- Chimera of Life -
Story Three: Remnants of Reality
Chapter Eight By Heartfire ~*~
Quatre stopped his pacing then glanced at the closed door… 'What is keeping her?' He checked his watch and saw that it was five past her usual time for breakfast… Quatre frowned. 'Now when did I started timing her?'
A frustrated hand went up to his hair to brush it back, sending his neatly combed hair in a tousle. 'Alright… remember what you decided to do… remember…' He closed his eyes and tried to shut away the images that threatened to overcome his self-control. He'd already decided to act as if nothing had happened… For one, he couldn't afford to have another dilemma on his hands… Trying to find that nuclear warhead data and Une's cousin were enough… He shouldn't let himself get distracted by a woman with a great body and an intelligent mind-
The door opened wide and Quatre's eyes flew open.
Yvan gulped. She'd been standing outside the door for the past five minutes, trying to figure out how she would act… But right now, every single hindrance she'd thought vanished at the sight of him… His golden hair, lit by the morning sunshine, created a halo around his sweet face that illuminated his eyes…
She suddenly couldn't breathe and wanted more than ever to be in his arms, just as she had been last night… Now she could understand why she had been so frustrated with him from the very start… It was because she knew she could fall for him and… she just shouldn't… She has a lot at stake… too much… But when she had a taste of him last night… God help her but she wanted more… She truthfully wanted more…
"Good morning." Quatre didn't know how he was able to talk and walk to the table while she looked at him like that, and he could feel that she was thinking about the previous night. "I hope you had a good sleep."
"F-fine… Just fine… thank you…" Yvan averted her eyes quickly. She shouldn't let anyone know what she's thinking… She could do it… She'd done it before… it's easy. "What about you?"
"I had a beautiful dream and a wonderful sleep. Thank you for asking." Liar! Liar! Liar! Quatre pulled the chair in front of him and motioned for Yvan. She complied.
'Oh? So you were able to sleep, eh!?' Anger suddenly enveloped her… To think that he was able to sleep after what happened…! What kind of an inhumane person was he?! She'd been tossing and turning all night long, unable to sleep!
"I was hoping that Brule gave you nightmares." She hadn't noticed that she had muttered it loud enough for Quatre to hear and her eyes widened when she heard her own voice. No! She didn't want to bring the subject up!
Quatre's eyebrows shot up at her words. For a moment, he decided not to reply, but his mischievous side seemed to have been turned lose and… well… "Oh, I did dream of Brule… then I dreamt that I was kissed by a Fairy Queen who sat beside a large white stone…"
Yvan paled while it seemed every fiber in her body was aware of him.
Quatre bent down to Yvan's hair and breathed in her strawberry scent shampoo… He couldn't stop as he leaned in some more and whispered just beside her ear. "It was a delicious kiss, too… I wish I could do it again…"
She shivered when his breath hit her skin… Why did it suddenly become so hot? She's burning! His tone of voice… his body so near… 'I am in so much trouble…'
He could feel her inner turmoil, heightened by his own sensitivity towards her. And although he liked talking like this, finally without the barriers of propriety that he was so used to, he was never the kind of man who pushed people around. "Then again… maybe it would be better not to, and just relive that one kiss over and over again." Quatre stepped back from Yvan's chair then walked around the table to his own chair.
He tried so hard not to look at her, but he could feel her gaze on him… Yvan could have sworn her jaw fell from what he said, but when her hands touched her lips, it was closed. Truth be told… cat got her tongue.
"So, where are you going to take me this time?" Quatre focused his eyes on his food. He cut. He pierced. He chewed…
'Oh…' She almost forgot! If she follows her plan it would be-
"If my memory serves me right, we are supposed to go horseback riding through the Alderian forest."
She could have kicked herself on her buttocks… She forgot that he has a mind for remembering things- she could distinctly remember him telling James where he last saw James put down his glasses… Darn! "Yes… we're supposed to."
"What's in the Alderian forest?" He snatched a look up at her and saw her frowning at her food.
Should she change plans? But if she does… it'll show weakness and not only that, but James will ask her why she didn't take Quatre to that place… For some reason or the other, James found out that she loves that place… Oh! Of course, she's being stupid… He's got spies all over the place. "You'll find out once we're there." She couldn't believe she didn't just tell him no… Oh well, better to get it over with as soon as possible…
…
"C'mon Periwinkle. Tsk. Tsk." Yvan brought her heels to her horse's sides for a trot.
