Disclaimer: I own it! MWAHAHAHA! (JUST KIDDING! ^_^)
It's been awhile but I'm finally going to answer the question that everyone has been waiting for... Who is Tsuru? And why can she use runes like Liddell? All I can really say is that Galexia the Chao (thank you for your review!) was close in her guess. You'll just have to read to find out! XP
Chapter 8
"What?" Liddell yelled in surprise at the girl's comment.
Tsuru sighed, "Do I have to repeat myself?" She pointed a slender finger at Kaguya, "I'm here to kill the princess of Florin, that's her."
"Why?" demanded Liddell.
"Why?" Tsuru repeated, looking skyward a finger on her chin, "Well...I was told to by..."
"By who?"
"No need to shout!" Tsuru said covering her ears in mock agony, "If you beat me I might just tell you."
"Fine, I'll beat you to a pulp and get you to tell me everything," Liddell said, holding her hand out to Loue, "Loue, the tome."
"Right." Loue replied, pulling the tome of runes from his coat, and handed it to Liddell.
"Ha! You think that silly book of runes will beat me!" Tsuru puffed in irritation. She held a hand to her mouth and yawned, "Don't think I'll be as easy to beat as the Eld Witch."
"You stay back Kaguya!" Liddell yelled over her shoulder, flipping the tome open, "Expa!"
A grey ball with cracked red lines all over it appeared before Tsuru, quickly exploding.
"Yes, I got her!" Liddell yelled triumphantly.
"Hehe, think again."
They all looked surprised when the cloud of dust from the explosion dispersed to reveal that the Carnival Beast now stood in front of Tsuru.
"This guy here will be your opponent," she said, taking the beast's head in her hands and stroking it's chin; a purr like sound emitting from its throat, "He was grateful to me for bringing it back to life, and so he works for me now." Releasing its head she looked at them and giggled, "Let's just say this is a 'test' to see how powerful you really are."
The Carnival Beast turned its attention to Liddell and advanced forward, its tail swishing on the floor. It stopped and towered over Liddell ready to fight. Its tail struck out, almost hitting Liddell if she had not ducked under it. Scrambling up Liddell flipped the tome open to another page casting the spell Frei on the beast's legs, freezing it to the spot.
"Try getting out of that. Now to finish it off-"
Liddell cut off when a force knocked her off her feet and sent her flying across the room. She hit the ground with a cry, and her vision filled with dark spots as she tried catching her breath.
"Liddell!" Loue yelled running over to Liddell and helped her sit up.
"Wha-Wha?"
"I wouldn't underestimate my beast it's more powerful than you think." Tsuru commented as the beast broke the ice on its legs and advanced toward Liddell and Loue.
Loue lifted Liddell up, and kept her from falling as they backed away from the advancing beast, "Liddell, you shouldn't be fighting in your condition. Your wounds aren't healed yet."
"What choice do we have? I'm the only one powerful enough to stop that thing."
"I-"
"We always have a choice," the beast stopped its advance as it looked over at Kaguya, who was walking towards it; her dragon in tow, "Let's see how this creature fairs against my guardian."
Suddenly the little dragon started to glow and grew in size until it was even bigger than the Carnival Beast. It barred its fangs, a low growl emitting from deep in its throat as the two large creatures circled each other. Quickly striking, the dragon bit the Carnival Beast's neck, a cry of pain sounding from the beast. It retaliated back, sending its tail into the dragon's side throwing it off of its neck. The wound from the bite oozed green blood as it flowed down its neck onto the floor.
"Good job," Kaguya praised as the dragon got into position to strike once again, "Now let us finish this."
"What?" Kaguya said, as her dragon was smacked by the beast's tail, flying back into the wall above the throne, "But, it shouldn't..."
"You think a little wound like that is going to stop my beast," Tsuru laughed, as she watched Kaguya's shocked face, "Carnival Beast, get rid of them."
"Wait!"
Everyone's attention focused onto Liddell as she walked away from Loue, towards the beast, "You have to go through me, first!"
"Liddell, your wounds!" called Loue, "You can't fight in your condition!"
"Don't worry!" Liddell replied, giving Loue a determined gaze, "If I'm correct, then this will be over in a jiff!"
"And if you're wrong?" Tsuru asked with a grin as she watched Liddell stop in front of her beast, "Then my beast gets to kill you!" The Carnival Beast's tail whipped out towards Liddell and she dropped to the ground avoiding the strike, "Get her my pet!" But, before the Carnival Beast could lash out again, it froze and cried out in sudden pain as flames erupted from the wound in its neck, "What?" It withered and danced around trying to put the flames out, as the flames grew brighter and hotter. It was soon engulfed completely as it screeched in agony and collapsed into a pile of fire.
