Curse Breaker

Ice Maiden's Blessing

"In a dried land, namely, at the ends of a red scorching hell."

"The voices of joy resounded…"

"And I strongly wish to tell you an ancient story about it."

-Exec_ Flip_ Fusionsphere

The heat of the desert was merciless. The red sun glowered down on the barren wasteland, searing the earth under the ferocity of its gaze. A hot breeze danced through the shimmering air, bringing with it the stinging needles of sand. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Add collapsed down on the sand, ignoring the nettling stabs of the individual grains, and held the map over his head to shield himself from the sun.

For two days Add has been walking in the desert with the scorching temperatures searing him at every opportunity. On more than one occasion Add had to whip out his Nasod Dynamos to defend against an overzealous sand demon or a rattlesnake that thought him a threat to its nestlings. In the distance, the screeching of harpies broke the keen wailing of the wind.

One more day… Add thought drily to himself and unscrewed the lid off his water flask. It better be only one more day! The corners of his lips twisted down into a scowl as he sloshed around the half-empty flask. He barely had enough to get back once he was done with this task. He took a swig from the flask and wiped his brow, looking up at the arid sky as he did so. In all his ventures so far, he never thought he would be complaining about a cloudless sky, but here he was, mentally cursing the sun for being so damn hot. He even had to go shirtless it was frickin' sweltering! Whoever said that dry heat was better than moist heat needed to go stab themselves in the foot or something… because in Add's mind, at least in humid heat you didn't have to worry so much about no water!

Shaking his head, Add unclasped his satchel and dug through the contents, pulling out a couple strips of dried meat and dehydrated fruit that the city residents were so thoughtful as to provide him with. The meat was flavorful, spiced with pepper, salt, and a hint of cayenne but it was strenuous chewing and it made Add feel like he was trying to tear apart a leather shoe with his teeth. The fruit was a little softer but he still preferred the hydrated version. While he was forcing down the dry fare, he took one last look at his map and glimpsed up at the sky.

He could squeeze in another couple hours of traveling before setting camp.

When Add first saw the ice mansion, he thought it was a mirage conjured by his delirious brain from the harsh sun. It wouldn't be the first time in the three days he saw something that didn't exist. The young man grimaced at the thought, his throat still scratchy from the sand he had swallowed when he had hallucinated that it was an oasis. Narrowing his eyes, he crept closer and stuck a hand in his satchel for the Dynamos, making sure they were still there. The warm solidity of the El alloy soothed him and he hastened his walk and relaxed his posture.

Up close, the mansion was magnificent. It glittered incandescently as the hoarfrost glazing threw back the sun's rays, and the elegantly curved zeniths twinkled like stars, encased in a coffin of ice. The air around here was cool and moist, verdant grass sprang from the tan sand like an upwelling of emerald shards and tree branches shaded the area, the lush foliage budding from the branches sparkling with drops of frost. Despite the obvious reprieve the ice would give from the blistering desert heat, there was not a single living thing in sight.

Shivering in the chilly air, Add reached into his satchel and pulled out his coat and jacket and slipped them back on him. "Talk about nuts…" He muttered under his breath. "How is this thing not a giant puddle in these temperatures?" He walked up to the iced door and brushed his fingertips against it, the crystals cold and smooth against his skin.

"Hello?" He called out and took a step back from the door.

Silence.

"Anyone there?" Add cried and sharply rapped his fist against the door. A gauzy web of cracks appeared where his fist had struck the door. Wordlessly, it swung open. "Huh… no ghost…" Add snorted and held his hand out. "Nasod Dynamos: Activate." Eight blades of stygian black metal floated out from his unclasped satchel, crackling with amethyst filaments of electricity. With narrowed eyes, Add stepped inside the mansion.

Everything was encased in ice, icicles hung from the gilded chandeliers, and pinnacles of frost rose from the candelabra that sat on top of the grand piano. The red velvet carpet leading up to the staircase was wooly with rime and the view outside the lotus-shaped windows was misty and opaque. The violet lights from the Dynamos casted an eerie patina across the room. Reflected on the smooth ice glazing the floor was Add, ghostly in the ethereal radiance.

