Jasper had felt uneasy since he'd talked to Hendrik. That uneasiness had only gotten worse as he received the reports from Hendrik's companions, of the mass of shadows lurking beneath the city. Were it that they had more than an hour or two, he would've led an expedition to the caves to eliminate the threat. But now, with dusk lurking, and the monsters discovered, he doubted they would wait until the next morning to be destroyed. No, in all likelihood, the attack would come tonight. So he set up what precautions he could think of, and then took up a perch at the top of the church by the main road. And waited, watching as the sun set.

When the first reports of the shadows came in, the alert beacons along the edges of the walls lighting up, Jasper felt no surprise, no trepidation. It had been a hasty plan, but it was a plan nonetheless, leaving him completely prepared. He merely picked up the magical voice projector he'd, well, borrowed from the armory, and began calling out orders. "All rise! Citizens of Heliodor, proceed to the central square! This is not a drill!"

There hadn't been the time to properly prepare the citizenry for an attack that might not come, so their confusion was understandable as they began milling out. But he'd had time to prepare the soldiers, to give exact instructions down to each person at each post, and they gently steered the populace in the right directions, herding them slowly toward the largest open area they had in the city. In the distance, one of the spotlights came on, and then another. Light repelled the creatures, the minstrel had told them, so light would be their shield.

From the Downtown entrances, he caught his first glimpse of them-shadows in ghostlike forms, clawed fingers rising from the road to scratch at the fleeing citizens. Well, he couldn't have that. Now that they were in his range, they were at his mercy. Jasper pointed down at the nearest shadow, drawing his magic down his arm, shooting it off like an arrow. The thing screeched, and perished. "Do not fear!" he shouted through the amplifier. "The sworn knights of Heliodor will see that no harm comes to you! Proceed to the designated area!"

Downtown was really the problem, he thought as he fired more arrows into the enemies he saw, shouted specifics to soldiers here and there. They had the furthest distance to go to get to safety. And due to its narrow, hemmed-in layout, there wasn't an area of safety he could send that many people, either. Most of the soldiers had been assigned there to deal with the larger population, to check for those who might resist evacuation or couldn't evacuate. Much of the fighting would occur down there, as the earliest bits of shadows slipped from the sewers and around the walls, and all of it was out of his reach. He could only trust that the soldiers he had spent so much time with, that had trained and taken instructions and sharpened their weapons and stood at their posts, could grasp victory. But he was starting to see the crowds thin out and the monsters increase as their only prey fled upward. They had to be getting close, he thought as he fired again and again.

Movement against the flow of traffic caught his eye-the princess and the prince of Dundrasil, riding a horse toward one of the Downtown entrances. Jasper sighed. He couldn't be surprised that they wanted to join the fight, but all the same, it was quite stupid. Well, she'd probably be fine. He caught a glimpse of a couple of their companions that were moving toward the same area, all seeming to have the same idea of assisting in Downtown. He'd welcome it.

And then he spotted Hendrik, the firelight glinting off his pitch-black armor. Jasper watched as he passed, his curiosity drawing him. It had been years since he'd seen Hendrik fight seriously, and he couldn't help but wonder what it would look like now. At first, Hendrik headed in the same direction as the others, but then he stopped, his attention turning to one of the side alleys. He ran, sword drawn. Jasper frowned. Hendrik wouldn't waste time pursuing random enemies when he had to know that there were still stragglers in Downtown. He would only make a detour for someone else in distress, but there was no one there.

A trap.

Hendrik, his dear, stupid friend, who was always so focused on what was in front of him, had just walked into a trap.

This only confirmed for him as he saw something else moving behind the man-not pure black like the shadows, colors swirling within, but with the same kind of lack of substance. Hendrik would be fine, he told himself. He was unkillable, had never met a limit he couldn't overcome. And Jasper was needed here, couldn't leave his post. All the same, he found his body moving, passing the amplifier to his subordinate with instructions. Grasping a rope attached to the roof, he severed the end, using it to swing down to the street. He stumbled as his feet hit the pavement-acrobatics were not easy even without full armor-but he caught himself, drawing his sword as he ran for the alley Hendrik had disappeared into. Even if he didn't die, the costs of breaking those limits would leave scars. And Jasper just couldn't accept that.

