Reality

Back in the Ice Queen's castle, Komugi suddenly gagged and heaved. The black ooze poured out of her nose and mouth as she vomited. She spit in disgust at the taste of it before another heave hit her body.

"Komugi!" she heard a voice shout. Her vision was still clouded, and she heaved and vomited again. "Oh disgusting!" the voice said bitterly. She coughed and spit once again and felt someone beating at the ice encasing her arms.

"Ryonai?" she asked in a weary voice as her eyes focused. Ryonai flashed his trademark cocky smile before returning to pounding on the ice. Shizuka stood on Komugi's other side with an arrow, a look of determination on her face as she chipped away.

"No get her legs, her arm should come free once I get this side loose." Ryonai commanded his girlfriend. Shizuka stared at him blankly for a moment before turning her attention on the ice. Finding that the arrow chipping went nowhere, Shizuka sighed in frustration and took a few steps back.

"Stand back." She said in a voice more serious than the one she usually spoke in. Ryonai glanced at her in surprise, as if it were unexpected for him even. She shut her eyes and held her hands out, a ball of wind flying from her. It smacked into the ice and chipped a bigger chunk off than what her arrow had been doing.

"Good work Shizuka!" Ryonai said happily. Shizuka cast him a thin-lipped smile for a moment before returning to her spell casting. Komugi was freed within minutes, and she fell limply to the ground. Ryonai caught her before she hit the black mess that she'd vomited up, and sat her against the wall. "Drink this." He commanded, handing her a white potion. Komugi drank it eagerly, grateful to have the black oozes' taste from her mouth. "What happened? Are you ok now?" he asked in concern.

"I'm ok, she was just torturing me." Komugi coughed, handing him the empty beaker. "Where are Sprissa and Broud? They were caught with me." Ryonai helped her to her feet as she struggled to stand, holding the empty potion beaker with one hand.

"I found them a few hours ago; they're back at Rafforty's cabin." Ryonai assured her. "What about you, how'd you piss off the Ice Queen so bad to actually get inside the castle? You steal her boyfriend or something?" Komugi's eyes narrowed into thin lines as Ryonai smacked the nail on the head.

"Something like that." She said flatly.

"My how perceptive." Freya's voice came. The trio spun quickly to find Freya seated upon her throne, staring at them in amusement. "Such a handsome friend you have, I can't wait to feel his muscles myself." Freya purred as she stood, her eyes on Ryonai.

"I'm taken lady." Ryonai growled. "Tell her, Shizuka!" he hissed. Shizuka blinked at him with large eyes, and Komugi was sure she could hear wind whistling through her head.

"Taken where?" she asked cluelessly, and Ryonai groaned. Komugi stepped forward with a dark scowl, pulling her dual swords from their sheaths.

"Thanks for releasing me Ryonai, but if you don't mind, I have some unfinished business with this bitch." Komugi said darkly, glaring at the smirking queen before her. Freya laughed haughtily and waved her hand, a long, ice-covered sword appearing in it.

"Komugi, you're a Prophet, you can't possibly hope to take this psycho bitch on…" Ryonai said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I promise to call you if I need help, just let me do this alone." Komugi said, facing the Ice Queen.

"Foolishly brave, girl. You didn't enjoy seeing Zaken and my love for each other?" she chuckled.

"I didn't see anything love about it, just a controlling wench who has to turn a man insane to keep him with her." Komugi snarled, taking up a stance. Freya's eyes widened in surprise, suddenly seeing Zaken in the girl's form.

"So…he taught you." She whispered, as if she couldn't believe it. Jealous rage contorted her pristine face, and she held the sword out in her own stance. "I'll be pleased when I see your blood freeze upon my floor you flower-tressed tramp!" She swung with her words, her voice a hateful snarl. Komugi blocked them and slid backwards on the ice, mentally cursing as she realized she wasn't going to have a good foothold. She didn't have long to ponder how to remedy this, as the Ice Queen flew at her again, her sword growing as she swung it into a scythe. Komugi bent herself backwards with wide eyes, the blade catching a few strands of hair that flew with her movement and cutting them off.

