Disclaimer: I don't own Skies of Arcadia. Nor do I own the incantations which all belong to the anime, "Slayers." However, I'm sorry to say, Fina's nursery rhyme does belong to me.
I also regret to inform you that this is the final chapter of this story. Please enjoy!
Flashback
Moegi opened the book as Aika sat before her. They stared at each other silently while Moegi lifted her knife.
Aika winced slightly when Moegi pierced her skin.
"Are you sure you want to help me, Aika?" Moegi asked as she set the blade down upon the book.
Aika just barely nodded. "Like I told you on the deck of the Delphinus a few days back, if you're in trouble, I'll be here for you and I keep my word no matter what."
Moegi still looked unsure. Aika smiled and placed a comforting hand on the black haired girl's shoulder. "Moegi, I learned long ago that life's precious, more precious than anyone knows. When my parents died…" Aika's smile faltered for a second, but she shook her head and plowed on with her words. "When my parents died, I didn't want to go on. I wanted to take my own life so I could be with my parents in the afterlife and if there was no afterlife, then I thought I wouldn't feel any pain.
"One the night of their death, I escaped to the observation point of Pirate Isle, you know the island that's really high up. I was going to jump when Vyse climbed up after me. He took me to the benches and had me sit beside him…I think he knew what I was up to. He always does. He told me that he wanted to stay with me and I knew then that I wanted to be with him always.
"He told me that even though my parents were gone that I still had a lot to live for. He saved me with those words. You see, I've never experienced so much joy and had so much fun as I grew older and older. I lived life to the fullest. I find that I'd be doing a disservice to myself if I didn't live it to the fullest each and every day. I found that what I did effected everyone around me, like giving Fina advice about strength made her have more confidence in herself or staying with Vyse meant that I helped vanquish the Armada and stopped the destruction of Arcadia.
"Your life, Moegi, will have an impact on everyone. I mean, without you, we would have had run into trouble many times in Yufatoma…or now, without you, do you think Enrique can keep going? Your life's important and I'll do anything in my power to help you live longer…even if it means to forfeit my own."
Moegi was quiet for a long time as she shut her eyes and meditated upon Aika's words. Finally, Moegi opened her eyes and smiled serenely at Aika. "Thank you, my friend. I needed to hear those words."
Moegi turned the book so that it faced Aika. Aika glanced at it and frowned. "What's this?"
"This is some information that I've obtained from Domingo about the Black Moon. It says that in order to heal me, we have to share a blood bond with the incantations to a ceremony that says we have completed the first stage."
Aika picked up the knife and nicked her flesh until blood slipped out of her cut. She readily held the wound out to Moegi who placed her wound on top of it.
"Will your sickness infect me?" Aika asked after Moegi finished the incantations.
Moegi nodded. "Sort of. You won't experience the depth that I feel, but you will feel something. You'll know, because we are bonded, if you're helping me or hindering me."
"How long will it take for this…this transfer or bond or whatever it is to work?" Aika asked as she pulled her hand back. She covered the cut with her other hand and applied pressure to help stop the bleeding.
"I'm not really sure." Moegi wrapped her wound in spare cloth. She paid close attention to the wrapping and fastened it with a beautiful clip that looked a lot like a crystal. "I think a few years? Come back to me in eight years and we'll see how it is."
Aika nodded and helped Moegi back to her rooms before she went to her own room to contemplate this new turn of events in her life.
End Flashback
Aika walked out of her room and grabbed her stomach as pain shot threw her. She stumbled to the ground and bit her lips to prevent herself from screaming. If this was only a fraction of what Moegi was feeling, then Moegi was in serious pain.
Once it passed, Aika stood up and looked about her. Luckily, no one had seen her in that state. She carefully walked down the corridors and searched for Moegi.
It didn't take her long since she caught Enrique pacing outside the room.
"Enrique?" Aika asked worriedly. "Are you okay?"
"She passed out again," he murmured, the lines of worry deepening on his face. Aika tried to offer him a reassuring look, but could not find one. If anything, she felt more worried than he did.
She finally settled on staring at the ground while she spoke. If he didn't see the worry in her eyes then he would be less upset than if he actually saw the anxiety that stirred in her gaze. "The pain will be over soon, Enrique. You don't need to worry. It's actually better that she's fainted. It means she can't feel the hurt."
"I want to help her. Every fiber of my being wants to help her but there's nothing that I can do!" Enrique turned from her and went to lean against the wall. He ran a shaky hand through his blond hair and shut his eyes. "I just feel so useless. I need to do something to help her."
