Little Serenity

Tazo groaned and rolled over, her right upper arm smarting seriously. She looked around the pitch black room. "Where am I? Oh right... I'm on the Rising Sun in... Bunker 12? Yeah, that's right. What happened...?" She felt something wet on her upper arm and side. "I've... been shot?" She stood up and tripped over something. She cried out in pain. Her leg was also hit. "What is this?!" She felt around and finally found her flashlight. She clicked it on. Her scream echoed throughout the bunker. Everyone that she had been with in Bunker 12 was lying on the ground dead. She dropped the flashlight and bolted out of the door, tripping on her military jumpsuit. She turned a corner. "Too bad we couldn't meet under better circumstances." A few shots were fired. Tazo hit the deck and crawled across the hall. "What?!! A girl?!! Someone's still alive on this tin can?" The gray mech charged again and Ray was distracted. Tazo kept crawling along. "I gotta... get... to Hinoto..." She was finding it rather difficult to breathe and her legs felt numb. "Where are you... old man... when I need you?"

Mechanoid Pilot Name: Tazo Age: 17 Description: long, floor length black hair usually in a long braid. Cold blue eyes that pierce the very soul. She wears a high-collar sleeveless white shirt, blue jeans, and a kimono that falls below her shoulders, yet is tied at the waist. She is something of a prophet for the side of Earth. She was raised by an elderly man who escaped execution early in the days of the Earth's overpopulation. Tazo doesn't know how he survived so many years without dying. However, he was also a prophet. It is rumored that the old man lives inside Tazo, giving her God-sent insights to the future. However, Tazo never understands her visions to the fullest. Side (Earth Rebellion/Luna Enforcement): Earth Rebellion Mech: Hinoto Weaponry: Two light swords Mech Description: White with green and purple markings. Built lightly, but the calves are thick. Has wing-like attachments that are made out of a sheer material. Has something like hair, but not quite. Has something of two hard parts of blue hair. Has a marking on it's forehead like Hinoto from X/1999. You favor: Wisdom, Speed, Defense Hope this is okay! ^_^

Hoshi looked down, unable to see anything or say anything. She tapped Ryden on the shoulder. She pointed to Hiei, then outstretched her arms as if she was performing Hiei's attack. "Hiei was gearing up to attack Xaru," Zo translanted. Hoshi drew a line across her throat. "But it was going to cost him his life. She searched Ryden's neck and found her mother's dragoon pendant. She held it up and pointed to her and then at Hiei. "But that's your mom's..." Ryden said in confusion. Hoshi nodded. "She means that she used her own Dragoon spirit to save my life," Hiei snorted. Ryden looked at Hoshi in shock. "You're not a dragoon anymore." Hoshi shook her head. "Why aren't you saying anything?!" "Hoshi's curse can only be nulled by knocking out her senses. She can't speak or see Ryden. I cast a silencing spell on her." Hoshi lowered her head. Ryden sighed, "How do we fix this?" "The only way would be to go to a VERY powerful mage who can undo this kind of curse. Maybe to the one who gave me the gloves..." Zo sighed. "Where is this person?" "On the other side of the continent..." There was silence. Hoshi looked down further. "It's alright Hoshi. It's- It's not like you asked for this." "Of course she did. She ran right at Xaru!" Hiei snorted. "Be quiet Hiei! Have a little compassion for Hoshi's feelings!" Ryden was looking at Hoshi. She hadn't budged an inch while all of this was going on. "Hoshi." Ryden took her hand. She gasped a little, but realized that it was Ryden. "I'll make sure that you can fight without relying on your eyes. I promise you won't be hurt while you're like this." Hoshi nodded, her hand trembling.

It was night. The castle was in sight, yet Sariyah insisted that they rest before completing the journey. Tyniah had thought it was a good idea too, and Irima, defeated, sat down and pouted. "Don't give me that look." Sariyah warned. Irima just turned away. "I could be shot on sight, and you guys wanna rest. Pathetic." "Never fear Irima, if someone should try to shoot you, I shall give my life to protect you!" "Yeah right Tyniah," Sariyah scoffed, "If you heard a gunshot, you'd scream and duck." Tyniah and Sariyah started arguing loudly. Irima got steadily angrier and angrier. "Will you two just SHUT UP?!!" Sariyah froze with Tyniah's hair in his hand. Tyniah was just about to execute a well-aimed kick. "I'm tired. I want to sleep." Irima curled up on the ground. Sariyah and Tyniah shrugged and sat down. Irima's dreams were haunted by images which she did not understand. [i]Where... where am I?[/i] It was dark. She was floating through blackness, viewing images of a crying woman. "She's gone! My girl is gone!" "Worry not my lady, she'll come back." "Not while these wars are going on! I'll- I'll never see her again!" There was a burst of flame and Irima saw herself running barefoot through a burning village. "Ama! Ama where are you?!" [i]I'm- I was only five then...[/i] "Irima! Look out!" A woman threw herself on Irima as a flaming beam crushed her. Irima, shocked, pulled herself out. "AMA?! [i]AMAAAAA!![/i]" "Ir- Irima listen to me child! Run! Run to the town center! The third wall panel on the left! Take it down! You... must..." The woman fell to the ground, her clothing on fire. The younger Irima ran to an octagon-shaped building and ran straight to the third panel on the left. She beat at it, not even making a dent. A flaming beam fell from the ceiling. Irima kicked at the panel. No change. The long benches were burning. "[i]OPEN!! OPEN NOW!! IT'S IRIMA![/i]" The panel disappeared and a white light pushed Irima back into the flaming benches. There, a tall moon-shaped staff with spikes and a star lay. Irima, wincing at the pain in her hand, took it and ran out of the building. There was nothing left. Nothing but mist in the air. People were dead or dying. Irima collapsed to her knees in the middle of the burnt village. They were gone. Everything that she had once known was gone. Irima woke up in a cold sweat. She looked around her frantically, but Tyniah and Sariyah were sleeping peacefully. Irima removed her right-hand glove. There was a burn scar on her wrist.

