Mecale awoke to the sound of screaming. Thinking that the shadow had sped up and was already upon them, she sat up quickly, her heart racing. The screaming continued and it took her a few more seconds to realize that the awful sound was coming from her. Mecale stopped abruptly, surprised and somewhat frightened. It wasn't even a minute before the door opened and her parents burst in.
"Mecale!" her mother called and ran to her side. "Are you all right?"
"Y…yes," Mecale answered, unnerved to find her voice so shaky, "I…I'm fine. It w…was just a n…nightmare."
Adrina hugged Mecale tightly. "Are you going to be okay?"
Before Mecale could answer, the door opened again and the rest of her family entered.
"What's going on?" Hitomi asked, "Is Mecale all right?"
"She's fine," Folken assured, "She just had a nightmare."
Once again, the door burst open and this time Kouji came into the room. He looked around wildly until he spotted Mecale on her bed and then pushed his way through the crowd to get to her.
"Mecale."
Adrina stepped aside as Kouji stopped next to the bed. Without hesitation, Mecale threw herself into his arms.
"Kouji!"
"It's okay," Kouji comforted and stroked her hair as she clung desperately to him. "It can't hurt you. It was just a dream."
Adrina walked over to Folken and smiled. "I think he can take it from here."
"But…"
Adrina put her finger to Folken's lips, hushing him. "Come on. Let's leave them alone." Adrina turned to her daughter and Kouji. "The two of you should try to get some sleep."
"Yes ma'am," Kouji acknowledged.
Adrina turned back to the other adults and they left the room. It took Mecale a while to calm down, but eventually she did and sat back down on her bed. Kouji sat next to her.
"You should try to get back to sleep," Kouji told her after a few minutes. "You need to rest."
"I don't know if I can," Mecale said, "I'm afraid the dream will come back." She looked up at him. "Will you stay with me? At least until I fall asleep?"
Kouji nodded. "Yeah."
Mecale crawled back under the blankets and Kouji followed. The air in the castle was cool and Mecale didn't want him to freeze to death. She cuddled up to him and closed her eyes. She was asleep within minutes.
--------------------------------------
Mecale awoke hours later to the sound of knocking on her door. She heard a servant calling to her and opened her eyes slowly. She was surprised to find Kouji asleep next to her. He must've dozed off not long after she did. She smiled and her attention was drawn back to the servant at the door.
"Princess Mecale!" the servant called, "I'm coming in!"
"No!" Mecale shouted as the door began to open. "I'm awake!" The door closed again and Mecale sighed with relief. Her father would kill her if he found out that Kouji had spent the night in her room.
Mecale looked down at the man sleeping next to her and found that he wasn't sleeping anymore. His eyes were opened and he smiled up at her.
"Good morning beautiful."
Mecale grinned. "Good morning Kouji."
"I guess I fell asleep last night," Kouji surmised, "Sorry."
"It's okay," Mecale assured.
"Well, I guess today is the big day huh?" Kouji commented.
The smile left Mecale's face. "Yes."
"Hey," Kouji said and touched her cheek gently. "Don't be sad. We'll get through this."
Mecale forced a smile. "You're right."
Kouji smiled back and sat up. "I'd better get out of here before someone finds out I slept here. I'll see you in a little while." He kissed her quickly and then left her room.
After he was gone, Mecale went over to her changing screen and put on the white dress her mother had given her. She then hooked her mother's sword around her waist and went over to the vanity to brush her hair. Once that was done, she looked at herself in the mirror. She was appalled to see that she looked like a scared child.
I'm not a child, she thought to herself, I am a woman and I am not afraid. I will save Gaea. I can do it, I know I can.
Somewhat inspired by her little self-pep talk, Mecale left her room in search of her parents. She found them in the main parlor with Hitomi, Merle and Zane.
"Good morning Mecale," Adrina greeted.
"Good morning," Mecale replied. She looked around the room. "Where are Uncle Van and Golan?"
"They are picking out armor for Kouji," Folken answered, "As soon as they return, we will have breakfast."