"Is there a ghost that lives here? If so I would like to speak with them!" Add exclaimed and tucked his hands into his coat pocket, feeling restless and agitated. The silence was too silent for Add's liking. Even his light breathing was as loud as a freight train in the deathly quiet of the ice mansion.

"Haaah…"

A breath of icy wind caressed the room, carrying with it the wistful sigh of a lonely girl. Add jumped, stiffening as his gaze shot around the room. There was nothing, no malevolent wraith was floating in the great room. Cursing his jumpy nerves, he shook his head and directed his eyes back to their original resting spot.

"WHAT THE EEEEEEEEEEELLLL?!" Add screeched and jumped backwards, sliding on a particularly icy patch in the carpet and falling on his butt. Standing in front of him was a young woman with moon-gold eyes, porcelain skin that glowed blue like winter, and sinuous locks of eggshell blue adorned with a snow-white side-cap on each side, and a sapphire bauble in the shape of a crown. She was clothed in a white satin with black lace trimming and cerulean accents, with an oversized aquamarine bow with a silver snowflake adorning her breast, secured by a golden brooch, and slung over her shoulders was a mantle of ermine. A pair of crystalline gossamer wings shimmered with a hushed blue radiance behind her. The ice maiden stared at Add with an emotionless expression and the young man shifted disconcertedly as he saw himself distorted in the lapis lazuli that adorned her forehead.

"So I take it you're the ghost?" He enquired once he recovered his wits enough to speak and stood up, brushing himself off. The ice maiden cocked her head to the side in a quizzical gesture but otherwise she remained mute and emotionless. Add shivered and bit the inside of his cheek, shaking his head as he did so. "Can you tell me something here lady? 'Cause I don't think we're going to get anywhere if you remain as dumb as a rock." He grumbled cantankerously and adjusted his cap. The girl peered past him, eyeing his Dynamos intently before shooting a blank stare at Add.

Add looked back in the direction she had peered in and saw nothing, save for the Dynamos that hovered tremulously behind like a group of nervous butterflies. "Oh, those? They're my weapons. I-"

The girl drew her hand back before letting it fly forward in a blow, smiting Add on his cheek and slamming him into the ground. Add yelped as the base of his skull cracked against the icy floor, and his vision lit up with a brilliancy that outshone the sun. When it faded, all that was left was black abyss devoid of feeling.

The first thing Add noticed when he came to was how cold and uncomfortable he was. Cracking open his eyes, Add scrutinized his surroundings with a blurred field of vision. Ornate frescos framed in adroitly engraved wood hung on the wall, their vivid colors muted by the ice, and filling the room was a myriad assortment of baroque furniture, all sparkling softly. Looking up at the ceiling, Add noticed the canopy of florid fabric that hung above him. "Ngh… I must have been knocked out when that little witch slapped me…" He chortled humorlessly to himself. How embarrassing was it to be knocked out by a young and apparently unarmed girl!

Add grimaced as he sat up in the frozen bed, a thundering hammer bellowing angrily in his hears and making his vision spin. "Of course… the girl is no ghost… most likely a powerful sorceress of some sort, perhaps a member of one of the ancient races that thrived in the days of old?" Add mused airily to himself and flopped backwards in the bed, rubbing his forehead profusely.

The lucid chiming of footsteps ringing against the ice reverberated through the air. On high alert, Add shot up on the bed, ignoring the roaring forge of pain in his forehead. Desperately, he tried to contact his Nasod Dynamos, but his mind was too fuzzy to contact and control them. The imposing set of oaken doors swung open gracefully, and the ice maiden entered the room, bearing a tray of sparkling ruby-hued shaved ice.

"You! What have you done to me?!"

The girl stuck her chin up and set the tray on the vanity, crossing her arms and staring dispassionately at Add. "Hello?! Don't you have something to say for yourself?!" Add demanded vehemently and pushed himself out of the bed, storming furiously towards the girl. The girl stoically stared down Add and drew her hand back. Despite himself, Add flinched, remembering the raw force of the blow she had dealt him previously and took a grudging step backwards.

