Memories Never Forgotten
- - - - -
Maximilian sat by a fire near the Sindain Station. Monica was gone an awfully long time. He let out a small sigh and picked up a stick. 'She's always disappearing.' He said to himself. He was lost in his thoughts, chipping off small pieces of bark from the wooden stick in his hands when he heard a noise.
"Wha?" He turned his head toward the woods all the while reaching for his wrench. A small figure stepped from the shadows into the light of the fire.
"Oh Monica. It's you." He let out a sigh of relief, forgetting his wrench, letting it lay in its preoccupied area beside him.
"Of course it's me." She laughed. "Who else would it be?"
"We've went halfway through those woods earlier today. They're crawling with monsters." He let out a small shiver.
"Yeah well," She seated herself next to the green-eyed boy by the fire. "there aren't any near the entrance. It seems to me they're scared to death."
"'Scared to death'?" He cocked an eyebrow.
She giggled. "That wrench of yours. I notice how they shy away from it whenever you pull it out."
"Oh." He blushed, stroking the cold metal that was his wrench with the tips of his fingers. "It's effective. And it's not too heavy."
"Swords aren't either. Maybe I could show you how to handle one." She gave the blonde a sincere smile.
"Nah, I think I'll stick to these." He gave a hearty laugh gazing at the stars. "...say Monica?"
"Yeah?" The young girl looked over at her parnter.
"Your father...is he a swordsman too?" For a moment her eyes went misty, then she blinked away unshed tears.
"Father is..." She slowly drew out. "Dead...father is dead." Max's eyes softened sadly.
"I'm sorry, Monica. I didn't mean to-"
"It's alright." She closed her eyes, softly shaking her head smiling. "And yes...he was an amazing swordsman." She too gazed up to look at the sky. Already the moons were reaching the middle of the night sky.
"He was my unreachable idol. I could never be as strong and powerful as he was. Then Griffon..." She frowned. "Father tried to hold off Griffon."
"He-He actually fought Emperor Griffon?" The inventor's mouth opened in shock.
"No but..." She looked back down at the fire. "He may as well as killed him himself." Max thought for a moment then came to a conclusion.
"Griffon has pawns to work for him. Like Flotsam."
"Exactly." She nodded.
"Then one of them killed..." He drew out slowly.
"Yes." She whispered in a slightly savage tone. "HE killed my father."
"He..."
"...Gaspard."
"Gaspard?" He blinked. It was almost as though the name sounded like magic on his lips.
"He's a cruel man. 'The Dark Assassin,' they call him."
"Don't worry, Monica." He placed a friendly hand over hers and gave her a reassuring smile. "He's bound to show up again. And when he does, I'll get him for you!"
She grinned and looked into his eyes. She could see nothing but a fierce determination and will to fight on.
"Thanks Max."
"No problem!" He gave her a thumbs up and placed his hand over his face in a yawn.
"It's late." Monica realized. "You better get to sleep."
"But guard duty-" She cut him off.
"I can handle it, I can. Now you go to sleep. I'll see you in the morning, alright?"
"Alright, g'night Monica." He sat on the ground and curled himself up intoa sleeping bag.
"Goodnight Max." She turned her attention once more to the stars when she heard the peaceful sleeping noises for her partner.
'Goodnight father.'
- - - - -
When they awoke the next morning, Maximilian poured a bucket of chilling cold water from Sindain's river over the ashes of their campfire from last night.
"I don't think the firbits would take too kindly to our fire burning down their woods." He let out a nervous chuckle, watching the water streak across the ground cooling the embers.
"Yeah, that's a chance we can't take." Monica smiled. "Let's get going!"
"Wait a moment!" Came a voice.
"Oh, it's Conda!" Max perked up and jogged over to where Conda and a few other firbits were standing. "What's up?"
"I see yeh be goin' on yer way nah?" He asked in his strong foreign accent.
"Yeah." He answered. "We're rested up now and I have a good feeling we'll find Holly too!"
"Good, good." The elder firbit murmured. "Haven't ran into dat Rainbow Butterfly, have we?"
"Well...I think I did catch a glimpse of blu-" The pink-haired girl clamped her hand over her friend's mouth.
"Nope!" She laughed. "No butterfly yet!"
"All for teh better." Conda closed his eyes and lightly shook his head. "Yeh wouldn't be seen alive again if yeh ever saw it."
"Don't worry, Conda. We'll be alright. Right Monica?" The blonde grinned.
"You bet!" She grinned back at him. "Let's go. Max!" He nodded and began chasing after Monica into the woods.
"Don't ferget about teh geostones nah!" The elder firbit called, waving his cane in the air.
- - - - -
"I hope we don't see any-"
"Tore?" Monica completed his sentence.
"Eeh! S-Stop that!"
"They're just monsters, Max. They aren't any different." She smiled. She knew how he felt about them and quite frankly, she couldn't blame him. Nothing seemed to effect them greatly either. Uh huh. There's nothing like an eight foot sliding tree coming towards you itching to impale you on its sharp wooden fingers. She let out a shudder. Now she was afraid of them.
