ROSE'S STORY: THE DARKNESS DRAGOON
"It's too late!" Miranda screams, running through the streets.
Deningrad has been wiped clean with the King of Dragons' Cannon attacks. The houses' roofs have been blown off, and part of the walls too. The people are huddling in the streets, screaming and whispering in fear and awe.
And the Crystal Palace...
The pinnacle that is the Palace has snapped in two, falling apart. The entire construction of the building has crumbled apart. Shards of blue-green crystal are everywhere.
"Queen Theresa!" Miranda yells, running for the Crystal Palace and ducking past several of the knights.
"Shana was in the Palace!" Dart follows her with equal speed.
Luanna and Setie are sitting near the entrance. Miranda helps them to her feet. "Are you two all right?"
"Yes, we are fine." Luanna replies, amazingly calm.
"I was scared." Setie admits in a whispery voice.
"Shut up. We got the Dragon Block Staff." Miranda snaps.
"Good. We will need it to protect ourselves for the next time." Luanna speaks.
"What do you mean, 'next time'?" Miranda demands.
"The psyche that the Divine Dragon projected was a black bottomless abyss of hatred." Luanna explains everything in one sentence. "There will be a next time."
Miranda sets her jaw and walks over to a downed knight.
"Hey! Wake up!" She slaps him.
"Uh, yes ma'am!" he leaps to his feet.
"Watch over these two." Miranda orders, narrowing her liquid amber eyes and running to the throne room.
The walls have been torn and all the furniture smashed or broken on the floor. The crystals are scattered all over so that it is impossible to walk without it crunching under my feet, and the people have been thrown around. It looks like the devastating result of an earthquake. Several of the knights are climbing to their feet, and the Third Sacred Sister, Wink, is slumped against the wall.
"Wink!" Dart calls, running over and helping her to her feet. "Are you okay?"
"Yes. Sister Miranda gave me treatment." Wink seems dazed.
Dart stands up and looks around. He gasps when he sees the demolished entrance to Shana's room. "Shana!"
"Wait!" Wink calls. "Miss Shana is alive! I think she's with the Queen in the throne room."
I don't think the Black Monster ever attacked Deningrad before...did it? I can't really remember. Last time, the Moon Child was a princess of Mille Seseau, but she was killed on the Saint Louvia, not in Deningrad.
The throne room is brightly lit with a blue-white glow that doesn't seem to start anywhere. It seems only like void and none else in detail. Miranda stands with her arms in front of her face, grimacing. "What is that?" She wants to know.
I narrow my eyes, trying to keep the brightness out. I use the Dark Dragon spirit as a shade, squinting through its darkness.
"Shana!" Dart yells into the brightness.
The white fades, pausing first and then slowly moving, as if gathering at its main point. When the light disappears, Shana is facing us. Her eyes are closed and her hands are held together, like the time when she had unbelievably pushed the Virage off the cliff without physical power. The light seems to be gathering back into her. She is floating in the air somehow, without her Dragoon Spirit and without wings, she is floating, high up, maybe five meters. When the light disappears, she is gently lowered onto the steps to the throne.
Behind her is Queen Theresa, lying unconscious in front of her throne, but still breathing.
"Queen Theresa!" Miranda yells, running up to the Queen and bending down to her. Is the Queen her mother, I wonder?
"Shana." Dart shakes his ladyfriend gently. "Shana, wake up."
"Dart?" Shana's eyes seem unfocused. She shakes her head several times and then blinks. "Dart, what happened?"
There is a groan, and then the Queen comes back, standing with the help of Miranda. "The Divine Dragon attacked...but we are all safe."
"What was that light?" Miranda asks. "It was as if it was protecting Queen Theresa and Shana. What happened?"
The female sovereign lowers herself gently back onto her throne, brushing off shards of crystals first. "The Divine Dragon attacked." She repeats. "I wanted to speak with Shana, and I called her to the throne room. As she entered, the Divine Dragon attacked, shaking the Crystal Palace and destroying Deningrad. We would have all been killed if it wasn't for Shana. She walked up to the throne, calmly, turned around, knelt, and...then the light came. It was as if..."
I turn to look at the girl. Shana is leaning against Dart for support, her breathing slightly ragged, as if she has been running for a long time. Her eyes still seem hazy, clouded over, but she still seems like a ruffled baby bird, or a tired angel of some sort.
How is it that the human girl can have so much power? Never before in all my 11,000 years have I seen such a magic as this! To withstand the attack of the Divine Dragon, to call upon an unseen and mystical power that is beyond Dragoons, it is impossible! Who is Shana, actually, and what connection does she have to all this?!
Queen Theresa is staring at Miranda, who has her face buried in her hands.
Crying.
Crying?! Miranda?! I would have thought that impossible...
The Queen smiles. "Now you cannot call Setie a crybaby anymore, Miranda."
"I don't care. Please just let me cry. Let me cry..."
Is she weeping out of joy? What does it feel like to cry? I had wasted all my tears 11,000 years ago, mourning the loss of my friends and my love. The last time I cried was a thousand years ago, and since then I have not shed a single tear. Why is the steel-hearted Miranda crying? Because her queen is safe?
"It will take a long time to rebuild Deningrad." Queen Theresa says sadly, looking out at the ruined city.
"But we shall do what we can." Wink says, coming into the room, her hand on Luanna's arm.
"The people are frightened, but they are safe." Luanna reports. "But the Divine Dragon will be back to finish the job. The...hatred that I felt in it. It is unending."
