*Sings Love Hina song before realizes others are there* OH!! ^_^; Here's Chapter 9! Almost there, now, as our wonderful saga begins its end. Thanks to those who reviewed, though I wish there were more of you I am happy just to get a few every now and then. ^__^ And on with the show...
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Allen clung to the side of the mountain with his arms and legs spread as far as they would go, wondering just where in the world he found find his next hand or toe hold. Carefully balancing himself on one foot, he slowly leaned in and found a foothold in the middle and up a little where he'd been, pushing himself up from there and reaching as high as he could with the hand that was lower...
Inch by inch, foot by foot, it took him what seemed forever to grasp the top edge with his fingertips and haul himself over to the top. Though his legs wobbled under him slightly from the strenuous climb, the new Guardian of All dusted his hands off on his pants and gasped for breath, taking out his water skin and drinking most of what he had left when he realized something.
He had reached the summit of the mountain. And there was nothing, absolutely nothing in sight. There were some boulders spaced out along the top every few feet, and lots of ice and snow which continued to fall from the sky, but no palace as he'd been told about that he could see.
Allen shivered and pulled his cape around himself tightly, trying to block out the ever present winds. When he'd been climbing he'd hardly felt the cold at all, and in fact had been sweating at one point, but now with the sun down and him standing still every chill that he had managed to evade before now came back with a vengeance as his body began to shiver violently. The boulders on the far side, he finally decided, would provide him more protection from the wind and he slowly began to trundle across the peak.
Step after step, each one seemed to make the ground creak and crack underfoot, though he was sure there was nothing but solid rock there. That is until he stepped on the very center and fell through completely, the ground giving way to a pitch black nothing that seemed to envelope him in its nothingness.
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The Winter King sat regally upon his throne, attendants there waiting upon his every whim and wish. Courtiers milled in the natural patterns of the court floor below, talking and exchanging gossip among one another as was custom. Stroking the icicles that hung from his face in place of a beard, he surveyed them all with ice-colored eyes that, somehow, burned with a ring of fire about the pupil. His robes were of a silvery blue that matched his eyes, thick folds of fine silk cascading down him in what seemed to be an eternally frozen waterfall. His sky pale as death itself and streaked with bright blue veins, he looked more dead that alive and most probably would have presumed such if it had not been for the fact it was obvious he was breathing aware of everything about himself.
The room was lit with fires in stone cups along the walls, his skylights being covered by the latest blizzard that blew through the mountain. There he glanced, an expectant look upon his face all of a sudden.
"Your majesty!" said a guard who entered quickly and pressed his way through the crowds, dressed in a blue livery with the pattern of icicles and snow flakes apparent everywhere. He knelt on one knee before the stone throne upon which the Winter King sat, his right fist held to his chest in a salute. "There is one who wanders the mountain, my lord. Should we chase him off?"
"No," replied the King with a half smile, closing his eyes suddenly as if in deep though. "I'm expecting him to arrive any moment now..."
*CRASH*
"AHHH!!"
Everyone scattered as a form fell through the roof oh so high above them, bits of ice and glass falling as well. Circling up in a ball, it hit the ground and rolled, everyone wincing from the sound of the flesh impacting with solid stone.
"Ergm..."
"Greets, Stranger," said the King as he rose slowly, his robes trailing alone behind him as he walked towards the person with a slow, dignified walk of one who never had to hurry. "I trust you are still alive?"
"I notice you didn't add 'and well' on the end of that," replied Allen slowly, still lying there staring up at the ceiling. "Where am I, though?"
"I thought that would be obvious, as you just fell through my roof and straight into my court," replied the King, a hint of steel creeping into his voice. "Something those of us here don't take lightly. However, you are in my Royal Court, and I am the King of Ice and Winter." Allen quickly rose to his feet and dusting himself off from the snow and ice that stuck to his clothes, bowing to the King respectfully with a hint of red on his cheeks.
"Uh....my deepest apologies," he said while doing so, one of the remote corners of his mind noting how warm he was even with the large hole in the roof above him. "I didn't know that there was a hole there, sire, and had I known of an easier entrance than the one I found I surely would've taken it with pleasure." He winced at those last words, feeling his back twinge painfully from his fall.