She lifted both of her swords into an x-shape as the queen swung the scythe again, blocking it from hitting her. Sparks flew from her blades, and ice began to form on them. Growling at the dark smirk Freya had, Komugi ripped the freezing swords apart, knocked the scythe blade away briefly and slashed both swords at Freya's midsection. It was the queen's turn to back up in surprise this time, and gaped in shock as the tip of Komugi's sword caught the midsection of her dress and sliced a cut into it. She hissed through her teeth and swung again, Komugi blocking each swing with one blade while the other attempted to cut the Queen again.

Ryonai watched as they moved across the throne room in their fight, amazed at how well Komugi could hold her own against the millennia-powerful Ice Queen. "That Zaken must be something, to have taught her this well." He breathed in awe. He blinked hard and rubbed his eyes as the pair passed a pillar. He must've been tired, because for a moment Komugi no longer looked like a pink-haired prophet, but a coral-tressed girl with large wings on her back. When he looked back again she was Komugi still, and he shook his head.

Freya's expression grew desperate as she realized the girl had been taught well, and swung without thought, trying anything to bring her off her feet. Komugi hadn't managed to land a return blow upon her, but at the same time Freya couldn't land a scratch upon her.

"There's no possible way we're evenly matched!" she said, her voice hysterical and raspy from exertion. Komugi smirked once at her as she blocked the scythe from coming down on her. Freya blinked and her eyes widened as for a fleeting moment she thought she saw Triage in Komugi. The faltering gave Komugi the moment she needed, and she slid from the hold and stabbed outward, her sword going through the queen's stomach.

Freya inhaled a gasping breath and stumbled backwards quickly, one hand to the wound. Her blood froze as it left her body, leaving a red ice trail down her white dress. Komugi advanced upon her with a cold expression, and stood over her as Freya fell onto her back. Freya looked at her in horror as Komugi held the point of her sword under her nose, and drew in a shaky breath.

"How can you be here Triage? You should be in the abyss, weeping over your fate!" Freya gasped fearfully. In front of her she no longer saw Komugi, but Triage wearing Komugi's armor, glaring at her coldly. Komugi backed away a few steps, shocked at her words. "HELP ME!" Freya cried, reaching for the ceiling of her throne room. "My heart…she has punctured my heart!" There was a whoosh, and Komugi's eyes widened as the undead form of Tillion swooped into the castle and grabbed her around her waist.

"HEY!" Ryonai shouted, as Tillion kicked off from the floor and back out. Ignoring the queen, he and Shizuka took off in his wake, shouting at him to put Komugi down.

Now alone, Freya wept bitterly as her blood continued to pour out of her body and freeze. The Gargoyle that had been following Ryonai and Shizuka appeared in the throne room now and knelt beside his queen. He lifted her head lovingly and wiped the iced blood from her mouth.

"Oh Everly, my wonderfully faithful Captain of the Guard." Freya said in relief, her clouding eyes seeing him. She raised a hand to his face and touched the cold, stone-like skin. "Avenge me in death, if not out of your loyalty for me then for the love you profess…"

"No, your majesty." Everly, the Gargoyle that had once been an Elf stated sadly. "You will not die, and I will not follow those humans to kill them either." He held a clawed hand over her wound, and a golden glow surrounded it.
"Insolence, your love is untrue!" Freya exclaimed, her eyes large. Everly shook his head sadly and caressed her cheek with the clawed fingers that supported her head.

"My love is true, your highness, and my heart thinks of only you. But please, leave your fascination with Zaken alone now. That girl's soul crossed time to be with him, I think they're meant to be." He said, trying to plead with her with his eyes.

"Then I did not imagine it?" Freya whispered, tears of despair filling her eyes.

"If you did, then it was something we both imagined." He responded, lifting the hand that healed her wound to push the tears from her face before they froze. Freya shut her eyes as he returned to healing her, and sighed in quiet defeat.

"Let me go you bastard!" Komugi snarled, beating on Tillion. She had ripped most of his skin off of his bones with her fingers as she clawed at him, but still he flew without even wincing. "I saw what you did to Zaken! I saw how you caused Triage's death!"

