Okay...wow! Only two chapters and six reviews! Awesome! Hehe, okay, I'm placing a small warning ahead of time; there's some slight (okay, there IS) yaoi in this chapter. If you don't read magna or see anime often, that means boy/boy love. Hey, who said this fanfic wasn't gonna have romance, eh? So...don't flame me, because I'm telling ya right now so if you don't like it, you don't read it.
Still cute as hell though, hell, I'd read it even if I was a homophone...which I'm not ^_^;;;
---Kurai
*~*
The Grand Tournament
Chapter 3
~*~
"No way!" Duran shouted happily, embracing Hawk, "So are we!"
"Alright! Hey, follow me, I just registered!" Hawk replied cheerfully and walked over to the side of the gate where a large orb was implanted in the wall. Duran blinked; why hadn't he seen that when the demons were after them? Hawk pressed his palm to the orb, which began to glow and the steel gate automatically opened.
Following the Thief inside, the party's eyes bathed in the sight of a large, exuberant hotel, and just beyond that was the Arena, partially crowded by fans and security.
"Doesn't the tournament start tomorrow?" Duran asked, and Hawk nodded.
"Yeah, but a couple of fanatics are trying to get in early for good seats. You know, the blood-splattering section." Hawk said, and Angela cringed.
"Sickos. Well, let's hurry and get to the hotel..." the Magus said quickly and dashed forward into the glass doors. She stopped and became stunned by the beauty of the hotel; almost everything seemed to be plated in golden brass, marble flooring, rich burgundy curtains and ivy growing on the walls. The front desk was ready for their arrival; attendants watching the magician stand in the doorway with her jaw dropped.
"...Yeah I know." Hawk laughed, and pulled Angela along to the front desk, where Duran and Carlie had already began giving their information.
"...and Duran Starknight. Three in all." Duran reported dutifully as Carlie twirled around in circles at his feet, humming.
"Alright then, if you'll please follow the Guider Light-"
"The what??" Angela asked, snapping out of her daydream. The attendant smiled.
"This." He replied, and waved his hand to create a sphere of light floating in mid air. The light drifted over to Duran who backed up politely.
"Sire." The light spoke quietly, almost in a whisper, "Do you have any baggage that I may be able to carry?" Duran blinked and the light and reluctantly spoke back.
"N-n-no, no thanks..."
"What about this? Is this not baggage?" the light murmured and lashed out a tentacle around Carlie and picked her up by her middle.
"EEEEK! Put Carlie down! PUT CARLIE DOWN!" the halfling screamed, wriggling to be free. The light let go of her and seemed to flicker, as if blanching in confusion.
"It lives? How can something so small live?" The light asked, floating down to Carlie. Carlie growled and smacked the light with her hand, sending it wobbling off to the side.
"I'm not that little! Carlie fifteen years old!" She squealed unpleasantly, crossing her arms. The light righted itself and flew back up to a normal height.
"My apologies. Please follow me." It spoke and floated down the hallway to a stairwell, and began to float straight up. The party followed, bouncing up the stairs quickly to keep up with the drifting being until they reached the third floor, which they then followed the light down a long hallway.
"You are here for the Tournament. I advise you to be cautious, I have seen many competitors enter the residence today, and they look quite fierce." The Light spoke tonelessly, stopping in front of a door, "Room 369. Here are your quarters." The light turned to the three companions and ejected three tentacles from its body once more to jab their hands lightly, "Now you will be able to enter and leave your room and the Main Gate as you please. Enjoy your stay." It concluded, and dissipated into small particles. Duran shook his head.
"That was WEIRD. That thing sounded like it had no emotions." He spoke, placing his hand over the orb similar to the one at the Main Gate, which glowed and opened the door for him.
"It's not living. It's just an implement created by the tellers at the front desk. Magic is very abound here, even though most fighters use swords." Hawk explained and halted at the doorway, "I need to get back to my own room, stop by sometime! Hey! Why don't we also have dinner tonight?"
"Good idea! It'd be nice to catch up on things." Angela commented and waved goodbye to the thief. Hawk waved back and headed back for the stairwell. The Magus turned back and fell in love with their room, which had the same designs as the entrance hall, only that there were three four-poster beds and a large glass door, which leaded to a balcony. The three companions saw that the sun had already set, and the moon had not yet risen.
"Carlie love this place! So pretty..." the half-elf cooed, and ran over to her bed and scrambled on. She began to jump as Duran set his sword down in the corner and turned to Angela.
"She's right. This place isn't half bad...it may be even better than Forcena castle!" Duran exclaimed, when suddenly every light in the bedroom went out. "Oh shit! Karma! I didn't mean it!" Duran wailed, but Angela fumbled for the door.
"Damnit, I knew this place would have a flaw!" she whined, and placed her hand on the door to open it. The hallway was also dark, and she heard another door open and close. Heavy clunking echoed through, and the swishing of clothing joined it.
"Blackout, naturally. I wouldn't be surprised if a demon was behind it, trying to steal something." A voice came through, which sounded vaguely familiar to Angela's ears, but she was too panicked to recognize it.
