "He's too heavy," she said. "I can't lift him by myself."
Kato came over, laying down next to them. With much effort, Sasha managed to drag Zain over Kato, draping him over the mule's back.
Panting from the effort, Sasha looked at Kato. "Now, make sure that you walk gently, so he doesn't fall off," she told him.
Kato merely snorted and stood up. Together, they set off to the north, following Apple Man's directions.
Several hours passed. Finally, Sasha stopped near some large rocks. She felt very fatigued from walking for so long.
"I'm tired..." she told Kato, catching her breath. "I have sand everywhere on me."
Kato nodded to her, and stopped as well. Sasha wished he could talk right now; the trek across the desert had been very silent.
She looked at the mule. "How are you doing?" she asked. "Are you tired of carrying Zain yet? If you are, you can put him down for a while."
Kato shook his head, but the way he carried himself said otherwise. But rather than sore, he simply looked... weary. Sasha wondered if remaining transformed like this was tiring him out.
She looked at Zain, who was hanging over Kato's back, completely unconscious as usual. I hope he isn't too sore from being carried like that... she thought to herself. But if he never wakes up, he'll never feel it anyway...
The thought strengthened her resolve anew, and she stood up. "Let's keep going," she told Kato.
Kato started to nod... And then stopped. He pricked his ears up, listening.
"What is it, Kato?" asked Sasha. "Do you hear something?"
At that moment, a large creature leapt out from behind the rocks, menacing them. Sasha had never seen anything like it. It looked like a large yellow striped lizard, with an out-of-place-seeming red and white feathery crest on its head. The lizard-thing walked on its hind legs, and its smaller forelegs bore razor-sharp claws, which it was now brandishing at them.
"What IS that?" Sasha asked. Just then, in the darkness, she saw the Madness in its red eyes.
Sasha reached into her pocket and brought out her slingshot, but she was too late. The creature gave a shrill shriek and charged at them.
Surprised, Sasha threw herself to the side. The thing ran past her, barreling into Kato. Braying in pain, the mule was knocked over, and Zain was thrown off, sprawling in a heap off to the side.
"No!" Sasha cried. Kato trusted me with his safety, and I let him down...
Angry at herself, she fitted one of her steel slingshot bullets to her slingshot, aimed, and fired at the creature. The lizard-thing was struck in the head, and it shrieked in agony.
Now its attention shifted to Sasha. It turned to her and charged again, its red eyes intent on killing her.
Sasha was ready this time. Concentrating hard, she placed her hand on the ground. "PSI Freeze Beta!"
As the lizard-thing charged at Sasha, the ground in front of her became covered with a sheet of ice. When the creature's feet hit the ice, it slipped and fell down, sliding to a stop.
While it struggled to get up, Sasha pelted it with several more slingshot bullets, followed by another blast of PSI Freeze Beta. Even with that, however, the creature still had some fight left in it. It began crawling across the ice toward her, reaching for her with its claws.
Becoming worried, Sasha attacked it again. "PSI Freeze Beta!"
The creature was blasted with frost yet again. But still it crawled toward her, covered with ice crystals.
What do I do? Sasha wondered. No matter how many times she hit it, the creature still wouldn't stop. Now it was almost upon her.
Suddenly, from behind, Kato descended upon the creature, slashing down with the Sword of Kings, and it was over. "This... This was... quite a resilient one..." he said, looking extremely tired.
"Kato!" cried Sasha. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"I am not... not injured," Kato replied. "Merely... fatigued."
Remembering how she had healed Zain from his sleepiness before, Sasha went over to help him. "Here, I'll heal you."
But Kato waved her off. "It is... not that kind of fatigue," he said. "I am low on mental energy... I've been using it continuously from the start, to m... to maintain my transformation." He leaned on his sword, looking like he was about to fall over.
"Then we should just stay here and rest for now," said Sasha.
Kato shook his head. "No, Sasha... Not here." He looked at the fallen creature. "There could be... There could be more of those creatures about." He managed to stand up. "We must simply... continue onward."
"Not like that, you can't!" Sasha exclaimed. "You're about to fall over! If transforming drains your energy, how do you expect to stay transformed in your shape?"
