Ch. 5: Preserve

The wind was sweeping through the night sky, producing the random howl that shook the little creatures in the trees.

Kira was standing in that breeze, his long braided ponytail caught in the current and helplessly floating up to his right shoulder. Eyes closed, he did not stir. Blue light engulfed his being from the lord of the night that watched over all and rested over time. The rustling of the trees in the howling wind was great; squirrels running down the thick trunks and birds covering their nests to prevent being drifted away. Still he did not stir.

When he heard a creaking sound behind him, only then did he turn back to the door to see his companions coming out. He walked over to them. "It seems like we have some uninvited guests in our garden," was all he said.

"Then we will just have to eradicate these bugs ourselves," Athrun said coolly.

The other 2 said nothing and stepped forward. Kira turned as well, covering his face with the hood he once wore. The others repeated his action and joined him from behind. And without another word, they vanished.

13 men stepped out of the forest with weapons and nothing else. It had been at least 3 hours since they departed the camp, and now they had to find their prey. Unfortunately, they didn't even know where to begin looking.

"Split up into groups, one finally ordered, we can cover more ground then."

They departed with 2 groups of 4 and one of 5. As they searched the perimeter, mist began to roll in by the minute. Their vision became utterly useless as it was very thick, and virtually impossible to see. The torches were able to give them aid, but most of the light reflected off the clouds.

Only one of the men was a magician, and he could not detect anything. Strong magic could always fool weak magic, and he kept leading them into dead ends whenever he felt something.

"They're toying with us, he concluded as they reassembled, I can't find them."

"You have to! another yelled, If you don't, how can we save the people they kidnapped and slay them?"

"They have great magic! Mine cannot help us now unless they give up!"

The other men grunted. If they couldn't get through with a guide, then they were all alone, without any leads or clues. Another one stepped forward. "Let us continue the search. Fighting amongst ourselves only drains our time and their captives' time as well! Time is our enemy here, not the bandits alone!"

The other men looked at him and nodded. They couldn't give up yet. People needed them. People needed them for freedom, and to see their families.

"Time is not your enemy now, because it ends here for all of you!"

The men turned in shock. The mist had lost its great thickness to reveal a man in a black robe, accompanied by 3 others with the same attire. Their hoods were up; their faces dark and hidden. Then the other men pulled out their weapons.

"Release all your captives now! one said, We may spare your lives if you do!"

The robe man who spoke said nothing. Instead, he walked forward without hesitation., and the others followed after him.

The pursuers readied themselves. "So be it then; you will die here and now!" They pounced like a tiger on its prey. The attack didn't even faze the robed men and they merely side-stepped to avoid. Then Shinn pulled out a dagger from his robe and slashed at one's back. He fell forward and Shinn made the last blow, stabbing him hard in the back.

The others roared out in rage and attacked again, swinging their swords or torches and stabbing their daggers forward. Athrun made the next move. He pulled out his sword first and clashed it with his opponent's.

Then suddenly, another one came up from behind, but Athrun already predicted it. His hand reached back down to his robe and a sharp hand axe came flying out of his thrusted sleeve. The man fell, the axe sticking out of his bleeding chest, and Athrun turned about, swept under his adversary's feet, and brought his sword up, piercing him through the throat. His opponent gagged for air and fell; the blood soiling his shirt.

Now it was 10 on 4, and they all decided to attack at once. Dearka pulled out a lance he had brought and knocked a dagger out of one's hand. Kira took this moment to stab him in the heart with his hair stone whip, and the victim crumpled as it was pulled back out.

Athrun and Shinn performed a combo as well; Athrun threw his sword in the air and kicked 2 in the face, back flipping himself behind Shinn who tossed his dagger, hitting one of them in the throat. Athrun jumped and grabbed his sword, somersaulted in the air, and plunged the edge into the head of the other one. He then jumped back to retrieve his hand axe and threw it forward at Shinn. Knowing it was coming, he ducked and the axe struck another one in front of him. His head was flooding in his blood and he fell.

