Chapter 17: The Blue-Haired Demon

"You must die."

He said it with all the earnestness in the world and Leona's eyes grew wide with fear. She simply could not fathom that her father would ever want to hurt her. He stepped over her other sleeping companions deftly becoming closer to her location.

"Come with me. I don't want to disturb the others," he said to her in low tones.

Leona took a quick glance about herself as she climbed to her feet. Should she get the others involved? She'd told herself that she could take care of him if it ever came to this. She didn't want him getting ravaged by blades. She looked to her mother; she didn't want to force her mother to face him and certainly she didn't want Felix striking him down with his magic. No, if he was going to be stopped, she would do so herself. In the end, she followed him away from the campsite.

"What did he tell you? What did Lucas order you to do?" Leona asked.

"It is none of your concern," her father replied stolidly.

"Is he nearby?"

"Lucas does as he pleases and he did not feel the need to disclose such information to me."

"Wait a minute…are you saying that he's somehow able to tell you to do things without even being nearby?"

Regal did not answer back as he continued further and further into the forest. Leona had no idea where they were going. They'd long since diverged from the well-beaten path. It was then that they entered an opening in the trees, a perfectly round area where only grass grew. It was the brightest here as the stars' light was not hampered by the overhead trees. Soon they were standing before one another.

"I see you have made it through your journey relatively unscathed. Here I was worried about all manner of tragedies that could have befallen you."

"Trust me, Dad, I'm fine. You taught me well. There was never anything you needed to be worried about—I'm sorry I caused you so much stress."

"It was unavoidable. You're not a little girl anymore; I keep forgetting that…"

"That's alright—

"I need you to show me that you can defend yourself even from me. Prepare yourself."

Leona couldn't believe it. He meant to fight her right then and there as he moved into his fighting stance. Reluctantly she did the same. She wasn't prepared for the moment he threw two quick jabs at her. He never used his fists, but tonight was different as she fell to the ground in surprise. She barely even saw them coming. They were like two lightning strikes.

"I need you to take this seriously," he said when she didn't climb to her feet soon after.

"Why do we have to do this? Just because Lucas says so? You would never fight me like this."

"Please, stand up," he said offering her a hand.

Without thinking, she took it and he lifted her up quite easily. It was the perfect opportunity to strike, but her father returned to a respectable distance afterwards.

"What if I don't do it? What if I don't take this fight seriously? Will you still feel the need to fight me?"

"Your life is on the line. You must defend yourself."

"Or what?"

But her father didn't respond as he came forth once again and she instinctively put her arms up to defend against his attacks. Leona couldn't remember her father ever moving with such agility and speed. When she tried to throw a punch of her own, she struck only air. She, on the other hand, was getting pummeled. There was only so much defense she could put up before her father demolished it and struck her down with full strength. She fell to the ground in a pathetic heap when her father was done with her.

"I taught you better than this. Why do you fold so easily?"

Blood was streaming down from the side of her mouth and she did not want to check the condition of her teeth, she was sure one of them must have been broken. Blood ran down from all the nicks and cuts he'd managed to inflict on her. Her eyes had begun to water both from the pain and from the fact that she was utterly cornered and it was by her father; the one who she loved so much. She wondered if she'd been a fool to think she could handle her father. She was really no match.

"I'm not ready…" she said, accidentally letting a tear escape her lashes. "You always kept complimenting me, kept telling me that I was improving, but in reality, I was nowhere near your level. And it's so plain to see now."

"Focus, Leona. You've done so well on your own. It's obvious to me that you can handle yourself. Now you must believe it as well."

Leona climbed unsteadily to her feet. "Fine…if you want to continue this torture."

She rose her arms up defensively just as her father was back on the offensive, but at the last second, she let her arms drop and she caught the full brunt of a well-placed punch and she began to see stars as shooting pain came from her now broken nose.

"Leona, why did you…?!"