Hendrik rounded the corner, and neither the child he'd been chasing nor the shadows abducting them were there, even though it was a dead end. He unshouldered his greatsword, holding it at the ready. "Where are you? Show yourselves! Return the child to me!"

"You need not worry for the child," a low voice said behind him, the sound smooth as fabric across metal. Hendrik whirled, catching sight of some multicolored shadow, roughly in the shape of a large cat, and then he sliced through it in one swing. It hissed, the edges shredding as all of the other shadows did, but the actual shadows on the ground beneath his feet moved, a lion-like shape running across them. "Don't be so hasty. As I was saying, you need not fear for the child. They do not exist, after all."

A trap, then. Hendrik didn't care. If this shadow was good enough to set an elaborate illusion like that, taking it down would surely lessen the forces attacking Heliodor. The multicolored monster formed again behind him, its shadow still on the ground. Was the shadow the true body, then? Hendrik swung the sword, slicing through paver and dirt underneath as he aimed for it.

And he hit it, felt the resistance under his sword as it too shredded, and the rainbow cat leapt away, out of range. Underneath its feet, the shadow formed again. So both at once, then. He readied his sword.

The cat moved forward again, and this time the shadow shot out as if a piece of bait on a fishing line, arcing smoothly out of range, latching onto the shadow he himself cast under his feet. Spikes filled the inside of his armor, holding his body fast in place. "That's better," the cat said, circling around him. "Now, I know you. You were one of the ones who defeated the water of Zwaardsrust, didn't you? Well, I am the shadow of Heliodor, and I shall not be taken so lightly."

He tried to move, to jerk away, but the spikes only dug in further, causing pain. "You'll die just as it did, monster."

"I don't think I will, actually. You see, human, everything casts a shadow. I can slip into those shadows, even those on the hearts of humans, and make them my own. I had planned on taking your body for my own," it sighed, "but honestly, you're so stupid your heart's shadows are weak and shallow."

"You shall not have me or any other!" Hendrik tried to move again. "Your attack ends here!"

"You know, I don't think you quite get it," the monster sighed. "If I can't possess you, you're of no use to me. And that armor has plenty of shadows on the inside."

This time, the spikes drove in on their own, shredding the flesh it was only digging into before. Hendrik cried out, felt the blood slicking his armor, saw it dropping out the cracks. He quickly cast some healing magic-at least he could still do that, even if his armor was still holding him in place. He had to think. What could he do to attack this creature or at the least, loose its hold on the shadows inside his armor? He knew no fire spells, nothing that could make light.

"Hendrik!" Jasper's sword flashed near his face, the rainbow lion falling apart again. The grip on his armor was loosened, and he stumbled forward, feeling his head swim with the movement. "You colossal fool," he heard Jasper's voice, felt the other man's healing magic starting to work. "What in the world were you thinking?!"

"Be careful," he got out. "There's two-"

"What-" Jasper stumbled back as shadow swirled around him, diving into the cracks in his armor. Then he let out a cry of pain, doubling over as his hands grasped at his head.

"Jasper!" This wasn't the same, Hendrik realized: there was no blood, but Jasper was clearly in pain.

"Now this is more like it," the rainbow lion said as it reformed, swirling around Jasper's shoulders. "Someone with a weak heart like this is much more useful to me than an idiot like you. Shall I kill you with him, then?"

"Unhand him!" Hendrik grasped for the monster, but it was like trying to grab smoke. He had to kill both at once, and right now, one had embedded itself in his closest friend. How was he supposed to remove the fiend without harming Jasper?

The rainbow lion smirked a sickening grin at Hendrik. "Let's see what really lies in this pathetic heart, shall we?"

"Stop it!" He could see the black creeping through Jasper's veins, down his hands, up his neck. "Jasper, fight back!"

Jasper looked up at Hendrik, eyes only partially focused. "You know," he got out, "I was always envious of you."

"What?"