"So she showed you everything, did she?" Tillion stated more than asked, tightening his grip around her waist. The wind was squeezed from her in the movement and she returned to struggling. "Be happy little Miss Komugi, you're about to witness history in a tangible first-hand account."

"What are you…" Komugi began, but didn't get to finish as Tillion dropped her. She yelped as she fell through the air and landed on the familiar sandy knoll that she had woken on her first time on Devil's Isle. Tillion landed in front of her, a dark smirk on his face reminiscent to the one he had given Triage. Komugi scrambled to her feet and reached for her swords. She cursed as she realized she'd dropped them while struggling with Tillion. He approached her with measured steps, and Komugi backed away from him until her back hit the smooth, pointed teeth-rocks surrounding the knoll.

"It's a pity Freya failed, but that leaves more fun for me." Tillion grinned, coming in close to her. Komugi glared up at him defiantly, breathing angrily through her nose. "Since he cursed us to live as undead my favorite past time has been to cause Zaken as much emotional pain as possible, you see. He could've just easily gone on his merry way as a vampire but no, he had to turn each and every one of us into a zombie. Do you know how humiliating and painful it is to have your skin ripped from your body, only you can't die because of some stupid Giant's curse?" Tillion asked, his partially skinned face contorting with anger. "That's how he killed me you know, ripped my skin right from my body before drinking my blood."

"He only did that? Wow he went easy on you." Komugi seethed, not blinking as she glared. "The amount of what you did to him over the years could never be avenged by just that." Tillion took a few steps backwards, as if shocked that she didn't sympathize for him.

"This all could've been prevented, if he'd only given me my own ship, my own crew! Is that too much to ask for?" Tillion cried.

"After you tried your hardest to prevent him from mutinying in the first place, I think you got more than what you deserved. Zaken's smart, he keeps his friends close, but his enemies closer." Komugi said with a dark grin. Tillion looked at her in horror at her words.

"There's no way he could've known!" he shouted, a spear materializing in the air next to him. He launched it at Komugi and she jumped as it embedded itself in the stone next to her ear. He appeared next, pressing his bony body against Komugi's with a lustful grin. "I'll enjoy seeing Zaken's face when he finds us together on this knoll. He'll be here soon you know, it's the time of Anniversary." Komugi's eyes, which had been shut in disgust, snapped open. She pushed Tillion away roughly and kicked him as hard as she could in his groin. He fell to the sand with a howl, his hands between his legs.

"Do you even have the correct equipment to even be trying that anymore?" Komugi snapped brushing herself off with a disgusted face. She began kicking him repeatedly with the creeping feeling she still felt as she recalled the press of his body. "Don't ever touch me like that again! I'm going to have to scrub myself with salt to get this feeling off my skin!" she shuddered as she recalled it, and then began kicking him once more. By the time she backed away he was a broken, crumpled mess, and foam bubbled from his mouth. "What is 'Anniversary' by the way?" she asked him, lifting him up by his stringy hair. His scalp stretched and pulled free, the skin snapping like plastic. "GROSS!" she screeched, dropping his scalp and rubbing her hand vigorously on her dress. She stomped into the cave, determined to just find Zaken and ask him herself.

"Anniversary…happens…every ten years." A wooden voice came. Komugi stopped in the massive treasure room just beyond the rusted iron gate that blocked the cave from the tunnels. Sairon stood next to her, staring at her with her glowing red eyes. "Anniversary…everyone goes…back to…the past. Events…replayed…curse must reset. Almost time to…begin."

"You mean Zaken has to relive the night of the mutiny?" Komugi asked in disbelief. To her despair Sairon nodded and pointed in the direction of the Dreadful King. Komugi bolted in the direction of it without another word. "Zaken has to live through that again?" she repeated, feeling a stabbing pain in her heart.

Out on the knoll, Tillion recovered face suddenly and grinned into the night air. "On second thought…I can use that little spitfire." He thought to himself. "If she's here for Anniversary…then perhaps…I can change history just a little bit." He chuckled darkly to himself and then winced in pain at the condition of his body. "I really hate that girl." He said in a strained voice.

Komugi raced through the tunnels blindly, trying not to notice that the zombified pirates had stopped moving, and the Doll Bladers had fallen to the ground, unmoving. She raced across the long wooden suspension bridge as quickly as she could, and past the door that led to Zaken's quarters.

