The chapters are going well so far, and with most of the story already planned out, it should be smooth sailing! I also now have a study hall-take that homework! So I hope for frequent updates.
John: Juno's Mavericks will give everyone trouble. And I'm going to have fun watching you eat those last words you said.
Habba: Muahahahahahahahaha… -Cough cough- Dang it!
Captain Obvious: Why thank you. And your other questions will be answered soon enough.
Demon Fan: What… the… heck? Ok, I'll sum up the answer to all your questions about who the Emissaries are in one word: no. As for Demon Rue, just keep waiting.
Chapter 2: Last Moments of Happiness
Larka, stunned by what she had heard, sank down to her knees. Malon licked her hand, whining worriedly.
"I'm alright…" Larka assured him. "I'm just a bit overwhelmed by it all."
Malon barked in agreement.
"What do you think we should do, Malon?" she asked. "I wonder… if we should go against them by ourselves." She considered that, and almost instantly shook her head. "No, that won't work… we'll be vastly outnumbered. But I don't want to get the others involved…"
Malon growled at her.
She blinked in surprise at him. "You think we should tell them?"
Malon barked again.
"Why?"
He sat on his back paws and licked her face several times.
"Hey, cut it out!" she laughed, pulling him away. "You think they'll be worried? Probably. Alright then. I'll tell Fell now, and tomorrow we can inform the others."
With that, they teleported out.
-----
Rue looked outside of the taxi and sighed. "Rain. They know just how to greet us, don't they?"
"We'll just have to deal with it," Claire said. However, she didn't seem too thrilled about the storm outside either.
When they arrived, Rue grabbed the suitcase they had brought, and they ran up to the door as quickly as they could.
Rue knocked at the door hastily. "Oy, open the door! We're getting soaked out here!"
Will opened it, and they went inside instantly.
"At least dry yourselves off before coming any further," Will told them, throwing each of them a towel.
"Such hospitality," Rue muttered as he worked on drying his hair. He had luckily kept his hat in his suitcase.
"Is anyone else here?" Claire inquired as she wrung out her own hair.
"Yep, they got me from the hospital," Miles said, coming in with Zack behind him. "And of course, Zack was already here."
"So we're still waiting for Hope, Draken, and Kisara," Claire concluded.
Another knock at the door cut off any response Will had. He opened the door again, revealing a drenched Draken and Kisara.
"Welcome," Will said, handing them two more towels.
"Nice place you have. I'd enjoy it more if our parade hadn't been rained on, literally," Draken joked.
"I'm sure," was Will's response.
"So, who are we missing?" Draken asked as Kisara looked around the room.
"Just Hope," Will replied. "She's been here before though, as has Rue and Claire. So I guess I'll show you two around the house. Oh, Rue and Claire, you're sleeping in my room in the sleeping bags. Draken and Kisara will be too. Miles gets the couch, and I get the bed, but we're going to alternate that each night. Zack… well, he stays in my room. Anyway, follow me, Draken and Kisara."
They went after him, Zack following also, as Rue and Claire went upstairs to unpack. Ruecian, Perseus, and Darche also came out to speak to Neo and Gen; Kazel certainly would not have fit inside any of the rooms in Will's house.
As Rue rummaged through the items, he came across one that brought a mischievous grin to his face. "I almost forgot about this… hey, Claire, I'll be right back, ok?"
"I know that expression, and I don't trust it at all," Claire told him. "I'm coming with you."
"Suit yourself," Rue said as he went downstairs. Miles was on the couch in the next room.
"Hey, Miles!" Rue called. "I brought a CD I thought you might be interested in. Want to see?"
"Eh? Uh, sure," Miles shrugged.
Rue handed him the CD case, and Miles read the title.
Will, Draken, Kisara, and Zack were at the back of the house when they suddenly heard shouts. With some apprehension, they went back towards the stairs.
They were greeted with the sight of Miles chasing Rue around the room. Luckily, there was hardly anything in the room besides a few pieces of furniture, probably due to Neo's ability to break everything he went close to, so the room was not about to be harmed. But Miles certainly looked like he was ready to kill Rue.
"Now what have you done?" Will asked Rue.
Rue was laughing too hard to respond, while Miles kept yelling at him. "I am not an angst-filled teenager! Take that back you jerk!"
"I never said you were!" Rue called back to him, still keeping away from him.
"You certainly implied it!"
"Um… what just happened?" Draken questioned.
Claire tossed him the CD case Rue had brought. "He told Miles he thought he'd like these songs."
Draken looked at it, and began laughing. "I have to admit, Rue has a point…"
"Shut up, or you're next!" Miles growled.
Rue finally managed to breathe properly. "Well, if you don't want it, maybe Zack would. It fits him too."
"What do you mean?" Zack inquired.
Draken handed him the CD case. Zack raised an eyebrow. "Linkin Park? I am afraid I do not know what that is."
"It's a band that's known for singing angst-filled songs," Draken explained. "Basically, he's saying to Miles that by the way he acts, Linkin Park would suit him."
"He knows me too well if he thinks that would fit me," Zack said dryly, tossing it over to Rue.
"Ah well. I guess I can always send it to Fell," Rue snickered.
"If you want to get torn to pieces when he learns why you would give it to him, then be my guest," Claire said.
"He probably would do that," Rue realized. "I suppose I'll just have to keep it then, huh? Maybe you'll realize the truth later Miles. If you ever do decide to try it, you only need to ask me for it."
"Go to hell," was Miles' response as he left the room.
