Chapter 41 – We Defeated Ourselves

It was late afternoon by the time Flik, Riou, and the others returned to New Leaf Academy. Fitcher had departed quickly after delivering his news. The others had a large lunch at a nearby restaurant, but no one had much to say regarding the search for Lady Teresa. Instead, they talked about the classes that they'd attended and were interested in, much as if they were just another bunch of new students.

Now they were walking down the path leading towards the boys' dorm. Flik was so absorbed in his thoughts that he almost didn't register the sudden shriek.

"Nanami, you're horrible. Why are you standing between me and my Bluto?" It was Nina, directly in front of them on the path, hands on hips, looking exceedingly upset.

"But I'm not standing between you and him," Nanami replied from Flik's side, missing the point of the metaphor.

Flik decided that this was the proper moment for a graceful exit. "Well, Reen, I'll leave this for you to straighten out." Two steps later he was sprinting away as fast as he could.

Nina shrieked again. "Wait, my Bluto! Why do you flee true love? I don't bite, not unless you ask me to."

He risked a glance back over his shoulder. Nina was racing after him, her legs flashing in the sunlight as she tried to keep pace. Persistently, she chasing him all over the campus before Flik's superior training began to tell and she fell out of sight. After several quick turns and even going into the forest, he finally slowed down. Breathing hard, he leaned against a tree and swallowed several deep gulps of air.

"Are you ready to move her, if it comes to that?" a female voice asked. Flik nearly jumped, then put his hand over his racing heart as a calming measure and peeked around a tree in the direction of the conversation.

"Things are proceeding more slowly than expected." Flik could hardly believe his eyes. It was Shin, and he was speaking with Emilia. "It will take a couple more days."

Emilia sighed. "You may not have much time. The Highland commander is returning soon, and his searchers are getting closer and closer. If we don't act before they find her, all of our advantages will be lost. Then what'll we have to work with?"

Shin shook his head. "No one will get to her and live, I swear it. Things will work out for the best."

Emilia looked nervously at her surroundings. Flik had to duck back behind the tree to avoid being noticed. "Okay," she answered. "Now listen, I've had to post guards at the administration building because of the recent incidents. You'll have to use the passage under the boys' dormitory when you go back."

"Fine." The discussion ended with that. Emilia walked back towards the school, heading in Flik's direction. He edged around the tree. When she was gone, he looked back to where Shin had been. Shin had disappeared, leaving no evidence of his departure, but Flik was unconcerned. He knew where the warrior would have to go eventually.

Flik did not return to his room, electing to head for the dorm immediately. He hid in the underbrush at the edge of the forest and watched the building. The sun set, but the Blue Moon, nearly full, rose quickly afterwards, giving Flik a little light to work with. Still, he almost didn't see Shin when he appeared, creeping along the side of the building until he got to the north end. The dorm was three stories high, but the first and second stories extended out beyond the third. Flik watched as Shin climbed up to the roof of the second story and walked along the top to a window, which he entered.

Running full speed, Flik was over by the dorm in a few seconds. A number of crates had been piled together, allowing him to jump and pull himself onto the roof. He dreaded every noise his steps made, but quickly walked over to the window and entered. Not unexpectedly, the room he entered was completely dark. It was also filled with things he could not see, but did blunder into, including the walls. A number of wooden stick-things clattered around him, and he stepped into some sort of metal pail.

Finally finding the door, Flik wrenched it open and stepped out of the closet. A number of mop handles followed him out, falling on the floor. Frustrated, he kicked the pail off his foot, listening to it echo down the hall. It was only then that he realized he needed to be quiet. He took a few breaths and carefully used his rune to create a light.

There were stairs leading down, which Flik descended. He didn't stop to explore the second story, reasoning that Shin was looking for an underground entrance. On the first floor, he hesitated. A man was sitting at the check-in desk, his back to Flik, with a lantern providing illumination. Then Flik heard the snoring and figured that the guard was asleep. He walked out into the room.

Two halls led to more rooms, but the door directly behind the guard opened to another set of stairs going down, which Flik took. They led to a cluttered basement, full of boxes and barrels stacked upon each other. There was no sign of Shin, but Flik decided that this must be the room with the passage. Nothing else made any sense.

He didn't see anything obvious, so he looked more thoroughly. A set of five candle fixtures mounted on the far wall caught his attention. He examined them carefully. Four of the five were covered in dust, but the middle one showed evidence of recent use. He fiddled with it, trying to pull it out, push it in, and turn it to the left. The fixture did not move. At last, when he turned the fixture to the right, it gave, and, with the grinding of gears, a section of the wall opened up, revealing the passage.