"Probably," the Princess replied, and fumbled with her staff, "I'll get a light..." she began to chant, and was surprised to hear someone chant along with her, once the spell was cast and her light appeared, she was startled to see another light pop up right after. When her eyes adjusted and focused, they soon after popped out.
An eerie silence followed.
"AHHHHHHHHH!" they screamed together, Angela's soprano voice combining with the other spellcaster's medium alto. Both lights went out.
"IT'S YOU!" she screamed, and ran back to the doorway.
"It's who? It's who?" Duran demanded, squinting in the dark. He was only able to see two dark purple orbs floating in mid-air, round with confusion.
"...Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit...of all the places in the WORLD..." the male voice spoke again, and his light flared. Koren's young face appeared in the dark, glaring at Angela, "Don't tell me you joined the Tournament."
"We did! And if I fight you, it'll be the end of you Koren!" Angela screeched, and the two began to fly insults at each other. Just as the lights flew back on, Koren and Angela were in a tangle of limbs; biting, scratching, pulling, burning, cursing...
"Hey! Get up!" a deep alto voice boomed, and Koren was picked up by the back of his shirt and dragged back, just as Angela was pulled back by both Duran and Carlie. Duran looked up in surprise to see the black mercenary, who he now knew was called the Darkshine Knight, pulling Koren back from the Princess. "No reason to start fightin' now, Koren. Wait until the...hey!"
The wizard broke lose and dashed toward Angela again only to be stopped by a long, wooden rod placed in front of him. But what truly made him stop was the sharp, curved blade at the end of it. He turned his head slowly to see a grinning clown face in another doorway.
"...Deathjester." Koren snarled and pulled away back to Darkshine. The Deathjester stepped out and bowed.
"Nice to see you Master Koren of the Red Lotus," Koren growled at hearing his most honorable title be mocked, "Nice to see you this evening. My my, did I interrupt something?" he asked, his high voice making everyone present shudder slightly. Duran stepped forward.
"Get back into your room. We have no reason to fight now. It's obvious we're all here for the tournament," everyone nodded, "So we should just wait until then to rip each other apart...okay? Peace until then." Duran blinked at his own statement, "What the hell am I saying...?"
"No. No, it's a fine way to settle things," the Darkshine Knight agreed, placing a hand on Koren's shoulder, drawing him back slightly, "Peace until then. Everyone agree."
Everyone nodded except for Koren who fidgeted slightly until Darkshine tightened his grip, then the wizard nodded as well.
"Righ' then. Let's just get that started then by having dinner. C'mon then." The Knight stated, and began to walk down the hallway, nearly dragging Koren behind him. The Deathjester hesitated slightly.
"I don't eat your food. I'll simply wake up my associate to join you instead." He insisted, and went back into his room. Everyone in the hallway stood silent until a large whapping sound startled them, then the muffled shouts puzzled them. Finally, the door reopened, and out came a young man wrapped in a bed sheet.
"I need sleep!" He whimpered and tried to dive back into his room, silver-purple hair flashing but the Deathjester caught him and turned him back around. Struggling, the Jester finally cupped a hand around the man's mouth and turned to face everyone.
"Heath! Act like a human bei-YEEOWCH!" he shouted, and yelped when Heath bit his hand, and dove back into the room. He opened the door back up and glared at his "partner".
"At least let me put some clothes on you idiot!" Heath shouted, turning red and slamming the door again. Deathjester shook his head.
"...He'll be at dinner." He stated and went back into his room.
Silence. Angela cleared her throat.
"Well...that was interes-"
"HEATHIE!" Carlie screeched and began to tug on the locked door, banging with her Morning Star and crying. Angela sighed and grabbed her staff, and began to use it as a crowbar to get Carlie off the door. The others sighed.
"This is going to get really really weird..." Duran moaned and shook his head, laughing slightly. The Darkshine Knight joined in lightly, then paused to check on Koren.
"...Koren?"
The young magician had turned the color of his cape, and had his head turned away from Deathjester and Heath's doorway. The Darkshine Knight's eyes went from their happy state to a confused, round shape.
"...You okay?" He asked, and poked his companion with an armored finger. Koren shuffled away slightly. "C'mon! What is it?"
"...He...he...uhm...wasn't wearing anything..." Koren mumbled, turned even redder, and dashed inside of his room, slamming the door. Duran blinked and began to laugh.
"Don't tell me he's..." the Swordmaster choked out between guffaws. Darkshine's eyes returned to their usual scowl, and Duran shut up instantly. Anyone would with a death glare from a hulking piece of metal that just happened to have a living thing in it.
"...Let's get ready for dinner." The Knight proclaimed, just as Angela had finally un-clung Carlie from the door, despite the fact she was still screaming.
"...Right. Meet you in ten..." Angela mumbled, shoving Carlie into the door with Duran right behind her.
~*~
Approaching dinner in fine armor, Duran stepped into the room and observed around him. Several warriors had already sat down, sizing each other up in the corners of their eyes. Angela appeared, wearing a slightly less revealing dress than her Magus uniform, and Carlie came prancing down in her usual white Bishop robes, not caring enough to dress up. Duran walked over casually to the service platform.