"I seem to recall you saying that to me when we were playing Go Fish," Draken commented to Rue. "Up for a few rounds?"
"No way. My luck is terrible at that game, and yours is so good that you should be banned from playing it," Rue told him.
"Have it your way," Draken said. "It's getting late anyway; that plane trip wore me out. I think I'm going to turn in early."
"But what about Hope?" Kisara asked.
"Miles isn't about to wait for her," Draken pointed out. "We can say hi to her in the morning. Good night you guys."
"I'll come up when Hope is here," Will said. "I wanted to have some time to read anyway."
"Then I will retire as well," Zack decided, going up the stairs.
"I'm all for that," Rue seconded, going after him. Soon the room was empty, except for Will, who sat down on the couch and opened his book.
-----
Hope looked outside of the taxi as it drove up to the condo. The rain was still falling heavily, so she made a run for it.
She knocked at the door, which was opened shortly by Hime.
"Hello," Hime smiled. "It's nice to see you again."
"Thanks, same to you," Hope said, coming in. She shut the door, and then looked at her soaked clothes. "Um…"
Hime gave her a towel that was next to the door.
"Oh, thanks…" Hope quickly dried herself off, and then brought out Gaston.
"Where is everyone else?" he inquired.
"Ender is still at the hospital; Abby went to visit him," Hime explained. "Chasity is asleep. Max is with Brandi, as is Mana."
"How is she doing?" Hope asked.
"Badly," Hime sighed. "Brandi has some days that are better than others, and there are other times that she is a lot worse. Today is the latter."
"I see…" Hope trailed off, not knowing what to say next.
"You will probably want to get some rest soon," Hime assumed. "So I'll tell you what the sleeping arrangements are. Brandi is in Abby's room, as is Mana. Since Ender is not back yet, Abby and Chasity are on the bunk beds. That means you and Max get the fold out bed."
"WHAT?!" Hope exclaimed. She quickly turned away to hide her extremely reddened face from Hime.
Hime laughed at her reaction. "Sorry, but that's the only place for you to sleep. I'm sure it will be fine."
"Um… m-maybe…" Hope stammered, still looking very embarrassed.
Gaston refrained from laughing as well, seeing her discomfort. "You don't have to worry. I'm sure Max won't care."
"Yeah… Hime, I need to call Will's," Hope said. "Can I please use your phone?"
"Sure." She brought the duo to the kitchen, and handed Hope the phone. "Go ahead."
"I'm afraid I don't know his phone number," Hope confessed.
Hime brought out the phone book and gave it to her as well. "I'm going to get Max."
"Thanks." She quickly looked up the number and dialed it into the phone. "Hello, Will? Yeah, it's Hope. I'm staying at Max's condo, ok? Yes, we'll be at the lake at nine, just like always. See you all tomorrow. Bye… wait, what was that crash? Oh, you're right then, I probably don't want to know. Good night."
Hime and Max came in as she shut off the phone. She blushed slightly, but forced herself to meet his eyes. "Hi."
Max nodded, and went to the living room.
"I guess we're turning in now…" Hope said. "See you tomorrow Hime." Then she went after him, Gaston following.
Max had gotten into the foldout bed and already had his eyes closed, showing he wasn't in a talking mood. Feeling very awkward about the situation she was getting into, Hope got in as well. She knew her face was still not its normal color.
"Have a nice night," Gaston said, laughing softly.
"You're not helping," Hope muttered, concealing her face within her pillow.
-----
"Hey, Hope, wake up!"
Hope opened her eyes, and saw Gaston leaning over her. "Good, you're awake. It's eight. We need to get ready to meet the others."
"Alright," Hope said, getting out of bed. She noticed Max was already gone, and was quite relieved.
"Abby seems preoccupied with something, but she said you could help yourself to bagels."
"No, no, no!" Hope groaned. "No more bagels! I'm so sick of them!"
"Then ask her if there's anything else," Gaston shrugged. "Max already ate."
"Sure." She went towards the kitchen with Gaston.
However, the swordsman was preoccupied with something else. He had been worried about having to explain to Max about Hope's sleepwalking problem, but to his surprise she had slept peacefully. This was the first time he could recall her go a night without sleepwalking since Osiris had been discovered. He did not know what it meant though.
"Good morning Abby," Hope said as she walked into the kitchen.
"Same to you," Abby replied, not looking up from what she was doing.
"What are you making?" Hope inquired.
"I'm making a large dinner for Max and Brandi's birthday," Abby explained.
"Oh, that's nice. Listen, I needed to ask you…wait… Max's and Brandi's birthday?! Today is their birthday?!" Hope yelped, looking over at the calendar, which said the date was August 13th.
"Yes, it is," Abby smiled. "I still need to think of presents for them, as a matter of fact…"
"I had no idea they were twins!" Hope said, shocked.
"It isn't something they usually bring up," Abby replied. "They don't find it very important."
"But if today is their birthday, then I have to get them presents!" Hope exclaimed. "Dang it… I wish I had had more of a head warning than this! Abby, do you know if there is a mall nearby?"
"Yes, there's one about a mile or two from here," she said.
"Then I'm going out right now! I have to get them some gifts before it's too late! Oh, I hope I have enough time…"
"But Hope, we agreed to meet the others in Teknisk Wereld," Gaston reminded her.
"Yes, but I can't afford to waste any time! Gaston, would you please go and tell them that Max and I will be too busy to come on today?"
"Sure; anything to get out of shopping," he responded, with a disgusted look on his face. He had gone with her once before when she had went to a mall, and afterwards had vowed to never go again. He claimed it to be the most boring experience he had ever had.