Flik ran in, and the portal slammed back in place behind him. With the light generated by the rune, he could clearly see Shin's footprints in the dust of the corridor. Flik followed them, bypassing side routes as they opened up. He was amazed at the complexity of the underground system. He wondered if the people who built the academy had made them or if they'd simply constructed the buildings over the passages.

Suddenly, Shin's footprints broke into a run. It was obvious that he'd heard Flik enter the passage. Flik picked up his pace. After a few more minutes, he came to a dead end. Shin's prints ran straight to the wall. Flik felt along the stones, looking for a latch or switch to make it open. He found it, and the secret entrance slid noisily aside.

The room Flik entered was very much like the room in the boys' dorm, right down to the wall fixtures. The secret wall slid back into place. Flik paused only one moment more to ascertain his surroundings and then started up the steps out of the room. They led up to a narrow hall with paneled wooden walls. He walked down this until it opened up into a larger room that was the meeting point of several halls and a set of large stairs.

Flik remembered this place. He was back in the administration building. There was a faint light emanating from the hall directly opposite from him. Even as he registered its presence, the light winked out. Flik crept across the room, heading for the opposite hallway. It was in this place that Jeane had accosted him two nights ago. He pulled his sword out, steeling himself for the confrontation. Now he'd learn just what Shin was up to. Stepping away from the wall, he-

"Now!" a girl's voice commanded. "Get the ghost!" It was Nanami's speaking.

"Ghost, you won't escape the fury of Master Long Chan-Chan's martial arts!" another girl cried out.

Flik turned back just in time to see the foot and leg of Wakaba coming right at him. Her foot hit his chest, breaking his concentration on the lightning rune, and toppling him onto his back in the darkness. Somewhere along the way his sword fell out of his hand. Flik counted himself a strong warrior, but even he could not resist the five forms that overcame him, quickly pinning his legs and arms onto the ground.

"You're going to pay for scaring me like that in the library," Meg shouted. Then her tone changed. "Hey, this ghost's leg is pretty muscled." She started feeling at it.

"His arm's pretty good too," Millie declared, running her hands up that limb.

"Don't tell me you're feeling up the ghost," Luc complained. "Why am I even here?

"Flesh detected," Gadget declared. "It is not a ghost."

Nanami growled. "If it's not a ghost, then what is it, a zombie?"

That was enough for Flik. "Would you all get off of me? I'm not a ghost, or ghoul, or a zombie! Have you gone insane?"

Light blossomed by Flik's face. Riou knelt down, his Bright Shield Rune shining. The girls stared wondrously at him, even Pilika's face registering surprise. "Flik, why are you here?' Meg asked.

"You're supposed to be calling me Bluto," Flik answered uselessly.

"I get it," Nanami exclaimed. "Flik's been wandering around the campus every night like a ghost. That explains the noises we've been hearing, and what happened with Meg in the library." Then Nanami frowned. "Flik, why would you be going around scaring people?"

With an effort, Flik managed to pull himself up into a sitting position. "I'm not going around scaring people. I'm trying to follow Shin. He knows where Lady Teresa is, and I was hoping he'd lead me to her. I was about to get the jump on him when you all showed up."

Nanami smiled triumphantly. "And we caught the ghost!"

"You caught me, not some ghost!"

Wakaba stood up and pointed down the hall. "So he's just ahead, right? Let us gather our chi and startle him with a powerful kiai!"

Flik had no idea what she was talking about. "Uh, sure." He stood up and retrieved his weapon. With a gesture, he led the way around the corner to confront Shin. As before, the end of the hallway was empty except for the bust.

"A dead end," Luc announced. "Splendid work, oh great investigator."

Nanami hugged Pilika tightly. "You think he walked right through the wall? Maybe he really is a ghost."

"Not likely." Flik tried to reason it out. "It's probably another secret passage. There's got to be a switch somewhere. We need to look for it."

Luc stared at the ground. "This is just too sad."

"Shut up and search," Flik commanded, as he was feeling along the wall.

"How are we going to find it?" Eilie asked. "We don't even know what to look for."

"It's got to be a clockwork mechanism," Meg answered. "There should be evidence of gears or moving parts."

"As long as he isn't a ghost," Nanami said warily. "Not that I believed he was a ghost, but-"

At this point, Riou walked over and turned the bust a quarter turn to the right. The wall to Flik's right slid away, revealing a path out into the night air. "I believe this is what we're searching for."

Nanami hugged him. "That's my Riou, the coolest little brother you could ask for."