Quatre reacted instinctively. "Dew, come on boy…" He shook his head as he said the name once again. His irritation at their stilted air was creating a toll on him that he just wanted to… to… complain! "Honestly! Whose idea was it to name these horses those names?! Why couldn't it have been Thunder, Lightning, Pegasus, or Bronco."
The angry mutter reached Yvan's ears, along with the horses' hooves' thumping sounds. Yvan felt her blood boil and turned around slightly to give Quatre a look he ignored.
"I named them. Do you have any problem with that? If you do, no one is stopping you from walking."
An embarrassed smile came over Quatre's face as that little fact was unraveled. Once again, he questioned where his manners went, and felt guilty. "I am sorry… it's not that I don't like horses, I love horses, in fact… it's just that those names are too… fairy-ishy."
Yvan felt a blush start to creep over her face. "And what is wrong if they are a bit fairy-ishy?" She knew that it was that way. She purposely did that because the place they're going to was… well… fairy-ish.
"Nothing…" Quatre bit his tongue to keep himself from digging a deeper grave. He let it run again and look what happened…! Why was it that he kept on stumbling when he's around her? He was never that callous.
Yvan saw a familiar sign carved out of a large tree and a wonderful feeling surged through her… They have arrived… Her anger suddenly disappeared, replaced by excitement, anticipation and more.
Quatre frowned as he felt a different emotion from Yvan. "Where are we?"
"The Alderian Forest…"
Even her voice sounded strange, as if with a hint of… suppressed excitement. Quatre shook his head. Maybe he was overworking himself…
"Stop now."
Quatre's horse started, and so did he, when the abrupt command rang out. His frown came down lower than ever upon his face as he stared at Yvan's back. "What is it?"
"Your history lesson, Mr. Winner." Yvan climbed down the steps. No matter how often, no matter what time… this place always makes her feel welcome, secure and so… not herself. It's got the hint of the Old World in it- oh so strong…
Quatre followed what she did and tied his horse. He had found most of the places they've visited to be of some historical value, and Yvan was most knowledgeable with even the smallest detail. "Yes, Ms. Matfei? What is my new history lesson?"
"This place was once part of the Carpathian Mountains." She motioned to the land with only a couple of mountains. Quatre nodded as he looked around then stopped when his eyes met the mouth of a cave… It felt as if… something in there was calling for him…
"Kiev had always been a part of Old Russia, but after the chain nuclear explosions from the underground secret base of the new SR government, and later on, continuous, and substantial seismic activity from the by-product of the man made hole to the earth's core, large lands were jarred and pulled apart, and therefore, seven new countries were born."
Quatre nodded, loving the way her face had taken an excited look, especially when she talks of things she's so fond of…
"That was almost a century ago. Arche had become a hermit country, not accepting foreign help, people or any of such. Nearly fifty years ago, this place was found after another seismic activity and since then, both researchers and historians have been interested in it… But, when James Morley came to power, he stopped research activities in this place for reasons unknown, though some said that it was because he wanted this land for himself." Yvan stopped then and watched the expression on Quatre's face.
"That was all very interesting." Quatre tilted his head inquiringly, though his mind was running a mile a minute. It could be that the nuclear warheads were inside. "Tell me, what had gotten the researchers and historians excited about this place?"
"Proto-Slavonic writing. A lost part of Old Russia's history, millions and millions of years ago… the time of fairy tales, witches, gods and goddesses… The Old Language of magic…"
Slowly, Quatre's right eyebrow rose… She expects him to believe that? Granted that he could feel how old this place was but… fairytales being true? He had faced enough reality, and his father's death to make him see…
The excited look on Yvan's face fell as she saw his disbelieving look and she quickly turned away from Quatre to move the shrubs away from the mouth of the cave. She's not going to let him spoil her day… No… Never! But why couldn't he accept such a beautiful part of history!? "Come inside and I will show you."
Quatre followed her and wasn't surprised when she brought out a flashlight. She pointed to the walls and he saw chiseled writings… bright ink coloring and seemingly beautifully preserved herbs and flowers, which he had never, in his entire life, seen! And having a biologist for a sister, well… he's quite knowledgeable on plants.