Kato shrugged. "I must... I must simply endure," he replied. "I have suffered... through worse in the past."
There's no way he can keep going, Sasha thought to herself. But he's right... We can't stay here long. If only there was some way to restore his energy...
Then it hit her; she suddenly recalled something Karen had said. "Karen told me once that she had the ability to take someone else's energy to restore her own," she said. "I think she called it PSI Magnet. Can you do that, Kato?"
Puzzled, Kato slowly nodded. "I... I can," he replied. "Though I am not very... proficient in it. It is... an ability that... that I do not use often."
That's the answer, then! Sasha spread her arms. "Use it to take my energy, Kato," she told him.
Kato blinked. "I cannot do that!" he cried. "I could not... I could not do that to you, Sasha."
"I'm giving it to you freely," said Sasha. "It's the only way we can keep going. Take my energy."
With a sigh, Kato looked at her. "Are... Are you certain about this?" he asked her. "Are you absolutely certain?"
Sasha nodded. "Yes," she said adamantly. "Take my energy."
Kato sighed again. "I... I never thought that... that I would use this ability in this manner..." he said. Reluctantly, he focused what little energy he had left, and concentrated. He envisioned himself connecting to Sasha, like a parasite about to siphon the life of its host. "PSI Magnet Alpha."
Abruptly Sasha felt dizzy, nauseous, and tired all at the same time. She fell to her knees, unable to stand. She could feel her energy being leeched away, leaving a sickening, empty void where it used to be...
"-sha, are you well?" Blinking, Sasha looked up at Kato, who was now standing over her. "Sasha, are you well?" he repeated.
Sasha looked around. She was in the same place as before. "I... I'm okay," she replied. "I think I blacked out."
"You did," Kato confirmed. "But only for about thirty seconds."
Looking at him, Sasha saw that Kato seemed much better. He only looked slightly fatigued now. She, on the other hand, felt a lot more tired than she did before.
"I only took enough to continue for a while longer," Kato explained. "If I become fatigued again, we will simply stop and rest."
"Okay..." said Sasha. She stood up slowly; other than the new fatigue she felt, she seemed to be okay.
Kato was scrutinizing her, and Sasha could tell that he was making sure that she wasn't hurt. "I'm fine, Kato," she reassured him. "It just... It..."
"It was not a pleasant experience," Kato finished for her. "I know what you felt then. When the old master taught me the technique, he used it on me, to teach me how it felt to have my energy stolen."
Sasha looked at him, understanding. "That's why you didn't want to use it on me," she said.
"Yes," Kato confirmed. "Theft of any kind is deplorable. But theft of one's own energy... Especially when the thief is an ally... Is inexcusable. It is heinous to steal from a friend in order to better one's own lot."
Sasha nodded. "That's true." Then she smiled at him. "Except that you didn't steal it from me. I gave it to you freely, remember?"
Kato sighed. "What you say is true. You all but ordered me to take it, actually." However, he still looked troubled.
Sasha walked over to where Zain lay in the sand, and then turned back to Kato. "Kato... I'm sorry I let you down," she said. "I failed to protect you from that Madness creature. I'm sorry."
Kato shook his head. "I do not blame you for that," he answered. "You have nothing to be sorry for."
Sasha turned around and looked down at Zain. "I can't help anyone..." she said softly, so that Kato couldn't hear her. "I couldn't even beat that Madness creature by myself. I couldn't do anything to help Kato, and I can't do anything to help Zain..." A tear fell from her eye. "All I am is a burden."
They continued onward. It seemed that there was no end to their trek. Gradually the large rocks disappeared, giving way to nothing but sand as far as the eye could see.
Some time later, Sasha had to stop. She bent down, resting her hands on her knees, feeling very fatigued. Although she didn't want to admit it, Kato's PSI Magnet had drained her more than she had realized at the time. In addition to that, her legs had felt heavier with every step; she was tired out physically AND mentally.
She looked at Kato, who was carrying Zain in his mule form. "How are you doing, Kato?" she asked. "Are you tired again yet?"