Flik covered his consternation with a cough. "Yeah. Um, good job, Reen."

Riou shrugged. "You don't need to call me that here. We've already told Wakaba everything."

Wakaba waved cheerily. "Hi, Flik."

He sighed. "Okay. Let's do what we've come here to do. It's time to find Lady Teresa." Flik led them out of the building, down a grassy path that led into the trees. For the first time in a few days, the air was warmer and muggier. The sweat from Flik's exertions beaded on his forehead.

As they walked deeper into the forest, the trees started to loom overhead, crowding both the night and the path. Flik strained his ears, listening for noises, but heard little other than the night insects. Still, there was something foreboding about the atmosphere.

"Careful," Luc admonished. "There's some sort of magic-"

That was when the vines appeared, dropping out of the foliage, writhing as if they were alive. Flik's sword was out, chopping at two as they came close. They tangled with his blade, wrapping around it and refusing to be cut. More vines were twisting in his direction.

"Switching to attack mode," Gadget announced to no one in particular.

Wakaba ran forward, snatched one of the vines and pinned it under her foot.

Meanwhile, Millie was screaming, "Get them away from me!"

Flik wanted to aid her, but he had enough trouble struggling to keep the vines from disarming him. With his sword firmly gripped, he cast lightning magic straight up the blade. The vines at the other end exploded into pieces, which rained down all around him.

Eilie cast a spear of fire at one of the vines, causing it to become fully engulfed. It swung erratically through the fight, threatening to burn both friend and foe. Then a white dome of light expanded from Riou, driving the attacking foliage back. "Form a circle," he shouted. They did so, Meg having just finished cutting Millie's legs free. Pilika stood silently in the center of the formation, protected by all.

An instant later, Riou released his hold on the spell, and the dome vanished. Flik shifted his sword stance, but for the moment, the vines hung out of sword range, making no move to attack. He could feel the others tensing nervously, trying to anticipate what was coming. Then he felt something brush up against his shin.

Millie shrieked. "My leg, they're on my leg!"

Surprising himself with his calmness, Flik looked down and noted the vine snaking up past his knee. He jammed his sword into the ground, right where the vine had emerged, and managed to sever the creeper.

"Ice," Luc shouted. "One of you girls with a water rune, freeze the ground!" Meg and Nanami quickly did so, circles of frost appearing where their palms touched the ground. Millie was a touch slower, but the effect was much greater. Ice coated the grass and vines, running out to the edge of the path and part way up the trunks of the nearest trees. Flik had barely managed to pull his sword out of the ground before the ice would've trapped it there. The group had one moment of relief before more of the vines slithered out of the branches overhead.

"I've got them," Luc announced. A vortex of wind circled around the beleaguered group, kicking up branches and shards of ice. It grew in intensity, until Flik could hear large branches breaking and the trunks of the trees groaning and cracking in protest. The outer wall of the cyclone was filled with bits of vine, branches, and leaves. Finally, Luc let the tempest subside. "Done."

Debris rained down on them. Flik blew a leaf off of his nose. "Nice going. Now everybody within a couple of miles will know something happened here."

"All the more reason we should hurry," Riou said. "Let's keep going."

They walked down the path for another half-mile, nervous and twitchy. More than a few times Millie or Nanami or Eilie would jump at some sudden noise. Even Flik felt his hand tense over his sword hilt more than once. In fact, the only one of them who seemed to be stoic about the matter was Pilika, but it was hard for Flik to tell, since she rarely made any noise. Eventually the path opened out to a larger clearing. At the other side of the clearing, in the shadows, Flik thought he saw a small cabin.

He pointed it out to Riou. "What do you think? It looks suspicious."

Nanami answered for her brother. "Looks like the ghost's haunted shack!"

"Why would a ghost need a house?" Wakaba asked.

"This is getting ridiculous," Flik muttered. "Let's see what's inside, and be careful."

Before he'd taken two steps, a figure appeared at the door of the cabin and confidently moved to confront them. In the light provided by the two moons, Flik could easily see that it was Shin, his spider sword already drawn.

"I'd been expecting you sooner or later," Shin declared. "Unfortunately, my lady is not quite ready to leave this place."

Flik brought his hands out to his side. "Listen, we'd just like to-"

"Silence!" Shin interrupted.

"We're not your enemies," Riou said.

"I cannot trust you," Shin answered. "I cannot consider you an ally. And, since you have seen this place, I cannot let you leave here alive." Several of the girls gasped at this statement.

Flik unsheathed his sword. "Do you really mean to kill all of us? I won't hesitate to fight back if you attack."