Her vision was going in and out. She was barely aware of her father who was now somewhere near. She could feel it now; a slight alleviation of the pain, her father's healing technique. Perhaps it wasn't as potent as her mother's, but it was effective to some extent. It did take her a moment to contemplate the implications…

"Dad, why are you healing me? Didn't Lucas tell you to—

"Yes, yes, I know," he said slowly, strain clearly evident in his voice, "…but I can't, I simply cannot…"

His healing ceased abruptly, but it was enough for her to be able to sit up. Could it be that her father was able to resist? She looked at her father now, standing there with a pained expression.

"Please, Leona, you must take this seriously."

Leona climbed to her feet once again. "No, I won't fight you and you shouldn't be fighting me either."

"Please…" he repeated, this time he sounded desperate.

Leona approached him slowly. He'd not even returned to his fighting stance. Maybe there truly was a way to break through the control. Just like that time with Lloyd. Perhaps if she'd tried a little harder there…She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest, stubbornly refusing his request and doing the exact opposite. To her surprise, she felt his arms come around her and it felt just like old times. Her father would find any excuse to hug—it was simply a thing he liked to do; a farcry from her mother's often aloof nature.

"See? We don't have to fight," she said at a near whisper.

"That's not his choice to make," came an intruding voice; she knew it immediately to be Lucas.

They broke away from each other so that they could see his approaching form. She might have been angry with him had he not seemed so tired at this time. His face was drawn, the whites of his eyes reddened, the blueness of his irises cloudy—he was dying, Leona realized. But that did not give him the right to put Lloyd and now Regal through whatever it was he was doing to them.

"Stop it Lucas! This ends here! You don't have to do this. Look what it's doing to you," Leona shouted.

"Don't worry about me," he said dismissing her concern quickly, "This is something I must do and I don't care if I die in the process."

"What did Arcangela tell you? What does she have over you?"

"I don't have to explain myself," he snapped. "You're still alive so it seems Regal has failed me as well. Crafty little nuisances, aren't you? Lloyd, I still have a hold on, but Regal…I did want to keep their personalities intact, but it seems his values are too rigid."

"Lucas, it isn't too late now to stop what you're doing. It looks like you're determined to reach some goal. We would all be willing to help you," her father said, he'd been silent until then, perhaps catching his bearings. "And you wouldn't have to resort to this."

Lucas was quiet for a moment longer than usual, considering the other's words, "Sorry, but it doesn't work like that."

"If your father was here, he'd believe steadfastly that there is a way. There is some way to save you, save everyone and still achieve what it is you've been striving for. The end does not always justify the means. All we would have to do is work harder."

"Silence! This isn't some fairytale. Sometimes, there is no other way."

Regal didn't respond, but then Leona realized that he must not have been permitted to. His expression suggested that he did have something else to say, but he was unable to."

"What did you do to him?" Leona cried out.

"I still have a modicum of control over him," Lucas replied.

"Please, Lucas. This isn't right."

"What isn't right, is that you're still standing. He couldn't take care of you or your other companions. Like I said, I wanted to keep everyone's personality intact, but…sacrifices must be made."

"But Mr. Lloyd…he didn't seem to have so much trouble fighting us."

"That's because my father isn't held back by his morals, not as much as Regal. In the end, if he knows something has to be done, then he will do it. That's why they call him a hero because he's willing to make sacrifices and he's willing to face the consequences—even if he is an idiot."

"It was frustrating watching you two or even just watching how he went about following my orders…so roundabout. He can't fight someone unless it's fair and he won't kill someone unless there are no other options left. You wouldn't fight him fairly so he could not follow through; an obvious, crippling loophole. But no more. Regal, you will disregard everything else and you will finish the job."

Lucas was no longer looking at Leona. His eyes were deadset upon her father who had yet to even make a move. "Don't make this any more difficult than it needs to be. Heed my command!"

Regal was doubled over in pain and he was on his knees in a second. Leona came to his side.

"Will you just leave him alone! He doesn't want to do it," she cried out.

"Oh, don't worry. He'll change his tune in a moment."

His breathing was heavy and he would not look at her. He would not acknowledge her and that in itself was strange. She realized that he couldn't speak, Lucas had silenced him and he made no noise whatsoever besides his breathing—it was eerie. He was holding his head as if he was in immense pain.