"Well in case you didn't notice, genius, she was willing to sacrifice her LIFE for you!" Tyniah stumbled across the pillows and laid her on the bank. Sariyah scratched his head. "How come she was flying?" "It's the Soul Splitter spell. One, in esscence splits body and soul and uses the soul to probe memories, like she did with me, or perform tasks, such as saving your *** twice." "What kind of authority do you have talking to me like that?!" "You treat her like dirt!" "What?!" "You put her down, belittle her, and you don't even listen to her when she has something to say!" "That's not true!" "Oh, isn't it?!" "Yeah!" "YEAH!" Tyniah and Sariyah glared at each other for what seemed like a full minute. Tyniah looked away. "The castle's only a day away from here. Those rapids saved us two days." He picked Irima up. "We'll take turns carrying her." "Alright." "Maybe she'll wake up and you two can bond." He chuckled. "And maybe she'll wake up and bear you a son." "YOU THINK?!!" "It's sarcasm Ty."

Hoshi listened in horror as Hiei performed his attack. She could only hear Hiei's yelling and the rush of something powerful. Zo yelled and Hoshi was afraid. She gripped Ryden's hand and covered her ears. Suddenly, it all stopped. "Good... bye..." She heard something slump to the ground. "HIEI!!" Zo screamed. Hoshi crawled along the ground, slipping. She heard a voice. [i]Don't cry Hoshi.[/i] Hoshi was startled. She groped around. A light laugh pervaded her mind. [i]No, I'm not where you can see me. No one can. I'm inside you.[/i] [i]Inside me?[/i]Hoshi thought. [i]But... no one lives inside me.[/i] [i]I do now. You took my dragoon spirit and picked up your whip and fought for the right cause.[/i] [i]My neighbor! You were killed by Xaru! Tooya...[/i] [i]I was. But now, I live on in you. Tell me something, do you want me to save this man's life?[/i] [i]Who is on the ground? Is it Ryden or Hiei?![/i] [i]It is the one you know as Hiei.[/i] [i]Yes! Yes Tooya save him! Please![/i] [i]Be warned Hoshi, it will cost you my dragoon spirit. You will no longer possess the ability to become a dragoon.[/i] [i]What about the Curse of Thor?[/i] [i]Sadly, the curse will remain with you. You will become an ordinary human mage.[/i] [i]And Xaru?[/i] [i]Hiei's spell will be... cancelled.[/i] Hoshi was silent. She knew that Hiei would hate her for doing this, but she had to. She didn't want to see Hiei gone when she finally resolved her curse. [i]Tooya? Do it.[/i] [i]I owe you my life Hoshi, so I will give mine to your friend.[/i] Hoshi felt her dragoon spirit exit her body. It shattered. Hoshi could sense Tooya's spirit entering Hiei's body and giving him new life. He coughed several times and was silent. [i]It has been done Hoshi. By the way...[/i] Tooya laughed, [i]Your mother's really doing a number on Ryden. She's doing her best to cleanse him of his poisoning.[/i] [i]Thank you Tooya, for everything.[/i] [i]Farewell Hoshi... I shall see you in heaven...[/i]

Wow!! That's great DragonWarrior!! ^___^ I especially liked the part with all the girls running around. Heh... Scrabble... that scene looked like one out of my own home... Oo;; Can't wait for the next one!! ^_~

Hmm... interesting idea... ^_^ I love these Dragoon RPGs... [u]Dragoon[/u] Name: Turalie Age: 17 Gender: Female Desc: Turalie has LONG brown hair down to mid calf, tied together into four sections with a wide strip of cloth. She wears one-shoulder armor, a black halter top, and a black skirt with slits up the legs. Her wings are Red. Element: Fire Weapon: two slashing claws on her hands Hope I can join... again... ^_^;;

