A/N: I know I know…What happened to Sara? Where's Sara? Is Sara okay? Don't worry, you'll get your hints next chapter…I promise.
Chapter 19: Assistance
Genesis lay still in his cot. Things had not actually gone as he had previously planned, and he was unsure of how he felt about it.
What he had hoped was to show Sara her path, give her the jewel, watch her ascension and then spend the rest of his days faithfully serving at her side. Instead he had found the wielder to be a strong and willful person unable to except the place that destiny had chosen for her. Quite reluctant to toss off the shackles of daily life and become the deity she was meant to be.
When the bright lady had shown him his path, he too had been temporarily resistant, so he did understand her hesitation. But resistance as they say is futile. Genesis sighed softly, 'One cannot change fate.' The green gem enclosed in a fold among his robes reached out to this sentiment, throwing him once again into the past.
Genesis (then called Jeff Davies) slowly moved across the sands. Forcing himself to place one foot in front of the other, his body crying out in protest through the pain cursing through his legs and lungs. 'I will not give up,' he thought 'I will continue to move as long as the slightest life remains within my body.'
It was a legend, the fountain of the bright lady; a story made up hundreds of years ago and passed on to children at bedtime.
"The bright lady will look inside your soul, and if your desire is great enough she will grant your most wanted wish." This had been what the old woman had said to him after his family's funeral.
"She waits for you lost one, at the temple of Charmaine"
Jeff looked around the small cemetery. Was this old woman talking to him. "I'm sorry ma'am" he said politely "Were you speaking to me?"
The old woman had smiled at him and placed a flower on his wife and sons grave. "Follow the sun" she said and then slowly shuffled out of the cemetery and down the laneway.
Jeff shook his head, confused by the old woman's words but too grief stricken to consider them for more than a moment. It would take another week before he would learn of their meaning, in a small bar at the edge of town.
"Charmaine?" said the bartender, pouring Jeff another drink. "Which fool has been filling your head with such nonsense."
"So it is nonsense?"
"Myth, legend, nonsense, it is all the same thing"
Jeff nodded and took a sip of his drink, motioning for the bartender to have another one ready.
The bartender poured it and then regarded his patron sadly. 'The man had suffered' he thought, 'this was true.' But it was not just pain he was seeing in his eyes, there was also something else. 'Hopelessness' he thought, 'and a man with no hope will not last long in life.'
"Still," the bartender continued, "all ancient stories are based in some fact". He scratched his heavily bearded chin. "In all probability, the temple does exist…I am not much of a history buff myself."
Jeff raised his head, and the bartender laughed.
"Of course this stuff of granting wishes…I am not so sure. But if you did find the temple and the tale was true, pray tell what would you wish for?"
Jeff flashed back to the image of his family being crushed by the horse, and closed his eyes. His hands began to shake, and he had to put down his drink to keep from spilling it. " I would wish to change the past… if it were true, if the temple did exist." he said quietly.
The bartender nodded and then looked out the door at the desert that lay beyond the edge of the town. "And this wish of yours…is it not worth the trouble of finding out?"
Jeff followed the bartenders gaze to the sea of sand beyond the doorway.
"Follow the sun." echoed slightly in his ears.
A knock at the door pulled Genesis from his vision.
"Come in," he said gruffly, sitting up and rubbing his head.
The door opened a woman stepped into the room. She was tall and well built, with blonde hair and bright blue eyes, and she held out a file to Genesis as she came in.
"Here is what you asked for, he was quite easy to find."
Genesis took the folder and flipped it open to see it's contents. "He works for a…Kenneth Irons?"
"Yes, the billionaire, he is quite known in most circles."
"Unfortunately for me, I do not travel in these circles."
The woman smiled. "His company has it's claws in everything, media, pharmaceuticals, real estate, bio-technology, just to name a few. He also has some very lucrative military contracts."
"His connection to the blade?"
"None that is apparent, though it would seem he has lived an unnaturally long life."