"Thanks!" She grabbed a phone, calling a taxi. In a few minutes, she was off, running to the waiting vehicle.
"It's a good thing she brought some of her savings with her," Gaston commented. "Well, I'm going to Teknisk Wereld to see the others. I do assume Max will not be coming on?"
"Most likely not," Abby agreed.
"Then I'll tell them. See you shortly."
-----
Everyone was awoken by a loud crash. Will leapt out of bed and went out of the room without a word. The rest, having seen the expression on his face, decided it would be best to remain where they were.
A few minutes later, he came back in, looking rather calm. "Since my toaster is unable to be used now, we will not be having bagels this morning."
"For once, I am really grateful for Neo," Rue joked.
Will glared at Rue, and he shut up. "But luckily, the microwave is in working order. I can still make bacon."
"That sounds good," Draken said. "It's been a while since I've had that."
"Good, I'll start making it." He paused at the doorway. "By the way, Neo won't be joining us." Then he left.
"Ouch," Rue winced as they got up. "I actually feel sorry for him."
They went into the kitchen, and found Miles already sitting at the table. They also noticed that a part of the counter was completely blackened.
Miles still seemed stunned. When he saw them sit down at the table, he glanced around. Seeing that Will was not there, he whispered to them, "I have a suggestion for you guys; don't make Will mad."
"I've known that for a long time," Zack told him.
"What does he usually do?" Draken inquired to Zack.
"He spends anywhere from one minute to ten yelling at Neo, and then usually throws whatever he destroyed at him. One time, when it was the stove… well, let's not go into that."
"Please," Rue agreed.
Kisara seemed concerned about something else. "Where is Hope?"
"She's staying at Max's," Will said to them as he walked by. Luckily, he seemed to have already gotten over the incident.
After they had eaten, they went back upstairs and accessed Teknisk Wereld.
-----
They emerged by the lake, and saw that they were alone. After their Soul Monsters were brought out (including Neo, who still seemed worse for the wear but was well enough to be out of his Soul Card), they set off to find the others.
Soon they came to Fell, Larka, and their Soul Monsters. Malon came over, yelping joyfully as Daine trotted over calmly.
"Hi," Draken greeted. "Do any of you know where Hope and Max are?"
"No," Larka replied.
Kisara noticed that she seemed worried. "What is the matter, Larka? You look troubled."
"I'll explain it to everyone when Hope and Max arrive," Larka said.
Fell eyed her, but said nothing. He had noticed that she had been anxious last night, but had not pressed her for information. She had said she would tell him along with everyone else, so he had been patient with it.
Malon suddenly began barking again. They looked over to see Gaston appear.
"Hi Gaston," Darche greeted. "Where are Hope and Max?"
"They're busy, so they won't be able to come on today," Gaston informed them. "We'll be on tomorrow for sure though, ok?"
"Sure, I guess we can wait for another day," Will shrugged. "But why are they unable to make it?"
"I'd prefer that you ask them," Gaston said. "I'm not really sure they want me relaying why."
"Alright then. We'll see you tomorrow," Claire nodded.
"Wait a minute," Gen requested, before Gaston left. "Larka, do you want to speak to us now about what you have wanted to tell us? Gaston can relay the information to Hope and Max."
"No," Larka shook her head. "It's important that everyone is here. I'll wait until tomorrow…"
"You're sure?" Kazel asked.
"Yes. It can wait one more day, if it has to."
"Well, see you guys later then," Gaston said before vanishing.
"So I guess we'll just spend one last day relaxing?" Rue suggested.
"I'm all for it," Draken agreed.
-----
Hope ignored the looks that others gave her as she ran through the mall, glancing at stores as she went by but not stopping at any of them.
She finally halted at a fountain that was nearby the center of the mall.
"This is impossible!" Hope groaned, sitting down on the edge of the fountain. "I have no idea what I can get Max and Brandi…"
She gazed at the fountain, and taking a quarter from her pocket, tossed it in. "I wish an idea would come to mind…"
But as Hope looked back up, she saw someone passing by her.
Giving the fountain a glance, wondering if the rumors of wishes coming true had some fact in it, she ran after the person. "Matt!"
He turned to her, looking surprised. "Hope? What are you doing here?"
"I'm staying at the condo while we discuss where to find Ra," she said, a bit more quietly so nobody would overhear her.
"Ah. But why are you at the mall then?" he inquired.
"Abby told me that today is Max and Brandi's birthday! I didn't know until today… so… I'm trying to get them presents," Hope explained. "But I don't know what to get…"
"Well, why not get Max a card?" Matt suggested. "If you want, we can stop by my house, and you can choose a card from my rares."
"That would be great, thanks!" Hope eagerly agreed. "But I still need something for Brandi… oh, I know! Did she ever replace that top that got torn by those torturers?"
"I don't think so."
"Then I'll get one for her. Do you know where any clothing stores might be here?"
Matt considered. "Well, for Brandi… I think Belk would be your best bet. It's this way…"
As they walked towards it, Hope asked Matt another question. "Why were you here?"
"Oh, I have my reasons," he grinned.
"Like getting late presents, such as I and Abby are doing? What did you get them, anyway?"
"You'll find out tonight," Matt teased.
"I'm not good at waiting," Hope muttered, but did not argue.
After searching the store for a while, Hope showed her choice to Matt. "Do you think she would like this?"
He looked at it. "Sure, why not? Go ahead and get her that."