"Yes, but it was a miracle that everyone survived." Miranda says, turning to look at Shana, smiling. "You brought us a miracle, Shana!"
The girl shakes her head. "But I hurt people as well. What happened to Seles was my fault too."
"No it wasn't." Dart says firmly, quickly. He is like that, always behind you, ready to support you if you stumble or fall. "That was Doel's fault."
Shana only stares at him. "Who am I?"
Without a sound, she faints again.
The rooms in the Crystal Palace have been destroyed, and it is no place for a sick young woman. The inn is still intact, so Dart and the others all gather there, putting Shana in the care of the innkeeper and two knights.
When she awakens, she seems to know what has happened.
"Miranda, can watch over Shana?" Dart asks.
"Are you telling me to stay here?" Miranda demands.
"You are a Sacred Sister of this country. You have no obligation to come with us."
"I am a Dragoon, remember? I have no intention of withdrawing from the battle. Besides, Shana told me to take care of the rest. I intend to keep that promise." Miranda says firmly.
At least she understands her obligation as a Dragoon.
The Queen speaks. "We have reached an agreement. Please take Miranda with you."
Dart bows. "Yes, your majesty."
We stop at the inn to speak to Shana, who has regained consciousness. Kongol and Meru walk in and speak to her first, then come out, and Albert and Haschel go in, talking reassuringly. Dart sits at her side, holding her hand and watching her carefully.
It is my turn to go speak to her, although I know not what to say. What am I supposed to say? I'm sorry? Please get well? I am a warrior, and not at all good with this type of thing.
So instead, I just lean against the wall, and Miranda walks up to her new friend.
"Are you all right?" Miranda asks, her voice gentle. I had not thought that she could be gentle
Shana, what happened to you? Why do you have to leave the Light Dragon to this woman, leaving her stuck with us? An unusual anger fills me.
"I cannot believe your timing." I say.
Miranda turns on me, growling, "That is no way to talk to a friend!"
I reply in a calm voice, deliberately. "I haven't seen your power as a Dragoon, have I?"
"Are you saying you don't trust me?!" Miranda demands.
You said it, I didn't.
"Please stop." Shana says. "Miranda is fine. She can do better than me."
I push myself off the wall, pausing at the doorway. "I hope so."
Behind me, I can sense Miranda tensing. "Is she like that all the time?"
Shana shifts, smiling. "Rose may pretend to be harsh, but she does care for me. Actually, Rose is concerned for me."
Against everything I've taught myself to believe, I do care. Gods, after 11,000 years of teaching myself not to get involved with anyone, I've failed. Miserably.
Miranda makes a scoffing sound. "What a clumsy woman."
Perhaps.
After a few more minutes, Dart and Miranda appear outside the inn.
"She'll be safe, Dart. Don't worry." Haschel says. "She has the knights to protect her."
As if they could do much help. I am being harsher than usual; for some reason I am angry.
"The only way to stop the Dragon is to confront him." Dart says. "It's time to leave. Let's go to the Mt. Dragon Tomb."
The path to the Mountain of the Mortal Dragon is in the Evergreen Forest, on the leftmost part of the Forest, where we had passed right before Meru slipped away to visit her parents.
The knight there refuses to let us through, saying that it is dangerous.
Miranda drags him to the side and says a few furious words to him. Her eyes are blazing with anger. When the knight comes back, he meekly allows us through.
"How efficient." Albert says quietly.
The Mortal Dragon Mountain is far in the distance, a towering mountain with snow at its base, but a volcano on its insides. The sides are made of stone, and the pathways wind inside and around, so that it is a long walk through several arches and bridges before we can get to the top where the Divine Dragon rests.
Halfway up the mountain, the earth starts to shake, and loose boulders tumble down the sides to the ground below.
A roar splits the air, and the top of the mountain seems to emanate heat and anger.
It didn't like being sealed up by the Winglies. I guess it wants to get back at everyone.
The sky is lit up by brilliant white light, and a power fills the air so that the Dragoons, who are more sensitive than humans are, groan and stumble. The Dragon's scream reverberates in my mind.
Everyone sits up, grabbing his or her weapon and I gaze around with glaring eyes.
But no one seems to be hurt, and there is no attacker here. The sound came from far off, perhaps on the mountain.
"It is coming from the Mountain of the Mortal Dragon!" Dart exclaims.
"That was a magic power!" Meru declares. "An awfully powerful mega magic!"
"Whatever it is, that is our destination."
A giant white light streaks across the sky, horizontally, rumbling with power.
"As if…" I muse thoughtfully, waiting until every head is turned toward me. "It is unburdening his anger all over the world. The anger toward Winglies who sealed him."
"And us humans who dominated Dragons." Albert agrees.
"Then does this mean that Deningrad was choen to be the place for the declaration of war?!" Miranda demands, stepping closer as if to strike at me.
"We will settle that on the top of the Mountain of Mortal Dragon before the next town becomes a victim." Dart announces firmly, glaring at the orange-red glow of the volcano, staring up.
With the ground shaking, it is hard to move at a steady pace, and we must rest near the top of the mountain before going on. The sky is dark already, but we must not stop, in fear of the Dragon attacking again.
It is when we are closer that I hear it.
"The sound of swords…" I declare quietly.
"No way. Has somebody already started to fight against it?" Dart asks.
"Let's go. Either way, we will have to join in."