The remaining men finally lost it and went completely berserk, and the magician was firing blasts everywhere. Due to their greater resistance, the robed teens were able to repel them without even lifting a finger. They stepped back and gathered.

"You've really wasted our time, Kira said, still hidden, now it's time to end it."

"You really don't know anything do you, one man said, we have 6 men, you still have 4, and greater numbers always win the fight. You're obviously out of most of your power!"

"Most of our power? Then let us show you MOST OF OUR POWER!"

All 4 of them gathered an aura of strength around Kira. It then condensed into one sphere of magic, and Kira took hold of it.

The others were not intimidated. "It's just a trick! GET THEM!" They all rushed forward, weapons raise and the magician had his own sphere ready. Then he fired it forward and the other men charged. The blast did hit, but still they rushed forward. Even dead, they were still good enough to mess with after death.

But they were not dead. A blast far greater than the magician's blazed out of the dust cloud and struck the men hard. In their surprise, they screamed as their bodies began to disintegrate, the flesh and skin ripped from the bone and muscle. All fell, but not as one.

The 4 victors gazed at the ruin and carnage before them. Then Kira turned. "They were foolish to attack so recklessly. Come, we must return home." And they vanished without a trace.

Cagalli woke up to find the people scurrying about. Looking through the crowd, she spotted Durandal talking with a few women and children, trying to calm them down. She walked over to them to see the group crying and sobbing heavily.

"What happened Chief?" she asked. Gilbert turned to her.

"It seems that the husbands and fathers of these people went missing last night. We looked through the grounds and some men are searching the forest right now."

Cagalli gasped. "Missing? But, how could that happen?"

Gilbert just shook his head. "I have no idea. The bandits had gotten what they came for apparently, so I don't see them coming back."

"I probably would Chief. Look." She brought out the sword she had found. The black blade was stained in dry brownish-red blood, and the jeweled hilt was soiled with dirt and mud. "This belonged to one of them. I think they returned for it."

"But I don't see how it's possible. They didn't wake us up in sleep. And some men on watch would've seen them, but they wouldn't have killed them for the blade. You still have it which means that they didn't come. Otherwise, they would just kill us all."

The logic was too hard to bend. Cagalli admitted defeat and walked away. But then how? What happened to them? Nobody can just disappear except for magicians. She tucked herself back into the bed, looking at the blade. I will find them. And when I do, I'll plunge this sword into its owner's heart, just like he plunged it into our Sage's heart.

Morning finally came and the sun's light bled through the window and curtains. Lacus' eyes fluttered open and she got up very wearily. Kira had already left the room since he wasn't in, so she decided to do the same. Her nightgown had been crumpled from her moving around too much, so she straightened it out and walked out the door.

The hallway was not very long or thin, rather, wide and the stairs were only steps away. She heard something cooking and whiffed the scent around her. It was a very faint aroma, but very nice. She stepped down the stairs to see Athrun by the kitchen, cooking. "Um, excuse me?" she asked. Athrun turned.

"Oh, you must be that girl. If you're looking for Kira he's right over there."

He pointed behind her and she swung around. Kira was playing "Go" with Shinn on the floor. The board was packed with so many little white and black stones and legs stuck out from the wooded body's base. Shinn had taken out a white stone from a small round bowl and held it in-between his fingers before snapping it down on the board. Next to the bowl was a lid that went with it and it held 2 black stones, while Kira had 1 white stone in his lid.

Dearka was watching the both of them before Lacus sat down in a cushioned seat across from him. "Hey there missy, that's his seat. You might want to get up."

Lacus gasped and got up rather quickly. Kira glared at him darkly. "Where are your manners Dearka? Can't you see she's our guest of honor?" He turned to Lacus. "It's alright child; you may sit down." She stood for moments before sitting back down and then took a glance at the board. Apparently Shinn was leading for the most part, but Kira was still very calm. She watched him take a piece from the bowl and place it in the lower right area.

