What Was Left Behind

Chapter Three: Encounter

All the witty sayings are taken, so I'll just have to bluntly say: I don't own Dark Cloud 2.

Sitting in his room, the strange map sprawled before his feet, Max had a hand cradling his chin. His eyes were narrowed in concentration, studying the odd piece of parchment. In the corner of his vision he glimpsed Jace smiling crookedly at him. Max grinned himself, but didn't turn to him.

"Hey now, don't look at me like that. Your time is one hundred years more advanced than mine. . . . But I'm gonna figure this out." He looked closer at the map, touching the stones tentatively. He turned to Jace.

"Cedric's Maintenance Shop will open in a few minutes. Then I can tell him this whole predicament and hopefully he'll let me off. If he doesn't, I hope I won't get fired for taking off work."

After a moment's pause he rolled up the map and stuck it inside his bag. When he turned to Jace as a sign to get moving, he saw the brief moment of disappointment that crossed the boy's features.

Max pulled back out the map and handed it to Jace. "Here, I forgot this was your job. Sorry." Jace smiled.

"Monica? Doin' that sort of thing? No way!" Cedric exclaimed, throwing a fist into the air for exaggeration.

"Cedric, I have to find her. But I don't know how long it will take and she seemed pretty distressed when she talked to me. She might be pretty far from here—"

"Take all the time you need, boy." I'll hold the things here just fine. No need to worry about that." He saw the plain relief wash over Max's face.

"Thanks, Cedric." Max turned and went for the door when Cedric's voice halted him.

"Hey, Max." The boy turned. Cedric spoke next with the low tone of voice he always pursued when he felt Max though matters too light. "Sounds to me like she's been set up."

"Who would set Monica up? In any case, I'll find Monica and together we'll make a solution." He turned and ran out of the shop. There he met with the boy, Jace, and without a word in exchange they proceeded to the town gates.

Cedric, his eyes on the door where Max had just lunged through, heaved a great sigh. That so small an uttering, the sigh, betrayed all the worry he held for the boy and the girl he sought. The innocent boy Max had trouble still believing how hearts could turn corrupt. He believed that with the passing of the Dark Element, the world was cleansed from all evil. In part that was true. However what Max could not comprehend, as his own heart was genuine, was that other men's minds were fickle, sometimes dishonest. And it was those two characteristics that could trigger certain events and enable more . . . serious of emotions to come to.

So Cedric, watching Max and the young boy beside him depart, felt that maybe not all scenarios could be remedied, especially when so much minds were against the cause. That Max's very own innocence could lead to make matters worse.

Monica, after re-entering the domain of sleep again after her nightmare, felt the rays of sun pierce her eyes behind their lids. She opened them, and was met with the sight of the creature Himarra bending over her face. Seeing that Monica was awake, it leapt back and bent forward, showing the girl its array of weapons. The blade-like petals encircling its face quivered.

Monica wrenched her head away from the still-moist earth and sat up, unsettling the Himarra even more. It growled at her, a throaty cackle used to alarm travelers, but Monica wasn't a mere visitor and so ignored the threat. She stood up and slightly steadied herself before setting her palm on the pommel of her sword and walking slowly away, leaving the Himarra still standing defensively behind.

She would go see Jurak, she decided. Even though he lived in her time and it was more dangerous there than here, she direly needed his counsel. And if that he would not give, then she would sit silently in his company, thinking of what she could possibly do to remedy the current situation.

Standing in a secluded spot in Sindain, Monica took the starglass that she kept magically concealed in the red stone upon her chest and used the powerful item to appear before Jurak, the mighty tree spirit.

"Hello, young Monica," Jurak murmured in his slow, lulling voice.

"Jurak," Monica pleaded, "I am in need of your wise advice."

There was a small pause. "Yesss?"

"Surely you have heard of what happened in Lebrante?"

"Yes child, I have." Another long pause ensued between the two in an uncomfortable silence. "Where is Max?"

"Max?" Monica was surprised by the question. "It would do no good to drag him deep into this," She said at last.

"Monica," Jurak began, "you cannot try and fix everything yourself. You haven't the streeenghth physically or mentally."

"That's why I'm asking you! Jurak, please, can you tell me anything as to why this happened, why my messages never reached Eldrinn. . . or. . . "She faded off in an exasperated sigh.

"I have given already to you my adviiice. Use it or abandon it, that's yooouur choice."

"Jurak!" Monica cried despairingly. But he said no more.

Finally, as her head slumped forward and her temples pulsed violently, she heard his voice again.

"I gave you what I had. You cannot wait here forever and hide from what's happened."

"I'm not hiding!" Monica sharply snapped before she reigned in her temper and cooled her voice down. "I am not hiding."

To prove her point, she took out the starglass and left him, her mind spinning in frustration.

"Monica?"

Unable to stifle her gasp of surprise, the red-headed girl lifted her eyes and found herself staring at none other than Max. He, too, seemed surprised at her appearance, but while he held relief also openly expressed, she found her face twisting grotesquely in the emotion of horror. Max had followed her?

"Monica?" He asked again, his voice lathered in concern.

. . . Yeah, SOOOO um that's it. Short yes, but nishte. --;

Oh well.

Is it hot by you guys? Man, you go outside for one minute and you're already sweating:O