Aika leaned on the opposite wall and looked at Enrique. He was the epitome of a tired man with bags under his eyes and gray hairs already appearing in the golden mass of his hair. "Trust, Enrique, and faith. That's all you can do right now until we reach the Black Moon."
She pushed herself off of the wall and walked toward Moegi's room. She touched Enrique briefly on his shoulder and smiled. "Believe in her, believe that she'll make it."
"And if not? If she doesn't?"
Aika had no answer to that. She dropped her hand from Enrique and opened Moegi's door. "Just believe," Aika whispered as she entered the room.
She shut the door firmly behind her.
Moegi lay in the middle of a king sized bed, thrashing about and sweating up a fever. Quickly, Aika rushed to Moegi's side and laid a cool hand upon Moegi's forehead. "It'll leave you soon," Aika whispered, trying desperately to control her own reactions to the pain that she was feeling. "We're almost near the Black Moon."
Fina was on the bridge of the ship, watching quietly as Lindsi declared that she was tired of flying and offered her position to either Marco or Jimmy. Both boys, very determined and very self serving, both attacked the wheel with such voracity that Fina was stunned, thinking that one of the boys would ultimately kill the other.
"What are you doing?" Marco bellowed while Lilly, Belle, and Nara watched curiously from the sidelines. He made to push Jimmy out of the way but was stunned when Jimmy threw up and arm and shoved Marco's arm to the side.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Jimmy replied. He stood in front of the wheel and was about to lay his hands on it when Marco decided a fist fight would determine the outcome of who would pilot next.
"Stop it!" Fina yelled, quite unlike herself. She put a hand over her mouth and blushed scarlet. Never had she done anything like that before and suddenly, she felt shy.
Both boys, surprised at that outburst, froze in mid scuttle and stared incredulously at Fina.
"Well, don't stop there, take charge," a smooth voice whispered into Fina's ear.
She jumped slightly and looked around. Domingo was standing next to her, looking amused at the entire situation.
"Uh," Fina began and regained her composure. "For right now, neither of you will take over the wheel until you can both demonstrate that you're mature enough to do that task. Until then, we'll have Alan do it."
Alan, who had been silent and off in the corner the entire time, looked both surprised and happy. He bounded toward the wheel, ignoring Marco and Jimmy's looks and began to guide the ship.
"Good job," Domingo remarked and turned to go.
"Wait!"
Domingo paused in his step and looked down into Fina's gaze. "Yes?"
Fina wondered what had possessed her to go calling after him. She shook her head and turned back to watching the children at work. "I was wondering if you wanted to go and eat later."
Domingo frowned slightly. "Sorry, no."
"Oh…" Fina didn't know what to say, really. She shouldn't have taken that step forward and just minded her own business like she usually did.
Domingo held out and arm and bowed politely. "I'd rather have the pleasure of your company right now."
Fina smiled slightly, half wondering if he was jesting, and half wondering if she were dreaming. Whatever this was, she took his arm and smiled politely. "Sure."
Vyse past by Fina and Domingo on his way to the bridge. He smiled at the both of them, wondering where they were off to before his thoughts reverted back to Aika's welfare. The closer he got to the Dark Rift, the greater his anxiety grew. He knew that Aika had to complete this task but he also felt that something bad…something lasting would happen to her. He didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing.
As soon as he entered the bridge, he could see Marco and Jimmy cleaning the floor with a broom and mop respectively. He wondered briefly what had caused these two to willingly do chores. Alan was piloting while Lindsi, Belle, Lilly, and Nara were staring outside the window, looking at the foreboding clouds swirling in front of them.
"There it is," Lindsi whispered.
Jimmy dropped his mop and looked out the window. This was the first time he was seeing it and he was awed. "We're going to go in there?"
"Yup," Vyse whispered as he walked up to the young people. He patted Alan on the shoulder, his way of telling the young boy that he was doing a good job. Alan glanced up and grinned. "This, my friends, is the Dark Rift."
"What's it like in there?" Lindsi asked curiously.
Vyse thought for a second, remembering the last time he was there. It was then that he remembered that Aika reacted to the place, as if something were calling her there. Several times, she wanted to leave the ship and search out on her own. It had taken him and several other people to keep from running out of the bridge and leaving.
Maybe the Black Moon was calling to her blood, even then.
