Chapter 74

Arriving at the Schwarzer mansion, Melyssa felt a little intimidated by it and hoped the dress she picked out would suffice. It was a simple, sleeveless dark blue that showed off her shoulders and clipped around her neck. The front was slightly shorter than the back, resting just above the knee with a high waist. Her hair was swept up on top of her head in spiral curls – Ash insisted she get it done professionally at the salon The Phoenix Wings provided. It took a while since her hair was so long and now it was nearing dinnertime instead of lunchtime. She really hoped they weren't imposing, but this was very important and she walked up to the door, alongside Ash, who knocked on it.

Rean, please be here.

Dinnertime was the perfect time because he was a war buddy of Rean's and Ash knew that etiquette was going to demand they show courtesy to him, for at least dinner. He had explained this reasoning to her on the way over, but she hadn't seemed convinced. Sure enough, at the door after introducing himself to the butler and then waiting while the message was relayed, they were invited in… for dinner.

"Told you." He whispered as he guided her inside, hand splayed on the small of her back.

Hopefully, the darkness in Rean hadn't totally taken over and made him act unsociable here as well. One of them would have to distract whoever was hosting and the other search the place, without getting caught. This was not the apartment scenario they had originally envisioned.

"Welcome to our home once again, Ash Carbide." Teo Schwarzer greeted with a bright smile, his eyes moving from Ash to the woman he did not recognize. "And who is this charming young lady?"

"Melyssa Brackett, sir." She stepped up to him with a smile of her own, extending her hand.

"Ah yes, Rean has told us a lot about you." Teo didn't have his guard up or anything, pure trust in his stance and in his eyes as he shook her hand gently and firmly. "This is my lovely wife, Lucia."

"Pleasure to see you again, Ash, and to meet you, Melyssa. Our son has told us so much about you. I'm glad to finally put a name with a face."

Rean told them about her? When? Why? Melyssa felt Ash step up to wrap an arm around her waist, shaking both Teo and Lucia's hands.

"Is Rean here? We were hoping to chat with him for a bit since we're in town."

Melyssa didn't expect Ash to reach out like this and wondered what his game plan was, keeping her face neutral with the smile.

Ash had to play by society rules and channel his inner manners that Rean had tried beating into him, mentally snorting. He had grown up… a lot different than Rean, that was for sure. Maybe that's why he considered Crow his best friend -Rean also claimed the same thing- because Crow came from a sort of similar background.

"Rean's been indisposed…"

"Really?" Ash's eyes widened, glancing down at Melyssa. "Is he ill? He seemed fine when he seen him in… was it Crossbell?" At her nod, he nodded as well.

"Actually, when he returned from that trip he was… out of sorts."

Lucia glanced at her husband and then back to the young pair. "Perhaps seeing old friends may do him some good."

"Perhaps you're right, dear." Teo nodded, gesturing with his hand to the stairs that lead up to the second floor. "Truth be told, we have been worried about our son, so if there's anything you can do to snap him out of this…funk he's in, we'd really appreciate it."

"Yes, we've tried having a doctor see him, but…it didn't…go so well."

Frowning, Melyssa couldn't hold the truth back from these two, not Rean's parents, and ignored the look Ash shot her. He knew exactly what she was going to do. "I know what's wrong with your son, Mr. and Mrs. Schwarzer."

"Melyssa…"

"Ash, these are his parents and they deserve to know the truth."

"You know what's wrong with Rean?" Teo felt relief flood his body at the young woman nodding her head. "Please, tell us."

"Yes, I want my son back, not this…shell of a man that has given up his will to live." Lucia felt tears fill her eyes and listened as Melyssa explained everything regarding the spell from Ouroboros and the darkness consuming her son currently.

"There's a necklace, a talisman, and if we can find it and destroy it, the spell will be broken on both Rean and me." Melyssa finished, taking a deep breath, and waited to be kicked out of the Schwarzer mansion by his own parents.

Who would believe something this insane?

These people would because they had seen and heard a lot over the years, especially once their son became actively involved in the affairs of the country. Rean had always been a kind-hearted, good boy and it had developed into him being an outstanding young man. So seeing him the way he was now…it broke their hearts.

