Falling Away

~x~

Author's Note: Recently, my family told me I'm dehydrated. Since I've been having headaches nearly every day since November of 2008, I'm starting to think their right…er…
Ok, I lied about the identity of Elie's captor being a secret. xD It's later on in this chapter, for anyone that wants to jump ahead and figure it out. Though, I'm pretty sure you all know. I'm not the very best at surprises, I know, but…it's the whole PLOT of it! And you know what, now that's all been written out (you'll see) I have a completely clear idea of just how this story will go.
And hey, maybe I'll throw in a sequel. And a short prequel about Haru/Elie before they met Musica. You never know.

Anyways, enjoy the chapter~

Disclaimer: I do not own any character. (:

~x~

Chapter Six: Searches, Memories, and Legends

In deep concern, Musica stared down his front steps at the person sitting there. "Haru," he muttered, slipping out the door, "what the hell are you doing here? Didn't school start for you and Elie today?" Haru didn't even look up, and Musica sighed. Silently, he sat down next to his best friend and lit a cigarette, waiting for his friend to explain.

"Elie's…missing. I think Lucia took her," he said after a while. Musica turned to stare at him, the cigarette dropped from his mouth as he saw the tears clinging to the corner of Haru's eye. "I want…I want to go find her. Now."

Then he understood; Haru had tried to go to school, to act normal, but with his thoughts on why Elie was missing, he couldn't go and face Lucia. So, he just walked to the first place that came to mind. "I'll call Let and Julia and we'll help," he said, standing up slowly and grabbing his phone. From the floor, Haru sniffled. "Will you explain it a little more when they get here?"

Haru nodded slowly, wiping his nose. Musica stared down at his friend, feeling a sadness wash over him, as he dialed Let's cell phone. "Hey, it's me. Meet me and Haru at my place as soon as possible," he said, turning away.

"Did something happen?" Let asked sleepily. Musica sighed, punching the wood of his door angrily. "Musica…?"

Musica closed his eyes, trying to control his anger. "Get just take your crazy girlfriend and get your ass over here before Haru fucking explodes!" he snapped, shutting the phone. Haru leaned forward, biting down on his lip to keep from saying anything. Musica stared down at him, feeling tears form in his eyes. He had known for a very long time that the two of them had feelings for one another, but he had decided to let them run their own course.

But now…seeing Haru like this made him wonder if that was the right thing to do. "Haru…" he said softly, sitting down next to him. "Did you love her?" It seemed like a dumb question, but he needed to know anyways. Haru didn't answer except to cover his eyes with his hands, trying to stop the flow of tears.

"More than she'll ever know," he finally muttered, just as Let and Julia came running down the street. Both of them were still in pajamas, but when they saw Haru, their anger vanished. Slowly, they sat down on the sidewalk in front of him, glancing between the two. "Elie…was t-taken. From her h-house last…last night. I…I think it was him…Lucia."

Julia gasped, covering her mouth and Let's eyes widened in surprise. "What…what are you talking about, Haru?!" Julia demanded, standing up and staring down at him angrily. Haru didn't say anything more, still trying to control himself. "Answer me, damn it!" she screamed, grabbing the neck of his shirt and pulling him up. Musica stared at her, surprised to see tears forming in her eyes. Even Let seemed close to tears, though he knew he wouldn't actually cry.

"Elie. Was. Taken. Last. Night. And. I. Think. Lucia. Raregroove. Took. Her." Haru said slowly. Though he couldn't see his face, Musica could already image the way his eyes would narrow in anger, and he also knew that if he were to attack Julia in this state, Julia would not walk away.

With shaking hands, Julia dropped Haru, stepping back several steps before stopping. "No…no. She can't be…gone!" she said, shaking her head. Let looked down at the ground, and Musica could tell he was trying not to cry.