"Excuse me, can we get a table?" He asked, and the waiter blinked.
"Do you have reservations?" the waiter replied, looking at the Swordmaster with contempt. Duran blanched.
"Reservations?"
"Get out of the way you idiot..." Koren muttered darkly behind him and stepped up to the waiter. Duran scowled. "Reservations under Lotus. For nine."
"NINE? There's only going to be seven..." Angela began to argue, but Koren shook his head.
"Your friends are also here, I know that much. I thought..." Koren blinked and looked at his hand, "...I thought it would be a nice gesture to invite them..." he read tonelessly at scribbles on his hand, looking for the Darkshine Knight for approval. The knight smacked his forehead.
"Right this way, sir." The waiter bowed, and showed the party to their table. After they sat down, Duran began to look around.
"...These people don't look so tough." He said aloud, grinning. Several around him turned around and glared, making his table companions shrink slightly and Duran shake his head quickly.
"No no no! I don't mean it like that! I mean...oh shit..." he muttered as one began to stand up. Just as the man began to pull out his dagger, he fell to the ground in a flash of purple light, looking like a frostbitten fire survivor. Duran blanched and turned back around to see both Koren and Angela with their hands raised in his direction.
"Funny. I used Ice Smash, what did you use?" Angela asked, turning to Koren.
"Fireball. Interesting effect..." he stated, standing up to look at the charred and frozen character before he was dragged away by waiters. Duran gulped and looked up to see Hawk and a few other familiar faces approach.
"Hawk! Lise! Kevin! Glad you're all here!" Duran exclaimed happily, embracing all three at the same time.
"...Nice to see you too Duran..." Lise choked, managing a smile. Kevin was the only one who didn't seem to mind the bear hug.
"Duran! Long time see not! You still strong, me see, sit sit, we eat now!" he grunted, sitting down next to his friend, leaving only one seat next to Angela open for Heath.
The young mage soon approached and took the seat silently, smiling slightly.
"Sorry for earlier, he's not exactly the best person to wake someone up. He just pokes you until you get so upset you whack him with your pillow." He explained, setting himself up politely, wearing robes of silver, his hair neatly done with a tiara placed across his forehead, an Alexandrite stone hanging down. Only Duran noticed Koren turning away again, blushing profusely.
A few minutes went by, and the Mana Heroes told each other what had been going on, and their former enemies explained tournament rules.
"...Once you get out of the stone platform, you have ten seconds to get back in, even if you're seriously injured." Heath explained, taking a sip of water, "They're strict. And they allow deaths to occur all the time, not just knockouts."
"I heard that you set rules before each fight, so both opponents know what to do." Darkshine added, cutting into his steak with no trouble. Koren hadn't eaten anything yet, instead just fumbled with his food. Setting his water glass down again, Heath blinked.
"Not hungry, are you?" he asked, and Koren jumped. He was able to keep his blushing down and his voice remained slightly calm when he said he wasn't hungry. Heath nodded and turned away, covering his mouth with his hand. Angela looked at him to find the Mirage Mage fighting back a giggle. She turned to the Darkshine Knight and raised her eyebrows. Darkshine nodded, and Angela nudged Heath and nodded her head in the direction of Darkshine. The magician smiled and stood up, trading places with the Darkshine Knight, and sat down next to Koren.
The Crimson Wizard stopped moving.
"...If that's all you're having, you really mustn't be hungry," Heath chuckled and poked at Koren's meager plate with a fork, "Go on and have a few bites."
Koren swallowed hard and sat up straight. Darkshine's eyes flicked and Angela bit her nails slightly. Everyone else blinked; what was going on? The wizard picked up both fork and knife and began to cut the salad carefully into small pieces not missing one bit, until the entire meal look like a jigsaw puzzle. Afterwards, he set his cutlery down and turned back to Heath.
"...I can't eat this. I'm not hungry, I'm sorry..." he rushed, and stood up quickly and left the room. Heath frowned and nodded to everyone and ran after Koren. Duran shook his head.
"I don't get it." He stated bluntly, and turned back to his own meal. Angela sighed.
"...Eating's always been a struggle for Koren." She explained and played with her food a bit before eating. Duran paused before his next bite and set down his fork, turning to Darkshine and the Magus.
"You mean...Koren has an-."
~*~
"Anorexia? Someone as beautiful as you?" Heath asked gently, nudging Koren with an elbow. The mage blushed.
"...It's...it's nothing, really. And I'm not a beautiful person, trust me..." he explained, and Heath sighed.
"Well, you seem like it to me. Why are you doing this? You're like a stick figure. If I knew you before this you'd be way back to normal by now," Koren shuddered, "I mean, well, whatever you consider normal."
"It's always been like this," the wizard explained, kneeling over the railing on the balcony and looking at the moon, now rising above the horizon, "I never ate really. It only turned into a problem when I couldn't get up anymore to walk. I ate a little so I could walk again, then I met Darkshine who made me eat even more to get better...but this tournament..." he faded away, shaking his head, "...it's too much stress."