"You have our permission to search for this necklace. Are you positive he has one?" Lucia asked, frowning as she tried recalling seeing Rean with a necklace, a talisman, anything of that sort.

"It's our best lead right now, ma'am." Ash said sincerely, a bit relieved that that had gone over so well. "It would be best if he didn't know we were here, doing this." Because who knew what he would do in his current state?

"I don't think that'll be necessary."

Ash and Melyssa whipped around to face the man of the hour with slightly wide eyes. He was eavesdropping on us.

That wasn't like Rean, but at the same time, she probably would have done the same thing. What was this feeling inside of her, this sudden warmth? She frowned, the connection with him much stronger, but it was also tainted with darkness.

"Rean…"

"Ash, you honestly believe this ridiculous accusation that we're linked and tainted with darkness?" Rean didn't and it showed clear as day on his face, his arms folding in front of his chest. "You wasted your time coming here."

"Rean…" Her eyes suddenly zeroed in on what was around his neck, peeking out of his shirt slightly. It was enough to know he was wearing the talisman and she recognized the starry night necklace anywhere. Shit, he's wearing it! How are we supposed to get it away from him? "All right, how about we do things your way, my former Instructor?"

"Melyssa…" Ash's tone held warning, not liking where this was headed.

"As an Enforcer of Ouroboros, and a former student of Thors Military Academy Branch School, Class VII: Special Operations, I, Melyssa Brackett, challenge my former Instructor, The Ashen Chevalier and the Divine Blade of the Eight Leaves, Rean Schwarzer, to a duel. If I win, that necklace around your neck is mine." She had unsheathed her Cutlass, pointing it at him with a stoic expression on her face.

"And if I win, which I guarantee you is exactly what will happen, what do I get?" Rean's tone was full of arrogance and certainty, sounding completely out of character for the once humblest man in Erebonia.

"Then I will allow you to do whatever you wish to me. Whether that's cutting me down, letting me go, capturing me, whatever you want." Melyssa knew it would be an offer he couldn't refuse, not if he once felt anything for her and she knew she nailed it at the look his fuchsia eyes took on. "What do you say, Ashen Chevalier?"

"You should have remained in your underground chambers with Ouroboros, traitor." Rean informed her flatly, the look in his eyes not exactly loving at all.

He had spent two years with this talisman, something he had never shown her because, at the time, he hadn't wanted to seem overeager or overwhelming when he had given her hers. With all the negative emotions in his life since then, it had been basically feeding the darkness, allowing it to creep in and settle within him.

"Rean…" Ash wasn't liking this at all, his eyes moving between the pair. "Melyssa, he'll try taking your head."

"As is my right, she challenged me and I accept." Rean snorted and then looked at his parents. "Not in here, however, Mother may not appreciate your blood staining her rugs and freshly polished floors."

That stung to hear him call her a traitor and Melyssa could feel the anger slowly welling up inside of her. "The only traitor here is YOU, Rean Schwarzer, and I'm going to prove it when I save you, once again, from yourself. You've betrayed everyone who ever loved and cared about you, including yourself and you turned your back on your morals, on EVERYTHING you stand for! It ends tonight and if it means taking my head, so be it. Lead the way." Melyssa had a plan and it was risky, but it would be worth it if Rean wound up saved in the end.

"Rean, my son, please don't do this…" Teo didn't recognize his own son, his heart breaking at the cold, calculated expression on Rean's face.

"I'm not your son, how many times do I have to say it?! I am that bastard's son, the one who nearly destroyed Erebonia for his own selfish reasons! Who entrapped me and FORCED my power to become out of control, all for the sole purpose of the Twilight!" Rean snarled, unsheathing his Tachi, and pointed it directly at his adopted father. "Stay here with Mother. Let's go, Brackett."