Haru looked up, a determination in his eyes that hadn't been there earlier. "We're going to find her. Right now. The four of us," he said. Without another a word, he began to walk down the walkway. With a nod at Julia, Musica followed, pushing past her easily. After a few seconds, the other two followed, a new resolve in their footsteps. "Someone go down to the beach, someone stay in town and check the shops and alleys, and someone go to the woods."

"What about the mountains?" Let asked from behind them. Haru turned and stared at him with an expression that clearly said 'that's-mine'. Everyone nodded, leaving to go and find them – Let to the forest, Julia to downtown, and Musica to the beach. With a lit cigarette hanging from his mouth again, he headed towards the place where him and Elie had met up countless times over the course of their childhood.

When he got there, he was welcomed by the sort of warm breeze that only beaches can offer. Sighing, he started to walk along the coast, looking for any possible nook or cranny she could have possibly fit in, trying to keep the flow of memories of conversations between the two of them out of his head.

"What happened, Musica?!"

"Go away, Elie. Let me handle this myself."

"No. Tell me what happened first."

"I got beat up, alright?! Go find Haru and go play at the playground or something!"

"I'm almost fifteen, Musica! Just tell me what the hell happened!"

"Damn it, Elie! I was hanging around a gang, and they caught me!"

"A…g-gang…?! Musica, you're too you–"

"I'm almost eighteen, don't you dare tell me I'm too young! You wouldn't understand anyways!"

"I understand a lot more than you'd think!"

"You're only fourteen!"

"And I've been through more than you could ever hope to comprehend!"

Musica looked out at the waves, trying to control himself. He had never regretted that day until this moment – she was absolutely right. Tears flooded into his vision and he sighed, finally letting them fall loose. "Elie…I promise you," he muttered through clenched teeth, "I will help Haru find you. And when we do, I'll personally kill the bastard that took you away."

* * *

"Why the hell would Lucia Raregroove go and take Elie?!" Julia demanded into her cell phone, walking down an alley. Her boyfriend sighed, and she continued, "Do you think that maybe something has happened since we left Makai?"

For several minutes, Let didn't reply. Then, "Maybe. News of the outside world is sparse as it is. This island isn't affected by much of what the mainland suffer from," he said, his voice muffled as he ran. Julia knew that neither of them were trying especially hard – Elie's scent wasn't in town, and Let had told her that it wasn't in the forest either. They just needed to put up a show to please Haru before he went and attacked them.

"I think even this tiny island would hear if war broke out," she muttered, leaning against a wall. "Maybe we should go. To the mainland, and see what the hell's become of this world…and ours," she suggested, looking up at the sky. Again, Let took his time replying, but Julia didn't hold him to it – this would be a giant decision either way.

"I'd rather we stayed here. Jegan could find us much more easily were we living in a large city," he muttered. Automatically, Julia tensed at the sound of his name, standing straight. "It would, however, be easier to gain an idea of why Elie was taken had we some form of information of the doings of the world."

Julia let out a breath – she hadn't wanted to leave anyways. "Point taken. I better go and 'search' for her. Maybe I'll ask the townspeople if they've seen anything funny…" she said, closing the phone. With a sigh, she jammed the phone into her tight pockets and continued the search again. Jegan's name left a vile taste in her mouth, one that she knew wouldn't go away with any form of liquid.

The last time she had tasted this was when Elie caught her crying by the river. It had been the last time, she recalled, that either Let or Julia had even given thought to the man they had once claimed as 'friend'.

"Julia…? What's wrong?"

"Ah…n-nothing, Elie."

"Liar."

"Yeah, like you've never lied to anyone before."

"Everyone lies. It's all about the timing."

"You been hanging out with Let or something? Start making sense."

"Alright, if Haru found me crying, and I told him it was nothing, that'd be a really dumb lie because he'd know I was lying, and then he'd feel all hurt because I obviously lied to him."

"For a girl who's only fifteen, you're definitely smart. Alright, take a seat and I'll tell you why I was crying."

"Does it have anything to do with why you and Let looked so dead when you got here?"

"Shut up and stop interrupting me, and you'll find out!"