Name: Rendea "The Red Tsunami" Ojiro (Called Renie, R.T., or Tsunami by her friends) Year: 3 Team: The KNIGHTS: a group that focuses on the use of evasive manuvers along with offensive strength to achieve victory. They do not get involved in fights unless they are provoked, at least... that's what they're SUPPOSED to do. ^_~ The KNIGHTS has a relatively laid back attitude towards life, but they still want to win the tournament, so they practice diligently. Label: Just There (It's my label at my school... ^_^;; ) Description: Renie has long red hair that stays down and straight. She wears a large black sweatshirt and pants that fit her form tightly. Most clubs pick on her because she looks unattractive, slow, and weak. However, when Renie fights, she is known as the Red Tsunami because of her speed and deterity with using weapons. When she fights, she takes off her sweater and ties her hair up, which reveals that Renie is actually quite attractive. She uses a long wooden staff in her fights along with a whip. Bio: When she started going to Kurookami, her mother wanted her to be on the cheerleading team, but it just wasn't in the cards for Renie because she was rejected by the head of the team: her sister, just to make Renie's mother upset. Renie started The KNIGHTS in hopes that one day she could tell her mother that she was the leader of a fighting team. She wrote the code for the team, and sticks by it herself, but allows others to fall lax, unless it's a serious situation such as bullying or peril to the opponent. Renie had to expel many a member from The KNIGHTS for reasons such as these, but The Red Tsunami is confident that her team will be victorious this year. All of you who don't have a team yet are welcome to join!! ^_^;; I don't want to be all by myself... T_T

During the entire fight, Hoshi had been doing her best to control the spells that kept coming out of the sky. Several times, Zo and Serena had to jump out of the way or pull Ryden or Hiei away from a bolt. Zo was sitting near Ryden and obviously panicking over something. Hoshi managed to get within shouting distance. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH RYDEN?!!" "COME HERE AND SEE FOR YOURSELF!" "IF I DO, I'LL TARGET HIM!!" "HIS EYES ARE A GREENISH COLOR! I THOUGHT I HAD HEALED HIM..." A Curse of Thor appeared over Zo's head. Hoshi managed to push her out of the way, but she and Ryden were fried. Hoshi pushed Ryden away from her. [i]Wait... if I can see them... I target them! There might be a way to ensure that people aren't hurt![/i] Hoshi tore one of her sleeves away and blindfolded herself. She could only hear the endless chant in her head and the crackling of the spells around her. She sat where she was, not wanting to hurt anyone, keeping her eyes closed. [i]Xaru... you will pay for cursing me!![/i] "Hoshi!! Let me heal you!!" "It wouldn't work!" Serena dodged both a lightning bolt and one of Xaru's fists. "It's a curse, not an ailment! We'll have to find someone to break it!" Serena jumped back and did a flying kick into Xaru's head. "Hoshi I know one thing that could help you until we find someone to break the spell. Are you up to it?" "Anything Zo!" "You would lose your voice..." Hoshi was silent. Her eyes and her voice. "Do it. And..." She sighed, "Tell Ryden for me... I'm sorry I did this..." "Alright. You ready?" Hoshi nodded, then said, "Yes." "Alright... SILENCE BUSTER!!" Hoshi felt her throat open wide, like there was cotton in it. She could no longer hear her voice chanting Curse of Thor in her head. She wanted to thank Zo endlessly, but she couldn't make a sound, she couldn't even cry. She crawled blindly over to Ryden's body and took his hand. Zo put her hand on Hoshi's shoulder. "It's alright. I'm sure he'll understand..."

Irima, Tyniah, and Sariyah walked around the forest for a few minutes, Tyniah leading the way. "Now... I was sure that it was right..." "Then we should go left." Sariyah sighed. "Give him a chance!" Irima scowled at Sariyah, then burst into fresh tears. Tyniah gave him a reproachful look. He sighed, exasperated and pulled a sobbing Irima away by the ponytail. "Worry not Lady Irima. Soon we shall be at the castle and you and I can get some quality time in together..." Irima cried even harder. "Look what you've done you crazy maniac!" "It's not my fault! You made her cry in the first place!" "But she obviously is upset about something you did!" Tyniah stood there, indignantly. "How dare you?! [b]I[/b] after all, am the Prince that awoke Lady Irima!" "YOU - DID - WHAT?!!!" Sariyah stood and fumed for a second. Irima sat down and cried into her glove. "COME HERE YOU LITTLE-" "Nyah! Can't catch me!" Tyniah ran for his life and Sariyah came after him. "Guys?!" Irima began running after them as well. "YAAAAAAAH!!!" Irima turned the corner and saw Sariyah skidding on what seemed to be ice towards a totally stopped Tyniah. He ran into him, but Tyniah didn't fall over, keeping his balance as best he could. "Wha-?!" Irima skid on the ice and rammed into Sariyah and Tyniah. The trio plunged down a canyon and into an icy cold river with raging rapids. "OH MY GOD!!" "Irima!! Give me your hand!" Sariyah reached for Irima. She grabbed his wrist and Tyniah followed suit. "We can't get separated Lady Irima!" The three braced themselves for what might happen along the way.

