Eureka! I got it!
Chapter IV: Bad Luck
Author's Note: Ok I got a lot of requests XD Maybe I have to extend this story a little more. Well let's see what new Inventors will turn up? Keep up the Reviews XD Even Bad Criticism is appreciated!
Act I: Tea Time
With 100 percent Less Tea!
"Sorry, Lias…" Gusto replied with a sad expression. "I didn't mean to cause so much trouble…"
"It's fine." Lias smiled lightly.
"So… How long you reckon it'll take to fix this place up?" Gusto asked.
"Maybe a week?" Lias replied.
"Man I REALLY messed up." Gusto sighed as he sat down in a pile of ash.
The two Smiths sat in the rubble of what was once the Peterny Workshop. Keyword is "was", what use to be the Workshop is now a burned pile of ash. Half the facility was blown up from their last incident. The Sun was setting. The Fresh, cool and crisp Summer Air was nice. An Orange shadow engulfed the Skies. Sunset was nice… the Skies of Elicoor would be a mixture of so many colors. He could see blue, purple, red, orange and golden shades. If Gusto was an Artist, Sunset would be the perfect scene to paint. Sadly, Gusto was a smith. He had no interest in paints and canvas. In a few hours, Night would be upon them and the Warm summer Atmosphere would be cold.
Of all the seasons Gusto loved summer. Nice and warm, he would enjoy being outdoors and working. Well anyway, back to recent news… A few days back Vanilla and Meryl invented a new bomb. It was mighty explosive… Gusto made the mistake of thinking it was a toy he broke the trigger and KABOOM went the Workshop. Meryl and Vanilla weren't too unhappy. On the contrary, they were thrilled their bomb was a success. They received high points for their invention. Sadly, the Guild wouldn't pay for the reconstruction… So the four Inventors had to pitch in and work to rebuild the Workshop. Meryl and Vanilla just left and now, Gusto and Lias were attempting to rebuild it.
Gusto with his massive muscles the size of his skills made great progress! The Workshop construction was coming along great! Too bad he felt guilty. He felt terrible that poor, quiet Lias was dragged in for his mistake. Sitting under the Summer Sunset the two Smiths sat on a bench in Peterny. Gusto was sweating from all the work and took a drink from a water bottle. They were having a break and dinner. Gusto was dark skinned, healthy looking and extremely buff. He was a great Smith and even though he may look intimidating he was actually kinder than most people thought. Lias was a shy, quiet spoken man with good judgment. He rarely lost his cool. He was quietly eating his salad beside the big Muscular dark skinned man.
"Your not mad…are you?" Gusto asked the quiet man.
"Of course not." Lias replied. "Why would I be mad?"
"Because… I broke that Popping toy…" Gusto replied, "And now you have to help me rebuild something you didn't destroy?"
"It's fine." Lias gave another small smile.
"You sure?" Gusto asked.
"Of course, besides It's good to help others." Lias answered.
Gusto stared. Yes, yes, it's rude to stare but he couldn't help it. It was scary enough that this quiet, reserved man was a SMITH. I mean, to Gusto he looked more like a Priest. He wore glasses, was highly educated and also a skilled Artist. He also wore some interesting garments. This man was polite, he also never talked much about him… all he does is smile shyly. But Gusto was shocked… this man was very skilled. That hammer he uses was twice his size yet he can use it so well. The Large Smith took another drink from his cold water bottle. He felt the cold chill and began to stretch.
"HEYAAA" He yelled, "That's some nice water!"
"You should really calm down." Lias replied taking another bite of his salad.
"Why?" Gusto asked, "Its SOOO nice out!"
"You might attract unwanted attention…" Lias replied.
"What do you mean?" Gusto asked.
"..." Lias didn't answer. He was quietly chewing on his salad. Gusto then noticed some ladies walking by. They giggled as they saw the two men. The intimidating big guy was having a snack with a slim, quiet man… yeah… it's a pretty odd sight.
"Sorry Ladies." Gusto replied embarrassedly as he waved. The women continued to giggle as they walked past.
"What're you so quiet about?" Gusto asked his fellow Smith.
"What do you mean?" Lias asked looking up.
"I don't know, you seem so quiet." Gusto peered down at the man, "You troubled?"
"Of course not." Lias replied, "I'm perfectly fine."
"…" Gusto stared, his dark eyes eying his fellow smith.
"I'm sorry… is my silence making you uncomfortable?" Lias asked.
"Nah, that's not it." Gusto took another quick drink. He wiped the sweat with a clean towel that hung around his neck. "You're a hardworking man, I respect ya for that."
"Thank you." Lias smiled softly.
"…" Gusto watched as he drank from the water bottle in his mouth. That smile is nice and all… but why does he seem so sad? Lias walked over to the garbage can and dumped his left over salad and biscuits into the bin. Hanging from his belt he was dragging his massive hammer. The two Smiths returned to the Workshop and began to rebuild it. Gusto was working on one of the support beams. There was an awkward silence…
"You really gotta lighten up." Gusto broke the silence. He had nails in his mouth as he hammered the wood into place. "Sad smiles make me feel sad too, ya know?"
"Sorry…" Lias was painting over a wall that Gusto finished earlier.
"It's nothing to apologize for, man… You gotta be polite all the time?" Gusto wiped some more sweat from his forehead as he hammered the nails in.
"Hey! I know!" Gusto tapped Lias in the back, "How bout you and me go out and grab a drink sometime? Beer would be nice."
"A drink…?" Lias asked pushing the glasses up between his eyes, the slam from the big guy made his glasses tilt.
"Yeah, it'd be great!" Gusto laughed, "Nothing like a nice drink after work!"
"A drink? After work?" Lias asked.