"Ow! OK, I'm sorry!"

Julia frowned, leaning her head against a wall, trying not to remember the look on Elie's face as she explained. She hadn't given all the details – like how she and Let weren't human, and how they had fled their own world on the back of a dragon – but she gave enough to have poured her heart out to that little girl.

"Excuse me, sir," she said, stopping a man as he walked by without even looking at him. He stopped, staring at her in confusion, "Last night, a very good friend of mine was taken from her bed. A couple of my other friends are out looking for her right now…have you seen her? She's really skinny, has brown hair, round brown eyes, and a body to die for."

Frightened, the man shook his head and ran off, leaving Julia alone at the entrance to an alley. Cursing, she punched the wall, relishing the pain it shot through her hand. "What's wrong, Julia, have you…lost something?"

Julia turned automatically, finding herself staring down at Lucia Raregroove. Hatred poured into her body, and she narrowed her eyes. "Get lost, kid. I have better things to do than kick your ass at the moment," she snapped, turning on her heel and heading for another part of town, hopefully one that Lucia had not yet gotten to yet.

Lucia did not reply, but Julia could feel his stare burning into her back, so she turned around, glaring at him from some twenty feet away. "Shouldn't you be in school or something?" she called over, placing her hands on her hips. Part of her was shaking with the effort it was taking not to attack him, but he couldn't seen that from so far away.

"Much like you, I take online courses. You see, I couldn't stand to be anywhere near that bastard while he remained so close to my beloved," he replied in his raspy-silky voice. Julia froze, the hairs on the back of her neck standing straight up. Haru's words echoed in her head, and she slowly took a few steps forward. "I'm afraid that I'll have to leave you on that note, Julia. Don't expect to see me around – though I'm sure there are other people that have been waiting quite some time to see you."

Again, Julia froze, watching as he walked off numbly. He knew something, she realized, about the outside world. Of everyone on this island, he probably knew more than everyone combined, save for Sieg.

Grabbing her phone and putting it on speed dial to all three of the guys; she stared at the sky impatiently. "What happened? Did you find something out?!" Haru demanded, answering first. The other two answer soon after, and she took a deep breath.

"Will you guys all shut up for two seconds and let me talk?!" she cried into the phone over their noise. All three of them fell silent, so she continued, "listen, I just realized something – there might be more to Elie being taken than what it appears like. If anyone on this island besides that creep Lucia would know, it'd be Elie. Meet up there as soon as possible."

Silence fell over the guys as they digested this. "He's probably too busy to talk to us, Julia," Musica pointed out. Julia snorted, already heading over. "He just lost his foster daughter!"

"I agree with Julia," Haru muttered, hanging up. Julia grinned – if Haru was in, so was Musica, and Let wouldn't dare not come with her. Musica sighed, and told them that he'd be there. Let did the same, and Julia snapped the phone shut. Sieg would know. He had to know.

* * *

Haru had to admit, he hadn't even thought of going to Sieg about this. He had seen the man at his worst, and did not want to witness it again, but Julia was right. Sieg, who had been on this island for only a short period of time, would know much more about this than they would. Thankfully, Haru hadn't been able to get very far – memories of his best friend kept swarming into his head and halting him.

By the time he reached the small house, the other three were sitting on Sieg's yard, all around a very grim looking Sieg. Haru hurried down, standing behind Musica, "Sieg," he panted, clenching his fists, "we need to ask you something."

"About Elie," he guessed, looking up at them. Haru nearly staggered back – this was not the same person that he had watched sob earlier. His eyes were no long rimmed with red, nor were there any tears on his cheeks. Standing tall, he nodded in determination. "There won't be much I can answer."

Haru snorted. "You can't, or you won't?" he muttered, sitting down between Let and Musica. The man's eyes widened and Haru knew he had hit dead on. "Whatever you're hiding from us about Elie, I'm guessing that she didn't even know. Whether you were doing it to protect her, you can spill now. Hiding it didn't stop what's happened."

