Chapter 27: To Waken from Dreamless Wanderings
Light. Light that signified hope, trust, and everything beautiful. The eyes in darkness sought light, and what the eyes sought, the mind sought as well.
She drifted. For how long, she didn't know, nor did she actually care—not now. Nothing was important, for it seemed nothing had ever been. The senses were numb, yet she didn't need them in the place where she was. She could feel nothing, yet she could sense everything. Trapped in the void without light, yet light was diffused all around her.
A dream. I must be dreaming again. Rue… I wonder if this is his…
A forest of pines, of deep, dank, greens and grays. Winter, yet it didn't snow. The air was cool. There were no forest sounds, neither the birdcall nor the wolf-howl that one would expect, only the infinite silence. There were no woodland paths and no trails to follow. The ground was rough and uneven, indicating mountainous area. The fog stretched in front of her and behind, and she could do nothing but walk through it.
She came upon a clearing. A child was playing in the grass—a white-haired child. A woman watched over him, her long raven hair blowing in a slight breeze. Mint stepped towards them, knowing that they couldn't feel her dream presence.
The woman had her back turned, and Mint couldn't see her face. But she remembered her, for this vision was one that she had seen often enough, in her own mother's dreams while her mother was still alive. That must be her, Mother's spirit link… Rue knew her?
It started to drizzle. The child stood up abruptly, his huge orbed eyes blinking at the wet drops. "Mommy, mommy… it's raining!"
"It's time to go," a voice said, and only then did Mint notice that there was another presence. The man had been standing by the shadows of the trees all this time, unobtrusively watching mother and child as Mint had done.
"George, can't we stay longer?" she asked.
Ruecian walked towards the woman then. "I never should have let you out of the compound in the first place. If Valen ever discovers that…" he trailed off, somberly placing one arm around the woman's shoulders.
Mint sensed rather than saw the woman smile. "You know you could never resist me," she replied teasingly. "Besides, I didn't ask it for myself…"
"I know," Ruecian sighed. He turned towards the boy and called him by his favorite nickname, "Hey, Tiger. It's time to go back."
The child Rue pouted. "Already?" But he knew he didn't have a choice. He walked towards Ruecian and his mother reluctantly. The butterflies he had been playing with fluttered around his legs as he walked, as if they didn't want their playmate to go.
The scene faded, and she drifted again.
Maya woke up to see a pair of coal-black eyes looming over her. "The heck—Guamph!!" Rue clamped his hand over her mouth.
"Please, don't shout. I need your help, Maya."
Reluctantly, Maya nodded, and Rue released her. He stepped away from her to lean back against the opposite wall of the princess's darkened room. Maya sat up, pulling her blanket up to cover her pajamas, and she was just a little angry. "How did you get here?"
Rue answered, "Through the underground tunnels. I can't tell you more than that."
"What do you want from me?"
"I have to talk to my father. I didn't think that surrendering to the guards would get me the audience that I need." His expression was insistent. "You've got to help me, Maya. If not for me, for your sister. Mint… she's sick. I know that you and Mint don't exactly get along, but…" he trailed off.
"And why would you think that your father can help her?"
"I—I can't explain it now." His kept his head downcast, but his eyes were filled with purpose. "Please, Maya."
Maya frowned, but after some thought, she agreed. "What time is it?"
"Half past four in the morning. What time would my father…?"
"We can go right now," Maya told him. "He should be awake already." She stood up. "Uh, Rue, would you mind stepping out while I change? Oh, the guards…" she remembered the sentries in the corridor outside. An awkward pause, and she blushed slightly. "Umm, just turn around, then."
"Right," Rue blushed a little too. "Sorry about that." He pulled his cap down to cover his eyes as he turned to face the wall.
When Maya was ready, she and Rue briskly stepped out of her room and through the corridors leading to Valen's office. "He's with me," Maya informed the sentries as she and Rue passed them. The fact that such a simple statement was enough of a reassurance for the guards was a clear indication of how highly respected Maya was. If they thought anything unusual about a teenaged boy appearing seemingly out of nowhere and materializing into the crown princess's room, they kept it to themselves.