"What? You got a lady to go back home to or something?" Gusto asked, he was laughing heartily. "We men need our drinks!"
"No that's not it…" Lias replied nervously, "Are you going home anytime soon?"
"Nah!" Gusto laughed, "I'm a big boy! I can stay up late if I wanted! Come on, man!"
"Come on…?" Lias asked.
"Laugh with me!" Gusto began to laugh, his voice echoing across the now Dark Peterny. "Laughing makes all your troubles go away!"
"You're really carefree aren't you?" Lias asked. He smiled, this time it wasn't as sad.
"That's what they say!" Gusto replied.
Suddenly there was a small yelling. Lias attempted to hear it over Gusto's booming laughter… whatever it was… it was faint but it came closer. Lias covered Gusto's mouth. The big man became quiet abruptly.
"Shh… do you hear that?" Lias asked.
"Hear what?" Gusto asked his voice muffled by Lias' hand.
"It sounds like a yell of some sort…" Lias replied. The two men heard intently… they definitely heard something.
"eeee…eeeee..."
The two men listened intently… what was that noise? It sounded kind of like a wounded animal…
"Eeeee….EEEEYAAAAAAH!"
The two men looked up. The noise was coming from above. Something or Someone was falling from the sky. Gusto stared at it oddly; it was hard to make out in the darkened sky. Whoever or whatever it was it landed straight in Gusto's outstretched arms. The two men stared… it was a woman… with wings… She had pale lavender hair and a dreamily dazed expression on her face.
"Egad!" Gusto jumped, "First it was raining like cats and dogs! Now it's raining women!"
"She looks familiar…" Lias peered at the woman in Gusto's arms.
"Well whoever she is, she fainted…Out cold…" Gusto replied, "And she's light as a feather too!"
"Hmm?" Lias looked up.
"No, seriously!" Gusto lifted her up with one hand, "See? Light as a feather! I know women like to keep an eye out on their figure and all, but this lady is REALLY LIGHT. She must be dieting like crazy!"
"Oh!" Lias looked up, pushing up his small glasses, "This is Miss Stanice!"
"Miss Stanice? The lady with the wings?" Gusto asked.
"Yes," Lias pointed at the wings, "See?"
"It is Miss Stanice…" Gusto was surprised, "Wonder where she's been? She hasn't come to work in days!"
"Well… let's put her down over here." Lias pulled out a sofa that was usually used by Mishell while reading. The backside of the Workshop was thankfully undamaged. Gusto put her down on the sofa beside a small lamp. She was out cold. Fainted or fallen asleep... either way she was unconscious. Gusto believed her to have fainted... Lias believe she was merely taking a nap. She gave some soft snoring noises and mumbled... yet she wouldn't wake up when they tapped her. They drew up two conclusions...
A) She's a Heavy Sleeper...
B) She talks when she's unconscious...
Well either way they couldn't do much... therefore, the two men went back to work. They were almost done with another wall. Lias even grabbed a ladder and worked on the ceiling. It was quiet, the cold summer air blowing past them. Gusto was getting bored, it was really dark. The only lights emanated from the few lanterns they lit around the broken Workshop. The clock by the book case rang; it was almost 9:00.
"Are you going home anytime soon?" Gusto asked the Dark haired Smith.
"Well…" Lias looked down, "I'm not in any rush."
"You sure? It's getting kind of late." Gusto replied, "You might need the rest."
"I hope you're not calling me weak, Mr. Gusto." Lias asked defiantly.
"I ain't calling you weak! You're pretty good, actually! And did you just call me Mister?" Gusto laughed, "HAH! That's new!"
"I can handle myself." Lias replied. "Don't you have to go home as well?"
"Nah, usually I'd hit the bar at this hour." Gusto began, "But it looks like I can't go anywhere leaving the lady behind." He looked at Stanice who was snoring on the couch, "As you can see, we got company."
Lias nodded, "Yes, we do…"
Suddenly, Miss Stanice woke up. She looked around confused.
"That's strange…" She replied dazedly, "This doesn't seem like the usual tree I sleep in…"
The two Smiths Jumped. "Stanice? You awake?" Gusto asked.
"Miss Stanice! We didn't noticed you were awake, my apologies!" Lias replied.
"Good morning…" Stanice gave a dizzy smile, "My, I wonder where I landed this time?"
"Err… I have two things I want to point out to you." Gusto replied, "First, it's not morning… It's 9:00 at night…"
"My, no wonder it was so dark." Stanice gave a smile, "Dear me, I must have fallen asleep above the clouds. Usually I land in a tree somewhere."
"Tree…?" Lias asked nervously, his shaky finger was holding his glasses in place.
"And second…You're not in a tree either." Gusto replied.
"I must have landed on someone's roof again!" Stanice smiled, "Oops…"
"Actually," Lias replied, "You landed in the Peterny Workshop."
"Really?" Stanice laughed, "What luck! I was hoping I'd come to work today. But… it looks so different now, did someone redecorate?"
"No…" Gusto coughed, "The Work day was over a while ago and also… there was no redecorating involved. It was more of an accident."
"Oh…" Stanice began to think, "So what are you two doing here?"
"Fixing up the Accident." Lias replied with a smile.
"Do you need any help?" Stanice asked.
"Nah, we're good." Gusto laughed, "You should never let a lady work when there are men around!"
"I see." Stanice smiled. "But aren't you two cold? Or hungry?"
"We're alright." Lias replied. "Please relax, Miss Stanice."
"Hmm… ok…" She crossed her legs on the sofa. Her long dress rippling in the cool breeze, she found a stuffed animal and held it in her arms as she watched the two men work. It looked like a blue hippo… "What a nice looking doll, I wonder who made it."