The others started at him in surprise, except for Julia. She had already figured this out, and that's why she had called them all over here. Sieg took a deep breath, and stared up at the sky. "It's a long story," he muttered, glancing down at Haru again, "and you should be in class."

"You're out of your mind if you think I'm going to class until I find Elie."

Sieg sighed in defeat, nodding. "Right. Has anyone here heard of the Imperial War?" Automatically, everyone shook their head. "It was about fifty years ago, between two warring kingdoms – Raregroove and Symphonia. This was no ordinary war however, as each side had a special…stone that only select people could use. For Raregroove – the side of evil – it was what is called Mother Dark Bring, otherwise known as Sinclair. The –"

"Hold up! Raregroove, like Lucia Raregroove?!" Musica interrupted, crushing a cigarette with his teeth. Haru had been thinking the same thing, but he was too captivated by the story to interrupt. Now that he wasn't, however, Symphonia seemed to ring a bell as well.

Sieg sighed again, nodding. "It's a very long story – do not interrupt me again. Anyways, the Symphonians created a weapon to protect the world – Rave. Rave was created by a young woman named Resha Valentine, who died just as the completion of Rave was finalized.

"A man used Rave for the year leading up to the final battle with Sinclair, until it was scattered. Both the lands of Symphonia and Raregroove were destroyed in a legendary explosion – the Overdrive. However, this is not as important as what I am about to say, so listen as carefully as possible; what Resha Valentine used to create was an ancient power that many still call as God's Gift to man.

"That power is known as Etherion. It has the potential to destroy the entire world, if the one controlling it makes one mistake. For centuries, it was not controlled by one human, but the government. However, something that was not documented in history occurred, and that power was lost," Sieg paused, taking a deep breath, "When Resha Valentine died in the year 10015, the power was thought to have been lost forever, or until God gifted it to another human being.

"When Elie was born, as I'm sure she's told you, both of her parents lost their lives, almost within an hour of her own life. From then on, nearly every single person besides myself and the four of you that has come into contact with her as died. After quite a large amount of studying, I finally found the reason behind the deaths of her foster parents, and real parents. Did you know that the members of her history that were murdered all died at the mainland?"

Haru nodded, but the others shook their heads; it was before they had met her when it happened. "She said that they took her there when she was having a bad week. Didn't get much better when they got there, 'course," he muttered.

Sieg nodded in agreement, holding his head in his hands again, muffling his voice, "The reason they all died was because of Elie's emotions. While she was there, each time, she asked to visit her parents' graves. Just to see them, to know their names, and each time…they said no. Within thirty minutes, they were dead, and she was alone again.

"And so the pattern repeated – she'd get close to a foster parent, and ask them to visit their graves in the mainland. Each time they'd say no, and they'd die. Whether it be from falling down the stairs, cancer taking a turn for the worse, drowning…it didn't matter. It happened. Do any of you have an idea as to why it happened?"

The four of them stayed motionless, their hearts beating fast and their faces pale. Sieg stared at them, looking deep into their eyes for the answer they knew, but refused to admit to. Haru didn't meet his gaze, trying not to think of Elie as being the cause for all those deaths…

"Elie is the current owner of Etherion. Whether it be a blessing from God, or a curse that she cannot control I do not know. Etherion has been sealed by her body, but when her emotional state gets to a certain point, it punctures that seal, and some of it…spills out, so to speak."

Haru stood up, pulse beating painfully in his ears. "You're saying that because of Elie all those people are dead?! That's insane, Sieg!" he cried, shaking his head. Haru spun around, staring at the trees around her house. He couldn't believe that Elie – his Elie – could ever carry some destructive power like that. "Elie would never intentionally hurt anyone, no matter how pissed at them she was!"

Sieg glared at him, sitting calmly, "Of course she wouldn't. You came here for answers, and I gave them. Elie is the holder of Etherion, and whoever has taken her knows this. I've kept this a secret from her, in fear that she'd attempt to control it and kill herself – or the world."