"Let me talk to him first," Maya told Rue as she opened the door to Valen's office. Rue patiently stayed outside, absently fiddling with the handle of his Arc Edge. It took about fifteen minutes of uncomfortable waiting until Maya finally stepped out. "Your turn, Rue. I have some things to take care of now. I'll come back for you here in about half an hour."
"Thank you," Rue said as he stepped past her into the office. He closed the door behind him.
Before Maya got far, she was stopped by the white-blonde woman. "Belle," Maya said, surprised. "What do you want?"
"Is it true? I heard that Rue Kincaid is here." Maya nodded, and then indicated the door behind her. Belle held out a disc card. "I got a message from Ben to you."
"Benjamin Atanacius of Cosmos Corp?" Maya frowned. "What does he want now? I already told him before—"
Belle cut her off. "You'd better read this first so you can judge for yourself. And if I were you," she glanced pointedly towards Valen's office, "I'd listen in very carefully to that 'father-son' talk. Very, very carefully."
Valen sat in his wheelchair behind his desk while the previous evening's news showed up on the holographic display. He was explaining a few things to his son.
"The fabled chroma strain. Augustus was the first and probably the only person aside from me who ever came close to realizing what it truly is. It is easiest to think of it as an inherent energy in your body—some sort of psychic lifeblood, if you will. The chroma strain is what made us into what we are, Rue," he raised his hand, pointing at Rue's features, "the white hair, the black eyes, and of course… the magickal blessing to someone born outside of the psyche-strong bloodlines. However, the strain causes our minds to degenerate over time—as well as a particular form of insanity associated with using magick—but the Aeon Shard should protect you from that. Aside from those, the strain doesn't affect us at all, but the strain itself is poisonous to ordinary humans."
Rue asked, "Is there a cure?"
"A cure?!" the old man turned sharply to the white-haired boy. "You can't cure the chroma strain, just as you can't cure a genetic disease. And why would you want to cure the very thing that gives you power?"
Rue shook his head. "No… I meant, if someone ever got poisoned by my blood…"
"You're talking about the elder East Heaven princess, aren't you? And the Clarence girl," Valen added as an afterthought. Rue nodded. "I'm afraid there is none at the moment. My scientists have been working on an antidote for the past six years, but without any test subjects they haven't had much progress."
"Father, you mentioned Claire… she was with you all this time. How is she? Can I see her?"
Valen's face was impassive, but his voice was heavy. "Claire succumbed to the chroma strain three years ago. But I understand what she means to you, my son… that's why we put her in a life capsule." Rue started on hearing this, but Valen continued, "It was the only way we could keep her alive, until the medicine is developed and we have the means of curing her. The way things are going, though, I doubt if a suitable antidote will be developed soon."
"So…" At that moment, Rue felt so bad he could barely speak. "That means… Mint and Elena are just going to die?"
"The princess won't die anytime soon—not by a long shot, as her magick will certainly protect her, but even that has its limitations. I wish I could say the same for Augustus's daughter, but the strain does take a while to affect, which means that we have time enough to save her if we develop the antidote quickly." A sigh, more felt than heard. "Lately I've been working on a pair of machines that might speed up our research process on the antidote and on the chroma strain itself. The machines are still untested as of now, and unfortunately, the designs call for it to be operated in zero gravity. They also will require two chroma children to operate." He turned to look straight at Rue. "Seeing as only Ruecian is here now…"
"I will help, father. Any way I can."
Valen nodded. "It's settled then. I will tell my guards to prepare your quarters for you. In two days, this tower will rise into space, and you will be in it. We can only pray that your friends are still alive and well when we return."
There was one more thing that Rue wanted to ask, though. "Father, I…"
"—want to see your friends," Valen finished for him, correctly guessing at Rue's thoughts. "You may do so. Return to us tomorrow."