Mecale nodded and sat down on one of the many sofas in the room. About five minutes later, Van, Golan and Kouji came into the parlor. After they had entered, Folken stood.
"Now that everyone's back, we should have breakfast."
The rest of the Royal Family stood and followed their King out of the parlor and to the dining room. They sat down and a few minutes later their breakfast was served. As they ate, everyone was mostly silent. The air was full of tension and no one knew what to say to ease it. After they finished their breakfast, they all gathered in the courtyard outside the palace.
Still, no one spoke and finally it was Mecale who broke the silence.
"Well, I guess we should get going," she stated, "Time is running out."
"You're right," Adrina agreed, "The longer we wait, the more danger we'll be in."
Golan went to get two horses while Mecale and Adrina spoke.
"Mama?"
"Yes?"
"Do you think I can do this?"
Adrina smiled at her daughter. "Of course. I have faith in you. We all do."
Mecale nodded. "I'm scared."
"There's nothing wrong with that," Adrina assured.
Golan returned, leading two horses by the reins.
"I guess it's time to go," Mecale commented. She said goodbye and hugged all of her family, who in turn hugged her back and wished her good luck. After she had talked to everyone, Mecale and Kouji mounted their horses and started up the mountain trial that led to Zaibach.
They rode for about twenty minutes in silence before Kouji spoke.
"How are you feeling?"
Mecale looked over at him. "What do you mean?"
"What's going through your mind?" Kouji prodded, "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing really," Mecale lied, "Just trying to clear my mind and concentrate." In truth, she had been thinking about what she must do in order to win against the evil.
"You're lying," Kouji stated.
Mecale looked over at him in surprise. "What?"
Kouji turned away from her and faced forward. He started to turn back to her, then faced forward again. With a sigh, he said, "I know."
"Know what?"
"About the prophecy," Kouji answered, "Siri told me."
Mecale said nothing. Things had just gotten very complicated.
"Mecale, you're crazy if you think I'm gonna let you sacrifice yourself to save everyone," Kouji told her.
"I don't have a choice," Mecale whispered.
"That's not true," Kouji insisted, "Siri told me that one of us has to die to win. That doesn't mean it has to be you."
"Yes it does."
"I'm not gonna let you kill yourself," Kouji informed.
"And I'm not going to let you die for this," Mecale responded, "This isn't you fight. Why should you have to be the one who dies?"
"The Hell it's not my fight!" Kouji snapped, "It's as much my fight as it is yours."
"You wouldn't eve be in this situation if I hadn't brought you here in the first place," Mecale said.
Suddenly, Kouji stopped his horse and dismounted. He walked over to Mecale's horse and grabbed the reins, bringing it to a stop.
"What are you doing?" Mecale questioned.
"Get off the horse," Kouji instructed.
"What?"
Kouji released the reins and walked around next to the horse. He reached up and to her surprise, lifted Mecale off of the animal and put her on the ground.
"Kouji, what are you doing?"
"Look at me," Kouji ordered. She did. "We are in this together Mecale, whether you like it or not. And whether you like it or not, I'm not gonna let you die."
"What makes you think that I'll just let you die instead?" Mecale demanded.
"I know the prophecy said that one of us has to die," Kouji started, "But maybe there's another way. We should see what we're up against before we start planning our goodbyes."
Mecale smiled slightly. "Okay."
"Okay," Kouji agreed and hugged her, "Let's get going."
The two of them mounted their horses again and continued up the mountain trail. They fell silent again as they ascended the rocky path. As they approached the summit, Mecale felt the fear rise in her. She was suddenly very frightened to see what lay in wait fro them on the other side of the mountain. All of a sudden, she had the almost uncontrollable urge to turn back, to race back down the mountain and wait with her family for the end to come. Only Kouji's presence stopped her from going back and they continued on.
About fifty feet from the peak of the mountain, Mecale began to shiver uncontrollably. Kouji noticed and rode closer to her.
"Mecale, are you okay?"
"Y…yes," Mecale stammered, "I…I'm j…just c…cold."
Kouji looked at her questioningly. The temperature was quite high and the morning sun on their backs felt even warmer. Kouji had no idea how she could be cold.