After paying for the gift, Matt led her out to his car. "We'll stop by my place before going to theirs."
"I'm glad you had your car with you," Hope commented as she got in the other front seat. "You saved me another taxi fare."
"Glad to help. We'll be there shortly…"
Hope was surprised to see them pull up to the condo. "I thought we were going to go to your house first?"
"Oh, I guess Lilian and I never got to tell you this," Matt realized. "We live in the same condo as them."
"And nobody told me this until now?"
"It's not like we can remember to tell you every detail you don't know. Anyway, let's go on in."
They went inside a door that was a few doors down from the Driger's area on the first story.
Their home looked pretty much the same as the Driger's did in appearances. They found Lilian in the room nearby the entrance.
"Hey Matt… Hope? You're here too? Hello to you as well."
"Hi Lilian."
"I'm going to show Hope some cards so she can choose one for Max, and then we're going over there," Matt told his sister.
"Alright. See you guys later."
"You're not coming?" Hope asked.
"Nope," Lilian said, going towards another room.
"She probably drank a bit too much last night," Matt laughed. "She and Abby went clubbing."
She had looked a little sick, Hope had noticed. But there was something she didn't understand. "What is clubbing?"
"What? You don't know? It's when you go to several night clubs; not much else to say about it."
"Oh. Wait… Abby went?"
"A bit surprising, huh?"
By this time, they had reached Matt's room. But Hope had one more question. "Does Lilian have a Soul Monster?"
"No, she has never gone to Teknisk Wereld," Matt replied, pulling out a bag. In a matter of seconds, he had spread out a large selection of holofoil cards. "Take a look."
"I'm still amazed by how many cards you have," Hope said, kneeling down in front of them. "I don't know how I'll ever be able to choose one out of all these choices!"
"Take your time," Matt advised. "Read a few before you make your decision."
She picked up a couple that looked interesting, but found that none of them really fit Max's deck. She put them to the side and looked for some more.
Then one caught her eye. She lifted it, reading its effect. Then she nodded.
"I think I want to give him this one."
Matt looked at it, and lifted an eyebrow. "Interesting choice, but it's a handy card. I'm sure he'll find a use for it." Then Matt put away the rest of his other cards into the bag carefully and slung it over his shoulder.
"How much do I owe you?" Hope inquired.
"Nothing. I didn't need it anyway."
"Thanks," Hope said as they left his room.
"Not a problem. Lilian, we're leaving!" Matt called.
"Alright," they heard her respond.
They went over to the Driger's area, and Matt knocked. This time, Abby was the one who greeted them.
"Hi you two. Did either of you get any gifts for them?" she asked.
"Here." Hope handed her the box with Brandi's shirt and the card for Max.
Matt also pulled out a small, black, velvet box and gave it to her as well, and handed her his bag. "I think that's it. By the way, the bag needs to be kept separate from the other gifts… I'm going to let Max pick a few cards for his deck out of there."
After a few moments, she managed to hold onto the four items with some awkwardness. "Alright. I'll take care of these. You two should go see them." Then she went back towards the kitchen.
Hope and Matt proceeded to Abby's room, Hope knocking softly on the door. A few seconds later, Mana opened it.
"Hello," she said. "Come on in."
They entered, glancing at the two other occupants of the room. Max was on a chair next to the bed, while Brandi was sitting up with her back resting against the headboard of the bed.
"Hi," Brandi smiled as she saw who had entered. "Sorry I couldn't see you yesterday, Hope."
"It's fine," Hope assured. "I'm just sorry that you have been sick. How do you feel today?"
"Much better than usual," Brandi replied. "I'm glad that I am; I would hate having to be too sick to get out of bed on our birthday!"
"So you will be able to get up when we have dinner?" Matt inquired.
"Definitely," Brandi confirmed. "I'm not about to miss it."
"Then maybe you should rest up now so you will be ready," Hope suggested.
"Probably," Brandi agreed. "What are you going to do?"
"Most likely read," Hope shrugged. "I hadn't planned anything."
"I'll see you later then," Brandi said.
Max left the room, as well as Hope. Matt stayed; most likely he wanted to have some time to talk to Brandi before dinner.
As they left the hall, Max made as if to go to the kitchen, where Abby and Hime were. But Hope wanted to ask him something before he left.
"Max, hold on a minute."
He reluctantly stopped, looking over at her. "What is it?"
Although a bit wary of asking this question, she went on. "About… what happened in the forest… with Thanatos… well… um... I…"
"What is there to say about it?" Max asked shortly, not wanting to discuss the incident.
"Well… I just wanted to say… that… I wasn't saying that just to get rid of Thanatos… I really did mean it… and… um…"
She was cut off when Gaston suddenly came into the room. "Hope, you're finally back!"
Max seized the opportunity and left the room. Mad at herself for being unable to say what was on her mind, she went over to him. "Yeah, I am. Where were you?"
"I was just walking, since there was really nothing to do here." He noticed that Hope was still a bit pink in the face, but did not comment on it. "Did you get what you wanted to?"
"Yes, I did. So when is dinner going to be ready?"
"Abby thinks it'll be around seven."
"Sounds good to me."
-----
Abby's guess was accurate. It was just a little after seven when Hime came into the living room, where Hope was on the couch, reading her new book called The Crystal Shard, from the Icewind Dale series. Gaston had just been sitting nearby, thinking over some matters in the quiet moment.
"It's ready," Hime told them as they looked up at her.
"Alright, thanks." Hope reluctantly tore herself away from her book, and put it into her backpack before going into the kitchen.