Shinn's eyes grew wide. He didn't see this coming and knew it would be difficult to turn things around. He took another piece and Kira followed suit after him, and before long, the board was overloaded with both colored stones.

"Alright then, that's it, Kira said, let's count it up." They began rearranging stones and placing the ones in the lid within the other's territory. Now the board was mostly made up into less complex shapes and rectangles. Both were counting up their points and Kira smiled. "I win by 4 points."

Shinn swung his head back. "What the hell? I can't beat you."

"That would probably be because I took lessons from a very good teacher. I still must admit, you are getting better Shinn."

Shinn only grunted and walked off, only saying: "Good game" afterward. Kira widened his smile and turned back to Lacus. "Do you know how to play Go?"

"Well…" she didn't know whether to lie or just admit the facts. Her father had taught her how to play and she eventually grew very accustomed to the game. Day after day she would be snapping stones down on the 19x19 lined board and finally overpowered her father's skill after 2 years.

Kira was eyeing her carefully. "I suppose that means you do know how to play."

Lacus jumped. "Um, yes, I do." There was no point denying it; he was too perceptive.

Kira turned his body completely. "Would you like to play?"

Lacus was pink in the face, but she shook her head. "No thank you sir, I'll pass."

"Are you sure?" Kira watched her confused face. So she still doesn't want to part with freedom?

Then she was struck with an idea. "If I play you and win, will you let me go?" The beating of her heart was rising in a fast crescendo; her blood was boiling in her veins. If he accepted, she was sure that she could get away.

Kira's face expression slowly turned back to normal. He expected her to say that, but regardless, it was hard for him to hear. "Very well, but if I win, you will be mine alone to keep for eternity. Agreed?"

The terms were very high, but Lacus knew she couldn't turn down this chance. "…very well, I accept your terms."

Kira's face turned to a frown. He didn't want to have to go all out against a simple girl, but he was sure she was no beginner.

"Are you sure about this? Dearka intervened, jolting up from the couch, You don't even know how good she is Kira! You're practically-"

"Enough Dearka, Kira said very calmly, if I did know, then it wouldn't even be necessary to place a bet." He glanced at Dearka and he sat back down. Shinn and Athrun said nothing, but they did watch them very intently. Then he turned to Lacus "Give me your hand."

Lacus saw him offer his and drew back, but when Kira did not retreat, she regrettably held his in her own. To her surprise, 3 rings of purple energy formed around them and clench their arms for a minute. They soon dissipated and she fell back slightly.

"They are bond rings, Kira explained, if you break the bond, you will suffer greatly." He turned back to the board. "Now then, will you join me?"

Lacus got up and walked over to the other side of the board before sitting on the empty cushion seat opposite Kira. Without a word, she reached into the bowl and grabbed a random number of stones, holding the clenched hand over the board.

Kira took out 2 black stones from his bowl and place them on the board and watched Lacus release her hand to let the white stones fall. She began to count them up in groups of 2 and she counted 8 total. Kira took back his stones and Lacus did the same.

"Onegashimasu," they both said simultaneously. Kira then took out a black stone and placed it on the upper right intersection to the right of the star point. Lacus placed a white stone in the lower left to the left of the star point there. Kira then played below the lower right star point and Lacus mimicked the move, playing above the upper left star point.

So she knows the basic starting moves, Kira thought, alright then, let's see how she can handle the rest. He played his next stone in the upper right on the 2nd diagonal away from his first move to the left; a knight's move. Finished, he watched Lacus, her hands on her lap and eyes fixed on the board. Her face wasn't stern, but rather calm. This surprised him greatly. He expected her to wield a serious face considering the stakes, but she wasn't.

Lacus' hand swayed over to the bowl and she pluck out a stone, playing a knight's move in the lower right, to the left of Kira's stone. I won't let you beat me, she said to herself, I won't. I will escape after this game; I have to.