"Who knows?" Gusto replied hammering the nails in. "Toys are dangerous these days…"
"What do you mean?" Stanice asked.
"A few days ago, Lias and I found a cute doll and we pulled on a metal ring…" He placed another wooden beam on the wall, "The dangerous toy blew up… we shouldn't distribute it to kids."
"It was a bomb…" Lias corrected Gusto, "And the metal ring was a bomb trigger…"
"This doesn't look like a toy I've ever seen." Stanice looked at the toy oddly… "Maybe Mr. Evia and Miss Aqua made it…"
"How the heck was I supposed to know the toy could explode?" Gusto asked, "Never trust toys with metal rings on their heads!"
"Like this Metal ring?" Stanice asked pulling the small metal ring off the Hippo's head. The two men paused and stared. "Oh dear… I think I broke the toy…"
BEEEEEEEEEEEP
"Oh no!" Lias grabbed the doll and handed it to Gusto. "Miss Stanice, watch out!"
"It's another Exploding Animal!" Gusto looked around frantically. He looked at his hammer… what did he learn before? Smashing it to bits makes it worse… Toss it into a fire place? No… that wouldn't work either. He stared at the blinking eyes of the Hippo.
BEEEEEEEEEEEEP
"Gusto!" Lias yelled, "Throw it away!"
"But where?" Gusto asked.
"I don't know… Up!" Lias yelled.
"UP?" Gusto looked up at the Starry Night sky.
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP
"Quickly, Gusto!" Lias yelled.
"Ok, here goes NOTHING!" He tossed the Hippo as high as his arms could toss and as far as his strength could throw. The Hippo went flying in the air spinning… its red eyes still blinking.
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP
"Hit the Deck!" Gusto jumped for cover.
"Get down, Miss Stanice!" Lias and Stanice ducked behind the Sofa.
BEEEEP BEEEEP BEEEEP
…
… …
… Any moment now…
KABOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The three stared as the Sky began to Light up with lights. Red Lights, White Lights, Blue Lights, Gold Lights… Peterny was flooded in light.
"My, how pretty…" Stanice smiled.
"Yes," Lias fixed his glasses back on his eyes, "That was close…"
"Whew," Gusto wiped his forehead with the towel, "A little longer and we'd be goners!"
"Well now that we have a nice show," Stanice took Lias and Gusto's hand, "How about we have some tea?"
"Well Actually I was planning on having some Beer-!" Gusto began but Lias hit him in the stomach with his hammer.
"Gusto!" Lias replied sternly.
"I mean… Yeah! Tea sounds great! I love Tea!" Gusto replied.
"That's great!" Stanice smiled as she pulled them out of the half destroyed Workshop, "Let's go have some nice tea then! Maybe even some cookies!"
"You'd think after she was almost blown up... she'd be a little less carefree." Gusto replied as he was being dragged by the Winged Craftsman.
"Well… That's miss Stanice for you." Lias replied smiling for real now. Gusto stared…
"Hey…" Gusto asked slyly, "You like her don't ya?"
"Wha-?" Lias asked his shy face turning bright red. "What do you mean?"
"Come on... you can tell me." Gusto replied with a sly smirk, "You two are so adorable!"
"Gusto? What are you talking about?" Lias asked his face red. "Me? And Miss Stanice?"
"Haha!" Gusto laughed, "Young Love is so sweet!" Gusto ran ahead leaving the winged Stanice and Lias behind. "Come on you two lovebirds!"
"Hey wait-!" Lias chased after, "Gusto! Wait up! Get back here!"
"Nah, I don't wanna!" Gusto laughed. "And I meant what I said!"
"What did you say?" Lias asked chasing after the big guy. "Gusto! Come back!"
"A melancholy dude like you needs a Carefree gal like her!" Gusto began, "Nothing like Young Romance!"
"GUSTO!" Lias called.
The two men ran down the streets of Peterny. Stanice floated behind them with a calm smile on her face.
"My, I didn't know you two liked Tea that much." Stanice smiled, "How nice…"
Act II: The Black Cat
Midnight… It was dark. Misty Lear drifted off in a deep sleep. The Golden Moon was hanging lowly in the night sky. Misty Lear slowly opened her eyes, it was still dark. She couldn't find it in her to sleep. Maybe because it wasn't her home… maybe that's why she feels so awkward. But then again, Mackwell wanted her to stay. This brought a relaxing comfort to her. The Feeling of being wanted, the feeling of being cared for… this was the feeling she craved for so long. She stared at the ceiling, the glow of the moon passing through the curtains that hung from the Balcony door. The grandfather clock out in the halls echoed its haunting chimes. Misty Lear was about to drift back asleep when she heard a low creak. She quickly got up and scanned the dark room. The room was empty… She looked around cautiously. She heard something.
"Mackwell… is that you?" She asked. Her voice was suspiciously shaky.
There was no reply.
How strange… If it was Mackwell, he would have definitely have answered. He wasn't the type to play a trick… let alone sneak around at night. But then again, Misty Lear didn't know much about Mackwell. Other than the information given by the Inventor's Guild she knew quite little. There was another soft creak, she looked up. The Balcony door was open. The cold summer breeze blew into the room. Despite the warm weather during the day… the Summer Nights were actually quite chilly. Misty Lear quietly got up and closed the balcony door. With a soft 'click' she turned the lock on the door. It was made of glass with wooden frames. She peered at the Night sky. The Many stars glittering in the night as well as the low hanging moon, the moon looked so clear and bright.
Misty Lear remembered a story she once heard. It was told by a stranger she once met. The story was also a song… she couldn't remember how it went. But she remembered the title… it was called, "Bloody August". That man had a nice voice; she remembered the haunting melody only slightly.