Max was already there, as was Abby, who was at the head of the table, and Chasity, who was to her right. Hime sat down at her left. Max was on the right, between two unoccupied chairs.
That still left five chairs though. Hope looked around at them in bewilderment. "Where do we sit?"
"Gaston can be next to Hime," Abby answered. "As for you Hope… how about between Chasity and Max?"
She did that on purpose, Max thought in disgust as Hope took her place. He really did not want to have to engage into another conversation with her, so he focused his attention on Matt, Brandi, and Mana, who now entered the room.
Abby began to tell them where their seats were as well. "Brandi, you're at the back. Matt, you're to Brandi's left, and Mana, you're on her right." Although the Soul Monsters did not need to eat, they would of course still be attending the occasion.
They took their designated chairs, looking over the meal Abby had set up. Hope recognized the salad and garlic bread, but the main course was something she had never seen before. Usually she hated trying new things, but she had promised herself that she would be more open to testing different foods when visiting. So when they began the meal, she tested it cautiously. Then she took enough to fill her plate, along with some garlic bread (she loved it, but nothing could make her eat salads).
"This is great! What is it called?" Hope inquired.
"Chicken marinara," Abby replied, serving herself some of it. "I figured you would like it."
"Yeah, I like almost anything that contains pasta," Hope replied.
A bit later into the meal, Matt suddenly stopped eating, putting his fork aside as he got up. "Oh, I almost forgot. I found something today that I thought would interest you guys."
He left the room, and returned a second later with a magazine. He flipped it open to a page he had bookmarked by folding a corner of the page down, and offered it to Abby.
She looked over the article, and smiled. "Ah, I see…" She passed it to Hope, since Chasity seemed more interested in continuing to eat than reading the magazine.
Hope read it out loud. "Champion Duelist Wins Tournament Again… it talks about a great duelist who's name was Abigail Sable. But what does this have to do with…" She trailed off, looking at the picture of the duelist. "This woman… Abby, are you the duelist mentioned here?!"
"That's right," Abby confirmed. "I won that tournament before I was married, so my maiden name was printed."
Hope quickly read the rest. "That's amazing… I never knew you were such a good duelist!" She gave it to Max, who looked over it as well.
"And if she was that good then, just imagine her skills now that she has Hime," Brandi commented, looking at the article when Max passed it to her.
"Yes, having Hime's ability to manipulate spirits is always useful," Abby agreed. "There are other benefits to her too though."
"Like what?" Hope asked.
Hime grinned mischievously. "I'll give you a demonstration." Then she turned to Gaston, and spoke in a calm, persuasive tone. "Gaston, please stand up and come over here."
He instantly did as he was asked to, but what surprised Hope was the blank look in his eyes.
"Gaston?" she said hesitatingly.
"Now, do a split," Hime commanded in the same tone.
Hope watched in amazement as he obeyed her, without any expression on his face.
"Alright, you can get up. That's all I wanted," Hime told him.
Gaston stood, and then blinked, shaking his head as though to clear it. "What happened?"
"I never knew you were so good at gymnastics," Mana laughed. This only confused the swordsman even more.
"Let me explain," Hime said. "I have discovered that my voice is very persuasive when I want it to be. If I ask someone to do something, they will be compelled to obey me, or their body will do it automatically. So convincing Gaston to stand up and then do a split wasn't that difficult."
"I did that?" Gaston said incredulously as he sat back down. "Ow… no wonder my legs hurt…"
"Does it work on humans as well?" Hope questioned.
"Chasity can answer that," Hime smiled.
Chasity gave the Soul Monster a glare before going back to her food.
"She can't get out of going to bed anymore," Hime explained. "If she tries, then I can just make her fall asleep on the spot."
"Brutal yet effective," Hope laughed.
They finished eating shortly after that, and moved on to dessert. Again, Hope had never even heard of the cake that was served, but she was delighted by it.
"What is this called?" Hope asked before taking another bite.
"It's red velvet cake," Abby explained. "It can taste like a variety of things… this one is normal."
"I give my compliments," Hope responded before going back to focusing on her dessert. The others stayed silent as well until they were all done.
To avoid having them crowd the kitchen, Hime took the plates and silverware away while Abby left the room. She returned with an enormous gift bag.
"Geez mom. Don't you think that's a bit much?" Brandi asked, staring at the large bag.
"It holds all of the presents Matt, Hope, and I got you," Abby explained. She set it down in the center of the table. "Choose amongst yourselves as to who goes first."
Max shrugged. "I don't care. Go ahead Brandi."
"But you should. You're older than me, after all," Brandi pointed out.
"Yeah, an hour really makes a difference," Max said sarcastically. "Just open one already."
"Alright then…" She reached inside, and pulled out a small white box. Giving it a curious look, she asked, "Who is this from?"
"Me," Abby replied.
Brandi opened the box carefully, and stared at the item inside. "But mom… this is yours!"
"It was mine," Abby corrected. "And now I've passed it on to you. Go ahead and show the others what it is."
Brandi held up her present for the rest of them to see. It was the gold locket Hope had seen Abby wearing when they had first met. The piece of jewelry looked old, yet remained beautiful.
"Does it have anything inside?" Hope asked.
Brandi opened it, and passed it to Hope. "It's a picture of us before… dad died."
Hope gazed sadly at the four happy people inside the picture, who had had no idea then as to what would happen in the future. "I'm sure you'll treasure it."
"Of course," Brandi agreed, taking it back and putting it on. "Thank you mom."