A day had passed since the rose incident. Irima's feelings seemed to swell like a knot in her chest. Not only had she lied to Sariyah, something told her that Tyniah thought that she had accepted him, which she hadn't. That night, she had felt so horrible that she had slept by herself away from the fire. They had awoken early and Irima was ready to go. They had been walking for a few hours with Irima bringing up the rear by herself. Tyniah fell back and smiled at her. She managed to twitch her face. "Something wrong?" "No, of course not," Irima lied. Tyniah nodded. He looked up at some kind of cloud or other and snuck his hand around Irima's waist. "YOU JERK!! YOU HAVE NO REGARD FOR ME WHATSOEVER!!" She slapped him hard across the face leaving a red handprint. "Hey hey! Break it up!" Sariyah grabbed Irima's upper arms to stop her from killing Tyniah. She started crying onto his shirt. "I-I'm s-s-s-sorryyyyyyy!!" Irima ran off into the woods by herself. Tyniah and Sariyah just stared at the spot that Irima had disappeared into. Tyniah sighed, "Is it that time of the month or what?!"

"Well..." Tyniah referenced his book, swinging Irima over his shoulder. "This cave definately has life in it. We should be able to find an Ochu here." "Have a little respect for the unconscious girl, okay?" "Well, I can't read my book if I'm using both my arms." "Oh yeah..." Sariyah muttered under his breath, "Saving a damsel. Just wait until Irima hears about this..." As they continued walking, Sariyah thought about just how deep he was in with this Ochu thing. "Just... how big are Ochus Tyniah?" "Oh they come in a variety of sizes!" Tyniah smiled as if he was selling Sariyah a potted plant, "There's the child ochu, then the adolescent, and the adult. The adults only get to be about the size of a bear. But there's also a type called..." Tyniah frowned, "O.H." "What does that stand for, praytell?" Just then, a small blob ran right into Sariyah's leg. "Hey! What is this...?" He picked it up by its six tentacles. "Oh! That's a child Ochu! We've found one!" "Are you sure it's not one of those O.H. Ochus?" "No because-" The entire cave shook. The baby Ochu in Sariyah's hand emitted some kind of a greenish smoke. Sariyah recoiled in disgust and dropped the plant-like animal, which scurried off. "Oh look!" Tyniah marveled, "It could have poisoned you!" "Heh heh, funny. Now we need to find another..." The cave shook again. Sariyah turned to face Tyniah, who seemed to be very interested in the ceiling of the cave. "What is it pretty-boy?" Sariyah looked up. Towering above him was a giant-sized version of the Ochu he had just dropped. "Tyniah...?!" Tyniah nodded numbly. "What does O.H. stand for?!!" The Ochu roared angrily and thrashed its tentacles. "OH HELL!!!!!!" Tyniah turned and ran with Irima in his arms again. "HEY YOU!! GET BACK HERE!!" "Sorry Sariyah! I'll tell Irima that you died trying to save her! See you lateeeer!!" "YOU MOUSE!!" Sariyah looked up at the giant Ochu. "Well, there's only one way to skewer an Ochu I guess!" Sariyah unsheathed his sword and began hacking at it. "You- stupid- over- grown- weed!! DIEEEE!!" The Ochu emitted what seemed to be a dust storm worth of pollen, which, thanks to Tyniah, Sariyah knew was poisonous. He covered his mouth and nose watching the animal. He noticed that everything seemed to be coming from a mouth-like structure near the tentacles. With a cleverly aimed attack, Sariyah jumped into the air and drove his sword into the soft spot in the center of the tentacles. The Ochu writhed and emitted a nasty purple goo.