Kato brayed and shook his head, but as before, his body language said otherwise. He hates to admit he's tired, thought Sasha. I wish I had his endurance.
"You're probably very hot with all that fur," she remarked. "I'm feeling kind of hot myself, after walking for so long." She wiped the sweat from her brow. "It would be nice to have a glass of water right about now, or even a few ice cubes."
Kato nodded in agreement. Her eyes lighting up, Sasha stood up quickly. "I have an idea," she said. Concentrating her dwindling mental energy, she waved her arm in the air over Kato. "PSI Freeze Alpha."
What little moisture there was in the air solidified in front of Sasha's hand, and a small wave of frost coated Kato's fur. "Is that better?" she asked.
The mule nodded, looking at her gratefully. "That's good," said Sasha. "I wish I could make more for you, but the air's too dry. If there were only more moisture in it, I could make a lot more ice."
Then she realized something. That must have been why my PSI didn't work as well against that Madness creature earlier, she thought, understanding. My PSI Freeze doesn't create ice from nothing; it freezes it out of the moisture in the air. Without that moisture, my power is limited... She sighed and looked at the ground. But even if there were more moisture in the air, it wouldn't have made any difference anyway...
She looked ahead. "Let's cross this last sand dune, and then we'll take a break for a while. Okay?"
Kato nodded, accepting this. "Let's go, then," said Sasha.
They walked onward, crossing the last dune... And then they saw it.
The desert still spread onward before them... But right in front of them, there was a hole leading into the ground. The rope ladder attached to the hole suggested that someone had regularly used the hole.
Sasha looked at Kato. "This... This must be it!" she cried happily. "We found it!"
Kato bent down to the ground and carefully shrugged Zain off of his back, and then returned to his normal form. "...I am glad, Sasha," he said; although he looked very tired, he seemed to be okay for the time being. "I did not realize, when we set out, that Talah Rama's domain was so far away. If I had, I would have prepared much better than I did."
He walked over to the hole and looked down. "It is not very deep," he stated. "Between the two of us, it should not be difficult to take Zain down there."
Looking at Zain, Sasha nodded. "Let's do it, then," she said, "before more Madness creatures come."
Several minutes later, they had managed to carry Zain into the hole. The hole's depth was about twice Sasha's height. Before them, a tunnel extended into the distance, sloping downward into the darkness.
Sasha peered down the tunnel, trying to see if there was an end to it, but it eventually curved away. A dank, musty smell permeated the entire area, a stark contrast to the dry desert above them.
She turned to Kato. "Should we keep going?" she asked.
Kato shook his head. "Not yet," he replied. "We do not know for certain what awaits us inside. Let us rest here and recover our energy before moving on."
Sasha nodded. "Yes, you're right," she agreed.
They sat down on the ground, which was strangely dry compared to the damp smell. Sasha sighed and looked at Kato. "I... Even if you have ulterior reasons for it, I'm glad you came with me, Kato," she told him. "I wouldn't have made it even a quarter as far on my own..."
Kato shook his head. "That is not true, Sasha. I think you would have made it even farther, if you had to."
Sasha looked away. "But... I'm not strong, or smart, or..." She closed her eyes. "I can't do anything."
Kato sighed. "Sasha, you have come all this way for Zain," he said. "You care about him enough to risk your life to help him. I believe that that must count for something. Don't you?"
Sasha looked at Zain. "...It's what he would have done for me, if our places were exchanged," she said. "Right from the start, he called me his friend. He didn't even know me, but he took care of me just the same."
She turned to Kato. "I want him to come back," she declared. "I want to hear his voice again. I want to see his smile again." She looked at her hand. "I want to feel his hand against mine, like before." Her gaze returned to Zain. "...But I'm not strong enough to help him. Even though he took care of me, I'm not strong enough to take care of him." Several tears ran down her cheeks. "I... I don't deserve his friendship."
"Sasha..." Kato stared at her. She IS strong, he thought to himself, but she does not believe that she is. He gazed at her fondly. I wish you could see how strong you are, Sasha...
A few hours later, Sasha woke up from her nap. She felt rejuvenated; the short sleep had restored most of her energy.