"Zaken!" she exclaimed breathlessly as she burst into his cabin. He turned from the window he stood in front of to look at her in shock. She panted a few times, a happy smile on her face. She didn't know why her heart suddenly felt full at that moment, it was an odd feeling she'd never experienced before.

"What are you doing here, leave!" Zaken exclaimed angrily, pointing towards the door.

"No, I won't! I went through a lot since I met you, and I demand you apologize properly for it!" she responded. His mouth dropped open in surprise, not expecting such a reaction from her. "Do you have any idea what Freya did to me all because of you? And here you sit going 'woe is me' while I'm getting attacked by demons and freezing my ass off all because I care enough about you to try and find a way to make your sadness end!" She panted at the end of her rant, secretly feeling as stunned as the look on Zaken's face at what she just said. "Did I just say that?" she asked herself in wonder, looking away from him for a moment.

"Komugi…" he began, and then stumbled with a strange choked noise. His hand hit his desk in an attempt to support himself, and Komugi dashed to his side. "You shouldn't be here; I don't want you to see what's to happen." He said, looking at her in desperate sadness. "Leave now, please!"

"Freya's already shown me most of it, I won't leave now." Komugi said stubbornly, gripping his coat tightly.

"Why you stubborn little…" Zaken began, but then let his retort fade at the sight of tears welling in her eyes. "I'm sorry…for everything that I've done to you." He said, shutting his eyes. "I found myself feeling alive again with you…with the thoughts of you…I didn't want the same thing that happened to Triage to happen to you."

"But it won't, I'm too stubborn to just roll over. I bite back." Although Komugi spoke in complete seriousness, Zaken laughed at her and put a hand on her arm.

"Although I have no room to ask after all that has happened…may I kiss you once before the Anniversary begins? I want to kiss you as a human, not as a vampire." He asked softly. Komugi's lips parted in surprise, and then she nodded, giving him a thin smile. He placed a hand on her cheek and lowered his head to her, but a breath before their lips touched he disappeared, and Komugi stumbled.

"Zaken?" she called, looking around the cabin. There was a breathing noise, and Komugi turned back around to find Zaken sitting in his chair, staring at the Giant's Treasure in deep thought. "Zaken…" Komugi began, and reached for him. Her eyes widened in surprise as her hand went right through him. "Oh come on, not again! I went through this long enough!" she said angrily, looking to the ceiling of his cabin. Both she and Zaken looked towards the window at the same time as the sounds of shouts met her ears. She rushed to the window the same time as he did. It was now that Komugi realized the window of the Dreadful King was bewitched to show what the captain's window of the Derech Eretz could see. She wondered why she never realized that before.

Below in the cavern, Tillion's group of mutinous pirates went racing into the back tunnels with triumphant shouts, leaving the bodies of the slaughtered to float face-down in the shallow pool. "What is going on?" Zaken wondered, narrowing his eyes.

"Cap'n! Gotta get out!" Krantz suddenly shouted, stomping into the cabin. "Mutiny afoot!"

"What?" Zaken asked in a disbelieving voice. He grabbed the slab from his desk and stowed it in an inner pocket of his coat before taking off after his large friend. Komugi raced after them, scared for Zaken's safety even though she knew she could do nothing at this point. How am I supposed to infuse him with Einhasad's blood now? I really hate the gods! She thought bitterly.

"Krantz protect, get Cap'n to safety!" Krantz shouted as they thundered across the suspension bridge. They skidded to a halt just as they entered a large cavern, Zaken's eyes widening as the party of mutinous pirates stormed in shouting.

"There he is men, don't let him get away!" Tillion shouted, pointing to Zaken.

"Tillion, you traitorous scum!" Zaken snarled, pulling his swords from where they were sheathed at his sides and dashing for his Chief Mate.

"Cut off his balls!" Komugi shouted in encouragement as Zaken and Tillion faced off, swords versus spear. Krantz let out a mighty roar as pirates began crawling over him like bugs, and tried to rip them from his body. Komugi took a few steps back in worry as the giant's eyes rolled up into his head as bloodlust took over. He began flinging the pirates off of his body without thought, smashing heads and crushing chests with just his fists.