After a few minutes, Mecale stopped shivering and they continued up. They were just about to crest the mountain when Mecale stopped her horse. Kouji did also and looked at her, waiting for an explanation.
"I can't do it," Mecale told him, "I can't look. I don't want to see it. I have to go back." Mecale started to turn her horse around but Kouji stopped by grabbing the reins. She looked up at him with eyes full of fear. "What are you doing? Let me go. I can't face that thing by myself! I'm only seventeen years old!"
Kouji dismounted his horse while still holding the reins of hers and stood next to her. "Mecale, you're not going to face it by yourself. I'm here with you. We're gonna do this together."
"I can't Kouji," Mecale insisted as tears began to roll down her cheeks. "I just can't!"
Kouji let go of the reins and once again pulled Mecale from the saddle. This time he held her tightly as she cried. "I won't force you to go. If you want to go back, I won't stop you."
"I'm so sorry," Mecale sobbed, "I just can't do it."
"It's okay," Kouji comforted, "You don't have to go. I'll take care of it."
"What?" Mecale cried, "No! We'll go back together and go to Asturia. My parents are smart, they'll find some other way to stop it."
"I'm not going back," Kouji informed, "This is my destiny."
Mecale shuddered violently at the word destiny. "How can your destiny be to die alone fighting for something that you shouldn't eve be involved with?"
Kouji shrugged. "I'm not here to decipher fate, just to live it."
"No," Mecale said and angrily wiped the tears from her eyes, "You aren't going alone. I'm not a child anymore and I won't run. This is my destiny too."
Kouji nodded. He was half hoping that she would turn back so he would be sure it wouldn't be her that was going to die. He was, however, relieved that he wouldn't have to go alone. "Come on," he urged and grabbed her hand, "Let's see what we're up against."
Leaving their horses to graze on the sparse grass, Mecale and Kouji walked hand in hand to the top of the mountain. On the other side, as far as they could see, was blackness. The blackness was so dark that it seemed to even dull the light of the sky to a dark gray. They only patch of land that hadn't yet bee touched by the shadow was a square about ¼ of a mile in length at the foot of the mountain. Mecale figured that by the time they reached it, the strip of land would be much smaller.
"It's huge!" Kouji exclaimed, "How are we supposed to fight that thing?"
"He's there," Mecale murmured.
"Huh?" Kouji turned to her. "Who's where?"
"Him," Mecale stated, "the evil. The shadow is just a cloak that he hides under to do his work. The actual evil has manifested into the shape of a man. That is what we must defeat."
Kouji nodded but said nothing. He turned back to the shadow and was shocked to see that it was moving, rolling and crashing like a black sea. Then out of the dark waves the huge face of a man formed. The eyes turned towards the mountaintop and fixed on Mecale. The mouth widened into a huge grin when he saw her.
"What the Hell is that?" Kouji demanded, surprised by the fear in his voice.
"That is him," Mecale informed.
"What?!"
"Come on," Mecale urged and turned back towards the horses, "We need to go quickly."
Kouji followed Mecale to the horses and they mounted quickly. Without a word, Mecale nudged her horse, sending it up the mountain at a gallop. Reluctantly, Kouji did the same and tried to hold on. They crested the mountain and started down the other side at an even faster pace. Kouji clung desperately to the saddle, praying that he wouldn't fall off and be killed.
The horses shot down the mountain like cheetahs. Down below, the shadow boiled and twisted, growing closer to the mountain. They were almost to the bottom when suddenly the horses skidded to a halt, nearly throwing their riders. Once they had come to a stop, the horses snorted and pranced around nervously. They refused to go any further.
"We'll have to continue on foot," Mecale told him as she slid form the saddle. Kouji did the same. The second the riders were off, the horses bolted back up the mountain towards Fanelia. Without watching them go, Mecale and Kouji started down the remainder of the mountain on foot.
By the time they reached the foot of the mountain, the shadow was only about one hundred feet away. Without slowing her pace, Mecale raced toward it with Kouji close behind. The shadow was pitching and rolling madly now but didn't come any closer. Mecale came to a stop a few feet in front of the massive black shape and Kouji stood next to her.
