ME: Well, I'll be damned. I never thought I'd be writing any more GS fanfics…let alone continuing this one.
DISCLAIMER: IF DRAGON EMPRESS OWNED GS, SHE LIKELY WOULDN'T HAVE NEGLECTED HER FANFICTIONS FOR SUCH A LONG TIME. HELL, SHE WOULDN'T EVEN BE WRITING FANFICTION…
ME: So yeah, I'm back…I think.
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Lost in the sun, can anybody find their home?
-Sunshine, Keane
-#-
The rain got colder as you travelled southwards.
As the snow disappeared and the sun stayed longer in the sky, somewhere near Kolima, the rain started to fall in relentless, icy sheets. It was unusual, even for one who had so quickly gotten accustomed again to the wintry climates of Imil and the north.
The priestess had been riding for over a day now, and the rain had threatened to sweep her away long ago. The clouds heaved, solidified in one great, raging grey mass. Must be getting closer.
In the distance, the great shadow of the mountain loomed. And in her mind, memories burned…
-#-
"It's time. We must ask our neighbouring towns for help." The mayor of Imil was a worn man, his handsome features marred with worry, and his thick black hair becoming tinged with grey. The hardness in his face betrayed his age, which was only about thirty years. "We will send out envoys to Kolima and Bilibin."
The priestess watched from her seat on the Clan council, reading the expressions on her few fellow members' faces. They were livid.
"Excuse me, Ser Mayor." One of the elders stood up, regarding the younger man with obvious dislike. "But Imil has prevailed alone before, and we surely will prevail alone again."
There were mutters of agreement around the table.
The mayor sighed. "If we do nothing, we will be destroyed."
"Imil has stood for a thousand years, Ser Mayor." Replied the elder scathingly. "We have seen rebellion and flames, and still we have survived. We will survive this too."
"Then so be it."
-#-
In that one meeting, Imil had been condemned to destruction.
The priestess shook her head, spurring her horse onwards. The outline of the mountain was clearer than ever, even in the pouring rain and the echoing thunder
Though, her purpose was still clouded.
-#-
"Coming here? Who?"
The old chair creaked with the weight of the young man who threw himself into it. Garet of Vale was tired beyond belief, and found that, at this moment, he would hardly care even if an entire army were marching towards Vale let alone a solitary, nameless rider.
Alas, if his grandfather heard of this, he would never hear the end of it… "So, who is this horseman then?"
His companion, the young Jupiter adept, shook his head slightly. "Ah, horsewoman."
"Ivan…how can you tell?" The third man, Picard of Lemuria, enquired. Genuine wonderment was evident in his tone, as he considered himself something of a scholar. And of all things worth study in the world, the curious ways of the Wind adepts were some of the most…mysterious.
Ivan smiled thinly. "Just can."
"Oh, the anticipation." Garet was far from amused. His amber eyes seemed dull and unfocused. "How it kills me."
"Non-believer." But his smaller companion allowed his smile to stretch into a grin.
"Oh, I believe you. I just couldn't care less."
Picard sighed. "Perhaps you should." He stared resolutely into the fireplace, where the embers were slowly dying. Their faint glow barely managed to light the large room, leaving dark corners and throwing long shadows. Perhaps before he would have considered it strange that they always chose to hang around Isaac's house, even when he wasn't home. But it was something he'd gotten accustomed to. Strange mainland customs as they are…
"She's here." Ivan's voice was barely above a whisper. "I feel it. And…she feels familiar." The extent to which his powers had grown after the lighting of the lighthouses was quite astounding. Now every single person's aura felt different.
And this figure, this woman, felt very familiar indeed.
Knock knock. The sound on the door was hollow, and immediately Picard started towards it. Garet of course had made no effort to move at all, but the sudden cold as the door was open startled him. As did Picard's shocked exclamation,
"Mia!"
-#-
"So," It was not the beginning of a question. "You're back."
"Yes." Mia, former High Priestess of Imil, felt an involuntary shudder pass through her body as she looked up into the faces of her former comrades. The emotional turmoil of the past two years, past few months in particular, were starting to catch up with her. "I suppose you're all wondering why."