Blackness crept into his face, around his eyes, and shadows swirled around his body, cloaking him in darkness. "I could never hold a candle to you. Your strength, your skill, your determination...you outdid me in every way. I wanted so much to be like you, to be your equal, but... I could never keep up to you. So... I had to get you out of my way. I suggested to the King that you should be the Princess's bodyguard so that you wouldn't be my competition. Don't you see? I ended your career path because I couldn't beat you any other way!"

"Is... that how you felt about it?" He wanted to think it was a lie that the shadow monster was perpetuating, but something about how raw the words were felt real. Like they were being dragged from a dark corner of Jasper's heart that he hadn't known about. Hendrik planted the tip of his sword in the ground, relaxing his grip on it. This wasn't a fight he could win with a sword. All he could use were his words, a weapon he had no confidence in. But he couldn't fail, either. "How could you say that you were envious of me when it has always been I who could never measure up to you?"

Jasper's eyes regained a bit of focus, even as they filled with confusion. "When I had nothing but my grief and my rage, you were my guiding light. I always looked up to how you always had a goal and pursued it. I never had a goal or a purpose until you gave me one when you asked the King to entrust the Princess to me. Did you think that made me unhappy? Being the Princess's bodyguard has been the greatest joy and pride of my life."

"Hendrik..."

Hendrik closed his eyes, then focused on Jasper again. "Jasper. We're... really quite different. Maybe you cannot best me in strength, but you have many attributes I could never come close to beating. Even if we have different skills, we fight for the same thing. Doesn't that make us peers? Are we not fighting the same enemy right now? So let's fight it. I will use my sword. Jasper, use that willpower of yours and eject that thing from your body! I know that strength of mind you have cannot be defeated by this."

"Don't be a fool," the rainbow lion hissed. "You cannot possibly think a weak human like this will be able to break through my shadows."

"He absolutely will. Because he is one half of the double-headed eagle of Heliodor!" Hendrik tightened his grip on the sword again, ready. "And he is my friend. I believe in him."

Jasper's hands clenched into fists, and then he pulled himself up straight, the dark aura shattering. Jasper yelled, not in pain but in power. "How-" the rainbow lion began.

Hendrik saw the blackness coalesce, and already had sword in hand, thrusting forward past Jasper's shoulder. Jasper drew his own sword, thrusting around Hendrik's side, piercing the rainbow lion as it tried to flee. Both halves of the monster screamed in unison, then fell to shreds. Jasper stumbled forward, and Hendrik caught him with one arm, planting his greatsword again for support. "Did we beat it?" Jasper asked.

"I think so. The oppressive aura in this area is gone."

"Hendrik." Jasper said, resting his forehead against Hendrik's chestplate. "I fear the double-headed eagle of Heliodor is naught but a pair of supreme fools."

"True. But I would tolerate no other fool." Hendrik smiled. "Can you stand?"

"Can you stand? You've left so much blood scattered around one would think you were trying to make a new river."

"Well, I'm not bleeding any more, thanks to your magic." His wounds had closed, but he still felt lightheaded from all the blood he'd lost. "We're not going to be doing much more after this. Let's get back to the square."

Hendrik sheathed his sword, keeping his other arm under Jasper for support. "Did you mean what you said?" Jasper spoke. "That you... didn't regret becoming the Princess's bodyguard?"

"You're the one that told me I couldn't lie if my life depended on it. Did you... think that I resented you for it?"

"I meant what I said at the time. But... I always wondered if I had done what you truly wanted, by forcing you into that path. The more I wondered, the more I thought that maybe I'd done it for my sake, rather than yours."

"Why did you recommend me, then?"

"Hendrik... You're very strong, but... you're not cut out for the army. You can't kill people in cold blood. When you have to fight other people, people you can see the humanity in, your sword hesitates. And truthfully, maybe that's for the best. I feel like if you could kill people as easily as I can, you would lose an important part of what makes you so... you. Hendrik, it's when you are protecting others... that's when you're at your best. I wanted to give you that."

Hendrik couldn't find any words to say as he half-carried Jasper back toward the steps to the square. "Jasper... thank you for taking care of me all these years. I only wish I could understand you as well as you do me."

"Hendrik, I'm not holding my breath for that." Jasper patted his arm, then stood on his own, starting up the stairs. "I'll just have to make sure I talk to you about these kinds of things before a monster tries to take advantage of it."

