Post by Hayate on Apr 22, 2009 16:50:33 GMT -5
Tales of the Epitaph
Chapter 10: The Great Pursuit
~ Arche Haokar, the City of Elves ~
~ Sayaday, Gorre-Lunae 23, AC2038 ~
*Shiro, Saber, and Kaori find themselves surrounded by dozens of Sumomo clones*
Sumomo(s): Hehehe…
Saber: …
Kaori: …
Shiro: … *gulp*
Sumomo(s): Heh. I can see you’re all pretty shocked right now…so I guess I’ll make the first move!
*a pair of Sumomo clones leap from the trees and pounces onto the party from above; Shiro effortlessly strikes the two clones and they vanish in a puff of white smoke*
Sumomo(s): Ohhhh… Not bad… Let’s see you handle…four!
*as expected, four Sumomo clones jump out from the crowd of duplicates and pounce onto the party; with a little effort, Shiro does away with them*
Shiro: C’mon, Kaori! I need your help here!
Kaori: …I don’t wanna die… I don’t wanna die…
Shiro: Tch! Saber, can you move yet!?
*just a few feet away, Saber struggles to rise to her knees*
Saber: I-I apologize… I need…a f-few more moments…
*from the crowd of Sumomo clones, seven clones suddenly leap forward; each of the clones tosses several ninja daggers; Shiro repels the daggers with his blades and, with a bit more effort, does away with the seven Sumomo clones as they approach*
Shiro: *panting* Dammit all…!
Kaori: …Aylia… Help me, Aylia…
Saber: Miss Kaori! Please pull yourself together!
Kaori: !!! …M-Miss Saber…?
Saber: Did you not say you wished to prove yourself? Prove to Aylia that you can walk with your own two feet?
Kaori: B-But I…
Saber: Aylia isn’t here to hold your hand. Just…have faith in yourself.
Kaori: …
Shiro: I think they’re getting ready to attack all at once!
*from the treetops, the nearly 100 Sumomo clones glare downward at the three-man party of Shiro, Kaori, and Saber*
Kaori: …
*picking up her bow, Kaori rises to her feet and gazes up at the army of clones*
Sumomo(s): TIME TO SAY GOODBYE, BOYS AND GIRLS!!!
*upon having said this, the Sumomo clones all leap from the treetops and pounce onto the party; Kaori closes her eyes and concentrates*
Sumomo(s): HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
Kaori: *ears twitch* …There!
*turning to her southeast, Kaori fires off a single arrow diagonally upward*
Sumomo: Gah!
*the arrow strikes a single Sumomo, and the rest of the clones vanish one after the other; the last Sumomo standing -- the real Sumomo -- falls to the ground, weakened*
Kaori: Gotcha!
Shiro: Nice!
Saber: Well done!
*Sumomo shortly picks herself up off the ground; her now unruly hair shielding her hate-filled eyes*
Sumomo: …Alright… I think I’ve toyed with you children long enough…! “Kiddie hour” is over…!
*as she sprints forward, Sumomo performs another series of seals with her hands*
Saber: Prepare yourselves!
Shiro: *raises blades* Hmph!
Sumomo: Daunian Arte: Rue Mizuki!
*swinging her arms in an upward motion as she runs, Sumomo draws water from the vapor in the air and the soil beneath her, then hurls the mass of water at the party; Saber and Kaori fly back from the sheer gravity of the blast, but Shiro stands his ground; once the water dies down, Sumomo draws in towards Shiro, grabs him by the neck, and shoves him into a tree trunk*
Shiro: Agh!
*with Shiro now defenseless, Sumomo raises a dagger and prepares to behead him*
Sumomo: Now…DIE!!!!!
*she swings her dagger arm to strike…*
Shiro: !!!
Saber/Kaori: SHIRO!!!
*…but an unidentified force holds her back*
Sumomo: Nngh…! Argh…!
Shiro: H-Huh…?
*Sumomo begins to hear her own voice echoing inside her mind*
“Other” Sumomo: No! This isn’t right! We can’t!
Sumomo: D-Damn you! Don’t get in my way! Don’t you remember…what Beatrice said!?
“Other” Sumomo: I… I don’t care! I don’t want more people to hate me!
Sumomo: You’d choose these nobodies…over your own people!?
“Other” Sumomo: There has to be another way!
Sumomo: N-No! W-What are you doing!?
“Other” Sumomo: This is my body! I’m taking back control!
Sumomo: S-Stop! I won’t let you stifle me! A-ARGH!!!
*as her two “halves” clash from within, Sumomo collapses to her knees*
Sumomo: Urgh…! GRAAAAHHHH!!!!