"That's putting it mildly, I'd say." From the old, scarred kitchen table Garet watched the blue-haired woman's nervous demeanour with interest. "I thought Imil desperately needed you?"
"Shut up, Garet." Jenna put a hand on his arm without really realising it. There was a curious look of almost…pity, perhaps, in her gaze as she looked at Mia. She had come over as soon as Ivan's alarmed voice had broken through her thoughts (His newfound ability to send messages telepathically still sat uncomfortably with her), and had been right to do so. Didn't take any special powers to realise that something was very wrong with the woman opposite.
"I am sorry for intruding on you all like this." There was something missing in her voice.
"Don't be ridiculous." And it was curious that Jenna found her voice coming out softer than usual. "It's only been two years."
"Yes, don't make a stranger of yourself just yet." Felix lounged like a complacent shadow against the kitchen doorway. His hair, which hadn't been cut since he was seventeen, was now tied back in a severe ponytail, allowing no strands to obstruct his vision.
So like him. Mia thought. Although, it was hard to say if it really was like him anymore. A lot could change in two years after all. And don't I know it…
"So why are you here?" Even a thousand years wouldn't be able to rob Garet of his bluntness.
"It's…a long story." The Mercury adept rubbed her hands together, in an unconscious attempt to get warm. "Where's Isaac?"
Garet shrugged. "Damned if I know. He doesn't tell me anything these days." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Stop changing the subject."
Mia flushed slightly, but knew he was right. She was stalling for time, her mind trying frantically to find a suitable place to begin. If she could tell them everything, if she could even tell- "I suppose I'll just start at the beginning. When I left you all to return to Imil, I found that already it was not the place I remembered…"
-#-
If you looked up at the sky you could almost pretend that nothing had changed at all. It remained that lucid, pearly white, a solid mass of clouds harbouring snow as it had always been. That much was unchanging.
But to look at the streets…oh, there was change. The old houses were no longer uniform, but instead daubed in various differing colours, painted over with strange banners and unfamiliar insignias.
Her voice almost went unheard above the whipping winds. "What is all this?" A feeling of dread had begun to gnaw away at the pit of her stomach.
The mayor stared at her, his sad, brown eyes studying every inch of her pale face. "The rise of politics." He muttered. "The people are restless, Lady, now that the Golden Sun has risen, powers are sparking in people once too weak in spirit to feel alchemy's effects. They will no longer stand for being without a say…not now that they feel so powerful."
It was said with obvious contempt, and she couldn't help but frown. "Isn't that a good thing?"
"Don't be so damn naïve."
"I…"
"No, I'm sorry." He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I didn't mean to snap. It's just…as a result of this new power, so many will die needlessly." There was at this time no hint of grey in his hair. "Revolution cannot be borne out of anything except for chaos."
"Then is it not our duty to ensure that such a thing never takes place?"
And now he smiled. "Yes. Yes, it is."
-#-
"So you became involved in politics yourself." Picard's interest was now definitely peaked. His memories of the politicians back home were far from good, and it was almost impossible to imagine Mia as one of them.
She smiled bitterly at him. "You could say that."
"But why come back now?"
The female mercury adept looked down at the table, mercifully unable to see her reflection in the ancient table. I probably look half-dead by now. "Things have gotten worse."
"Worse?" Ivan, who had been silent for the majority of the conversation, could now feel the sorrow coming off her in waves. "How?"
"Every single member of the Imil Clan Council is dead…" Shudders once again racked her body, and the room seemed to spin and blur. "Every single member…except for me." She fought down the urge to vomit that had suddenly manifested itself, and instead settled for passing out abruptly and falling backwards towards the floor.
Only to be caught at the last moment by a pair of arms that were both warm and familiar.
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ME: Out of practise or what, eh? Feel free to tell me it sucks, but I do (Hopefully) intend on continuing this at a faster pace than before. Of course, a snail with a keyboard could go faster than that…
Oh, and reviews are very nice, I likes them very much…