"I do not fear you." Shin began advancing, the point of his sword settling in Flik's direction. "My blade shall cut you down."

Any hesitation that Flik might've felt evaporated, his brain readying muscles and long trained skills for use. "Don't think that I plan to lose, buddy."

Nanami suddenly grabbed Flik's arm, attempting to restrain him. "I don't want you two to fight!" Flik glanced sharply down at her eyes, intending to rebuke her, but before the words had left his mouth, Pilika started crying. He looked back at Shin. Even the hardened warrior couldn't maintain his grim façade in the face of a girl's tears.

"Why did it have to be children?" Shin muttered.

Another figure emerged from the house, tentatively walking towards the confrontation. It took Flik a few moments to realize that this was Lady Teresa. She was wearing the same long green skirt and blue blouse that she'd worn at the Hilltop Conference. However, she seemed to lack the fire that she'd had at that meeting. The moonlight made her look very haggard. "Shin, you have done enough," she said wearily. "Let there be no more violence for my sake."

Shin made no move to sheathe his blade, so Flik decided to act first, putting his weapon away. He bowed towards Teresa. "You misunderstand. We're not here to capture you, but only to speak with you. I am Flik of the Blue Lightning, serving in the New State Army. Please, listen to what our leader, Riou, has to say."

Riou walked up beside Flik, looking Teresa in the eyes. "I've wanted to talk to you about Greenhill, about Highland, and about stopping Luca Blight."

Teresa did not meet Riou's stare. "I have some idea of what you want to say, but let's talk in the cabin. I don't think any of us wish to feed the insects longer than we have to."

They walked towards the dwelling, Shin and Teresa slightly ahead of the others. Flik could barely hear Shin admonish Teresa, "How do you know they speak the truth? This could still be a Highland trap."

Teresa whispered harshly, "I am tired of suspecting everyone. Does it really matter who they are at this point?"

The interior of the cabin was one room with a bed, a table, some chairs, and an iron range. Teresa took a seat at one of the chairs. Flik and Riou sat down at the two others. Shin remained at Teresa's side. The others found places to sit where they could: on the bed or on the floor.

In the weak light provided by a lamp, Flik could see that Teresa's face was smudged and dirty, that her blond hair hadn't been washed recently. She looked at Flik at Riou calmly. "So, Lord Riou, why have you gone through all the trouble of coming out here to see me?"

Riou smiled amicably. "We wish to help free you from Highland and we seek your help in freeing all of Jowston."

"Why? What have I to offer?"

"The position of the New State Army is still precarious," Flik answered. "Even with help from Two River, we are not ready to fight against the bulk of Highland's forces. Your strength would greatly help us, Lady Teresa."

"My strength?" She sighed heavily. "No, what you want is for me to lead the people of Greenhill in another battle." Now she closed her eyes and did not open them. "I am sorry, Lord Riou, but I will not be able to help you."

Flik's jaw tightened in frustration. Surprisingly, he could see the same emotion reflected in Shin's eyes. It was Riou who asked the obvious question. "Why won't you help us?"

"I am no longer the acting mayor of Greenhill. I abandoned my citizens, left them to be occupied by Highland, and fled here. How can I ask anyone to follow me now?" Tears began to form in her eyes, and she had to blink before continuing. "Besides, I don't think I could take another battle like that. I can't ask people to die for me again."

"Nobody's really said anything about what happened," Riou stated. "Please, tell us, how did Highland manage to take the city?"

"I suppose you deserve to know, though telling it pains me." She stared straight at Riou, her eyes never drifting off of him as she began her story. "Lord Riou, you have obviously led men in battle, but have you ever lost a battle because of the mistakes that you made? The first I heard of Muse falling was when the remnants of the Greenhill Rangers limped back to the city, in late Mai. Highland scouts had followed them and occupied the roads leading east towards Muse. It was at that point that I knew we would have to defend the city. We scrounged up old weapons and rune scrolls, drilled the citizens into a militia, and somehow managed to repel the first Highland attack."

Teresa smiled bitterly. "We thought we had won a great victory, and our spirits rose even more when some soldiers from Muse arrived, ready to help us. They'd been held captive by Highland, but were released and even given their weapons back. I don't know that anybody truly thought about why Highland would do that. We just assumed that one of the Highland commanders wanted a fair battle."