"It's cold," said Vyse. "It's cold and it's mysterious." He remembered the strange islands and the lights… "There's this…this sad feeling about it, too."
"Vyse?" Alan burst in. "Would you like to fly?"
Vyse's hand twitched. He had no idea how much he missed flying. "I'd love to."
Vyse handled the Delphinus well, remembering the controls and the feel within seconds. He steered toward the opening of the rift and guided the Delphinus within. Immediately, they were surrounded in darkness.
"Turning on the emergency lights," Belle called out.
Immediately, lights flooded the bridge. It looked almost eerie within with the false lights illuminating the crew.
"Going into lockdown," Lilly stated as she hit several buttons on the control panel.
Briefly, Vyse heard the clicks of the doors as the locks fell into place. "Good," Vyse said offhandedly, his eyes trained forward as he piloted. He dipped the ship slightly, searching for the portal that he knew would lead to the Black Moon Stones.
A twirling mass of clouds created a pathway to a new area of the Dark Rift. Once Vyse was out of the other end, he slowed the ship to almost a stop.
This was it.
This was the black moon stones.
Beside him, Alan gasped. He had never seen anything so beautiful and haunting. Several black masses with faint light of various hues lay before him in the inky black sky. "It's wonderful," he murmured.
Lindsi agreed, taking a step forward to the window. Jimmy followed her, placing a hand on the glass is if he made to touch one. "I could feel it's power, even from here," he observed.
Vyse stepped back, casting his eyes down. He somehow knew that Aika would feel the stones calling to her and she'd be rushing out to complete the ceremony soon. He felt both happy for her and scared.
"Something's going to happen," he whispered. "Something she won't be able to overcome."
He knew Aika was strong, but strong enough to handle the power of a moon? Strong enough to raise it in the first place?
In the chambers of Moegi, Aika felt the power pulling at her. "We're here," she whispered to the unconscious woman. She felt Moegi's sweat stained brow and bit the bottom of her lip. Moegi felt cold, too cold for Aika's liking. She knew that she had to complete the ceremony soon.
"Enrique?" Aika called out softly.
Enrique entered the room, looking pale and anxious. "Yes?" he stuttered as he stared at Moegi's body. Aika could see the desperation in his eyes and felt pity overwhelm her. Aika stood up and smiled peacefully at Enrique.
"Can you help me bring Moegi to the deck?"
Enrique nodded and quickly went to his wife. He picked her up easily and frowned. "She's lighter than she used to be."
Before Aika left the room, she saw the blade by Moegi's bedside table. She picked it up and slipped it into her blue pouch, careful not to puncture the bag of odd colored pebbles that she kept within the confines of the container.
Aika led them out the door and through the hallway. She climbed a few stairs turning every so often to see if Enrique was alright and if he needed any help. Every time she did turn around, however, he had a determined look on his face and didn't look the least bit tired.
"We're almost there," Aika assured him.
In the inside, Aika's nerves were stretched further than it ever had been. She was near the point of a mental break down and knew that the only thing that kept her from going over the edge was Moegi who needed her help more than ever before.
Moegi cried out in pain and curled up into a ball within Enrique's arms. He steadied her, stopping in his footsteps for a second to keep from dropping her. He was so engrossed with Moegi that he hadn't notice Aika stumble and grab onto the wall to keep from losing her balance.
Her knees were shaking and her heart faltered.
…You won't experience the depth that I feel, but you will feel something…
It seemed as if a ghost had whispered those words into Aika's mind. Moegi had said that so long ago that she had almost forgotten. If Aika was feeling this pain, then what was Moegi feeling?
Aika strengthened her resolve and stood up straight. She turned to Enrique and said, "This way."
They stood in front of the door that exited to the deck. "Set her down."
Enrique nodded and placed Moegi on the floor, right behind the door.
"The air will be bad for you, so stay back while Moegi and I leave," Aika said.
"What about you two? Isn't the air bad for you?" Enrique asked.
Aika eyes darted toward him. "We'll be fine. Just go to the bridge and wait. It'll be over in a few hours and you'll see Moegi again."
Enrique looked like he was ready to argue but thought better of it. "As you wish," he acquiesced. He turned on his heel and went to the bridge.
Enrique saw Vyse in the front watching the hovering black moon stones. He tilted his head slightly then turned around to stare at Enrique.
"They're ready," Enrique whispered. "They're going out."
Vyse nodded. Lilly pressed a button and they heard a distant click. "Door is open," Lilly stated.