"You are forgiven, but you still have a debt to repay now," replied the King, turning from him and walking back towards his throne. "You are now bonded to me as one of my Courtiers, and shall never set foot outside of this mountain castle of mine again unless you wish to die." He sat down gracefully and waved his hand to the guards, who came and took either arm, obviously dismissing him from his presence.
"What...?! Wait a second, I can't do that!" Allen fought against the guards, firmly planting his feet as he faced the King. "Your Majesty, I am Allen, the new Guardian of All! I came seeking the Crown and it I shall find and return to save the Mortal and Spirit Realms from another Age of Darkness. You must let me through!"
"I cannot," said the King in a bored voice, giving him the look of a man tired of being pestered. "You broke into my home, and now you must stay here forever, those are the rules...."
"A boon, then!" cried Allen. "Give me any task, ask me anything, and if I cannot complete it or give you an answer, you will have my life as you wished. If I can, though, you will let me go free to search for the Crown that I might continue my quest!"
The King considered his words carefully, toying with an icicle in his hands. After several moments he nodded, the guards releasing him and going back to their spots on the wall. "Very well, oh Guardian of All. The fight of the Realms, both Spirit and Mortal, affects me not as Ice and Winter shall always remain. But, here is your task, one of my own design. Shinobi!"
A short, thick limbed dwarf came thumping from among the courtiers, his fine clothes looking slightly ridiculous on him even though they fit him perfectly with a small, bejeweled knife that served as a sword at his side. He knelt before the king, giving the fist salute. He barely came up to Allen's waist when he stood upright, the human marveling at him in surprise as the dwarf spoke. "You called, sire?"
"Ah, yes." The King stroked his beard again and smiled and odd, little smile. "Allen, your task is to fight Shinobi here in any manner you wish except for with the weapons you bare on your back. To make it fair, Shinobi will disarm as well, leaving him with his fists alone. You may begin when ready."
Allen promptly removed his sword, shield, and pack, laying them carefully to the side before sizing up the little man once again, who laid his weapon aside as well. Both stood there for several moments, just staring at each other.
"What are you waiting for?" asked Shinobi, effectively breaking the silence. Allen just shrugged. "Trying to think of a sly remark to make, perhaps a crack upon my short stature?"
"No, I'm just not sure how to fight such a...miniature warrior as yourself," admitted Allen, going out of his stance to stare at Shinobi quizzically.
"Then, you will not remark upon my remarkable size?" asked the dwarf suspiciously. "Or lack of it?"
"Your King must have good reason to put yourself out, for apparently my transgression is one large enough to require my imprisonment here forever," explained Allen, spreading his arms wide. "Therefore, it leaves one to wonder just what tricks you might have up your sleeve, for looks have nothing to do with a fighter's abilities. Perhaps it is not tricks at all, though, but just pure strength, speed, and experience that would make you a remarkable and talented warrior to the point that your King would match you against one such as myself, who is twice your size. He obviously wishes for you to win, but perhaps my taunts would not dishearten you, but instead would strengthen you another thousand times than before? So why bother when the chances of it sending you into a killing rage are about the same as making you feel weak enough to let me beat you? I, for one, wish to leave alive, with my body intact and the Crown on my head."
"He just beat me with words!" exclaimed Shinobi as he sat down hard, the whole dialogue having gone by him so fast that he couldn't make sense of it in the least. "I can't make heads nor tails of what he just rattled off! Sire, how can I win against one who can talk my head in circles?!"
"You can't." The King shrugged, an amused light in his eyes as he shooed the dwarf back to his place among the crowds. "Very impressive, Guardian. Most have taunted our Shinobi with results that were less than pleasant for all involved. You have done well, though. For that, you may have your life back. You may leave as soon as you see fit."
"But..." Allen buckled the sword to his side and hesitated. "What about the Crown?"
"You mean the Guardian's Crown of power?" replied the King in a nonchalant way. "I have it here, yes. Where it is safe from harm."
"I need it," said Allen challengingly, staring down the King though those ice eyes chilled him to the very marrow of his bones. "For the future of the Guardians as well as both Realms."