"Miranda, you are a Sacred Sister of Mille Seseau." Albert says. "You must know about the Divine Moon Object."
This is not the first time that the King of Serdio has asked her. He had revealed his identity to the Queen, but only questioned Miranda about the Moon Object. All three times she would not tell him, snapping at him to mind his own business and that it is for Mille Seseau to know.
I listen to the conversation with half a mind. A strange feeling is filling me. Is it dread? Foreboding?
Who could be up there fighting the Dragon? Who was the foolish one who unleashed the King of Dragons and released it?
I can see the shadows of the Divine Dragon cast around the bend of the pathway now. I turn to face the others.
They are my responsibility. As the oldest Dragoon here, I have to care for their welfare, like it or not. I have to teach them how to use their powers, and how to control it as well. This battle may be too steep for them. Maybe it is better if they back off now, and leave it to me to fight the Divine Dragon.
"This is it. You can leave if you want." I offer coldly.
"There is no one here who would think that way." Dart replies automatically. He shifts the Dragon Block Staff from his left hand to his right. "Right?"
Meru puts her arms behind her head. "Um...may I be excused a bit?"
So...
Haschel looks at her in disbelief. "Meru, you are the representative of the Winglies! Show a little courage!"
Miranda glares at the young dancer. "Are you going to go hide in your forest now?" She asks condescendingly, her voice dripping with nastiness, as if daring Meru.
"H-hey! I was just kidding!" Meru says hastily. "Come on, it's a joke!"
I don't see any of us laughing...
Without speaking to the others, I draw my sword and walk around the corner of the stone pathways to where the Divine Dragon is thrashing.
It is writhing in pain, swiveling its head back and forth over itself as if trying to bite some annoying bug on it. The jaws snap at something on its back, moving too quickly for me to see what. There is another sound of blade meeting the flesh of the Dragon.
And then Lloyd stands in front of us.
"Whew...it is stronger than I thought. It is earlier than I expected. Even with the Dragon Buster, which can kill Dragons, he gave me a hard time."
"Lloyd!" Dart yells, leveling his sword at the platinum-haired man's neck, holding the Staff in his free hand. Dart is perhaps the one here that hates Lloyd the most. The swordsman had killed his friend Lavitz, and destroyed his hometown of Neet as the Black Monster.
Lloyd does not flinch; he does not even look at us. The coral glow of the volcano lava glints off his hair.
"It is almost dead. There is no need for you to join in."
"You broke the seal of the strongest Dragon of all but you couldn't control it!" Albert accuses.
"What are we yapping about?" Miranda demands. "We can kill this man anytime! We have to defeat the Divine Dragon!"
"The First Sacred Sister of Mille Seseau, I see, is the replacement for that girl." Lloyd comments. "How convenient for us."
"Shut up!" Dart commands.
I notice that the swordsman holds the Dragon Buster in his hand. I focus on the ancient weapon, taking in every detail of its color and shape and size. The red hilt of the swirling design that Winglies seemed to like, and the jagged-edged blade, seemingly made of yellow flame, retractable, so that it seems that he is only carrying around a sculpture of some sort.
The Dragon Buster...I could never forget it. It was the sword that the bastard used to kill Lavitz.
"I'll leave it to you then." Lloyd says quietly, and leaps into the air. I look around but he seems to be gone.
"Forget Lloyd! Focus on the Dragon!" I yell.
The Divine Dragon has rose to its feet now, up to its full height, limbs all stretched. It is a hideous Dragon, a dull gray, at least half a mile in length from the snout to the tip of the tail. The seven wings beat ominously against the air, waving the smoke of the volcano steam away. The six eyes above the slit that is its mouth glitter dangerously with a hidden fury. The larger eye, located under its mouth, on its chin, blinks at us with a narrowed pupil.
Dart tosses the Dragon Block Staff into the air.
The jeweled rod spins several times in that one spot, staying in the air as if petrified.
Attacking and defending power of Divine Dragon and Dragoons reduced!
Well, this is it. A great battle in part of this web that is growing larger and larger. These humans know not what they are getting into.
In this battle, we would not be able to use our Dragoon Spirits. I could not call on the Darkness Dragoon anymore. This would be a battle that lay in our human brute strength only.
A part of me wishes that we had brought more reinforcements. I wish that Shirley was here. Shirley and everyone else: Damia, Kanzas, Syuveil, Belzac, and most of all, Zieg.
I have got to stop living in the past. This is torturing myself.
The feeling I had not identified before is now clear to me. Fear. I do not get frightened as easily as other humans but every time I face a Dragon or every 108 years, I feel fear. It is not a feeling unfamiliar to me, yet every time I become frightened as if it were my first time in the Dragon Campaign.
Now is one of those times. The Divine Dragon is no pushover. Even with the Dragon Block Staff his attacks are enough to make me stumble. I am very relieved that we brought so many healing items.
"Demon's Dance!" The sword based on darkness.
"Blazing Dynamo!" The sword based on fire.
"Gust of Wind Dance!" The lance based on wind.
"Hex Hammer!" Bare fists with the power of thunder.
"Bone Crush!" The giant axe based on earth.
"Cat's Cradle!" The hammer based on water.
Miranda is wordless as she thrusts arrow after arrow, quickly and silently, at the Dragon. Idly, I wonder if it is because she does not know any names of the attacks, or if bow and arrow do not have attack names, or if it is just that she does not wish to speak.