Fina felt her stomach clinch the second that the ship went into lockdown. "It's happening," she said to Domingo who was watching her like a hawk. "Aika's going to raise the moon."
Up on the bridge, she had needed someone to talk to. Over the past few days she found it was way easier to talk to Domingo than to talk to any of the other crew, other than Aika of course, but Aika was otherwise occupied and Fina didn't want to tell Aika her doubts about the moon raising since Aika was going to perform the task.
Domingo, who had been quiet the entire time Fina was spilling her guts, leaned back in his seat with an unreadable expression on his face. "Are you scared?"
Fina looked down at her lap. "A little. I…the black moon was even before the learning of the Silvites. We don't know much about it except that it was a relief that it disappeared so long ago, and a few bits of information we still had in books." She frowned slightly. "The Elders didn't even want to talk about it that much. Ramirez was always trying to find out more about it, but the Elders completely blocked any information concerning the Black Moon from our ears except for children's tales. I didn't even know anything about it."
Domingo nodded, listening intently. He loved hearing any new bit of information. "There's a lot of information in child's tales that we often overlook. It's in these easy songs that history is kept alive."
Fina contemplated his words in quiet thought. It sounded plausible.
"Do you remember any of these tales?" Domingo inquired.
Fina grinned sheepishly. "A bedtime song is all I can remember now."
Domingo was fascinated. "Sing it," he said while tweaking her nose.
Fina giggled and shoved his hand away. "I don't have a good voice."
"Neither does Vyse, but that doesn't keep him from singing in the shower," Domingo retorted with a sly grin on his face.
"And how would you know that?" Fina asked.
"Let's just say I snoop in a lot of places," he replied vaguely. Once he saw Fina's skepticism, he couldn't help but let out a throaty laugh. "Nothing perverted, blondie. Now, how about that song?"
Fina shut her eyes and searched through her memory. Suddenly, it was as clear as daylight. She could almost see herself, lying in bed with her doll in her arms. She was tucked in tightly when one of the elderly men walked into her room. He patted her on the head and sang her the soft tune.
Fina opened her mouth and sang…
"Sleep now, little one, sleep now, little one
Safe for now are you
The darkness is gone, it's far and away
The skies, once again, are blue…
The dark moon lurks no more in your hearts
You're safe from his strong hold
The power he takes from his victim's heart
Will return when they fall cold
Don't worry, little one, sleep now, little one
The darkness is far away
He shan't come back to plague you still
Till mixed blood starts to pray"
Fina blushed brightly when the song was over.
Domingo was staring at her, working the words over in his mind. "There's truth in it. It said the Black Moon wouldn't come back until mixed blood starts to pray. In one of the notes I gave Moegi, it had a chant -- or prayer -- that I can't recall what for. If you're song is accurate, that means it helps to raise the black moon."
Fina nodded. "So, there are clues in my song that could help them?"
Domingo nodded. "I think so. Let's go through each line and see what we can come up with."
Fina smiled then tilted her head in confusion. "You know what? It always confused me whenever they called the Black Moon a 'he'. All the moon's, at least by the Silvites, have been referred to as 'she'. Do you think that has significance?"
Domingo rubbed his chin in thought. "Maybe more than we'll ever know…"
Aika opened her blue pouch and grabbed the dagger. "Moons, please give me strength." She brought the blade swiftly up into the air and shut her eyes. She could feel her blood churning within her, her magic carefully laced within her veins. She took her magic and shaped them into threads within her minds eye. She then pushed these threads into the blade.
When Aika opened her eyes, they glowed a radiant crimson. Carefully, she drew the dagger in a pattern of circles over Moegi's body, then did the same for her face. She felt the magic settle within her once more, but something had changed. Her breathing pattern was slow and languid and her heartbeat was also, equally slow.
Aika bent down to look at Moegi. Moegi's skin was less clammy and she wasn't completely covered in sweat any longer. Aika sighed knowing what had to come next.
She heard the click of the door, followed by Lilly's voice echoing down the corridor, "Door is open."
"Now or never," Aika whispered as she slid her arms beneath Moegi's body and pulled her up. It took all of Aika's strength to pull Moegi outside the door then shut it behind her. Once that was completed, Aika set Moegi in the middle of the deck.
She looked up into the empty darkness of the Dark Rift. In the distance, she could hear many voices whispering to her, trying to tell her something of importance. What they said, Aika couldn't understand for their voices all came in a low buzzing sound. She turned and looked around. There were just black moon stones hovering in the air, all set in a pattern that, from above, looked like a cyclone.
