A/N: Hello again everybody! Glad to see you are all still checking out this little story of mine. I feel kind of bad for not providing some form of literature for your reading pleasure, so I'm going to suggest my fictionpress account. If you're a fan of my writing and need something to entertain you, feel free to check it out. The pen-name is: J.R. Constantine. Oops, I've taken up too much of your time, please enjoy! One thing, I highly encourage you reread chapter 1 and 2 before reading this.
A distant wish
A banishing song
How much time is left?
It won't be long
Chapter 10: Strokes of Midnight
Through her disorientation, Estelle could hardly figure out where she was being taken. Recalling the cool, night air and the feeling of being carried, Estelle soon found herself overlooking the entire castle. Her emerald eyes could not look away from the never-ending abyss that was at the castle's base. Through its mess of towers and cerulean roofs, she spotted a single, dark bridge that ended with a vast expanse of nothing.
The sight reminded her that this place is enchanted. The wind tossing her short hair, Estelle looked up at the moon with equal astonishment. The sky rhythmically moved like water, and the moon shone eerily clear in the night sky. The stars looked distant and dim, but still stuck out from the deep purple and black of the night.
"It seems the Child of the Full Moon has yet to marvel at the true beauty of this place." A smooth voice led Estelle from her thoughts. His silver hair moved with the cool wind, as his lips turned upwards into a small grin. "It is a pleasure." He bowed, but Estelle couldn't tell if it was out of mockery.
Her eyebrows grew close as Estelle frowned in response. She did not speak a word, but turned away to avoid his gaze.
Alexei chuckled at her reaction. "Let the final hour of this wretched world begin." He turned to look at his three underlings, "Go and make sure everything is ready. I don't want anyone to interrupt the rebirth of our world."
The first to turn and leave was Cain. He sniffed the air before turning in his desired direction, "I'll go on ahead."
"Stealing all the fun?" Zagi cast a sarcastic, yet crazed, glance to Cain's back. Images of the knight with blonde hair flashed through his mind, "The blue-eyed one is mine." His grin grew twisted, "He's all mine."
"Zhat one track mind will be your undoing Zagi." The third man spoke sagely. He ran his hand through his dark hair and smiled bitterly, "Vell, I guess we better get going." He looked to his side, "Girlz?"
Two young women quickly followed him, "Coming boss!" They chorused.
Alexei watched the exchange with an amused eye. Loyalty is hard to come by, but when the cause is just right, then you are bound to find some form of assistance, "Very good." He turned his eyes back to Estelle, "Now, Child of the Full Moon," He motioned to the final, dormant statue, "please fulfill your destiny."
"What are you planning to do?" Estelle's voice sounded unnaturally biting. She could tell, just by looking at this man, that he is no good. "I won't help you hurt people!"
The Commandant chuckled at her sharp glare, "You will understand once you fulfill your fate young lady." He firmly grabbed her arm and hoisted Estelle up from her sitting position. With a stern tug, he guided her to the statue, "Time is of the essence, now please."
"No, not if it will hurt people." Estelle objected.
Alexei's small smirk didn't waver. "Look around you." He commanded calmly, "Every moment that passes beings the darkness of this place closer to swallowing this castle." He released her arm and drew the sword at his hip. It was like nothing she's ever seen. It was completely dark with a strange stone near its handle. The fluid craftsmanship of the sword gave it an otherworldly aura, "This sword, Dein Nomos, will carve a new world, a brighter world."
"I already know of a brighter world." Estelle solemnly looked down. She felt a strong, sudden urge to go back to her home. Memories of the warmth and peace of Zaphias pulled at her heart, to the point of tears.
"Do you?" His skeptical tone bit her weary heart.
Estelle looked up, mildly shocked, "Yes, I do." The moment his knowing gaze registered in her mind, Estelle felt her insides go cold. Is it possible, that he knows?
"A sheltered little girl," Alexei chuckled once more, "only a sheltered, innocent girl would see Zaphias as a flawless, shining beacon of peace and tranquility."
"W-What are you talking about?" The shaken girl felt her eyes quiver at his words. Such icy calculation went into every word, and his eyes looked far darker, almost sorrowful. "Who... who are you?"
Alexei erased the sorrow from his eyes and chuckled again, "It is no wonder you do not recognize me." He pointed Dein Nomos towards the sky, "Your father made quite the effort of keeping you far away from the realm of politics."
"My father?" Estelle echoed, breathless.
"He did a marvelous job," Alexei's small smile grew strange, "perhaps too marvelous of a job." He could see confusion on Estelle's pale face, "You grew up so naïve, so oblivious, that you could not piece together the fabric of what's going on around you."