Flay tried once again to break the bars, but the shot reflected back at her head, and she sprawled over the floor. Meer had followed her example and ended up the same way; her nose was bleeding and bruises were forming on her shoulders. They finally gave up after at least 7 failed attempts to break out.

"They can't be this resistant to magic!" Flay whined.

"Well they are, Meer grumbled, so get used to it!"

"But it takes a huge sum of dark magic to do something like this! 3 men could never-"

Meer punched her in the cheek hard. "Shut up and face reality Flay! We're trapped in here! No matter how much you say it's not possible, it has already happened! Shut up and face it!"

"Don't you dare hit me!" She punched her in retribution in the stomach and blasted her with lots of bolts of magic. She didn't stop until she couldn't here her scream any longer, meaning she had been knocked out. She can go to the devil for all I care! Worthless and weak! I will get out of here, even if I have to blast my way out! Then she had the answer. Murder.

There were so many people in the tower, and if she could kill them all, she would have more than enough power to break free of her cage. She cut off a portion of the bar, but she didn't try to escape so when the bar re-grew, it did nothing to stop her. She cut the bar carefully into the shape of a blade and walked up to Meer. Sorry old friend, but it's time for me to get out of here. She drove the sword into Meer's back and heard her scream out in terror. Laughing so maniacally, she twisted the blade in her to hear her scream even louder.

Without any warning, Meer covered Flay in a harmless wave of energy. It didn't faze her, and she began to drain Meer's energy away through the cut sword as it entered her body. At last she drew out the last of her power, and Meer's body went limp. She was dead; blood seeping out of her back and flesh melded with blade. Flay grinned very darkly. Now then, who's next?

"Your highness, I have news."

A man sitting on a throne of onyx turned to his messenger who was running up to him. The presumable emperor had a white robe on with a mask covering his face. "What happened this time?"

"I-it would seem that Doolittle Village was laid to ruin last night. One of our patrol units saw it just hours ago; the people are few in numbers and are living just outside the forest nearby the village."

The emperor put his hand to his chin, thinking. "Send a troop with supplies to the villagers, along with a message from me."

"And what would that be sir?"

"I am planning to conduct a war between us and these rebels from within. By my order, that village will have to join my ranks, understood?"

"But can't we take care of them ourselves your honor? I don't believe we would require anymore failures who know nothing of combat."

"If that were so, the entire village would have been wiped out with every resident. My order stands; now go."

"Yes my lord." He walked out of the room. Another man entered from behind the throne. This one had grey hair and wore a dark violet robe with gold and black embroidery. "So, a war is it Rau? I never thought you would say that."

The emperor only smirked. "As small as the force may be, every bit of power counts. If one grows too powerful, then he could outwit all of the powerless without problems. Numbers mean nothing if they can't do anything, isn't that right."

The man only nodded while grunting. "Very well then. This gives me a chance to lead out my army into battle. I'm grateful."

"Don't jump the gun General Zala. The battle is yet to begin, and I wouldn't want you to waste your energy."

The man only grunted again and left the room through the door. Rau then turned to a small purplish-black orb in the backrest of the chair. So then, it's finally time to put these rebels into place. Still, I don't believe that the army itself will be enough; I must gain new allies and power if I want the chance for victory. He sat down again, and all was quiet.

I did say that I wouldn't post so fast if I got few reviews, so don't say that I didn't warn you. It's been at least 4 days and I've only gotten 7; that's not quite enough. "Undying Semesters" is worse off with 7 days, and only 6 reviews, so don't expect it coming up to speed very soon. I'm not very sure if I should even keep writing if people are just deciding to stop reading; that seems to be happening. I would also like to thank Spitfire 001 for helping me advertise, but it I'm afraid it didn't help out at all. Thanks for the effort though and your help. Well, if I can get at least 15 reviews on my next chapter, I'd be happy to update sooner; if 10, I'll see, but if any lower, then I probably won't update for 2 weeks or more (well I'm going off for a few days so I won't be updating anyway). That will also apply to "Undying Semesters" as well. Enjoy the chapter, then REVIEW PLEASE!