"Lucas!" Leona yelled angrily, "I'll never forgive you if you keep on like this."

"I don't need your forgiveness. Besides, you'll be thanking me later."

"Damn you!"

Leona scrambled to her feet, but before she could pummel Lucas her hand was caught by a much larger one and it gripped her with deathly strength. Then she was thrown to the ground again. She already knew it was her father even before she could see him. He climbed back to his feet and soon he was looking down at her. A string of blood seeped from his nose and his expression was utterly blank. What's more he did not say a word. This was no longer her father, she realized. There was nothing left there in his eyes and she began to cry. If she ever got her hands on Lucas again…Her father lifted her up from the nape of her shirt and a split second later her world went dark.

She felt as if she was waking from a long, deep slumber when she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a bright blue sky. Her mouth was dry and her eyes squinted at the brightness. How long had it been?

"Welcome back to the world of the living," Felix said.

"Huh…?" Leona murmured as she turned her head to the voice.

There was the tall, mocha-skinned elf in all his glory, his eyes just as piercing and crimson as ever, his features as sharp and eagle-like since the day she first met him. And he was just as handsome, as intelligent, and as enticing, his voice often sending shivers down her back…She was embarrassed with her thoughts and hoped that it did not show on her face.

"You were dead," he stated frankly, "Your savior has brought you back."

"What happened?" she asked weakly. In reality, she really didn't want to know. Nothing good could have happened.

"Let's just say that your father is quite the efficient killer. He knows where all the vulnerable areas are on the body and he uses that to his advantage. He was too fast for a sword to ever touch him and your mother couldn't even hope to get a magic move off. When I awoke he'd already taken cared of Cecil and Cathe. I used my invisibility to get away. I know an impossible fight when I see one. Poor Lucas was there as well. Have you seen him? He doesn't have much longer in this world."

"I don't care about Lucas," Leona said quickly. His very name riled her up.

"I know it looks bad now," Felix said with uncharacteristic quietness, "He's being manipulated, you can't blame him entirely. He's an impressionable boy and Arcangela can trick even the cleverest of people."

"Like you?" Leona asked a little interested now.

He sighed heavily, "Yes, like me. Now, let's go see to your friends. Hopefully your father has left the area."

Leona was amazed to know that she was not only revived, but fully healed as well. There wasn't a nick or bruise on her.

"I bet you're glad you had all those pineapple gels."

"I am," he said with a nod.

They travelled through the forest again a short ways until they came upon the campsite. Bodies were strewn around the place. It looked just like a blood bath. It was as if someone truly angry had ravaged her friends, but she knew it had been her father with his bare hands.

"No…" she said looking away, "Do you think…he'll remember this? Will my father know what he's done?"

"It's hard to tell. I don't know enough about the magic Lucas is placing on these people. Leona, I hate to ask, but may I use that ring of yours again. It would help immensely."

"Of course," Leona said without hesitation.

She slid the ring off her finger and handed it to him. Was it her imagination or was he deliberately not trying to touch her? She frowned a little. Even though she had better things to be occupying her thoughts with, she seemed to be more concerned about small inane things. No sooner had he placed the ring there on his finger, their tranquility was disturbed. Leona couldn't imagine who could be disturbing the nearby woods, but she knew who he was as soon as he stepped into the open; her father.

He looked terrible, like he'd been running a marathon. He was well sweated and he was breathing harder than usual. His blue orbs seemed depthless as he raised a solitary arm to point at her. He was slightly hunched, his wiry hair falling over his shoulders, his bangs wilted and nearly covering his eyes.

"Come to finish the job, I see," Felix said. "Did Lucas not say anything about me?"

To her surprise, Regal actually responded as he shook his head 'no'. Now that Leona could see his hands, they were bloodied and it was very likely not of his own. His clothes were stained with the crimson liquid. She could hardly believe the person standing before her was actually her father, this must have been some imposter.

"Distract him while I conjure a move that should render him unconscious," Felix said quickly in low tones.