The moon will hang low in…In the dark summer sky
But this is only summer's gentle show…
In the morning day one will feel happiness that will soon fly
Among the blue, soaring like the jet black crow
But eventually one will hear the gentle cry…
The summer moon, the summer sun will all feel man's sorrow
Once Night… finally falls again.
Misty Lear couldn't remember the rest of the Lyrics. All she could remember was that the rest of the song made her feel sad… That must be why she forgot. She walked back to her bed, suddenly, something suddenly jumped from out of her sheets. Whatever it was, it startled her. She jumped back in surprise. She slowly walked forward. It was a cat…
"Oh, you scared me." Misty Lear smiled in relief.
The Cat had soft fur. It was black with glowing yellow eyes. Misty Lear gently pets the cat, it purred as it was being scratched behind the ear. It was very adorable… Around its neck was a small collar. The collar was red, and on it was a small gold tag. Engraved in the tag was a name: 'Kuro'.
"Where'd you come from?" Misty Lear asked the small feline. The cat only purred as it rubbed itself on her arm. "Don't scare me like that…"
"You must be one of Mackwell's darlings…" She put the cat down on the floor and opened the door. The cat walked out of the room it gazed back at the lady. Misty Lear waved as the Cat slowly disappeared in the shadows of the dark hallway. She paused… then walked out into the dark hallway. Only the lamps in the halls were lit. It cast eerie shadows against the walls. She slowly made herself toward Mackwell's room. Surprisingly… the door was unlocked. She expected him to be awake. The lights inside his room were still on.
"Mackwell…?" She whispered opening the door with a light creak. She walked in, the room was warm. Misty Lear was still in her dark gown, she peered over at Mackwell. He must have fallen asleep fast… his glasses were still on his eyes. She gently pulled them off and placed them on the table. His cats, who were watching from the desk, stared at the mysterious guest that was in their master's room. She pulled the blankets over him and smiled. He looked so carefree when he slept… Finally, she silently turned off the lights in his room and without a word exited.
Misty Lear returned to her bed, she slumped into the sheets. It was late… She gave a small sigh. Gently, she placed the sheets over her and within moments she drifted into a relaxing sleep.
(Uhh...Next Scene?)
Mackwell lay on his bed. The sheets were askew and his mind was elsewhere. He slept very well last night, a little too well. It was 10:30 A.M which was extremely late; he wouldn't forgive himself if he was following his schedule. Luckily, today he promised to take the day off. He overslept, and for the first time it felt really good. He reached for his glasses on the table, his messy silver hair covering his face. The Sunlight streamed through his window. He got up out of bed and made his way to the bathroom. He gazed in the mirror, his silver hair was messy and his face looked healthier than usual. Sleep was actually good… He didn't show any signs of illness at all. He washed his face and made his way down to the kitchen without even getting dressed. He was surprised who he saw there…
"Good morning." Misty Lear smiled, "My, you are late this morning."
"My apologies." Mackwell smiled, his hand brushed through his messy silver hair, "I thought maybe today I would take the day off."
"I'm sure that would be best." Misty Lear replied. Her gentle smile was really nice… especially for so early in the morning. In her hands seemed to be a book. She sat on the small table. From behind her Mackwell could see the dining room… A room he never really used.
"Did you have a nice sleep?" Mackwell asked. He reached into a cupboard and pulled out two cups.
"Actually, yes I did." Misty Lear replied, "What about you?"
"It was better…" Mackwell handed the cup to Misty Lear. "Coffee…? Or perhaps you might want some tea?"
"I'll have whatever you're drinking." Misty Lear replied. "It wouldn't be very polite if I chose anything else."
"I don't mind…" Mackwell replied, "I rarely have guests, anyway."
"Well… Tea, if you don't mind…" Lear nodded, "Thank you, by the way… It is very kind of you to let me stay."
"Don't mention it." Mackwell responded, he began to boil some water. Well… he had lots of different kinds of tea he never really tasted before. There was green tea, herbal tea, Chamomile, Lemon tea and Jasmine tea. He didn't really know which one she wanted. Misty Lear appeared behind him; she took his hand and pulled out the herbal tea.
"This one's my favorite." She replied.
Mackwell smiled lightly.
"Maybe I should cook some breakfast." Lear suggested, "Seeing as I am a guest…"
"It would be rude for a guest of the house to do chores." Mackwell replied, "If you're hungry I wouldn't mind making something… Though, I'm not very good at cooking. Maybe some simple meals I'll be able to do."
"Please, allow me." Misty Lear got up, "I must insist, you've already done so much for me."
"…" Mackwell stared then silently nodded.
While Misty Lear silently cooked Mackwell brewed the tea and fed his cats. From afar… one would think they were husband and wife. But let's not get ahead of ourselves (xD).
"Are you going to the Workshop today?" Mackwell asked as he pets his cats.
"Yes, actually…" Lear replied, "I promised Eliza I would help her today."
"I see…" Mackwell sighed.
"What's wrong?" Misty Lear asked, "Are you going to miss me Mackwell?"
"What do you mean?" Mackwell asked.
"You sounded like you were sad to hear me leave." Misty Lear replied with a shy smile.
"What? I mean of course I'll miss you." Mackwell replied, "Wait- no… I don't… No I do but… I don't know what you're talking about!" Mackwell's face turned red. Misty Lear gave a slight giggle. Mackwell's eyes widened… she looked really cute… Mackwell got up.
"Hey…" Mackwell smiled, "You should laugh more… you look cuter."
"What?" Misty Lear's face turned red now, "What do you mean?"