The girl nodded in an approving gesture and pointed at the bed, as if telling Add to sit. "Excuse me lady?" He gaped incredulously at the ice maiden, not believing the audacity she had. He couldn't help the small part of him that admired her steely nerves however, in his experiences, few people had the guts to strike down a fighter and look them straight into the eye without flinching. This girl's personality truly was an apt match to her icy domain.

The girl gesticulated fervidly at the bed, motioning for Add to take a seat. Add narrowed his eyes and stared fiercely at the ice maiden, who returned the intensity of his gaze with her own frigid aloofness. Peevishly, Add blew his bangs away from his eyes and took a seat down on the bed, flinching as the cold bit him. The girl deliberately bobbed her head up and down and picked up the tray again, and walked over to Add, setting the tray on his lap.

Add glanced down at it, "Is this strawberry, watermelon, or cherry? Because I really don't like cherry." He queried, cocking his eyebrow up and wondering if the girl would reply. She remained as mute as ever. He shrugged and picked up the spoon, shoveling a large spoonful into his mouth. "Blegh!" He gasped and spat it out on the floor. "This is cherry!" He yelped and placed his thumb against the roof of his mouth. "Oh no… brain freeze… -hah- brain freeze!" He cringed, his eyes watering as an icy sword sliced his mind into two. The girl stared impassively at him.

"That was cherry!" He griped, his face twisted into a bitter scowl. The ice maiden shrugged and shook her head. "Who are you?!" Add demanded and poked her stomach. The girl stared blankly at him for a long while before…

SLAP!

"Ouch!" Add screamed and spat out blood as his teeth sliced his tongue from the sudden impact. "That was cold…" Add mumbled dourly under his breath.

SLAP!

"STOP THAT!" Add hollered and rubbed his red, swollen cheek. "Who raised you lady?!" He questioned and hastily scooted backwards in the bed, away from this pimp-slapping bitch. The girl shrugged and for a moment, Add could swear that he saw a flickering spark of sadness in her expressionless golden eyes. "Don't you have anybody that raised you? Ya' know… taught you not to slap people?" The girl shook her head and flung a glance at Add.

Add's mouth opened but no words escaped from his throat. "…Huh…" He said after a moment's silence and pressed his lips into a thin line. "Well… I can sort of see where you're coming from… I never really had anybody to raise me either…" He admitted his voice softer now. Add took a deep breath and slid his eyelids over his eyes.

He never was loved by anyone… His family were searchers, bound by an obsession with the ancient Nasod race… They were cold ineffectual people that spared little affection or feeling towards their son… They lived in secret, isolated from the world… and he lived never knowing what it was to have friends… When his family was killed by an angry mob he was alone…

And left with nothing…

His eyes snapped open again. "How long have you been there?" He probed curiously and cocked his head to the side. The girl shrugged in a gesture of ignorance. Add frowned and tried another question, trying to get the girl to speak or something.

"What's your name?"

The girl shrugged and stared blankly at Add who snorted irately.

"Why are you here?"

The girl stared at him for what seemed like an eternity before shaking her head slowly and flexing her shoulders. Add tapped his bottom chin, looking chaffed before a sudden question darted across his thought process. With wide eyes, he stared at the ice maiden and he leaned in closer.

"Are you even capable of speech?"

Not to his surprise, the girl shook her head. Add sighed and leaned back. "… I'm not going to even ask why…" He muttered and scratched his left cheek.

The ice maiden stared at Add, wishing that she could speak or even so much as smile and frown. She was just as curious too. She wanted to know who this stranger was and why he even ventured to come here and why did he not leave already. In the early days she could remember, people would travel often here to catch a break from the cruelty of the desert sun, but they were scared by her muteness and her tristful and emotionless stare. They would leave, obviously perturbed and she would never see them again. Over time, the people came here less and less until all she could see of anyone else was the occasional black feck against the rusty horizon that she glimpsed outside the window.

But here was someone who was not disturbed by her! He was even talking to her like she was not an abnormality and curious as to who and what she was! Oh how she wish she knew… oh how she wish she could speak… what she wouldn't even do just so her icy face could smile and express the joy that was welling up inside her chest!