Kato was already awake; he noticed her movement. "Did you sleep well, Sasha?" he inquired.
Sasha nodded. "Yes, I did. What about you?"
Kato stood up, checking his sword. "I rested long enough." He walked over and offered Sasha his hand; she took it, and he pulled her to her feet. "Are you ready to go, Sasha?"
"I'm ready," Sasha answered.
"Very well," said Kato. He looked over at Zain. "I will transform again, and carry him."
The strange smell pervaded the entire cave as they walked through it. A thin foggy mist wafted throughout the cave's interior, impairing their vision. Sasha brought out the flashlight from Zain's backpack, lighting their path.
"It's so dark and empty," said Sasha. "As if no one lives here anymore." She looked at Kato. "I... I really hope Talah Rama still lives here..."
Kato said nothing. "Oh, right..." sighed Sasha. "You can't talk right now."
As she often did, she glanced back at Zain, who was once again draped across the mule's back. "I really hope he lives here..." she repeated.
She turned and walked forward again. As she walked, she recalled the first day she and Zain had spent together. She thought of Zain eating all of his hamburgers, and the joke he had made when she had accidentally frozen his soda. She thought of Zain showing her how to heal with PSI, and how to talk to animals-
Sasha froze in place. She had completely forgotten that she could use her PSI to talk to animals.
She turned to Kato. "Say something, Kato," she told him, concentrating.
Kato blinked. (But I cannot say anything in this form,) he brayed.
"But that's not true," Sasha responded. "I can understand you if I use my PSI." She looked at Zain. "Zain showed me how, on the first day we were together," she explained. "How could I have forgotten that? I'm so stupid; this whole time, we could have talked to each other."
Kato shook his head. (Do not blame only yourself, Sasha. I am at fault as well,) he told her. (I knew of this ability, but I did not remember it either. Like PSI Magnet, it is an ability that I did not use very much. When I learned it, I used it often, but the animals in Dalaam are... foolish. They generally had nothing useful to say, save for how hungry they were.)
Sasha laughed. "That kind of sounds like Zain, or at least his stomach," she joked. "In any case, Kato, now that we've remembered how to talk to animals, let's never forget it again, okay?" she proposed.
(Agreed.)
They continued forward again. As they walked, Kato said, (I am glad to see you in good spirits again, Sasha. It suits you.)
Sasha looked at the ground. "...Thanks..."
Pressing forward, Sasha and Kato traversed the cave. As they went, the path often forked, forcing them to choose which way to go. But despite running into dead ends several times, they still continued, merely backtracking and trying another route.
As they went, Kato told Sasha about life in Dalaam; the life he had known before attempting Mu training. "Dalaam sounds like a fun place to visit," Sasha told him. "It sounds like you were happy there."
(It was a simple life,) Kato admitted, (but I was happy with it.) He looked at Sasha. (Now, with the knowledge of my heritage... Even if we succeed in our quest, I will never be able to truly return to that life. If and when I return, I will become the next emperor of Dalaam. I will be responsible for the wellbeing of the entire country. My life will never be simple again.)
"But you'll do alright," Sasha replied. "From the way you took charge of all of us back in Twoson, I'm sure you'll do a great job. You're a born leader, Kato." She looked away. "Not like me..."
If Kato had been human, he would have sighed. What she said was not true, but Kato had no idea how to make her see it. Ever since Zain had been incapacitated by Kaatz, Sasha was becoming more and more convinced of her own uselessness. Kato wished he could convince her otherwise, but there seemed to be no way to do so, no matter what he said or did.
Finally, they arrived at a chamber that was larger than anything else they had seen in the cave. Unlike the rest of the cave, the chamber was lit by torches; Sasha turned off the flashlight and put it away.
There was an exit on the other side of the chamber, but it was covered with a thick door. In front of the door stood a figure, the likes of which neither Sasha nor Kato had ever seen before.
The person was covered with plate armor. A great helmet and visor covered his head and face, and it was impossible to make out any of his features. His armored hands rested on a great sword in front of him.