"I'm glad you like it," Abby smiled. "Now, how about you Max?"
He reached into the bag, and drew out another white box. But this one was much larger than Brandi's.
"That's from me as well," Abby confirmed to his inquiring glance.
He took off the top of it, and froze when he saw what it was. Then he brought it out.
Brandi recognized the old blue vest instantly. "That's…"
"Yes, your father's vest," Abby said. "Another family heirloom, you could say."
"…Thanks," Max finally managed to say, before slipping it on.
Abby nodded. "I'm sure you will make good use of it. Brandi, it's your turn."
"Sure." She brought out yet another white box, about the size of Max's. "And this is from…?"
"It's from me," Hope said.
She opened it, and grinned when she saw what it was. "I can guess why you got this."
"So you didn't replace the shirt that got torn?" Hope inquired.
"Not until now," she responded, bringing out the shirt. It was a black tank top with hot pink trimming.
"I wasn't sure if you'd like the colors," Hope said.
"It's great, thanks," Brandi replied, folding it back up before putting it away.
Max brought out a clear, hard card protector next. He seemed a bit surprised at the card he saw inside. "Soul Line?"
"I thought it might go well with your deck," Hope responded, looking nervous.
He read it, and nodded. "Yeah, this should help… thanks…"
Brandi looked inside the bag, and brought out a small black velvet box. "I assume this is from you, Matt."
"That's right," he confirmed.
"But there's nothing else in there," Brandi said, confused. "What about Max?"
"I rebuilt his deck when it was lost. I think that could easily qualify as a birthday present," Matt responded.
Max laughed at that. "You have a point."
"Still, I'm not that heartless," Matt said. "I'll let you pick a few cards from my collection to add to your deck, Max. You can look after Brandi's seen what she got."
"Sure, that'd be fine," Max replied.
Brandi opened the box. She paled as she saw what it was. "Matt!"
"So, you like it?" Matt grinned.
She picked the present up, which allowed Hope to see what it
was. She held an ankle band, but Hope had never seen one as elegant as this
one. It was gold, with diamonds on the outside. But as Brandi turned it over,
Hope saw that Brandi's name was inscribed inside it.
Brandi put it down carefully before fiercely embracing Matt. "Do I like it?! Of
course I do! You knew I would all along!"
"Will would kill Matt for that understatement," Gaston commented.
"Geez, you know how to impress Brandi," Hope joked.
The two let go of each other, and Matt responded to her comment. "I learned from the very best. Randall was my teacher, you could say."
"Huh? You knew him?" Hope asked.
"Well, not really. But Abby told me stories of what he had done for her, so I picked up a few things."
"So that's why you were working overtime so often lately," Abby realized.
"It was worth it just to see the look on Brandi's face," Matt laughed.
"You listened to Abby talk often?" Gaston inquired.
Matt's expression darkened. "Yeah, I did. I didn't have many friends, and when Max and Brandi had run away, I was lonely. So I often came to see Abby, and she told me stories frequently. Of course, that wasn't the only reason I came though…"
"What do you mean?" Hope asked.
Matt glanced over at Abby, who nodded. He sighed. "I can sum it up in one word: Jason. But I'll give a more detailed explanation if you want one. When I was fourteen, I learned what he was doing to Abby. He abused her, to put it bluntly. One time when I came to visit, I found her tied down to the bed…"
"You mean he…?" Hope couldn't complete the sentence.
"Yeah… the bastard had a habit of raping her," Matt said, eyes flashing. "After seeing Abby like that… in so much pain from injuries from Jason, and me being helpless to assist… well, I confronted Jason. I hid in a closet when he was about to rape her again, and before he could, sprang out and hit him in the groin with a baseball bat."
Gaston winced. "That's one way to stop him…"
"Needless to say, he didn't plan on doing that again," Matt smirked. "He said he would leave her alone as long as I took care of her, and I agreed to that. So that's all in the past now."
Abby broke the uncomfortable silence. "It's getting late. Max and Hope, if you are going to Teknisk Wereld tomorrow, then you should go to bed now. Brandi, you should too-you need more rest. And Chasity, it's past your bed time."
Chasity held her tongue, remembering what Hime could do, and left the room. The others soon followed suit. Matt went with Brandi and Mana to Abby's room, and came out shortly afterwards. After Max picked out five cards from Matt's bag to add to his deck, Matt bade them goodbye and left.
With that taken care of, everyone was soon asleep, exhausted from the day.
-----
"And yet again, they're late," Draken said as they waited by the lake.
"I wonder why," Rue snickered.
A smack over the head from Will's book shut him up.
A few minutes later, Max, Hope, and Gaston came running up, looking slightly out of breath.
"About time," Miles commented. "Where were you guys?"
"We slept in," Hope said sheepishly. "Hime woke us up a bit late."
"But we're here now," Gaston stated. "So let's start discussing how we'll find Ra."
"Hold on," Larka said. "I have something to say."
"As do I," Zack stated.
The group had known Larka wanted to talk about something, but they had not suspected the same of Zack.
"Alright, so which of you wants to go first?" Gen inquired.
"You can," Larka offered.
"Thanks. I won't take long," Zack assured. "I just wanted to say that I went to see Vlademir a few days ago."
"What? Why would you do that?" Rue asked.
"I was curious as to how he had made me," Zack said. "Well, he explained that he had made the body in both Teknisk Wereld and in real life, which is logical enough. But what disturbs me is that he said he also used necromancy."
"Necromancy? Vlad could do that?" Claire asked.