"I told you, realms do not concern me," replied the King lightly with a shrug. "You amuse me no longer, Guardian. Be gone before I go back on my word!"
"Being Guardian of All is the same as being King of All within the Spirit and Mortal Realms, one of which you happen to abide in!" thundered Allen, a power seeming to overcome him as he unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the King. "Therefore, King of Ice and Winter, you are under me, and I am your Guardian! Give me the Crown!"
The King stood slowly, a hush falling over the entire hall as he strode down the steps slowly, an unreadable expression on his face. Towering above Allen, he unsheathed the blade of ice at his side and held it high, drawing himself up even more. Allen held his own blade at ready, grimly determined to face the Ice and Winter king no matter what the cost.
The King then smiled and knelt, swinging the blade around so it pointed hilt first towards Allen. "My liege. I wasn't sure, you understand, for there have been imposters in the past...it is truly you. I present you my blade as my oath to serve you always, and the Crown as a token of my own." Allen accepted the blade, putting his own back in his sheath as he studied it. The hilt was covered in a white leather, extending for several inches so he could grip it with both hands. The pommel was of a crystal with a blue glow, and the blade itself was tinted the same color. The Crown the King removed from his own head and offered it to Allen, who took of his circlet and placed the two together before it went back upon his head, the final piece of his quest found and in place.
"I accept both your blade and the Crown," said Allen warmly, urging the King to stand. "Thank you, King of Ice and Winter."
"And thank you, my liege," replied the King with a bow. "My guards will show you the way out. Speed and strength for your body, courage and faith for your soul, for you shall need it all in the final battle."
"I will remember that," promised Allen as he was led out the door, saluting the King once with a fist to his chest, the King doing it back with pride. "Until we meet again!"
"Yes." The King smiled, his silver locks of ice-riddled hair sparkling in the sunlight that suddenly fell through the hole in the roof. "Until we meet again."
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A dull, red haze seemed to fill Firesprite's blurred vision, her body propped up by sometime hard and rough behind her. Ears ringing whenever she even thought about turning her head, she was content to stay still and wait for things to clear up, her body slowly coming afire with pain as it sluggishly awakened back to life.
Shifting her hands to push her bangs from her eyes, it was stopped halfway there and she looked down, seeing a shackle around her wrist with a chain that was attached to the wall behind her. Testing her other limbs, she found one around her other wrist, ankles, and neck as well, all hindering her from any movement other than a foot in any direction. Testing her strength against them she felt herself entirely zapped of any at all, barely able to even lift the leaden limbs period.
"Great..."
"You're awakened, wonderful," hissed her guard, a creature that resembled a frog in its webbed hands and feet and hunched over way it stood there before her. Nothing was frog-like in it's purple, intelligent eyes though. Grasping a short spear in it's webbed hands, its slimy skin was reflected in the torches that surrounded them, casting eerie shadows about the room. "Master will be so pleased..."
"Where am I?" asked Firesprite groggily, her tongue thick and swollen in her dry mouth. "What have you done to me?"
"You are at Master's castle," explained the slimy creature with sly glee, obviously excited about something. "And Master has merely bestowed some of his power on you to insure you are not an uncooperative guest while you are here. You should be honored that he spent any time on you at all, for Master is very selective with those whom he deems some of his powers upon!"
"Who is this blasted 'master' you keep refereeing too?!" demanded the woozy Guardian, leaning back up against the wall as her head began to throb again, making it hard for her to focus. "And what the heck am I here for?!" Her memories of the last few days were still very scattered, and she had no idea just what was going on.
"Master has not told you?" inquired the amphibious beast with a hideous grin. He ignored the first question entirely. "Then I shall enlighten you, oh yes I shall!" He hopped closer to her, leering as he leaned in slightly as if he knew she could not even touch him if she wished to. "Master is luring his greatest enemy, the Greatest of the Cursed Ones, here with your presence! How he knows such things is beyond a mere follower like myself, but you are the bait that will set the trap that will spring upon the Great Cursed One and bring about the Dark Ages were Master shall be the Ruler of All!! This is a most glorious day and age we live in indeed!!"