Fate seems to take a strong hand in our journey. So many—no, all—of these new Dragoons are similar to the ones from my time. Albert and Syuveil, the Wind Dragoons, fighting with lances, both with an endless hunger for knowledge, both wise and kind...even Greham and Lavitz had used lances.
Damia and Meru...and Lenus as well, Water Dragoons, using hourglass-shaped hammers that look too large for their petite frames. Kongol and Belzac, almost identical with their strength and size and giant axes. Haschel and Kanzas, both Thunder Dragoons, using bare fists. Miranda and Shirley, the Dragoons of Light, both with shimmering bows...and Shana. And of course, Dart and Zieg, so alike it makes me wish to weep, if I could remember what that was.
"Demon's Dance!"
But they are all different in many ways. Albert was friendly, sharing his thoughts, while Syuveil had been almost apathetic from everyone, and had a special interest in life and death. Damia had a low self-esteem; she was always worried about her actions, while Meru seems overconfident and full of herself. Belzac loved Shirley with all his heart and soul; it seems Kongol does not take an interest in any female, and also the fact that Kongol is Giganto. Shirley was kind and gentle; Miranda is...not.
But Dart and Zieg are so identical. Has Zieg been reborn in Dart?
They use the same weapon...in fact, they all use the same weapon.
Gods above...is this a coincidence?
Does Fate control who receives the next Dragoon Spirit? Is it that the Spirit chooses? Why is it that every single one of the next Dragoons of the same element use the same weapon and look alike? Are they reincarnations?
"Rose, look out!"
I snap myself out of my trance, hardly realizing I had been moving, to see the Divine Dragon's head lurch toward me, jaws wide.
Dropping flat on my back, I wait until the head is directly above me before stabbing my sword upward.
I miss the neck, but then again, I probably couldn't have reached the distance. The blade enters the Dragon's largest eye instead, blinding it and spilling blood over me.
The Divine Dragon howls in pain and fury, pulling its head up the sky and wailing, dripping blood onto its own self. But the other six eyes are still working fine, and they can still see.
I smear the blood off my face with the back of one black-gloved hand, tasting the coppery tinge of Dragon blood.
Deftly, Miranda leaps back from the Dragon's thrust again, launching an arrow into one of its remaining six eyes. Her own growls of rage echo the Dragon's.
Not too bad. I admit reluctantly.
"Nice work." Dart says. "But what do we do? Each of us take an eye and a wing?"
"No." Haschel says, running forward immediately after, pummeling the Dragon with a fierce flurry of punches and kicks. "That would take too long and it is too risky."
"Then what can we do?" Dart yells, taking his turn. "We're not getting anywhere with this!"
"Dragon is weakening." Kongol says, pausing for a moment to stare at our leader. "Tired."
"Cat's Cradle!" Meru steps back, hefting her hammer. "The Dragon's not the only one. I'm getting tired too!"
I am half-expecting Miranda to say something disdainful, but she hardly seems to be paying attention to us speaking. Her entire concentration is focused on the Divine Dragon only, her lips tight and her face drawn as she attacks.
Of course...the Dragon attacked her home. No wonder she is so angry. Hmm…
"Aim for the Cannon!" Albert says, rushing forward and jabbing in the correct place with the elaborate lance.
The spot on the Dragon that the king had attacked was vaguely in the shape of a cannon. The King of Dragons had been using that part to attack us several times with a powerful attack that made us have to heal ourselves immediately afterward.
Automatically, without really thinking about it, I shift my attacks from the Dragon's torso to the Dragon's Cannon. The others do the same, listening to the young king's advice.
With the Cannon out of the way, the Dragon's attacks are less powerful, and more easily evaded.
It takes a long time but finally the Dragon succumbs to Dart's sword.
The King of Dragons threw his head back, screaming up to the sky as if that could quench his rage. With a disturbingly shrill wail, the Divine Dragon collapses to the ground with a mighty thud that must have reverberated all throughout Mille Seseau. The team barely manages to scramble back in time to avoid being trodden upon by the falling Dragon.
There is a blur of silver and black color at the corner of my eye, but even as I turn, Lloyd stands in front of the Dragon, a superior look on his face, a hungering light in his eyes.
Sheathing the Dragon Buster, he stooped down and picked up a glowing silver orb, fastened on a chain.
Oh no!
Dart gasps. "That is!"
Lloyd looks at him with an unnerving gaze. "That's correct. The Dragoon Spirit of the Divine Dragon."
With his already-amazing swordsman skills, plus the power of the Divine Dragoon...the combination would be deadly for everyone, even for the seven elemental Dragoons. He would be unstoppable! This could...
As if reading my mind, Lloyd continues. "With this, I can finally finish my utopia."
Utopia?
"You were the one who formed the conspiracy to destroy the world!" Albert accuses.
"The King of Serdio, what brought you all the way here? Was it the loss of your Moon Gem? Or your friend Lavitz?"
"Don't even mention that name!" Dart snarls.
I think that Lloyd is laughing as he disappears. He moves with such an amazing agility and speed that he is gone before any of us can track in which direction he went.
But there is no need to. There is only one way out of the mountain.
"Come on!" I am not sure who yells it, maybe Dart, or maybe me, but on any occasion, it is the two of us that are the fastest, drawing our swords and rushing down the path.
"Lloyd!" Dart yells, spotting the swordsman up ahead.
This is not a good place for battle. The pathway curved around the edge, and we are standing at the edge of a cliff, with only a smaller ledge and lava beneath us. Lloyd has the entire platform, and a much greater advantage.