"Calm down, Haru! Sieg wouldn't make this sort of thing up, idiot!" Musica yelled, grabbing his shirt and pulling him closely. Haru glared into his narrow brown eyes, ignoring as cigarette smoke from his cigarette blew into his face. "What Sieg just told us just complicates the damn situation!"

Haru stared at him, understanding washing through his body. If Lucia really had taken her, then he would try and use her power to… "Shit…if Lucia has her, then…" The others stared at him with an expression that clearly said he should have figured this out sooner. "Then why the hell are we sitting around?! We should be looking for her!"

Without waiting for them, he stormed off, his pulse beating in his ears. Actually, he decided silently, he was going to beat the shit out of Lucia – he'd force out her location from him. Before Haru managed to reach the end of the walkway, a body tackled him from behind, pinning him down. Without having to look, Haru knew who it was – neither Let, Musica, or Sieg had womanly parts.

"Just what the hell are you doing, Julia?!" he demanded, struggling to get up. The woman did not move, and he did not manage to get up. Instead, she pinned him down harder, pressing his face into the ground and holding his arms down to keep from punching her.

Where did she even learn this?! He thought angrily, still struggling. "I'm stopping you before you go and do anything stupid!" she snarled into his ear. Haru stopped dead, and she continued, "If you're right about that Lucia kid, and Sieg's not lying about the Raregrooves having that Sinclair thing, then you need something more than just fists to take him on!"

"The only thing that rival Sinclair would be either Etherion, which we can safely assume he already has, or…Rave. Which cannot be simply given to someone with the ability to use," Let said calmly from behind them. Haru ignored this, continuing to struggle in refusal to give up. Elie needed him. He didn't care what happened to him anymore. "Damn it, Haru, get a hold of yourself!"

Finally, he sighed in defeat and stopped the struggles – for now. "If I can't use Etherion, and I don't have Rave, how the hell will I save her?!" he screamed from the ground, clenching his eyes closed. All he could image was the look on Elie's face if she ever learned about why all those foster parents were dead. Tears leaked out of his eyes before he could stop them, and he shook with the force of trying not to cry out.

Julia froze on top of him, completely caught off guard. Haru ignored this, letting his emotions run away with him for the first time since he had realized why Cattleya had so many damn bruises.

~**~

Elie, for the millionth time, screamed out a question, despite knowing that it was no good – she had screamed almost every minutes for the past…however long she had been chained up. Her stomach had ceased growling a very long time ago, but that didn't stop her throat from feeling fire slip down her body with each gulp of air. Her struggles had only rubbed away the skin around her ankles and wrists, causing blood to occasionally drip down her arm or legs when she moved the wrong way.

Finally, she stopped the questions and let herself hang limp, clenching her eyes tightly against the flood of tears threatening away. "My, my, Elie, you certainly have been busy these past several days, haven't you?" a voice said suddenly, the same one from when Elie had first awoken. Immediately, Elie's whole body tensed, and she opened her eyes to try and see past the never ending darkness.

"Wh-who are you?!" she croaked out, followed by a coughing spill. The voice laughed, sending chills go through her feeble body.

Like the first time, the voice sounded more like it was coming from a radio rather than in person, which made Elie even more afraid. "I told you, that question will not be answered. However, there are several that I can answer, if you'd be so kind as to ask them."

"How…how long have I been g-gone?"

The voice took it's time considering, as if it had to calculate the exact time, "It's the weekend after the first day of class, so…roughly four days. I would have returned sooner, but darling, the whole island is high alert. You're charming friend and foolish foster parent have had numerous rallies to try and find you, you know."

Elie gasped, "S-Sieg? Har-ru…?" she repeated slowly, trying to ignore the wave of pain and fear that went through her at this. "You did-didn't hurt them…d-did you?"

