Part 1
The Flames of Oblivion
Chapter1
A Princess' Wish
Prontera. The most majestic city in all of Midgard was now sound asleep and almost all of its lights have gone out. Yet, one of its inhabitants wasn't that eager to go to sleep yet. She sat on the roof of the highest tower in the palace, gazing up at the stars. This was the time of the night when she loved the most, when the twinkling speckles upon the sky seem most visible. Her green eyes glimmered with them and her unusually red hair swayed with the wind.
"They won't fall of from the sky, Amber," a voice called her from below.
"I see he's trying to get me down, isn't he?" Amber sighed, "I'll be right down, Lyz."
Amber made his way down the roof of the tower and unto the balcony of her room. Her room was huge and had all her essentials: a huge silk bed, an enormous wardrobe, a dresser, lots of lamps, some sofas and a few other knickknacks. In the light of a huge golden chandelier above, her features became more visible. She had a slender and delicate body, revealed by her gossamer oridecon cloth dressing gown. She had a calm and dignified face of somebody who had grown up so suddenly in a short period of time.
The voice who called her was that of a young man about the same age as her. He was thin and lanky and was wearing the clothes of an alchemist. He had unusually messy dark hair and deep black eyes. Vials of liquid hung from his belt and a crucifix was around his neck.
"What's the problem, Lyzander?" Amber folded her arms across her chest.
"Ah, he had nothing to do with all this," Lyzander chuckled, "It's just that its getting late and you will have lots of preparations to do tomorrow."
"You treat me like a baby!" Amber protested, "You and Daddy and your stupid tricks!"
"Hey, calm down, I know what day it is, ok?" Lyzander smiled at her, "I didn't forget. You don't have to stay up there all night, tomorrow's the Yggdrasil Festival and you have to make an appearance there."
"I can't go there," she said simply, sitting on the edge of her silk bed, "The Yggdrasil Festival was where I met… him."
Her lower lip began to tremble at the very thought and her eyes began welling up with tears.
"No," Lyzander sat beside her and placed an arm over her shoulder, "Don't cry, now."
"I just can't take it anymore! I just can't!" she was bawling out to him, "I'm to hurt even to move on! I can't forget him! All I see is him! Everywhere it's him! Even when I close my eyes, I can still feel him near! And all he did was hurt me! I loved him too much, Lyz!"
"Ssh…" Lyzander gave her a comforting look, "I know… I know… He was a piece of crap, you know that. He was a jerk who couldn't do anything right."
"Yeah right, a piece of crap that I can't stop loving!" Amber buried her face in her hands, "I hate this!"
"You'll hate it more if you don't stop your useless screaming," a gruff tone was heard from the door. Lyzander looked up, saw King Tristan III, the king of all of Midgard, and knelt.
"Your majesty!" Lyzander squeaked, while kneeling, "I didn't know you were coming!"
The king however took no notice of him and laid his eyes on Amber instead. The girl was quickly drying her tear-stained face and eyes on her blanket, however, her efforts were futile since the king had already grabbed her arm and jerked it up forcefully. She whimpered from the pain.
"Sire, she's-!" Lyzander tried to defend Amber, but he got silenced by the king.
"You are the princess, Amber! Do you understand that!" King Tristan bellowed at her, "You are supposed to be this city's spirit! It's pride! That boy will not be the cause of your downfall! You are to come to the Yggdrasil Festival tomorrow whether you like it or not! You are to forget that boy and all that you know about him! Do you understand!"
"Ye-yes, Daddy…"
"I said, do you understand!"
"Yes, Daddy!"
"Good, we're in good terms, then," he let go of her somewhat roughly onto the bed and exited the room.
"Amber!" Lyzander rushed to her side as the king left the room, "Are you ok? Are you hurt? Here, drink this, it'll help."
Amber emptied one of the vials he held and licked her lips. She began to smile at him.
"What was that? It tastes like-"
"Chocolate syrup?"
"Yeah!"
"Because it is chocolate syrup! Works every time, doesn't it?" Lyzander grinned at her, "Do you feel ill, Amber?"
"You know, this is why you're my best friend, you just seem to know what I need," Amber told him, "But I don't think there is a cure for what I'm feeling right now. I'm afraid I can't really forget him…"
"There is one thing you can do," Lyzander said, "But it's too dangerous."
"Tell me," Amber said eagerly, "I'd do anything to erase him from my mind right now… You don't know what I'll give just to forget him!"
"It's called the Brew of Lincae," Lyzander pulled out an ornate crystal phial from his bag that was on one of Amber's tables. In it was a swirling silver liquid that seemed to be alive.
"What is it?"
"It's oblivion," Lyzander explained, "Liquid oblivion. This is a way out… freedom from pain… It forgets whatever causes the drinker pain and suffering. You will forget, Amber, all about him."
"When can we start?" a certain fire glowed in Amber's eyes as she made contact with her best friend's.
