-Chapter 4-

March 3, 2157

"I've got it! Three tickets to Gravity's concert!" Decipher said as he closed the front door and removed his bag from his body.

"Whoa! How'd you get these? These are suppose to be sold-out!" Magnus said as he examined the tickets to check if they were authentic.

"Let's just say I have connections."

"When's the concert anyway?" Vermillion asked.

Magnus flipped the ticket over and over trying to find the date of the concert.

"Let's see…..it says here April 3, 2157."

"What will we do till then?" Vermillion said, putting on his "thinking look".

"Well, you go think of what you can do. I'll be upstairs in the balcony for my YB (yosi break or his time to smoke)"

"You really should stop smoking. It's bad for your health." Magnus said as he rejected Decipher's offer of a cigarette.

"I only have one life. I should enjoy it to the fullest." He said as he climbed the stairs.

April 3, 2157

One month has passed since Decipher bought the tickets to Gravity's concert. It was now 12 noon, and the three of them had just finished eating their lunch.

"Burp!" Vermillion burped after he ate the last steak.

"Well….are we ready to go?" Decipher asked.

"Of course." Magnus replied.

"What are we waiting for?" Vermillion added.

"Ok then! Let's get rolling!"

They stood up, went outside into the garage and hopped in. He ignited the engine and they started hovering. The garage door opened, Decipher backed up, and they were on their way.

"Say……..Who is this "Gravity" anyway?" Magnus suddenly asked as they left the Geffen fields.

"What do you mean "Who is this "gravity" anyway"?" Decipher asked, and as he did, he lost control and almost bumped a tree. He regained control just before they hit the tree and suffered a horrible fate.

"You mean you don't know who Gravity is?" Vermillion asked

"It would seem……" A sweat drop trickled down Magnus' face as he said this.

"Gravity is Midgard's best band ever, consisting of a dancer, Dy Phawn, a bard, Zan and a drummer, Kaiser. These three really rock!" Decipher explained.

"Is that so?"

The car stopped. A guard walked up to where Decipher was seated and asked where he was going.

"Where just going to Gravity's concert thank you." Decipher replied.

"Please surrender all your firearms."

The three just stared at him.

"What kind of firearm do you think a professor, high priest and a PORING would have? Jellopy canons?" Magnus sarcastically said to the guard.

"Right. Yes of course, you may go through."

He drove through the gates. Magnus noticed something shiny in Decipher's pocket. He reached out for it and grabbed it.

"A pistol? You carry around firearms? What kind of professor are you!" Magnus asked as he examined the gun.

"First of all, it's PISTOL not PISTOLS. Second, looked at the bottom, you'll notice a cross and the initials "BR" which stand for….."

"Bloody Rain, right, fine, of course, whatever."

The car stopped once more. They were here. Numerous people could be seen going inside the Prontera castle for the concert, and they could see the Kafra personnel was having a hard time allowing the people through as they were pushing each other.

They went down the car and into the ocean of people.

"Excuse me…excuse me…..coming through."

It didn't work. They were pushed back outside immediately. Decipher hit the ground hard with his butt.

"BLOODY RAIN MEMBER COMING THROUGH!" Magnus said as he raised his ID. The people stopped pushing and made way for him. Decipher did as well. People were afraid of the Bloody Rain as they might release their spirits when they weren't ready yet or something.

"The poring's with me! Coming through, excuse me."

They finally got in. A bit late though. Gravity was already singing their first song, entitled "Whisper".

(A/N: sorry, it's in Filipino. I didn't have any internet connection when I wrote this, so I couldn't find any lyrics for Lala….anyway, all you Filipinos out there, I guess you'll understand it. Diba?)

BULONG

By Kitchie Nadal

Ikaw ba'y nalulungkot?

Nababalut pa ng poot,

maraming hinanakit sa mundo.

Di alam anong gagawin kundi ubusin ang oras sa gin.

Akala mo'y iya'y may mararating.

Hoy kaibigan ko!

Pakinggan mo ang mga bulong sa 'yo.

Ito'y di galing sa mundo.

Patungo sa pangakong paraiso.

Nasaan ang talino mo?

Diskarte kamo ng kano!

Apakan ang lahat kahit pa paa mo!