"I refrained, for your sake. And because if I was given a reason to be a suspect, that would not do, would it? Do not worry – they are both unharmed, and very much oblivious to your whereabouts," it said in what she suspected was supposed to be comforting. "Haru Glory has less than one year to find you…though I doubt he'll ever see you again. You are, after all, mine."

This was, obviously, news to Elie. Unfortunately, her throat chose this time to close up and burn with thirst at the same time, blocking all speech. "Ah," the voice said, "it would appear that I have been neglecting you, my love. Worry not, I shall send a…'friend' of mine up with food, water, and bathing materials. I wouldn't want you to go too long without bathing, or die from malnutrition."

"No!" Elie coughed out, shaking her head furiously. She was not going to be fed or bathed by some of this twisted man's 'friends'! "I'd rather…d-die!"

The voice laughed loudly, as if what she had said was insanely funny to him. Elie felt tears spring to her eyes, but she kept them open and they did not fall. "Elie," it said seriously, "do you believe that I would ever do that to you? You are mine, my love. I would not send some perverted old man to come and even feel your presence, let alone bathe you!"

OK, she had to admit, that was actually rather comforting. "Of course," it added as an afterthought, "I shall greatly enjoy watching your…baths." Elie uttered a soft scream before she could stop herself, which had the voice laughing again. Static filled the room as he covered the microphone to talk to someone else for a second before turning back to her. "Do you know, my love," it asked, "why I have chosen you above all other girls?"

"Because you're a sick, twisted person?"

Obviously, this person did not appreciate good humor, as it stayed silent. "Because you have what I need to redeem my family," it said softly. Elie shivered at the tone, but remained quiet. "Not only do you carry…ah, it is still too early to reveal that particular secret. Besides that obvious fact of why I need you, when I have achieved my goal, I will need a wife. And what better person than you, Elie?"

This time, Elie did not try and stop it – she screamed. This man had kidnapped her for obvious reasons and intended to make her his wife?! No. Absolutely not. Tears started falling from her eyes sooner than she could stop them, and the voice laughed again. "H-how can you…see me?"

"An ancient spell I know of. I can both see and hear you, while you can only hear those around you. The only way to see you is to know where you are, exactly. Only I and one other person know of your exact whereabouts, and neither of us shall be telling Haru Glory any time soon."

Elie gasped again, freezing. "Can they…hear me?" she heard herself ask, trying to bet on that one ray of hope that they could hear her, and therefore if she continued screaming long enough, she'd be saved. The person laughed, and Elie felt that ray of hope shatter in millions of pieces all over the dark floor.

For several minutes, the two stayed like that – laughing and sobbing. "What…what is it that I p-possess?" Elie asked after a while, finally getting a grip on herself. The voice silenced, but Elie did not repeat herself.

"Sieg Hart did not tell you?" he asked slowly, his voice drawing itself out slowly. Deciding to stay completely quiet, Elie simply shook her head. "I see…this shouldn't be as surprising as it feels, however…to have never told you anything about the awesome ability you possess…ah. No wonder so many of your foster parents have died."

Though she wanted to, Elie remained completely silent, trying to control herself. The voice laughed evilly, sending shivers down her spine. "Haven't you ever wondered why every single foster family you've ever lived with – excluding Sieg – has died after less than a year? Didn't you ever stop to think about why?"

"Of course I did!" Elie cried, the words leaving a bad taste in her mouth. "I've thought about it every day from the moment I learned just how my real parents died!" Tears were falling from her brown eyes once more, she chose to ignore it this time – there was no point in being strong anymore. He had her chained to a wall for God's sake!

The voice laughed, as if everything she said was funny. "Yet you never came up with a satisfactory reason? Would you like to hear the reason? I can tell you things, Elie, things Sieg Hart would never dream of revealing to you. I can help you regain your own destiny," it said in a sickly smooth voice. For one, maybe two seconds, Elie nearly said that she would. That all her life, answers were all she had ever wanted and if Sieg Hart wouldn't give them to her, then this person would.

