The Dragoon transformation ended not far from Neet, in the Evergreen Forest. As it faded, Rose returned to control, burying the demon not so far from the surface. Momentarily overwhelmed by the outpouring of emotions she usually kept locked deep inside, she staggered sideways and caught herself against a tree. "Gods...I will never get used to this." A sigh. She pushed herself back upright, knowing she had only around 10 hours to build up her strength again. With a toss of her hair, the Darkness Dragoon made her way through the forest, annihilating enemies as she went.
The sun was nearing zenith, the time when Rose was her weakest. Finding a quite large tree in the back of the forest that offered a lot of shade, she sat at the foot of the giant tree and pulled out some food. After she ate, the young woman once again settled down to sleep.
The Dragon Buster resting easily inside his cloak, Lloyd Frahma made his way through the Evergreen Forest, not quite knowing where he was headed. He needed funding and support for his ideals, but where to find it, the Wingly didn't have a clue. He had spent most of his considerable life in New Kadessa, the Wingly city to the east.
Getting into that pitiful forest had been easy. Nightfall had brought a relaxing of the guard, and slipping through that pathetic magical barrier and disposing with the Wingly youth standing guard had been painfully simple. Using the mind control that was the legacy of both his grandfathers, he controlled the sleeping 'Ancestor' and made him open the doorway to the ancient ruins of Kadessa, allowing him to claim the Dragon Buster as his own.
Lloyd chuckled to himself. 'Sometimes,' he thought, 'being the heir to both Melbu Frahma and the Magician Faust is a GOOD thing.'
Lloyd had found himself in the very back of the forest. His eyes widened as she spotted a seemingly young Human woman, asleep between the roots of the great tree. He shook his head, thought to himself 'I can't linger here!' and ran back the way he came, until he was almost to Furni. For he had glimpsed a round, dark stone hanging around the warrior's neck on a necklace, a stone he had only seen in history books. The Dragoons had returned to Endiness.
Rose awoke in the late afternoon. After another quick bite to eat and a couple more hours of monster-slaying, the daylight was waning again and Rose was back to full strength. With a sigh, she let the darker side of her consciousness come forward, the side she had dubbed the "demon". A harsh cry of anticipation was torn from her throat as the Black Monster flew off in the direction of Illisa Bay.
The lookout in the crow's nest saw her first. She looked as something from a nightmare, a beautiful woman's face wreathed in black flames. He screamed, she smiled, and he was the first to die. The flames that had consumed Neet found no welcome here, instead, only the endless sea and incarnation of Death, wielding her dark sword that dripped with crimson blood.
The demon stalked the corridors of the ship, enjoying the harsh melody of sword and scream, imagining each was a Wingly that threatened the lives of those dearest to her heart. The Captain and all of the crew were dead, along with a few knights. All that was left is was the Commander and most of his knights, the nanny, and the Moon Child herself. She came to a locked door. With an ever-so-slightly insane chuckle, the door exploded inwards, shocking all of the knights inside. All but five of the knights were dead without knowing who was attacking them, and the remaining knights died a split second after they glimpsed her face. The princess's nanny, hearing the commotion, opened the door to Louvia's room and was greeted by a roomful of bodies and the grim visage of the Black Monster. She only had time to scream in horror before she, too, was impaled on the demon's bloodstained sword. The sword missed the woman's heart by a hair, however, and she uttered two words before Death claimed her; "Princess...Lou...via...."
A look full of contempt followed that. "Don't worry, she's coming soon. You won't be apart for long." She walked into the room where the Moon Child was sleeping so peacefully. A sphere of pure dark energy formed in the Darkness Dragoon's hand, and was flung into the Child's cradle, completely obliterating this incarnation of the God of Destruction. "My task is done here." With this single sentence, the demon retreated far into Rose's mind, and faded into obscurity. Rose walked calmly out onto the deck, spread her sunset wings, and flew away into the western sky.
~*End of Part Two – Watery Grave of the St. Louvia*~
AN: Blah. That took me forever, I know. Well, in any case, I changed my mind. This is going to be a FOUR-parter. These two parts, plus two covering Rose from the very beginning of the game to Hoax. Wheee. Next chapter: Forgotten Winds! Read, review, and enjoy, please.