Trust everybody, but cut the cards.-Finley Peter Dunne

ÇHÅÕ§_¶ËRFÇTÎÔN

©hapter Three

TrõüBlëd

The Mushroom Village,which had reached sweltering heats in only a few weeks, was becoming a spot for tourism in its summer months. The streets, hotels, shops and resteraunts were crowded with visitors from other villages and kingdoms as well as other continents. All came and put up with the heat for mainly one reason. Every year,the village had an extensive fair,and most people did not want to miss out on it. Even Azzy was excited,though she wasn't going to be attending. She decided to stay at the bakery and clean, taking some work off of Rosie's hands.

Rosie, who was anxious to prepare for the festivities, had been closing early every day to have time to make sure her store would be ready. She assured her workers that every year they were very busy, because they made allot of the snack foods provided at the fair. Azzy hated to see the old toad so rushed, and had agreed to do extra clean up that day and the days to precede it.

On break,she spent most time across the street,sitting on a crate and watching people pass. Today,there was quite a bit of yelling. Of course,there was always yelling. So Azzy put very little stock into it.

"That's right! You had better run!"

Ahe looked up,curiosity striking. It was Ayden,watching Fuzzle run off and disappear into a crowd of people and toads. He looked agitated about something,not that she was shocked by it. Ayden was often agitated about one thing or another. He always had been through out all the years she'd known when he turned her direction,tramping angrily and mumbling to himself,it was so familiar a sight that she couldn't keep herself from yelling out.

"Your awfully nice to your creator."She grinned teasingly as his head whipped around,finding the source of the voice. He looked her over a minuet,as if it was hard for him to believe she'd be there,then cracked a grin.

"And you are,ever?"He crossed his arms,moving closer by a few paces to at least get out of the busiest part of the road.

"I guess not."She admitted after a moment of silence,standing from the crate and deciding that now she had talked to him,it would no longer nag her and she should probably be getting back."Then again,do I really have to be?"

His brown eyes followed her movement,perhaps picking up that she was leaving."Speaking of which,where is the freak?"

"I don't know."Azzy grumbled,"And I don't care" She headed back down the road towards the bakery,a light smile on her face.

"How specific..."

She paused and turned to him,noting his frown of agitation. She fought back a small smile"You never asked for specifics..." She turned again and continued,ignoring his protests.

"Maybe you should expect it!"

--

She shook with uncontrolled tremors,her body raked in an emotional pain so strong it almost hurt. What had just happened? She felt so strong,so out of control. Was this what Imcee had been talking about? What this what was wrong with her? She looked about the room,spattered with blood,her own hands covered in it. Rosie lying on the floor...

"No..No..Oh no...I..."Azzy panicked,her heart pounding. She ran from house,unable to think. She couldn't remember what she had done,but she was a smart girl. It wasn't hard to put two and two together...

She stopped running once she had reached the hill overlooking the village,the same one she had seen her first view of the village from. The same Elit had left her at...Azzy sat down,hugging her knees and swallowing the unfamiliar lump in her throat. It wasn't until she felt a warmth on her arms did she notice she was crying. Never before had she cried.

And suddenly she couldn't stop,sobs shaking her shoulders and tears burning her eyes. She had killed Rosie. Rosie,the only person who had accepted her and held her close. She never though Azzy would have...

She spent the rest of the night on the hill,mourning Rosie,until she realized that she had work to do. The house needed cleaning. She had to go to work.

And Rosie deserved to be buried.

--

She gave a shuddering breath,looking at her makeshift grave site. A small patch of dirt in which flowers would soon bloom,and a smooth white stone Azzy had found in the forest.

"Rosie,I hope you'll forgive me..." She sat beside the grave,sighing"I love you...You were the closet thing to family I've had In a long while."

"What a charming sentiment." Came a cackling voice,and Azzy immediately stood and turned,facing a blue-robed magikoopa.

"Kamek!" She growled"what do you want?!"

"Not to fight,certainly!" The old wizard squeaked"Just to talk!"Catching onto her hostility,he quickly moved on."You must come with me to Lord Bowser-"

"Nothing in hell could make me go there!" She snarled. If Bowser wanted her,she could imagine it was for anything good. She would take no part in his schemes. Not ever.

"Not even being with Elit again?"

She hesitated. Yes,she did miss Elit,and things here weren't exactly looking up..but..."No." Azzy said firmly"No,she made her choice,and I made mine. I will not go to her level. You'd have to force me!"

The magikoopa looked infuriated with her."Then I will!" He yelled"We will have you one way or another!"

"Try it then!"Azzy barked a laugh. Sure,he had the upper hand,but she was shaken and felt reckless. The magikoopa gave a final glower before flying off.

--

Fair day found her moping on a rooftop under the blazing sun. It was opportune,because no one would be by to complain about her. Her eyes did not hold the fire they used to. Now they were cold and sad. She could not shake the sight of Rosie from her mind. She'd skipped work today. It felt wrong to be there..