"General!" The soldiers posted along the main road came running as they saw Jasper. "General, are you hurt?"

"What's the situation?" he asked crisply. "Is Downtown evacuated? What of the shadows?"

"We're sending the sweeper patrols in now. As for the shadows, their numbers have been greatly reduced. The square has remained secure."

Hendrik followed as Jasper went up the stairs to the main square. He was almost immediately surrounded by soldiers, all cheering and chattering. "There ye are," he heard Rab's voice behind him. "Where'd ye run off to, laddie? Thought I'd lost ye somewhere down there."

"My apologies, Lord Robert. I believe Jasper and I have exterminated the leader, however."

Rab looked at him, but didn't question further. "Good to hear. Seems like we'll be able to leave Heliodor without having to worry about things."

Hendrik shook his head, and immediately regretted it as his head spun again. "We wouldn't have had to worry anyway. Heliodor is in capable hands."

It was so weird how everything in Heliodor felt so stacked up on top of each other, Veronica thought as she leaned on the balcony, gazing at the houses and buildings that cascaded down the hill. Arboria was built on hills as well, but everything was spread out so much further. Here, the closeness of everything made the dawn light stagger up in uneven stretches, sliding and jolting around buildings and through streets like water sloshing down a rocky riverbed.

She still felt tired. That was only to be expected when one was up half the night blasting stupid monsters into flaming bits, but they'd eventually won and she'd managed to get a few hours' sleep. Only to then be up with the sunrise, like she was every morning, her body ready to get in some practice before everyone else was up. "Ugh," she groaned to herself, cursing her body's absurdly early circadian rhythms. Maybe she should go investigate the royal kitchens and see if someone might be brewing coffee. On the other hand, King Carnelian didn't seem like he was the type to be as friendly towards foreign strangers wandering through his castle.

It wasn't just the lack of sleep either, she knew. She felt tired in a way she didn't usually, because she wasn't usually casting combat magic for a solid few hours, over and over. The castle staff had kindly prepared some magic tonics that had helped, but rest was really the best thing for refilling one's magic reserves. Rest that her stupid body hadn't gotten the memo on, apparently.

"Veronica?" She turned in surprise at Junichi's voice. The prince looked about as tired as she felt, rubbing at his face.

"I'm surprised you could tell," she said. "I don't have my hair up right now, and I'm not color-coded."

"Well, that's true, but you're not exactly the same anyway. You have different body language." He covered a yawn with his hand. "You're up early."

"I could say the same to you. You're usually not an early riser."

"I couldn't really sleep well," he admitted, joining her by the railing. "I think I got a couple of hours, but after that, I just couldn't fall back asleep. Weird dreams, I guess."

"Weird dreams?" She glanced over her shoulder at the cityscape. "Did they involve black shadows trying to eat people?"

"No. Well, I mean, not specifically, no. It's like... you remember those images we saw when the mark first appeared?" He brushed his hand over it. "Sometimes I see other bits and pieces that I can't really make sense of. I don't know if they're warnings, or..."

She shrugged, not sure what advice she could offer. "Father Benedict says seeing the future is super imprecise and you can't really bank on any specifics. Then again, most of what he sees in his visions is how the weather's going to turn out."

Junichi laughed. "But that must be very useful. You'd always know when to bring your umbrella or go on a picnic."

"I suppose so." She turned her head as she caught the sound of music coming from below. "Well, I guess we're not the only ones that are up early." She scanned the cracks between the rooftops until she spotted some people down in the square. "Are they dancing? At this hour?"

"They must be happy everything went well last night," Junichi said. "Hendrik said there weren't that many injuries, all things considered, and no one died. I suppose that would make most people want to dance."

"Dancing is such a weird hobby," Veronica said. "We don't have that kind of thing in Arboria."

"What, no dancing? Not at all?'

"Some people think it's rather lascivious to show off your body like that."

"I guess I can see that for Dundrasil's dances," Junichi mused. "They're all rather energetic, so you can't help but be a little wild about it. I bet Arborians would like the Heliodor dances more. They're more subdued."

She stared at him. "What, there's more than one kind?"