"So? When I'm stressed out, there's nothing like a nice pint of ice cream to cool me off," Heath replied, making Koren smile, "You just need to realize that being terribly thin isn't the best thing." Heath moved closer to Koren, now shoulder to shoulder with him. Koren bit his lip.
"...It's just..."
"No excuses. C'mon now, back to the table. I'll help you, okay?" the Mirage Mage offered, and Koren blushed yet nodded. Heath smiled, "It'll be okay-"
"-Can I at least not eat tonight? I'm sorry...it's just...too many people at the table..." Koren explained smoothing out his hair. Heath shook his head.
"Well...you'll still have to eat, I'll have food delivered up here." He explained and took one more step closer to Koren by putting his arm around him. Koren turned the color of his cape again, "What's wrong? Shy?"
Koren mumbled something, trying to conceal a smile. Heath laughed and nudged Koren slightly.
"It's alright, just wait here. What do you want?" He asked, heading towards the door. Koren turned around and shrugged.
"...Just...maybe just...you choose." He blurted out and sighed, walking over to a chair and sitting down. Heath nodded and winked at Koren before leaving to get him some food.
~*~
"So then..." Hawk chuckled, while everyone else at the table tried to regain breath that was stolen from laughing, "I took the Poto, stuck my fingers at the spot that makes their tongue flick out, and let it lick right in his-"
"May we have your attention please!" a voice boomed out. The room went silent, "Thank you. The round placements for the main tournament, round one, will now be announced!" a man with turquoise hair shouted, and picked up a list of names.
"First fight! Duran Starknight versus...Kaitoro Mekayoi!" Duran looked around for his opponent, and saw a young man with jet hair looking back at him, grinning menacingly. Duran snarled.
"Second fight! Kevin Bladeclaw versus Laini Lakehart!" Kevin blanched.
"Kevin...fight girl?" he asked in confusion, cowering down in his seat.
Heath paraded back down to the table and walked over to Angela and Darkshine, "He's eating in my room...what's going on?"
"They're announcing the fights..." Angela explained and leaned back in her chair. Heath waited.
"Third fight! Koren Ryutei versus...Jagan!"
"JAGAN'S HERE?" Hawk and Lise shouted together, making the whole room turn around at them. They sat back down and faced each other, whispering. Heath let out a long sigh.
"Fourth fight! Heath Lightflare versus Quinn Ravenlock!"
Heath quickly found his opponent; a green haired young man who smiled and played with his earrings, dangling down from sharply pointed ears.
"By the Gods, he's an elf..." Heath murmured.
"Fifth Fight! Hawk Hadarei versus The Darkshine Knight!"
Both warriors glanced at each other, showing signs of dissapointment.
"...Best man win, sir." Darkshine stated, and Hawk nodded softly.
"And sixth fight...Lise Prismfeather against Vendice Silverstroke!"
Lise glanced around and was shocked to find a female beastwoman looking straight at her, slightly snarling. Lise glared and placed a hand on her knife concealed in her boot.
"That is all for Round One! All others will be placed upon defeats in the first round! That's all!" he finished, and stepped off the podium. The usual chatter started up again.
"Here you go, sir." A waiter said, handing Heath two plates with steak on one and chicken on the other. Heath smiled at the waiter and then at his new friends.
"Here goes." He sighed and started back up to his room. Duran shuffled slightly.
"I...man...I feel like shit all of a sudden...like something on the bottom of someone's boot." He muttered, shaking his head, "Koren is a jackass, yeah, but I don't think anyone deserves to treat themselves like that. Maybe not even him. I dunno."
"It's a disease, Duran..." Darkshine commented, "It's so advanced, Koren can't help it anymore. I'm glad he has at least placed some trust in Heath to help him eat."
"...I guess so." Duran replied and sighed again, "Well, let's get to bed, everything starts tomorrow!" he picked up his glass, "a toast to a great Tournament!"
"CHEERS!!!"
~*~
"Just one more bite. Then you'd have eaten half. And that's alright for tonight." Heath cooed, watching Koren slowly bring the fork to his mouth, hand trembling. After placing the bite in his mouth, he covered his chewing motions with his hand and swallowed carefully. He then pushed away the plate and sighed, taking a sip of water.
"Good job!" Heath cheered and scooted over to hug Koren. Koren nearly fell into shock, but managed to hug back.
"I'm very happy, Koren! You get a treat." Heath exclaimed happily. Koren hesitated.
"...Like...dessert? No thank you, I never touch-"
"I mean something else." Heath giggled, and leaned over to kiss Koren lightly on the lips. Koren felt his entire body burn as if on fire, but regained control and began to kiss back. When they finally released, he blushed again.
"...I'm sorry......I..."
"Why are you sorry? Don't apologize, I was the one who kissed you..." Heath whispered and captured Koren's lips again. Koren relaxed and let himself enjoy the moment.
~*~
"Can I stay in your room tonight?" the Darkshine Knight muttered to a sleepy Deathjester.
"Where's Heath...?"
"In my room."
"Why? ...Oh..." he laughed quietly and nodded, "Go on, go on, let them enjoy their sweet time."
