Icy Blaze
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Chapter 16 - Of Visions and Illusions
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Moving along the dusty shores, Mia pondered the terrain. It was just as she recalled it when they visited earlier - sandy beaches, verdent trees, and fresh grass growing... To her right was a groove where Saturos's ship had been earlier. Turning around, she suddenly realized that Babi's boat was gone...
She turned towards Garet, hoping that he knew something... But to her horror, Garet was glaring at her, a look that he hadn't shown before. She started to ask what was wrong, only to get a fist in her face. Sprawled on the ground, she soon felt the pain flowing through her veins as Garet relentlessly kickded her, beat her, and even trying to strangle her.
Feeling her head grow light, she barely noticed when he left, off to go somewhere else. She heard voices near, but couldn't tell who the owners were as darkness claimed her...
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Isaac was pissed. And it took a lot to make him so; when he found Garet and Jenna making out the day before the storm, that hadn't made him mad; when Garet ate all of their travel food and it took two days to find any, it didn't. Even when Jenna beat him in a rage of anger over loosing Felix, he stayed calm.
But when he and Ivan found Mia laying on the Lighthouse floor, he knew what had happened. He knew of what Garet had to have done; who else had hands that big? Who else was strong enough to drain a trained healer like Mia?
And who else would walk off after beating his girlfriend to a pulp?
Seething, Isaac stormed after his friend, hoping that some explination could be found. He could see Garet off in the distance, fighting some big creature. He knew that if Garet could beat Mia, then what right did Isaac have to think that he was safe?
Suddenly, Garet turned into a collosal monster, towering over the form of... Dora?
He quickly realized what was going on - the Jupiter Lighthouse had somehow tapped into their thoughts, turning them on each other's fears. Drawing his blade, he strode towards Dora, tears flying as he yelled as his blade sliced through his mother's abdomen. Suddenly, the illusions vanished, revealing Garet, his eyes burning with whatever rage he was experiancing. Grabbing his feat with the clay on the ground, Isaac planted his fist in Garet's face, ending his rampage. Turning to the monster, he thought of his mother...
Gathering himself, he dragged Garet back to the scene of the crime...
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Mia stared at the hulk of Garet, her mind trying to keep up with the turn of events. She wished that she knew why Garet attacked her, not willing to accept the illusion theory that Isaac presented. Garet had to have seen something that made him act so vicious...
But what if he had only acted based on what he saw... And what if he saw a person? And what if that person was...
No, Garet was more civil than that... He wouldn't use a mere grudge to beat the hell out of him... That wasn't the Garet she knew... Right?
His form moved, life reentering his being. Glancing at Isaac and Ivan, she gestured for them to move on, to let them be alone. Seeing that they left, she turned to Garet. His eyes were glazed, as if he was waking from a dream. Glancing at her, his eyes went wide with horror, probably seeing that she was both abused and upset at something. He opened his mouth to speak, only to shut it.
Why? She knew the answer even as she thought about it - he realized what might have happened.
"Mia, are you ok?"
She fought tears, hoping that her voice didn't waver; she needed to know what he saw. "Garet, what was it that you saw?"
If he looked horrified before, he looked a thousand fold moreso now... "I... I saw Alex... H..e was beating you..."
She stared at him, trying to see if he was telling the truth. She knew that he had seen him, but Alex beating her? Then she recalled what Isaac said - the room read the thoughts of a person and projected those thoughts. Then if Garet had seen her being beaten, then it was his own mind...
Inwardly, she smiled.
Grabbing him in a bear hug, she broke into tears, glad that he wasn't as big a fraud as she feared. For several minutes, they sat there, then left, following Isaac and Ivan...
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Garet held Mia close as they walked around the outskirts of the Lighthouse. He had feared that Mia had been beaten by his hands, but apparently, she hadn't. And that meant that Alex had, right? But why did Mia not mention him around? It was irritating that he had no answers to his problems, but time heals all wounds, right?
A clank behind him drew his attention, and he left Mia alone to go claim his sword, which had falled with his scabbard. Wierd... That wasn't ripped before...
A scream sounded behind him, and he whirled around to witness Mia falling, falling to her doom...
Running after her, he lept after her, only too late realizing that she had landed on a small ledge below...
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Alex sat within the Jupiter Lighthouse, his head in his arms. He hadn't wanted to leave her, but he had no choice. And he hadn't wanted to join Karst or Agatio, but he had to, lest they go on a rampage and kill them...
