Pawns

by Quicksilver


Part Thirteen

The two entered the room, holding hands.

Maron had been unsure what she was expecting, but Chiaki squeezed her hand reassuringly, his eyes worried, but secure. "Don't worry, Maron. We're in this together. Our fates have entwined."

She gave him a shaky smile and returned the pressure on his hand. "Where you walk, I go as well."

Having him there steadied her for this decision. It would be like dying, she thought. She would be losing everything in an attempt to save those she loved. But she had made her choice, and Kusakabe Maron has learned not to back down. She had spent too much of her life running.

She almost sighed in contentment, though, as she stared at the beautiful image Access Time and Fin Fish made. The two angels knelt opposite each other, their wings carefully folded behind them and their hands piously clasped before their bowed heads. For once, Access looked humble, and Chiaki made a note to memorize the moment. Around them, four simple wooden bowls had been placed.

"Should we interrupt?" Maron asked nervously.

"They'll tell us when they're ready."

Fin's eyes opened after a moment and she rose to her feet, leaving her companion to his prayer. "Are you ready?" she asked them.

"I am," Chiaki asked. He spoke without hesitation, of one who knew his destiny.

Maron looked into Fin's green eyes, and realized this was her last chance to go back. Then she thought of the tower, and the demon... and Chiaki. "It's time... No more running."

"Come." She held her hands out to the two of them, and they each took one. Fine's hands were smooth as silk and comforting. She walked them over to the circle and led them inside. "No matter what happens, stay inside," she told them.

"Huh?" Maron asked, but Fin stepped back without replying, standing opposite Access Time.

Pressing her hands against her breasts again, the angel smiled beatifically. "It's time," she said.

Maron felt something in her stomach clench with dread. Something was going on here that she didn't understand. Glancing over at Chiaki, she saw the confusion in his dark eyes and was comforted that he, too, had no clue at the subtleties of what was happening.

Access looked at the two humans, his amber eyes glittering in the dim light of the room. "In each of the dishes, you'll see one of the basic elements of life... earth, fire, wind, water..." he said. "Eventually, there will be four elemental beings connected through heaven."

Maron stared at the bowls, seeing the fire burning without fuel, the small pool of water, the pile of soil, and feeling the wind blowing out of the final one. It was the last that drew her eyes back, though Chiaki seemed fascinated by the water. "Kamikaze..." she whispered.

"And Tsunami..." Chiaki said softly.

"You'll learn more about what your power means later. Chiaki is a magician already and has some training; Maron knows how to seal demons since her magic is heavily influenced by the spirits, one

of the traditional areas of air's influence," Fin added.

"Water and air and complimentary elements, aren't they?" Maron asked.

"As are earth and fire. We don't really have time to get into it. But what you need to do is assume your roles as God's representatives... as the avatars of the element," Fin continued.

"How do I do that?" Maron asked. She continued to stare at the bowl, feeling her breathing quicken.

"Just ask," Fin said. "All you need to do is ask with your full heart."

Maron realized what that meant. She had made this decision and she shut her eyes, smiling sadly to herself. It was something she had realized would be coming, but now that the moment was here, a part of her wanted to bolt. But Chiaki was beside her and running wasn't an option.

It meant giving up everything.

It meant saving the city from a demon that would consume it.

She sank to her knees, feeling the firm ground beneath her. Folding her hands together, Maron prepared to pray, but she couldn't think of anything particularly intelligent to say. So instead she just whispered, "Help us, please."

It must have been enough, because she felt a wave of power wash through her, starting as her fingertips and toes and working its wave through her body. Her skin tingled and she felt her body rise into the air, suspended. Her lashes fluttered open and her mouth opened in shock as she saw Fin.

Fin's hands her extended towards her and the red jewel she wore on her forehead was so bright Maron couldn't look at it directly. Then Fin's power came towards her, embracing her gently and remaking her clothes into a kaitou outfit similar, yet different than any she had worn before.

White and gold. She looked down and saw the other colors had been replaced by shimmering golden shades, and she tilted her head back as the transformation spun her around. From within, she felt something explode, perhaps the divine power she had asked for, and she tilted her head to look over where Chiaki had stood. Her breath caught as she saw him turn to face her, obviously just completed a similar transformation.

Sinbad stood before her, resplendently dressed in blue and silver, subtle changes from his usual outfit but one that made him look more intimidating. The soft silver jacket draped around him without looking tacky, and she stared at him with a bit of concern. He looked older and harder, not at all like the boy who had assured her that they would be together.

His brilliantly blue eyes, so different from Chiaki's, gently looked into hers. "Jeanne," he said softly. "We should get going."

She nodded, moving a bit closer, but feeling unsure again. She felt more empowered, with energy running through her skin, but she didn't have a clue how to deal with Sinbad -- like usual. "Maybe we should," she said softly.

Fin, meanwhile, moved lethargically towards Access. Her movements were sluggish, but Access's bright eyes watched her with eagerness. "Good luck," she said. "I'm sure you'll succeed," she told Jeanne.

"I'll tell you all about it," Jeanne promised, trying to hide her nervousness.

Access and Fin exchanged glances and Jeanne felt something inside her twist. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Jeanne..." Fin said softly, "I don't think I'll be around for you to speak to for a long while."

"What?" Jeanne demanded. Beside her, Sinbad froze, his eyes going wide in confusion.

"We'll meet again. It's just going to be a while," Fin whispered, her form starting to fade away. "Don't cry for me, Jeanne."

Beside her, Access raised a hand which was becoming translucent. His attention turned to Sinbad. "It's been fun, ne?"

The two kaitou stared at their friends in horror. "What's happening?" Sinbad managed to choke out. Jeanne shook in fear, wondering what had gone wrong.

"We've been your guides for centuries, preparing the way for your arrival. Now that you've achieved your final form, our roles are complete. We can achieve our next form," Fin explained.

"I thought a true angel was the highest level of power!" Jeanne said, reaching out to grab Fin, only to have her hands slide through her. She cried out, unwilling to believe this was happening, trying to think of something --anything-- to make this stop. She had lost her identity as Maron, lost Miyako... now she was losing Fin?

Fin didn't seem at all troubled."What is power? There's greater things... and we're going onto one of those," Fin said calmly. Her expression was one of profound joy, something that made Jeanne's heart ache. Every second the angel became more and more indistinct, her outline resembling a field of scattered stars.

"We'll be back," Access Time promised. "You'll know us when you see us, though we may not know you," he said. "But even if the mind doesn't remember, the heart always carries the memory of love." He reached over and took Fin's hand, apparently still able to touch her. "Eh, Fin? Maybe this time you'll admit you adore me?"

"Never!" she replied, but a light smile played on her face. Around her and Access, the light grew so intense it was near blinding, but neither kaitou looked away. "We'll meet again," Fin Fish said again.

Then everything exploded.