The Wingly has already extended his wings, almost transparent in the light. Wavering right on top of the doorway, he turns around and glares at us with narrowed eyes.
In his hands, a multicolored sphere of deadly energy gathers.
No time to transform to Dragoon! Not with the Dragon Block Staff affecting the mountain!
I can see the others appearing around the corner. "Look out!" Meru screams.
Lloyd had not aimed for Dart or I, but the ground in front of us. The energy makes the cliff crumble, and the ground can no longer support our weight.
No! I refuse to die like this!
I am falling. I try to twist so that I can at least see how far I have, or to land on my feet, but my body won't respond, smashing again and again into the cliff, scratching myself.
Finally, my head strikes something, and darkness overcomes.
"Ah…Ahh…"
Zieg?
My eyes are still cloudy; I cannot see clearly. I cannot even tell where I am. But...Zieg is here. He is kneeling beside me, holding my hand.
How is it that you are still alive, my love?
I try to smile, lifting one hand and stroking his cheek. "I...thought... you were dead… Don't worry. I am carrying out your will. We took this world back together, I won't let them ruin it. Virage…Embryo. The moon…with black power."
Are you proud of me? Disgusted? Please...talk to me. Don't just sit there. Please...speak!
There is a tugging at the corners of my mind again, telling me that unconsciousness is coming soon.
No…I don't want to go. Only after 11,000 years am I able to see him again. I don't want to go!
But a gentler part of my mind whispers, He'll be here when you wake up, remember? Both of you promised...he won't leave you. Now go to sleep…
Sighing in defeat and relief, I allow myself to be dragged back into unconsciousness.
"Hey! Rose, wake up!" Someone is yelling at me, and another someone is gently slapping my cheek.
That's...not...Zieg...
Automatically, I grab my sword and jolt awake, thrusting forward.
"Whoa!" Meru barely manages to avoid the blade. "Rose!"
Meru? What are you doing here?
I blink, taking in the surroundings. The Mountain of the Mortal Dragon... all the members of the present team... Where did Zieg go?
"I'm sorry." I say stiffly, climbing to my feet awkwardly, still looking around. "What happened?"
"Lloyd blasted you and Dart off the cliff. Luckily there was a platform down there. You must have landed on your head, because you were unconscious. Meru transformed into Wingly and carried the both of you up here." Haschel explains.
"Are you all right? It took several healing items to awaken you." Albert says, more kindly.
"I...landed on my...head?" I ask quietly.
"Yes."
So it had all been a hallucination...Zieg was never really there...
"Oh." I say flatly. False hope.
I stumble, unable to stay balanced. My head hurts. The world is spinning and I can taste bile in my throat. Too weak to protest, I stay silent as the King takes my arm, helping me to stay on my feet.
"I'm sorry…it's my fault. I let him go." I swallow thickly. "I apologize for it."
"It wasn't your fault, Rose." Dart assures me quickly. "None of us knew he was a Wingly who could use magic."
"Either way," Albert says. "Lloyd's objectives will still be the Divine Moon Objects. Miranda, you cannot hide it any longer."
The Sacred Sister scowls and turns her face angrily.
"It's not like you, Miranda. Don't hesitate." Meru says.
The blonde woman seems defiant for a moment, but then weakens, staring down at the ground. "I guess there is no choice but to tell everything. The Divine Moon Objects are said to be brought by Winglies. And it is said that they have a dreadful magic power concealed within. That is the reason why they were never allowed to be taken outside. A national treasure that has been kept a close secret." She pauses and speaks bitterly. "It is called the Moon Mirror. The successive thrones have been the keys to opening the seal… Oh, it cannot be!"
"Queen Theresa is in danger!" Dart yells.
"Come on!"
She is very loyal to her queen.
Everyone falls into an easy pace, because we are all tired from the Dragon battle, and Meru especially, because she had to carry a well built young man and an unconscious woman up a cliff.
Dart slows down to walk next to me. "When you were unconscious," he chooses his words carefully. "You said a few things. You spoke of the Virage Embyro, and the Moon Child, and a Black Power. Do you mean the Black Monster?"
"Did I say that?" I ask absently, although I hear him perfectly well. "I don't remember. I'm sorry, Dart, but all I know about the Black Monster is what you know."
In actuality I know more about the Black Monster than it does itself.
"Oh." His voice is quiet.
I shut my eyes briefly, knowing no one can see.
It had been my own false hope, my own stupidity, that conjured up the image that Zieg was there.
The others can only see that I am back to being the harsh woman, apathetic and cold again.
They have no idea that I am screaming inside.
I am relieved to see the Evergreen Forest, to breathe clean air.
The hallucination still bothers me, but I reprimand myself for it.
It was your own stupidity, Rose, that made you believe it was real. He died, remember? You couldn't save him. What makes you think he'd be back, and willing to be with you again? Don't fall for another stupid trick like that again.
I fall back into my role, trying to forget what happened.
We are at the edge of the Evergreen Forest, on the last path with the top of the Crystal Palace of Deningrad in sight, when the captain of the knights appears. He is wounded, limping, and breathing hard.
"Captain!" Miranda seems pleased to see him. "We defeated the Dragon, and...??? You are wounded?! What happened?"
"The Queen...has been captured..." The knight gasps out, trying to catch his breath.
"What?!" Miranda slaps the knight with the back of her hand, knocking him onto the ground. "Why didn't you stop it?"