"Sariyah, are you coming or what?!" Irima called over her shoulder. Sariyah sighed and stomped through the rosebushes. "Wow! Tyniah, what's this one?" Irima pointed to a bluish-violet rose. "Well..." "Yeah Mr. Wonders of Nature, what is that called?" Sariyah smirked. "It's so pretty..." Irima sighed. She picked one and admired it. "Here... let me get my flower guide..." "You're what?" Sariyah asked in disbelief. "Well, it's actually a manual to different Magical herbs and flowers. Let me just find the picture..." "My Lord." Sariyah sighed. Meanwhile, Irima was still holding her flower. "Can we get out of this... wondery nature thing? My sinuses are starting to swell..." "Let's see... red... pink... purple... green... lavender... blue... nothing that looks like that so far." Irima was off in flower wonderland though, "I wonder how this smells. It must be very nice if the flower is so beautiful." "Ah! Here it is!" Irima inhaled the rose's fragrance. "The Nightshade Rose. Properties: Instant Sleep to the one who inhales its pollen." Irima keeled over. "YOU IDIOT!! You led us into a Flower Garden of DEATH!!" "Oh dear... Miss Irima?" Tyniah poked at her. "She's not breathing! Her armour must be suppressing her lungs! I'll take it off-" "No you won't." Sariyah stepped on Tyniah's head while reading his discarded flower book. "It says that she'll be awakened by either the antidote or a prince's kiss." "I'm a Lord." Tyniah offered, smiling slyly. "Let's go with the antidote." "What's it look like?" "Like... er... a cactus thingy..." Tyniah read over his shoulder, exasperated with Sariyah's less than impressive description. "You imbecile, that's a Spiny Rhododendron. The properties of that are Slow and Painful Death!! It's on the next page!" Tyniah turned the page. "Oh dear..." Sariyah gulped and read. "The leaves of an Ochu. A living plant usually found in dark cave-like areas with vegetation. "Alright!" Tyniah clapped and smiled. "I'll just kiss her then." "No, you won't." Sariyah stepped on his head again. "There's a cave over there, let's find this... this Ochu thing and kill it so that Sleeping Horror can wake up." "Why do you always act like she's such a nuisance?" "Because she is!" "I don't think so." "Well, you're a frilly elf who tortures people and reads flower manuals for fun." Tyniah was quiet as they entered the cave. Meanwhile, back with Irima, two very familiar creatures were creeping up on the sleeping Quessir. "Alright Jeff," "Joey." "Right. Got the net?" "I... think so." "Didn't we have the conversation?" "Yeah, yeah! I got it!" Joey pulled the net out of his bag. Louie nodded proudly to him. "Okay, throw it over her!" With some difficulty, the two robgoblins managed to get the net over Irima's sleeping form. "On three, we both pull it!" "But I thought you said that you always get the girls?" "Eugene..." "Joey." "Right. Rules are meant to be broken... sometimes..." "When can you tell?" "It's just... something you'll learn eventually, okay?" "Alright." "Now... one, two, three, GO!" "Go what?" "Pull the net Louie." "That's your name. I'm Joey..." "Right. Now... PULL!!" Slowly but surely, Irima began to move, curled up inside the net. The two robgoblins were making good progress as well, maybe twice the pace of a snail... or more?

Sariyah got up and yawned, looking over at two small creatures near Irima, seemingly unconscious. He poked her awake. "Hey, Irima. Wake up." "Huh... huh wha...?" Irima looked at the little creatures. "Even when you're asleep you knock things unconscious." "Jeez! I'm sorry little...." "Robgoblins." "Robgoblins! Wait... that doesn't sound very friendly." "That's because they steal things." "Oh... should we just leave them?" "Yeah." "Okay. Get up... Tariyah..." She shook him gently. "Oh please!" Sariyah walked over to him and gave him a quick kick in the ribs. "OW!! Oh... Lady Irima!" He took her hands, "An angel wakes me from my sleep." "Actually... it was Sariyah. C'mon, we're leaving." "Alright..." Tyniah picked up a satchel and followed Irima and Sariyah. "The castle is this way..." A few minutes later, Louie and Joey awoke. "That woman is the devil!" Louie cursed, rubbing the back of his head. "Her aim was exact..." Joey cried, rubbing his swollen cheek. "So are we going to follow them?" "Of course we are James!" "Joey." "That's what I said. If we go back, we'll be the laughingstock of our species! We'll follow them, Johnny..." "Joey." "Whateva."

"Great... another letch..." Irima sighed, looking down at Tyniah's unconscious form. "Glad we lost those mages." "Yeah seriously." Sariyah lay down and sighed. "Hey?" "Hm?" "What are you going to say to the king when we get there?" "Well, I thought I'd start out with: Don't move or I'll blow your brains out." "Bad idea." "Jeez, you're stiff. I'm just kidding!" Irima laughed, closing her eyes. "I... I'm kinda tired..." She yawned. "Well, we might as well rest here. We can't travel with Mr. Beautiful over there unconscious and you can bet like hell that I'm not going to carry you." "What about him?" "Fat chance of that too." "You need to relax..." Irima curled up under the tree. "I just feel like... like something bad is going to happen at the castle." "Don't worry about it. I'll keep my cool." "Nothing... life threatening, just... like life will change forever, you know?" "No I..." Another yawn, "Don't know..." Irima fell asleep. Sariyah sighed and stared at the stars. "The sky is darker tonight..."

Irima smiled and looked over at all the black mages, looking rather nervous. "Eh... Sariyah..." She tugged at his sleeve and pointed. All 11 of the black mages looked rather ravenous and angry. "Oh dear..." Tyniah laughed nervously. "This doesn't look like it'll end well." "YOU IDIOT!!" Sariyah brandished his sword. Irima stood in front of him. "REFLECT!!" 11 different black magic spells bounced off the shield. "Run for it!!"