"Well… You don't really seem that dangerous or anything… more like a little weird." Add chuckled softly and smiled sunnily at the girl. "But hey… weird is awesome." He added after a fleeting second and held his hands up. The girl shook her head vigorously and bounced up and down slightly on the bed, jittering with a restive energy.

"Well… anyways… since it's obvious that you're not capable of talking or anything like that… I'll just introduce myself and scrap all the wishy-washy formalities and that crap." Add stated and held his hand out. "Come on, shake hands with me." He urged, seeing the girl's hesitation. The girl's hand wobbled precariously, an inch away from Add's. She had never touched a person before… what would happen?

Gingerly, she held her hand out and Add gripped it and wildly swung it up and down, yanking her head back at the vice-like grip and the over-enthusiastic force he shook her arm with.

"Well… I'm Add Vertizemont… not Advertisement as some people call me."

The ice maiden stared blankly at him, if she could've, she would've laughed.

"…And I'm a part-time traveling mercenary… I sort of go around, looking for work and beating up demons, monsters, and that sort of refuse for a living, k?" Add queried and tugged at his bangs. The girl nodded, causing Add to nod likewise.

"So… yeah, I came over here to the eastern lands because the western lands are all boring and peaceful and that's really bad for my job… So I came here and it turns out, there's this city that's drier than an old grandma. They wanted me to come here and investigate the mansion, make sure that their fears of ghosts were unfounded and if there was a ghost, to get rid of it." Add explained and plucked his cap off, before plopping it back down on his head.

The girl's head reared back and she shot off the bed, taking a wary step backwards. Her heart was pounding… was he just here to… kill her?

Observing her tense posture, Add snorted and stood up, stepping closer to the ice maiden. "So yeah… I'm going to have to get you out of here." He averred dispassionately. The ice maiden's heart sank and rage was beginning to form in place of the hope and exultation she had felt just a moment ago. She held her hand backwards.

Add held his hand out in a peaceful gesture. "So… after hanging out with you for a minute I have decided to…" He paused, a roguish smirk on his lips. The ice maiden's hand hovered warily in midair, prepared to knock him senseless and throw him out of the house.

"I have decided… to ask you… would you like to explore the world with me? You got an awesome armor-piercing slap that would make even demon lords cry for their mamas."

The girl lowered her hand and ogled at him, not quite believing. She didn't want to get her hopes up… she never had been outside… she didn't know what the world was like… but here was a young man asking her if she wanted to find out for herself… She always wondered what the world outside her ice mansion was like. Did it have snow as well? What would she eat? She had seen other people bring with them strange and colorful food items that resembled the frescoes that hung on the wall. She had even been offered something called an "apple" before, but she was unable to open her mouth wide enough to take a bite of it.

"Well…?" Add drawled indolently and rapped his feet against the floor, startling the ice maiden out of her trance. "I'm waiting for an answer…" He pressed lightly and rolled his eyes. The girl nodded vigorously and clasped her hands together. To Add, she looked almost like a puppy… and he happened to hate puppies… he actually felt an urge to kick a puppy every time he saw one… but the key word was "almost" and to the young man, she was very cute… way cuter than any puppy… especially that demonic Chihuahua that chased him into a tree back in his younger days.

A faint heat prickled his cheeks and he hung his head to hide the blush. "I'll think we'll make a great team… who knows… you might even be able to speak once you've been around people who do long enough…" With those words, he walked over to the ice maiden and embraced her in a hug.

She was so cold… ice cold… vacant of life and warmth…

Her snow-white skin nipped his alabaster cheeks and he could feel his own sadness well up inside of him. Nineteen years of sadness that he has repressed and hidden inside of himself, pretending to be imperturbable and flippant. He never once in all those nineteen years hugged somebody and he had likewise never been hugged. A tear trickled down his cheek, the first tear he had shed since witnessing his family's brutal murder.

He was warm… so warm… his skin was soft despite its marble appearance and he hugged her a little too forcefully… but she didn't mind it…

A warmth swelled up inside her… never in all the time she has spent alive in this friendless existence has anyone shown her any affection… her silence had scared off any friends and made her a malignant specter in the minds of the city and the denizens of the smaller towns and villages in the desert. She had been rejected so many times that she had hardened her heart and tried to convince herself she was better off alone… A crystal tear landed on her own cheek and she looked up at Add, his face was hidden but she could feel his sadness…

He too… had lived his life completely alone…

He helped people while he himself was in need of healing.