"Stay where you are!" Mecale ordered, "Don't come any closer!"
The shadow complied but was still twitching agitatedly. Suddenly, it's movements ceased and Mecale's eyes widened as she stared into the darkness.
Kouji tried to ask what was wrong but he found that his entire body was paralyzed. He began to order his body to move but it ignored him. The only thing he could move were his eyes. He looked over at Mecale and saw that she was frantically pulling at her legs as if she were trying to move them.
"No no no no no…" Mecale chanted as she tried in vain to move her paralyzed legs. He was coming, just like in the dream. She couldn't just stand there and let him pull her into the abyss. Mecale looked over at Kouji and saw that he was standing completely still. He was obviously paralyzed and would be of no help to her now.
She sensed him stop just inside the shadow. He was teasing her, causing her fear to grow while contemplating when he would step out but unlike in her dreams, she knew what stood just inside the darkness. This did nothing to ease her fears, however.
Just when she thought she could take the suspense any longer, he stepped out. He looked exactly how he had in the dream, except he was more alluring and handsome. Mecale found herself strangely attracted to him and probably would've stepped forward if her legs hadn't been stuck to the ground.
"Mecale," he whispered softly.
Mecale looked up into his dark eyes and the fear crept back into her. "Who are you?"
"I am your destiny," the man told her. The sound of his voice was so soothing that Mecale unwillingly felt herself relax. She was, however, perplexed by his answer.
"What do you mean?" All memory of her nightmares were gone and she waited patiently for an answer.
"I mean what I say," the man answered cryptically and held out his hand to her. "Come Mecale. It is time."
Mecale's brow furrowed in confusion and she felt a tiny spark of anger at the way he kept vaguely answering her questions. She was also appalled that she had almost taken his hand. "Time for what?"
"Time for your destiny."
Those four words echoed inside of Mecale's head, erasing all of the fear, doubt and anger, leaving only a feeling of total and complete bliss. Mecale smiled serenely. She felt detached, like her mind was watching as someone else controlled her body. She watched in curiosity as her hand stretched out to meet the hand of the handsome man who stood before her. Suddenly, a tiny voice in her head shouted at her to stop, to turn and run. She pushed the voice away quickly. Why should she give into the fear when happiness was so close at hand? He was right. It was time, time for her destiny.
Kouji watched in horror as Mecale slowly lifted her hand up to the man who had emerged from the shadow. No! his mind screamed, Don't do it Mecale! He realized that it was no use and the only way to saver her was to stop her. Suddenly, the feeling rushed back into him and he was able to move again. Thanking God for this small miracle, he ran between Mecale and the man, his sword in front of him.
"No!" Kouji shouted and swung the sword at the man. He easily dodged and glared at Kouji. "Stay away from her!" Kouji ordered.
"Foolish boy," the man growled, "How dare you stand between me and my destiny."
"She's not your destiny," Kouji told him, "and I won't let you have her!"
"She is mine!" the man snarled, "and you will not keep me from her!"
Mecale watched the exchange in semi-shock. Suddenly, the man lunged for Kouji. He tried to dodge but wasn't fast enough. The man grabbed the front of Kouji's armor and lifted him off the ground.
Suddenly, the dreams came rushing back to Mecale and she knew what was going to happen. Without hesitation, she summoned her wings and flew up just as the man tossed Kouji. They collided in midair and then fell to the ground. They landed hard and for a moment, Mecale thought she was going to pass out. Stars danced in front of her eyes and her left wing ached terribly. She dismissed them and the pain subsided.
"Mecale!" Kouji called, "Are you okay?"
"Yes," Mecale answered and sat up. She looked past Kouji and her eyes widened. She shoved him aside and rolled the other way just as a huge battleaxe wielded by the man from the shadow crashed down right where Kouji had been. The man lifted the axe back up and turned towards Kouji, leaving his back to Mecale. She knew this might be her only chance and she drew her mother's sword. With a shout, she rammed the blade into the man's back, burying it to the hilt.