"Hmph. You're pathetic." Tyniah kicked Sariyah across the room again. He fell into one of the broken mirrors. "Now..." Tyniah made a sword appear out of thin air. "You die." He brought the sword over his head and brought it down quickly. Sariyah managed to roll out of the way. The mirror shattered into a million pieces onto the floor. There was a coughing sound near the mirror, then a groan and silence. "Irima?!" Sariyah felt around the glass, but he couldn't see Irima. "Damn it. I must have shattered her crystal." Tyniah gave Sariyah a look of disgust. Then he smiled, "Oh well, she's still unconscious. She can't be of any help to you or herself." Sariyah stood up again and Tyniah vanished. Sariyah looked around frantically, but then found out where Tyniah was as his sword pierced his side. He cried out in pain and fell to the ground again. [i]Get up Sariyah![/i] "Ir- ima...?" [i]GET UP![/i] Tyniah walked slowly over to Sariyah. "Well, how would you like to die? I have a wide variety of illusions that you might find satisfactory. Like this one," The scene changed. Sariyah and Tyniah were on a dock with a sunset in the background. "Hm... it really doesn't suit you. How about this?" The scene changed to a windy day at the beach. "Do you enjoy torturing me?!" Sariyah growled. Tyniah arched his eyebrow. "Of course. You don't like this illusion... I've got one even better..." Tyniah smirked and the scene changed again. It was a wide open meadow with a gentle breeze. Sariyah was still lying on the ground, but his head was in Irima's lap. She was absentmindedly brushing locks of hair out of his face. She smiled down at him. "STOP IT!!" Sariyah stood up and the illusion vanished. He and Tyniah were back in the room of mirrors. Sariyah's side was bleeding even more. "You insolent whelp!" Tyniah slashed Sariyah's arm, he cried out in pain again. [i]SARIYAH!![/i] It was Irima's voice again. He must be hallucinating, or it was another illusion. "Ir- Ir- ima..." "SHUT UP!!" Tyniah stood poised to strike, "NOW YOU DIE!" [i]SOUL SPLITTER!!![/i] There was a burst of white light that blinded both Tyniah and Sariyah. A glowing, yet transparent, image of Irima with wings burst into the dark room. "Irima?!!" Sariyah's eyes were wide. "No... it's another illusion!" "I'm not an illusion Sariyah!" Irima said, matter-of-factly. "I'm Irima's soul." "My God..." Tyniah stared at Irima, "Such power... It will be mine!!" He lunged forward, trying to grab Irima's soul, but he went straight through her. Irima came back around and put her arms around Tyniah's neck and touched her forehead to his. A symbol glowed on her forehead. Sariyah stared at what was going on. [i]Why are you doing this, Tyniah...?[/i] Irima's voice came inside his head. [i]Why does it matter?![/i] [i]If you won't tell me, I can perform another Soul Splitter spell.[/i] [i]Bring it![/i] [i]Have it your way! SOUL SPLITTER!![i] Irima was standing in a room with a small blonde child. He was crying as his mother hit him. "STOP!! STOP THIS ILLUSION!! STOP!!!" "I- I can't mommy!! Stop hitting me!" "I WON'T!! YOU'VE BEEN VERY BAD! STOP IT!!" Suddenly, the woman started running around the room. "WHERE DID YOU GO?!! WHERE ARE YOU?!!" Little Tyniah ran out of the room. The scene changed. Tyniah was older now, around Irima's age. He was sitting beside a girl who looked strikingly like Irima. "Did you bring me a prensent Tyniah?" "Of course!" He rummaged around in his vest and gave her a sapphire ring. "Just what you asked for!" There was silence, then Tyniah spoke. "Er... Eleste, we've been friends for a very long time and... I, I was wondering if you wanted to... be my girlfriend?" Elest stood up angrily, "Just because I tell you to bring me presents every so often doesn't entitle you to be my boyfriend!" "But... you're presents are so expensive... I thought that that was a sign that you cared for me..." "HA! Think again!" Eleste began to storm out of the room. She stopped and looked around. "Where am I...?!" "Inside one my illusions Eleste..." Tyniah looked furious, but contained, "I told you that I would give you all of Aurocon if I could." "That's the only way you'd ever get me to even look at you again! Where are you?!" Tyniah gritted his teeth and Eleste screamed out in pain as she was cut to ribbons. Tyniah picked up her dead form and walked out of the room, tears rolling down his face. Irima stopped. That was enough. Sariyah looked back and forth between Irima and Tyniah. "What was that?!" Irima's eyes focused. She was silently crying, as was Tyniah. She pulled him into an embrace. "It's okay... It's okay Tyniah..." "I-irima....!" The illusion melted away and they were in the cave with the chair again. Irima's body lay slumped in shards of crystal. The vision of Irima's soul smiled and returned to where it originated. Irima stood up and blinked twice, looking over at Sariyah. "Quick Tyniah! Give me my staff!!" The staff appeared in Tyniah's hand. He threw it to Irima, who kneeled beside Sariyah. "Hold this." Sariyah held the staff. Irima placed her forehead to his and muttered something. Sariyah could feel warmth coming from Irima's forehead and the staff. Seconds later, all of his wounds had closed and he could stand. "Thank God you're okay!" Irima smiled as she took her staff back.