"It'll be all right." She murmured to them, not taking her eyes off Rean, and kept her voice quiet. "I'll bring him back." Or die trying. Melyssa followed him out the door, with Ash behind her, and they left the town itself to go to the outskirts. It was a little bit of a trek, but they finally arrived at the same grounds Valimar, the Ashen Knight, had once stayed during the civil war whenever Class VII would come back to Ymir to recuperate from various travels and missions. Please stay out of this, Ash. This is something I must do myself. Goddess, give me the strength to save him. "One thing before we begin, Ashen Chevalier, I'm NOT the same girl who was your student two years ago, so you better not hold back on me…unless you want YOUR head taken."

Ash groaned, burying his face in his hands, and wondered why Melyssa felt the need to declare such stupid things to a man who obviously did not CARE about her. "Love…" He moaned through his fingers, splaying them so he could see her, shaking his head.

Rean was laughing coldly, pretty much wondering the same thing Ash was, though he wasn't calling her 'love' either. "Love, hmmm? Ash, I hope, for your sake, you don't honestly love this idiot." His eyes narrowed slightly. "I despise you, Brackett, and everything you stand for, traitor. You WERE right, you NEVER belonged at Thors, you NEVER belonged to Class VII and all you've done is cost people their lives and put them through suffering since the day you showed up. WHY would I take it easy on YOU?"

Ash stepped back, giving them their space as they began circling each other and it became clear from Rean's posture, he had every intention of ending this quickly and mercilessly. Please Aidios, protect her from this madness that has taken him.

"Just remember, Schwarzer, if it wasn't for me, all of you would've died that night in Jurai. I saved your lives and sacrificed MYSELF and MY freedom for you worthless assholes!" That was the darkness talking and Melyssa felt the rage slowly consuming her, an orange aura surrounding her while Rean's was red. "Enough talking, let's dance, Instructor."

Their blades clashed together moments later with both not giving an inch, their footwork on point, and their eyes never leaving each others. Melyssa remembered their sparring sessions vividly and, deep down inside her heart, she could FEEL something pulling at her, both egging her on and fighting against doing this. It had to be done. It was the only way to save them both from this spell the Grandmaster had put on them.

"Melyssa!" Ash went to intervene, but she shook her head, shoving Rean back with her Cutlass as his feet skidded to the ground.

He had nicked her cheek with the tip of his Tachi and blood slowly began spreading from it. "STAY BACK! I GOT THIS!"

Channeling her anger and every emotion she felt at that moment, Melyssa brought her Cutlass down to send an orange shockwave at Rean. It blasted him back, but he managed to stop it from completely obliterating him, using his own power and strength to combat it. He sent a move back at her and she flew back on the ground, grunting since the wind had been temporarily knocked out of her. Rean was on her like white on rice, however, and she began holding his Tachi back with her own Cutlass, remembering her duel with Shirley in Jurai. This was the exact same position, only she was stronger and Melyssa saw the necklace dangling.

This was her chance.

If she could get it off him and get it to Ash…Melyssa took the risk and took one of her hands, gripping the talisman. It took away from the strength of holding Rean back and her neck was sliced as she yanked as hard as she could, the cord the talisman was on giving way. She tossed it, barely holding Rean back, and felt tears fill her eyes, really hoping Ash knew what to do because she was seconds away from being beheaded.

I'm sorry, Rean. I'm so sorry for everything, please forgive me for putting you through this.

Ash caught that necklace and promptly dropped it, bringing his booted foot down on it as hard as he could. He did this repeatedly, pretty sure he had tears coming down his face because he knew she was going to die if she wasn't dead already. Please, please, please… it's over, let this be over!

Coming back to his senses was not a pleasant thing.

Rean had been so livid with Melyssa, beyond anything he had ever felt before, and intent on taking her head off and now… now it was all fading away and horror was taking over. He had his Tachi to her neck and was preparing to deliver that killing blow. His clearing fuchsia eyes widened in alarm and with the same speed he had used to disarm her, he had TOSSED his sword away.

"Melyssa?" Why did his voice sound weird?

Everything sounded weird, he had a rush of blood thundering in his ears, making everything else sound far away. Dropping to his knees, he peeled off his sweat-soaked shirt, using it to begin wiping away the blood from her neck. It wasn't deep, thank the Goddess, a bit more pressure and he would have taken her head off.