Minsan ang kagitingan ay wala sa bigat ng pinapasan.

Sa pagsuko't pagharap ng kabiguan.

Hoy kaibigan ko!

Pakinggan mo ang mga bulong sa 'yo.

Ito'y di galing sa mundo.

Patungo sa pangakong paraiso.

Tumatakbo ang oras.

Gumising ka't bumangun na.

Pagka't hindi na ikaw ang biktima.

Hoy kaibigan ko!

Pakinggan mo ang mga bulong sa 'yo.

Ito'y di galing sa mundo.

Patungo sa pangakong paraiso.

Hoy kaibigan ko!

Pakinggan mo ang mga bulong sa 'yo.

Ito'y di galing sa mundo.

Patungo sa pangakong paraiso.

Decipher's attention was drawn to a woman standing on the balcony. Princess Anna. He went outside to the balcony. The princess did the same.

"Hey, thanks for the tickets!" He told her.

"It's no problem."

He sat down the railings. The princess did the same.

"Gravity's such a great band isn't it?" Anna asked

"Yeah…."

Their rocking was now so loud that they could hear it from outside. They were now singing "Lala"(by Ashlee Simpson)

His hand crawled over to Anna's. He touched it. Anna didn't mind. She blushed. They were now holding each other's hand now, staring at each other's eyes. He reached over to give her a kiss, but a part of the railing broke and fell down. It just happened to be the one the princess was on.

Decipher held on to her hands. His feet the only ones holding to the railings.

"Don't worry princess! Trust me! We'll get through this!"

He could now see tears escaping her eyes.

His foot slipped another inch nearer to the edge.

"Anna, I've known you for a long time and I just wanted to tell you this:" It slipped another inch forward.

"I like you not because you're a princess, but because you're yourself. I…I….lo…"

His foot let go. Magnus conveniently opened the door and went outside. When he saw Decipher and the princess had fallen, he panicked. He ran down the stairs, outside to where he knew they would fall.

"I hope I'm not too late…." He said as he cast a spell on himself. He felt his legs move faster than before, making him run faster than ever.

He reached the place where he knew they would fall. He looked up and saw the balcony. He looked around. There was no sign of them. He walked forward one step.

"Oh my God! They're dead!"

He took another step

"What will I do?"

and the third step.

"What about Vermillion? He has no more master?"

Fourth.

"What will I tell Constantine?"

Fifth.

He heard a splash of water, cooling his feet down as the water entered his shoe.

"A puddle? They're alive! Good old Decipher!"

He looked around the puddle, going nearer and nearer to the center. It was getting deeper and deeper. Near the center, it was too deep for Magnus to go any closer, so he stopped, and lost hope that Decipher was alive.

He saw bubbles. Decipher's head along with the princess' popped out of the center.

"Decipher! Don't scare me like that! Here, let me give you a hand."

He swam towards the bank, laying down the princess on the earth.

"I'm fine now. Thank you." Anna told Decipher.

"We should dry up somewhere tropical. Magnus, get Vermillion, we have to go to Izlude."

10 minutes later, Magnus came back with Vermillion. The two were now half-dry. The four of them hopped in Decipher's car, with Anna in the front, beside Decipher. He drove south, towards Izlude, and before they knew it, they were there. They all went down, and settled by the bay.

"The sea-breeze will dry us up."

Decipher lay down. He was really tired after he saved Anna. The instant his head touched the ground, he fell asleep. Minutes later he woke up. The others were all inside the swordsman guild. He now knew why. It was burning hot. He checked his watch.

"1:30pm. Great!"

He went over to them, the princess was now in a very good mood.

"Hey, wanna go catch lunch? My treat!" Decipher offered, intentionally only for the princess, but it seems Vermillion was the one who answered.

"Let's go!" Vermillion said, leading the way to a restaurant called "Marina".

They took a table for four and sat down. Their table was near the window, and they could see the calm ocean. Each of them ordered at least one dish, with Vermillion ordering the most. The kafra was obviously having a hard time writing down all of Vermillion's orders.

"Yes. That will be all thank you." Decipher cut short Vermillion's blabbering.

None of them said a word until the food arrived, even Vermillion. But when it did, Decipher tried to start up another conversation with Anna.