"Hey, there's something blue up there. It's what I saw yesterday."
"Max! How many times do I have to tell you? There's not a Rainb-"
"I-I know it's not Monica...it's a snake!" The green-eyes boy shouted, backing away. His comrade let out a gasp.
"It's the legendary Killer Snake! Run, Max! Run!" She screamed.
"But Monica-!"
"I'll take care of it! Run ahead and see if you can find the monster with the gate key! Hurry!" She turned her attention to the ever drawing more close opponent.
"A-Alright." The inventor stared a moment, backing away. He wanted to watch to see if Monica needed any help! But he thought it wise to heed his partner's words to make like a tree. As he was running, he realized what he thought and shivered. How he feared trees now! But then he realized what was napping just five feet in front of him.
"... ... ...oh no." He whispered. If he was quiet, maybe he could sneak by the Tore without waking it up. He took one small baby step and the tree creakily opened a beady eye to glare at the boy. It's mouth seemed to fall open in a silent scream.
"Oh snap!" Max turned away to the opposite direction only to run face first into another Tore. He let out a grunt, falling on his backside. For a boy of such a high IQ, he found himself unable to think at a moment like this.
- - - - -
Monica was panting, running though the woods trying to find Max. The Killer Snake had the gate key all along and she began to get worried. For, as it turned out, there were more Tore here then there were sticks on the ground. She stopped when the saw the back side of a Fire Element. It turned around and greeted her with a nasty grin. She let out a battle cry, dashing at it.
- - - - -
Max groaned in horrible pain. Blood was streaming down his face, and he could barely lift his wrench he almost forgot. And now there were more than six Tore swarming him. His back smarted and singed from where he was tackled by Kotore.
'This is it.' He said to himself in a melancholy tone. 'I'm going to die here. I'm sorry Mother. I wish I could have seen you one last time.' And the boy fainted from fatigue, pain, and a weakened will. The Tore were about to tackle the unconscious blonde. Their limbs seemed to shake with glee at seeing their prey so vulnerable. As they came in, a light shone over Max and they backed away in confusion and fear. They actually seemed to have a brain! Wow! When the light faded a man stepped forward. He bent down and picked up the exhausted boy.
'...beautiful.' He thought. He turned to the ever more enraged demon trees.
"You best leave before I turn you into splinters."
Their mouths fell open in silent screams and they charged.
Nevermind. I guess they don't.
The man sat Max softly on the ground and drew a sword.
"You'll be facing extinction by the time I'm finished with you." He let out a growl and dashed into the group of Tore. By the time he was finished, Max was starting to come around. He let out a low groan.
The man crouched beside him, placing his hand on his forehead.
"You're still alive." He stated simply, placing his hand on the younger boy's cheek.
"How?" He let out a hushed whisper, almost afraid to talk. He barely opened his eyes to see a pair of beautiful blue eyes.
"I killed them." He stated again matter-of-factly. He then muttered a few words under his breath and Max's injuries were healed at once. "Hopefully you will fight with more care and intelligence in the future."
Max, although healed, still felt the pain of the Tores' handiwork. "Wh-Who are you?"
"Max! Max where are you!" Monica's voice echoed through the trees.
"Your friend draws near." He didn't turn away from Max's face.
"Max!" She was just around the corner. The man bent forward and pressed his lips to the blonde's. Max's eyes widened in shock. But before he could see just who kissed him, he was gone.
"Max, there you are! I thought the Tore'd kill you for sure!" The pink-haired girl dashed to his side.
Maximilian didn't say a word. Only reached up and fingered his lips and stared at the spot where the man was standing earlier.
"Max?"
"...Let's go on." He finally replied, but in a small whisper. She only nodded and watched as he stood, his arms limp at his sides and began walking to the next area.
'Something must've happened...' She jogged off to follow him.
Before either of them knew it, the Rainbow Butterfly appeared and the fight began! They soon realized that Holly was the Rainbow Butterfly and decided to move on. Conda stayed with Max and Monica to help them reconstruct the lands that, just like Sindain, have become lost to Griffon.
Cedric, Erik, and Borneo jumped up on the train and headed on to the next station.
"...Where to now, Monica?" Max asked, not looking her in the eye.
"To...Balance Valley if I'm not mistaken. Jurak said to look for the Great Sage Crest."
"Do you know Crest then?" He looked up at her.
"No, but I've heard a lot. She's really powerful from what I hear. She lives in the Starlight Temple in the future."
"Hm...Starlight Temple..."
"Alright kids! We're coming up on another station!" Cedric grinned.
"That's gotta be the Balance Valley station." Monica stood, smoothing out her clothes. "Come on Max."
"Right behind you." He slid out of his seat and stepped off the train, his wrench in hand. Soon they met Lin and understood the conditions she was under. Amnesia. Geez. That's gotta suck. As Max and Monica traveled through the Starlight Canyon, they came across a huge tree. And it just so happened that Lin was with them.
"...Emh..." She let out a struggled groan. "M-Master Crest...Master!" She screamed, gripping her head.
"What's that!" The inventor looked at Lin in horror when he saw a huge ugly beast oozing from her own head.
