Dark Fascination
by Asurahime
~*~*~*~
Chapter Five
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I never took into account that I would ever meet someone in the opposite edge of a battlefield. My old family had stained the ground at my feet like a crimson, red carpet before but the very thought that I may have to be the cause of such an action... Mystics are all flowers showing their beautiful sides, while darkness runs beneath. They are all transient stars that glitter in a moonless night.
We live for 'honor' and 'loyalty' which are truly nothing but the most artificial of emotions. There is no love in this place, so how can there be life? A dark-winged seraph, a fire-haired lord, a bell-voiced princess are the most tangible beings, but even the four of us are just chess pieces to be moved around by another's whim. So why should I fight? What is the purpose of struggling for an end which I know nothing of? Am I not supposed to have perished like summer in the wake of the most bitter winter?
There is no use for a weakness when there is no strength to compare it to. Why does the knight seek to teach his apprentice when he refuses to state the others' name. Is it not my own? Does the silver-haired darkangel not know to whom he speaks? Perhaps. Perhaps not. It is time for me to awaken from this dream to face my fears at the opposite end of the battlefield.
There is no good or evil... there is only power and those to weak to seek it.
I do not wish to seek power, even if it is the finest and strongest double-edged blade. The power to create, the power to destroy, the power to fascinate--these all mean nothing to me, but I have been running away for far too long. Roses have thorns and I have to prove that mysticism is only part of who I am. I do not only have a beautiful side to show the world. If there is no reason for me to live on, I would make one.
I have been through so much pain. This time, I would make sure that it is not my blood that is drawn first. Let the double-edged blade descend. It will cut the victim, but it will also turn on the one who wields it.
En garde.
~*~*~*~
"I was not talking about on the battlefield." The words hung heavily between them, shifting and swirling about them like the wind. "Not at all."
Harry's green eyes narrowed with suspicion, not trusting the underlying current of truth laced with malice in the Black Wing's tone. "What are you expecting of me?"
Draco drew back, crossing his arms over his chest with an indiscernible look in his silver eyes. "Nothing. But I expect everything. I am not easily pleased, as you can tell." The mocking smile was back, his glare was starting to smolder at the edges. "Charm Lord has ordered me to train you, and I will not be satisfied until you are able to best me..."
"'If it is necessary to destroy both of us in the process, it will be done.' Yes, Draco we have already heard that speech many, many times before. You need to find a new hobby, to be honest," piped Ron as he slung an arm around Harry's shoulders, leading him away from the stairs to the training grounds and towards Rootville.
A bubbling sound erupted from Hermione's lips as she twined her arm around the half-mystic's right arm and followed the two of them out, her eyes flashing with confusion and slight warning at Draco. Apparently, she had heard what the winged mystic said to Harry and was disconcerted. Hermione knew that of the two trainers, Blaise was worse, for he would run his pupil to death if he felt like it. However, she has also viewed that Draco tended to be merciless and unforgiving to his students, not to the point of death, but in a more psychological manner. The Prince of Darkness was renowned for having a sharp tongue to go with his cold demeanor, much like Cedric. The mixture of the two is not very pleasant to say the least.
The blonde-haired mystic was far from pleased when he saw that his two... acquaintances... were leading his student in the opposite direction that he wanted to go. "Where do the lot of you think that you are going?"
"Honestly Draco, you are about to drag Lord Harry off to battle without a suitable weapon. The base knives and swords in the training grounds are not fitting for the caliber required by the Prince of All Mystics. We are going to Rootville for the moment to speak with Marcus," answered the tawny-haired princess.
Red hair flashed in the glowing light as blue eyes bored coldly into grey. "Even I knew that. Honestly, I would question Lord Severus' way of doing things if Blaise hadn't been the only other option."
"Silence, Strategist," hissed Draco as he followed the others down to Rootville. Indeed he had forgotten that the half-mystic he was teaching was also the Prince of All Mystics. But considering that the raven-haired boy's behavior has been anything by refined, this slight blanking of the mind should be forgivable. Resting his eyes on Harry's figure, Draco's thin lips twisted up in the mockery of a smile as he noticed the stiffness of the half-mystic's posture. However, this did not last long when he felt the mystic energy practically radiating from the boy.