The younger East Heaven princess had taken to Belle's advice, knowing that it wasn't exactly proper, but equally knowing that Valen usually didn't mind. Maya watched the entire conversation from the shadows of Valen's office, coming in half an hour after Rue's audience began. She was surprised and concerned to find out that Mint had been affected by the chroma strain, but like Valen said, Mint wasn't about to die from it, at least not yet.
At any other time, she wouldn't have thought twice about the other things Valen mentioned—after all, she was already familiar with everything he had told Rue. But never had she overheard any conversation that seemed quite as disjointed as the one she had listened in on just now.
Valen had said things that she hadn't heard him say before, and he should have said things that he didn't say. Any other time she wouldn't have minded, attributing such lapses to Valen's many distractions or even to old age… but couple that with her new knowledge of the information contained in Atenacius's message, and that Valen had slipped in exactly the right places… Everything Atenacius had warned her about simply fell into place like some sinister puzzle. And she had proof now that something was definitely wrong.
Maya's fists were clenched at her sides as she stepped forward. "What is the meaning of this, Valen?"
He had returned to reading the day's early news as soon as Rue had left, and Valen turned to her now. "What is the meaning of what?"
In answer, Maya slapped the disc card onto his desk. "You lied to me. You told me that your sickness was caused by the chroma strain. The machines are supposed to cure you and the other chroma children. But this disc card proves that they aren't what you claim them to be. I refused to believe it at first, but all the information checks out." Her eyes narrowed. "I trusted you. Why?"
Valen looked at her long and hard, his dark eyes slowly, uncharacteristically, turning menacing and cold. Maya continued, "Atenacius had been right all along about you, hadn't he? I can't believe I broke my ties with Cosmos Corp—ties that East Heaven have had since before my father's time—to join your false cause. You're a very convincing liar, and I can't believe I totally fell for it." Maya took a deep breath, her resolve firm. "From this day forward, East Heaven is withdrawing our support for your company. This tower is mine, and I say that it will not take you to space to conduct your so-called research."
She sharply turned to leave. But when she got to the door, it wouldn't open. "What the—"
Valen sighed audibly, and there was genuine sadness in his voice. "How unfortunate, your highness, that you turn against me now. Sincerely had I hoped that you were more sensible than your sister, and that you would have believed in me for my sake…"
Tears of frustration stung her eyes, and Maya shut them tight, unwilling to show any weakness in front of the old man. It was her own fault that she was in this mess. She should have known better. She had played right into their hands, and she had dragged in her entire kingdom with her. Elder sis will be the downfall of East Heaven? She remembered saying it once. Now, more than anything she wished she could take back those words. The foolish one is me.
Mint knew she was dreaming. The fog that surrounded her was familiar and almost comforting, as her mother's presence had always been. Somehow, she always associated her dreams with her mother—her mother, whom some people claim to be the most beautiful woman East Heaven had seen in the past five centuries. Mint and Maya took after the late queen, having the same red hair and telltale burgundy eyes.
She was indoors this time. Empty, desolate halls wanting of decoration, having only the occasional light fixture. The walls were plain and whitewashed, the light tinted with a diffuse green. The skylights told her that it was night outside—somehow she felt that time didn't pass normally within these corridors.
She came to the end of the hallway, to a single, wooden door. She opened it and went in. Again, it was the woman, the white-haired child, and Ruecian.
"Mommy, I don't want you to go into those capsules. They scare me."
"Hush, my little tiger," she soothed the crying child, affectionately ruffling his hair, "Mommy isn't going anywhere."
Ruecian didn't like it. "You won't survive long outside the capsules," he told her sternly. But she shook her head, refusing.
"I won't survive long inside them either. Time and again my body resists the containment. It's my magick, George. My own magick will kill me if I ever go inside a life capsule."
"Can't you do anything about it?" he was almost pleading. "You're the one who taught Valen how it could be done."
But her answer was still no. "My machines simply won't work that way."
The fog came again, and then Mint was running. Green, why is it always green? She was running through the self-same hall, except the skylights told her it was now daytime. The child was running in front of her.