Firesprite snorted. "I don't know about that..."
The door suddenly groaned open, the creature springing back to his post and going to a rigid salute. Or as rigid as such a oozing, flabby creature ever got. "Master!"
"The prisoner is awake?" asked a high voice, much higher than Firesprite ever expected. From the way the...thing has spoken his master was a great and powerful lord, but what she heard likened more to that of a young woman...
A shadow fell over her face, a small hand forcing her head up to stare into a pair of cold, black eyes that burned with an insane, intense rage. If Firesprite was surprised at the appearance of her captor, she did not show it, her mind too engaged with the struggle to remain conscious after having her head jerked about like that.
The small boy stepped back, grinning wickedly as he rubbed his hands together with childish glee and giggled. "Hehe!! Oh, it's all set! It's gonna be fun, getting rid of that sucker and then ruling over everything once again!"
"Master is truly a wise and cruel being," said the guard-creature with adoration apparent in his voice. "To have such a Master makes me most pleased..."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Enough of that gibberish, you know how much I hate it when 'adults' patronize me. They think they're so smart... " The small boy flipped his black curls out of his eyes and glanced around, reaching for a sucker from the jar of them that sat on the table and sucking on it while he studied his prisoner further. "Well, I'll show them! I'll show all of them, just you wait and see..."
"Oh yes, Master, you shall surely show them what sort of respect you truly deserve!" crooned the creature.
"I said shaddup!" The little boy whirled around, a blaze of power erupting around him to nearly engulf the being.
"...yes Master." It slunk away quickly, ducking through the door and disappearing down the hall at a frenzied pace. While it certainly adored the little brat, it wasn't about to stick around when he was in one of his moods.
"Morons." The boy turned back to Firesprite, giving her a few moments to study him more thoroughly as he did the same to her. Black eyes and black ringlets of hair are what truly stood out on his face, contrasting with his pale skin. Around 9 or so, he still have the rounded cheeks of a young child and small frame from not hitting any real growth spurts yet. Had she been standing he would have barely come up to her chest, and had it not been for the eerie glow in his eyes of pure hate and anger she would have assumed he was just another child living in the cities she protected in the Mortal Realms.
He was clad in a black shirt and scarlet tunic, both made of fine linen with gold flame embroidery. His black hose went to a set of high boots of black leather, everything made exactly to his size with not a thread out of place. A sword hung at his side and another blade of red iron on his back, a shield hanging there as well and a silver circlet over a plain iron crown on his head.
The boy suddenly reached out and wiped something on Firesprite's arm right where she had a long scratch, grinning mercilessly as she jerked from the sudden pain that shot up and down her arm.
"Bloodbane," he said lightly as by way of explanation, pulling a small pot from behind his back. "Wonderful stuff. It will make sure your wound stays open and bleeding at least slightly, though it won't allow it to bleed you to death, and it has the interesting side effect of keeping you alive without food or water. Perfect for visitors that you don't want around but can't get rid of quite yet."
"Little brat," ground Firesprite, the room seemingly whirling around her as she attempted to block out the pain. "Shouldn't you be off playing with your toys somewhere, boy?"
"That's Master to you," he replied happily, kicking her foot which was already twisted at an odd angle. She moaned in pain, him taking pleasure in it the whole time. "And you are my new toy. Now I'm playing with you. Do you enjoy it as nearly much as I do?"
Firesprite wheezed, barely able to breath she was in so much pain. "I doubt it..."
"Oh, that's fine. I don't really care if you enjoy it or not." The boy took some more of the stuff he'd rubbed on her before and this time added it to her facial scrapes, giggling all the while. "I'm having fun regardless."
"Get away from me!" Firesprite lashed out as best she could, snapping with her jaws as she tried to transform herself into her Guardian body. It failed, though, and she was left sitting there as exhausted as before, the boy dancing around her tauntingly.
"Big bad Guardian can't do nothing now, can she? Neh!!" He stuck his tongue out at her and pulled down the bottom of his eye, Firesprite gaining several veins on her forehead up unable to do anything at all.
"Get lost."