Aika carefully put the knife by Moegi's side then took out the pouch of pebbles from her blue bag. She opened the pouch and began to pour it around Moegi, copying the cyclone pattern. Purple pebbles fell on the outside, followed by the blue, then green, then yellow, and finally red. When Aika was done, she took out her all her moon stones and picked up the blade. Within an empty well, she placed a moon stone, one carried purple, one blue, another green, a different one yellow, and the last well was red. She kept the black moon stone in the center and pocketed her silver stone.
Now came the summoning.
Aika kneeled beside Moegi and held the dagger over Moegi's heart. Aika shut her eyes and recalled the incantation that she had memorized from Moegi's books. The words had to be sung and sung in the root languages of all of Arcadia. Each word had a specific inflection that Aika had to get right, otherwise she wouldn't be able to summon the black moon. Translated, the words were:
"Darkness beyond twilight; Crimson beyond blood that flows; Buried in the sea of time. In thy great name, I pledge myself to darkness…"
As Aika sang the words, she could feel each moon stone begin to activate and buzz in her hands. The power was stronger than she had originally thought. She could feel her own magical threads start to swarm toward the dagger itself.
"…Source of all souls which dwells in the eternal and infinite everlasting flame of blue…"
Carefully, Aika recited all the colors of the stones, unlocking the power of each one and letting her power feel the true powers of the moon stones. Then, once she was done, she called on the dagger itself to unlock it's mysteries.
"Lord of the dreams that terrify, sword of the cold and dark; free yourself from heaven's bonds. Become one with my body, one with my power…"
Aika threw the dagger up in the air. It spun, hilt over blade, light overflowing within it, illuminating the two women who sat beneath it. Aika stared up at it and held her hands toward it.
The dagger stopped in midair, the blade facing downward. Aika could see the moon stones, surrounding the black stone, start to whirl around, blurring into nothing more than a black circle. Suddenly, the blade dropped and stabbed Aika clean through, resting within her body and slowly melting to become a part of her.
Aika shut her eyes, listening to the deafening thud, but feeling no pain from the actual blade. In fact, she could feel all the energy slipping away from the blade and flowing into her. New powers awakened inside her body and she felt as if she were weighed down with so much energy and power.
Aika carefully stood up, on shaky feet. Her limbs felt clumsy to her as she stood and walked to the edge of the deck. She peered over, noticing that the black moon stones, once hovering in mid air, were now swirling around into one gigantic mass. Slowly, it began to solidify until it was one gigantic ball.
The Black Moon
Aika stood before it, her hands outstretched and whispered the last incantation.
"Unmoving doors, by my magic power, open yourselves to me. UNLOCK!"
Raw power.
Raw power erupted from the moon and slammed into Aika with enough force to send her flying backward. She hit the rail of the Delphinus, feeling her back become embedded into the tough metal.
The power swirled around her, consuming her very life force.
It was too much for one person to handle. Any person.
Aika, however, was still putting up a fight, trying to control the chaos that churned inside of her body.
But, it was no use.
It was taking her away. Taking away all the pain that she'd ever felt in her life.
Tears streamed down her face as it slowly began to consume her. Dimly, she realized that there was a presence in her, taking away her energy and all her life. She tried to fight it, fight him, but could not win. Not this time.
She thought of Vyse, in her last moments. She thought of seeing him, standing in the bridge and waiting for her report. He'd be pretty pissed off that for once she hadn't kept her promise.
Just like her parents.
Moegi awoke, the pain almost unbearable. She pried open her eyes and looked around and saw to her amazement, Aika crouching over her.
Except, it wasn't Aika. It was someone else, someone more childlike and innocent. She could see it in Aika's now black colored eyes. The red head was also dressed differently. It looked as if robes made out of the inky dark sky had draped around her slim frame and created, for her, a robe. Light, pale light, shimmered from the robes.
Aika tilted her head as she stared at Moegi. "Your friend," she spoke with a deep voice, a male voice, "wanted to heal you."
Moegi couldn't talk. She found that her throat couldn't work.
Aika waved her hand over Moegi's chest. All the pain that Moegi ever felt was being drawn toward that hand. Carefully, it diffused out of her body and created a little ball of light, just underneath Aika's hand. Aika carefully stood up, blew on the ball, and Moegi, surprised, watched it disappear from Aika's hand. As soon as it was gone, Moegi felt healthy once more. She felt like a new person, not one who had nearly died on several occasions.