"According to the last researchers who came into this place, this cave could have once been the place of…" Yvan turned to face Quatre, her eyes full of excitement that he almost, almost felt himself believing, hanging on her every word. "A woman more commonly known as Sleeping Beauty."
The disbelief on Quatre's face now turned tenfold. "What are you talking about? Sleeping Beauty of Russian folklore…" Quatre frowned as he stopped himself. "Was she?"
The pure look on Yvan's face showed him that she was. "Most fairytales were based on Russian Folklore. But since Russian fairytales were too gruesome, some princesses' dies, or the prince dies, or both dies, well, other countries made it more appealing to children. You see, fairytales are supposed to teach people a lesson in life… Death is a part of that. By re-telling a story in a different way, altering the plot, then you also alter the lesson and it isn't as straight to the point as the first version."
"That's the thing. It's just a fairy tale. It isn't true. Don't tell me you believe them."
Yvan's eyes turned to slits. The tone Quatre used hinted that she was crazy, insane… stupid. "I can assure you that I know the difference between reality and fantasy, Mr. Winner. But didn't it occur to you that maybe these fairytales really did happen but was just duly enhanced by people's tongues? Maybe Baba Yaga was just a simple woman who was jealous of the Princess and really had no powers but the knowledge of plants. Maybe the Princess and Prince Ivan were truly just simple people with no titles but… oh forget it. What do you know…" Yvan gave up and turned away from him. Not even the magic she had once felt in this place could make her feelings turn back to normal. Why she was even trying to change Quatre's outlook? Why did she want him to see this place?
Quatre frowned. He didn't mean to laugh at her… He once believed in fairytales, yet after he saw too much of the real world that he quickly grew out of it… besides, 'How could two people just fall in love after an initial meeting? That isn't at all possible! And there had never been dragon bones found, nor was any dinosaur found to breathe fire.'
"Let's go back to the horses. I can see that whatever is in here will not be of any interest to you." Yvan passed Quatre and started walking back to the entrance. He didn't have to laugh at her… She was just sharing a piece of history- wasn't it that those researchers and historians were the ones who had said that? Wasn't it that the Egyptians had much history once thought to be a myth but was really true?
The ice-cold tone nearly froze Quatre and he knew that he'd hurt her, without knowing… How could he be so stupid with feelings? He never was before! "Yvan wait." His hand quickly reached for her arm to stop her.
"What is it?" Yvan stopped and didn't turn to face him.
Quatre cringed at her tone and scolded himself. "I want to apologize. I didn't mean to sound like a critic to history. You must know, it's a proven fact that humans have a tendency to feel disbelief and spring their defensive walls when they encounter new data. It's just a natural tendency."
"Your point, Mr. Winner?" She still didn't face him…
Quatre felt the need to shuffle his feet with the sand, the way he used to do when he was a child, but he didn't. "My point is, Ms. Matfei, I would like to see your Sleeping Beauty history… Make a believer out of someone, if you wish." His last sentence was said in the most joking manner he could do, and he hoped that when she turned back to him, she would be smiling…
She wasn't smiling, but her light lavender eyes did show him her happiness. She was proud of their history. And it was exciting to think that one fairy tale actually did happen! She was a bit hurt when he started laughing at her face through his tone of voice, but now… he sounded sincere about wanting to learn… It's going to be hard to get back her original excitement for the place, but she will try. "Fine… But I want you to promise not to- as the Americans used to say- 'butt in' when I am speaking."
The innocent 'who… me?' look that Quatre gave her nearly made her laugh but she quickly turned away from him before her face could betray her.
And so, the couple began their way deep into the cave while Yvan showed more writings upon the wall, preserved potteries, herbs, and many more.
"The people who could write then are our story tellers today. It is sad that half of this Proto-Slavonic language is unknown to our historians, but what little they did know, they were able to understand that there was someone worshipped in this cave. Someone deeply loved by the people and who was put to sleep by magic. The number of offerings, clay wares and plants, were enough to prove their point." She saw him open his mouth and quickly sent him a withering glare. Quatre quickly shut his mouth.
"I know what you are thinking and as I've said before, people then were quick to believe witchcraft or magic. That is already proven in many historical data… Look at Chinese history, Egyptians, or Aztecs…" She saw how he nodded and shrugged, seeming to accept her argument.
Yvan looked ahead and smiled widely as she saw that last turn… They're here… Her initial excitement finally came back to her, nearly making her want to skip to that place. And Quatre? Quatre could feel her bubbling excitement.