"You know what I meant…" Mackwell sighed, "Well, have fun at work… I'll wait for you to come home. I'll probably do some chores or something…"
Misty Lear gave another small giggle, "You kind of make it sound like we're husband and wife or something…"
"What?" Mackwell replied, "Stop fooling around, woman! You keep putting words in my mouth!" His face was red.
"Ok, ok, I'm sorry…" Misty Lear giggled, "You don't have to be that angry…"
Misty Lear and Mackwell sat for breakfast. Misty Lear's food was very… exotic. Nothing that Mackwell ever ate before. But then again, it's not like Mackwell ever eats breakfast. Usually he's too busy following his schedule therefore he waits for lunch. Misty Lear's cooking wasn't bad… but then again Mackwell didn't expect her to be a fabulous cook. If she was… well then she would have enrolled for cooking rather than Alchemy. They ate their meals silently. After, Mackwell said his farewells to Misty Lear.
"Have fun…" Mackwell replied leaning by the door. In his arms was one of his cats. For once, he wore a clear white collared button down shirt and black pants. He looked a bit happier than usual.
"Thanks," Misty Lear bowed, "Have fun as well, Mackwell."
"Yeah…" Mackwell put the small cat down and grabbed Misty Lear's wrist. He pulled her close and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. "I'll be seeing you at 7 then?"
Misty Lear's pale face was now red. "O-of course…"
"Be careful." Mackwell smiled, he could see some of his suitors/ fangirls waiting and watching… Some were dumbstruck with utter shock on their face.
Who was this girl?
And why was she living in MACKWELL's House?
Maybe she's a house maid?
No way… She couldn't be his fiancée could she?
I can't believe she got a kiss from Mackwell! Lucky Girl!
"I'll see you tonight." Misty Lear pulled the hood over her head and walked away. She walked out the front gate, her head covered with the cloak and hood. Her face was hot and bright red. He kissed her… again! Before she disappeared around the corner she glanced back at Mackwell's house. He already retreated back into his home… but from the window she could see. A Small Black Cat staring down at her. Its golden eyes fixed on her. She blinked… but the cat was then gone. She slowly shook her head and walked through Aquios… ready to begin her day.
Act III: Losing Sanity…little by little everyday
"Psst…" Puffy whispered under the table. "This is getting too weird…"
"I must agree…" Cornelius sighed, "This isn't what you considered normal."
"Maybe this is what people call divine retribution..." Puffy began to think.
"Chilico believes everything is weird." Chilico replied happily, "Chilico believes everybody is weird too."
"Hey… watch who you're calling weird, short stuff." Puffy replied. She pushed her golden bangs behind her ears, "From out of us you might be the weirdest of them all."
"Now, now Children…" Cornelius attempted to ease the tension, "Let's not fight…"
"Come on Cornelius!" Puffy pouted, "That girl is barely two feet tall and has wings… now THAT is weird."
"Ok, ok, we're all weird." Cornelius sighed, "The main question is, what's going on?"
"Actually," Puffy corrected Cornelius, "The REAL Question is why we're whispering underneath a TABLE! It smells funny down here!"
The three of them resurfaced over the table. The Workshop was a mess. Many things were dropped on the floor and tossed about. The Sudden writing on the mirror scared the heck out of everybody. Fayt who attempted to calm everyone down was yelled at the most. He was to blame, the fool read a CURSE from the Goddamn BOOK! If a Book is written in blood and has curses in it, you OBVIOUSLY don't read it! Let alone Read it Out loud! The Blizzard outside was getting worse, normally Airyglyph is use to such weather conditions but this is as bad as it can get. When Dejison returned from fixing the lights he was half frozen to death. The Snow was piling up close to 3 or 4 Feet! No way can they get home now! So those 7 Inventors were stuck… in a Workshop… together… with a Vengeful Spirit…Yep, it doesn't get better than this. They tried to be calm… It didn't help much.
The Mirror was still shattered, the Book was still open and everyone was still going crazy. Dejison was attempting to thaw himself out, Osman the Sage tried to ignore the noise, Noppin and Grats were chasing Fayt around the room and Puffy, Chilico and Cornelius were discussing everything as calmly as possible.
"If we run out of food..." Puffy replied, "The first person we're going to eat is Fayt, right?"
"Maybe…" Chilico replied.
"Let's not think about it." Cornelius replied, "I'm sure we have enough food for everyone."
"Hey, Cornelius…" Puffy pointed out the window, "Unless you haven't noticed… We aren't going anywhere, anytime soon."
"Try to think positive, I'm sure everything will…" Cornelius paused as he stared out at the raging flurry, "Alright, we're doomed…"
"That's the spirit!" Puffy replied, "Seriously? How long can we last? We're running out of firewood so we'll probably end up burning books."
"Please…" Cornelius sank in his seat, "I don't want to think about it…"
"Sooner or later, we'll end up being cannibals and eat each other." Puffy continued.
"You must really feel bitter, Puffy…" Chilico replied, "Not your happy self?"
"Nope…" Puffy took out a small medicine pill from her back pocket. "Don't worry, you guys. If we do turn Cannibalism then I'll pop this baby in the first man's mouth and they'll be exploded from the inside in a second!"
"What's the point in that?" Cornelius asked.
"We'll have some nice hot meat." Puffy made an evil grin, "I'm a genius…"
"Eat each other?" Chilico asked.
"Hey, be glad... you'll be the last one we eat." Puffy sighed, "Your just a small pixi-fairy thingy with no meat..."
"At least Chilico has this pretty sparkling good luck charm." Chilico began to hug something in her arms, "Chilico happy…"
"What is that?" Puffy asked.
"Chilico's shiny, pretty good luck charm…" She held it up; due to her small size the Shiny gold metal was pretty large in her tiny hands. It was a single gold Fol.