Moegi pushed herself up and stared at Aika. She took a step forward, but Aika took a step back.
It took Moegi a lot of effort, but she forced air through her vocal cords. "Aika?"
Aika tilted her head once again. "She is no longer here," she replied. I inhibit her body currently, but only for a small time. All this mortal's energy is gone, now, and I can no longer live in her shell."
Moegi tried desperately to understand what was going on. "She's gone? Aika's dead?"
"As you would say, she is no longer part of the conscious. You are saddened by this?"
Moegi felt the tears drop from her eyes as well as anger bursting in her. "Of course I am! Return her!"
"That is not possible. She is gone. I have taken the energy from her heart and cannot give it back. She had done this for you. She summoned me from my eternal slumber to help you."
"NO!"
"You knew what it could mean if she helped you, did you not? You knew the risks and so did she. She is inactive and I must return to my slumber."
Moegi fell to her knees and sobbed. She knew the risks. Aika knew the risks, but they went through this episode despite it. Somehow, it didn't seem fair to Moegi. Why should she live on while Aika had to pass on…
Aika, or the person within Aika, knelt before Moegi and placed a gentle, but cool, hand on her cheek. "Strength, Moegi. Strength and faith."
Slowly, Aika stood and turned toward the black moon. She raised her arm and called out in an old language. The moon began to shatter once more.
"Aika's last request," the person in Aika said as he looked over his shoulder, "is to tell Vyse that she is sorry and to please forgive her for not keeping her promise."
With that said, the black moon stones separated and Aika collapsed to the ground, the dark robes disappearing and leaving Aika in what she normally wore. Moegi crawled to her friend and touched Aika's forehead. It felt so unreal to her.
"No," Moegi murmured. "This can't be happening. You said you'd be okay! You were going to play the freaking fiddle when I ran back into Enrique's arms!"
Moegi rested her forehead against Aika's. "Wake up. Please, wake up."
Aika, however, did not stir.
Moegi dimly heard a voice from beside her and warm, caring arms encircle her body. She looked up and saw Enrique, his tragic look was so breathtaking that she could no longer stand it and broke down in his arms.
Beside Enrique, stood Vyse. He bent down to take Aika and bring her back to her bed. Not once did he say a word, but his face said it all.
He was dead inside.
Jimmy and the rest of the children had watched the entire spectacle from inside the confines of the bridge. When the person within Aika said to tell Vyse that Aika was sorry, everyone had become still. Vyse nor Enrique moved for the longest time. It was Jimmy who ended up breaking the silence.
As soon as the person left Aika, Jimmy dealt out orders. No one, not even Marco, argued with Jimmy's new position of power. It was obvious that Vyse was under stress and couldn't deal with the situation logically at the moment, even if he tried. Jimmy didn't think he could even deal with the situation if he were in Vyse's shoes and he had loved Aika as much as Vyse.
"Marco, take the wheel and take us out of here. Nara, Lilly, go and tend Moegi and Aika's rooms. Belle, get water and food ready for Moegi. Lindsi, stay on the bridge and act as my vice captain while Alan and I check if anything needs repairs." Jimmy looked at everyone. "Understand?"
"Aye-aye," they all replied.
Jimmy nodded. "If anything is wrong, report to either me or Lindsi. When the repairs are done, I'll be up in the crow's nest, making sure we're all right."
Jimmy watched Vyse and Enrique exit before he and Alan also left.
Marco, quiet for once, expertly led the ship out of the dark rift and headed toward Valua. He knew that the city was still being rebuilt, but it still had some of the best doctors living there. Maybe they could help with Aika's hurts.
He felt a hitch in his throat when he thought of Aika. Sure he argued with the wench every now and again, but he didn't want her to die. Truthfully, he liked her as a friend and enjoyed their verbal spars.
He shook his head. He had to maintain a clear mind, like Jimmy was doing, and pilot the ship. It wouldn't do for a blubbering boy to be in charge of all the lives on the Delphinus. The tears would blind him and he would probably ram into an uncharted island.
Belle burst into the mess hall searching around frantically. Fina and Domingo jumped from their seats and looked at the girl. "What is it? What's wrong?" asked Fina who went to help a very flustered Belle.
"Food, I need to make said Jimmy, yes?" she muttered while going behind the counter and searching.
Domingo grabbed her shoulder and forced her to look into his eyes. After a few intense moments, she visibly relaxed and told them what happened. The blood from Fina's face completely drained out of her and she took off, looking for Aika's room.