The ice maiden wished that she could thank him… but she couldn't speak… she wish she could show her joy… but she couldn't smile…

A shining tear trickled down her cheek and hit the floor.

A blazing light radiated from the girl, bathing the mansion in warmth. "What?!" Add yelped and he took a surprised step backwards from the girl. "What's going on?!" He cried and stared disbelievingly at the girl, squinting as the kaleidoscopic beams of incandescence, set the room aflame with a rainbow fire.

The ice maiden burned brighter than the sun, forcing Add to cover his eyes with his arms to prevent himself from going blind. Her figure paled, becoming transparent and crystalline, before melting into a puddle of water that flew into the heavens as the ice entombing the mansion melted and ascending to the heavens in spinning ribbons of silvery light that sparkled gaily in the sun.

When Add dared to reveal his eyes again, he was very wet…

And very alone…

The girl she was gone… and so was the ice… all the ice that had coated the furniture was pooling around the ground, soaking his feet and the hems of his pants. "Hey?! Where are you?!" Add cried out, cupping his hands over his mouth.

Silence followed… but that was only to be expected…

Looking miserable, Add shook his head and exited the bedroom.

His satchel was in the room he had originally entered, now thoroughly dowsed. The colors of the tapestries glowed vividly, no longer muffled by the ice. The windows gleamed, the view distorted by the droplets that trickled down the glass pane inside.

Through his warped view inside the mansion, Add could see grey clouds rolling in, covering the baby blue sky in a damp woolen blanket.

Grabbing his stuff, Add stepped outside the mansion and traveled back to Sander.

He would collect his pay, he would tell Emirate everything that happened and it didn't matter if the Mayor believed him or not… for rain was soon to come and Add now had a more important task to do.

He would find the heart of the ice maiden and tell her "Thank you", for what Add did not know, but he had to do it…

And he would do it completely alone…

In Sander… the voices of joy resounded as the rain fell and fell… overflowing the reservoirs and dousing the parched land.

And in the sky… the ice maiden watched over the land, feeling very joyful that she could be a blessing…

And for the first time, her watery face smiled.

And that concludes the crappy conclusion to Curse Breaker! I would've done it in more detail and length, etc. but I ish lazy and a bit cramped for time and I felt like I had kept you guys waiting long enough… hopefully you people found this good… I'll tell you… school plus job searching makes for a horrid combo for updates… Plus I have YnT to update and I'm doing research for a "surprise" story that I promise you will exceed even "Exec Flip Arphage" in quality. But it will probably be a bit of time… First I have to finish reading "The Mists of Avalon", read all four books of A.A Attanasio's "Arthor" series, figure out who the hell to put into specific roles, and research old English dialect and medieval times, and- *Head explodes* But enough of my ramblings… Here's the reviewer replies! :D Thankies for all the reviews! :D

Guest- Sorry for the late update, but here you go! Yup...the ghost is Eve and she has blue hair because she is wearing a glacial set which I thought would be fitting.

Elsword457- Thank you very much! :D How is your story going?

Jetstream Girge- Fusionsphere is beautiful in my opinion because it tells a story. I did follow the song to the best of my ability... :3 I think the EO hats are "blegh" too, but I do like the uniforms... :3 Well, if you get the opportunity, don't hesitate to point out the mistakes!

Rosa Undercover- Hullo 'Nelle-chan. I'm surprised nobody made any non-math related puns to Add's name... XD Add x Eve... it's beautiful, reminds me of Gilgamesh x Saber... You listened to that song?! :D I did not mean that... But still... now that you mention it...

The-Great-Me-Sama- The economy is not nearly as bad in FF as it is in NA.

Doubled-Helix- Really? Thanks O/O I think it's a little cliche and OOC... but hey... it's FF! XD Add imo is either cocky or a raging lunatic... I decided to forego Lunatic in lieu of cocky... It is a bit weird but I think the Glacial set for Eve and the Salvation Army set for Add are really good with this story. Here's the update! Sorry for the wait! =w=;