"I love the sea. It soothes me."

"I like it too. It's a plain palette of blue. With a touch of white, and the sun's reflection making it bright."

"Wow. You make poems?"

"Yup."

"You wanna hear mine?" Decipher said as he drew out a piece of paper from his bag.

Azure Bliss

Written by me

Here I am, on an endless green,
beneath an azure sky.
But I'd rather stay with you it seems,
and feast on your lovely eyes.

Now I am resting beneath a large, oak tree,
feeling the cool, gentle breeze,
but I'd rather that you give me your sweet embrace,
as I kiss your perfect face.

I would enter the depths of a blazing volcano,
defy the will of a raging tornado,
just to see your azure eyes,
...that will make the pain worth the while.

As the winds blow across the plains,
we are bound by one single chain.
No harm will befall you,
I will protect you even at the cost of my life.
My love for you will stand tall,
it's foundation will never fall.

Here, take this orb.
It's called the Azure Bliss.
Everytime you look at it, remember me,
I will always be under the same oak tree.

"Wow! Decipher! That was great!" Anna went near Decipher to give him a kiss. Decipher blushed.

"Oh I'm sorry. It just escaped me."

"No, it's okay."

Both of them were now blushing. Vermillion couldn't help but laugh, but because Decipher was his best friend, he tried to hold it in. I never said he did though…..

Vermillion burst into laughter. He laughed so hard that the whole restaurant was now looking at him. Magnus tried to pacify him, but it was no use. Vermillion's laugh was just so loud and unpacifiable.

Anna received a message on her cellphone. She read it.

"Oh, Decipher I have to go. Mother is calling."

"I'll give you a ride."

"No…no….it's okay. I can handle myself."

She drew out a card from her pocket and waved it around. A portal opened on the ground and she went in. The portal disappeared.

"She could've just warped us here, but I still wasted gas?" Decipher said, a vein protruding from his head as usual.

"I could've warped us to Prontera too you know."

Decipher folded his sleeves and walked towards Magnus menacingly.

"…if I had blue gemstones!"

He tossed him a blue gem.

"Bring us back to the concert. I didn't pay 5, 000z just for nothing!"

"You didn't pay anything. Anna gave it to you!"

"Whatever."

They all stepped inside the portal. The scenery changed. They could now hear the screams of a thousand fans. But wait, there was no song.

"Where's the music?" Decipher asked.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, that concludes Gravity's concert." The announcer announced.

"WHAAAAAT?"

Vermillion burst out in laughter once more.

"You could've listened to their wonderful music, but instead you just wasted gas on someone who didn't need it. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Decipher punched Vermillion.

"Oooooooouuuuuchhhh!" His cries could be heard throughout the castle.

"Wait a minute. Do you have anymore gems?" Decipher asked.

"No." Magnus replied.

"You mean…..we'll have to WALK to Izlude?"

"It would seem."

"I have a maaaaaap!" Vermillion said as he drew it out from his backpack.

-Somewhere in Prontera, 8:00 pm-

"I can't believe you were reading the map upside down!" Decipher said as he slithered down the streets of Prontera.

They heard a sound. Footsteps.

"Who's there?" Magnus shouted.

"Stalkers?" Decipher added. He snapped his fingers and a ball of fire encircled him.

Another snap. The earth began to rumble and spikes emerged from the ground.

"No stalkers. Then what was it?" Vermillion asked. He was now very, very scared that he dropped the lantern.

Decipher saw a wing of an angel to his left. It disappeared quickly. He felt a sliver of magic pass him. He looked behind him. A demon's wing.

"Magnus. There's a fallen angel in our midst."

Magnus drew out talismans and began chanting. The shadow of the fallen was in front of them. The face not visible due to lack of light.

He finished chanting, and light engulfed the place. Which was what was suppose to happen. With a wave of the fallen's hand, the light did not emerge, and the talisman ripped in half.

Decipher conjured a fireball and hurled it at him. The fallen disappeared. The two exorcists could no longer sense him. The wall where the fireball collided bore an inscription.

The exorcists movedtheir finger across the engraving, as Vermillion just shuddered in fear.

"The end….."

"…is near."

...to be continued