But her words still ached, like the needles of a Lion Fish:
"What do you want with us now, Alex? Or did you forget you were the one who abandoned US?"
He had barely been able to restrain himself at her words, wishing that he could tell her of his mission. But then Isaac and Karst would want to stop him, and that would only lead to trouble. He had not wanted to hurt her, and he feared that his response had only made her resent him even more...
And even Sheba had turned sour against him. He figured that Felix would tell her, or that she would read it from his mind. Surprisingly, he hadn't. Did Felix trust him that much? Respect him that much?
Or was he just trying to make him look evil?
But she had retaliated, words that struck him like the tail of the mighty Ice Dragons:
"You would steal someone's boat? That's so typical, Alex!"
"Can't you just stop talking about yourself for one second, Alex?"
"Alex! How would you know such a thing?"
"So the only reason Alex came here was to threaten us?"
He wished that she didn't lash out like that, that she could understand what he was doing. But he had no way to tell her and still finish his quest...
A scream broke his thoughts, and he realized what had just happened - Karst and Agatio. Only they could cause someone to screach out like that. Bu-
He realized that they had tried to kill Mia. Only Mia posed a real threat to them, as far as the so-called legends were conscerned. Though he felt no love for Mia as he did for Jenna, he knew that Karst had finally forced his hand. Once he left here, he would be sure to finish his mission -
And return any suffering delt to Jenna or Mia by Karst a thousand fold...
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...
Now to the reviewers!
Selena - Sorry that you feel that way... I think that one of the mood swings I had due to some gluten that I ate caused that last chapter... But how about this one? Isaac/Sheba Mia/Jenna Forever!!
Saturos Blueberry Style - Is it just me, or am I attracting Yaoi fans here? No offense, but I suddenly have realized the sheer increase in reviewers that are fans of that sort of writing... Anyway, thanks for the compliment! Howz this chapter?
Kyarorain - You do have a point there...
The Rain Child - See what I told Selena... And what about this chapter, which is, at best, a PG-13 (on the outside)?
Smurf Cat - O_o Sorry bout that, but since they were a pair earlier... And Sheba might get some later...
DARKC0MET - I think this is longer... How does it fare up?
And please review! I need reviews if I am to continue this!!!
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Chapter 16 - Of Visions and Illusions
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Moving along the dusty shores, Mia pondered the terrain. It was just as she recalled it when they visited earlier - sandy beaches, verdent trees, and fresh grass growing... To her right was a groove where Saturos's ship had been earlier. Turning around, she suddenly realized that Babi's boat was gone...
She turned towards Garet, hoping that he knew something... But to her horror, Garet was glaring at her, a look that he hadn't shown before. She started to ask what was wrong, only to get a fist in her face. Sprawled on the ground, she soon felt the pain flowing through her veins as Garet relentlessly kickded her, beat her, and even trying to strangle her.
Feeling her head grow light, she barely noticed when he left, off to go somewhere else. She heard voices near, but couldn't tell who the owners were as darkness claimed her...
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Isaac was pissed. And it took a lot to make him so; when he found Garet and Jenna making out the day before the storm, that hadn't made him mad; when Garet ate all of their travel food and it took two days to find any, it didn't. Even when Jenna beat him in a rage of anger over loosing Felix, he stayed calm.
But when he and Ivan found Mia laying on the Lighthouse floor, he knew what had happened. He knew of what Garet had to have done; who else had hands that big? Who else was strong enough to drain a trained healer like Mia?
And who else would walk off after beating his girlfriend to a pulp?
Seething, Isaac stormed after his friend, hoping that some explination could be found. He could see Garet off in the distance, fighting some big creature. He knew that if Garet could beat Mia, then what right did Isaac have to think that he was safe?
Suddenly, Garet turned into a collosal monster, towering over the form of... Dora?
He quickly realized what was going on - the Jupiter Lighthouse had somehow tapped into their thoughts, turning them on each other's fears. Drawing his blade, he strode towards Dora, tears flying as he yelled as his blade sliced through his mother's abdomen. Suddenly, the illusions vanished, revealing Garet, his eyes burning with whatever rage he was experiancing. Grabbing his feat with the clay on the ground, Isaac planted his fist in Garet's face, ending his rampage. Turning to the monster, he thought of his mother...
Gathering himself, he dragged Garet back to the scene of the crime...
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Mia stared at the hulk of Garet, her mind trying to keep up with the turn of events. She wished that she knew why Garet attacked her, not willing to accept the illusion theory that Isaac presented. Garet had to have seen something that made him act so vicious...