Estelle felt her heart flinch at his calm, biting words, "W-What are you talking about?"
His eyes lingered on her for a fleeting moment before flickering to the bright orb of light ahead of him. His slight scowl softened into his usual, subtle smirk, "It hardly matters Estellise," He motioned towards the statue again, "if you do not bring life to this cold statue, then this entire world, and everyone in it, will be lost to darkness. With every moment, this castle corrode into oblivion."
"Everyone?" Estelle's throat tightened at the thought. She easily recalled the misty shadows that gave birth to savage enemies. She pictured the noble knights being overrun by monsters. Her heart twisted at the thought of those working in the kitchens being massacred by the spawn of darkness. Fear gnawed her mind as she imagined a horrific scene like the north tower happening again.
Her shoulders drooped in submission. Whether it would help this man or not, Estelle needed to fulfill her sacred task. With an encouraging tweet from the Nightingale on her shoulder, Estelle slowly approached the statue.
Unlike the others, this one stood a little taller than her. Its angelic body stood in the middle of the circular platform at the base of the tower's sword-like structure. Its small wings are spread fully, as if ready to ascend beyond the sky. She lightly touched its face and felt a familiar warmth grace the tips of her fingers. Estelle closed her eyes tightly and prayed that Yuri and the others will come soon to stop whatever Alexei is planning.
"Yes," The Commandant urged her, "that's it. Splendid Estellise." He watched with a pleased smile.
When Estelle concentrated on the sphere of light in the darkness, she was shocked to see it had grown bigger. She approached the bright light and embraced it. Her rosy lips curved upwards at the soft feeling against her chest and the calming rhythm of her heart. Her smile only grew when warm arms enveloped her in a hug.
"Good job Estelle," 'Yuri's' voice kissed her ear softly, "you have given back everything this world has taken. What is no longer ours, is ours once more."
Estelle held his arms tightly, "I'm so," Tears stung her eyes, "I'm so confused." She easily fell back against 'Yuri', "Please, please tell me what I need to know." She slowly sank to her knees, "Tell me what I need to do." Images of her father's smiling face only made her heart ache all the more. Alexei planted the seeds of doubt, and it tore Estelle apart to know that she let him.
"Ok."
His single response was followed by a bright flash of light. When the light faded, Estelle found herself surrounded by people in a grand ballroom. She instantly recognized it as the ballroom where Ioder's coronation ceremony had taken place. The warm hue to the room gave life to the colorful dresses of noble women, and the decorated suits of their husbands. "Why am I... here?"
'Yuri' didn't answer. Instead, he guided her gaze upwards.
Estelle saw his eyes grow soft, much like when he looked at her. She followed his eyes to the upper balcony of the ballroom. Much to her shock, Estelle saw herself. Her pink hair easily stuck out from the heads of blonde and brunette hair. Her pure-white dress seemed to speak of her innocence as she soaked in the energy of the crowd. "That's... me."
"You were so beautiful." 'Yuri' spoke as if in a trance, lost in the memory of this very moment. "I could hardly take my eyes off of you the entire night."
"But," Estelle looked down, confused at her own memories of the coronation ball, "I don't remember seeing you," She met 'Yuri's' eyes, "ever."
'Yuri' smiled at this. It was a strange smile, full of longing and tenderness. Somehow, it seemed it also pained him to think of that very fact, "I know. I made sure of that." He turned to look into the crowd of people behind him.
Estelle once again followed his gaze and gasped at who she saw. Though finely dressed, she could not mistake the long hair that seemed like the night flowing from him scalp. His strong, dark eyes zeroed in on nobody but her. In the midst of the crowd of nobles, stood Yuri Lowell. Estelle quickly noted the absence of his black bunny ears, and stood stunned at his expression. This Yuri is different from the one she met in the dark castle and the 'Yuri' that speaks to her now. "I don't," Estelle turned to look at 'Yuri', "I don't understand. How-"
'Yuri' signaled for her to continue watching.
The scene's mood subtly shifted as a hand touched the bunny-earless Yuri's shoulder. Estelle recognized the hand to belong to Flynn, he too missing his ears. They exchanged serious words before Yuri told a small joke. They shared a short chuckle before weaving through the crowd and out of Estelle's sight.
Without another thought, Estelle followed them through the crowd and left 'Yuri' behind. Her body passed through the various nobles like a ghost. Her steps slowed from their frantic pace when she saw the two young men walk through the large doors at the ballroom's rear. Estelle swiftly followed and stopped in the next room. With Zaphian engineering, they had managed to build a small garden just beyond the ballroom, a place made to satisfy any queen's need for quaint flowers and fresh air.