*~*
AWWW. Well, I warned ya! Hey y'all, I'm a fangirl, I need to have my bishies hook up! Hehe...well, review, don't flame or else I'll flame you! ((takes up Ryusama's flamethrower and cackles))
But still review!
Still cute as hell though, hell, I'd read it even if I was a homophone...which I'm not ^_^;;;
---Kurai
*~*
The Grand Tournament
Chapter 3
~*~
"No way!" Duran shouted happily, embracing Hawk, "So are we!"
"Alright! Hey, follow me, I just registered!" Hawk replied cheerfully and walked over to the side of the gate where a large orb was implanted in the wall. Duran blinked; why hadn't he seen that when the demons were after them? Hawk pressed his palm to the orb, which began to glow and the steel gate automatically opened.
Following the Thief inside, the party's eyes bathed in the sight of a large, exuberant hotel, and just beyond that was the Arena, partially crowded by fans and security.
"Doesn't the tournament start tomorrow?" Duran asked, and Hawk nodded.
"Yeah, but a couple of fanatics are trying to get in early for good seats. You know, the blood-splattering section." Hawk said, and Angela cringed.
"Sickos. Well, let's hurry and get to the hotel..." the Magus said quickly and dashed forward into the glass doors. She stopped and became stunned by the beauty of the hotel; almost everything seemed to be plated in golden brass, marble flooring, rich burgundy curtains and ivy growing on the walls. The front desk was ready for their arrival; attendants watching the magician stand in the doorway with her jaw dropped.
"...Yeah I know." Hawk laughed, and pulled Angela along to the front desk, where Duran and Carlie had already began giving their information.
"...and Duran Starknight. Three in all." Duran reported dutifully as Carlie twirled around in circles at his feet, humming.
"Alright then, if you'll please follow the Guider Light-"
"The what??" Angela asked, snapping out of her daydream. The attendant smiled.
"This." He replied, and waved his hand to create a sphere of light floating in mid air. The light drifted over to Duran who backed up politely.
"Sire." The light spoke quietly, almost in a whisper, "Do you have any baggage that I may be able to carry?" Duran blinked and the light and reluctantly spoke back.
"N-n-no, no thanks..."
"What about this? Is this not baggage?" the light murmured and lashed out a tentacle around Carlie and picked her up by her middle.
"EEEEK! Put Carlie down! PUT CARLIE DOWN!" the halfling screamed, wriggling to be free. The light let go of her and seemed to flicker, as if blanching in confusion.
"It lives? How can something so small live?" The light asked, floating down to Carlie. Carlie growled and smacked the light with her hand, sending it wobbling off to the side.
"I'm not that little! Carlie fifteen years old!" She squealed unpleasantly, crossing her arms. The light righted itself and flew back up to a normal height.
"My apologies. Please follow me." It spoke and floated down the hallway to a stairwell, and began to float straight up. The party followed, bouncing up the stairs quickly to keep up with the drifting being until they reached the third floor, which they then followed the light down a long hallway.
"You are here for the Tournament. I advise you to be cautious, I have seen many competitors enter the residence today, and they look quite fierce." The Light spoke tonelessly, stopping in front of a door, "Room 369. Here are your quarters." The light turned to the three companions and ejected three tentacles from its body once more to jab their hands lightly, "Now you will be able to enter and leave your room and the Main Gate as you please. Enjoy your stay." It concluded, and dissipated into small particles. Duran shook his head.
"That was WEIRD. That thing sounded like it had no emotions." He spoke, placing his hand over the orb similar to the one at the Main Gate, which glowed and opened the door for him.
"It's not living. It's just an implement created by the tellers at the front desk. Magic is very abound here, even though most fighters use swords." Hawk explained and halted at the doorway, "I need to get back to my own room, stop by sometime! Hey! Why don't we also have dinner tonight?"
"Good idea! It'd be nice to catch up on things." Angela commented and waved goodbye to the thief. Hawk waved back and headed back for the stairwell. The Magus turned back and fell in love with their room, which had the same designs as the entrance hall, only that there were three four-poster beds and a large glass door, which leaded to a balcony. The three companions saw that the sun had already set, and the moon had not yet risen.
"Carlie love this place! So pretty..." the half-elf cooed, and ran over to her bed and scrambled on. She began to jump as Duran set his sword down in the corner and turned to Angela.
"She's right. This place isn't half bad...it may be even better than Forcena castle!" Duran exclaimed, when suddenly every light in the bedroom went out. "Oh shit! Karma! I didn't mean it!" Duran wailed, but Angela fumbled for the door.
"Damnit, I knew this place would have a flaw!" she whined, and placed her hand on the door to open it. The hallway was also dark, and she heard another door open and close. Heavy clunking echoed through, and the swishing of clothing joined it.
"Blackout, naturally. I wouldn't be surprised if a demon was behind it, trying to steal something." A voice came through, which sounded vaguely familiar to Angela's ears, but she was too panicked to recognize it.
"Probably," the Princess replied, and fumbled with her staff, "I'll get a light..." she began to chant, and was surprised to hear someone chant along with her, once the spell was cast and her light appeared, she was startled to see another light pop up right after. When her eyes adjusted and focused, they soon after popped out.