Focusing solely on Harry, Draco saw that his aura was so strong that it was almost palpable. Gold, white and red, the colors of untainted human energy emitted from the boy, but they were based with black, green, and silver, the colors of tainted mysticism, death and revival. Indeed, with power such as that which lies dormant beneath the ivory surface of the crimson-robed half-mystic, there would be no weapon sufficient aside from one made by the Marcus, the exiled mystic artisan. However, there is going to be one drawback which caused Draco to frown darkly... "There is no other way, let us visit that mystic."
"Marcus?" asked Harry after Draco grabbed him away from Hermione and Ron. Once again, the two are forced to catch up as Draco set an incredibly swift pace. When the dismal town of Rootville was visible, Harry tried the question once again. "Who is Marcus?"
Ron gave Harry a reassuring smile as the four of them stopped in front of a small, lonely house. "Marcus is the greatest and most skilled artisan in the whole of the Mystic Kingdom. All of his works have great mystical power embedded in them. They never break, wear down, or get lost. On the other hand..."
Harry also fell silent as the Strategist trailed off, not finishing his sentence. The scowl on Draco's face grew even more forbidding when he noticed that neither the Arch-Princess nor the Strategist was meeting his gaze. It was then that he knew that the price for what they had come to get would be extremely precious and severe. However, there is no other way.
Smiling slightly, Hermione tugged on Harry's red sleeve before disappearing into the ebony door. For the moment, Harry watched as her white rose-crowned brown tresses clashed and merged with the obscurity of the space within the door. Without another thought, he clenched his hands into fists and stepped through.
Ron and Draco followed the two mystics before them, glaring draggers at each other and biting back insults through gritted teeth. It was only for the half-mystic's sake that they had not torn out each other's throats, but it confused them why they should care about how the midnight-haired boy viewed them as. They had to agree about one thing: neither of them was about to let the other get the advantage.
"So you are Lord Severus' new prince? But you're just a filthy human! It's not fair!" A hulking, hairy figure that was sitting at a chair near a forge and pit of blue flames penetrated the thick silence. "Charm Lord has never understood my loyalty or my skill, but he makes a stupid-looking mortal into his Heir! He wouldn't even let me live in the castle."
Hissing softly, Harry was held back by a startled Ron, who had quickly grabbed on to his arm at the artisan's insult. Neither Draco nor Hermione thought that it was necessary, but it was a comfort to think that they could have prevented any damage. "I am sorry for looking stupid!"
While Hermione and Ron were trying to make peace between the half-mystic and the merchant, the Black Wing resisted a sudden urge to blast Marcus into the next region for daring to insult his student. However, all of this did not show on his face because the Prince of Darkness is not supposed to show any emotion, not even the most bitter anger or the mildest irritation. "We are here for a purpose, Artisan. Do not trifle with us."
A slight sigh from the direction of the merchant was heard through the room. It was difficult to see anything beyond a couple of feet because there were no glowing crystals within the house and Ron made a remark of it. "It is difficult to see, Marcus. Do you mind having to remedy the situation?"
guided by the crimson triangle I call upon the lord of fire
guided by the green star I call upon the lord of wind
guided by the azure circle I call upon the lord of the moon
guided by the yellow square I call upon the lord of earth
to protect nature and its rulers guided by the white ellipse
I call upon the spiritual power of the fifth element
the force which controls all living things
Silvery light erupted from some crystals which were not visible before. The brilliant rays quickly subsided into the same eerie glow as those outside and within the confines of Chateau Aiguille. Revealed before the three mystics and one half-mystic was a low-class mystic whose skin has an unhealthy greenish pallor, whose clothing are crude, and whose teeth and eyes are sharp and menacing. This was Marcus. Harry remained silent as he fixed his green eyes on Marcus, who stared back with no small measure of surprise.
"I hadn't realized that you had green eyes... perhaps you are not that stupid-looking after all. That scar of yours isn't too much of a deformity either, Prince of All Mystics," stated the artisan apologetically before bowing and turning to look upon the blue flames of his forge. "What business do you have with me?"