*before long, Sumomo’s eyes return to their original color*
Sumomo: …Ohhhh… Huh?
*glancing around, Sumomo looks at Shiro’s, Saber’s, and Kaori’s puzzled expressions*
Sumomo: …
*quickly hopping to her feet, she spins around and runs away*
Kaori: *blinks* What the…?
Saber: She’s retreating…
Shiro: *sigh*Almost lost my head for a second there…literally… Should we go after her?
Saber: No. Nightfall is nearly upon us. We should find Kazuto and escape from here as quickly as we can.
Kaori: But what about the Badhi root?
Saber: We’ll start fresh in the morning like I said. We can only hope that Ren’s condition hasn’t worsened.
*in agreement with Saber’s words, Shiro and Kaori nod and follow behind her through the forest; a short while later…*
Kazuto/Girl: Kyaaaaaaah!
*Kazuto and the girl with long blond hair are seen still locked in fierce combat; after a loud clash of steel, the two back away from each other*
Girl: *panting*
Kazuto: *panting* I don’t understand! If you’re not with Atrum Neux, why are you trying to kill me!? Please, I just want to make sense of all this! If I don’t know who you are or what you want, I have no reason to fight you!
Girl: No… I suppose you wouldn’t… *raises blade* But I have a reason to fight you… And by that reason alone, I’m making sure you don’t leave this forest alive…!
Kazuto: (Damn… I don’t see any end to this… If only…)
Girl: …Hmm?
*just then, in the corner in her eye, the blonde girl sees a rustling in the grass nearby; out of the shadows emerge Shiro, Saber, and Kaori*
Shiro: Kazu!
Saber: Thank goodness we found you!
Kazuto: S-Shiro! Saber!
Kaori: …Ah! Who is…?
Girl: Tch! (Dammit! Reinforcements! I can’t take on four at once!)
*leaping up, the blonde girl jumps onto a tree branch*
Kazuto: W-Wait! You still haven’t told me who you are!
Girl: If I were you, I’d be more concerned with getting out of this forest and helping Ren get better. But don’t worry, young prince. We will meet again soon. And when we do…
Kazuto: …
Girl: …
*saying nothing else, the blonde girl leaps away into the cover of the trees’ leaves*
Shiro: …Who was that girl just now, Kazu?
Kazuto: I… I wish I knew.
Saber: …Hmm? Sir Kazuto, what’s that in your pocket?
Kazuto: Huh? Oh.
*turning to face the others, Kazuto takes the strange herbs he found out of his pocket*
Kazuto: You mean this? I found it in a clearing just a couple meters from here.
Saber: Kaori?
*walking forward, Kaori takes a close look at the herb*
Kaori: …Yes! There’s no mistaking it! This is Badhi root!
Saber: Heh. How convenient. This saves us the morning trip.
Shiro: This is great! Now we can help Ren!
Kazuto: …
*Kazuto looks down at the herbs in his hand*
Kazuto: (Just a little longer, Ren… We’re almost there!)
*after a couple more hours of walking, sometime after the sun had gone down completely, the assembled party eventually finds its way out of the forest and back on the outskirts of Arche Haokar*
Kaori: Hahaha! We made it! … *gasp*
*upon arriving, the group finds Aylia waiting for them; she had a displeased expression and her arms were crossed*
Kaori: A-Aylia!
Aylia: *holds out feather-shaped pendant* …Forget something?
Kaori: *gasp* My pendant!
Aylia: Didn’t I explicitly tell you to stay away from Sins Ran Badhi, Kaori? Who knows what would’ve happened if I wasn’t there to protect you?
Kaori: I… I just…
Saber: …Please don’t be angry with her, Miss Aylia. If not for Kaori, we’d most surely be dead right now.
Aylia: Hmm?
Shiro: Yeah, I agree. For a while there, we almost didn’t make it. But Kaori really came through. …She’s quite remarkable.
Kaori: …Mr. Shiro…
Aylia: …I see…
*her feet suddenly carrying her forward, Aylia approaches Kaori; holding up the pendant again, Aylia proceeds to tie the pendant around Kaori’s neck; upon doing so, she immediately wraps her arms around Kaori*
Kaori: *gasp* A-Aylia?
Aylia: …Don’t ever scare me like that again.
Kaori: Aylie… *smiles* …I’m sorry…
*a short time later, in one of the rooms in Aylia’s house, Kazuto, Shiro, and Saber wait anxiously for Aylia and Kaori to emerge from the next room over*
Kazuto: …
Shiro: …
Saber: …
*before long, the door opens, and the group turns towards it as Aylia and Kaori enter*
Aylia: We’ve finished administering the antidote. Your friend is sleeping soundly now. She should be perfectly fine by morning.