In fact, Felix had already begun, but Leona quickly latched onto one of his arms intending to stop him. Then there it was again, much stronger than before, a pleasant warmth which spread throughout her body and a feeling of peace. She'd been standing there for far too long in wonderment when she really didn't have much time for such things. He snatched his arm away bringing her back to reality.

"Well, are you going to stand there all day?" Felix said with obvious irritation, "This is a perfect opportunity; if you have any objections state them now before we're both killed."

"Don't hurt him, please. He's already been through enough—I think I can take him."

"Then I will leave this to you," he said without even the slightest indication of doubt.

This Regal didn't care about a fair fight. He didn't care about the condition of the bodies on the ground. He only cared about his target. It appeared as if physically, he was reaching his limits so Leona confidently rushed forth first putting him on the defensive for a change, but his defense was good, too good. She felt as if she was getting nowhere. A large hand took ahold of her face and threw her violently to the ground. Leona wasn't sure what tactic this was, but it had worked, it had sufficiently taken her off the offensive. She leapt back to her feet before he could land a devastating dropkick into her chest. If the cracked ground was any indication, she was sure she would have been demolished. She used that moment when he gathered himself and sought her out again to dish out a few kicks of her own which landed home and actually caused him to stumble back, but she didn't dare to try for another kick. He might have caught it and she didn't want to think what could happen from there.

She changed her position quickly and then went through a flurry of kicks and punches all making their mark and further pushing the other back. Yet she was still cautious. There was still a chance that her luck could change. She had to keep at him like this. She didn't want to give him a chance to retaliate, but she didn't want him to catch on to her pattern and somehow deflect her attacks. She had him on the ropes now. More and more of her hits were landing home and he seemed powerless to stop her until that moment when he practically disappeared from her sight. Leona was surprised he still had that kind of agility left, but that was all the wiggle room he needed before he had her in a headlock.

He could have snapped her neck right then and there, but adrenaline fueled Leona's next attack as she rammed her elbow into his ribs. She didn't do it just once; she was frantic and repeated the action thrice more until he released her. She heard him coughing now, but it was a wet cough and when she turned to look, she realized that he was very clearly coughing up blood, doubled over in pain.

She instinctively rushed over to his side, but it was too late as he fell to his knees. There was far too much precious blood leaving his body, she wondered if she had somehow struck his heart. She caught him when he fell forward as he finally lost consciousness. It was too much to bear, it was too much to watch yet here she was surrounded by all this carnage and she was responsible for ending her father's life. She stayed there like she was holding her father against her crouched form, his chin upon her shoulder, his body lifeless and unresponsive. There was no way she could stop the tears from coming, they came of their own accord, silent and mournful.

"Please," she said almost to herself, "Bring them all back."

"I shall," he said. She heard his now gentle voice somewhere behind her.

It wasn't long before she felt the gentle breeze again and she heard his voice speaking in some foreign language and then the last word "Arise!". There were more being revived this time so the entire area became awash with a near blinding light and the wind was whipping far more violently than usual, but eventually they were all alive once more and she could feel her father breathing. The tightness in her chest began to alleviate.

"Dad?" Leona asked, but he did not respond and she looked back at Felix.

"An unconscious Regal won't be attacking us. I would hate for all my healing to be for naught."]

She'd momentarily forgotten about that. Even if her father was alive, he still wasn't himself, but she had to take one step at a time. Her mother came to her side soon after and eventually Leona laid her father there on the ground, alive but unconscious. They didn't need to discuss what had happened, it was obvious. Leona doubted she needed to hear the gory details of how her father downed all of them at once. To say it was astonishing was an understatement.

"Well," Cecil said sheathing her blade, "I now have a newfound respect for martial arts. If I had had my guard up more…"

Eros snorted, "Only you would say something like that at a time like this. Admit it, he bested you in every way."

Cecil growled at him.

"Guys, does it really matter?" Cathe said.

"Yes," Cecil nearly shouted.

"If it's any consolation, Regal and the rest of us have been fighting long before you were ever thought about," Raine said, "And the odds were usually stacked against us. I'm just glad we were able to subdue him in the end. I hope Colette and Ludovic were able to do the same."

"I also hope that the others have had better luck than us," Zeph said quietly.