"What's in that last corner?" He couldn't stop himself from asking… Her mood change was making him curious.
"The center of the mountains, according to the historians who found this place. They didn't finished opening all of the tunnels inside. James stopped them before they could, but with measurements and old satellite photographs, they were able to conclude that it is the center…"
The way her words faded made him look up and he saw, through that single beam of flashlight that she held, a massive room… the back of his hair started standing on its edge and he had this distinctive feeling that they've entered a special place… Maybe there was a sleeping beauty once…
"Stay here while I light some of the lamps. Oh! And Quatre, close your eyes!"
In her excitement, she forgot to use his last name, and the way her sweet, out of breath voice said it… Who could resist? With a smile, Quatre did as requested. For each lamp she lighted, he could see orange and yellow sparks becoming brighter against his lids.
"You can open them now."
He opened them and saw what could easily excite anyone… a vast room full of beautiful stalactites and stalagmites that adorned the whole place… It seemed like a place remote of Arche… a special… fantasy place. Blue, purple, green and yellow colors danced here and there, and in the center of it all, a large flower of- if he knew his stones well- Quartz… A combination of milky, rose, and citrine, even amethyst quartz…
He couldn't speak, and he could be quite sure that Yvan knew that.
"Beautiful, isn't it…?"
He could only nod, too enraptured by nature's magnificence.
"This place had been beautifully preserved through all earthquakes, nuclear explosions and other natural disasters that you could not think of any reason for its existence but magic…"
Quatre nodded. He finally got a hold of his feet and he started walking forward, forward to the large crystalline rose in the middle of the room… Is the center of that rose flat? Was that where she was laid? "Maybe this wasn't Sleeping Beauty's… Maybe this was Snow White's…"
Yvan smiled. She could tell that he knew this was a special place. "Maybe they were the same person… they were both Princesses with Princes' and a witch who hates them- Quatre, careful."
She was quickly by his side, a hand on his arm to stop him.
"You're about to step on freezing water right there…"
Quatre looked down and he almost slapped himself for not seeing it…
"Don't worry- I did that once too… I wanted to go to the middle so badly that I didn't even notice that there was water…"
"Funny… it's not clear… it actually has the smell of the ocean…" Quatre bent down and dipped his hand into it, then instantly took it out. It was freezing!
"Well… it is ocean water… or salty water… The historians were quite baffled by it too… they supposed that when Arche was separated by its Motherland, ocean water seeped up this hole. Why that center hasn't fallen onto the ocean floor and why Arche hasn't drowned like Atlantis is still a question in the air."
Excitement bubbled in Quatre… He's as excited as a little boy in a candy store, darn it! It's fascinating… He wants to… He wants to… "Yvan, let's jump to the other side."
Yvan faced him with large eyes. "What? Are you crazy? I can't jump that far…"
"It's only five… six feet away… we could do it. Besides, it's just water… we have blankets and extra clothes on Periwinkle and Dew."
She herself would like to see the middle… and that twinkle in his eyes… How could she resist? A bright smile appeared on her lips and she nodded. "Okay… let's do it…"
He met her smile. "Good." Quatre offered her his hand and, without hesitation, she placed her own hand in it and they held each other. "Let's go…"
They walked farther away from the crevice, looked at each other, tightened their holding hands and then faced their destination.
"Ready…" Quatre breathed in deeply. He could feel her cold right hand in his left… could feel her pounding heartbeat through her thumb… "Go!"
They ran and just as they reached the brink, in perfect coordination, they jumped. She had closed her eyes but he kept his open and saw that they were going to-
Her feet touched hard ground and she buckled down to her knees. They let go of each other as their hands went in front to stop their fall. On their hands and knees, they faced each other with wide grins.
"We made it." Yvan whispered excitedly and Quatre nodded.
"I knew we could."
They stood up and noticed that the floating center was larger than they thought. There was about a space of three feet away from the crystalline rose and, almost instinctively, they reached for each other's hands before they moved on.
They reached it and the smiles on their faces couldn't get any wider.
"I knew it was flat in the middle."
"Me too… I always imagined it to be flat…" Yvan agreed as she touched one of the crystal petals.
"It's beautiful… I wonder how they did it with crude tools… evenly cut and beautifully polished …" He turned and saw her lay a hand upon a yellow quartz. "That's called a citrine quartz."