Running his hands over his robes to shake the soot from them, the red-haired Strategist of the group pointed a finger towards Harry. "Marcus, we have come to purchase a weapon for Lord Harry. Obviously, none of the second-rate swords in the training rooms of the castle are fit to be used, for none of them are made by you."
Surreptitiously, Draco glared at the Strategist, who dared to come to conclusions with the weapons within the Castle of Needles. Unfortunately, the blonde-haired mystic had to agree. "He needs a sword in which he can channel mystic energy through. The Prince of All Mystics cannot be running around the Chateau with anything less than the best."
".............." Clearly, Marcus was not in good terms with either Draco or Ron, for he seemed to think it over for a few moments before turning to face Hermione and the confused Harry. He fixed yellow, cat-like eyes upon the two before him in a gravely serious manner. "Princess Hermione, do you all have any idea how much such a weapon would cost? I know that you are all mystics, but.... the price of such an object is..."
"Are you implying that you are incapable of--" started Draco, raising a snowy eyebrow in mockery. He knew exactly what the price is going to be, but he needed to know if the merchant's items are worth the price.
"Please do it, Marcus," Hermione and Ron both grasped the emerald-eyed boy's hands tightly, showing a strange concern not only by their actions but also by the slight tremors in their voices. "It is a risk that we will have to take because there is no other way. Our Lord Severus commands that his Heir is trained... there is no other alternative."
Harry's eyes clearly darkened at the desperation he heard in their voices and he glanced at Draco and Marcus, both refusing to meet his gaze. It was not apparent that the price can only be paid by him. "What is going on?"
Keener than steel, finer than silk and as unbreakable as diamonds--beautiful, true, lethal, and seemingly impossible to control--Marcus drew from the heart of the blue flames a sword that was the color of freshly-spilt blood. It was the same shade as the most crimson rose... the same hue of Charm Lord's eyes. Light and darkness entwined about each other in the depths of the sword, seemingly one but discernible nevertheless. The sword was perfect... more perfect for the half-mystic than any other lesser weapon would have been, for it reflected both the mysticism and humanity within his figure. "This is the blade destined for the Prince of All Mystics. No other will suffice."
Verdant eyes stared intensely at the blade as if mesmerized by the surface. Harry could just feel the sword calling out for him, but he knew that nothing comes without a price, and for something is amazing, the prices is clearly not going to be light. "What is the price? I have very little except for a title I do not want, purple blood in my veins, and the robes I am wearing."
"I do not take credits, human currency, or service of any kind that you may provide..." Marcus faltered in the middle of his sentence, but the warning beneath the pleading in his amber-colored eyes startled the others. "......."
"Marcus..." Hermione and Ron broke away from Harry to stand back with Draco. This was now out of their hands and the extent of the possible sacrifice chilled them. Draco himself knew that the merchant would neither charge more than allowable nor charge less than the actual price. The very thought of it made his quicksilver eyes harden with anticipation and slight dread.
On the other hand, Harry knew that the only way that he could prove himself to be worthy of such a marvelous weapon was to accept the price that may be set. He remains unshaken as he focuses his gaze fiercely on the merchant, unknowingly putting Marcus under a mild spell of Fascination. "What do you take?" There is no turning back.
"........ a portion of one's life...."
To everyone's complete surprise, Harry nodded, took a step forward, and grasped the sword without hesitation. "ARE YOU MAD? Think about what you are doing first!! Even if you are the Prince of All Mystics, you must not have any regrets before making this decision because I cannot give you back that part of your life that you have surrendered!!" roared Marcus, his eyes were wild with fear and shock and his face was looking extremely feverish.
"HARRY!!" cried Hermione and Ron simultaneously as Draco watched, speechless with shock.
"I will never be able to deem myself worthy of this sword without paying the price in full. I know that I'm doing," the half-mystic smiled as brilliant crimson, black, and white rays of light and darkness erupted from his body and the sword to feed the blue flames of Marcus' forge. Several moments of this passed before Harry collapsed hard on his knees, his left hand was still grasping the crimson sword that was resting on the floor.