"Kill Tillion!" Krantz howled, and charged right for Zaken.

"No, that's not Tillion!" Komugi cried.

"Don't look." She heard Zaken murmur. Her heart skipped a beat and she looked at Zaken in shock. He gave no motion of noticing her, and yelped as Krantz grabbed him around his waist. Komugi screamed and covered her face with her hands as Krantz ripped Zaken in two, like a bully does to a girl's doll. Things that Komugi didn't want to think about fell to the ground as Krantz continued to rip Zaken into pieces. Komugi fitted herself into the corner of the cavern with her hands pressed firmly over her eyes, whimpering every time she heard something wet hit the rock floor. There was a moment of silence as Krantz panted heavily, his lust fading.

"Zaken is dead!" one of the crew cried happily. This began a chorus of "Captain Tillion!" from the remaining pirates. Realizing what he had done, Krantz began to howl in misery, sobbing over the remains of his captain. With that the mutiny was over, and the crew that survived returned to the Dreadful King to celebrate their new captain.

Komugi remained in the corner with her hands over her eyes, sobbing along with Krantz. There was the sound of shifting, and a piece of Zaken that had fallen near Komugi suddenly began to slide across the floor. She lowered her hands hesitantly, and then gasped.

Zaken's body was drawing back together, fitting all of the pieces that Krantz had ripped apart to its proper place. She stood slowly as his body rose up stiffly, his re-formed arms fitting back onto his body. He stood headless for a moment and stretched his arms as if testing them.

"Cap'n?" Krantz breathed in shock. Zaken's re-formed head slid across the ground and up his back until it came to rest properly on his shoulders. The look of death that his face had been frozen in left as Zaken closed his jaw and stretched his cheeks by wiggling it. He smacked his lips as if thirsty, and looked around the cavern as if seeing it for the first time. "Cap'n you're alive!" Krantz said happily, standing up to embrace his friend. Zaken turned his head in a snapping motion and held a hand out, placing it on Krantz's forehead. The giant stared at him with large eyes and then began to scream in pain as his body warped into the ogre shape that Komugi was familiar with. Krantz collapsed to the ground, and Zaken walked off in the direction of the pirates without a word. Komugi dashed off after him after casting Krantz a look of pity.

She followed after him as he killed the slaves and the crew that wandered the tunnels, slaughtering friend and foe alike. "Zaken, please stop." Komugi pleaded weakly, not wanting to watch the curse reset. "You can change it, please stop!" she begged.

Aboard the Dreadful King, Tillion and the crew that had followed him share a large keg of rum that they'd dug up from Zaken's storage. They laughed and joked amongst themselves, pleased with their successful mutiny.

"I'll have to thank that big oaf later for helping us!" Tillion grinned as he took a swig. "Although it would've been easier than getting a whore to spread her legs to kill him myself!"

"Would you like to test out that theory?" Zaken's voice came, echoing about the cavern. Tillion and the men dropped their mugs and backed away from the edge of the ship in fear as Zaken rose up over it.

"Demon!" one of the men breathed, crossing himself with the sign of Einhasad.

"Tillion, you brought out my best rum in celebration I see. I do hope it's in delight of the Giant's magic working, and not because you think I'm dead." Zaken said in a scathing tone, taking measured steps forward as his men backed up.

"He's just a ghost, men, kill him!" Tillion shouted, turning on heel and racing off of the ship. Wanting to prove their loyalty, the crew drew their swords and ran at Zaken with a shout. The Grand Pirate smirked at them darkly, and the men skidded to a halt as not only Zaken's dual rapiers materialized in the air, but five identical rapiers as well. They spun in a circle at his back, and Zaken chuckled darkly. With the sound of his voice they flew at the crew, and the sounds of their screams met Tillion's ears as he stumbled across the suspension bridge.

Now not magically connected to Zaken's memories, Komugi panted as she raced after Tillion, knowing that Zaken would be after him next. "Slow down you spaghetti-legged bastard!" she wheezed. "God I can't wait for you to die!" she grumbled as she pushed herself onward.