"I tried, ma'am, I really did, but he was too powerful!" the knight is cringing, afraid of the one he is speaking about or Miranda, I am not sure.
Lloyd...of course. After the last Divine Moon Object, the Moon Mirror.
"Where did he take her?" Albert asks.
The knight blinks at him, obscurely frightened. Miranda takes a step forward and the knight backs up. "I don't know! Maybe Sister Wink knows something!"
"My sisters are safe, aren't they?"
"Yes. Everyone is waiting for you and your group at the Crystal Palace!"
Wordlessly, faster than I would think possible, Miranda is already gone, running toward Deningrad.
When we enter the throne room of the Crystal Palace, we can only see three downed knights, groaning. Luanna sits on the steps to the throne, gazing around with blank eyes. Setie is kneeling, trying to comfort Wink, who is sobbing heavily into her hands.
"What do you mean that Queen Theresa was taken away?!" Miranda yells. "What happened?!"
"Sister Miranda!" Setie leaps up and runs over.
"What happened here?" Miranda repeats, more forcefully.
"Let me tell you." Luanna offers. "A few days ago, when the howling of the Dragon from the Mountain stopped, we assumed he had been successfully vanquished."
"Everyone, everyone was happy about it." Setie chirps.
"Wink came back with a young man, very handsome with platinum hair. She claimed that he had saved her from a Wingly who attacked her. She also said that it was Lloyd who told her about Dart and his friends defeating the Dragon." Luanna weaves the story.
So...Lloyd was her secret love...
"He was very polite at first. Queen Theresa asked him how he knew about the battle, and he said it was coincidence that he saw Sister Miranda and her friends on the mountain." Luanna says hesitantly. "But...I could sense that he was hiding something. I said to him, 'the murderous intention you conceal inside...you cannot disguise it!' Queen Theresa sensed it as well. Lloyd said that he did not intend to make a scene, and he ducked past the knights easily. The next moment, he was gone and Queen Theresa with him."
"He tricked me." Wink says, beginning to sob again. "He used me as a pawn."
She must be devastated by this. She wanted to tell him about her feelings for him, and he tricked her...but does Lloyd have feelings for her?
"He must be forcing the Queen to tell him where the Moon Mirror is!" Miranda hisses violently. "We have to stop him!"
"Miranda," Dart says almost gently. "Where is the Moon Mirror?"
The Sacred Sister pauses, staring at him with an expression that is half fury and half hope. She shifts uncomfortably and glances at her sisters, then lifts her head and speaks clearly. "It's in the Tower of Flanvel."
"Tower of Flanvel?" The others echo.
Not there again…
"It's by the Snowfields. I will lead you there." Miranda says firmly. She turns to the knights. "You will guard my sisters on your lives. If I return to find that they are hurt in any way, I will have your lives!"
And I don't doubt that she could do that too.
Dart pauses at the inn, ducking inside to make sure that Shana is safe. He comes out a minute later to say that she is well, but heavily asleep.
Moving quickly, long legs taking large steps, Miranda leads us out of the destroyed city of Deningrad.
But instead of heading southeast to the Evergreen Forest, which seems to be a path for everywhere, Miranda heads west, cutting through the untouched whiteness of the snow, heading toward the mountain range.
We had all bought cloaks or coats in Deningrad, because Miranda had warned us that it would be cold. I wrap the length of dark velvet around myself and continue to follow.
"I have only been there once, but I remember the way." Miranda says.
We travel through the Snowfields toward the Kashua Glacier, where the roads are slippery and laid with ice.
"What a cold place." Dart comments.
"It pierces through my aged bones." Haschel complains, rubbing his arms.
"It is a land where the earth is eternally covered under ice." Miranda says in a monotone. "I understand that it must be harsh on someone who has never been here."
"Darn I'm totally dying!" Meru is jumping up and down to warm herself. "Do you often visit such a place, Miranda?"
"It's been a while since I came all the way here." The Sacred Sister admits. "But I would often come here to find solace for my loneliness."
Meru tries to run toward her and slips on the ice. "Ouch! You got such a kind mother like Queen Theresa, how could you have a 'lonely time'?"
Miranda stands at the edge of a crevasse. "Her Majesty Theresa is not my birth mother. My true birth mother abandoned me." She shakes her head in disgust. "After that, I met Her Majesty Theresa. Her Majesty Theresa cherished me when I was alone, as if I were her real daughter. Since then, I've never felt loneliness again."
So…there is more to her than meets the eye. Perhaps I have underestimated her.
Dart walks over and puts a comforting hand on Miranda's shoulder. The blonde woman nods once, and begins to lead the way again.
The Tower of Flanvel is a safe place to put the Moon Mirror. The closest city to it is Deningrad, and from there to the mountains takes five days' of running. Then to climb the mountains, ducking across the icy paths that cut through the valleys, takes another day. From there, there is a guardian blocking the entrance, a powerful Windigo. Only with Dart's Fire Dragoon did we manage to kill off the monster.
After the Windigo, we enter a place that seems to be Wingly made. A series of teleporters, at least three in each room, is the next obstacle. It would take a long time to find your way if you didn't know the correct sequence. Miranda only forgot twice, and we reached the Tower of Flanvel by midday.
A normal human after the Moon Mirror would not have been able to make it.
But Lloyd is not a normal human. He is a Wingly with utter determination, and great skills.
"There. That's the Tower of Flanvel." Miranda points at the tower. "It used to be a Wingly tower. It ruled the skies."