His three companions were immediately at his side, babbling almost incoherently as they tried to get him to rise to his feet. Diamond and cerulean eyes hardened to shards of gemstones as they fixed upon the trembling figure of Marcus, who was staring blindly at the semi-unconscious half-mystic. "What did you do to him!? If there was something you did--"
"Stop."
The two froze as a commanding voice ordered them in stasis. "Lord Harry, are you all right?" fussed Hermione as she checked him over for any wounds. Finding none, she let the pale young man stand up.
"Thank you, Marcus. That part of my life means little because Asura now makes up for what I have lost... and so much more. I am in your debt," whispered Harry to the amazement of the three and the discomfort and clear appreciation of the lower mystic. Everyone noticed that the red-robed figure is now paler than before, but they had very little time to stress about it when Harry sheathed the crimson blade and smiled.
Ron relaxed a little bit and let out the breath that he had not realized he was holding. There was just something about the half-mystic which unnerved him. Apparently, the git Draco and Hermione felt the same way. Lord Severus has repeatedly proven that Fascination is not a nice spell to be under, but this new half-mystic shows that it is nice to surrender every now and then. "What happened?"
"The sword--"
Harry coughed slightly. "Asura."
The artisan's raspy voice was even raspier than normal and he was trying his hardest to look anywhere but at the half-mystic before him. "Asura has bonded with him and will always be bonded with him. No spell and not even death will be able to break the two apart. Whoever has given me a part of their life for a certain artifact always keeps that artifact because it is an extremely precious sacrifice that is the price. There is a reason why I am considered by many as the greatest mystic artisan and petty theft will discredit the honor of my creations."
Hermione and Draco exchanged glances as Harry headed for the door, his smile softening. "So what happens now?"
"Only time can tell and only fate can dictate the future."
~*~*~*~
"One-on-one combat. No time limit, swords alone," growled Ron, not liking having Harry's first fight against the winged mystic. However, training is not the area assigned to him my Charm Lord Severus, that was the blonde mystic's terrain. Besides, he has to admit that none can instruct future mystic warriors better than the Messenger. Harry needs the best, even if that means having to tolerate the sarcastic Black Wing's presence without excessive violence. Difficult as it may be to believe, the red-haired Strategist and the Arch-Princess are already inseperable with the half-blood Heir, despite only having met for less than a day. Which is why they are worried of what may occur within the raised rose-mosaic and rose-column decorated platform which serves as the training grounds of Chateau Aiguille.
Hermione leaned against the railing in the back of the platform, her eyes fixed worriedly upon her half-mystic prince. She knew better than to worry about Draco, for the mystic has proven his prowness in battle countless of times. She has never even seen anyone--except Charm Lord--draw even the tiniest drop of mystic blood from the Black Wing. No, the rose-crowned princess worried for Harry's life. "Be careful!"
"Princess Hermione and I shall remain silent for the entirety of the bout. Unless there is a foul, we shall not say a word."
After the red-haired mystic drew back, Draco raised SilverMoon, a long silver sword with a thin blade, in salute to his opponent. His lips twisted into a dark smirk before smoothing over without the tiniest bit of emotion. "I am to find your weaknesses and strengths in battle, but trust that that is not all I am seeking. Don't you dare hold anything back, for I will not. If you value your life or your honor, you will manage to draw blood from me as none but one have done in the past. En garde."
Harry's eyes quickly dropped to the sword at his side. He could still feel his connection with Asura running through his veins and making him aware of everything. It was then that Harry realized that fencing, something he has never even dreamed of trying, with Asura felt almost natural. The blade is sentient, more alive than most of the cold figures who have spoken with him thus far, and only now does Harry feel complete. "En garde."
Two blades met in a vicious clash, but both held true. Silver bored into green as the crimson and silver swords drew sparks, neither allowing the other to master them. Draco then had enough with the deadlock and shifted his right hand slightly, gripping his sword farther up and slamming the hilts of the two swords together, locking them in place even more. He soon broke the lock by pushing Harry off, using his larger frame to force his opponent back. Needless to say, the half-mystic drew away and brought up Asura once again, not even the slightest bit unnerved by the advance.