At the center of the small garden, Estelle stared in shock at the group gathered. Rita, Karol, Raven, Judy, Sodia, Flynn, Yuri, and even Repede were all gathered there. Another man stood with them, one she hasn't seen before. His gray hair glistened in the moonlight, and violet eyes stared at his friends. Her mind aching from this revelation, she almost missed the events that would follow.
Yuri asked Rita a series of questions to which she gave him a glare and a firm reassurance. The gray haired man's lips parted to say some kind of joke that got a rise out of Rita. Karol laughed loudly before Judy said something that made the mood sober. Yuri gave everyone a look of determination before drawing a dagger. Everyone followed his lead, and as one, they cut their hands. Each allowed a small drop of blood to fall on the symbol perfectly drawn by Rita.
"Oh king of Hod," Estelle suddenly heard Flynn lead their chant, "hear our prayer. Give us passage to your castle, to the cradle of the moon."
Estelle waited, watching like a phantom, unseen and unheard. Her emerald eyes, dazed by this heavy sight, widened when a deep voice spoke back to their prayer.
I have heard your prayer, youth of Terca Lumireis. What do you sacrifice to enter my castle? The price must be great, or you may not pass.
"That voice," Estelle mumbled, "its the same one I heard... from the Nightingale." Her attention went back to her future friends when they began to speak.
"I sacrifice my courage!" Karol bravely went first.
"My friendship!" Flynn spoke next.
"My secrets." Judy smoothly replied.
"Woof!" Repede quickly sacrificed his title as a noble hound.
Rita glanced at violet-eyed man before speaking, "I give up my memories."
"My heart." He avoided Rita's shocked expression.
Raven scratched his chin before looking to the night sky, "My name."
"My dreams." Sodia said softly.
Yuri allowed a moment of silence, "Love."
The instant that word left his lips, Estellise was thrown back to the castle of Hod, back to the dark castle where her journey began. Shaken, she fell backwards when she came to her senses. When her eyes finally registered her surroundings, she found 'Yuri' missing, "Yuri," She called for him, "where are you?"
Her surroundings are frozen like they are when he is near. However, his usual dark figure is absent from her sight. Turning, she was greeted by the visage of a man she has never seen before. On his shoulder, the white Nightingale is perched calmly. His long, white hair gently swayed in the night wind, and his steady, red eyes stared at her with what looked like indifference.
"Where did they take her!?" Rita fumed as everyone made their way through the castle. Their backtrack had taken them back down the stairs and into the room that once held the Eggbear and the Golems. Much to their relief, the Eggbear was fast asleep and the Golems long destroyed by it.
Judy tried to soothe the stressed mood, "Screaming won't get us any closer to finding her." She looked to Yuri, "Where did you see them take her?"
"Towards the central tower, above the throne room." He almost anticipated for someone to chime in. When they did not, Yuri stopped his brisk stride to look at their group, "Where's Fen?"
Raven scratched his head, "Hmm, I could've sworn he came down with us."
"Should some of us go look for him?" Karol glanced around carefully. His legs shivered at the idea of some unseen monster snatching them up one-by-one.
"Forget that mutt." Rita snorted, "He probably ran off to bury a bone or something."
"Woof!" Repede barked sharply.
"I hardly consider burying bones an art-form." Rita gave Repede a roll of the eyes before walking forwards once more, "Estelle is more important than Fen anyway, let's go."
Yuri slowly followed with everyone else, "Harshly put, but Rita does have a point." He justified as they navigated the shadowy paths of the castle. After a series of turns and long hallways, they reached the large doors of the throne room. Yuri and Raven pushed the heavy doors open, giving them entry into the dark chamber.
Judy's pink eyes grew narrow when she saw the two men occupying the throne room. Her gaze focused on the pair of blue eyes that stood next to eyes of crimson. At the center of the throne room, Fen stood next to Cain.
"What the hell?" Rita growled.
Fen simply removed his silver pocket-watch and nodded, "It's time." He looked over to Cain and offered his hand.
"What was once lost shall be ours once more." Cain faced Fen and took the offered hand in his own. With the loud chime of midnight, their bodies began to glow. Slowly, their separate, glowing silhouettes became one. When the light faded, a single man with gray hair and violet eyes stood between the heroes, and the stairs that led to Estelle.
A/N: Pumped that out on time, I'm proud of myself! Anyway, wow that was some twist though huh? Who would have guessed that Yuri and the gang are from the same world as Estelle? And just who is the man with long white hair? The end is drawing near, as midnight has just been struck! Please review, and thank you for reading!