But what if he had only acted based on what he saw... And what if he saw a person? And what if that person was...
No, Garet was more civil than that... He wouldn't use a mere grudge to beat the hell out of him... That wasn't the Garet she knew... Right?
His form moved, life reentering his being. Glancing at Isaac and Ivan, she gestured for them to move on, to let them be alone. Seeing that they left, she turned to Garet. His eyes were glazed, as if he was waking from a dream. Glancing at her, his eyes went wide with horror, probably seeing that she was both abused and upset at something. He opened his mouth to speak, only to shut it.
Why? She knew the answer even as she thought about it - he realized what might have happened.
"Mia, are you ok?"
She fought tears, hoping that her voice didn't waver; she needed to know what he saw. "Garet, what was it that you saw?"
If he looked horrified before, he looked a thousand fold moreso now... "I... I saw Alex... H..e was beating you..."
She stared at him, trying to see if he was telling the truth. She knew that he had seen him, but Alex beating her? Then she recalled what Isaac said - the room read the thoughts of a person and projected those thoughts. Then if Garet had seen her being beaten, then it was his own mind...
Inwardly, she smiled.
Grabbing him in a bear hug, she broke into tears, glad that he wasn't as big a fraud as she feared. For several minutes, they sat there, then left, following Isaac and Ivan...
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Garet held Mia close as they walked around the outskirts of the Lighthouse. He had feared that Mia had been beaten by his hands, but apparently, she hadn't. And that meant that Alex had, right? But why did Mia not mention him around? It was irritating that he had no answers to his problems, but time heals all wounds, right?
A clank behind him drew his attention, and he left Mia alone to go claim his sword, which had falled with his scabbard. Wierd... That wasn't ripped before...
A scream sounded behind him, and he whirled around to witness Mia falling, falling to her doom...
Running after her, he lept after her, only too late realizing that she had landed on a small ledge below...
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Alex sat within the Jupiter Lighthouse, his head in his arms. He hadn't wanted to leave her, but he had no choice. And he hadn't wanted to join Karst or Agatio, but he had to, lest they go on a rampage and kill them...
But her words still ached, like the needles of a Lion Fish:
"What do you want with us now, Alex? Or did you forget you were the one who abandoned US?"
He had barely been able to restrain himself at her words, wishing that he could tell her of his mission. But then Isaac and Karst would want to stop him, and that would only lead to trouble. He had not wanted to hurt her, and he feared that his response had only made her resent him even more...
And even Sheba had turned sour against him. He figured that Felix would tell her, or that she would read it from his mind. Surprisingly, he hadn't. Did Felix trust him that much? Respect him that much?
Or was he just trying to make him look evil?
But she had retaliated, words that struck him like the tail of the mighty Ice Dragons:
"You would steal someone's boat? That's so typical, Alex!"
"Can't you just stop talking about yourself for one second, Alex?"
"Alex! How would you know such a thing?"
"So the only reason Alex came here was to threaten us?"
He wished that she didn't lash out like that, that she could understand what he was doing. But he had no way to tell her and still finish his quest...
A scream broke his thoughts, and he realized what had just happened - Karst and Agatio. Only they could cause someone to screach out like that. Bu-
He realized that they had tried to kill Mia. Only Mia posed a real threat to them, as far as the so-called legends were conscerned. Though he felt no love for Mia as he did for Jenna, he knew that Karst had finally forced his hand. Once he left here, he would be sure to finish his mission -
And return any suffering delt to Jenna or Mia by Karst a thousand fold...
---------------------------------------------------------------------
...
Now to the reviewers!
Selena - Sorry that you feel that way... I think that one of the mood swings I had due to some gluten that I ate caused that last chapter... But how about this one? Isaac/Sheba Mia/Jenna Forever!!
Saturos Blueberry Style - Is it just me, or am I attracting Yaoi fans here? No offense, but I suddenly have realized the sheer increase in reviewers that are fans of that sort of writing... Anyway, thanks for the compliment! Howz this chapter?
Kyarorain - You do have a point there...
The Rain Child - See what I told Selena... And what about this chapter, which is, at best, a PG-13 (on the outside)?
Smurf Cat - O_o Sorry bout that, but since they were a pair earlier... And Sheba might get some later...
DARKC0MET - I think this is longer... How does it fare up?
And please review! I need reviews if I am to continue this!!!