"Amber, I-" Lyzander gulped, "This won't be a very good idea. You're risking your whole existence in this thing! You'll be risking losing all your memories, or worse, you might not even wake up from the trance anymore."
"I said when can we start?" Amber still pressed on.
"You won't do this, Amber!" Lyzander scolded her, "You're risking everything! Your life!"
Amber looked into his eyes with the fire in hers. She was feeling pretty angry, but she dare not get mad at the young alchemist. They stared each other down for quite a while until Amber spoke.
"I am the princess of the city of Prontera!" she said in a scandalized tone, "And you, sir, are my guardian! You probably know very well that you have to obey my every command!"
Lyzander blinked at her in disbelief, but her eyes told him that she was firm and true. Plus, she had her fists clenched on her side.
"You wanna die, Lyzander? Do it or I'll punch you!"
"As you wish, your majesty," Lyzander frowned and bowed so low that he almost banged his head on the table, "I will obey you, my Princess. What does thou wilt me to do?"
"Don't call me Princess, it intimidates me," Amber said simply, "Now, when can we start?"
"This evening if you like, prin- I mean-Amber," Lyzander grinned at her.
"Wake Miah, we need backup at a time like this," Amber instructed him.
The mischievous pair tiptoed on the royally-decorated corridors and down a staircase to Amber's Miah's room. Miah was Amber's handmaid who was more like a sister to her. She was a shy, bespectacled creature with hair that was always braided and who took pride in listening to Amber's problems rather than speaking aloud.
"Miah?" Amber went into the room and called.
"My Lady," Miah was in the state of combing her hair and preparing to sleep, "What makes you come here this time of night."
"Miah, listen to me," Amber sat beside her loyal friend and took both her hands into hers, "I need you to do something for me. Do you swear that you will do it no matter what?"
"My Lady, I have sworn my life to you, surely-"
"I want you to get the Brew of Lincae from the potion closet on my mother's room," Amber said suddenly and Miah gasped, "All the maids have keys to the rooms, right?"
"But, My Lady-"
"You swore, Miah!"
"I will obey," Miah threw a look of impatience at Lyzander and mouthed out, "She did the same thing to you, right?"
Lyzander nodded.
"Works every time," Amber smirked at him.
Amber and Lyzander made their way to the dungeons, where Lyzander's laboratory had been lying for two years now. He had a small futon there that was used as a bed for poisoned persons needed to be treated immediately. Potion ingredients, cauldrons, stirring rods, beakers and books were thrown helter-skelter everywhere. A small table was littered with candy wrappers, pieces of paper with calculations and sketches and a few more rubbish.
"Go and lie down on the couch," Lyzander told her and Amber obeyed, "I need to fix something up so it won't hurt much if we extract the memories from you. If we do extract the memories, what do you want with them? Do you want to keep them?"
"Burn them."
"You can't burn them, memories turn out liquid," Lyzander explained, "Here drink this, it'll make you feel better."
"Do anything so that I can't access them anymore, ok?" Amber drank the clear liquid that Lyzander brought her, "This isn't water, is it?"
"Apparently, it is."
"Here's the potion!" Miah gasped breathlessly as she entered, "I almost got caught! By that sneaking Sir Ector! But I survived, thank Odin."
"Now, close your eyes and go to sleep, Amber," Lyzander instructed.
"How can I? I'm not even slee- Zzzz…"
So long to you my love…
Don't be afraid to run away,
I know you'll be okay,
Just take your time to find…
But I need you here tonight…
I need you here inside…
I need you here tonight…
I really, really need you here… Tonight…
Made up my mind on this,
Too late for me to hold you back,
Maybe to short or dumb…
To cry for you but I will anyway…
It's all, my fault…
To feel this way for you that day…
I know I am and I will…
Though it's wrong… So wrong…
'Cause I need you here tonight…
I need you here inside…
I need you here tonight…
I really, really need you here… Tonight…
I need you… I need you…
I need you here inside…
I need you… I need you…
I really, really need you…
o.O.o.O.o
A/N: Not much, huh? Amber's a spoilt princess, Lyzander's a really cheap alchemist and Miah's a clueless, but sneaky, maid. Thanks to Roll, Omnie, Sheldon and Champ of Hale for the song Here Tonight! I promise the rest of the story will get really deep and the plot will begin to unravel itself in the future chapters! Remember, this is just part1! Hope you guys review! Oh yeah, and tell me if you want me to continue. Hey, my two best friends Miah and Lyzander (aka Carlos Vinci), this chap's for you guys! It even has your names on it! Haha!
Akune: It doesn't have my name on it!
Kafra T: Well, you're not in it, are you?
Akune: Must. Murder. THERENCE!
Kafra T: You can't kill me.
Akune: Why not?
Kafra T: It's not in the script.
Akuya: O.o Riiiight…