For a few seconds, no one moved. Then the man dropped his axe and stumbled forward, causing Mecale to release her grip on the sword. The man stumbled again and turned to face Mecale. His eyes were wide in surprise and he looked down at the blade protruding from his stomach. He then looked back up at Mecale and she was terrified to see a smile on his face. She looked back down at the sword and saw no blood on it.
"No," Mecale breathed as the man withdrew the sword from his back and turned back to Kouji. He swung the sword at Kouji and Kouji clumsily blocked it. The man struck again and Kouji was just barely able to avoid the sharp edge.
Mecale watched as the two men sparred. The man was very skilled with a sword and Kouji was already beginning to get tired. If Mecale had a sword, she would be able to hold the man off longer, but he now had her sword. The only thing left to do was destroy the shadow by sacrificing herself. The only problem was, she had no weapon with which to take her own life.
Mecale looked around, hoping to find a rock sharp enough to cut through her flesh. All the rocks she saw were dull. She broadened her search and that's when her eyes fell on the axe. It lay where the man dropped it, a few feet behind where Kouji and the man were fighting. Mecale ran over to the axe and tried to lift it. It was much too heavy for her. Oh well, she thought, I don't need to wield it.
Mecale managed to lift it up enough so that one side of the blade was stuck in the dirt and the other was facing upwards. Mecale debated on how she should kill herself. Her first thought was to slit her wrists but she decided that her death would be too slow that way. She decided to go for the main artery in her neck.
Mecale reached out to test the blades sharpness when a cry from Kouji caught her attention. She looked up and saw dark red blood seeping out of a fresh wound in his left arm. She knew he couldn't hold out much longer. She pressed her finger to the blade lightly and gasped as it sliced into her skin, causing blood to flow freely.
The second that her blood touched the air, the man whirled around to face Mecale. Kouji took that opportunity to plunge his sword into the man's side. The man ignored the blade and sprinted over to where Mecale was positioned with her throat above the blade of the axe.
"No!" he shouted and kicked Mecale hard in the side, sending her flying away from the weapon. Before she could catch her breath, he was leaning over her. "What are you doing? You will not die before I fulfill my destiny!" The man lifted her sword up and brought the hilt down on her head.
Pain exploded inside Mecale's skull as the sword hilt added to the pain she felt from the kick in the side. Mecale's vision darkened and she fought desperately to hold onto consciousness. In the end, the darkness prevailed and she passed out.
The man stood over Mecale's unconscious form and looked down at her for a few more seconds. He then turned back to Kouji, a sinister smile on his face. He pulled Kouji's sword out of his side and swung both swords around cockily.
"Well well," the man sneered, "It appears as though you are unarmed."
Kouji tore his gaze from Mecale and looked at the man. He remained silent.
"You would've been better off if you had stayed out of my way samurai," the man hissed and slowly walked over to Kouji. "Now I will make you suffer before you die!"
The man swung both swords at Kouji. He dodged one but the other caught him in the shoulder. It missed his armor and sliced through two inches of flesh. Kouji cried out and grabbed the wound as blood pumped out between his fingers.
"Fool," the man smiled, "You still stand. Maybe if you beg for mercy I will end it quickly."
Kouji grinned. "Not gonna happen."
Rage flared in the man's dark eyes. "How dare you stand up to me!" The blades swung again but Kouji managed to dodge them both, although the movement caused the wounds in his arm and shoulder to scream in protest.
Behind them, Mecale opened her eyes and blinked to clear her vision. The pain in her head was throbbing, making it hard to concentrate. She saw the man and Kouji in front of her. The man now had two swords and Kouji was holding a new wound in his shoulder. Mecale got to her feet.
"You will not be able to keep dodging for long," the man told Kouji and lunged for him again. Kouji rolled out of the way. "Soon you will get tired."
Kouji jumped back as the blades slashed at him again. This time, one of them connected with the chest plate of his armor while the other one missed. Because of the impact of steel on steel, the man dropped the sword. He went to pick it up but Kouji kicked him hard, sending him sprawling. Enraged, the man rolled to his feet.