Kazuto: *long sigh* Thank Aura…
Shiro: Whew! *sits down* Finally we can relax…
Saber: *bows to Aylia and Kaori* We’re forever grateful to you, Miss Aylia, Miss Kaori.
Kaori: Hehehe. Don’t mention it.
Saber: I’m going back to the “Twilight” to inform Captain Ciel, so that we’ll be ready to depart once Miss Ren is up and about. *bows to everyone* If you’ll excuse me… *exits*
Kaori: *turns to face Aylia* Hey, Aylie? Now that we’re finished helping Miss Ren, could I talk to you about something?
Aylia: Hmm? Sure, what is it?
Kaori: Uh… Actually, could we…talk in private?
Aylia: …Sure, I guess.
*as Kaori and Aylia excuse themselves as well, Shiro looks over at Kazuto*
Shiro: Heh. You must be really relieved, huh, Kazu?
Kazuto: Yeah… I dunno what I would’ve done if Ren had died…
Shiro: *raises eyebrow* Oh-ho… How brazen of you, Kazu… Hearing you say something like that, a guy would get the notion you like Ren more than you let on…
Kazuto: *blush* W-What…!?
Shiro: Tsk-tsk-tsk… I wonder how a certain princess would feel about that…
Kazuto: That’s not funny, Shiro!
Shiro: Sheesh, no need to get defensive. I was just messing with you.
Kazuto: …
Shiro: …By the way, Kazu…
Kazuto: Huh?
Shiro: …What do you plan to do now? It seems that no matter where we go, Atrum Neux always manages to catch up with us. That Dol Dona ninja in the forest… That blonde girl you fought…
Kazuto: She isn’t with Atrum Neux.
Shiro: Hmm? She isn’t?
Kazuto: No. At least…she said she wasn’t.
Shiro: Hmph. I wouldn’t trust that. Just ‘cuz she says she’s not with Atrum Neux doesn’t mean she isn’t. It was probably just a trick to get you to lower your guard.
Kazuto: I dunno… There was something about her voice. I don’t think she was lying. Plus…she seemed like she knew Ren. When I mentioned Ren’s name, she reacted.
Shiro: …
Kazuto: … *sigh* Maybe I’m just overanalyzing. I’ve gone nearly 10 hours without rest.
Shiro: Heh, that’s true. We should probably get some sleep.
Kazuto: Yeah.
*with that, Kazuto and Shiro return to the S.S. Twilight to sleep; meanwhile, Ren is seen laying in bed with her eyes partly open; she had apparently eavesdropped on Kazuto and Shiro’s conversation*
Ren: (…So she’s found us… As if having Atrum Neux after us wasn’t upsetting enough…) *closes eyes* (…Don’t worry, milady… I will carry out my mission…without fail…)
*the next morning, Kazuto emerges from below deck and walks out onto the main deck to be met by the light of the shining sun, stretching his arms up and letting out a mighty yawn as he does so; a voice suddenly calls out to him from the ship’s stern*
: Well, it sure took you long enough to wake up.Kazuto: …Hmm?
*looking up and to the rear, Kazuto finds Ren looking down towards him from the ledge*
Kazuto: Ren!
Ren: Good morning, Kazuto.
Kazuto: G-Good morning… You’re feeling all better now?
Ren: Mm-hmm. Miss Aylia’s Badhi root really worked wonders.
Kazuto: *sigh* I’m glad to hear that. *glances around* Where are Shiro and Saber?
Ren: They’re making some last-minute preparations before we set sail.
Kazuto: *nods* I see. …Hey…are you sure you’re feeling alright?
Ren: Hmm? Of course. Why do you ask?
Kazuto: Well…you know…after what happened with Rhys yesterday, you…
Ren: …
Rhys: Her father was a worthless ape, and her mother was a lying heathen! And even she herself has the blood of those savages running through her veins!
Rhys: Humans and half-Elves -- they’re scum, every last one of them!
Rhys: You didn’t know a bloody thing about your birth parents until several moments ago, and now you’re defending them?!? How dare you!!! What gives you the right to do that?!?
Ren: …It’s true that I never knew anything about my parents before, and that it was rather selfish of me to defend them in front of someone who actually grew up with parents, but…after hearing the Elven Elder’s story, it comforted me to know that my mother and father were good people. Their love was pure, even though they were from different races. …I won’t try to understand what Rhys went through when he lost his parents, but I do sympathize with him. Besides…even though I don’t know what it’s like to lose parents…
Kaga: Hahaha!