"That's a Fol…" Puffy replied.
"Chilico's lucky Fol…" Chilico replied back.
"Ok we've all gone mad, senile, crazy or all three…" Puffy sighed as she leaned her head on the table… "Now, I'm bored…"
"Why not try writing…?" Cornelius asked handing her a sheet of paper, "It helps me pass the time."
"Fine…" Puffy sighed, "I'll write…"
"You'll find writing to be a rather enjoyable experience…"
"Yeah, Yeah…" Puffy began to scribble on the paper. "You're starting to sound like that old man, Osman… or maybe you've gone into early senility like that Noppin guy?"
"Neither." Cornelius replied. "I'm just expressing my love of literature."
"Mmhmm..." Puffy scribbled more words on the sheet.
"Ok, I'm done." Puffy handed the paper to Cornelius. Cornelius just stared… the paper was covered from back to front with the same phrase, same words, and same thing all over. What it read was:
"We're screwed, We're screwed, We're screwed, We're screwed, We're screwed, We're screwed, We're Screwed, We're Screwed, We're Screwed, We're Screwed, We're Screwed, We're Screwed, We're Screwed, We're Screwed, We're Screwed, We're Screwed, We're Screwed, We're Screwed, We're Screwed, We're Screwed, We're Screwed, We're Screwed, We're Screwed, We're Screwed, Screwed, We're Screwed, We're Screwed, We're Screwed,
…Get the Picture Cornelius? We're screwed!
"How very...err... creative." Cornelius replied handing the paper back to Puffy.
"Yes..." Puff began to laugh, "That calmed me down... heh...heh..."
Both Chilico and Cornelius backed away from Puffy. The Small girl was now laughing hysterically… it seems being secluded in a Workshop of weirdoes, during a blizzard, Cursed, hungry, and extremely bored has eaten away her sanity. This was definitely new to Puffy… it was kind of scary… I mean, Cornelius saw her angry before but… now it was just creepy.
"Ok, stand clear from the psycho…" Cornelius replied inching away.
"Oh, your one to talk." Chilico replied. "Just stop saying things…"
"Stop saying what?" Cornelius asked.
"Thank you!" Chilico pat Puffy in the back, "its ok Puffy… someone will come and help us sooner or later…"
"We're doomed! Doomed I say!" Puffy moaned, "I'll grow old and senile and mad along with all these other crackpot old fools!"
"Look at the bright side." Chilico replied.
"What bright side?" Puffy asked.
"We'll be mad, senile and crazy together!" Chilico replied happily.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Puffy yelled, "NOOOOOOOOO!"
"Ok… how about…" Chilico continued as she held up her lucky Fol. "At least we still have my Good luck Charm!"
"Ok…" Cornelius replied, "I think we should stop now… Puffy just fainted from shock…"
"What do we do?" Chilico asked.
"Maybe if we leave her there she might calm down." Cornelius suggested.
"Or… she could wake up and kill us all." Chilico replied.
"Let's not take our chances…" Cornelius inched away from the Unconscious girl.
"You sir, must take responsibility!" Noppin yelled pointing an accused pen at Fayt. "Because of you, we are all cursed! Doomed to oblivion! Fated for Death!"
"Hey, it's not my fault!" Fayt yelled, "Besides, It's probably just a stupid prank to scare us!"
"This is the last straw, if we all die a bloody and gruesome death I blame it on you!"
"Watch who you're stabbing that pen at." Fayt replied running out of Noppin's pen range.
"If we die I shall haunt you for life... and death." Noppin pouted. He sat on his table and pulled out a sheet of paper, "I must write my final note to the world! I will not leave this world without leaving my words! I am a Count!"
Everyone stared, "Talk about over dramatic…"
"Look, I can get us out of here, easy." Fayt replied. He placed his hand over the door.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Everyone yelled.
"Do you WANT us to Freeze to death, you uneducated buffoon!" Noppin yelled.
"Of course not!" Fayt snapped, he didn't appreciate being called an "uneducated buffoon", "I'll just use some Symbology and melt the ice!"
"I don't know…" Puffy replied waking up, "Something tells me this will be bad news…"
"Puffy! You're awake!" Chilico flew up to the girl, "Are you still homicidal?"
"No, no…" Puffy waved, "Just hungry…"
"If I use Symbology, the snow will be gone and everything will be A-ok!" Fayt placed his hand over the ice, "Come to my Aid!"
Everyone watched with keen interest.
"EXPLOSION!" Fayt's hand began to glow as a Ball of Fire began to melt the snow. The Entire Workshop began to shake from the impact. And everyon in the Workshop began to run around frantically. This fool was trying to kill them! NOBODY USES EXPLOSION! Let alone indoors with other people in it!
"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US?" Noppin yelled hiding under the table.
"Of course not!" Fayt replied. "This'll only take a few more seconds!"
"Yeah, A few seconds until we all die!" Puffy yelled. The entire workshop was trembling. The Snow was melting alright, but the water began to freeze just as fast due to the cold weather. They formed into long Ice spears and for some strange reason it shot out at Fayt. Fayt quickly moved out of the way as the ice Spears began to shoot inside the Warehouse.
"That wasn't supposed to happen…" Fayt stared.
"What part of 'We're cursed and doomed' do you not understand?" Puffy asked. Fayt inched backwards into the Workshop he was right in front of the giant mirror. Now they were hungry, doomed and COLD. Fayt punched the wall.
"DAMNIT!" He yelled smacking the Mirror.
"Oh… you asked for it." Puffy replied with a smirk.