Genesis read Iron's supposed age in the file and quietly agreed. "You have not included a photo."
"I didn't think it was necessary…he is not our immediate concern."
Genesis nodded and suddenly looked very tired, he rubbed his temples and his eyes.
"You should have called for me sooner" said the woman.
"You are probably right."
"I am always right."
Genesis looked up at her and smiled. "Do you believe you can deal with this?"
"Are you giving me the honour?"
He closed the file and placed it on a nearby table. "I am currently occupied."
"Then I accept."
Genesis nodded and the woman turned to leave the room. "Has there been any change?" she asked as she opened the door.
"No not yet" came the quiet reply.
She stopped for a moment and lowered her head. "I would have died for you, you know" she said softly and then quickly left the room.
Genesis opened the file again and looked down at the photograph of Nottingham.
"You may still get the chance."
The moment Gabriel had fallen asleep he found himself back in Japan. He was sitting at a low table across from Yoshinaka with Usagi to his left and Sara to his right. Sara was pouring tea and smiling while Usagi as usual blathered on at hundred miles an hour.
"Will you teach me to fight this time Yoshinaka? Tomoe says that I am still too little, but I can hold a sword and ride a horse, so I don't think so, what do you think Yoshinaka?"
Yoshinaka placed his hand under her chin and smiled at her. "I think that someone as beautiful as you, should not wish to be in battle, for I should never like to see a snarl replace the lovely smile upon your face." Usagi smiled and climbed onto Yoshinaka's lap throwing her arms tightly around his neck and burying her face in his hair.
"Do you really think I'm beautiful?" she asked.
Yoshinaka smiled at Sara/Tomoe who gave him a quick look of thanks. "Yes, little one" he said. "Of course I do."
Gabriel was struck by the resemblance of this man to Ian Nottingham. Yoshinaka was clearly Japanese, and yet there was an uncanny amount of Nottingham in his face. Especially his eyes, which at the moment were studying him carefully.
"You have not said much Hikaru, is there something wrong?"
"No" said Gabriel lowering his gaze. "I guess I'm still a little tired"
"He is always tired" said Usagi turning to sit forward on Yoshinaka's lap. "If it were up to him, he would sleep all day"
"If it were up to me, you'd sleep all day" said Gabriel sticking his tongue out at his "sister." She returned the sentiment with added vigor.
Yoshinaka ignored the bickering and glanced over at Sara who looked to be deep in thought. 'What is bothering you beloved?'
Sara briefly raised her eyes at his entrance into her thoughts. 'Nothing, my love…perhaps I too am just a little tired' she thought back at him.
'Come now Tomoe, how long have I known you? You can not hide your thoughts from me.'
Sara's eyes saddened as she realized that it was true. 'The emperor has declined my request, he will not give me leave to assist you.'
'I am not surprised' thought Yoshinaka, sipping his tea.
'He is still new to his post…he needs me to assist him…'
'Do not insult me Tomoe' thought Yoshinaka angrily, though on the outside he laughed at the face Usagi was making at Hikaru. 'It would be obvious to a blind man, the real reason he will not let you go.'
"That was a long time ago" said Sara/Tomoe aloud.
Gabriel looked over at her. 'Where did that come from?'
Sara was flustered. "He does not feel that way about me anymore, and you would do good to understand that."
Yoshinaka removed Usagi from his lap and stood. "I am quite aware of how the emperor feels about you Tomoe what I don't understand is how you feel about him."
Gabriel saw the look he gave her before he left the room, it was the wounded one Nottingham so often gave Sara. 'What did I miss?' he thought. 'Why are they fighting?' He suddenly heard a beeping sound in the back of his head which began to steadily get louder.
Opening his eyes he recognized that it was his computer, he had fallen asleep on the keyboard. Rubbing the side of his face he realized that he would have to pay more attention next time, instead of bickering with Usagi. As fun as that was, he couldn't help but feel he had missed out on something, something about the emperor.