"Supra." Liddell quickly said, putting the fire out. She looked towards Tsuru and continued with a grin, "How do you like that? I turned your big bad monster into ashes; now it's your turn."
Tsuru looked shocked as she watched Liddell walk closer to her, "How did you-"
"I figured it out from its wound," Liddell explained, coming closer to the girl, "I saw that the inside of the beast was made up of plants, not flesh."
"It was made of plants?" Loue asked surprised at this information.
"Yep, that's why it didn't get crippled when Kaguya's dragon bit half of its neck off," Liddell said glancing over at Kaguya, who was tending to her hurt guardian, "It was just a simple matter of using Volc on the wound, to make it burn to ashes," She stopped a few feet from Tsuru, who was looking down-her bangs covering her eyes-and continued, "Now it's your turn. I'll beat the crap out of you and get you to tell us everything you know."
Tsuru just continued staring at the floor as Liddell talked. Then she smirked a little before placing a hand on her face and throwing her head back laughing. Liddell, Loue, and Kaguya all looked at the girl with shocked expressions, at her laughing outburst. They continued to stare as her laugh turned into giggles.
"I didn't think you would actually beat my beast. But you know..." She said removing her hand, a smile plastered on her face. Her once emerald eyes, shone blood red as she gazed delightedly at Liddell, "It has been a while since I've felt this excited. I can't wait to fight you."
"Your eyes..." Liddell breathed, mesmerized by how they had changed colour suddenly.
"Oh, you mean these?" Tsuru asked, pointing at one of her eyes, "They turn red when I get really excited."
"Why?"
"Oh, come on!" she pouted, "Let's not talk about this right now!" a smile replaced her pout, and suddenly she was right in front of Liddell leaning up near her face, "Let's get started, shall we?"
Liddell stepped away from her as an object lashed out and cut her cheek. Tsuru was now holding in her left hand a thorn whip that she snapped against the floor, and advanced closer to Liddell. Liddell dodged the whip as it lashed out towards her and called, "Volc!"
Fire caught onto the whip and started to burn down the line towards Tsuru's hand. She dropped the whip before it could burn her, and summoned vines to cover her arms. She sent herself into the air with the vines and flipped herself over Liddell, landing right behind her. She sent her whips out and ensnared Liddell's arms, and jerked her up into the air and sent her flying.
"Liddell!" Loue yelled, as he ran and caught Liddell, before she hit the floor. They both slid and stopped in a crashed heap in front of Kaguya and the throne.
"Loue, Liddell!" Kaguya cried, running towards them. She knelt and helped the two out of the heaped mess and asked, "Are you both ok?"
"I'm ok." Loue replied, and turned to Liddell, "Liddell?"
"I think so." she said, wiping at the cut on her cheek, "But, that girl is going down!"
Liddell stood and almost tipped over, if Kaguya had not reached out and steadied her, "Liddell, you don't need to fight this alone."
"But-" she complained, and watched as Tsuru got closer with her vine whips.
"I want to help you." Kaguya stated, smiling gently down at Liddell, "We'll fight her, together. That's what friends are for, right?"
"Right!" Liddell agreed, smiling at Kaguya. She turned her attention back to the advancing Tsuru and said, "Let's get her!"
Liddell opened the tome, and called, "Biota Abyss!"
The area surrounding Tsuru erupted into vines and started to ensnare the girl in her own magic. She fought and sent her vines against the ancient magic, but even her own runes were overwhelmed by Liddell's magic rune. The vines lifted a thrashing Tsuru into the air holding her there.
"Let me down! Let me down now!"
"Fine." Liddell stated releasing her magic and the vines receded back into the ground. Tsuru dropped onto the ground with a thump, and she gasped in pain as her body connected with the ground.
Kaguya called for guards and the girl was restrained by two tenku foxes. She was kneed on the ground and had to tilt her head fully up to look at Liddell, Kaguya, and Loue who were standing in front of her.
"Now you're going to answer our questions, seeing as how you lost." Liddell explained, staring into Tsuru's-now emerald-eyes, "How come you can use runes?"
Tsuru giggled before replying, "I was born with this power. My mother was the one who taught me how to use them."
"Your mother?"
"Yes, my mother." she giggled, "And I thought you would have figured this one out."
"Figured what out?"
"Who my mother is, silly," Tsuru grinned, continuing, "The Eld Witch. She's my mother."
Haine-of-Winter: Is anyone out there surprised? I said I was going to explain who Tsuru was and I did. I am going to bring in all the sister's sooner or later. I'm already planning on one of sister's personality. If anyone has played Tales of the Abyss they'll know whose personality it is (He's a sadist at times. XD I'm only giving this clue).
I just wanted to say sorry about my battle scenes. I'm not that good at writing them-I love reading them though! I hope that I have satisfied anyone's hunger for a chapter and I'll try to get the next chapter in as soon as possible. See you all next time!