I love the holidays! ^_^
(Dew): Why wouldn't you? Time to relax, see family, eat gigantic feasts and set fire to the curtains without anyone noticing.
...?
(Char): o.0
(Dew): Okay, maybe not so much that last one...
Yeah...
(Char): When was the last time you set fire to the curtains over the holidays?
(Dew): Five minutes ago.
ACK!! *dashes to the fire extinguisher and runs back, only to discover it's empty* What the...?! Now what am I supposed to do?
(Char): They say writing can stop fires...
I doubt that.
(Dew): No, it's true! Try it!
But...fire!!
(Dew): If it doesn't work, I'll buy you new curtains.
Here we go!
Review Responses:
Cowpuppy: *is buried in Picard plushies* *is trampled by rabid OBHL-ers who want them* OW!
CS: I'm not really putting in more cliffs... I've always used them (some people will tell you about Chapter 12 in Faces of War...and how I nearly didn't survive to write Chapter 13)
Ivan of Vault: The OSP is not crap. It is a collection of amazing pieces by talented authors. Soon to be amazing pieces by talented authors...and me. Go figure. ^_^;;
Knightblazer 88: It's true. No one does use Sean. Or Feizhi. It's their turn, I say!
MercuryAdept: Ah, poor Garet. When will he learn to work with his mind and not his stomach? [(Jenna): NEVER!]
Jupiter Sprite: No one could have gotten onto the boat? Interesting. Very interesting...
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Mia screamed as loud as she could, not in terror, but in an attempt to rouse the rest of the passengers. Sean was the first into the hall, and arrived just in time to watch Mia cast Frost on the water coming in, freezing it to ice, which solidified in the hole, stopping the leak. Mia's gaze wheeled on him.
"We have a saboteur!" she exclaimed, pointing at the dripping corkscrew. Sean nodded and drew his sword, dashing up to the deck to look for someone. The other Wind Adepts, Ivan, Sheba and Feizhi, came to the galley soon after, their Jupiter senses already working to tell them something was amiss. Mia filled them in on what she had seen quickly, and they all told Jenna, Felix and Picard what had occurred once they came down. Once the explanations were finally over, in his amazing sense of timing, Garet came down into the galley, and they had to explain everything all over again. Once the Mars Adept was up to speed, Sean bounded back from the deck.
"I couldn't find anyone above decks," he panted, a little tired after running all over the ship, "but I did see a swarm of Cuttles that we passed by. Is it possible they cut a hole in the hull?" he posed. Mia shook her head.
"That corkscrew is dripping wet. Someone had to do it from inside and with that," she reminded him. Sean looked at the angle of the hole.
"What if water just burst in here initially to the point where it hit the corkscrew, made it wet, and then the pressure faded so it just shot in to about your ankle's height?" he wondered.
"Highly unlikely," Picard commented. "We'd see a line of water from the corkscrew to the hole from where the pressure was fading."
Ivan furrowed his brow. "Who was awake?" he asked Mia. She shrugged.
"No one here, I think, but I thought I saw someone creeping down here. By the time I got here, the hole was already made," she sighed heavily.
"It's good you were here, at least," Sheba commented. "We'd be sunk if you weren't awake. Maybe we should keep someone awake at all times to watch out..." she recommended, with a hint of apprehension in her voice. It was a well-known fact that Sheba wasn't particularly fond of the water, and even less of sailing. Being raised in a desert left her with a certain lack of experience in water-related fields, and death by drowning was certainly not high on her priority list. Ivan caught on.
"I'll keep watch now," he offered. "We can switch later, if we need to."
"Sounds like a plan," Jenna agreed. "We'll have to do something about the boat, too. No offense, Mia, but I don't think the ice will last forever," she added. Mia nodded.
"I think it will hold until we get to Prox," she speculated, tapping the ice to test its rigidness. "We should make it there with no problem." The rest of the Adepts dispersed, heading back to their cabins. Ivan took the Black Orb and started to steer the ship again, keeping his eyes on the sea ahead, and his mind's eye on the boat.
********************
A cold, northerly wind greeted the Adepts as they woke up the next morning. Garet looked out his window to be greeted by a blinding amount of white. He quickly dressed and dashed to the kitchen for breakfast.
The other eight were all awake and beginning to eat breakfast. Garet couldn't believe his luck that he'd managed to get out of helping to make breakfast, then realized that doing so placed the task of doing the dishes solely on him. He was wondering why Ivan was using so many plates...
The nine of them docked the ship and headed for Prox. The small northern village hadn't changed much; it was still startlingly cold, but the river that was frozen over last time was ready to start flowing again, as there was merely a thin layer of ice atop it. It looked as though the weather was picking up again.
"Ah," Felix breathed in. "Springtime," he smiled, revelling in the relative warmth of the city. Garet and Jenna huddled together closer.