Checking his phone he realized Sara still hadn't called him. It had only been a few hours, but she was usually pretty good at getting back to him. He contemplated calling her cell, but then decided against it. Having one stalker was bad enough, she didn't need another one. She would probably call him tomorrow, he didn't have to worry until then.
Jake came down the steps of Vicky's apartment building and walked over to his car. Sara never showed, and her cell seemed to be off. He was exhausted and going home to sleep, he had to work tomorrow, though if the storm hit tonight, it would probably be a pretty relaxing day; well except for the serial. There hadn't been another murder in a little over a week. And while it may have been a good thing it also had Jake a little worried…like the lull before a storm.
On the roof of a nearby building, Cyan had Jake in her sights, but just as she was about to pull the trigger, she felt a presence behind her. Turning quickly she dropped the rifle and pointed her Glock at the man sneaking up on her.
"Jesus Ian" she exclaimed, "I could have killed you."
"Doubtful" he responded. Grabbing her wrist with his right hand and turning his back into her, he drove his elbow into her stomach and then twisted her around pinning her arm painfully behind her back. Dropping to one knee she swung her left leg behind her freeing herself from his grasp as he moved to avoid it. She spun around and kicked him in the chest, then blocked a thrust to her neck and retaliated with a strike to his face. Ian blocked the blow and stepped up his attack, making Cyan work to keep his strikes from hitting and incapacitating her. Eventually she fell backwards and momentarily floundered as she tried to get up. Ian stepped over to her and offered her his hand. Breathing heavily she accepted it and pulled herself up. He bent down to pick up her gun and as he stood found a 9 millimeter pointed in his face.
"Ian" she breathed, "What...the fuck?…"
Ian flipped the gun in his hand and held it out to her handle first. "I am sorry Cyan, I had to make sure you were ready."
"Ready to get my ass whipped?"
"Potentially."
Cyan didn't know what to say, she had sparred with Ian before, but not like this. It was as if he had deliberately meant to hurt her. There were at least 6 places on her body that would be bruised by tomorrow. She lowered her gun and took the one he held out to her.
"You've been keeping up with your training," Nottingham said as he looked her up and down. "Your form has improved, but your reflexes are still a little slow."
"Well since I haven't seen my teacher in over a month…go figure." Her right arm slouched a little and she gritted her teeth against the pain. Ian reached out to touch it and she instinctively pulled away.
"Is it dislocated?" he asked softly.
"You should know" she replied.
Ian reached out again and this time she didn't pull away. He unzipped her jacket and pulled it carefully over her shoulder. It was dislocated, and Ian marveled at her tolerance for pain. Bracing her against his chest he pulled on her arm, popping it back into place, as she screamed.
Ian lowered his eyes, distraught over the pain he had caused his friend. But he had needed to test her if he was going to bring her into this, make sure she wouldn't end up dead.
"Cyan I need your help."
"With what?" she asked, slowly zipping up her jacket.
Ian didn't know where to begin. "It's Sara…" he said quietly. "…she's gone."
Cyan was confused. "Gone?" she asked. "Gone where?"
Ian lowered his eyes again and she suddenly understood.
"Oh my God Ian" she said putting her arms around him, forgetting the pain in her shoulder and that moments ago he had attacked her. "I'm so sorry…what happened?"
"That is still unclear" he said. "But I do know the cause."
Cyan stepped back from him recognizing the tone in his voice. Hers had been the same after her brother died. She gathered her bag and her rifle, briefly noting that McCarty's vehicle was long gone and turned back to Ian.
"Whatever you need?" she said.
"Thank you."
"But don't think I won't be dreaming up some clever way to get back at you for the arm."
Ian smiled slightly. "I'd be disappointed if you didn't."
"Good" she said emphatically. "And I promise it will be painful."
Ian rolled his eyes. "Drama queen" he muttered.
"Sadist" she muttered back.