"That's a Memo Eater! No wonder Lin couldn't remember anything!" The pink-haired girl called out.
"Let's get it!" The blonde raised his wrench and dashed at the hideous creature, letting out a fierce battle cry. He was careful and he was intelligent! He'll show that stupid swordsman! Monica stood with Lin and watched in amazement as Max defeated the Phantom Memo Eater all by himself. His knees slightly trembled and he was 99.98 certain that his hands were blistered from gripping his wrench too hard. He, Lin, and Monica watched as the ugly creature faded to nothing.
"... ... ...wow Max...that was...amazing!" Monica smiled. "You're so much stronger now!" Max gasped in his breaths hungrily. He gripped his wrench tightly and thrust his fist to the sky, the same one holding the weapon.
"You take that! I showed you!" He grinned all the while laughing. Monica clasped a hand on his back.
"Great job."
"Thanks Monica." He turned and smiled at her.
'Ah, he's back to his old self.' The sword user smiled to herself.
"I remember now...Master Crest...that 'ship'..."
"Ship?" Monica turned to the other girl.
"He...H-He killed...Master, that man..."
"This is no good." Monica sighed. "We need to find a way to go back to the time before the lighthouse was attacked. I doubt our atla can do that."
Max looked down at his blood red stone. "Why don't we...go to the Starlight Temple? Maybe we can find something there."
"Good idea Max." She smiled broadly. "Let's do it."
And so they did. They found a way to travel back in time to where the lighthouse holding the Moon Crystal was attacked.
"Wait a second...I thought Crest was a girl?" Max looked on at the past Crest and Lin.
"She is, but right now he have to defend this tower!" The green-eyed boy looked up in the sky and saw...a huge flying ship by the means he never saw before. And right there staring into his eyes...
"Gaspard!" Monica screamed.
"Well! If it isn't the Raybrandt princess herself!" He chuckled.
'That's Gaspard?' Max thought. 'But he...' ...he looked straight into his eyes. They were the most beautiful sapphire blue eyes he'd ever seen. Wait a minute...blue...
"A pleasure to see you as always." Gaspard chuckled amusingly.
"Shut up!" She growled.
That voice...that deep voice...he heard it somewhere before. Somewhere...'Hopefully...hopefully you will fight...' These words seemed to echo over and over in his head.
"Hopefully this fight won't be in vain, eh girl?"
"It's you!" Max took a running start and leaped off of the lighthouse!
"Max!" Monica gasped, wide-eyed. The green-eyed inventor landed on Gaspard's ship, his knees slightly buckled under his rough landing. He looked up to see a shocked face almost similar to Monica's.
"Well well, still we fight without care or intelligence, but we still fight nonetheless." He grinned.
"You...you're Gaspard?" His voice containing no contempt or anger of any kind, but frustration. This intrigued the silver-haired man.
"Yes I am."
"...Then I owe you my thanks..." Max turned away, slightly blushing.
Gaspard chuckled. "That is something that is not given so easily."
"...kiss..." The green-eyed mumbled.
"What?" The older man cocked an eyebrow.
"Did you kiss me?" Something flashed across Gaspard's face, but it disappeared as soon as it came.
"Why ask me such a question?"
"Why aren't you answering?" Max looked up into the blue-eyed man's eyes and grinned.
"So what if I did?" Gaspard grinned back, easily beating Max's grin with his own.
He shook his head. He didn't know what to say! Then a man stepped up by the other man.
"Shall I sire?"
Gaspard gave the lighthouse a sneer. "Blow it to bits."
"No!" Max turned around just in time to see poor Crest falling from the tower. "You monster!"
"Monster? Oh now that hurts." He chuckled.
"...rrrgh...I'll get you for this. I swear I will!"
"Hn." Gaspard dashed at Maximilian and grabbed him around his waist.
"What! H-Hey! Let me go!" Monica looked up from the bewitched flames she was putting out. She couldn't watch both Lin and Max!
"Max!" She watched as Gaspard and Max disappeared from view. 'Darn!' She dashed at an evil flame, extinguishing it.
- - - - -
The green-eyed blonde opened his to see...nothing...too dark. He seemed to be on a bed of some sorts, judging by the amount of pillows.
"Wh-Where am I?" His voice seemed to echo in the silence.
"That's not of importance." Came Gaspard's deep voice in the dark.
He felt that his clothes were being tugged in a frustated and quick manner. Max let out a gasp and tried to push away the offending hands. They just simply pushed him to lay on his back. The blonde released a small gasp and shuddered. Ever layed your bare back on a cold pillow?
Then came the...of the most wonderful sensation he ever felt. Hot kisses were being pressed up and down his neck.
"Gaspard?" He drew out in a hushed whisper.
"Shhh." Came the reply. "Tilt your head back."
Max didn't even hesitate. This felt too great! He almost groaned in aggravation when the blue-eyed man pulled his lips away.