Reversing his hold on SilverMoon, the Black Wing flashed the sword around in the form of a clock-wise circle. Harry's eyes widened slightly, a little surprised by the move as it snipped off a little of his hair. As the circle finished, Draco brought the sword down the length of the circle's diameter to make a quick end of the match. He should have known that a half-mystic would not be able to focus and was about to bring the blade down upon Harry's collar. "Concentrate!! Don't look at me, keep a look out for openings and--!!"
As a red glimmer and sharp ringing sound stopped Draco from forming the sentence, he looked down and saw that blazing green eyes were reflected upon the silver blade. He did not have the time to react as the jade color turned dark blue.
"I was looking out for openings. I am afraid that it was you who let down your guard, Draco," muttered Harry before he drew back into a defensive position. Draco raised a gloved hand to his right cheek and was amazed to feel a slight pain from where he touched. To Harry's surprise, there was a slight smile on the mystic's face which actually reached up to his eyes as Draco returned guard position once again. "I see that you are not as incompetent as you appear to be. Or perhaps that was just dumb luck?"
Harry knew that Draco was just trying to provoke him, but to his horror, he found that a cold fury was beginning to fill him. Asura's color brightened as static laced his hair. Harry did not even realize that he was smiling recklessly and has a merciless look in his eyes. Frankly, that please Draco to no extent. Mystics are merciless and that is what this half-mystic is showing at the moment. Draco quickly bowed, saluted the other, and walked forward until he was only a sword's length away from Harry. "Are you finally finished glaring at me? Shall we begin again?"
With a sharp nod, the half-mystic drew Asura once again and swung it around to meet SilverMoon with a sharp sound. Proving that he was not all talk, Draco quickly broke away and lunged forward viciously, just missing his opponent. Harry just smiled once again, there was something about Asura which made him feel whole, and Draco better be ready to fight for his life just as the half-mystic is ready to fight for his.
Hurriedly stepping aside, Hary dodged the thrust aimed at his side. He smiled thinly as he sized up the mystic who was proving to be a worthy teacher, but he and Asura were also getting extremely restless. Draco feinted a few times without intending to strike, trying to have Harry concentrate on his accuracy better than trying to make an end of the battle as quickly as possible. "This is quite pathetic, you know?" He has been a mystic longer than Harry has; thus, he is more disciplined and has other ways of controlling his temper--since he has eternity to do so. "I better make an end of this."
Draco quickly parried several of Harry's blows and slid his blade towards the other's throat. It was a mere feint, but the half-mystic took it seriously and stepped back hurriedly. The Black Wing took that split-second to swing his sword down, under, and up to catch Asura and send it flying. Within the next second, the crimson sword has landed at the ground before Ron and Hermione, who stared at this with amazement.
The merciless look in Harry's eyes dissipated into mild confusion and vexation towards himself as Draco drew SilverMoon to kiss his throat. "You have won..."
"I did not," snapped Draco, drawing his sword away and sheathing it. "You did. I should have stopped the battle long ago."
"What do you mean? You took my sword fairly!" questioned Harry, not understanding what all of this was all about. He could have sworn that he had lost since Asura went flying from his grasp.
The mystic shook his head before raising a finger to the cut on his cheek but keeping mercury eyes on emerald. "The battle ended long ago when you gave me this. I just continued the battle on to see how your skills could be honed further. You show great promise, but tend to attack wildly when provoked. Moreover, I am amazed at what skill you have because that was obviously your first fencing bout."
the radiant white ray that lies above me
under the name of the lord of all light
I set you free
guided by the sacred ellipse
to the tear which tarnishes my way
bring forth healing
Harry watched, fascinated as the bleeding cut completely disappeared from Draco's face. He could not resist raising a hand to make certain that the rend was gone rather than just covered up by some glamour. This action earned him a glazed, startled look from the blonde-haired mystic. "Amazing... but how could you have lost?"
"Didn't you know?" asked Draco quietly, unable to stop himself from also raising a finger to trace the silver scar on Harry's forehead. "The one who wins is the one who draws first blood."