"Yeah, right," Jenna quipped through chattering teeth. "It's only, what, -10°?"
"Celsius," Felix shrugged off-handedly.
"Fahrenheit," she muttered under her breath.
"Kelvin," Garet chattered, turning in the direction of Mars Lighthouse. "Hurry up, it's probably warm in there..." Garet headed off to the Lighthouse, but after rounding the first corner, he plowed right into Puelle. Both fell to the ground and slipped down a small patch of ice, sliding down to the river. The ice promptly broke, and both fell into the freezing cold water.
"Garet!" Jenna cried, going as close as she dared to the water. "Are you alright?" Garet couldn't reply, the water had frozen him completely and he was having a hard time moving again. Puelle, however, swam right over to him and carried him back to shore. Garet curled up on the shoreline and shook horribly. Jenna took off her cloak and wrapped it over his shoulders, trying to get him up and to the inn. He stumbled to his feet.
"Some Mars Adepts just don't know how to handle the cold," Puelle smiled, helping Jenna lead Garet to warmth. "He'll be just fine, Jenna."
********************
The inn was plain, and the lodging room was just a collection of tables, chairs and couches. There were some tapestries hanging on the walls, but most importantly there was a large fireplace which Garet was practically sitting in. Mia wandered over every so often to deliver a Pure Ply, but other than that she was more than willing to let Jenna play nurse to Garet, much to Felix's dismay. The pair were snuggled up to each other, basking in each other's warmth and the fire. Mia suppressed a sniffle thinking about Isaac again. She distracted herself by talking to Feizhi and Picard.
"Picard has told me of your talent, Mia," Feizhi smiled at her as she approached. "I had no idea you were so well known in northern Angara." Mia blushed.
"It's nothing, really... all the members of the Mercury Clan could be described as I was," she smiled sheepishly.
"I'm not so sure," Picard said, rocking on the balls of his heels. "They seemed to like you more. You were the object of affection of every male in Imil, if I'm not mistaken." Mia blushed a brilliant magenta.
"Really, it wasn't anything," she laughed, trying not to blush as much. "I only knew Ply by that point, I mean..." Picard cut her off.
"Ivan!" he called up to the Jupiter Adept, who was deep in telepathic conversation with Sheba on a small ledge near the roof.
"Yeah?"
"Mia, by reputation in Imil."
"Angel."
"Thank you!" Picard replied, laughing at the shade of Mia's face now.
"I will hurt you one of these days, Picard," she flushed furiously at him, holding back laughter, shaking a mock fist at him.
"Yes, but then you'd just heal me, and you know it," he replied. Mia smiled, the first genuine smile she'd given in days.
********************
The next day, Garet was fully healed again, thanks to Mia's marvellous work with Pure Ply and possibly more due to Jenna's own methods of recovery. They set off toward the towering Lighthouse which was just north of Prox. To no one's surprise, once they reached Mars Lighthouse, the door was wide open.
"Shalex," Jenna breathed, causing the others to shudder violently.
"Will you stop calling him that?" Felix hissed at her, causing her to put on a fake depression.
"Why, brother," she moaned, putting on stage tears, "you don't like that name? It was my best effort and..." Felix squirmed. If anything would stop the dedicated, nearly cold hearted Venus Adept, it would definitely be hearing his younger sister cry.
"I didn't mean- " he started, but Jenna started laughing.
"You're so easy, sometimes!" she said between bouts of laughter.
"Can you two not take anything seriously?" Picard asked, which caused Felix to stare at him. "Yes, you too," Picard said. "Between Mars Adepts and you...my goodness..."
"Let's just get on with it," Ivan stated simply, cutting off the argument before it could start. "The beacon is already lit, so the elevator to the top should be in working order..." They boarded the platform and the elevator sprang to life, carrying them all to the aerie of the lighthouse.
********************
The first sight that greeted them atop the lighthouse was that of the beacon slowly being drained into Shalex's body.
"Shalex!!" Mia cried, drawing out her staff and leaping onto the main aerie surface. "What are you doing?!"
"Mia, my dear," he said smoothly, ceasing his drain of the beacon, leaving it a little paler. "Isn't it obvious? I'm simply taking the power or Mars for my own. It makes things like this," he laughed, casting a Pyroclasm at her, which she barely managed to dodge, "so much more fun."
"Is that all you have?" Mia called to him. "I've seen Garet do better attacks."
"Hey!" Garet cried, staring at her. "I was nearly dead yesterday! A little respect for the near dead, huh?" Shalex, however, didn't slow down in the least.
"Very well, Mia," he smirked at her. "We shall see the extent of your talent atop your lighthouse of constraint!" And Mia's stomach sunk when she remembered that the Mars Beacon hampered her own Mercury abilities.
"Or my lighthouse of elevation!" Jenna cried, unleashing a potent Dragon Fume, boosted by the same beacon. Shalex rolled away to dodge it, and dispatched her with a single Diamond Berg attack. Jenna sunk to her knees and couldn't seem to rise again.