"It's a nice hue of yellow."
Quatre nodded. "This must definitely where she had lain… whether she was Sleeping Beauty or Snow White."
Yvan grinned. "I thought you don't believe in fantasies."
Quatre shook his head with a smile. "That's because you don't know me well enough… Sometimes…"
Yvan saw a serious look come to his face.
"Sometimes people need fantasies to get them through life… If you don't, then you just missed a beautiful part of life…"
Yvan saw the man underneath… a man who had experienced a painful past… maybe even more painful than what she had been through and she couldn't help but squeeze his hand, just to bring him back to the man he was a couple of minutes ago… What did she know about his past? Not much.
Quatre shook his head once again, almost as if trying to get back his bearings then looked at her, an idea seeping in his mind. "How about if you try to lie down on it."
Yvan frowned, not really understanding what he said. "Lie down on…" then she figured it out and quickly looked at the flat center. Oh she's tempted enough but… "No… I shouldn't…"
"Come on… I'll be the only one who will see it and I won't tell… I know you want to do it… No one's around to stop us…"
Yvan bit her lower lip as she contemplated… "No one… uhm…" Then she threw caution to the wind and faced him with a huge smile. "Why not? You won't tell, right?"
Quatre motioned as if zippering his lips and Yvan laughed.
"Fine. I'll do it…" They walked around the crystal, trying to find how to get through and finally decided to just step here and there through small open places in between crystals. Some of them were as tall as Quatre, and others were so tiny… They reached the middle and Yvan looked at Quatre for confirmation. He gave her a smile and a nudge. The width of the table- or bed, or whatever you wish to call it, was about three feet of crystalline. He saw her take a deep breath and then sat on the two feet high bed and lay down with a beautiful silly smile on her face.
"Well… it looked hard and it is hard…"
"That's good for your spine." Quatre joked as he looked down on her, hands over her stomach, entwined together… her red flowing hair, loose from its daily bun, was almost like fire against the milky quartz, and her creamy white skin, competed against it. That slight tilt on her lips, either from excitement, amusement or something else, made her look so much like a fairy on the verge of mischief… all she needed were wings.
"Hey… you aren't closing your eyes." Quatre said in a playful scolding tone of voice.
Yvan grinned like a child. "I'm closing it… I'm closing it…" Hasn't it been one of her fantasies to be like Sleeping Beauty and Snow White? Waiting for their prince to save her from the spell and find true love within her arms…
A sigh escaped her lips, her face now relaxed and she looked so much like a sleeping Princess - even in her shirt and jeans. Now, Quatre knew what made those Princes' hearts melt and do anything for their Princesses… He kneeled on one knee and bent to her face… and finally… met her lips in a soft, meaningful kiss…
Yvan's eyes opened wide and she stared into his face and for a moment, she thought about pulling away, but… as before, her arms went around his shoulders and she kissed him back, opening her lips for him.
When they finally ended the kiss, they knew that something had changed… something had happened… He met her eyes, and read the message in them just as she did the same with his… She would like to kiss him again, he would like to touch her again… So many things…
But there was something that was holding them back- or at least, one of them… Yvan closed her eyes to cut off their gaze. 'Oh this is bad…'
Quatre frowned. The moment was there, still… but she was fighting it… Couldn't she feel it…? They were the ones meant to be… He knew it… He could feel it and he's usually not wrong with these things… "Yvan…?"
"Quatre, you're a louse." It was said in a whisper as she sat up and turned away from him, emotions churning in her. She was just given a sight of her future… with Quatre… but that wasn't possible… "Why did I have to meet you? Everything was perfect then I just had to meet you…"
He wasn't sure whether she was complimenting him or not… He couldn't stand her being like this… He reached out to touch her but she quickly stepped back and he only touched air.
"And to think that you're doing this to me when you already have a harem back where you came from!"
"A harem?" The incredulity in his voice made her turn to him. "What harem?"
"You have 29 women with your last name! That harem!" She rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me that you've forgotten them all because of me. I will not believe you."
Quatre's right eyebrow rose at that knowledge and then, without anything else to do, he started laughing… His sisters will have a ball with this one! He would have continued laughing but he felt the need to explain. "Yvan, I do not have a harem. I do not have a wife. I do not even have a girlfriend! But I do have 29 wonderful sisters…"
"You expect me to believe that?" The question was coupled with a look given to him over her shoulder. How could a man have so many sisters?
