A/N: Alrighty then! Another introductory chapter! XD Don't worry, I'll get
to the action soon enough, patience and fortitude. ^_~
A shadow fell over Yue and Temichica's prone forms, causing both to look up at a
longhaired silhouette gazing down at them.
"Are you two okay?"
"Yeah, we'll be fine, don't mind us." With that, Yue climbed off the ground to get a
better look at the standing inquirer. Long wavy brown hair framed a small pale face,
faceted by two large, sad, brown eyes. Her short frame was clad in a navy dress and cape
flowing behind her. At that moment, Cerberus trotted up
.
"Aaannd the ultimately handsome guy saaaves the day again! Thank you, thank you, all
my loyal fa-OOF!" grunted Cerberus, who had earned a kick from Temichica, still on the
ground, unmindful of the water pooling around her on the ground.
"Shall we go indoors? I'm tired of holding off the rain, and," she turned to the winged
creature on the ground, "You are already going to have a hard enough time as it is
getting all of that muck out of your hair."
"No I won't," replied Temichica, standing up and bringing a waterfall's worth of rain
down from the sky, evectivly drenching herself and the other company present.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yes, that was Clow Reed, no mistake."
Thus was the sorceress' first response after her guests had told the happenings of the past
days. They were wrapped up in thick blankets, gathered around a strong fire burning in
the hearth of her home.
"Clow Reed?" inquired Temichica from the depths of a pile of blankets.
"A magician…"
"Like you Marin?"
"Yes, but more powerful… much more powerful…"
"Not to mention the less agreeable personality," muttered Cerberus from under his own
pile. Marin only answered with silence.
"What is it?" piped up Yue.
"Hm? Oh! I'm sorry, it's just..." she paused, as the ember lit brown yes took on an even
sadder tinge. "I-I think it may be me he's after...and people are suffering simply because
they're in his pathway of destruction."
"Why you?"
"Because he's been...harassing me lately... to get out of the way…"
"Out of the way?"
"Hai. I'm really the only other mage that possesses any amount of power that even rivals
his own."
"But didn't you say that he was much more powerful than you?" asked Temichica leaning
out of her bundle in curiosity and confusion.
"Yes, most of the time...but then there are... instances, where my power reaches a new
high." At that moment, the three saw something else mixed with the sadness in
Marin's eyes. Shame? Guilt? She suddenly stood and walked to the window overlooking
the village that she had always so valiantly protected. She abruptly went back to the
topic of conversation. "But, after your telling of his attacks on you, I now doubt I'm his
only target," Her voice grew haunted as she stared out the pane, "and now this."
Temichica rose and padded over to Marin's side. She gazed out at the still smoking ruins,
illuminated only by the setting sun, her normally spiky topknot a blue mass falling over
her eyes. "Marin-san, why do you feel responsible? You can't control the actions of a
madman."
"I know, Temichica-san, it's just, I can't stand to see others get hurt when I have the
power to prevent it."
"But you don't!"
Marin turned to rebuke Temichica with her standard 'Everyone-has-the-power Lecture',
but was halted by the look on the creature's face. Confusion, bewilderment, combined
with her blue hair flopping over her forehead and her two cat ears sticking out, made an
expression, which Marin had to work, hard not to laugh at. After suppressing the giggle,
she also realized that she was talking to a being that had a very limited social experience.
This was a girl who had only known the long term company of two others, and had a
hard time even imagining caring for more than that. She sighed.
"You'll understand when you're older."
Yue and Cerbeus rose and joined the pair.
"Ahem. We should probably find a place to stake out for the night Temi- chan,"
announced Cerberus.
"Oh! There's plenty of room for all you here!" Marin replied in her best hostess voice.
"Yeah, but it's not a very good vantage point."
"Vantage..."
"Yeah, there's that cliff that over hangs the town-"
"But there should be a guard for the shore side too-"
"And the sky!"
"Wait!" Marin stopped them at the outside of her front door. "Are you... standing guard
over us?"
Temichica grinned. "You don't think we're one of those hero's that show in the last
minute of action, do you?"
"Those guys are annoying!"
Yue merely sighed. "Alright guys we've traumatized the nice lady long enough, let's go."