Ren: …I know what it’s like to lose family.
Kazuto: …Ren…
*moments later, Shiro and Saber return to the S.S. Twilight on a floating platform like the one the Elves first greeted them on*
Shiro: Well, well, look who decided to wake up. Morning, sleepyhead.
Saber: Good morning, Sir Kazuto. I trust you slept well?
Kazuto: Yup. Thanks, Saber. Where’d you two just come from?
Shiro: Aylia’s place. She had used the Aromatic Grass we found a while back to make a pretty powerful salve for wounds.
Saber: So now that we’ve all assembled here, might I inquire as to where we’re heading next?
Ren: Hmmm… Good question. There aren’t many places where we’d be safe from Atrum Neux’s hounding eyes.
Ciel: I’ve got an idea!
*at that moment, Captain Ciel jumps into the conversation*
Ren: Captain Ciel?
Ciel: During patrol late last night, a crewman of mine said he noticed a young lass with ginger hair commandeering a small boat out of the hollow underground. He followed her on one of them floating platforms and last saw her heading west.
Shiro: Ginger hair…? *gasp* The ninja girl from the forest!
Saber: Hmm… If she’s heading straight west, she must be bound for Mac Anu.
Kazuto: …Mac Anu…
Ciel: The young miss is with Atrum Neux, right? If it’s a destination you be needing, I say we give chase!
Shiro: Go after Atrum Neux ourselves!? That’s suicide!
Saber: But if you recall, that Dol Dona girl didn’t wish to kill us back in Sins Ran Badhi. It’s possible she’d been made a member of Atrum Neux against her will.
Ren: So you’re suggesting we help her?
Saber: I’m suggesting we try to figure out her situation. If we do come to relieve her suffering, we may have one less stalker to worry over.
Ciel: Sounds like a plan! Arc-en-Ciel crew, prepare to set sail!
Crew: AYE-AYE, CAPTAIN!!!
*preparations are made for the journey, and soon after, the S.S. Twilight sails off towards the west; a short time later, Ren descends the stairs leading below deck to store her equipment; as she sets her things down onto a nearby bed, her ears twitch at the sound of a rustling behind some barrels*
Ren: Hmm…?
*there was silence; shrugging the sounds off as rats, Ren turns and begins to make her way back towards the main deck, but she stops when she hears the sound a second time*
Ren: *spins around* Who’s there!?
*just then, Ren actually does hear the squeak of a rat; then, a blonde figure leaps out from behind the barrels in fright*
Kaori: Aah! A rat! Get it off!
*due to her jump, Kaori stumbles forward, knocking several barrels over*
Kaori: …Owww…
Ren: … *sweatdrop*
*not too long after that, Ren and Kaori emerge from below deck to greet the rest of the party and crew*
Ren: …It seems we have a stowaway.
Shiro: Miss…Kaori?
Kaori: Hehehe… H-Hello, everyone…
*meanwhile, back at Aylia’s house in Arche Haokar, Aylia is seen grasping a piece of paper tightly between her fingers*
Aylia: …
*at that moment, Mello enters*
Mello: Yo, ‘Aylie’! Just thought I’d drop in and… Hmm? What’s with you?
Aylia: …Maybe I’m just too nice…
Mello: Say what?
Aylia: *shakes head* It’s nothing. *hands paper to Mello* …Take a look at what Kaori left me.
*taking the piece of paper from Aylia, Mello looks it over; it was a farewell letter written by Kaori*
Mello: “Dear Aylie, by the time you read this letter, I will already be gone. I’ve decided to accompany Kazuto and his friends on their journey. I know you told me that I shouldn’t and that it’d be dangerous for me to travel with humans, but I couldn’t think of anything else to get you to acknowledge me. Even after returning from Sins Ran Badhi last night, you’ve addressed me as though I’m a little girl who must always be protected. I’m not a little girl anymore, Aylie. So I’m going to travel with Kazuto’s group and help them in any way that I can. I won’t become a burden to them, and I don’t want to be a burden to you either. I know you’ll probably hate me for doing this, and I know that I can’t apologize for it enough, but I have to do it. Please don’t worry about me. Kazuto and his friends are all good people, and I feel safe being in their company. And I’ll even remember to bring you some souvenirs when I come back home, okay? Thank you for looking out for me all these years. Love, Kaori.” …Heh. Li’l Kaori can sure be a pain in the ass, huh?
Aylia: …Yeah…
*lowering her head, Aylia looks at Kaori’s feather-shaped pendant in her hand*
Aylia: *smiles* …She sure can.
TO BE CONTINUED…