An eerie silence followed.
"AHHHHHHHHH!" they screamed together, Angela's soprano voice combining with the other spellcaster's medium alto. Both lights went out.
"IT'S YOU!" she screamed, and ran back to the doorway.
"It's who? It's who?" Duran demanded, squinting in the dark. He was only able to see two dark purple orbs floating in mid-air, round with confusion.
"...Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit...of all the places in the WORLD..." the male voice spoke again, and his light flared. Koren's young face appeared in the dark, glaring at Angela, "Don't tell me you joined the Tournament."
"We did! And if I fight you, it'll be the end of you Koren!" Angela screeched, and the two began to fly insults at each other. Just as the lights flew back on, Koren and Angela were in a tangle of limbs; biting, scratching, pulling, burning, cursing...
"Hey! Get up!" a deep alto voice boomed, and Koren was picked up by the back of his shirt and dragged back, just as Angela was pulled back by both Duran and Carlie. Duran looked up in surprise to see the black mercenary, who he now knew was called the Darkshine Knight, pulling Koren back from the Princess. "No reason to start fightin' now, Koren. Wait until the...hey!"
The wizard broke lose and dashed toward Angela again only to be stopped by a long, wooden rod placed in front of him. But what truly made him stop was the sharp, curved blade at the end of it. He turned his head slowly to see a grinning clown face in another doorway.
"...Deathjester." Koren snarled and pulled away back to Darkshine. The Deathjester stepped out and bowed.
"Nice to see you Master Koren of the Red Lotus," Koren growled at hearing his most honorable title be mocked, "Nice to see you this evening. My my, did I interrupt something?" he asked, his high voice making everyone present shudder slightly. Duran stepped forward.
"Get back into your room. We have no reason to fight now. It's obvious we're all here for the tournament," everyone nodded, "So we should just wait until then to rip each other apart...okay? Peace until then." Duran blinked at his own statement, "What the hell am I saying...?"
"No. No, it's a fine way to settle things," the Darkshine Knight agreed, placing a hand on Koren's shoulder, drawing him back slightly, "Peace until then. Everyone agree."
Everyone nodded except for Koren who fidgeted slightly until Darkshine tightened his grip, then the wizard nodded as well.
"Righ' then. Let's just get that started then by having dinner. C'mon then." The Knight stated, and began to walk down the hallway, nearly dragging Koren behind him. The Deathjester hesitated slightly.
"I don't eat your food. I'll simply wake up my associate to join you instead." He insisted, and went back into his room. Everyone in the hallway stood silent until a large whapping sound startled them, then the muffled shouts puzzled them. Finally, the door reopened, and out came a young man wrapped in a bed sheet.
"I need sleep!" He whimpered and tried to dive back into his room, silver-purple hair flashing but the Deathjester caught him and turned him back around. Struggling, the Jester finally cupped a hand around the man's mouth and turned to face everyone.
"Heath! Act like a human bei-YEEOWCH!" he shouted, and yelped when Heath bit his hand, and dove back into the room. He opened the door back up and glared at his "partner".
"At least let me put some clothes on you idiot!" Heath shouted, turning red and slamming the door again. Deathjester shook his head.
"...He'll be at dinner." He stated and went back into his room.
Silence. Angela cleared her throat.
"Well...that was interes-"
"HEATHIE!" Carlie screeched and began to tug on the locked door, banging with her Morning Star and crying. Angela sighed and grabbed her staff, and began to use it as a crowbar to get Carlie off the door. The others sighed.
"This is going to get really really weird..." Duran moaned and shook his head, laughing slightly. The Darkshine Knight joined in lightly, then paused to check on Koren.
"...Koren?"
The young magician had turned the color of his cape, and had his head turned away from Deathjester and Heath's doorway. The Darkshine Knight's eyes went from their happy state to a confused, round shape.
"...You okay?" He asked, and poked his companion with an armored finger. Koren shuffled away slightly. "C'mon! What is it?"
"...He...he...uhm...wasn't wearing anything..." Koren mumbled, turned even redder, and dashed inside of his room, slamming the door. Duran blinked and began to laugh.
"Don't tell me he's..." the Swordmaster choked out between guffaws. Darkshine's eyes returned to their usual scowl, and Duran shut up instantly. Anyone would with a death glare from a hulking piece of metal that just happened to have a living thing in it.
"...Let's get ready for dinner." The Knight proclaimed, just as Angela had finally un-clung Carlie from the door, despite the fact she was still screaming.
"...Right. Meet you in ten..." Angela mumbled, shoving Carlie into the door with Duran right behind her.
~*~
Approaching dinner in fine armor, Duran stepped into the room and observed around him. Several warriors had already sat down, sizing each other up in the corners of their eyes. Angela appeared, wearing a slightly less revealing dress than her Magus uniform, and Carlie came prancing down in her usual white Bishop robes, not caring enough to dress up. Duran walked over casually to the service platform.
"Excuse me, can we get a table?" He asked, and the waiter blinked.
"Do you have reservations?" the waiter replied, looking at the Swordmaster with contempt. Duran blanched.