"Apparently. He said he used several books to pull it off. But basically, he synchronized the two bodies into one and then inserted the soul." He shrugged. "I don't know if this is of any importance now, since Vlad is captured, but I found it interesting."
"As do I," Kazel growled. "I still do not trust him."
"He's in some of the highest security possible," Darche reminded her. "I don't think we'll need to worry."
"Maybe," Kazel responded, still not satisfied.
"He also said something about Thanatos," Zack continued. "Apparently, he had rigged his Duel Disk so he would be given Thanatos' vitality signs. And the results… he says they were completely erratic. He ran tests on them and said that in that state, a human could have limitless strength and speed."
"Well, that explains how Thanatos was so powerful," Claire shuddered.
"Yes. But now he is dead, so we don't have to worry. Well, that is all I wanted to say," Zack finished. "So, what did you want to tell us, Larka?"
Everyone turned their attention to the nervous girl, who was at loss as to where to start.
Larka began to speak after a few moments. "This is an important matter, or else I wouldn't tell you guys this now, when we should be searching for the last god card. I didn't want to get you involved either, but this is too big for me to handle alone…"
She hesitated for a minute.
"Go on," Zack requested. "We want to be able to assist in any ways we can."
"Yeah," Hope agreed.
Larka smiled slightly. "Ok then…"
But before she could begin, Malon suddenly leapt up and began barking, running over to the top of the hill, where two figures emerged.
Amy blinked at the puppy as he jumped at her. "What a warm welcome."
"Malon!" Larka grabbed him by the collar. "Get down!"
"Hi Amy! What are you doing here?" Hope asked.
Amy came over to the group, sitting down nearby them. Sakura did the same. "I was talking to dad yesterday, and he said you had gone to South Carolina. Hope, every time you go there, something is up. I'm tired of being on the sidelines, left to worry about whether you're alive or not. Whatever the problem is this time, I want to be able to help you and your friends."
"We're in firm agreement about this," Sakura said. "Please, let us aid all of you. We'll accept the consequences."
Hope knew that her sister would not take no for an answer. "Alright then. Larka was just about to tell us something, so we'll give you the details later. But if you would like to help, I think we'd be glad for the assistance."
"Excuse me, but who are you?" Kisara asked.
Amy looked over at her. "Looks like you're new to the group. I'm Amy, Hope's sister."
"And I'm Sakura," said her Soul Monster.
"Why have we not met before?" Kazel inquired.
"Well… technically, we're half-sisters, so I live in Florida," Amy explained. "But that really doesn't matter much. Larka, you were going to talk?"
"Yes," Larka nodded. "I guess I had best begin…"
Larka explained all that Sarius had told her about the Emissaries and Limiters. The others listened, extremely interested in the reason that Sarius was here.
"So what does this have to do with you?" Miles asked.
"Apparently… Sarius thinks I am the Limiter of Light," Larka said.
"Whoa, wait a minute! You're a Limiter? And you never knew?" Rue asked, amazed.
"Didn't you pay attention?" Will realized what he had just asked Rue, of all people, and sighed. "Don't bother answering that. But Larka said that Limiters didn't know they were Limiters, remember?"
"Um… yeah, of course I do!" Rue said hastily.
"So Sarius wants your power?" Hope inquired.
"Probably, but he seems more concerned about the other Emissary here," Larka replied. "He said that a group of people called Mavericks were after the Limiters. They're led by someone called Juno."
"Juno!" Hope exclaimed. Rue, Max, Will, and Claire all recognized the name as well, which brought back horrifying memories of him. It was especially bad for Will, who vividly remembered being killed by Juno.
"Do you know who he is?" Zack asked.
"Unfortunately," Rue growled. "We met Juno when we were combating the Generals of Hell. He had joined forces with them to get something…"
"He wanted a chance to duel Sarius," Claire recalled. "Juno killed Will, but Sarius arrived shortly afterwards." She shivered. "He was furious… they seem to hold such hatred for each other… I could barely force myself to watch their duel."
"Juno lost though, and was supposed to die for it," Hope continued. "He fell into one of the pits of hell. But Sarius seemed to think he wouldn't die… he said he was an omnihuman, whatever that is. Then he went after Juno. We never heard of Juno again, until now."
"Having him as an enemy… damn… I had hoped we'd never see him again," Rue said.
"We can't help that now," Draken stated. "If this Juno is as bad as you say he is, then we can't let him get to Larka."
"But how can we stop him?" Hope asked.
"How about talking with Sarius again?" Daine suggested. "He would probably be able to tell us how to defeat Juno."
"That's probably our best bet," Will agreed. "Larka, you found him in the forest, right?"
"Yes," she confirmed.
"Then let's go there."
As they walked towards the woods, Rue asked about something he had thought of. "Larka, did Sarius say anything about Limiter powers being hereditary?"
"No, why?"
"I was thinking about Fell. Maybe he's the Limiter of Darkness?" Rue suggested.
"I doubt it," Will replied. "Why would Sarius seek out Larka alone if Fell was also a Limiter? He'd tell both of them."
"Correct," Fell stated. "He seems to think something of me, but I am not sure what. I am not a Limiter though."
"Just a thought," Rue shrugged.
-----
Sarius stepped out of the woods, coming to the lake. But as he approached, he saw someone already standing there.
He instantly recognized the person that stood before him. Although he had known this person would be here, he was not thrilled to see him.