Noticing that Harry was looking aghast, Draco allowed a tiny smile to cross his face. The expression on his charge was so different from the recklessness in the green eyes during the bout. It was just another fascination characteristic which draws the Black Wing to the Heir. "However, don't think that that is the last time you would ever face me. I will teach you the secrets of mystic fighting so that you will be better prepared for next time."
Draco's eyes suddenly hardened when he noticed Ron and Hermione approaching. He quickly walked behind Harry and drew his lips close to his ear. "One more thing: I am to be the only person who you could ever lose to. You cannot let anyone else get the best of you. That pleasure is mine and mine alone.
"You belong to no one else, Harry."
~*~*~*~
To be continued...
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Disclaimers:
This is my first slash story ever, so I am sorry if it offends anyone. I decided to cross two things I really love, which are the Harry Potter universe and the Saga Frontier universe into a crossover-AU work of fiction. Thus, I own nothing. I'm not really too certain about writing this piece since this is a whole new frontier for me. Please bear with me and I hope you enjoy reading.
Notes:
~I know, I know. I'm supposed to have the explanation of Zero Princess in this chapter, but it was getting too long. I'm sorry. I just started running off and couldn't stop... thus never getting to her. I promise that it is going to be in the next chapter, though.
~Next chapter is going to focus on Harry, the Strategist, and Princess Hermione. It will make up for what I had to cut out of this chapter because it was getting way too long. I'm trying to keep each chapter around 50KB or 5000 words. Thus, major bonding in the next chapter.
~I am also terribly sorry that I could not update last week and I have a very good explanation: I was off dressed up as Draco Malfoy with my friends and we wreaked havoc on the innocent minds of young children who were watching Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. See? It's a valid argument!! I will be updating again probably in the next few days, but definitely before the 26th as a present to myself. (For my own irrational satisfaction if not for the satisfaction of others.)
~Note that practically all of the people who are considered as Lords in Chateau Aiguille such as Draco, Blaise, Ron, Cedric, and several others really, really, really, really do not like each other. In fact, they would truly enjoy tearing each other limb from limb. The exception to this is Harry and Severus... for now anyway...
~Yes, Marcus is Marcus Flint. Even some underdeveloped characters would have some parts in this story... and boy, I think that this is going to be a long one. There is no end in sight... so far.
~The price Harry had to pay Marcus was part of his life. It does not mean that he's going to die or anything, it just means that for the part of his life (or power you could say) that Harry sacrificed to feed Marcus' forge, he got a sentient sword named Asura as a substitute for what he lost and an amplification of the power he currently has.
~I am definitely NOT Asura. Asura is an actual sword in SaGa Frontier and is one of the most powerful swords in the game. It also has an extremely powerful counterattack when its wielder is hurt that can also be triggered even if the wielder is dead. Keep this in mind.
~I made up those spells in bold and italic, please don't kill me if you think they're very strange.
~For some reason, my favorite part of each chapter is that little introduction by Harry just before I get to the actual story... I don't even know how that got started myself... Anyone else agree with this?
~What do you guys honestly think of this story? It's weird, isn't it? Anything not clear to you guys? Please note that several issues in this story are supposed to be confusing and will be cleared up later: every single little motive and detail. E-mail me or review if anyone has any questions.
~I don't really have the time to look over my fic for errors, but I'll do it one of these days. If my grammar is terrible, please inform me and I'll ask Hideaki to give me a swift kick as a reminder to do more corrections.
~I feel as if I should mention this for some reason, so I am. The authoress Psykiapa was the one who (unknowingly) got me to start writing slash fiction in the first place. I don't know why I had to mention this, but I just adore her story!!
Thank You(s):
~I promised this section to someone and I guess it's time I pay my proper respects to those who actually read what strange things I write.
JadeDragon: Ah, so you found out from where I got the song, eh? I liked it so I just had to use it for this one. It seemed fitting, and I am glad that you agree. As for me, I am also very interested in where I am taking this... I just don't know where!!
Slashybubble: Why thank you!! However, I don't know about "very well-written" when Hideaki is breathing flames down my neck when he is picking apart my work looking for run-on sentences and tenses. Moreover, you DO have talent!! Lots of it!!