Upon seeing him, Sasha gasped in surprise. Kato shrugged Zain off of his back and returned to his original form, placing his hand on his sword.
"Who are you?" asked Sasha.
The armored figure spoke with a very deep voice. "You may call me the Lune Knight," he answered.
Kato stepped forward, in front of Sasha. "We come seeking the sage, Talah Rama," he declared. "Is he here?"
The armored visor turned to look at him. "Perhaps he is... And perhaps he isn't," he said cryptically. "The answer you seek depends upon the outcome of our encounter."
"What do you mean?" asked Sasha, puzzled. "What are you talking about?"
The Lune Knight paused. "What I mean," he replied, "is that if you want to see the sage, you must pass my test!"
A... A test? thought Sasha.
Kato faced the knight, almost provocatively. "What kind of test?" he demanded.
"The test is for the one who has come to see the sage," the Lune Knight responded. "The one who has come not for herself, but for someone else."
Sasha stepped backward. "M-Me?" she cried.
"Yes," said the knight. "You must prove yourself worthy of being in the presence of the sage. You must prove that your strength and determination to see him warrants his attention." He looked at Kato. "The other shall not interfere."
Kato drew the Sword of Kings. "If you think that I will sit by and watch while Sasha endures hardship, you are gravely mistaken!" he spat venomously.
"You will if you care about her at all," retorted the Lune Knight. "If you interfere with her test in any way, both of you will lose your chance to see Talah Rama forever."
Stung, Kato backed down, lowering his sword. He turned to Sasha. "...Apparently, I... cannot help you," he said. "You must do this on your own, Sasha."
Startled, Sasha looked from Kato to the Lune Knight. "But... But I can't do it on my own!" she exclaimed. "I can't do anything on my own!"
"You must," said the Lune Knight. "That is, if you wish to see Talah Rama. Will you accept the test, Sasha Maybee?"
How does he know my full name? Sasha wondered.
She looked at the knight. I can't possibly pass his test by myself... she thought. There's no way. I will lose for sure...
Then she turned and looked back at Zain, who now lay on the ground. But if I don't try... I'll never be able to be with Zain again.
Sasha turned back to the knight. "I... I will accept the test," she stated.
The knight nodded, almost approvingly. "Then let the test begin."
With that, the Lune Knight took up the great sword that he was previously resting on, and gripped it in his left hand. "Sasha Maybee," he said, his voice booming throughout the chamber, "why have you come? Why do you wish to see the sage?"
Hanging her head, Sasha answered, "I just want to help Zain... I just want him to wake up..."
The Lune Knight paused for a moment. "And why have you come HERE, to help him?" he demanded of her. "Why this place, and no other?"
Not meeting the knight's gaze, Sasha said, "I... I don't know where else to go. This was the only place I knew of... The only possibility. I had to come."
Standing off to the side, Kato watched in concern. Why must it be her alone who is tested? he pondered. The fact that he could do nothing gnawed at him terribly. Why can I not help her?
The knight paused again, as if thinking on the information he had been given. "So then, Sasha Maybee," he said, "you have crossed a desert to help Zain. You have come all the way here to help him, braving the elements and the creatures of the Madness alike."
Even though she couldn't see his face, Sasha could feel him glaring at her. "And yet, despite all you have accomplished, you persist in believing that you are weak. That you can do nothing. After all you have done for him, you believe that you haven't the strength to help him."
Sasha shook her head. "But... But I..."
"You wish to help Zain, but you believe that you cannot," interrupted the knight. "We shall find out which is true: what you believe, or what you have done. Do you have the power to save your friend?"
Suddenly, to both Sasha and Kato's surprise, the Lune Knight transformed into a mirror image of Zain. From his blond hair to his green eyes to his clothes, everything was the same. The only differences were that the mirror image did not have Zain's goggles, and that he did not have that strange pseal on his forehead... And that he still held the Lune Knight's great sword in his left hand.
Taken aback, Sasha stared at the Zain copy. "What... What is this?" she asked. She then noticed another difference: the green eyes of this Zain held no tenderness... No compassion.