The she saw Ayden. He looked rather ridiculous. He was soaking wet and obviously pissed off. any other time she probably would've laughed."What in hell happened to you?" She asked,her tone disinterested.

He jumped. Again,she would've found it funny any other time."Oh...you."He relaxed"Lets just say it involved Fuzzle and a dunk tank."

Azzy gave him a slight nod"That's.."She looked away"That's not terribly surprising." She mentally willed him to leave and cursed her self for getting his attention. She could help it though. She looked back to him and he seemed to be searching her .'Please...Just go.'

Instead,Ayden smiled at her."Something on your mind?"

She looked at him,confused"Why?"

"You just...Look troubled?" He shrugged and she looked away,nodding ever so was not an invitation. It seemed as if Ayden planed on taking it as such anyway, though, as he winced in pain. She looked down to see wings unfolding from his back.

"What do you think you-"She cut herself off though amd jumped into a ledge beneath the roof as he landed on the narrowed her eyes as he swung down onto the ledge."What are you up to?" She eyed him suspiciously.

"You said you had something on your mind." He didn't let her argue with a 'So?'."And,as the idiots often say,keeping things in isn't good for you."

She scoffed" I never said I was going to talk about it.." Azzy looked away,crossing her arms and closing her eyes"And even If I did,it would /not/ be with you."

Ayden rolled his eyes"Like there's anyone else?"

It stung,but she had to admit it was true. With out Elit...she was alone. Though there /was/ Ayden. And she had to admit that she would enjoy talking to him without wanting to wring his throat"Fine" She murmured,but didn't say anything. She was trying to gauge his interest. She wasn't going to waste his or her own time.

"Well?"

She swallowed"You won't tell anyone...right?" He looked at her.

"No,not if you don't want me too."

"I killed someone..." She realized this sounded dumb. It was going to seem weird to him that this bothered her.

"You've killed people before,Azzy."

"Only when they messed with Elit or me,or If I didn't know them..."

Ayden raised an eyebrow"You knew the person you killed?"

Azzy bit her lip hard,trying to keep herself from starting crying again" Yes...She was the woman who's been helping me for the past year...I...I got mad...I couldn't control myself.."She sat against the wall"I'm not safe to be around...Imcee was right.."

Ayden seemed agitated by her last comment" Not in the way your thinking."

"What do you know?" she spat,disgusted with herself for bothering with him. He didn't understand how hard this was for her..She though she heard him say something"What?"

"Nothing..."

Azzy glared"Right..."

"Look" He started"I don't see why this is bothering you. I mean sure,you lived with her-"Azzy cut him off.

"Because I cared about her!" She snapped,glaring at him"And...and lately it seems she was the only one who cared about me.."

Ayden smiled at her playfully"That's not true,I'm your friend,right? You wouldn't have talked to me if I wasn't."

"I guess..." Azzy looked saddened,and she felt bad for snapping at him...

"So,that means I care. Right?"

"Maybe...But..." She narrowed her eyes" That doesn't mean-" She stopped when she realized he'd stood up. He placed his hand on her head,messing up her hair.

" Just keep telling yourself that."

--

The blonde was calmly going over some measurements for a mecha. It had been a rather quiet day for her. None of Bowser's children were bothering her,and her lord himself was in the conference room all day. But as she sketched the design,a voice came through the speakers of the room.

"Elit,you would join us in the conference room?"

By the time she got there,Kammy had entered the room already. Bowser looked at her."I have something I need you to pick up..I need you to go to the Mushroom Kingdom and stand just out side the gates."A slow grin crept onto his face "Would you like to know why?"

--

"You! Up there! You are under arrest!"

Azzy leapt up from her resting position on the roof top. What? How had they... She ran to the edge of the building, looking down."Come down now! We are armed!"

To the side,something caught her eye. It was Ayden,standing on the next roof,grinning with a dark glint to his eyes.

"Ayden?" ..No...He didn't. He wouldn't have! But...there he was,holding a bag of coins at his side and smiling.."Some one...bribed you..?" Fury bubbled inside her,eating at her. He had betrayed her.. She searched his face,hoping something there would tell her otherwise. No,he didn't look like the same Ayden who had talked to her yesterday..but at the same time..who was to say /that/ wasn't just a facade?

"How could you!? I trusted you!"

"Come down now!"

"You TRAITOR!" Her shouting surprised the police below,and they held there guns up as defense"You lying little...I knew I shouldn't have trusted you!"She wheeled around and jumped into the crowed below,lading on her feet and shoving her way though,faster than she had ever ran. Tears were streaming down her face.

And as she approached the gate,she found no resistance. So she left and continued to run. Until she ran into someone.

"Oh Azzy..." A blonde pulled her up off the ground and into her arms"What have you gotten into this time?"