"Yes." He sat on the bed and took her hand. When she fought his pull, he didn't give up and she finally let him guide her back to the crystal bed. He scooted near her while he took out his wallet. "This is my family after I met all of them." He took out a folded photograph and then, placing his hands in front of Yvan, opened them to reveal a ruler long picture.
Yvan looked at the picture curiously and saw Quatre right in the middle of the first row, with fourteen kids around him, and two rows of girls behind him and then about fifteen men at the last row.
"Half of them are married. Two of them don't have any children yet, the other fourteen, over my right side are the single ones and those are all my nieces and nephews. Aren't they beautiful?"
Yvan blinked. "You… you have a large family, Quatre Winner."
Quatre shrugged. "Yes… But we just started getting to know each other only recently… Our father separated us… he died during the war…"
"I'm sorry… I wonder how it feels like to be a part of such a family…"
The wistful note in her voice was his undoing. "Would you like to be a part of my family?" She stood up from him, almost instantly, and gave him such an incredulous stare that it made Quatre want to turn back time and take back those words. Besides, that was too near to proposing…
Yvan couldn't believe he just said that… and she couldn't believe her reaction- lightheaded and joy… Oh God but she must bring herself back down to reality! Think of James! "I can't… James…"
"What about James?" Quatre stood beside her and reached for her hands, entwining them into his… He's made a fool of himself already. There was no turning back for him…
"I… James and I…"
"Do you love him?" He needs to get that down first… He doesn't think that she does, and when she looked away, she confirmed it. His heart sang, and he knew he was caught… caught in something he doesn't want to be free of.
She couldn't answer that one without lying…
"Did you promise yourself to him?"
She felt her head shake even when she didn't want to answer.
"Then, what's wrong with trying… us?" He turned her around quickly and kissed her before she could protest. It was hard and demanding, not at all like his other two kisses.
Yvan wanted to let go and hold him, but she didn't. Placing her hands on his chest, she pushed him away. It was such a hard thing for her to do… but she had to… for her sake and… everyone elses'. "You don't understand, Quatre… My destiny doesn't coincide with yours."
Quatre felt his anger pushed. "Because you won't let it."
"Because I can't let it… I shouldn't… You wouldn't understand…" Yvan's hands went to her face in shame.
"If you just tell me, I probably would."
"You're not listening…" Yvan stomped her feet. How could she explain?
"I'm trying but you're not saying anything!" Quatre's eyes took on a look of anger and pain… Why does she force James in a picture where he's not needed? "Maybe I'm wrong about you… Maybe all you really want is power and fortune…"
She had to push him back and he just gave her a way out… "Maybe it is."
The hurt in Quatre's eyes slashed through her like a knife but she met his gaze until he finally turned away from her. "Go back to Morley's castle, Yvan. I'm staying here a bit more."
But… "You might get lost-"
"Is that concern for my care that I hear from you?"
His sarcastic tone nearly made her want to apologize but she didn't… Pride? What was her true reason? Until everything was over, she could truly have no happiness… could she?
Yvan turned away and stepped through the crystals, when she got out of that forest of quartz, she walked to the center, breathed in deeply then ran as fast as she could, putting her frustration in her sprint.
Quatre turned, not being able to look away. He wanted to be sure that she landed on the other side safely… She did, as he knew she would… He watched as she grabbed a lamp instead of her flashlight and then walked out of that place without a single look back at him… Then he was alone. He sat on the bed once again and let that feeling of loss and pain engulf him…
He didn't see how her steps faltered halfway down the tunnel… Didn't hear the sobs that escaped her lips when she reached the mouth of the cave… never saw how she hugged Periwinkle's neck and cried before she jumped on the saddle and finally ran away from a happiness she knew she had just wrecked…
{Author's Note: Disclaimers on many things in this story- two in particular are 1.) Quatre- because he doesn't belong to me- and then 2.) the Russian hint of fantasy and writing. I took the some ideas and the words: Sleeping Beauty, Prince Ivan, Baba Yaga and the Proto-Slavonic language from a beautiful novel titled Enchantment by Orson Card. But the others, such as the cave's history, the crystalline cave itself, and so forth, are mine. I hope you enjoyed these chapters. Remember, the Gundam boys are men now, the setting is 10 years in the future.}