"Tillion…" Zaken's voice came from the air. It sounded as if it filled the entire cavern that Tillion ran through, and he whimpered in fear. He stumbled over the bodies of the dead as he ran, and screamed in fear as one of them moaned and reached for him. He looked around desperately as the curse began to take effect on those Zaken had already killed, his former crew now mindless zombies.

"Stay away from me!" Tillion screeched in a high pitched voice, and ran with his head covered through the tunnels. He emerged through a door and found himself on yet another sandy knoll blocked by tall smooth rocks and the jagged teeth-rocks. Zaken chuckled darkly as Tillion pressed himself against the rocks, his eyes darting this way and that in fear. Komugi's eyes widened as she saw Tillion draw a dagger that looked more like a metal spike from his shirt and brandished it behind his leg despite the fear on his face.

Zaken materialized in a wisp of smoke and looked at Tillion with a darkened expression. He approached Tillion slowly, who whimpered and slid across the rock wall. "He's got a dagger, was that part of the past?" Komugi asked in fear, trying to tug on Zaken's coat to get his attention. Her hand went through him and she made a noise of frustration.

"I didn't mean to do it Captain…the men, they forced me into it! They said that if I didn't do what they wanted, they'd kill me!" Tillion whimpered in a high-pitched voice. Zaken only regarded him coldly, and then moved swiftly, grabbing him around his waist as if he were to remove his trousers and shirt. He grabbed his skin instead, and Komugi gagged and looked away as Zaken skinned the man in one movement. He screamed in agony, and Komugi looked back in time to see the glint of his dagger as he shifted it for a better stabbing position.

"No don't!" Komugi cried, dashing between the two men. She faced Zaken, and pushed on his chest, finding that her fingers no longer went through him. Instead of Tillion, Zaken bit her, and Tillion's dagger went into her side.

"You stupid bitch!" Komugi heard Tillion screech as her eyes clouded over in the familiar pain from Zaken's bite. The world went white again, and she wondered what kind of dream she would have now.

No memory emerged this time however, and Komugi found herself remaining in the void of white. She heard sobbing, and she spun around looking for its source. Ahead of her, crouched to the ground, was the unmistakable form of Zaken as a child. There was a broken puzzle in front of him, and as Komugi neared she realized it was a puzzle of his Ol Mahum playmate.

Komugi knelt beside him and began to put the pieces together, knowing that if she could put the Ol Mahum together, Zaken wouldn't be sad anymore. Zaken's crying began to calm as he watched her, and he hiccupped once. The pieces of the puzzle were ridden with splinters, and Komugi noticed Zaken's own fingers were bleeding from his attempts at putting it together. Still she continued despite the fact that her fingers hurt her and were bleeding themselves.

As she placed the last piece of the puzzle together, the pieces fused together and the Ol Mahum sat up, shaking its head as if it had been merely knocked out. Komugi smiled at Zaken, touched by the look of joy that spread on his face.

"It's ok to be afraid of dying, but it's not the end. We all see each other again some day." Komugi said gently, wiping his face with her knuckles. "You don't need giant's curses to survive death any more. Just live as long as you can and make sure it's full of everything you want to do, and then death seems like a proper finish, in the end." Zaken's tiny face skewed into a joyful kind of sadness, and he latched onto Komugi's neck in a fierce hug. She smiled softly and patted his back, letting him cry out the rest of his fear and sadness.

Komugi awoke again, lying on the sandy knoll, and looked up swiftly as Tillion let out a gurgling scream. She winced and looked away again, trying to swallow against the lump in her throat. Zaken was feeding from him; Eva's magic didn't work.

Fingers gently brushed the tears from her cheeks, and Komugi opened her eyes again to find another Zaken lying on the knoll next to her. Her lips parted in surprise and she looked between the Zaken feeding, and the Zaken on the ground, not understanding.

"Triage, you came back." Zaken whispered, smiling at her like a child.

"I couldn't just leave you." She found herself whispering in response. Zaken shut his eyes and succumbed to unconsciousness, his smile never wavering. Komugi stood and looked down at him in wonder, then up to the sky, suddenly feeling as if she could fly through it.