"Temper now." He chuckled. "I have to take my clothes off too." The blonde took in a deep breath at this...a man was getting naked before him! It must've not been pitch dark...because then he saw before him a beautiful fallen angel. His eyes were so gorgeous they'd put sapphires to shame. That delicious, tanned skin waiting to be tasted. And his beautiful silver hair pooled over his shoulders as if it were the very rays of the moonlight. He propped himself up on his hands and knees in front of Max.
He shuddered in anticipation. "Sexy..." His mouth formed words he didn't even know he said. Gaspard chuckled.
"Why thank you. But you are all the more beautiful." He took Max's face into his hands and kissed him deeply. "Mmm, well, shall we begin?"
"B-Begin? Begin what?"
"Our fun." Gaspard spread the other's legs wide apart and sat between them. He pressed his bare cock against the blonde's, whose was also unclothed. Max let out a sharp cry at the pleasure and threw his head back.
"Y-You mean sex?"
"Yess." The silver-haired man whispered, once again kissing the boy's sweet lips. Max fought with his emotions. Somehow something deep down was telling him that this was wrong. He killed Monica's father! And he hurt Crest! He was every bit as evil as Monica said he was! And yet...he was so gentle with him. He felt warm and calm. The last time he felt like this was when he was with him mother so many years ago.
"Are you comfortable, Maximilian?"
"...Call me Max." He blushed.
"Alright." The other smiled. "Scared?"
"A little...I've never down this...with a-a..." He gulped down a breath. "A man..."
"You'll like it." He placed a hand on the breen-eyed beauty's thigh, giving it a tender squeeze. The boy let out a small muffled moan at this.
"Ha-Have you?" His blush deepened.
"No I haven't." He moved closer to Max.
"Then how do you know I'll like it?"
"Because it is sin." Max's eyed widened slightly. "And sin is always pleasurable." Once again he kissed the boy's lips. At this moment, Max chose to wrap his arms around the older man, urging him to continue.
"You like it?" Gaspard grinned.
Max blushed brightly. "Y-Yeah."
Gaspard smirked, obviously in satisfaction of hearing the blonde's answer. "Spread your legs." He whispered huskily. "Wide."
The boy gulped and complied. The blue-eyed man didn't even seem embarrassed to see Max's exposed body. He stared at the older man in fascination. He lightly stroked the boy's arousal with his fingertips and it immediately came alive. Gaspard blushed as it stiffened.
"Ga...Gasp-ard..." Max moaned out, tilting his head back. He couldn't understand it! He knew he needed something from the older man, but he didn't know what. There was something he wasn't giving him. And Max began to hunger for it.
"Give me..." Max breathed out in whispers.
"Hm?" Gaspard perked his ears up.
"Give me...more." The green-eyed beauty strained his voice.
He gave Max a genuine smile. Finally...the boy was his. He leaned his face forward and pursed his lips around the blonde's soft, erected shaft. Max, in surprise, gasped and bucked his hips.
"Awh!" He squeezed his eyes shut. For at that moment, his "partner" seemed to think that it was okay to bite down on his now cum leaking cock.
"G-Gaspard..." Max whimpered, lightly tugging on his silver locks. The blue-eyed man payed no heed to the tugs on his hair. He only increased the suction to the best of his ability, and drank every drop of the sweet liquid.
"!" Now the blonde boy's shoulders shuddered uncontrollably, his toes clenched and unclenched, his limbs quivered and his mouth opened wide in a near orgasm. Gaspard...now had two digits probing inside of the boy, exploring his inner walls. This pleasure was too much for him! The gorgeous man's mouth was working magic on him, and his fingers were-ah! There's no words to explain how good it felt!
"And now..." The older man slipped the boy's erection from his lips. "We will-" He suddenly perked up and growled. "Blast it!"
"Gaspard?"
"I'll come back for you later, Max." Gaspard leered seductively into the emerald green eyes of the opposite. "For now the princess wants you back."
"B-But..." He stammered. 'Weren't we just?...'
"We are in an illusion. A shadow threshold. Forget the laws of physics that regulate your world, Max. So it appears that young princess Raybrandt found our hiding spot. Farewell, until we meet again." He leaned forward and planted a loving kiss on Max's lips. All Max did was moan into the kiss and pull Gaspard in for more. Gaspard smiled through the kiss.
"Bye." Max whispered. And in a flash of light, Max was lieing curled up on the ground by the... ...near demolished lighthouse fully clothed. Monica was standing behind the blonde inventor, but he probably didn't know it yet.
"Gaspard..." He softly whispered.
"What were you doing?" Monica tapped her foot. Max spinned around, blushing furiously.
"M-Monica!"
"Don't you 'Monica!' me! Where were you!" She gave him a motherly scowl. She wasn't mad at him, she was just so worried about him!
"Eeh! Lighthouse! Ship! Gaspard! Ehhh, things!" He shouted out gibberish. She looked at him funny. Maybe he didn't know that he was in a shadow threshold afterall. She let out a sigh and shook her head.
"Nevermind. I'm sorry Max."
"No, it's my fault...so-...Where's Lin? A-And Crest?" Monica gazed at him sadly. She pointed up to the tower. He followed her hand to look up.
"No...no he...he can't be dead! NO!" Max's eyes watered.