The Mirror that he punched now had a deep crack… it slowly spread across the reflective surface. Everyone hid back underneath the table… The Deep Cracks were slowly spreading all around. In less than a minute the Massive Mirror shattered into a million pieces on the floor.
"Crap…" Fayt replied.
"Oooh." Puffy giggled, "Looks like that's 13 Years of Bad Luck… and 13 Years of Curses for you, fool!"
Act IV: Shattered Like Broken Glass
"So you promise you won't tell anyone?" Misty Lear asked.
"Cross my heart and hope to die." Eliza replied.
"Ok… I'll tell you then." Misty Lear smiled.
The Two Alchemists were underneath their own work table. Eliza was curious in Miss Lear's sudden change in mood and wondered what was wrong. The girl was also curious in what happened to Mackwell the other day. She was worried…
"Ok…" Misty Lear took a deep breath. "I'm living with Mackwell…"
"REALLY?" Eliza shrieked.
"Shhh… Eliza you promised." Misty Lear covered the small girl's mouth. Everyone stared in their direction.
"Oops… I mean… really?" Eliza asked reducing into an excited whisper, "What? When? Where? How? Oh my god! This is so great!"
"That's what I'd like to know…" Lear replied, "But… It's only temporary…"
"How long did Mr. Mackwell say you can stay?" Eliza asked.
"He didn't specify but… he said I could stay as long as I wanted…" Misty Lear answered. "Not that I would… I mean, it's a generous offer and all… but-!"
"You should really stay…" Eliza's eyes were bright, "Oh my god, this is so exciting! I knew you and Mackwell were perfect for each other! It's like… Divine Fate! I mean... It's so romantic... and Miss Lear you have to admit..."
"Admit what?" Lear asked.
Eliza giggled, "He looks really cute..."
"Well..." Misty Lear's face was red, "I suppose he is rather... err... good looking."
"And you are beautiful too! It's perfect!" Eliza shrieked, "Kind of like a Fairy tale... I wish I found a man like Mr. Mackwell..."
"Well..." Misty Lear smiled, "I'm sure you'll find someone."
"So why isn't he at work today?" Eliza asked, "He's not still sick is he?"
"No, he's fine..." Lear replied, her hands were swiftly moving across the table constructing another Homunculus. "He just thought he might take a day off."
"That's good..." Eliza slipped out of her seat and walked over to the Chemical rack, "He deserves a nice day's rest."
Misty Lear and Eliza worked quietly and quickly. Everyone noticed… she seemed happier than usual. While she was working she hummed to herself and bore a sweet smile throughout the work hours. Well… I guess if you lived in Mackwell's house you'd be happy too. No one really knew why she acted the way she did… but it was nice. Everyone else seemed to be in a bright and cheery mood as well. Misty Lear was excited... she couldn't wait to go home... well technically it was Mackwell's home... but it sure felt inviting. The day was nice, the sky a deep blue and the white clouds drifting peacefully over the country of Aquaria. What surprised them even more... was during the Lunch break Misty Lear was about to treat Eliza with a meal but Mackwell dropped by. He wore his casual clothes and in his hands were three lunch boxes.
"Oh my god... Mr. Mackwell what are you doing here?" Eliza asked.
"Thought I'd drop by..." Mackwell replied handing the boxes over to Misty Lear and Eliza. "You two must be hungry, right?"
"You didn't have to..." Misty Lear blushed. Mackwell shook his head and firmly placed the lunchbox in her hands.
"It's fine..." Mackwell winked.
"Thank you..." Misty Lear whispered. "It means alot to us..."
"Mr. Mackwell... I mean Mackwell..." Eliza began, "Are you feeling better?"
"Yes, thank you Eliza." Mackwell pet Eliza with a sincere smile, "You have my grattitude... I heard you took good care of me. I'm sorry to have worried you."
"As long as your ok!" Eliza smiled, "How's your break? And your stay with Miss Lear-!" Eliza quickly covered her mouth. "Oops..."
"It's been pretty good actually..." Mackwell replied. He turned around ready to walk away, "See you later... Miss Lear, Miss Eliza..."
Misty Lear spotted some of his admirers hiding behind the nearby fences. They stared enviously and shocked. Mackwell... their Mackwell... made her LUNCH?
"Wait!" Eliza called, "There's three! Aren't you going to eat with us?"
"No thanks, the third one is for your little brother." Mackwell answered back waving. "I'll be waiting back at home. Later."
Lear and Eliza waved back. This was new... Mackwell was actually cheery... Yeah... that was a little too strange. Misty Lear looked down at the Lunch box in her hands. The two were curious... Mackwell knew how to cook? Well... he does live by himself...So it doesn't sound too farfetched. Eliza quickly unwrapped the Lunch box with her name on it. She stared in shock. Inside was a whole assortment of food. Rice, Vegetables, Spiced Chicken, some sweet sauce, Fish... There was even small cookies on the side for dessert. Eliza took a deep breath. The last time she ever had a boxed lunch was when her mom made it for her...
"Miss Lear?" Eliza addressed the pale faced beauty.
"Yes, Eliza?" Misty Lear asked.
"What did you do with Mr. Mackwell?" Eliza asked closing the boxed lunch.
"Umm... nothing actually..." Misty Lear replied. "Nothing much anyway..."
"Well then..." Eliza smiled, "Oh My god! You must be a Miracle worker or SOMETHING!"
"... I don't know about that..." Misty Lear was quite startled.
Eliza had one of the cookied in her hand and took a bite. She couldn't help it... "Mmm... THIS IS DELICIOUS!"