"No, don't run away!" A woman's voice—the raven-haired woman's voice—called from somewhere behind, but when Mint turned to look, she saw no one. "It's alright! There's nothing to worry about! Mommy's fine, see? It was just a test, and they just wanted to know how well Mommy would do… See? They bandaged Mommy up already." To Mint's horror, she saw that the bandage was plastered on her wrist, and a red stain was just starting to bleed through.
All of a sudden, the running child turned, and she passed right through his outstretched arms.
Before the fog took her once more, she had seen the child's face up close. In the dim light, she could have sworn that his eyes were red like her own.
A soft knock was heard at the doorway, and Mira opened it gently. "Rue," she greeted. "Where were you? It's already late… shouldn't you be in school?"
"I… I'd rather be here," Rue answered. "How are they doing?"
Mira shook her head sadly. "No change at all."
"They'll be alright." Rue placed one hand on Mira's shoulder as he stepped past her into the hospital room. His voice was somber. "I've talked to my father, and he said that very soon, a medicine will be developed to cure the poison." He turned to look at the beds where Mint and Elena were still sleeping. "He let me go, but only for now. I promised my father that I would return to him tomorrow." He closed his eyes and lowered his head in an effort to compose himself. "Please, let me stay with her for now."
It was afternoon after classes when Klaus arrived at the hospital. Mira had gone home in the meantime for some food and supplies. He walked unhurriedly through the hospital grounds with his hands in his pockets, absently fingering the disc card that Atenacius had sent him. He hadn't read it yet since he had had no time earlier, and he made a mental note to do it when it was Mira's turn to keep watch over the children.
A heavy sigh escaped his lips as his hand grazed the doorknob to the children's room, and he wished vehemently that this nightmare was all over. Chroma poisoning was potentially dangerous, and he hoped that Rue had learned something significant. Rue had always been reliable in that sense, Klaus contemplated. He had completed the genetic-mimicry device in record time last night, using schematics from his backup files and from the tiara, so that Rue could sneak into the Tower of Maya unhindered.
He was just a little surprised to discover that Rue was already back. The boy had fallen asleep sitting down, slouched over Mint's bed, his ever-present cap lying on the coverlets beside him. Deciding not to go in and disturb them, Klaus gently closed the door.
She was still dreaming.
[Expletive]!! Wake up, Mint! It seemed strange that she was talking to herself like this, but after heaven-knows-how-long of drifting in the dream-fog, she was actually starting to worry. She moved her arms, her legs, she even tried dancing… but nothing changed. The fog remained impenetrable around her. Admittedly, Rue's visions were almost fun (sardonically speaking of course) and definitely mind-boggling, but wasn't it high-time that she stopped having them? Why won't I wake up?
The fog turned a deep green—it was the forest again. She sighed inwardly. Another vision. She had lost count how many times the same images had repeated over and over in her mind's eye. There were variations—she had lost track of them too—but the core story was always the same. It was always Ruecian, the raven-haired woman, and the chroma child.
She was running again. Odd, it's the first time I ran through the forest. Maybe it's a vision I haven't seen yet? How many repressed childhood memories does Rue have, anyway? Offhand, she wondered why it was so important for her to actually live through them.
Just like before, she saw the child running in front of her. But there were no ethereal voices this time, only the eerie silence of the pine forest.
It was the child who shouted. "Mommy!" he called. It was the first time he had shouted in the visions. "No, Mommy! Don't let them put me in those capsules!!" He ran, scared, and Mint chased after him.
"No, don't run away!" Did I just say that? It was her own voice that said it, but somehow she couldn't help herself. The child kept running. She called to him, "It's alright! There's nothing to worry about…"
He stopped. She knew when he would stop, and this time she was ready. He turned to face her.
It was her sister.
"Maya?! What are you doing in Rue's dream?"
Maya shook her head. "This isn't Rue's dream, sister. It's yours."
She gasped and raised her arm from the coverlets, but her eyes remained closed. Rue started awake, and he held tight to the hand that had grabbed helplessly at the thin air. "Professor!" he shouted towards the door, "Mint finally moved!"
But it wasn't Klaus who emerged from the doorway. Rue abruptly stood up, automatically making a grab for the Arc Edge, but Belle raised her hands to show that they were empty. "I'm not here to pick a fight."