Sarius may have seen him before, but the man's appearance always got to him. He wore a black cloak that concealed all of his body except for his face, even though it was split down the middle. The front was fastened at his neck by a silver clasp that was the shape of a dagger. The bottom of the cloak was ragged, and it lacked a hood. But his black hair, which went about halfway down his back, concealed his face well enough to make a hood unnecessary. But when he moved his head to view Sarius, the hair framed his pale skin and his red eyes. Those eyes… they were what Sarius was always appalled by the most. They had a malicious glint in them that spoke of his true personality: a sickening individual that was fascinated with pain and death, and was more than capable enough to make it possible in both physical and mental means.
"I knew I would come across you sooner or later," Sarius said as a greeting.
"Nice to see you again, Tirran," the Maverick replied. "I would love to have revenge on you, but Bolt Katana has made it clear that he wishes for the honor to be his. That is fine with me though… I am not here to be against you. We are here for the Limiters, as you know."
"Yes, I know," Sarius replied calmly. The Child stood next to him, while Raid glared at the man from behind Sarius and Cyrus stood at the ready, his hand on his sword.
"I was ordered to keep out of other's ways, but I felt something that was just too tempting to pass up," the man smirked.
"What do you mean?"
"Can't you feel it?"
Sarius concentrated. At first, there was nothing… and then he felt a faint surge of power.
What… ah, I see. Genkai Kyuukei. It's been a while since I've encountered that one. No wonder he would find it interesting…
Sarius turned back to the man and shrugged. "Alright, so I can feel something too. And why should I care? Do what you like to try and claim it as yours; I am more concerned about the Limiters than a small amount of power such as that."
"Perhaps it is small now, but it holds much potential," the man stated. "If I can use it somehow, then the Limiters might be much easier to find and defeat."
"Potential for you, maybe," Sarius said. "Play around all you like; I'm going to get to the heart of the matter and find the Limiters. I do warn you this much though; I would not underestimate someone with this power. True, it is not much now, but being overconfident about controlling it will only result in you being killed again."
Raid suddenly hissed, turning towards the direction opposite of the woods. They looked over to see the group coming towards them. They were too far to make out who the people were, but they had recognized Raid and knew Sarius was probably there as well.
Damn, Sarius thought. He'll see Larka, and that means that Juno's forces and mine will be on even footing. Oh well… they would have found out sooner or later.
"Sarius!" Rue yelled when they were close enough to see them. "We need to talk to you!" But he trailed off as he saw the other man. Everyone else in the group seemed frozen in the same manner.
The man turned, walking towards them. But the bottom of his ragged cloak created a swirling effect, as though it was not really there. It seemed to be just wisps that phased in and out of existence, causing the group to be even more apprehensive.
The man's eyes locked on Larka, and he smiled coldly. "Now I see. You all seem to know Tirran, and that is because he has already confronted you, Limiter."
Larka forced herself to speak. "Are you a Maverick?"
While she was speaking, he had put his right hand to his shoulder. When she was done, he flung his hand out, which caused a crimson wave to appear. Almost instantly, a scythe appeared in its place, in his left hand. The scythe handle was made of a straight, black metal, and its blade was blood red. He twirled it in a swift, deadly pattern before it halted, its end with the blade pointing at the group. "I am indeed a Maverick. Call me Dark Scythe." He paused, glancing at Max, and then went on, as though nothing there had interested him. "You seem to know that you are a Limiter, confirming my suspicions. So you probably also know that my fellow Mavericks and I were ordered to kill you. That means that I could easily slay you, right this moment…"
"Don't you dare!" Draken snarled, stepping forward. Instantly, the Soul Monsters went to the front, weapons drawn. Kazel hissed angrily, and crouched low to the ground. The trigger to her springing would be Dark coming any closer.
Dark looked to his side, and saw Sarius holding a card in his hand. Although he looked unthreatening, Dark recognized the expression in his eyes. He smirked, and let go of the scythe, which vanished immediately. "None of you can compare to my strength at the moment. But I know Tirran will not just stand by and let me kill you, Limiter. Consider yourself fortunate." Then he walked towards the lake.
He halted at the edge, and looked over at them. "But know this. If you try to face us altogether, you are doomed. We work best when in a group. So if you want to stand any chance… try coming at each of us alone."
Then he vanished into the lake, and emerged in the dark realm that Juno resided in. As he went to find Juno, he considered what he had seen.
The Limiter… she is somewhat stronger than many Limiters, but she is still weak enough for most of us to kill with ease. But there was another… Dark recalled the boy that he had seen in the group. He was the one with the power I sensed. Perhaps I could make a use of it… if he knows the Limiter, maybe he can even be manipulated into killing her for me. His mouth curled into a sneer. It is my specialty, after all…
-----
Sarius went towards the lake, knowing Dark Scythe was long gone. "Child, we leave."
"Hai, Tirran-sama."
"Hey, wait!" Miles protested. "We need to know something!"
But Sarius wasn't in the mood to listen. He leapt into the water, his three companions following. The group ran over to the waters, but they were gone.
"That man… Dark Scythe…" Hope shivered. "He was… I can't even begin to describe how frightened I felt when I looked into his eyes…"
"I hope that Juno's Maverick's aren't all like that," Claire commented, still a bit pale.
Hope agreed with her mentally. She hadn't dared call up Dark Scythe's aura, knowing it probably would have overpowered her instantly. She didn't need it to know what a deadly foe he was though.
"Maybe… we should go back… and regroup…" Larka said shakily.
"Good call," Will replied. "We'll go back to where we entered, and talk it over there."
With that settled, they set off, back the way they had come. But this time, the silence that reigned over them was much more serious than before.
To be continued…