But then she imaged Haru's face. Haru, the embodiment of all things good, would have wanted her to be strong. To not give into this evil person; as there was absolutely no doubts that this person was the exact opposite of Haru. "I'd rather die," she whispered into the dark, feeling her heart break. Part of her wanted to scream out to him to tell her, to tell her everything that she couldn't answer on her own. The voice sighed, and Elie could feel the bitter disappointment in its' voice.

"You've been around the wrong people for far too long. If Sieg Hart had only waited for just another five minutes to go and see tell you he would adopt you, you'd be mine in both body and mind. Unfortunately, my luck has never been up to par with those of the people around me," it said softly.

That line, about not having the best luck, suddenly rung a low chord in Elie's memory. "Oh God…I know you…!" she said softly, tears springing to her eyes. It was a line that had been said to her on multiple occasions in the few years she spent in Experiment. A line she had thoroughly thought she'd never hear again after leaving the mainland. "W-why…? Why are you doing this?!"

"I explained this to you already, my love. I got close to you when we were younger unknowingly, and it was just fate's luck that you just so happen to be the woman my father spent his life looking for."

Elie shook her head, sending tears flying off her cheeks. "I had trusted you! You were my…my friend!" she screamed, her voice cracking twice in the sentence. The voice laughed, filling her eardrums with a painful echo. "Is…is that what that…that damn…"

"Yes, my love, that is why I kissed you. I had to prove to Haru Glory that you are mine – that you will always be mine," he said coldly, his voice dripping with hatred at the mere mention of Haru's name.

Elie felt that she would rather have gone through that day one million times than be stuck to this wall. "Please," she begged, "please…just get me out of here! Please…L-Lucia, please…" she whimpered, feeling pathetic. Lucia laughed again, and each laugh sent Elie's body recoiling back against the wall as much as she possibly could.

"How many times must I say it before you understand? You are mine," he replied, saying the last three words slowly and loudly to make sure she understood. "Unfortunately, I must leave you now. You won't be alone for long, however, as I shall send up my 'friend' to come and help you bathe and eat. Goodbye, my love."

The slight static that had filled the room since his voice appeared suddenly vanished, leaving Elie alone in a deafening silence. Elie sucked in some air to try and calm herself, but as soon as she stopped, the sobs came again, shaking her entire body. Automatically, she started to struggle once more, cutting into her wrists once more. The physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional – she felt that it could swallow her whole.

Haru…please…save me.

* * *

Haru stared out the window as the rain made their zigzagged tracks down the glass. It had been days – far too long, in his opinion – since Elie had gone missing. Leaving out the majority of what was going on, Haru and Sieg had put together multiple rallies around the island to try and find her, to no avail. To be honest, he was losing hope.

Lucia hadn't been seen around lately, though he would occasionally catch a glimpse of his blond hair in a crowd. Whenever he'd try and get closer, Lucia had vanished, leaving Haru standing in the crowd looking foolish.

Leaning his forward against the glass, he closed his eyes and tried not to cry. The feeling made him think back to a time when Elie had stopped crying at funerals. It wasn't the fondest memory they shared, but a memory nonetheless.

"How come you aren't cryin', Elie?" Haru had asked, standing next to her in front of the casket. Elie stood straight backed, a patch over her eyes from where she had fallen down the stairs a few days ago, shaking with the effort it was taking not to cry.

"Because…I don't wanna. I've been through so many of these things, it almost feels routine, you know?" she replied, but Haru couldn't honestly say he did know – he had attended two funerals in his life, one for his Mother, and one for Gemma's father when he died a few years ago. "Besides, I'm probably gonna go through a bunch of things like this, and I don't wanna become a crybaby."

That actually sounded like a really dumb idea, Haru thought, but he wisely kept quiet. "Elie," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, "you don't have to always be so strong. Stuff like this are supposed to be sad anyways."