Gia: What would I ever do without you? Thank you so much for writing such uplifting reviews!! Whenever I have writer's block or whenever I am just not motivated to write, I just look at the reviews I have gotten so far or have Hideaki chastize me on what a terrible, ungrateful author I am and I am immediately out of my hiatus!! Thank you!! Don't worry, you'll find out why Tom is there.
Redrum: Don't worry, the "males being free to go anywhere except for Harry" thing will be cleared up later. I like where this is going too!! (I think anyway... well, whatever you guys say!!)
The Hogwarts Four: *snickers evilly * Hee hee. You update your fic, I update mine. Great creative talent? Thanks!! Great creative talent for procrastination!! Double thanks!! I really appreciate the reviews though, especially since we discuss them afterwards anyway. I don't know about the battle scene here though... not my best one... but I suppose it was sufficient. You're right though... signing autographs were just as fun as scaring the poor kids... *mumbles: I still can't believe that that kid actually thought I was Draco Malfoy who accidentally drank a wrong potion in class... He and his friends even asked me to beat up Ryan, who was playing Lucius Malfoy at the time...*
AtieJen: Strength and honor to you too, Atie. Don't worry, I'll also be explaining the world as I go along. But I don't know about the "quick update" thing... that may have been a once-in-a-blue-moon thing... ^^
Rhea: *tears up* Thank you... now if I could only hold my own attention and keep on writing the next part of this monstrosity of a fic...
Hat Trick: *gasp and turns to Hideaki with vengeance blazing in her eyes* How dare you say I have bad grammar, you pathetic excuse for a Muse!! I'll deal with you later!! *turns back to Hat Trick with a wide smile on her face* Thanks a lot!! I really needed that boost of confidence.
Hatsumomo: A movie rather than a written story to do my imagination more justice? *faints dead away in bliss* I love my reviewers... I really, really do...
Wiccachic2000: Well, I'll keep the PG-13 rating for now. However, I'll have to change it to R one of these days because it's not always going to be this tame. Nothing going up to NC-17 or anything like that, but it's going to be less tame. **Note: tame in Asura's mind = killing off her beloved Harry Potter several times and reviving him again and again ** less tame in Asura's mind = what she does with Ciato from SaGa Frontier**
Fireangle: My descriptions are really vivid? I suppose so... sometimes I think that that is one of my few strong points. Well, here's the next chapter anyway.
Aya: I have to be serious, I'm crazy about mochi... especially sakura mochi with that leaf covering you also eat. I love your name, by the way. I guess the only thing that can explain that is: Weiß Kreuz.
Sky Chief: Hey!! Somebody else is enjoying themselves even if they don't know why!! My kind of people!! Ten points to you for using the word "fascinating"!! I'm also glad that you think it's original. Thank you. One thing though: Tom isn't the tailor's son... seems like it though, doesn't it? I can't say more than that though...
Chesire: I certainly hope that this wasn't too long a wait... *Hideaki glares at Asura and chases her around, brandishing floppy disks*
bthatcher2002: Well, here's the next chapter... I love people who enjoy themselves without knowing why... since I'm one of them. I hope that this chapter explained a little bit more of the world though, I really don't want anyone left in the dark.
Ru Av Natten: *bows low, trips and tries to compose herself again while Hideaki groans with irritation in the background* I am honored to have received such a review. I guess the words intriguing and interesting sum up quite a bit of the description of this story, ne? I do love description and I am very pleased that you like my style. Don't fret, there are a lot more innuendos coming right up... in fact, there was one at the end of this fic as well as several scattered here and there...
Nymphaline: Sorry... uhm... very sorry about ending the chapter there. I just hope that this chapter makes up for it... *grins* I love the title of "Charm Lord Severus" too... he seems to be one of the least likely yet one of the most obvious for the role... besides, I think Alan Rickman is extremely hot. And no, he has not idea about Draco's... uh... er... extracurricular activities (?). But that's what's fun about it!! Something about Zero Princess is coming up in the next chapter or else I'll eat my Snitch whole.