Sariyah was brought up from the prison cell he had been in, smiling all the way. "Trouble with Irima?" Sariyah smiled. The Illusion Lord fumed. "Then you know my trouble! What is Irima exactly?!" "She's a white mage, my friend. She has been falsely labeled as a Black mage." Sariyah produced his sword. "Release her now, so she can kill you. I don't think she'll be too please about what you did to her." "I won't give up just yet!" Tyniah and Sariyah faced off together.

Sariyah and Irima walked down a cave pathway that used to be the hall of the castle. "Do you know how we got here Irima?" "No, how?" "Because OF YOU!!" "Oh right..." She giggled, "Sorry." "aHEM!" Remophelle cleared his throat loudly. "My Lord, these two warriors have intruded on our privacy. How should you punish them?" "Hmm... That's a very good question." A rather attractive blonde youth with a thin face stood up from his chair. "Ah... we have a lady guest." "YOW!!" Irima squealed. Sariyah arched his eyebrow. Irima shifted her position and straightened her back, "I am Irima the Black Quessir. Who might you be?" "That's not your name!" Sariyah hissed. "Did you say Black Quessir?" "Yes I did." Irima winked at him. Sariyah sighed, exasperated. "I am Tyniah, Lord of the Illusions. I have created all that you see before you." "And you've created it well, if I do say so myself..." Irima sighed, her eyes still on him. Tyniah smirked at her. "Come here... lovely Irima..." "Y'see?! I AM pretty!" Irima hissed to Sariyah. "Irima! Don't!" She had already crossed the room. "I can't see your face Irima. It must be beautiful, as I've heard." Irima nodded, glassy-eyed and removed her veil. Tyniah took her hand and put his arm around her waist. "Wai- What?!! What are you doing?! Stop it!" Sariyah looked frantically at Irima. "Irima?! Hey, Illusion guy! Let go of her!" Tyniah looked up, "Oh, I'm so sorry. Jealous are we?" Irima still hung limp in his arms. "You did something to her! That's not Irima! She'd never take off her veil!" The Illusion Lord merely smirked at him. He propped Irima's head up and kissed her for what could have been a full minute. "H-hey! Stop it!! Get a room or something!!" Sariyah covered his eyes, peeking from time to time. Irima's eyes, which were at half-mast the entire time, now nearly jumped out of her sockets. Tyniah released her and she fell to the ground, a look of shock on her face. An instant later, she was surrounded by a black crystal structure. Tyniah laughed as Irima floated over to eleven more crystaline structures, all containing a similarly shocked black mage. "At last! I've found my 12th black mage and now, I will cast an illusion so powerful, that I will be king of Aurocon!" He laughed manaically, his minions joining in. "Wait..." Sariyah started. "12th BLACK mage?" "Yes, that's right. Irima the Black Quessir is my 12th black mage." "Right." Sariyah rolled his eyes.

Irima wiped her eyes, still sniffling and shuddering. Sariyah untied the rope around him. "He may have been an idiot... but he was just a man!" Irima sobbed. Sariyah felt a muscle go in his cheek. Irima stood up, placing her staff near Monte. She started to glow with a white aura and Monte disappeared in a thousand brilliant stars. "It's the least I can do for him..." She shuddered again. Night was falling. Sariyah placed his cloak over Irima's shoulders. "C'mon," He said softly, "Let's get to the castle." It was almost pitch black when they finally made it to the castle. Irima showed the guard her ring and he let them in. They walked down a corridor and approached a skinny man with a monacle. "Greetings. My name is Remophelle the Third. How can I be of assistance?" "We are here to speak with the King, good Sir." Irima stated, her protocol perfect. "Well, I'm afraid that the next chance that anyone will get will be the King's Masquerade Ball. Would you like a chamber until then?" Irima nodded. "That would be most excellent, Sir." "Alright, I shall need your name." "Er-" Irima paused. Sariyah picked up the slack. "Jovan." "Alright..." He scrawled something on a piece of parchment, "One chamber for Lord and Lady Jovan." "WHA?!! I mean... I beg your pardon? We, we are not married, Sir." "Not married...? What are you doing trapsing about the countryside together then?" Remophelle gave Irima a look. "You're not a prostitute, are you?" "Of course not Sir! I am scandalized! This kind gentleman found me floating in a river, injured, and he helped me." "I see. Well the two of you will have to share a room. We can't waste all of our chambers to single guests." "Well, thank you very much sir." Irima gave a quick curtsy, even though she was wearing pants. Remophelle led them into a considerably large room with a meal. "Will you be needing clothes for the ball...?" Remophelle observed Irima's clothing. "Er... yes, thank you." Irima curtsied again. Sariyah just stiffly bobbed his head. Remophelle left. Irima exhaled rather quickly, "God, I'm always so nervous around those people..." "Your protocol was flawless! How?!" Irima shrugged, "Got me. Come on, let's eat this before it gets cold!"

