Gloonk! Back with the next chapter. School starts tomorrow. I am sad that I will no longer be able to lurk on MMOTales and enjoy the plethora of magical delights – *gets kicked in the head*

AAGH! Anyway. In answer to some comments (yes, I’m a person who feels more comfortable replying readers in Author’s Notes rather than comments, a remnant of my FF.net days.) As usual, the shoutout to mine readers: if you thought it was worth the however-many-minutes-of-your-life-it-took-to-read, if you liked or hated something in particular about it, always feel free to leave a comment! I want to keep on improving, and the best way I can do that is through your feedback. Your author-to-be needs YOU. *points*

To Faelli: Yes, I did think of writing a book at one time. You may see a blog about that. Ebentually. >.>

To Indigo: Yes, actually, one of my best friends is absolutely hooked on Kare Kano. I do like the characters there – a lot – but the Az/Li dynamic was based off a pair from my original fiction, although toned down a little and twisted to fit their respective pasts. Hehe, I guess there are only so many types of character you can explore without them melding into another kind.

To DaMunky: MUNKYYYY! Anyway, yes. I wouldn’t say it had all THAT in it xD And I’m scared that, with all the things I may seem to have promised, that I’ll fail you guys at the final chapter. >_< Every would-be author’s worst nightmare. Well, most. Well, some. BLAHHH.
—-
i. Az
Falling…

“No. Put him on that bed while I attend to the girl.”

Sinking…

“Heat this up. And if the boy awakens, give him one spoonful.”
“Will he be happy at that?”
“It is none of my business whether he is pleased by the sequence of events or not. He is nearly dead of exhaustion. Sleep will do him well.”

Drowning…
“Well. That doesn’t look pleasant.”
“This is not the time to be sarcastic. Go and get me some warm water and a few cloths. And, if you would be so kind, send down to the kitchens for some food.”

Feeling myself slip away, knowing I failed. Failed. Failed.
“…who…”
“Calm down, girl. I will not harm you.”
“Feel like…I’ve been hit…by Mushmom…”
“Don’t speak. Just rest.”

Dying.

Dying, like I deserved all along.

I opened my eyes, glanced around a couple of times, and sat up to check whether Li was okay. Not in the bed on the right…I took a careful look at the one on the left and froze. There was a magician sitting there looking at Li, dressed in a dark Anakarune. He didn’t seem to have noticed me, but I couldn’t shake the feeling I’d met him before, even though his face was masked by hair.

What’s wrong, boy?

Where was this coming from?

I can only help one of you. Which one?
Save her.

All the vague wispy memories got shoved to the back when he leaned over, brushed the hair off her face and gave her a kiss. Instantly, I let the cold spiral up from inside me and my hand instinctively went for a shinkita that wasn’t there. Cold, cold rage, locking around my mind, shutting out distraction, shutting out other emotion.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I said quietly, and he rose, taking his time about it, and looked across at me.
“Good afternoon, boy,” he said, and his voice was just as ringed with icicles. Both of us, then. Both of us with that dangerous, dagger-edged cold inside us, ready to strike without hesitation. “I trust your sleep was good.” I trust. Not, ‘Did you have a good sleep’ or ‘I hope you had a good sleep’. I trust your sleep was good.

“Don’t,” I warned him, and my hand groped for something, anything sharp that I could use. He smiled at me. An expression that seemed even colder on his pale face.
“What are you afraid of? Afraid of having another one of the women you love taken away from you again?” I stilled; my hand stopped rummaging, I slid my legs off the side of the bed and switched on Haste. I had him pinned against the wall in seconds, even though he was a good three inches taller than me…but worst of all, he didn’t look like he cared.
“What do you know about that?” I whispered. He just smiled, still a cold expression.
“You don’t remember, boy?” he whispered back. Raising one hand, he paused, inches away from my face. But I couldn’t let go of him. I had to find out what he knew. “Then my spell did work, after all. Be glad it won’t damage your memory permanently.”
“My memory-”

Then he pressed his hand to my forehead, half-buried in my hair, and it was like opening a floodgate at the back of my head that had always been locked. Dimly, I realised I had let go of him. Dimly, I realised I was sinking to the floor, and he was kneeling beside me. Then I let myself go entirely and, caught up in the torrential rush of memories, fell into the flow.

Az! That’s my apple! I’m telling mama!
You want it, you’ll have to win it back! Ha – agh!
I win! Yeah-huh!

Next.

Wow, those orange mushrooms are pretty strong.
Yeah, betcha you couldn’t take down one of them, Az!
I could! I’m going to be a big strong bandit and all the girls will – hey!

Next.

So…you want to become a thief, yes?
Ah…yeah, I want to be a darrrrk thief. Scary and daaarrrrk.
…make your choice. The dagger? Excellent. A fairly untrodden path, but I can see it is right for you.

Next.