Leona knew suddenly that the other was probably thinking of his own parents. Would they have to face the same kind of situation?

"Now are we just going to leave him here?" Leona asked to Raine. Just like Mr. Lloyd? she thought to herself.

"No, we have a Rheaird. I'll be able to transport him on that, but that's all the ship could carry."

"Don't worry, we've been traveling around long enough now to make it to Asgard without too much trouble," Leona said.

"And you'll be accompanying them, I assume," Raine said to the tall elf.

"I might as well. Didn't I say I would help your mate? Besides, there's a larger problem we have to solve if Lucas has done this to other cities. It would be in everyone's best interest that we figured out just what's been happening."

"Very well," Raine said with a nod, "Please, continue to look after these knucklehead kids."

Her comment received an eye roll from Cecil, but luckily Raine had not seen.

It wasn't long before the group set out once again, but this time with a bit more confidence. No one wanted to say it out loud, but they were glad that their group now included a more than proficient healer. Leona simply allowed Felix to hold on to the Faerie Ring for the time being until things calmed down. Since he would be teaching her in the future, she was certain to see him once again. In four days' time if not a little sooner, they would make it to Asgard.

"Remember that time you said you would make us some seafood?" Cathe said out of the blue.

They'd called it quits for the day and had set up camp.

"Back in Izoold?" Leona asked.

Cathe nodded.

"Yes. Any reason you brought that up?"

"Ah, I was just thinking about it, is all. It would be a whole heck of a lot better than this food we're eating now."

"That's what you get when you force me to cook," Cecil growled, "Sandwiches."

"And poorly made ones at that," Eros said jokingly.

Eros had been sitting beside her as he said this. He was in prime position for the other to pound him in the head with a fist.

"Ow! So aggressive!"

Zeph shook his head, "To think, you insisted on sitting there beside Cecil. You must have some death wish."

"I did not insist," Eros said back, "It just happened to turn out that way."

"Oh, yeah…of course," Zeph replied.

Now that Leona thought about it, Eros sat next to Cecil and Zeph next Cathe, was that some kind of coincidence? Then again, she was sitting next Felix who hadn't said a word the whole time and ate his sandwich without complaint. He was the first to finish, but that was always the case, Leona noted.

"Anybody else have something to say about my sandwiches?" Cecil said in threatening tones.

Felix wiped his hands of crumbs, "I thought it was the best sandwich I've ever had."

Cecil was caught off guard by this. "Y-you really think so?" she asked, her eyes averted in embarrassment, a slight blush on her face.

"But the bar isn't set very high, this being the first sandwich I've ever had."

"Really? What kind of rock have you been living under?"

"A very posh one apparently."

"Oh? Only the richest food for his highness."

"Indeed."

It wasn't altogether clear if he'd understood the sarcasm in her tone, but Leona suspected that he had and had decided to ignore it altogether. Leona had nothing to say on the subject. The food was subpar for her standards, but she was sure Cecil understood that already.

"I would love to see what you would cook, Mr. Rich Food," Cecil continued hoping to get some rise out of him.

"I wouldn't. I hardly have much to work with," Felix replied.

"Yeah, the food store is getting a bit lean," Zeph said, "At this rate, we'll starve to death before we get there."

"There's maybe a day left. We'll be fine," Leona said reassuringly."

"Besides, I wouldn't let you starve to death. I'd keep you alive although it would be quite painful seeing as you would be starving to death," Felix said with one of his villainous grins.

Now Leona wanted to bonk him on the head, but she resisted the urge. Cathe looked practically petrified at the prospects.

"Like I said, we have a day left. It would take more than that to starve to those extremes."

Leona wished she could pat the impressionable girl on the back, but she was too far away at this point. She'd be alright eventually anyway. She took this moment now to look at the state of her friends. The fact that she thought of them as friends felt natural and not as awkward as it had been before. They'd been through quite a bit. Eros still looked as dapper as usual despite everything, his casual formal attire seemed to work out well for him. Even his hair appeared flawless, vibrant, dark, and silky looking. He would often run a hand through the front of it and his fine hair would slowly reposition itself into its natural position. Even the gentlest breeze could play with his soft locks. Leona was glad that his attention was no longer on her. Not once did she have to deal with those mesmerizing jewel-like eyes. His attention, she realized, seemed more focused on Cecil who was oddly immune to him.