She sniffed. "How very naïve I was. Soon after that, I guess it would've been around the turning of the month, a larger Highland force arrived. They did not attack as I thought they would, but began a siege. I should've realized then what the enemy's plan was. You see, Greenhill has never had a lot of surplus food, and nobody ever thought that Highland would ever get this far west, so we didn't have much in reserve. With the addition of the Muse soldiers, that reserve dwindled even more quickly. We began to argue over tactics and distributing rations. The Muse soldiers wanted to go out and to fight the enemy, but I worried that our forces weren't trained enough for a pitched battle. Later, the Muse soldiers said that they should be getting more food, that the citizens they were protecting should sacrifice a little."

"I think I see where this is going," Flik interjected.

"Do you?" Teresa replied heatedly. "Well I didn't. Not until the Muse soldiers took possession of the storehouses did I realize the depth of the crisis. We were paralyzed after that. Some of my advisors told me to negotiate, some told me to attack the Muse soldiers, and some told me to open the gates to Highland. I even thought of offering myself as a hostage to the Muse soldiers, but none of it mattered in the end. The Highland commander chose that moment of weakness to attack. The fighting was over in the in a few hours, and I-"

She nearly broke down, her voice coming out in a whisper. "You can see what's become of me and of the city. It wasn't the Highland army that defeated us, but we defeated ourselves. I have heard how bitter the people have become since then, about the distrust they have for one another. And all of it, every last bit, is because of my lack of foresight."

Her chair scratched along the floor as she stood up and paced away from the table. "So you see, Lord Riou, I can't help you. I couldn't help my own people. I couldn't even save myself without help from my minders. Please, Lord Riou, do not seek my aid. Go home and fight the Highlanders, for as long as you can stomach people dying for your cause. I cannot."

Flik shared a look with Riou, wondering if the youth had any arguments that might sway Teresa. Her mood seemed to have penetrated into Flik's mind, smothering out hope. Even the room appeared to be darker, the light in the lamp wavering on some unfelt breeze.

Riou stood up and nodded. "I see. I won't trouble you further this night, but I hope I'll be able to speak with you again in the future." His eyes took in Flik and the others. "I think it's time to leave. There's nothing more we can do here."

Teresa remained with her back to them. Shin escorted them out into the muggy night. "You should not return to this place. That will only draw unwanted attention. If the Highland army discovers Lady Teresa's whereabouts through your fault, I swear I will hunt you down."

Flik took the threat in stride. "You're Lady Teresa's bodyguard, right? What are your plans? You can't stay here forever."

"My will is Lady Teresa's will," Shin answered seriously. "We will stay here as long as she wishes it." He had led them to the edge of the clearing. Without any further words, he turned and walked back towards the cabin. Dejectedly Flik and the children retraced their steps down the path leading towards the academy. Nobody spoke for quite some time.

Finally Nanami murmured, mostly to herself, "All of this work for nothing, I guess."

Flik shook his head, reflecting on all that he'd done in Greenhill. "I don't think we can force her to change her mind."

"Hush!" Luc whispered. "Someone…powerful waits just ahead."

They'd returned to the spot where the vines had attacked them. It was still a mess. The trees in the area were stripped of leaves and many branches were strewn about. The icy ground was already turning slushy and muddy.

Then Flik noticed the woman who was silently observing the area. The moonlight reflecting off her skin showed her to be Jeane. She looked up, saw them, and smiled. "There are very few who could break through one of my traps, but now I find myself in the presence of several at once. How very interesting."

"Go away!" Luc shouted harshly. "I don't need your attention."

Jeane laughed and turned her attention to Flik and Riou. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

Riou couldn't answer for a moment, but stood, stunned by her presence. Flik didn't blame him. Even having met her before, he was still awed.

"Don't stare at her!" Nanami chided. "Come on, she's not worth our time."

"I know about the boy, little girl. Why don't you let him speak?" Nanami flinched as if struck, her tongue silenced against her will. Jeane turned her gaze back on Riou. "Go ahead, answer my question."

Riou managed to stammer, "I met Lady Teresa."

"And?"

"She will not work with us," he finished.

Only the tiniest of frowns flickered on Jeane's face. "Then you will just have to wait for a better moment. Do not fear, she has a dedicated defender in Shin, and I don't intend on seeing her captured either. She will still be free when she finally comes to her senses. Well, if you will excuse me." Jeane departed, walking gracefully in the direction of the administration building.

"The nerve of that witch!" Nanami exploded, loosed from the magic hold.

"Now what?" Flik asked Riou.

"We can't stay any longer. Flik, as much as it pains me to say this, we must accept our failure here. Make the arrangements for our departure tomorrow, please. We'll just have to wait for a change in her heart."

Flik looked up at the night sky. How many failures could they afford against the likes of Luca Blight?