"This thing can fly?!" Haschel repeats in disbelief.
"Winglies in the past used to have an enormous amount of magic power." I explain.
"Then it wouldn't be strange if this much magic power is conceled in the Divine Moon Objects." Dart concludes.
"For the people of Serdio," King Albert declares quietly "For King Zior, and for Princess Emille. No, this is a life or death matter for all of Endiness."
"That even more of a reason. We must stop the ambitions of Lloyd here!"
The opening at the top of the tower shows a faint lighting of greenish power.
"Queen Theresa!"
When we reach the top of the stairs, Lloyd is bowing to the queen. "I appreciate your cooperation."
He holds the shimmering Moon Mirror in his hands.
Silently, agile as a hunting cat, Miranda rises and fires an arrow.
Lloyd must have sensed it coming, because he twisted to the side just in time to avoid the incoming arrow.
Miranda mutters a curse, and then the seven Dragoons all grab their weapons and run forward into the large empty room.
Lloyd is dressed in full Wingly battle armor. The thick gray shielding covers him entirely, so that only his head is visible. One gloved hand clutches the Dragon Buster in his hands.
The Divine Dragoon Spirit hangs around his neck, but it does not glow star-like. The Divine Dragon does not recognize Lloyd as its master. That is a relief.
"I have all three Divine Moon Objects. Now I can create the utopia that Emperor Diaz and I desire."
"Utopia?" Queen Theresa echoes.
"You should understand, Your Majesty. The evolution of the 108th species. You humans are only the 106th, and we Winglies are the 107th species. I desire the creation of the 108th species."
"Lloyd, is that all you have to say?" Dart yells.
"I'll let my sword say the rest." The platinum-haired man replies calmly. "Shall we finish up?"
The battle is silent, only the cries of pain or the names of the attacks. No one says taunts or jeers.
I fight the battle with half a mind. Fighting is so familiar to me now.
In a way, Lloyd reminded me of Zieg. They were both powerful warriors, and wielded the sword as if it were an extension of their own body. And once they set their mind to something, it was nearly impossible to turn them back. They both fought with the same fluidness, like a graceful striking snake. And they were both unbelievably beautiful.
"Madness Hero!"
I could not say that this battle would be the one to decide whether or not the plundering of the Divine Moon Objects would stop. Lloyd was only a minion. The real battle would be with this ultimate one that they claimed was the Emperor Diaz, who had died thousands of years ago. I had spoken to him before the battle.
"Gust of Wind Dance!"
Of course this is not the last battle. I would not be in it if it was something that important. I was never a vital part in anything important. I am too insignificant for that. I have never been the best at anything in my life. I was only a burden in the Dragon Campaign, and then Michael had to protect me later on.
"Hex Hammer!"
And then…the Black Monster.
Dart would run his sword through me if he knew what I knew of the Black Monster.
"Bone Crush!"
My thoughts stray back to the Dragon Campaign, and the days when I was with everyone else. Everyone else that was dead now. Kanzas, Syuveil, Belzac, Damia, Shirley…and Zieg.
He had been dangerously beautiful, with silky blonde hair the color of honey in the shade. Soft hair, pulled away from his face by a headband somewhat like the one Dart wore. Deep knowing eyes that seemed to stretch on forever, holding infinite wisdom and compassion. I could never forget him. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face.
And then I would see when Melbu Frahma's spell turned him to stone, his hand still outstretched. And myself, younger, paler, darker, all at the same time, being pulled away from him. Unable to save the life of the one I loved most. Useless!
Every time I saw that I wanted to sink my blade into my own heart.
But I couldn't. Because I still had a promise to fulfill.
"Perky Step!"
I gasp in my breath in a sharp hiss as Lloyd's sword tears a ragged long gash from my upper left arm to my collarbone. I step back several paces, grabbing a healing item and swallowing it, letting its white energy spread to the wound, helping to close it. I resume my spot next to Dart, in front of all the others.
"Gust of Wind Dance!"
I turn my head slightly to look at these new Dragoons. Powerful, noble, strong. Compassionate. I was starting to see things in them that I had never noticed before.
When Lavitz, Dart, and I had traveled to the Shirley Temple to find the Dragoni Plant, Shirley had said that these warriors, these new Dragoons, would illuminate the dark road, and that Dart would awaken the old me. And indeed, this prophecy had come true.
The new Dragoons had grown much stronger. Soon, they wouldn't need my guidance anymore. They were almost strong enough.
"Demon's Dance!"
It had started out as a mission to save Shana, and evolved into a fatal quest to save the world. As soon as the Dragon Buster had been brandished, I knew that things would get much worse, and much deeper. It had been inevitable.
"Madness Hero!"
Lloyd had been counterattacking all this while with devastating attacks that wounds everyone and wearies us. But he is tiring too; it is obvious. His movements are growing sluggish, and his breathing ragged. Skilled as he is, he is simply outnumbered.
When Lloyd drops to one knee, Dart clutches his sword at his side and walks over to him, dramatically. His eyes are narrowed, and his lips are set. There is anger in his eyes, anger at Lloyd killing Lavitz, Lloyd destroying Neet, Lloyd stealing the Divine Moon Objects…
Too bad. I admire Lloyd in a way. He is an excellent warrior, though with a scrambled code of honor, and like a tall slender silver flame. But what needs to be done…
Dart's fist tightens around the hilt of the sword. Lloyd only stares up with resigned eyes, still spiteful, but understanding. He had been defeated fairly, and now he would have to pay for it.