Domingo stayed back, lightly questioning Belle. From what he got, the nursery rhyme that Fina sang was more accurate. The Black Moon was referred to as a "he" and he materialized as a "he." There had to be more to the song and therein, he would find his answer.
Fina walked passed Enrique's and Moegi's room. They were talking quietly and it sounded as if Enrique was trying to comfort his wife from the trauma that she had just gone through.
"I knew there was a possibility that she would die. However, knowing and experiencing are two very different things," Moegi whispered as another sob escaped from her throat. Her words were muffled after. She, from what it sounds like, had buried her head on Enrique's shoulder.
Fina continued to go down the hallway until she stopped right out front of Aika's room. The door was slightly ajar and she could see Vyse within, casting several silver moon spells. None of them appeared to be working, however.
He stepped back and slammed his hand against the wall. "Damn it, Aika! Wake up!" he growled at her.
Fina peeked through the door and stared inside. Aika looked to be resting, at least in Fina's eyes. She stepped through the door, but Vyse barely acknowledged her. He was too focused on Aika.
He walked to the bed and sat beside her. He bent over her, his hands resting on either side of her head. He touched his forehead to hers and cried a little, letting his tears hit her own eyelids. She didn't flinch or move. She stayed perfectly still while he cried.
Fina bit her lip.
"Aika, I never told you what I'd do if you were gone, did I?" he whispered to her, as if he were just telling her something smart he had done earlier that day. "…I didn't know the answer then and I sure don't want to know it now. I can't keep going without you. I can't live life without you." Vyse kissed Aika across her forehead and looked down at her. It took all of Fina's strength not to step up to him and pull him away.
Vyse passed an arm over his tear stained face. He rested his forehead on hers once more and whispered, "You want to know what makes life worth living, for me? It's being with you…"
Fina felt her cheeks. They were wet with tears.
"Please," Vyse croaked. "Please, wake up."
Fina finally stepped forward and sat on the other side of Aika. Vyse barely looked at her, but gave her a nod to show that he knew she was there.
"Aika," Fina said as she ran through all her healing magic. Nothing made Aika stir, even just a little. Fina looked down and grabbed one of Aika's hands, holding on tight. "Aika, it's gone. He's gone. The darkness, it's away."
For some reason, this made Fina remember her nursery rhyme. She sang it once more.
"Sleep now, little one, sleep now, little one
Safe for now are you
The darkness is gone, it's far and away
The skies, once again, are blue…
The dark moon lurks no more in your hearts
You're safe from his strong hold
The power he takes from his victim's hearts
Will return when they fall cold
Don't worry, little one, sleep now, little one
The darkness is far away
He shan't come back to plague you still
Till mixed blood starts to pray"
And as Fina sang, something struck her as odd. The second stanza seemed to be telling her something. It appeared that Vyse got the same idea.
"Sing the second stanza once more," he commanded.
"The dark moon lurks no more in your hearts
You're safe from his strong hold
The power he takes from his victim's hearts
Will return when they fall cold…"
Domingo suddenly burst into the room, a lazy grin on his face. "I see you've figured it out as well," he said as he walked to Vyse's side. He lay a giant hand on Vyse's shoulder and squeezed.
Fina looked at him. "I'm not quite sure…"
Domingo said, "It's in the last line of the second stanza. She has to fall cold."
"And how exactly do we do that?" Vyse asked sarcastically. "Freeze her?"
"No. Kill her."
"What?" Fina cried out while Vyse made to stand up.
Domingo took a step back and held up his arms. "Something struck me as odd when Belle was recounting the events of what she saw. I made her repeat what the Black Moon Guy said, precisely.
"If you recall, he kept saying, 'She is gone' and 'no longer part of the conscious' meaning she's still alive. Sort of." He walked up to Aika. "In the second stanza, it refers to 'your hearts,' meaning that a person has either layers of their 'heart' or whatever you want to call it. He only blossomed in one part of Aika. I believe if we break through the -- what did he call it? Ah, yes -- the shell by killing her, then we'll find the part of Aika that still lives!"
"What if you're wrong!" Fina declared and held onto Aika's hand even more tighter.
"It's what that man said to Moegi," Vyse suddenly spoke up. "Strength and faith." He touched Aika's lips and felt how warm they were. He knew that if she continued on like this, she wasn't going to wake up. He remembered how she was, before the events. She enjoyed life to the best of her ability. If she were stuck in this…this coma, then she wouldn't be living life at all, something she was completely against. He had to do it. For her sake and his. "Right now, I'd be willing to do anything, just to see."