"He is. We failed..."
"Don't say that." Came Lin's voice.
"Lin!" Max looked up, tears in his eyes.
"You didn't fail. Thanks to you, I know how I will live my life...and become a great sage, just like Master Crest."
Monica smiled, then turned to Max. "I just felt a tremor. Let's go to the future and see what happened."
They said their goodbyes to Lin and left to the future.
"Wow! The Temple's been completely restored!" Monica smiled.
"Look! Up there!" Max pointed to a dark figure standing in the light of the Moon Crystal. "That must be Crest!"
"Greetings!" Said a familar but old voice.
Monica and Max's eyes went wide. "Lin!"
She cackled. "Yes it's me. As you can see, I have become a sage." They nodded. "Now that I am, I am called Crest here."
"Oh so Crest was a girl!" Max laughed. "You just adopted your master's name!" Monica shook her head in embarrassment. It's so hard to tell that he's a genius sometimes.
"Yes, I owed it to him. And you two. You saved my life. And now I want to help. I know how you can find Griffon."
"You do!" They both exclaimed at the same time.
"Yes. Seek out the Lunatic Laboratory. Surely they'll help you."
"Thanks Lin! I mean, Crest!" He smiled. "Let's go Monica!"
Lin watched them as they ran off as if they were carefree. She remembered being so young. She gazed at the sky and Crest's face was so easily imaginable. "Master...watch over them...keep them safe..." He was still so handsome in her memory...as he was 100 years ago.
- - - - -
They loaded up on the train once back in the past.
"Where to next?"
"Vennecio." She replied. "In the future it's the home base for the Lunatic Wisdom Laboratory. Or Luna Lab for short."
"Well, forward then." Max smiled. He was still in a funk about not saving the real Crest. But he learned that there are things in this world that you can't stop. Just keep moving on. When they arrived, Max's mouth was gaped open.
"Don't tell me-"
"Yeah...the origin point was erased."
"Aw man..." He groaned. "Well, let's see if there are any people here..."
"Hey Max? You hear that?"
"What, you mean that roaring?" He cocked an eyebrow.
"Yeah, let's go through the village and see what it is." She giggled. As they ran through the sand they reached-
"Oh wow! Is...i-is this really the ocean!" His mouth opened wide like a fish's.
"Sure is! Don't tell me you've never seen the ocean Max." She giggled again.
"I haven't. Palm Brinks has been all I've known..."
"Well Max, welcome to Vennecio! Future home to Lunatic Wisdom Laboratories!" She pointed out across to the ocean with the sun settled high in the sky. It was currently in the afternoon.
"Hey Monica, that roaring before...was that the ocean?"
"Yeah." She said. "It-" She was cut off as a ferocious roar echoed in the air. "I guess it wasn't. Let's go see what it was!"
"Alright. But let's be careful." They turned around and found a small cave.
"It sounds like it's coming from here." The sword user replied. And they walked in.
"Woah! What's that!"
"It's a shigura! It looks like it's been injured."
"What are shiguras?"
"They're sea dragons. This one's just a baby, though. He might've gotten seperated from his herd."
"Baby!" The blonde cried increduosly.
"Try to hold its head," She said. "I'll try to see what's wrong." As soon as Max tried to touch the dragon, it snapped its teeth at him and screamed. "PAAAUUUUU!"
"What are you doing to Shingala!" Shouted a voice. The two kids turned around to meet a moon person by the look of him. Rabbit ears, rabbit nose, rabbit feet. He ran up and embraced the shigura he called Shingala.
"We heard its cries when we walked by. We thought it was injured." Monica shrugged.
"I can do this..." He seemed to be talking to himself while rubbing something on Shingala's neck. Then he let out a pained/frustrated groan. "It's not working."
"Excuse me, but-" Max started.
"Huh? You're still here? Hmm, please, stay with Shingala while I get some medicine. I hear the Shigura Village elder has some. I won't be long."
"Wait a minute! I'm sorry, but we don't have time to be doing favors for strangers!" The pink-haired girl stomped forward.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I'm Pau. This is Shingala." Shingala crooned and nipped affectionately at Pau, nuzzling his neck. "Cut it out, Shingala!" He giggled.
"We'll be happy to." The blonde said.
"Max!"
"Thank you so much! Bye bye Shingala! I'll be back soon!" And Pau left. Not five minutes, Shingala started moaning and crying. "Paaaaauuuuuuuu..." He wailed.
"Great...stuck babysitting a sea dragon." Monica groaned.
"Aw, he's not so bad. And I really know how Pau feels. There's no one else around to help him we he needed it. It'd like to have some help when I needed it. Don't you agree?"
"Yeah." She smiled. "You're right. Max."
"Hey!"
"'Hey' what?" Monica looked at her companion.
"Shingala's gone!"
"Oh man, you're kidding!" They ran outside the cave just in time to see him leave for the Ocean's Roar Cave.
"What's that in the sand over there?" The blonde pointed among entering the cave.
"Looks like a turtle's shell." She squinted. As soon as they stepped up to it, a scaley head came out and snapped at Max.