Felix leaped forward to attack. He drew the Masamune as he went and slashed horizontally. Shalex smiled and drew the Sword of Hilda.
The sound of metal clinging against metal reverberated across the battlefield, and Picard leaped in to aid Felix. Shalex didn't look as though he was putting any additional effort into the fight as he nimbly dodged a slash from Picard, a slash from Felix, then kicked out and caught Felix in the stomach. The biggest surprise, however, was when the Sword of Hilda started glowing red.
"Ah..." Shalex smiled. "The unleash of Mars. What great timing." He swung the sword around laterally, crying "Syphon Soul!!" as it went. As soon as the sword connected with Picard's blade, a huge flux of energy released, and Felix and Picard were knocked back, singed badly and slow to rise. Shalex, however, looked more powerful that ever.
"How terrible," he moaned melodramatically, "I missed your bodies. No more souls for me today," he smiled wickedly.
"This is not looking favourable," Felix stated grimly as he got back to his feet. "He's good."
"I wonder how good," Garet commented, gesturing to Ivan, Sheba and Feizhi, who were all holding hands together in a circle. The three of them had gone unnoticed, but the sheer power they were gathering was starting to draw attention.
"Ready, Sean?" Feizhi managed to ask through the strain of charging. He nodded. "Good."
"Tornado!" the Jupiter Adepts cried, releasing a funnel in Shalex's general direction. Instead of attacking him, though, the Tornado shifted horizontally and stopped short. Sean jumped in the funnel and was launched at Shalex with amazing speed. Even Shalex had no time to defend himself, and suffered a deep, grazing blow across his left forearm. Sean rolled to the ground, panting and desperate to get his bearings.
"Impressive," Shalex commented through gritted teeth, casting Pure Ply on his own arm. It healed together perfectly. "I didn't think you'd manage to be able to do something of that magnitude yet. You have my applause, Ivan, Sheba, Feizhi." They said nothing in return. Shalex started to move towards them, but was halted by a rather large, albeit Mars Beacon weakened, Ice Missile attack. Shalex sunk to one knee, panting and glaring furiously at Mia.
"Do you remember that attack?" she asked him, her grip tightening on her staff. "You should. You used that attack a few days ago to kill two people." Shalex smirked. "You killed Isaac physically with it, and with him, you killed my heart."
"Aww," Shalex said, icily but with a hint of being condescending. "I'm so sorry I crushed your dreams, dear Mia. But let's not forget, he's just another Venus Adept in the world. It's much better to have more Mercury Adepts like ourselves. We're much better off without your precious, heroic, foolish Issac-chan," he spat cruelly, putting special emphasis on the name of Mia's lost true love. Mia trembled with rage.
"Uh-oh," Garet whispered to Jenna. "Even I know not to go that far..." Jenna stared at Shalex for what he said.
"How...dare... you..." Mia whispered, her every syllable trembling with pent up hostility and rage. "You... will pay..."
And she said nothing more, but gathered everything she had and the memory of everything she lost into one great attack.
"You will be the last person Ice Missile kills," she hissed. "Shalex!"
Shalex didn't react, although he did look a little nervous. "Fire against ice, then, my dear."
"Don't call me that..." Mia growled. "Ice missile!!"
"Searing Beam!" Shalex called.
The attacks collided before the Mars Beacon. It shimmered as they cancelled each other out.
"No," Mia whispered, falling to her knees as her strength failed her. "I'm sorry, Isaac... I'm... not strong enough..." Shalex laughed and walked over to her, charging a final attack in his right hand.
"Poor Mia," he smirked cruelly. "Lost her boyfriend, lost her will, lost her strength, and now...loses her life..."
The beacon started to flicker. As soon as Shalex passed it, the Beacon began to swirl violently. Shalex had only time to stare at it quizzically before it sucked him in. Before any of the other Adepts could ponder this, the Lighthouse Beacon drew them in, too.
Moments later, the only sound or movement atop the Mars Aerie was that of the northern wind.
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Well, at least the curtain fire's gone out. I dunno how, but...
(Char): What the heck happened in that chapter?!
(Dew): I'm pretty sure that beacons didn't do that when we were there...
Did you ever try?
(Dew): Well, no, but...
There you go.
(Char): What the heck happened?
Good question. You'll have to read it later.
(Char): But there's nothing to read, yet!
Exactly. I'll have to write it.
(Dew): I don't like it when that happens... *glaring*
...if I'm dead, there'll be no chapter at all.
(Char): But you can still write with a few broken bones and lacerations.
If you'll excuse me, I'll be working on Chapter 8, then...
Oh, yeah, one last thing. Review!! No, seriously. Review, or I'll sing.
(Dew): Oh, please REVIEW!!
(Char): Spare us!!