The boy pouted. "You're no fun." He sighed and shrugged. "Oh well, I have other toys I'd rather play with anyways." He grabbed her chin and took a cup from the table, forcing her to drink it or drown in its contents. Immediately she felt herself go limp and the pain go away, as well as her vision slowly starting to darken. "I will come and see you later, my new toy, and when I do I shall have other, more fun things for you to be a part of..."
"Don't...want....to..." slurred Firesprite, her head growing heavy as she slumped back against the wall again.
"Oh, that's too bad." The boy smiled, the malicious look in his eyes the last thing she remembered seeing. "Because you don't have a choice."
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Holly woke inside her hut, hearing several voices that she was sure hadn't been there the night before. Dressing quickly, she looked outside and was greeted with a rather large group of monsters and humans, many who came to greet her immediately.
"Holly!!!" The woman was nearly knocked over by the two tongues that washed her face, making her laugh as she pushed the two overgrown pups down.
"Temi, Ice, you made me a slobbery!" she protested as she wiped her face on her sleeve, patting them both warmly. "Sillies."
"We're just glad to see you," replied Ice smartly, nuzzling her side affectionately. Tiger and Storm appeared as well, each accept a hug from the human who gladly embraced them both.
"Tiger! Storm! Why are you guys here?" she asked, seeing several other tigers from their pack roaming about the camp.
"We came at Zephyr's call," explained Tiger as Storm shooed their pups back to their friends, even though the two were now young adults in their own right. "Something about trouble and needing our help." He sat slowly, wincing as his joints creaked. "We may not be as young as we used to be, but we're here to help regardless."
Holly smiled at them both, bowing. "Thank you."
Storm cocked her head to the side, smiling as well. "Anything for the protectors of our home." She pointed to Holly's pendant, which lay out of her shirt.
Holly sighed. "I just hope we're enough to protect it this time as well."
"Hey, we weren't given these pretty stones for nothing," retorted Pixie who came up behind her, a wry look on her face.
"Pixie, you too??" Holly gave her a hug, the pixie lightly accepting it with a sigh.
"Yeah, me and Blue got the call a few days ago, and came as fast as we could." She pointed to the blue Ice giant who sat by the fire among some others. "When Zeph wants you somewhere he fast he makes sure to enough motivation to do so. We're here for the long run, not matter what that long run may entail."
"We're glad to have you, as always," replied Holly meaningfully, biting her lip as the pixie just shrugged it off with a nod, walking back towards her friend.
"She never did take well to emotion," murmured Frost who had come up where the tiger family had stood before, Slip right at his side. The two gels now stood at exactly the same height, Slip looking like a younger version of his hero whom he traveled with plus the pendant that hung around his neck.
"Neither did you, old fart," retorted Slip, skipping out of the way as Frost aimed a side smack at him. "Missed me again, slow po- OW!!" He rubbed his rear which had taken on a sneak attach from Frost's other hand, the older gel just shrugging.
"You should have been ready for it. You know better than to assume everyone is always going to fight fair," he rebuked the younger gel, raising and eyebrow slightly. "Someone is getting lazy..."
"Yeah, yeah, we'll see about that when the fight starts," shot back Slip, turning to Holly. "Hey Holly! Long time no see!"
"You've grown since I last saw you," commented Holly, accepting a hand shake from both gels. "And you haven't changed a bit, Frost. I take it Zephyr sent you all calls as well?"
"Only one, since we were together at the time," replied Frost with a shrug. "We were far south of here and have been thankfully making good time back. Met up with Pixie halfway and went the rest of it with her and Blue."
Holly nodded, noticing just how much more relaxed the gel had gotten just in his few years with Slip as his companion. "Well, thank you for coming."
"We will fight for our Realm," Slip said confidently as if to assure her, the both of them moving off to wear food was being served and her following at a slower pace.
"Holly-chan!!" Holly was nearly inline when she was knocked over by a whirlwind of a human, the younger woman squeezing the life out of her with a huge hug. "Hollyhollyholly!! We were so worried when you didn't come back right away!!"
"Coltia!!" wheezed Holly in surprise. "Coltia...can't breath..."