"Ah! It's a monster!" He cried out. As soon as he screamed, an army of corsairs came after. "Oh...my-run!"
"No! Come on! We can fight them!"
"Be reasonable Monica! There's too many of them! Let's get in these caves!" Max shoved Monica and himself in a crevasse until the monsters were out of sight.
"Honestly Max, we're going to have to fight them sooner or later."
"Not unless we're careful we don't. Look here!" He pointed. "I see Shingala's tracks. We better find him quick."
They battled through the caves and collected geostones as usual. Then they finally came to an unusual room.
"What's that?"
"It's a mural. The destruction of the moon. It's a well known legend in my world. It's said that the moon will fall out of the sky."
"Wow. Sounds frightening."
"But it's just a legend. So there's nothing to worry about." As soon as she said this, Shingala's head popped up out of a small water canal in the middle of the dark room.
"Shingala!"
"No way! Shingala? What's that on his head?" Max squinted his eyes to get a better look. He stepped forward.
"The sword user gasped. "Careful Max!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the way just before Shingala swooped his head down for a bite.
"Ugh! H-He's under a trance of some sorts! I think it's that weird helmet. What are we going to do? We can't fight him!" Max looked up at the red-eyed sea dragon.
"We have to retreat. We'll come back later." She turned on her to go back the way they came. Max followed behind her. He turned back for one more look at the mind-controlled Shingala. Poor Pau will be so heartbroken.
"What should we do?" He looed at his partner.
"Let's go to Luna Lab and see what they can do."
ONce there, they met the child prodigy genius and was given an electic worm.
"What are you waiting for Max? Give it to the fish!" He pouted and dropped the worm into the tank. He watched as one of his favorite fish ate the electric worm.
"Aww, why'd you eat it George..." He mumbled. (A.N. I named one of my favorite fish George and he ate the worm...I'm going to cry now...
"What?" Monica turned to him.
"N-Nothing!" He blushed.
"Now let's feed it to Shingala! That outta shorten the device out." Once they got there...
"What in the world are you waiting for Max?" The blonde was literally shivering in his shoes. "Max!"
"I-I'm scared, alright!" He held his zapped fish and aimed it at the sea dragon's mouth. "A-Alright Shingala, open wide!" About that time Shingala opened his mouth with a roar and swallowed the electrified fish. Max gave George a small farewell. Shingala stopped thrashing and roaring as the mind-controlling device lost its energy.
"We did it! Shingala's alright!" Monica laughed.
"So what do we do now?" The green-eyed boy asked his comrade.
"Let's get him back to Pau. Then we can go on further. We need those geostones, remember?"
"Yeah, I know. Come on then." The both of them grabbed a side of the unconscious shigura and carried him back to Pau's house.
- - - - -
"Shingala! Where was he!"
Max whispered to Monica. "We better not tell him about the mind control device."
"Right." She whispered back. "He was looking for you. He's okay though."
"That's good. Except I couldn't get to the Shigura Village. I tried to-hm? What's that sound?" Pau pered his rabbit-like ears up.
"It sounds like its coming from outside." Max replied. "Come on Monica!" They got outside and what they saw utterly shocked them.
"It's Gaspard's ship!" Max shouted.
"I bet it's heading for the Shigura Village!" She gave a glare at the direction of the Death Ark.
"You've gotta save the shigura! Please!" Pau begged.
"You bet, Pau!" The blonde grinned. "You stay here with Shingala, alright?"
Pau smiled and nodded. "Thanks." Max winked and ran off towards the direction of the Death Ark.
"Oi! Wait Max!" Monica jogged off after him.
Once they got there, they saw something very familiar on their heads.
"They're being controlled too!" Monica gasped.
"Hello young Monica!" Came a voice.
'That's not Gaspard's voice...' Max thought disappointedly. A man with spiked hair seemed to appear out of nowhere. His skin was a dark shade of blue. He also had crooked teeth in which Max found unattractive.
"Jaming. I don't care what you do to the girl, but don't harm the boy." Gaspard appeared near the railing of the flying ship. That voice made the blonde shiver.
"Yes sire." He grinned, showing his crooked teeth. Max stared at Gaspard in a daydream. He looked down upon the blonde and smiled. 'He really is beautiful.' The silver-haired man thought. Max was shooken from his daydream when a loud guitar string vibrated from the instrument in Jaming's arms.
"Gahh! That's horrible!" Monica covered her ears.
"Why you-! I'm going to let my shigura toy with you for a while, how does that grab you?" He chuckled.
"I'm gonna rearrange your teeth! How does that grab you!" Max barked back, holding his wrench.
Gaspard chuckled at Max's words. 'Feisty!' He had begun to hope he was as fiery as this when they made love tonight. Yes. He was planning on making the boy entirely his. No one will take him away. Not even the Raybrandt princess.
"Well now!" Gaspard laughed, looking down at Maximilian. "Show him what you're made of!"
"Yes, sire." Jaming swooped down on the children's head on some kind of floating device.
'Idiot.' Max thought. 'He meant me.' He grinned and looked at Gaspard that told him in a way. 'I will.'