"Reservations?"
"Get out of the way you idiot..." Koren muttered darkly behind him and stepped up to the waiter. Duran scowled. "Reservations under Lotus. For nine."
"NINE? There's only going to be seven..." Angela began to argue, but Koren shook his head.
"Your friends are also here, I know that much. I thought..." Koren blinked and looked at his hand, "...I thought it would be a nice gesture to invite them..." he read tonelessly at scribbles on his hand, looking for the Darkshine Knight for approval. The knight smacked his forehead.
"Right this way, sir." The waiter bowed, and showed the party to their table. After they sat down, Duran began to look around.
"...These people don't look so tough." He said aloud, grinning. Several around him turned around and glared, making his table companions shrink slightly and Duran shake his head quickly.
"No no no! I don't mean it like that! I mean...oh shit..." he muttered as one began to stand up. Just as the man began to pull out his dagger, he fell to the ground in a flash of purple light, looking like a frostbitten fire survivor. Duran blanched and turned back around to see both Koren and Angela with their hands raised in his direction.
"Funny. I used Ice Smash, what did you use?" Angela asked, turning to Koren.
"Fireball. Interesting effect..." he stated, standing up to look at the charred and frozen character before he was dragged away by waiters. Duran gulped and looked up to see Hawk and a few other familiar faces approach.
"Hawk! Lise! Kevin! Glad you're all here!" Duran exclaimed happily, embracing all three at the same time.
"...Nice to see you too Duran..." Lise choked, managing a smile. Kevin was the only one who didn't seem to mind the bear hug.
"Duran! Long time see not! You still strong, me see, sit sit, we eat now!" he grunted, sitting down next to his friend, leaving only one seat next to Angela open for Heath.
The young mage soon approached and took the seat silently, smiling slightly.
"Sorry for earlier, he's not exactly the best person to wake someone up. He just pokes you until you get so upset you whack him with your pillow." He explained, setting himself up politely, wearing robes of silver, his hair neatly done with a tiara placed across his forehead, an Alexandrite stone hanging down. Only Duran noticed Koren turning away again, blushing profusely.
A few minutes went by, and the Mana Heroes told each other what had been going on, and their former enemies explained tournament rules.
"...Once you get out of the stone platform, you have ten seconds to get back in, even if you're seriously injured." Heath explained, taking a sip of water, "They're strict. And they allow deaths to occur all the time, not just knockouts."
"I heard that you set rules before each fight, so both opponents know what to do." Darkshine added, cutting into his steak with no trouble. Koren hadn't eaten anything yet, instead just fumbled with his food. Setting his water glass down again, Heath blinked.
"Not hungry, are you?" he asked, and Koren jumped. He was able to keep his blushing down and his voice remained slightly calm when he said he wasn't hungry. Heath nodded and turned away, covering his mouth with his hand. Angela looked at him to find the Mirage Mage fighting back a giggle. She turned to the Darkshine Knight and raised her eyebrows. Darkshine nodded, and Angela nudged Heath and nodded her head in the direction of Darkshine. The magician smiled and stood up, trading places with the Darkshine Knight, and sat down next to Koren.
The Crimson Wizard stopped moving.
"...If that's all you're having, you really mustn't be hungry," Heath chuckled and poked at Koren's meager plate with a fork, "Go on and have a few bites."
Koren swallowed hard and sat up straight. Darkshine's eyes flicked and Angela bit her nails slightly. Everyone else blinked; what was going on? The wizard picked up both fork and knife and began to cut the salad carefully into small pieces not missing one bit, until the entire meal look like a jigsaw puzzle. Afterwards, he set his cutlery down and turned back to Heath.
"...I can't eat this. I'm not hungry, I'm sorry..." he rushed, and stood up quickly and left the room. Heath frowned and nodded to everyone and ran after Koren. Duran shook his head.
"I don't get it." He stated bluntly, and turned back to his own meal. Angela sighed.
"...Eating's always been a struggle for Koren." She explained and played with her food a bit before eating. Duran paused before his next bite and set down his fork, turning to Darkshine and the Magus.
"You mean...Koren has an-."
~*~
"Anorexia? Someone as beautiful as you?" Heath asked gently, nudging Koren with an elbow. The mage blushed.
"...It's...it's nothing, really. And I'm not a beautiful person, trust me..." he explained, and Heath sighed.
"Well, you seem like it to me. Why are you doing this? You're like a stick figure. If I knew you before this you'd be way back to normal by now," Koren shuddered, "I mean, well, whatever you consider normal."
"It's always been like this," the wizard explained, kneeling over the railing on the balcony and looking at the moon, now rising above the horizon, "I never ate really. It only turned into a problem when I couldn't get up anymore to walk. I ate a little so I could walk again, then I met Darkshine who made me eat even more to get better...but this tournament..." he faded away, shaking his head, "...it's too much stress."
"So? When I'm stressed out, there's nothing like a nice pint of ice cream to cool me off," Heath replied, making Koren smile, "You just need to realize that being terribly thin isn't the best thing." Heath moved closer to Koren, now shoulder to shoulder with him. Koren bit his lip.