"How dare you!" the man shouted, "You will pay!"
The man lunged at Kouji with his remaining sword, Mecale's sword, intent on driving it into Kouji's stomach.
"NO!"
From the side, Mecale shoved Kouji out of the way with such force that he stumbled and fell. Mecale's own momentum threw her into the path of the sword. Her eyes went wide as it slammed into her stomach and out the back, burying the blade to the hilt.
"Mecale!" Kouji screamed from the ground.
The pain was unbearable and Mecale began to get dizzy. It felt as if someone had lit a fire inside her and now it was burning her alive from the inside. She looked down and saw that the sword through her stomach was her mother's sword and that the pure white dress she wore was now stained crimson. She looked back up at the man from the shadow, who stared down at her in shock. Suddenly, the words from the prophecy resurfaced in her mind.
The blood of the girl-child or the samurai will destroy the shadow and banish it's evil forever.
Mecale slowly moved her arms and grasped the hilt of the sword. Her arms felt leaden as she slowly began to withdraw the sword from her body. The pain intensified as the blade was pulled out and the blood flowed freely down the front and back of her dress. She held the sword in front of her and looked at the blade drenched with her own blood. She could no longer feel the pain and in one swift motion, she jammed the sword into the man's chest. His eyes popped wide as her pure good blood mixed with his pure evil body. The blood on the sword began to turn white and soon spread until the man's entire body was solid white. He staggered backwards as a bright light began to radiate from him. Suddenly, the man exploded into a ball of brilliant light. The light washed over the shadow, returning the land to it's previous existence.
Mecale looked around slowly and smiled. The shadow was gone. She had done it. Mecale felt no pain from her wounds and began to sway slightly. Suddenly, her ability to stand left her and she collapsed. Luckily, Kouji had seen her sway and caught her before she hit the ground. He laid her down gently and took off his armor.
"Mecale," he whispered.
She smiled. "We did it, Kouji. He's gone, gone forever."
"Don't talk," Kouji told her as he pulled off his shirt and wadded it up. He pressed it against her wound in hoped of stopping the bleeding. "Save your strength."
"My strength is already gone," Mecale told him quietly, "I don't feel any pain. I don't feel anything."
"No dammit!" Kouji exclaimed as he put pressure on her wound. "You are not going to die!"
"You knew this was going to happen," Mecale reminded, "Siri told you."
"It wasn't supposed to be you!" he insisted, "It was supposed to be me!"
"No," Mecale smiled, "This is my destiny."
"No!"
"Kouji," Mecale called weakly, "come here."
Kouji reluctantly abandoned his attempt to stop the blood flow and crawled over to her.
"I can feel my life leaving me," Mecale murmured.
"No…"
"Can you tell my family something for me?" Mecael asked. He nodded, afraid to trust his own voice. "Tell them, that if it's in any way possible, they should visit the Mystic Moon. If they do, will you show them around?"
"Yes," Kouji managed.
"Good," Mecale said, "and ask Lisa to take Siri shopping. I know she would love that."
"I will."
"Thank you." Mecale's face suddenly twisted in terror. "Kouji?"
"Yes?"
"I can't see anything."
"No!"
"I'm scared," Mecale murmured.
"I'm right here with you," Kouji promised and grabbed her hand.
"Will you hold my hand?"
Kouji looked down at the pale, scarlet streaked hand wrapped in his own. "I am."
"I can't feel it." Mecale took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Kouji waited anxiously for her to release the breath but she never did.
"Mecale?" He shook her gently. "No, please no! Mecale!" He pulled her lifeless body into his arms and rocked her gently as his fell into her hair and her blood soaked into his pants. "No! Why did this happen? It was supposed to be me! Please come back to me! Please! Mecale!"
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I'm so so SOOOO sorry for the delay in updates. I've been lazy lately and really didn't want to write. I got it done though and I think it might be the longest chapter I've ever written. Good news, I have the entire fic finished. After this, there is just one more chapter and an epilogue. They should be posted soon. Today at the soonest (but don't count on it) or Friday at the latest (more reasonable). I hope you enjoy!