Soon the battle with Jaming was over and Gaspard hoisted off, planning his attack for tonight. Max and Monica talked to the shigura elder through a device the people at Luna Lab gave them. They received the medicine and took it back to Pau. He thanked them deeply for caring for Shingala. Now it was time for the baby shigura to join its clan and travel the world, and Pau said goodbye.
- - - - -
Max and Monica watched the Vennecio sunset.
"I bet that'd make a nice picture." Max grinned. He sat up and snapped a picture of the sunset and layed back down. "...Monica?"
"Yeah, Max?"
"I'd like...can I be alone for a while? I want to think about some things."
"Sure." She smiled. "Anytime, just ask, 'kay?"
"'Kay." He laughed. "I'll join you later."
"Okay. See ya!" She jumped up off the sand, dusting herself off then ran up the boardwalk to the station. Max waited a few moments...
"When are you going to come out?" Max smiled to the air. He felt warm smooth kisses on the back of his neck and let out a deep moan of satisfaction.
"Mmm, good a time as any, Gaspard." Max turned around and pressed his lips passionately against the other's. Gaspard chuckled.
"Expecting me, were you?"
"Yeah." He kissed the silver-haired man again deeply and moved to straddle his hips. "A-Ah!"
"Something wrong, Max?" Gaspard murmured between kisses.
"No, nothing." Max breathed out. He had only felt his lover's erection prodding against his thigh.
"Then, strip for me." Gaspard whispered against the boy's lips. Max shuddered and complied only taking his sweet time, watching the older man drool with each seductive movement. "Delicious..."
Max chuckled and settled himself in the blue-eyed man's lap, his bare ass rubbing against the other's clothed cock.
"Max..." Gaspard groaned.
"Yes?" He giggled.
"You play too much...you tease..." The silver-haired man tipped his head back, softly panting. At that moment Max jumped up off of Gaspard's lap and dashed out into the water laughing. "Eh! Max!" He groaned frustratedly.
"Come get me!" He laughed again and went out farther. Gaspard smiled, the boy was so carefree...then he felt a pang of guilt. Was it right of him to take this boy's innocence? To break him and claim him his? He couldn't believe he wanted to have sex with this boy. He was very beautiful, but was it worth it? He saw how the boy lived...he had no problems, no being out there controlling him...he wanted this boy. He made up his mind. He didn't care if he made love with Max, he just wanted to be with him. He wanted to love and experience it. He just...wanted to be with him...just be.
"Gaspard! Come on!" Max giggled as the water splashed his sides. The silver-haired man smiled and stood at once. He stripped his clothing until he was completely bare. He ran into the water after the green-eyed inventor. Max saw the advancing man and squealed, going out a bit more farther. But he never got far, Gaspard wrapped his arms securely around the boy and held him close.
"Don't you dare think about drifting out to sea leaving me here." He whispered. Max blushed and smiled. He closed his eyes and nuzzled Gaspard.
"I wouldn't think of it."
Gaspard smiled at his nuzzling and nuzzled back, supporting himself and Max in deep water. He pressed a soft kiss to the boy's temple.
"I love you." Max's voice cut through the silence. Gaspard looked taken aback, he stared at the boy with wide eyes. Max saw this, smiled and repeated his words. "I love you, Gaspard." This was enough to break the man's heart. What has he done? ...He made the boy fall in love with him. His eyes saddened and pressed Max's head to his chest lovingly. Now what? Tell him he loves him back? Or tell him that he just wanted his virginity? He absolutely hated himself, but there was no turning back. Not now.
"Max..." Gaspard started.
"I wanna be with you..." He blushed. "I wanna be near you, I wanna kiss you...be with you, please...please tell me you love me too." Max begged and pleaded. Gaspard's heart ached in pain, he didn't want to lie, he- he stopped his train of thought. He did love this boy. Did primal instinct take over when he lusted for the boy? He did want to make love to Max, but he wanted to share his life with him. He smiled into his thoughts, yes...I love him.
"Gaspard..." Max whimpered.
"...I love you Maximilian. I want to hold you in my arms and never let go. I want to kiss you until you cannot breathe. I want to be with you, I love you." He closed his eyes and pressed his lips passionately against Max's. Max's eyes watered before he closed them. Small tears trailed down his soft cheeks before dripping into the ocean. Oh how many have cried into this ocean? How many tears did it take to make the ocean? The sun had long vanished behind the dark water in the distance, leaving soft golden light. Soon Max saw the world through new eyes, he never knew love could be so fullfilling and so wonderful. The same could be said for Gaspard, no longer was he bitter, the world was just too beautiful...when his angel was right there in the middle of it all.
The silver-haired man carried the blonde back to shore and layed him upon the sand, kissing him deeply. Max wrapped his arms around the man he loved, pulling him in for more. Water rushed up and lapped at their bodies.
"You to be with me, Max? Gaspard gasped softly between desperate kisses.
"I wanna be with you now." He smiled sweetly, his nude body pressing against the other's. Gaspard let out a small gasp and blushed.
"M-Max..."