"Oh!! Sorry..." She let go quickly, Holly sinking to the ground as she caught her breath. A man came beside Coltia and gave her a scolding look, her blushing lightly as she tucking some hair behind her ear. "I didn't mean to, really!!"
"I know." Holly rose again, greeting Haikaru, her husband, with bow which he returned as well. "Were you the only ones to come from the village, or are there others as well??"
"Like we'd ever let you run off without us again," came a crotchety old voice behind her, Holly turning to see Pinkeye standing there with her children and older grandchildren, all fit and ready to do battle. "Hey, sugar. There's others from the village, too, some of the young men with their spears and swords, but they're over away from all these legend monsters that scare them..." She said the last part a little loudly in Pixie's direction.
"I do not scare them!" argued Pixie, a vein appearing on her head. "I've done nothing to deserve that accusation!!"
"She scares me," admitted Haikaru, sweating nervously as he began to back away. Coltia did too, a slightly surprised look on her face.
"Yeah...uh...we'll catch you later, Holly."
"Ok, bye guys."
"Bye."
"Do to, you just scared them away," taunted Pinkeye as she hopped over to Pixie's side, the two arguing back and forth loud enough that most of the camp could hear it.
"Holly!!" yelled Meg, jogging over with a smile on her face. "Looks like someone finally decided to wake up..."
Holly blushed. "Yeah, well, we were busy last night..." Meg just winked, Holly turning a few shades redder before Meg just laughed and went on with what she had to say. "Anyway, I just came to say the rest of the Clan has arrived. Most of the cousins from our family are here with their monsters and ready to make a stand, as well as some of the fighting creatures from the valley Allen inherited from Lilianne."
"Any tribreeds among them?" asked Holly quickly.
"No, they all died out a generation ago," replied Meg regretfully. "But still, there's a large assortment of others who will gladly give their lives to save both Allen and Lili so I think we'll be fine regardless. Genki did a count this morning, and here's what it comes to. 50 monsters of assorted types, plus Pixie and Slip who are really more than monsters. Around 35-40 humans plus you and Genki, who aren't entirely human because of the pendant thingy...yeah. And Zephyr. So that gives us nearly a hundred beings here willing to fight and the majority with some sort of battle experience...what do you think?"
"I think we'll manage," replied Holly steadily, tearing apart the bread she'd been given by one of the others and eating it bit by bit. "Because we have to."
"We've done it before, and we'll do it again?" Meg looked at the camp, noting the strain under the happy faces, the stress of knowing something was going to happen, just not what per say or when.
"Exactly."
Zephyr and Zelda suddenly took their place on a boulder above the camp, everyone falling silent at the Guardian of the Wynds began to speak.
"I thank you all for coming here, especially on such short notice as well as with the conditions behind it all," he started slowly, Zelda sitting still as a statue behind him. "Here's how our situation stands, as I know some of you have been asking. Firesprite placed a blood seal on the portal when the young ones came through, one that would last for three days. That was two days ago. Right now, we don't know where she is nor what has happened to her. Neither does anyone know the whereabouts of Allen, but we're hoping to find both well and alive when it opens again."
"Tomorrow at dawn the portal will open and on the other side is an army that plans on invading and enslaving the Mortal Realm. Even if our Guardian of All does come through and defeats their Destroyer of All, if they have a good enough hold here it will be near impossible to chase them back to the other side before they do massive amounts of damage. What we're asking you to do is tomorrow at dawn, when the portal's seal is broken, to defend this position and keep their armies back from invading our home lands. Will you help us??"
A huge yell erupted from the group, most waving their weapons over head and cheering until Zephyr raised a paw, quite settling over them once more.
"I had hoped you would respond as such," he said quite simply, looking to where the portal was in the rock face. "Humans are to take orders from Genki, monsters to Zelda. If you have trained in a human/monster coupling come see me instead. We have a lot of work to do, so let's do it right. Who wants to save the Mortal Realms?"
"WE DO!!"
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Hm...not my best work, I think, but it'll do. Sorry for the delay, I wasn't home for a month that then school started so...you'll live. Next update should be much sooner, so don't forget to watch for it! Review, it's the kind thing to do!
~Crosseyedbutterfly~