Chapter Thirty Seven: Panic

"Impossible," Hikaru whispered, making a bigger ball of energy before throwing it at his rival. One after another, he threw bombs to no avail as the aura of light around the young swordsman increased until he resembled a second sun, and his eyes rippled with raw power as his smile grew even wider.

Infuriated with his lack of success, he used a spell that his father had warned him against ever using. He put both of his arm out towards his rival, and focused every particle of his power into his arms to make a long golden beam to shoot through his opponent.

This was unheard of!

The mysterious man's body was like a vacuum, eagerly sucking in all the power Hikaru sent… and then some.

Realizing what was happening, the young royal tried to cut off the magic source, but the terrible pull was too great, and he had utterly committed his entire force towards destroying his rival for the witch's affections, but he refused to be destroyed.

Hikaru sank to his knees, more exhausted than he had ever been in his life as the last tendrils of his magic flowed into the dark brunette, who was bathed in light. Hikaru could never remember feeling so empty before in his life! His entire life's work, as well as that of his family's for the past three thousand years was now knocking around inside a mere peasant! How was this possible?!

Now that the power had stopped coming at the dark brunette, it could start soaking into his body more easily. He still didn't raise his sword, as a look of dreamy concentration crossed his features.

Once all the gold energy had been absorbed, he looked normal for one precious second. "I've learned better than to say 'impossible'," the man said gravely. "I keep finding such things to be very possible indeed."

Then, without warning, cracks of light began showing through him, most noticeably in his hair, like a pane of slowly breaking glass.

The illusion shattered as black coloring fell to the ground like raindrops to dissolve into nothing. In its place was a fine crop… of thick golden hair. The stranger smiled, and slowly blinked, making two big blue drops fall from his eyes like tears. When he opened his eyes again, they were just as green as the Mountain Witch's skin.

The green woman and her two protectors gasped in shock as her champion slowly made his way to his twin, who was sprawled on the ground.

Hikaru struggled to run, but he was too weak to do it. He tried crawling backwards instead, although his eyes were hopelessly locked on his mirror image, which glared coldly at him. "W-who are you?" Hikaru stammered helplessly as his victor towered over him, unfathomable hatred in his glowing green eyes.

"I am who you should have been. Perhaps if you had been more like me, I wouldn't have needed to come into the picture. Well, get up! After a year's worth of preparation, I think you should at least put up a fight!" With one hand, he made a respectful sword with his newfound power, and tossed it at his opponent. "Pick up the weapon, if you truly think you're worthy of Lady Haru."

Hikaru stared at the weapon with terror. He had never touched a sword in his life! His entire focus had been magic. But, his overpowering lust for the green girl made him forget the danger, and pick up the blade.

He tried a mad swipe, which the newcomer easily dodged, using the gaping hole in the blonde man's defenses in order to cut deep into the golden kimono and his side, earning a bright flood of blood.

Hikaru screamed like a little girl, dropping his weapon to favor his wound with both hands.

His opponent scoffed angrily. "Surely this is a joke. After all the paranoia and training I've worked through, and you were never a threat in the first place? I must say, I was expecting more of a challenge from someone that could have been me." Smiling grimly, Baron raised his sword for a final strike.

"I refuse to let anyone harm Haru or her people, not even a twisted version of myself. I've never killed before, but I can't afford to let you ever threaten my beloved again."

And, with one final blow, the dormant royal line became extinct, never to return.

ooOoo

With a heavy heart, since he did not enjoy the strange version of suicide, Baron allowed the blood-soaked sword to fall to the solid stone pavement. Slowly, he turned to face the trio that he had come to love so dearly.

Haru… she looked so shocked and scared, staring at him, almost like he was still a stranger.

He sighed and bowed low for her. "It should be safe for her to take the wax out now. The threat has been eliminated."

Muta wrapped his arms even more protectively around the girl, his own eyes wide with fear and contemplating a trace of anger. "Just what-" he tried to ask, but then King Lune hopped down from his hiding spot, and walked up to the newly green-eyed man, looking him up and down.

"So this is what you meant by your alternate self not being worthy of Haru!" he exclaimed, circling the man in his inspection. "Well, nice to know that the balances have been returned to about as normal as they're going to get."

Haru couldn't take it any longer. She used a seed of her power in order to completely clean her ears of the wax, and toss the clumps aside angrily. "Just what is going on here?!" she demanded. "First you weren't the green-eyed man, but then you were, but not really because you killed the other one, so… so what's…"

Lune stood on his hind feet and faced the green girl. "It's a little complicated," he began before Baron reached down to touch his shoulder.

"I think it might be better if I explained. There were some things I didn't tell you, either."

The young Cat King looked up, but then got back on his haunches in agreement.

Baron looked up at the green woman, and smiled warmly, his heart in his gaze. "I didn't lie, when I told you that I came from a far away village named London. And I didn't lie when I said that a tornado brought me here. But I did fail to tell you the real reason why I came here." He took a deep breath for courage, and focused his newfound power to make a cloud appear next to him, and clear in the middle to sort of make a window. "This is London."

Hesitantly, Haru came forward enough to study the image, which was actually one of Baron's memories, from when he had traveled by helicopter over the city. Then he switched it to a bus ride so that she could get a good look at the streets, shops, and people. Her father and uncle also came forward for a better look.

"What unusual clothes," she murmured, studying the dresses and pants worn by his people.

Baron chuckled a bit. "My people would say the same about this world's clothes. About the closest we have to kimonos are located on the other side of the continent, but that's a discussion for another time."