"Make love to me. I need to be with you." He blushed upon his own words, cuddling his love. The blue-eyed man buried his face in the green-eyed boy's neck, kissing softly. Did he just hear him right? He wanted to believe that but...he shook out of his thoughts and pressed his body against the boy's. Max opened his eyes to gaze up at the two now appearing moons that witnessed their love and tipped his head back and calling Gaspard's name out in pleasure. "Please...Oh Gaspard!"
Gaspard sat up and spread Max's legs apart. Was he really ready? He knew that he wanted it, but Max...he was still a boy. This could be something that he might regret later on down the road. But should he really be concerned for the future? Max wouldn't always want to love him...and would choose another. That's the way life goes. But he desperately wanted to love Max. He wanted to be with him forever...to stay together. Never...Max would never abandon him! He held the blonde's legs apart softly, slowly easing a finger into the opening as more sea water rushed up to greet them both.
Max gasped. "G-Gaspard...n-no..."
"Hm?" Gaspard pulled out his finger, looking into Max's face for some kind of answer.
"Just...take me...make me yours."
"Mine..." Gaspard murmured.
"All yours..." Max panted. "I need you now." Gaspard smiled, placing his erection at Max's entrance. Max clenched his eyes shut, holding Gaspard's shoulders. In one thrust Gaspard buried himself deep into his love, ripping a scream from the one below him. The cry echoed in the now darkening sky like music falling from an actual angel's lips. Gaspard moaned and pulled back only to push back in. Tears fell from Max's eyes, and he let out a sob. It hurt so bad! He didn't think it hurt this much but...something about it made it feel wonderful. Maybe if he just relaxed.
"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." Gaspard whispered, softly humping the boy. "I know it hurts...just...please let me in further." Max nodded weakly, opening his eyes to show Gaspard his watery saddened emerald eyes. This sight nearly broke Gaspard's heart, but its what Maximilian had wanted. The blue-eyed man pushed in further, illicting a faint cry from the blonde inventor.
"G-Gasp...ard..." He parted his lips, releasing a few heavy pants and began moving with Gaspard in a rhythm.
"Ready...love?" Gaspard smiled.
Max blushed and smiled back. "Yeah..." He tilted his head back, letting go of Gaspard's shoulders to lay above his head in a seductive fashion. Yes, everything was alright...he saw it in his eyes. He pounded in and out of Maximilian, throwing his head back trying to create an orgasm. Max forced himself against the burning erection pounding against his insides. Oh it felt great! It didn't hurt anymore, it was only pleasure...pure pleasure. Max forced himself against the man so greatly, the sound of slick flesh slamming and thudding against more slick flesh echoed in his ears. He felt such a heat in this nether regions that he never felt before and all he wanted to do was push it to the surface. He grabbed fistfuls of sand, deeply wishing for something to grab onto. "G-Gaspard!" Max nearly screamed out.
'He's so close.' Gaspard panted deeply, thrusting deep inside of the boy. He jerked against Max, at the same time jerking the boy's body. "Let it out...let it out Max!" Gaspard ordered, nearly screaming himself.
"Awwhh! Mnnngh...nghhhh, a-awhhhh, G-G..."
"Awh MAX!"
"GASPARD!" The tide came in just in time as white hot cum erupted from Max's aroused cock and Gaspard slammed against his lover one last time releasing his seed deep in Max, coating his insides. The silver-haired man pulled himself out collapsed onto the wet sand next to his lover. The golden light was now gone. All there was now was a soft dark pink and purple as the stars twinkled above. Max let out a groan and rolled over onto his side, wrapping his arms around the first and only person he had ever loved. "Gaspard..." Max whispered, his voice weak with his final orgasm.
"Max." The older man gently purred and nuzzled his love. "Stay...with me forever? Don't leave me..."
"Never!" Max whispered a bit louder and winced, his voice slightly hoarse. "I love you I...I want to be with you forever. I'm in love with you Gaspard, I don't want anyone else...no one but you." He cuddled up against the older man. The blue-eyed man smiled.
"Same for me Max." He brushed blonde strands from the angelic face to gaze at beautiful emerald green eyes. "I need you so much." And he came in for a sweet kiss, gently caressing the inventor's flustered cheeks. "I'll find a way, we will be together." Max smiled at Gaspard's words. He really did love this man. He could care less what his father, mother, Monica or anyone else thought. His heart brimmed ever so brightly with love and no one could take that away from him. His heart would live on if he himself didn't. "Are you feeling well?" Gaspard broke the awkawad silence.
"Yeah...I am." Max giggled and pressed a feather-soft kiss on the end of Gaspard's nose. Gaspard blushed deeply, eyes widened.
"I'd have to know what goes on in that head of yours."
Max giggled again. "I don't know Gaspard...my heart is an ocean of secrets...maybe you'll see them someday." The other man smiled and settled in the sand next to Max, content with the answer. The two fell asleep in each other's arms moments later after exchanging passionate kisses. The sea birds flew over head, crying their song into the night sky. The moons hung in the sky so brilliantly, showing the night the two lovers that made their promise to time.
The End