You have done dagger-wielders proud. Now be a Bandit, and carry on their good name.
They have a good name? I haven’t been doing my job well, then, have I? Aren’t Thieves supposed to have a bad name, because they’re bad-
Just…be a Bandit. Carry on their name.

Next.

I…uh…ah, snap. How do I say this.
…say what?
Uh, Essy…I’ve…well…y’know…we grew up together and all that…and, well…
…you’re trying to say you like me…aren’t you?
Uh, yes, but I’m not planning anything big like children yet. Just to let you know.

Next.

Uhh…Az, I’m feeling a bit sick in here. Can we go outside?

No. Please, no.

Stumbling half-dead into El Nath, carrying her in my arms. Not even able to speak, from fear and anger and exhaustion. The ship had gone down. I thought it was too strongly spelled to ever sink. The people in the cabin were all right, but we hadn’t been in the cabin, had we? Some people stopped to look at me. I must’ve been a sight. My Steal set ragged shreds where cloth had been, charred and blackened where the plate armour was. And this girl in my arms with one missing eye and her clothes similarly ruined. We must have looked like refugees from the Lava Dungeon. Yeah, possibly gotten attacked by firebombs.

I stopped outside the potion shop, laying Essy down on the steps and virtually collapsing in the snow beside her. Weakly, I lifted one arm and knocked on the door, hoping they would hear me before we both died of cold out here. Night was falling around us, and if we didn’t get shelter by then we would both be dead.
“Help us.” My voice was a hoarse rasp, barely audible over the mounting winds. I chanced a glance at the snowy prairie, hoping, just hoping, that we would be safe and warm before the harsh blizzard raged through El Nath. No, it wasn’t even hope any more, it was a prayer. Some people glanced at us, but none came by to help or even stopped to ask. Burying my face in an arm as the cold bit around me, I felt the hot prickling in my eyes and swallowed a sob as a tear trickled down my face.

“What’s wrong, boy?” I looked up and caught just a glimpse of black robe, red hair, pale skin. Desperately, I struggled to sit up and gestured helplessly at Essy, lying on the snow-glazed wood, as I wiped away a tear.
“Our ship went down over El Nath,” I whispered. “I tried to get her to take potions. But she can’t swallow. Please, help us…” My voice trailed off as he bent down next to her.

Red hair, pale skin, dark robes, and that cold, cold face. Him. This Priest. The one putting me through hell right now.

“I can help one of you,” he said quietly, after a long pause. “Which one?” I stared at him, more than a little shocked.
“You mean you can only heal one of us?” I asked, feeling the tears begin again. There was no question about which one of us it would have to be. I had failed; I didn’t deserve to keep going on.
“No,” he answered, voice tinged with cool amusement. I was too tired, too worried, too frightened to be angry. “I can heal both of you, but I can only help one of you.
“What does that mean?” I staggered to my feet. “You can’t-”
“Which one?” he repeated, and I let my hands fall back to their sides as I was just raising them to walk over and shake him.
“Save her,” I whispered, and he nodded and rose, placing one hand on my forehead. Green light enveloped us both, but before I could open my mouth to thank him, the light flared again, with greater intensity, rather than fading. I was barely able to speak, let alone protest, as he ripped my mind apart.

It hurt. A lot. I felt his presence in my head, cold, delicate, rearranging and patching and blurring. I couldn’t scream, I couldn’t rail at him and shove him out; I couldn’t do anything. I just sat at the back of my head sobbing in pain while he repatched my memories for whatever reason he had. When I woke up, it was in a howling blizzard, and I was sure of one thing and one thing only.

Essy was lost to me forever.

“Why did you do it?” I murmured, when I was confident enough to speak…when the shivering all over had subsided, not bothering to move from my position on the floor. He was still kneeling beside me, his face perfect, cold and poised.
“Why?” he echoed, the word seemingly tasteless in his mouth. “Because you told me to save her.” In one motion, I was off the floor, and pinning him to the hard planking.

“Why…” I said quietly, menacingly, “Did…you…do…it? How…was…that…’saving’…her?”
“He has his own reasons. That I’m sure an idiot like you wouldn’t be able to understand,” a familiar voice said from behind me, and, not willing to turn away from this enigmatic Priest, who had caused me so much pain, who had put me through my own private hell, I just glanced to the side a bit and caught a glimpse of red Starlight. The back of my neck suddenly felt a lot hotter, and I hissed, wanting my shinkita in hand right now.

“Such an idiotic brute. You’re almost as bad as Deya. Now be civilised, unless you’ve found a way to live without breathing?” I was actually beginning to smell burning hair, and so, albeit reluctantly, I let go and edged off in a direction away from the red robes. The Priest looked unfazed; sitting up, he glanced at the fire wizard who was calmly extinguishing the Arrow and remarked coolly, “Must you constantly make such dramatic entrances, Allamar?”
—-
Whoo, our local love-to-hate magician is back on the scene! Who is this Priest? Why does he have it in so badly for Az? What is in Az’s past that is such a deep secret? How is all this tied in with Finesse? Find out…sometime else.