The Lune Knight spoke, in Zain's voice. "If you can defeat me, Sasha... If you can overcome your doubts, then you will get to see Talah Rama. But if you lose, then you will forfeit your chance to see Talah Rama forever."
With that, the Zain copy's eyes turned red with the power of empathic PSI. "En garde!" he shouted, dashing forward at Sasha.
"Sasha!" cried Kato. He raised his sword, but then remembered the Lune Knight's warning.
Completely caught off guard, Sasha quickly backed away, narrowly missing being cut by the sword. She did not receive much time to recover, however; the Lune Knight soon attacked again.
Faced with another attack, Sasha did the only thing she could: she threw herself to the ground. The sword whistled over her, not missing by much.
There was only one thing Sasha could do; on the ground, there was no way she could avoid another attack. Hastily concentrating, she threw her arms up to protect herself. "PSI Shield Gamma!"
The advanced psychic shield manifested around her just in time; the Lune Knight's third attack came crashing down upon it. But the shield did its duty, and the sword glanced harmlessly off of it.
With this new development, the Zain copy backed off. "Behold, Sasha," he said. "You are capable of protecting yourself from harm. While you are wrapped within the power of that shield, my sword is useless against you. Yet you believe that you are weak."
Sasha slowly got up off of the ground and faced him. The Lune Knight outstretched his free hand at her, and Sasha felt an immense power build up, similar to what she had felt when Zain had been about to unleash his power. "Try this, then," he stated. "PSI Starstorm Alpha!"
A starlight storm of terrible wrath burst forth from the Lune Knight's hand. As the powerful attack screamed towards her, Sasha threw up her arms to protect herself, certain that she was about to die... But her advanced psychic shield blocked the attack, leaving her completely unharmed.
Kato analyzed the Lune Knight's actions as he stood by on the side. He could tell that the Lune Knight had expected his attack to be blocked. He's playing with her, Kato realized. He knows exactly what he is doing... And he is waiting to make his real move.
Almost as if Kato's thought had been a prophecy, the Lune Knight raised his hand at Sasha again. "As intriguing as your shield is, I think it's time for it to go away. PSI Shield-Off!"
Suddenly, Sasha's shield dissipated as if it were a mass of fog. "How... H-How did you that?" asked Sasha.
The Lune Knight smirked. "It is quite simple, when one knows how," he remarked. "In any case, you cannot defeat me if you do nothing but defend. If you hope to have any chance of winning, you need to attack as well."
Since he wasn't attacking her for the moment, Sasha stopped to think quickly. My slingshot is probably useless against him, she decided. For her to have any chance at all, she was going to have to rely on PSI.
She began to concentrate, building up mental energy. The Lune Knight merely stood there, waiting for Sasha to make her move. Kato continued to watch. The Lune Knight is still toying with her, he thought to himself. She is falling right into his trap...
Just then, Sasha released her attack. "PSI Freeze Beta!"
A swarm of ice crystals manifested around the Lune Knight. Kato suspected that the Lune Knight would no longer be there; he would quickly dodge the attack the way Kaatz often did.
However, Kato was wrong. The Lune Knight merely stood there, and allowed the ice crystals to strike him... And to both Kato and Sasha's surprise, it had absolutely no effect.
The Lune Knight frowned. "Hmmph," he muttered, nonchalantly brushing the ice off of himself. "Is that the best you can do?"
Sasha stepped backward. Unfortunately for her, PSI Freeze Beta WAS the best she could do...
Or was it? She had been using PSI Freeze Beta for a very long time, since back when she and Zain had gone to find Lumina Pillar. What if she had gained enough experience with her power, by using it time and time again, that she could take it to the next level?
Seeing that the Zain copy still had no intention of acting, Sasha began to concentrate more energy. She kept concentrating, focusing her power, readying a Freeze attack more powerful than any she had used before.
Finally, Sasha released it. "PSI Freeze Gamma!" she cried, thrusting her hands forward at the Lune Knight.
To Kato's surprise, a giant mass of ice, larger than anything Sasha had ever made before, crystallized around the Lune Knight. The ice slashed into him, tearing into his body. Surely, Kato thought to himself, such an attack must defeat him.