Vyse stepped over Aika and kissed her on her lips. "Forgive me," he said as he pulled out his blades. He lifted them over his head and let them fall.
15 years later
Fina and Domingo walked quietly in the realms of Valua, each lost in their own thoughts. It was Fina who broke the silence first. "I hear you're still in the investigation business," she said with a grin on her face.
Domingo shrugged. "Never thought of leaving it."
"What have you heard about Jimmy, Lindsi, and Alan?"
Domingo laughed. "Those three ended up joining with Marco, Belle, Nara, and Lilly to start their own crew and sail the skies. I hear that Marco and Jimmy still argue like crazy!"
Fina led them down a street, smiling brightly at a family who were taking a stroll like she and Domingo. "What about Moegi and Enrique? What happened to them?"
Domingo was silent for a moment as he thought about his response. "Those two are the strangest people I've ever met. They're running a prosperous country and all their children are running wild across the streets with a weird man named Bullocks chasing after them. However, they still have a loving household."
"And you and me? What happened to us?"
"Well, Ms. Blondie, You decided to stay here and help join my investigation unit. With your…knowledge of the Silvites, it really helps me in my line of work. You're also trying to seduce me whenever you can--"
Fina shoved him playfully. "You started it, if I recall correctly," she said as they sat down on a park bench. Fina couldn't believe that Valua, once foreboding and dark, was clean with blue skies and brilliant clouds."
Fina leaned on Domingo's shoulder. "And what about Vyse and Aika? Whatever happened to them?"
Domingo laughed. "Well, to put it simply, Aika kept her promise to Vyse and the both of them, as the saying goes, lived happily ever after searching the skies for more treasure and adventure. I hear Aika's also pregnant with child and hoping for a girl while Vyse hopes for a boy."
Fina smiled. "I hope it's a girl."
Domingo nodded. "I hope it's a girl, too, and that they name her DOMINGO after the greatest person in the entire world!"
The End
I just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed and cared enough about this story to continue reading. Your reviews helped me to start this story and complete it. I love you all!
At the end of this story, I want to thanks everyone who ever reviewed (even if they're not reading anymore) since this'll be the one of the last stories I do in a while.
KayteeLern: If it wasn't for you telling me in my other story to "Get another story out!" I probably wouldn've never written this one. And I guess long chapters are great to read, but writing them is really hard for me.
CWolf2: You were the first reviewer! Thanks for the compliment and I'm a huge Aika fan. She's my favorite in the entire game.
Necromancer Aiko666: Thanks for the review!
Kuja's Prized Genome: : Thanks for reviewing!
Unknown: This is the end. I hope it wasn't too bad.
LauraLaurenceLove: You scare me, sister.
Desert Lynx: I think you reviewed just about every chapter and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. It's people like you who make me know that I should continue this story, even though I wanted to give it up, most of the time.
Bluecorgi23: I hope you liked the ending. It was hard for me to write because I didn't want it to sound corny and I've always had trouble with writing an ending to anything. I also had to remember what I wrote prior tothsi story and fix up all the loose ends I could possibly think of. (by the way, if I did miss anything, I'm very sorry).
Plutospawn: Thank you for the kind review. Actually, to be truthful, I haven't read that much Skies of Arcadia fiction so I didn't know that the theme of Aika leaving was used a lot. I just wrote what came to me. In fact, when I started chapter one, I had no clue where this story was heading! I didn't even know that I'd make the mystery character Moegi until her chapter came about.
Potter29vo: It's because of you that I stuck in all those Vyse/Aika flashbacks and had, I think, chapter 8 completely dedicated to Vyse/Aika. Thanks for your in put. Oh, and I didn't even realize I spelled bored wrong until you told me. I'll change it some day, whenever I have time. Ah, sometimes not having a beta is a bit hard.
Wild-Roze: Thankies for the review!
FungiFungusRayne: I love AV, too! I also love your name. That's so freaking awesome!
Chosenoneknuckles: The name Bullocks came out of left field. I was tired and goofy at the time and I thought, "Why the (word deleted to keep this story in PG-13 area) not? He makes me laugh, though, whenever I use the poor old dude.
KBoogie: Thank you for the review.
bizoitnott: Thanks, and here's the update. I hope you like it.
I guess that's everyone.