"Oh, yes. Every region around the world has its own kind of dances. Though I only know a little bit about them," he added with a sheepish smile. "I'm really only familiar with Dundrasil styles and Heliodor styles, since I've spent a good bit of time in Heliodor as well."

"What's the Heliodor style like? Besides subdued, I guess."

"Well, it's... maybe I could show you?" he offered. "It might be easier to see than explain."

"What, right now?"

"Sure, why not? There's still music playing." He offered her a hand.

Suddenly, she felt like she would have less of a problem facing down a dragon than she did putting her hand in his. "This one's called a waltz," he told her. "Unlike most of the Dundrasil styles, it has three steps instead of four. So it's one," he stepped forward, "two, then three. And so on. That's the basics of it, anyway. Here, put your hand here," he placed her hand on his waist, then circled around to touch his hand to her waist, his other hand holding hers up. "Can you still hear the music? One, two, three. One, two, three."

She could, but his voice was right there, so she paced herself to that, following his footsteps as best she could. "This really isn't my strong suit," she muttered as she stepped on his feet again. "Sorry."

"No one's good at it the first time they try. Besides, it's not a problem." He smiled. "You're so light, I don't even notice."

"F-flattery won't get you anywhere." That was a lie, she knew even as she said it. Right now, that flattery was making her pulse shoot through the roof.

He chuckled at that. "Anyway, try to relax a bit. I'll take the lead, so you just have to follow me."

"I'm not really used to letting someone else take the lead on anything."

"I've noticed. You're always the one leading the way when it's you and your sister," he said. "Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course. I like how straightforward you are."

"Stubborn, more like. I told you flattery won't get you anywhere." She focused on his steps, keeping her eyes down.

He laughed as he continued to lead, and gradually her steps became more sure. "You know, it's funny," he said. "I've danced with plenty of people, but you're so easy to get in sync with. It almost feels as if we've done something like this before. Like we've done this many times before, a long time ago. Isn't that strange?"

It was. And yet, she knew exactly what he meant. In close quarters like this, everything felt strangely nostalgic. Nothing in this foreign land should feel familiar, but the strength in his arms and the lights in his eyes felt like she'd seen them so many times before. "You know, when we die, our souls return to Yggdrasil and are born again. It's possible we knew each other in another lifetime."

"Maybe, but... we wouldn't have been the same people, in that other lifetime, so I don't think it's quite the same." He suddenly let go of her waist, swinging his arm out, and without thinking, she followed through his movement, her skirt flaring outward as she twirled. For a moment, it felt like it was a magic all its own, making her feel like she was flying. Just as smoothly, he returned his hand to her waist and continued their steps without missing a beat. "Good job," he said with a smile. "There are more difficult little tricks you can throw in, but I like that one."

"I like that one too," she muttered, so soft she wasn't sure if he could hear. She wasn't quite sure she wanted him to, either.

It almost hurt when the music ended and he let her go, stepping back. "Well, that's a waltz," he said. "We can try some others too, if you want. Or would you rather get breakfast?"

"You should probably get some rest," she said. "I'm amazed you could stay on your feet for all that."

"I do feel pretty tired, but I'm not sure I can sleep."

"All right, you big oaf," she said, taking his hand and leading him back inside. "We're going to have a little contest. I'm going to put you in bed and count to sixty. If you can stay awake until I finish, you win and we'll go get breakfast."

He laughed, but allowed her to lead him back to his guest room. "All right, I accept your challenge. We'll see whose will is stronger."

She didn't even make it to thirty before his breathing had slowed into a deep, regular rhythm. Good. Honestly, boys could be so stupid sometimes, she thought, poking him in the cheek. But it was a charming kind of stupid, like a big, dumb dog that you loved anyway. But dogs couldn't hold your hand or teach you to waltz. Ugh, all of this was too complicated to think about when she was this tired. Veronica slipped out quietly, going back to the room she was sharing with Serena.

Her sister was waking up just as she entered. "Oh, Veronica," she greeted cheerfully, oblivious to the mess that was her morning hair. "You look like you're having a good think."

She held one of her hands in the other. "I think I get why dancing is considered lascivious."

"What's that?" But Veronica had already flopped back into bed, falling asleep almost as soon as she landed.