But again he was wrong. The Lune Knight was covered with cuts and gashes, but there was no blood at all. And to Kato and Sasha's horror, the wounds merely closed up again. The copy of Zain laughed as he pulled a large icicle out of his shoulder, and the resulting wound closed up.
"That was more like it, Sasha," commented the Lune Knight. "But you're still going to have to do better than that if you hope to meet the sage."
With that, the Zain copy smiled, and unlike the real Zain's smile, there was no kindness in it at all. "Try harder, Sasha," he scolded mockingly.
Kato gritted his teeth. He dares to toy with her like that...
It was all Kato could do to keep from taking his sword and laying into Sasha's foe. His friend was suffering, and yet if he tried to help her, they would lose their chance to help another friend.
Sasha did not know what to do. She had just mastered a stronger Freeze attack, but it was still not enough. What can I do? Sasha asked herself... And the reply soon came to her. Nothing...
The Lune Knight laughed triumphantly. "There is nothing else you can do, is there? That's the extent of what you're capable of." He glared at Sasha disdainfully. "And you call yourself one of the Chosen Eight."
Sasha hung her head, not looking at him. "I'm... too weak..." she said softly. "I can't do anything."
The Lune Knight walked over to Sasha and stood in front of her. "I suppose that you truly ARE too weak," he agreed. "I thought that perhaps you had some hidden strength, that you simply have not shown yet... But I was wrong."
The copy of Zain reached out and pushed Sasha roughly to the ground, and leered down at her. "Talah Rama does not lower himself to meet with weaklings," he stated. "You have failed my test. You have come all the way out here for nothing."
Sasha looked up at him, beginning to cry. "But... But what about Zain...?" she asked.
"He will never awaken," declared the Lune Knight. "This was your chance to help him, and you failed. You have no further business here, so take your shapeshifting companion and go home."
"But he HAS to wake up!" sobbed Sasha. "He HAS to! Please, isn't there anything-"
The Lune Knight folded his arms. "You failed," he repeated. "You can't help him. Go home."
Kato had had enough. Gripping his sword, he advanced on the Lune Knight. "If you will not help, then I shall force you to!" he shouted.
The Lune Knight raised a hand. "Paralysis Alpha."
Abruptly, Kato's body went limp, and he fell to the ground. Unable to move, he could only watch.
The Lune Knight looked down at him. "I thought I told you not to interfere," he said. He pointed down at Kato. "Hypnosis Alpha." Kato suddenly felt extremely sleepy, and he passed out into unconsciousness.
Sasha was still looking up at the Lune Knight. "Please... Please help..." she begged earnestly.
The Zain copy shook his head. "Go home." He turned and started walking away.
Defeated, Sasha looked over at the real Zain, who still lay on the ground near the entrance to the chamber. She finally realized that there was not going to be any help for Zain; he would never wake up. I'll never hear his voice again... she thought in anguish.
She remembered back in Primera, when she had first stepped off of the bus and encountered Zain completely by chance... And when he had held her hand and offered to be her friend.
Several tears fell from her eyes as Sasha looked at that hand. He'll never hold my hand again...
She remembered the way Zain had always given his all to protect her. He had never given up, not even in the worst situation. And now, when the tables were turned and Zain needed HER to help HIM for a change, Sasha was giving up. If I give up on him... What kind of friend am I?
Abruptly her sadness turned to anger. "No."
The Lune Knight, who was on the other side of the room by now, turned around. "What? I thought I told you to go home."
Sasha stood up and wiped her tears away. "Zain never gave up for me," she said. "And I'm not going to give up for him." She faced the Lune Knight defiantly. "I came here to see Talah Rama. Let me through!"
The Zain copy smirked. "I already told you, you lost your chance," he said. "Talah Rama does not wish to meet with a weakling."
Sasha didn't back down. "Maybe I'm not strong," she said. "Maybe I can't do everything, like Zain can. Maybe I am a weakling." She stepped forward. "But I came here for my friend. I came here to see Talah Rama. I don't care if he doesn't want to meet me. He's going to see me, whether he wants to or not!"
