Revelations
Disclaimer: Don't own the SaGa Frontier characters or anything else from the game.
Blue found himself being flung far away from Lize, Rouge, and Liang. He slammed into the wall hard and crumpled into a heap on the ground. Meanwhile, Liang was not as fortunate and flew right into a cactus plant. Its thorns pierced her body and she collapsed on the ground, blood spurting like a fountain from wounds made by magically lengthened organic needles.
As for Lize and Rouge, they merely flew up and fell down again. There was a loud 'snap' as Rouge landed on his right arm. He cried out and struggled to sit up. Lize landed on her back and was staring dazedly up into the night sky. Her lips moved silently, as though she was mouthing a spell or calling out for help.
When Blue finally got his vision back, he could see Ares standing not so far off, smirking at them. Hatred blazed in his gut. Hatred for this cruel, hypocritical magician with the mocking green eyes. He tried to rise, but his knees gave out under him and he sank back to the ground again.
"Well now. What have we here?" Ares said, sauntering over to the princess and nudging her chin with his shoe. "My, my, my, if it isn't the Princess. How do you do, your highness. All the power in the world can't help you now."
Lize summoned a death-glare. Even in her weakened condition, it was pretty good and Ares took an involuntary step back. "You…. always were… a….. bastard………." Lize said weakly.
"Hmph. That may be so, but you're in no position to talk to me like that, Princess." Ares kicked her stomach. Hard. Choking, she tried to curl up on her side but her wings prevented her from doing so. Ares grabbed a handful of her long hair and yanked her face close to his as he bent down. "Then again, I'd better not damage that pretty face of yours too badly. You would be extremely useful to me in bed."
Blue's eyes widened at the realization that Ares wanted to bed Lize. The bastard! He'd kill him! If he could only get up.
"Y…your…. breath….stinks…. rabbit-penis….." Lize said around mouthfuls of blood.
"How dare you!" Ares cried as he slapped her face. Lize merely smirked. He threw her back to the ground roughly and her head slammed into a rock. Crying out, she escaped into blissful darkness.
"Well, I guess all I have to do now is just bring you two back to the Academy." Ares advanced upon Rouge.
"N…n…no……"
"Hm? Still capable of resistance?" Ares looked down at Rouge. He smiled darkly, his eyes full of lust. "Well then, I guess I'll just have to subdue you first, hmm?" He reached for the front of his pants.
"N…NO!" A blast of magic hit Ares and he flew away from Rouge. Staggering to a stop, his eyes blazed and he shot a ball of ice at Rouge. Rouge cried out as it hit him in the face, making blood spurt out of his mouth and cheek.
"Ares."
Ares looked up at the voice and saw the Council standing at the end of the avenue. "What is it?"
"Ares, we are most displeased that you would harm so many. Especially the Princess."
"Wha…" Ares's mouth worked like a gold-fish. Open and close. Open and close.
"Therefore, we strip you of your title and position. You are henceforth exiled from the Magic Kingdom."
"No! This can't be true!" Ares cried. He fell to his knees in a begging position. "Please! I didn't mean to! I was attacked first! Please!" He even tried some sniffles. Rouge looked ready to puke.
"No."
Ares started sobbing, which was a revolting sight in Blue's opinion.
"Have a nice dream, Ares?"
Ares snapped his head up. There standing, supporting Rouge, was Lize.
"You! How did you…."
"Oh pleease," Lize rolled her eyes. "You honestly thought that I could go down like that? They don't call me Princess for nothing, you know. I may be badly wounded but I can neither die nor be knocked out. Comes with the job description, honey."
"You…you…" Ares was visibly shaking with rage. To think that a mere chit of 16 could have pulled a fast one on him, Ares! He rose slowly to his feet and started to cast a spell.
"I don't think so."
Ares glanced behind him and paled. There standing, holding a sword leveled at his throat, was Mr. Sestomorph. In one swift movement, Mr. Sestomorph smirked and thrust his sword forwards. It went neatly through Ares' neck and out the other end.
"Are you all right?" Blue looked to his right to see Mrs. Sestomorph standing beside him.
"I'm fine."
Mrs. Sestomorph nodded. "Do you think you can stand?"
Blue tried. His legs promptly gave way under him, but he was supported by Mrs. Sestomorph. "You shouldn't do that," she admonished gently. "Here, drink this. It will give you back your strength." She passed him a small jade vial.
Blue smiled gratefully and drank the contents. It was sweet and fragant. Instantly he felt warmth spread through his entire body. Strength returned to his limbs and he found that he could walk steadily over to Lize and Rouge.
"Are you all right?" they asked each other at the same time. Then they smiled.
"How're you doing, bro?" Rouge asked weakly.
"Better. What about you?"
"Good."
"Lize?" Blue turned to the princess.
"OK." She smiled at him.
"Thank God," Blue said, relief making him want to sink to his knees.
"Come, let us begone," Mr. Sestomorph beckoned for them. However, before he had taken a few steps in the direction of the exit, he was confronted by the Council.
"The twins go with us, Sestomorph," they said firmly but respectfully.
"That depends on them," he replied coolly.
"They have no choice in the matter. It was all decided before their birth."
"That's not fair!" Rouge yelled.
"No one ever said life was fair," Lize muttered.
"Lize, you're telling us to go?" Blue turned to her in shock.
Lize smiled sadly and stroked his face. "I want to take you with me, Blue. But I have seen great things for you, things that will only come from going with those egg-headed pigs." The Council puffed up indignantly. "Scratch that. Make it the egg-headed piggy pea-cocks." Blue smiled at that. "I will come find you again. Once your quest begins."
"My quest?"
"I cannot say more. All will be revealed in due course." With that, Lize turned and strode off, her god-parents accompanying her.
Blue and Rouge stared after her, hardly believing what she had just done. Giving them up to the Council?! Then why had she bothered fighting for them in the first place? They looked at each other.
"Well, at least we still have each other," Rouge said wanly, trying to put on a brave smile.
"I'm afraid you don't."
"Huh?" Rouge spun around to face the Council. "Whaddya mean?"
"The two of you will be sent to different schools."
"But…"
"No 'but's."
All of a sudden, Blue threw his arms around Rouge and whispered frantically in Rouge's ear while keeping up all appearances of saying goodbye. "They'll try to brainwash us and make us kill each other. Don't listen to their lies. Remember what really happened tonight."
Rouge barely got to acknowledge it all when the Council swooped in and separated them, taking Blue to the east and Rouge to the west. The twins cried out for each other and strained against their captors but to no avail. They were being taken away from each other, to a future unknown.
* * *
In the darkness, Lize watched the separation. A lone tear rolled down her cheek.
"Goodbye, Blue. We'll meet again."
Then, almost to herself, so softly not even her god-parents beside her could hear it,
"I promise."