(Next Scene)
Mackwell spent most of the day cleaning his house. He didn't remember the last time he ever stayed home... He doubt he ever took a break. Usually the days were the same, he worked till the Workshop or his Workday was over... he went home and fed his cats, read books from the library, and if he came home early he would clean his house. It was a boring lifestyle but he grew accustomed to it. After dropping off their lunch he made his way up to the Library in Castle Aquios. Most of the women... and men... gasped when they saw him. There was Mackwell, the always fancily dressed, very strict work-a-holic... he was wearing casual clothes for once... and he bore a smile on his usually emotionless face. The men thought it as a bad omen... the women thought he was even more dreamier than usual. Mackwell made his way to the maze of books. He was greeted by the shy librarian girl.
"Oh... Mr. Mackwell your rather early today..." The Librarian picked up her glasses.
"Sorry, Miss Leila." Mackwell replied, "I'm taking a break from my usual schedule today."
"My, really?" The Librarian girl couldn't help but stare at Mackwell's... appearance. "Well, that's nice..."
Normally Mackwell would come sometime in the Afternoon on Mondays. Leila knew this well. She would always greet him as he swiftly made his way. She admired his punctuality and determination. Often times when she was sorting out the books she would daydream as she watched him reading in his usual corner. She admired him greatly for not only his good looks but his brilliant intelligence. But Leila was shy... she would never outwardly speak to him except for her daily greetings or if he couldn't find a book in particular.
"Do you need assistance?" Leila asked.
"Well, now that you mention it, yes I do." Mackwell replied, "I was looking for a certain book..."
"What book do you need?" Leila asked. She read many books in this library. Though it was pretty much impossible to Read EVERY book she read a fair amount. Many Scholars and Alchemists such as Mackwell read a decent amount but no one ever read every single book. It was impossible...
"I was hoping too look for a cook book..." Mackwell answered. "There was a really good one I saw a few days ago."
"Cook book?" Leila asked. "Well, I'll try to find it for you, Mackwell sir..."
"I can find it on my own, no need to go through all that trouble..." Mackwell replied.
"No, no It's fine..." Leila began to skimm through the sections of the Library. She was curious... she just had to ask.
"Are you planning on Cooking a meal?" Leila asked.
Mackwell gave a small smile, "Yes actually... I plan on cooking something rather special..."
"Rude of me to butt in..." Leila found the book, "Who's it for...?" She handed the Cook book to Mackwell. Mackwell nodded in thanks as he tucked the book in his bag. He paused at the question...
"Someone...rather dear to me."
(Later That Night...)
Mackwell fed his cats, cleaned his house, watered his garden and even took an afternoon Nap. It was very refreshing taking a day off... he planned to do it again soon. But he had much on his mind... Tomorrow he was to return to work and continue his schedule. It was a Tuesday... Tuesdays would be busy. He brushed his hand through his silver hair. It was almost 7... The Dinner was set on the table and his house was quiet. He lay on his long sofa in his living room... the Fireplace burned brightly. Even though it was summer... winter nights were pretty cold. Sometimes the Cold breeze from the Mountains of Airyglyph would drift down... And everyone knew... Airyglyph snowed almost all year round. But Summer in Aquaria meant there was a cold, dangerous winter in Airyglyph. They were on different Hemispheres...
The Clock in the Hallway chimed... It was 7:00... How strange... Mackwell was punctual all the time. He would be at the right spot at exactly the right time. He knew that Misty Lear was not punctual... she was early for everything. Yet... it was already 7. His cats have went to bed not long after their dinner and now Mackwell was alone. The Sky was now a mixture of various colors... it was almost sun down. The sweet aroma of dinner was drifting from the kitchen and around the house. He waited...
Soon time began to move...
It was 7:10...
Then 7:20...
Not long after 7:30...
Finally it was 8:00 P.M... The Sun was now setting behind the mountains. Mackwell got up and walked to the door. Where was she? She was never late before... Mackwell opened the door. The Cool Summer Breeze blew past him. He put a cloak around his shoulders... he gazed out at the Streets of Aquios. No one was in sight. He began to worry... No... Be calm... Mackwell thought, There's nothing to worry about... She's just late... He closed the doors and returned in his house. How strange... Mackwell then heard a sudden knock on the door. He turned around carefully and opened the door.
"Your rather late..." Mackwell replied as he flung the door open. "Hurry inside or you're dinner will get cold...?"
There was no one in sight... He looked around. Nothing... He was about to close the door again when he noticed something on the floor. It was a rolled up piece of parchment and a small bundle. He picked it up and undid the bundle first. Inside was a small Glass figurine of a cat. It had small sparkling eyes and a Neatly crafted Body. He stared at it... The quality was very nice... On the bottom was the words scratched in the bottom in cursive writing:
To: Mackwell
From: Misty Lear
He smiled as he held the small Cat in his hands. He then opened the rolled up piece of parchment and stared cautiously. A statue made by Misty Lear... and a note... Mackwell opened the Parchment and read the context. He stared wide eyed at first... then he gave a small gasp. He dropped the Glass Cat and it shattered on the floor in pieces. The note... the letters were written in Emerald colored Ink... His eyes wide. The Note read:
You will Never see her...
This Beauty will never again see the light of day
She will remain with us...
My apologies for being the bearers of bad news
We won't allow it... Never...
You are ours... and ours alone.
"Miss Lear..." Mackwell whispered. The Darkness began to envelop itself around Aquios... Mackwell fell on his knees as he stared at the broken Cat on the floor. The Glass cat was shattered... broken into pieces. He could only stare at the small cat on the floor. She was gone... His night was ruined... just like this Cat. It shattered... Shattered just like broken glass.
Sorry for the long wait everybody. You guys will have to wait maybe 2 or 3 days till the next one. I have SAT prep classes to attend.
So Hang tight ne? Sorry for leaving a Cliff Hanger!