Dart raises the sword upward.
At the corner of my sight, there is a flash of green light, brilliant as a wave in the sunlight, and then the Third Sacred Sister Wink is standing there, her eyes just opening, looking like a ruffled baby bird.
She takes in the scene with one glance, and her eyes immediately rush to Lloyd. "No!" She shrieks, running forward.
The blade comes down.
There is a slash of metal through flesh, and a scream of pain, but not the cracking of armor.
Wink had thrown herself in front of Lloyd at the last minute, shielding her love with her own body. The blade of Dart's sword had cut a nasty line across her back, and the blonde woman is weakening.
"Wink!" Dart gasps, disbelief at what he had just done.
Miranda looks up sharply from where she is kneeling, tending to Queen Theresa, and watches her fellow Sacred Sister through narrowed liquid eyes.
Lloyd is holding Wink by the shoulders, keeping her steady. Wink's head is tilted down at the floor, her eyes half closed and tired, weak.
"Please…" Wink begs. "Forgive Lloyd."
When the platinum-haired Wingly speaks, it is in a soft voice, doubtful, unsure, almost gentle. "Why?" he asks, looking at her with something almost like kindness in his eyes. "Why did you save me? I used you as a pawn. I tricked you."
Wink lifts her head and smiles up at him.
Lloyd shakes her slightly, as if demanding an answer. "Why? Why did you shield me? I took many people's lives away for my own ideal and the Divine Moon Objects. I used you."
"Even if it is the truth…" Wink speaks in ragged gasps. "The fact that you saved me is still true! Besides, your death won't solve anything."
"Come on." Albert says quietly to the rest of us. "This moment is for them. Dart still has to settle things."
Along with Queen Theresa, all of us follow the king to the teleporter, except for Wink, Lloyd, and Dart. I hesitate for a moment, watching as Dart stands to the side, listening as Lloyd and Wink speak.
But there is one thing I don't understand. I turn to the King of Serdio.
"Albert, don't you need to be upstairs? Lloyd killed…Lavitz." Don't you want revenge?
"I trust Dart with everything." Albert replies with confidence. "He will bring us the right answer."
I look up at the tower. "I agree."
"I feel the same way." Haschel accedes.
"Ditto!" Meru chirps.
Kongol only nods.
"I hope Wink is all right." I am not sure whether it is Miranda or Queen Theresa that says it; their voices are alike.
After a few minutes, the teleporter shimmers again with the green light, and then the three people appear. Dart has an unreadable expression in his eyes, and Wink is leaning slightly on Lloyd, who also has the same mysterious expression.
"Shana's been taken." Dart says simply.
"Shana…oh I see." Albert nods.
"Emperor Diaz is doing his own dirty work now."
Oh so that was the expression on his face.
"He said that you were to bring Lloyd and the three Divine Moon Objects to Vellweb." Wink reports, her breath very slight.
No, not Vellweb!
"When we go there, we can reveal the truth about Emperor Diaz." I say. This is what has been confusion me the most.
"Whoever he is, he is dangerous." Albert agrees.
"It is unforgivable to take our dear Shana as a hostage for his utopia or whatever." Haschel exclaims.
Dart turns to the Queen of Mille Seseau. "Queen Theresa, we are heading to Vellweb, and we need the Moon…"
The female sovereign nods. "I understand." She says softly. "I will let you have the Moon Mirror." She shakes her head, looking in the direction of Deningrad. "Maybe we were in denial surrounding ourselves with a comfortable life that really was stagnant. Yes, we humans are not the only species… and all species were given life by Soa's plan. Now is the time! The assault of the Divine Dragon, the existence of Winglies, the Divine Moon Objects, the utopia that Lloyd and Emperor Diaz desire." She turns her gentle face toward us. "And you, Dragoons. Everything is forcing us to remember it. As if things were manipulated by some great will called fate."
Nicely said.
"Even if so, I don't care." Dart declares passionately. "I will take Shana back even from Fate!"
The Queen smiles. "Miranda, you are one of the Dragoons. Go with Dart. Discover the meaning of the fate given by Soa."
The blonde woman only nods.
Belatedly, the knights of Deningrad, of Mille Seseau, appear behind us. Reluctantly, Miranda releases her gentle but firm hold on the Queen, and speaks rapidly to the guards with a clipped voice.
Bowing, the bronze-clad knights help the Queen to her feet, and the others bring in a stretcher and medical help for Wink.
"We will get them back to safety as quickly as possible." The guard says and then hastily adds, "We will protect them with our lives."
Miranda's eyes narrow, but she watches the knights leave with her 'family'.
After they are gone from sight, as if they were only a distraction, the seven members of the party turn to look at Lloyd.
Though wounded and tired, the Wingly does not flinch or squirm under our scrutinizing gaze. He stands tall and proud, gazing back with clear defiance.
"You're going to have to travel with us." Dart says flatly.
"I know that." Lloyd answers just as flatly.
"If you do anything that seems the least bit treacherous, I'll kill you, truce or not."
Lloyd glares back, unwavering.
"This is only temporary. After this, I'll still kill you if I ever see you." The red clad warrior says, and then pauses, and speaks almost pleasantly, as if that conversation had not taken place.
"Lead the way."
Author's note: Well, what do you think? Like it or hate it? Please review. If there are any comments or questions please email me at TruthofIllusion@aol.com. I love feedback!