OOC: Tsukasa_hack, it's YanAgi... not Yangi. ^_^ Yanagi clenched her fists, concentrating, trying not to turn into the monster she was. She stood up and staggered over to Ijimeru. He looked very scared. She took a deep breath. Her claws disappeared into her fingers as she put a hand on Ijimeru's shoulder. "It's alright... everything's fine... don't worry." "Wha- what...?!" "Ijimeru, don't get upset! I'm your friend, I'm here to help you!" "You had claws coming out of your hands! You're not normal!" She walked around to face him. Yanagi stared into Ijimeru's panicked eyes. She felt tears coming down her cheeks. "Define 'normal.'" "It's... it's..." Ijimeru trailed off. Meanwhile, a gunman had finally gotten up the nerve to raise his weapon. Yanagi heard it click. She turned around suddenly to counter, but before she knew it, the gun had gone off. She staggered into Ijimeru then fell to the ground with a bullet in her side.

Michiko felt Vince's words sting her. She didn't think that anyone would be able to kill Kakashi, and neither had he. She suddenly regained her disposition. "Your name is Vince, right?" "Yeah, what of it?" "I don't think you have the right to talk to me like that, Vince. I am your employer, not your child or your peer. Treat me with respect." "Well, then, I'm outta here." "You can't leave. By getting through the maze, you have signed your contract. I'm sure that your country would be ashamed if you didn't live up to your agreement." Vince gritted his teeth in hatred at Michiko. She smiled smugly at him. "So... enough of this catfight," Xion sighed. "When does this start?" "Moko will show you to your rooms. Tomorrow we head out, everyone." She eyed Vince. "Kakashi, we will discuss your pay back in my office." She exited with him. "That Vince guy probably hates your guts right now." "Hmph. I don't care. He has no right to talk to me like that! Plus, you knew the danger involved." "It was practically non existant. I doubt that one of them could have killed me." They walked in silence for a few moments, "So, are you going to apologize for that outburst to Vince?" "Why should I? I am his employer, he is my employee now." "Well, hopefully you'll feel different sooner or later. I was hoping that you would look more upon this as... a friend helping a friend." Michiko snorted, "Right. You just keep talking like that."

Irima took a step back, dodging a rabid dog-like creature. She noticed Monte trying to high tail it out of the mists. "DON'T MOVE! BOTH OF YOU! If we lose sight of each other, then we'll never... never find each other again!" Monte fell onto the ground, trembling. "Sariyah! When you strike these monsters... aaaack, I know this will sound lame but, think happy thoughts, dangit!!" Irima held her staff in front of her, "Protect!" Sariyah looked around as a green sphere formed around him. She winked at him. "Hey... why don't you use that... that Holy thing?!" Irima gritted her teeth. "I can't lose consciousness in the mists! Be sure that you don't either!" Irima clenched her staff and concentrated. [i]If you need me that much...[/i] Irima smiled. "ESUNA!" A few monsters dicentegrated. "Well... okay, think of something happy..." [i]I'm sorry Irima, but we go our seperate ways now. Besides, I'm sure you have a family somewhere that's worried sick. Good day.[/i] Sariyah was practically crying with joy. "Hey! What are you thinking about over there?!" "Nothing..." Sariyah mumbled. He took a slash at one of the monsters. It disappeared into the mists. "What?! How does that work?!" "The monsters... ack! ESUNA! The monsters are pure evil. They can't stand up to any happiness whatsoever." A few shadows started coming through the mists. "Sariyah! Give me a rope!" He tossed her one out of his bag. She tied one end around Monte's waist, the middle around her waist, and the other end she tossed to Sariyah to figure it out on his own. "We can't be separated! Run towards the castle Monte! Sariyah and I will pick off the monsters!"

Hoshi rolled over onto the ground, her head feeling as though it was splitting in two. "Ohhh... what happened?" She opened her eyes. [i]The curse!! Oh n-[/i] [i][b]CURSE OF THOR! CURSE OF THOR! CURSE OF THOR! CURSE OF THOR! CURSE OF THOR![/b][/i] Hoshi gripped her head and screamed. Lightning was raining down around her, circling her. "What's going on?!" Zo yelled. "I don't know!" Serena watched the spells circle Hoshi, coming close to Hiei. "I'll get him!" Serena nimbly dodged a Curse of Thor and pulled Hiei away from Hoshi. Hoshi looked up into Serena's face, smiled for a fleeting second, then resumed screaming.