"...It's just..."
"No excuses. C'mon now, back to the table. I'll help you, okay?" the Mirage Mage offered, and Koren blushed yet nodded. Heath smiled, "It'll be okay-"
"-Can I at least not eat tonight? I'm sorry...it's just...too many people at the table..." Koren explained smoothing out his hair. Heath shook his head.
"Well...you'll still have to eat, I'll have food delivered up here." He explained and took one more step closer to Koren by putting his arm around him. Koren turned the color of his cape again, "What's wrong? Shy?"
Koren mumbled something, trying to conceal a smile. Heath laughed and nudged Koren slightly.
"It's alright, just wait here. What do you want?" He asked, heading towards the door. Koren turned around and shrugged.
"...Just...maybe just...you choose." He blurted out and sighed, walking over to a chair and sitting down. Heath nodded and winked at Koren before leaving to get him some food.
~*~
"So then..." Hawk chuckled, while everyone else at the table tried to regain breath that was stolen from laughing, "I took the Poto, stuck my fingers at the spot that makes their tongue flick out, and let it lick right in his-"
"May we have your attention please!" a voice boomed out. The room went silent, "Thank you. The round placements for the main tournament, round one, will now be announced!" a man with turquoise hair shouted, and picked up a list of names.
"First fight! Duran Starknight versus...Kaitoro Mekayoi!" Duran looked around for his opponent, and saw a young man with jet hair looking back at him, grinning menacingly. Duran snarled.
"Second fight! Kevin Bladeclaw versus Laini Lakehart!" Kevin blanched.
"Kevin...fight girl?" he asked in confusion, cowering down in his seat.
Heath paraded back down to the table and walked over to Angela and Darkshine, "He's eating in my room...what's going on?"
"They're announcing the fights..." Angela explained and leaned back in her chair. Heath waited.
"Third fight! Koren Ryutei versus...Jagan!"
"JAGAN'S HERE?" Hawk and Lise shouted together, making the whole room turn around at them. They sat back down and faced each other, whispering. Heath let out a long sigh.
"Fourth fight! Heath Lightflare versus Quinn Ravenlock!"
Heath quickly found his opponent; a green haired young man who smiled and played with his earrings, dangling down from sharply pointed ears.
"By the Gods, he's an elf..." Heath murmured.
"Fifth Fight! Hawk Hadarei versus The Darkshine Knight!"
Both warriors glanced at each other, showing signs of dissapointment.
"...Best man win, sir." Darkshine stated, and Hawk nodded softly.
"And sixth fight...Lise Prismfeather against Vendice Silverstroke!"
Lise glanced around and was shocked to find a female beastwoman looking straight at her, slightly snarling. Lise glared and placed a hand on her knife concealed in her boot.
"That is all for Round One! All others will be placed upon defeats in the first round! That's all!" he finished, and stepped off the podium. The usual chatter started up again.
"Here you go, sir." A waiter said, handing Heath two plates with steak on one and chicken on the other. Heath smiled at the waiter and then at his new friends.
"Here goes." He sighed and started back up to his room. Duran shuffled slightly.
"I...man...I feel like shit all of a sudden...like something on the bottom of someone's boot." He muttered, shaking his head, "Koren is a jackass, yeah, but I don't think anyone deserves to treat themselves like that. Maybe not even him. I dunno."
"It's a disease, Duran..." Darkshine commented, "It's so advanced, Koren can't help it anymore. I'm glad he has at least placed some trust in Heath to help him eat."
"...I guess so." Duran replied and sighed again, "Well, let's get to bed, everything starts tomorrow!" he picked up his glass, "a toast to a great Tournament!"
"CHEERS!!!"
~*~
"Just one more bite. Then you'd have eaten half. And that's alright for tonight." Heath cooed, watching Koren slowly bring the fork to his mouth, hand trembling. After placing the bite in his mouth, he covered his chewing motions with his hand and swallowed carefully. He then pushed away the plate and sighed, taking a sip of water.
"Good job!" Heath cheered and scooted over to hug Koren. Koren nearly fell into shock, but managed to hug back.
"I'm very happy, Koren! You get a treat." Heath exclaimed happily. Koren hesitated.
"...Like...dessert? No thank you, I never touch-"
"I mean something else." Heath giggled, and leaned over to kiss Koren lightly on the lips. Koren felt his entire body burn as if on fire, but regained control and began to kiss back. When they finally released, he blushed again.
"...I'm sorry......I..."
"Why are you sorry? Don't apologize, I was the one who kissed you..." Heath whispered and captured Koren's lips again. Koren relaxed and let himself enjoy the moment.
~*~
"Can I stay in your room tonight?" the Darkshine Knight muttered to a sleepy Deathjester.
"Where's Heath...?"
"In my room."
"Why? ...Oh..." he laughed quietly and nodded, "Go on, go on, let them enjoy their sweet time."
*~*
AWWW. Well, I warned ya! Hey y'all, I'm a fangirl, I need to have my bishies hook up! Hehe...well, review, don't flame or else I'll flame you! ((takes up Ryusama's flamethrower and cackles))
But still review!