Rue's eyes narrowed, but he decided to give the older woman the benefit of the doubt. "Why are you here?"
Belle walked towards the table, and taking out a small wooden box from her purse, she carefully laid it down. It contained a couple of vials. She threw one towards Rue and indicated the sleeping redhead, "We have no time for argument, Kincaid. Use it quickly."
Rue studied the liquid, turning the vial in his hands. "What is this?"
"It's the medicine for chroma poisoning," Belle answered as she popped open the vial for Elena.
Author's Notes
24 March 2003. I had hoped to update earlier, but I had a little trouble. There are more loose ends and dangling plot twists than I had anticipated. Besides, I've got to keep it interesting, eh? Or at least try to. ^_~.
It's time for Carona High to come to its *drum roll* dramatic conclusion *coughcoughdramaticyeahright*! Only a few more chapters to go, and the whole thing has already all been laid out until completion. ^_^. Besides, I can't concentrate on my thesis (it's a robotics project, but doesn't involve psyche-amps or magick =P) while I have Carona High hanging over my head, and I'm on leave from school anyway.
Okay, to answer a few questions/comments:
1. I double-checked the game walkthrough, and the spell words in the English version are "Gizmo, Gia, Gias." I apologize for my mistake. I corrected it already, but if I updated the FFNet version every time I have a correction, I would be replacing chapters every two days. _. The latest edited version of this fic can always be found on My Computer :P, but the second-latest is always at the files section of ToF_Carona []. A clean/printable version will be available there upon series completion. (Hopefully, it'll have pictures if the drawings turn out well enough. Adi believes in being thorough ^_~.)
2. Actually, this *does* follow the game story—I tried to integrate as many elements from the original ToF as possible, and in some twisted way I attempted to interweave Rue's and Mint's scenarios—but significantly modified that it's no longer noticeable, and a substantial amount of new stuff had been added to boot. (I think that Lady Light probably recognizes a lot of the stuff, though. ^_~. The 'Lucine-as-Belle's-sister' had been pretty obvious since early on, eh? I actually got the ideas regarding Lucine, Ruenis, the Masters, and 'Gia Giaz Giamos' from Lady Light, Chibi Lady, and Reecee's reviews—THANK YOU VERY MUCH *falls over shouting*!! *ouchies*!)
3. 'BIG' plot twist?! It was foreshadowed since the SIXTH CHAPTER (Ch04)! If you read back, you'll find it all there… Ch03, Mint is shown as being stronger than ordinary… Ch04, Mint got cut on the Arc Edge and Rue tended to her with a bleeding hand… Ch05, she was already having dizzy spells… Ch08, her shoulder wound took twice as long as normal to heal, which is the opposite of what you'd expect since she's magically gifted and stronger than ordinary (that should have been a significant indication already!)… She kept thinking that she seemed to be getting weaker (Ch10, Ch18, etc)… Ch12, the life capsule data stated that Rue and Prima have the original, active strain… Prima got the paper cut in Ch20… Yes, it was planned since the beginning. Just an example of how Adi does things (and I quote: 'blink-and-you'll-probably-miss-something'). And that's only one of the series' several plot twists… but you get the idea. ^_~.
4. YES, I'M A GIRL!! *deep blush*… I am 100% girl! I can wear a skirt and lipstick without being condemned! Okay, so maybe I'm more on the tomboyish side—I can throw a punch as well as the next guy. _;; Whatever gave the impression that I'm not a girl, anyway?! I thought it was obvious. ^_^.
I forgot to thank the following people who reviewed my latest two chapters—THANK YOU!! o^_^o
Victoria, the Crew of Light, James Birdsong, Tenshi Takai, Kashe-chan, The Shadow Trio, Mana Angel, a dazed and confused TRUEHAWK, Maronne Cruz, deepdarkness, Cute1, and Rei-chan. Btb, if Rei-chan is Animé Girl, extra thanks—I got the 'Gizmo~Gia~Gias' thingy from her review too.