He pushed them into flight, leaving a stunned sorceress at the front of her house.
"…Th- thank you…?
A shadow fell over Yue and Temichica's prone forms, causing both to look up at a
longhaired silhouette gazing down at them.
"Are you two okay?"
"Yeah, we'll be fine, don't mind us." With that, Yue climbed off the ground to get a
better look at the standing inquirer. Long wavy brown hair framed a small pale face,
faceted by two large, sad, brown eyes. Her short frame was clad in a navy dress and cape
flowing behind her. At that moment, Cerberus trotted up
.
"Aaannd the ultimately handsome guy saaaves the day again! Thank you, thank you, all
my loyal fa-OOF!" grunted Cerberus, who had earned a kick from Temichica, still on the
ground, unmindful of the water pooling around her on the ground.
"Shall we go indoors? I'm tired of holding off the rain, and," she turned to the winged
creature on the ground, "You are already going to have a hard enough time as it is
getting all of that muck out of your hair."
"No I won't," replied Temichica, standing up and bringing a waterfall's worth of rain
down from the sky, evectivly drenching herself and the other company present.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yes, that was Clow Reed, no mistake."
Thus was the sorceress' first response after her guests had told the happenings of the past
days. They were wrapped up in thick blankets, gathered around a strong fire burning in
the hearth of her home.
"Clow Reed?" inquired Temichica from the depths of a pile of blankets.
"A magician…"
"Like you Marin?"
"Yes, but more powerful… much more powerful…"
"Not to mention the less agreeable personality," muttered Cerberus from under his own
pile. Marin only answered with silence.
"What is it?" piped up Yue.
"Hm? Oh! I'm sorry, it's just..." she paused, as the ember lit brown yes took on an even
sadder tinge. "I-I think it may be me he's after...and people are suffering simply because
they're in his pathway of destruction."
"Why you?"
"Because he's been...harassing me lately... to get out of the way…"
"Out of the way?"
"Hai. I'm really the only other mage that possesses any amount of power that even rivals
his own."
"But didn't you say that he was much more powerful than you?" asked Temichica leaning
out of her bundle in curiosity and confusion.
"Yes, most of the time...but then there are... instances, where my power reaches a new
high." At that moment, the three saw something else mixed with the sadness in
Marin's eyes. Shame? Guilt? She suddenly stood and walked to the window overlooking
the village that she had always so valiantly protected. She abruptly went back to the
topic of conversation. "But, after your telling of his attacks on you, I now doubt I'm his
only target," Her voice grew haunted as she stared out the pane, "and now this."
Temichica rose and padded over to Marin's side. She gazed out at the still smoking ruins,
illuminated only by the setting sun, her normally spiky topknot a blue mass falling over
her eyes. "Marin-san, why do you feel responsible? You can't control the actions of a
madman."
"I know, Temichica-san, it's just, I can't stand to see others get hurt when I have the
power to prevent it."
"But you don't!"
Marin turned to rebuke Temichica with her standard 'Everyone-has-the-power Lecture',
but was halted by the look on the creature's face. Confusion, bewilderment, combined
with her blue hair flopping over her forehead and her two cat ears sticking out, made an
expression, which Marin had to work, hard not to laugh at. After suppressing the giggle,
she also realized that she was talking to a being that had a very limited social experience.
This was a girl who had only known the long term company of two others, and had a
hard time even imagining caring for more than that. She sighed.
"You'll understand when you're older."
Yue and Cerbeus rose and joined the pair.
"Ahem. We should probably find a place to stake out for the night Temi- chan,"
announced Cerberus.
"Oh! There's plenty of room for all you here!" Marin replied in her best hostess voice.
"Yeah, but it's not a very good vantage point."
"Vantage..."
"Yeah, there's that cliff that over hangs the town-"
"But there should be a guard for the shore side too-"
"And the sky!"
"Wait!" Marin stopped them at the outside of her front door. "Are you... standing guard
over us?"
Temichica grinned. "You don't think we're one of those hero's that show in the last
minute of action, do you?"
"Those guys are annoying!"
Yue merely sighed. "Alright guys we've traumatized the nice lady long enough, let's go."
He pushed them into flight, leaving a stunned sorceress at the front of her house.
"…Th- thank you…?