The Lune Knight folded his arms. "You're forgetting one thing," he said. "The only way you're getting past me is by defeating me."
"Then I'll defeat you!" Sasha shouted. She glared hatefully at this twisted copy of Zain. "For Zain's sake... I'll rip you apart!"
Scarcely aware of what she was doing, Sasha began concentrating, harder than she ever had before. A storm of mental energy gathered around her, and the surrounding air began to crackle with its power.
Without losing his smirk, the Lune Knight stepped forward, raising his sword to cut Sasha down. "I'll put a stop to this."
"I'LL SMASH YOU TO PIECES!" screamed Sasha. With that, she unleashed the immense energy she had gathered, thrusting her right hand at her enemy. "PSI CRYO-PRISM ALPHA!"
Suddenly, the air around the Lune Knight became very cold. He looked around in surprise as giant sheets of ice manifested around him, surrounding him. "What's this?"
Then, as quickly as they had appeared, the ice sheets flew towards the Lune Knight and fused to one another... Forming a giant faceted ice crystal. In the light from the torches, the crystal glittered like a diamond... And the Lune Knight was trapped inside it.
"Are you trying to imprison me?" asked the Lune Knight with a laugh. "What do you think trapping me in ice is going to do?"
Sasha didn't answer. Instead, she merely clenched her outstretched hand into a fist.
The ice crystal imploded.
Breathing heavily, Sasha looked at her handiwork. Of the ice crystal-and the Lune Knight-nothing remained but a small, fist-sized lump of ice, which was quickly melting away.
"I... I did it!" Sasha exclaimed happily. "I beat him!"
She knelt down next to Kato, trying to awaken him from the Lune Knight's Hypnosis. "Kato, wake up! The Lune Knight is gone!"
"He will awaken shortly," a voice spoke out from the other side of the room. "And when he does, he will find that the paralysis is gone as well."
Surprised, Sasha looked over. Another man was standing in front of the door in the chamber. He was dressed in black pants and a long coat. A wide-brimmed hat covered his dirty, greasy brown hair. Strangely, he had a scarf tied around his face; all Sasha could see were his green eyes.
Sasha stood up. "Who are you?" she asked. "If you're here to stop me from getting through, then I'll..."
The stranger lifted a hand, which was covered by a fingerless black glove. "No, I already tried, and I lost," he said. "You passed my trial, Sasha. You have nothing else to fear from me."
Sasha blinked. "You lost?" she asked. "But I didn't fight you. I fought the Lune Knight."
The man shook his head. "The Lune Knight was an illusion," he revealed. "An illusion that I created. I was manipulating the illusion to test you, Sasha. And what you just did to that illusion exceeded my highest expectations."
Angrily, Sasha confronted him. "Do you really think you can toy with people like that?" she demanded.
Again, the man raised his hand. "I am sorry for what I did," he said. "I didn't want to do it, but it was necessary. Talah Rama agreed with me."
Sasha looked at the door behind the man. "So Talah Rama IS here?" she asked.
"Yes," replied the man. "And you have earned every right to meet with him."
For some odd reason, the stranger's voice sounded very familiar to Sasha, but she couldn't quite place it. "But why did you have to test me?" asked Sasha. "I don't understand."
"Because you had lost all faith in yourself," the man answered. "I wanted to give that back to you, and I think that I have, now. Because without that faith-if you don't believe in yourself-how can you expect to stand up to Giaguo?"
Sasha didn't answer... Because she knew he was right.
The man took a long look at her. "But I think you'll be alright now," he continued. "So I suppose I'll be on my way. I have things to do." He started walking toward the other end of the chamber, toward the exit. "When your friend has awakened, you may proceed to meet Talah Rama. He will help you."
"Wait!" cried Sasha. "Who are you?" she asked, repeating her first question of him.
The man turned back and took another long look at her, as if debating whether or not to respond. Finally, he made up his mind. "You may call me... La-Renz. We'll probably meet again, Sasha Maybee."
With that, the man turned and walked away. As he left, Sasha couldn't help but notice the image of a bumblebee embroidered on the back of his coat.
To be continued...