Elie shook her head, still standing stiffly. "If I cried at every funeral I went to, I'd spend more time crying than being happy with you, and then that'll make you all sad! So, I'm not gonna cry anymore! Not unless I have a really, really, really, really good reason."

Haru stared at her sideways, shocked. He had spent nearly every day for several months crying over his dumb Dad that abandoned his family, and this girl had gone through so much, and she still had the time to worry about his own happiness! Even at the young age he was at, Haru knew that he'd never find another friend like her. With a small smile, he leaned his head against her, and held her closely. "I'll be by your side then! To make sure that you don't go around cryin' anymore."

"I'd be by your side anyways, since you're the only friend I have here."

Haru shook his head, trying not to think of her anymore. It was hard however, not to think of the girl that he had known for over a decade, for the girl that had haunted his dreams from the moment he realized he had more than just best buddy feelings for her. Looking at the rain, he sighed, wanting to go back in time and tell her just how much she really meant to him, to hold her in his arms and do the very thing that Lucia had done before he even had a chance.

"Hey, Haru," Cattleya called from downstairs, "there's some old guy here to see you!" Haru looked up in surprise, wiping his eyes and heading for the first level of his oddly built house. He had heard, from Gemma or Cattleya, that Haru's father Gale Glory had built this house as soon as he realized that his wife, Sakura, was pregnant.

When he reached the first level, he saw a rather short elderly man with a long white beard and a long mustache that reached the end of his beard. He had sharp eyes, but they were tired like someone who had seen too much of the world to be truly content. "Er, hi. This might sound a little rude, but who're you?"

The man chuckled, smiling warmly at the teenager through his beard. "Haru Glory," he said in a voice that was oddly strong despite his appearance. He pulled a large bundle off his back and placed a hand on it to steady himself, "My name is Shiba. I do not expect you to have heard of me, but I have heard a great deal about you, and have decided to come and pay you a visit to see if the rumors were true, and I must say…not one of the things I heard were incorrect! Oh, ho, ho, ho!"

Haru stared at him, trying his best to not let the surprise show on his face. "And what have you heard about me, Shiba?" he asked dully, clearly not interested. The old man seemed to sense this, as he laughed again, staring him right in the eye.

"The first that I heard of you in trivial, so it shall be skipped. However, the second thing I heard about you – from the great fortuneteller Saga Pendragon himself – was that you, Haru Glory, son of Gale Symphonia Glory VI were to succeed me and my legend."

Haru stared at him, his light purple eyes going wide. His heart raced increased drastically, and he stepped back in his surprise, staring at this old man. "Who…who are you?" he asked, not meaning his name. Shiba must have understood this, as he stepped forward, his smile gone and eyes harder than any ice.

"I am Shiba the Sword Saint. I am the man that has lived through the ten-thousandth year of this world, the man that has lived through war with his life clinging onto his fingertips. I am the man that was given the Holy Bring from Resha Valentine herself," he said in a strong voice. Haru felt all the color in his face drain away, but his heart was racing. Could this man possibly be the man that Sieg hart had mentioned…? The one that could help him save Elie…?

"I am the Rave Master, Haru Glory, and you have been chosen to continue my legend."

Before he knew what was happening, Haru had fallen backwards, landing with a thud on the floor of his house. Sweat had popped out on the back of his neck and on his face, but he made no motions to wipe it off. He couldn't think straight, but rather in words that simply made no sense if put together in a sentence; Rave…Resha…Elie…Shiba…saving.

And that was when he realized it – if he were to continue Shiba's legend as the Rave Master…he could save Elie. With his own two hands, he'd be able to find her and save her. "I…I'll do it."

~x~

Author's Note: Bahaha, CLIFF-HANGER! I'm an evil person, nein? Anyways, I'm sorry this took so long (some things came up, but again, I won't bore you all with the details)! I'll be writing/home alone ALL DAY TOMORROW, so I'll try and make up for the delay by positing the seventh chapter tomorrow!
Love you guys, and thanks to the gangsta of love for posting in my forum~~~