Despite her brash attitude, Cecil's scruffy maroon hair was something Leona enjoyed. Thick tendrils of it fell over her shoulders. The rest stubbornly fell down her back, stopping somewhere midback. Her hair naturally had different lengths along the way. What could be assumed were bangs started at the top and then slowly each section lengthened, longer and longer. Leona would have loved to run a brush through her hair so that it could be tamed a bit more, something told her Cecil would stubbornly object. Her much more pleasant sister wore her hair in a bob with none of the bushiness of her sister and it seemed to have fared well on the journey; it truly did suit her small face.

Her eyes stopped on Zeph who constantly without fail wore his hair in a high ponytail. She supposed it was so he looked different from Eros, but it was also something far more practical to wear during a fight. He wore an elaborate, traditional kimono and by now Leona was used to seeing him that way. His style was distinctively different from Eros. It would be difficult to confuse the two. She truly was surrounded by a group of lovely people.

One by one they dropped off as they finished their meal. For some reason, however, Leona found rest allusive. She was jealous of how easy it was for everyone else. There were simply too many things to worry about, too many problems yet to be resolved and then there was her father. No matter how hard she tried, she could not forget the moment when her father passed away in her arms. Sure it had been ephemeral and under the circumstances, there was no other choice left to her, but the fact remained.

Later on in the night she heard the elf murmuring in his sleep. Looking around herself, she saw that everyone else was still thoroughly asleep so without shame she moved closer and bent her head towards him so that she could hear a little better.

"Lisa…please…"

Please what? Leona wondered, but all he did was repeat himself momentarily and then there was nothing more said. Curiosity abound, she wondered if the same phenomenon from before would reoccur if she touched him. If it did for the third time, then she would know for certain that it was no coincidence. She found one of his exposed hands and placed a hesitant finger upon it. There it was again, the feeling came back to her immediately. Was she the only one? Did he feel it too? She looked down and saw that he didn't give even the slightest indication of such a thing. Then again, he'd seemed wholly ignorant to it the last two times as well. She had no idea what it meant and she knew she'd feel silly asking him about it. Really, the only thing she could do was keep it to herself, pretend as if it was nothing. It was nothing, wasn't it? There was no deeper meaning behind any of it, right? She hoped so at least.

It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that sleep finally caught up with her and she knew she had little time for it by then. If only for a few hours, her mind could finally take a break from her frantic thoughts.

AN: That's right, two chapters in a row. Happy Labor Day! I can't wait to get started on the next chapter.

Keko-the-Hybrid: Forgot to respond to you last time, but thank you for the reviews. They've been really insightful. I did notice some grammatical errors in the last chapters like when I meant to say "superficial" and put "supernatural". I simply don't have a lot time these days. I read over it once during break at work and then publish it later on at night right before getting what little sleep I can get. Since I'm editing my own stories, I know for certain that I'll overlook something. Hopefully, it won't be too distracting.

I think I know what you're talking about for the description. I haven't really been putting any since I described them all before, but reminders are nice. I do plan to spread them more evenly throughout instead of just in one blurb which I did in this chapter as well. You like Felix as much as I do? Well, he's one of my go-to OCs I use when I want an OC to have a somewhat important role in a story. You might notice him again in another ToS story I have simply with a different name and some changes to his personality.

Colette told them where they would be, the Triet Ruins, but when they got there they weren't there. Since the entrance was blocked again, they simply assumed that they were further along the trail and ran into Regal. I don't know...I've just been referencing a picture of the map after the worlds were placed back together and things do seem closer together and seems like you can reach the Triet Ruins through the forest. Irving Residence is located...near the forest that runs into the Triet Ruins. I could be wrong and you can only access it through the desert...but it's too late now to change things up (lol).

And I'll have to do something about Leona's disappearing personality...I did get a bit more focused on the plot rather than fleshing her out more.