Wishes, part 1
Aristan leaned quietly against a wall and watched the chaos around her
with no small amount of bewilderment. Of course, none of it showed on her face. She had learned long ago that the only person she could truly trust with her emotions was her sister.
The chaos was on account of Alex’s pregnancy. The second the household had found out about it, everyone started fussing about her. Alex seemed to be
less than pleased with this.
"Alex? Are you comfortable? Would you like another pillow?"
"Would you like me to make you some tea?"
"Hey, Alex? Shouldn't you be resting?"
"Alex, do you...?"
"Alex, are you...?"
"Alex, shouldn't you...?"
Aristan looked to her sister, who was watching with amusement. "Hey, 'Doka?," she whispered. "Bet ten to your one that Alex will start blasting them soon."
Madoka shook her head. "I wouldn't take that bet. I'd lose."
Missy had turned into a fox and was hiding behind her Queen for safety.
Madoka sent her an amused look. "Aren't you supposed to be my brave protector?"
~Forget it, Boss Lady! Homicidally angry sorceresses aren't in my job
description. Besides, I like breathing!~
Alex directed a black, thunderous scowl at the five boys and her husband
clustered around her like hens around a wounded chick. When she spoke, you could have broken icicles off her words. "If you all don't back off now, I will not be responsible for the damage that I will do you. I'm pregnant. Not dying. Women have been pregnant for years now, and none have shattered like spun glass because of it. So back off!!"
The six men around her leapt back, looking surprised and just a little
hurt. Alex looked ready to severely maim.
A gently smiling Hashiba Sarah stepped forward. "Umm, dears? Perhaps it
would be best if you all went off and let Alex rest for a little while?"
The men all nodded and quietly tiptoed out of the room, but not before they had propped Alex's feet on a hassock and tucked a blanket around her.
Aristan had to smother a laugh at the look on Alex's face. It seemed
halfway between complete bewilderment and utter disgust. The blonde woman shook her head. "Why is it that men act utterly insane sometimes? Why? Suddenly a perfectly reasonable man turns into an absolute nit! Why?!"
Madoka wasn't even trying to hold back her giggles. "Something about the
word 'baby' causes a hormonal reaction in men. They automatically believe your
brains and common sense have vanished for the duration."
Alex groaned. "And I have nine more months of this to look forward too?
I'll never make it! I'll run out of patience and kill somebody! You all _have_ to help me, or next thing I know, they'll be carrying me from room to room!"
Damiet smirked. "Just think. With five doting godfathers, this child is going to be the most spoiled brat this side of reality."
Alex buried her face in her hands and groaned. "Someone just shoot me now.
Please?"
***
Akenti warily eyed the man pacing back and forth across the room. There
were ten heaps of armor where there used to be an honor guard of Shadow soldiers. Akenti flinched as the red-eyed figure seemed to remember her presence.
"Where _is_ it, Akenti? Why have you not found it?"
Akenti promptly fell to her knees before the scarlet-armored man. "I beg
forgiveness, Master. I have failed to find the Darksword for you. All I know
is that the Guardian gave it to the original Nine Rings. Where they hid it is a mystery."
The man casually backhanded the winged woman into the wall. "Excuses,
excuses. Find the Darksword, Akenti. Find it soon. I have no place for
failures in my army. Go. Do not return until you have recovered the Sword!"
Akenti laboriously dragged herself up to her feet, bowed, and fled the room as fast as she could run. She shuddered to herself, as she recalled the look in Zaren/Darkness' eyes. 'I miss my brother. This Darkness makes my father appear soft. I must find the Darksword. I must!!'
***
Aristan blinked at her sister. "So, why are we doing this again?" She was
tugging fitfully at the hem of her skirt. Aristan severely disliked modern clothes. Give her a kimono, or a robe, or anything but these nasty skirts. They always felt like a tunic with a belt! She felt indecent!
"We are going to school, because that is what humans our age are expected
to do. It's this or get married...And stop fussing! Besides, would you rather live with Mom?"
"No!! But I really don't like this..."
"It's fun! Class is really easy, and we have cousin...I mean _brother_
Rowan to explain things to us! Isn't that spiffy! We have a brother!"
Aristan watched her sister dance down the hallway, heading towards the
kitchen for breakfast. 'A brother...Brother? I don't know...'Doka seems awfully fond of him. But then, she was staying here the whole time I was being held captive by Zar...' Aristan flinched at the thought, and strove to hold back tears. 'Oh, Zaren! It's not fair! You...we...Oh, Zaren...'
Her face blank and frozen, the blue-haired woman walked slowly after her
sister.
***
While a snowstorm raged outside, Madoka and Missy watched Aristan from
across the room. The two pretended an interest in a history textbook, but
were really having a silent conversation about the blue-haired woman staring moodily into space.
~Missy, something has to be done. Sis is not going to snap out of this. I'm afraid this is a tried-and-true depression. I can't believe my sister fell in love with the villain!~
~And what was Damiet?~
~Shut up! The point I'm trying to make here is that she is really depressed!~
~So?~
~Remember what I did?~
~Oh. You're saying suicide runs in the family?~
~All I mean is that she isn't very with it right now. She might...get into
trouble without someone keeping an eye on her.~
~This someone wouldn't happen to be me, would it? You know your sister and
I have never been what you wanna call amiable.~
~No. I need you to look for the Darksword. We need to find it before the Darkness and Akenti do. I'm just venting my worries and frustrations on you. After all, the game is tied one to one, and there's only one inning left.~
~I think you've been watching too much of the international sports
channel...~
~Does the metaphor really matter? What I'm trying to impart is that we're
balanced on the knife's edge, here. Things can go either way. We might all lose, and the three worlds could be cast into darkness unending.~
~Thank you for sharing. Now _I'm_ terrified.~
~Misery loves company. Don't worry. As long as you find the Darksword, we're safe. The Darkness can't kill Ari if he doesn't have it. So, we get it.
Simple.~
~Jeez. No pressure or anything! When do you want me to go?~
Outside, thunder rumbled and a crash of lightning slashed through the snow. The five people in the apartment jumped in surprise and stared out the window in consternation. Madoka shot Missy a faintly panicked look.
~How fast can you pack?~
***
Aristan leaned back against the living room couch. Sage was meditating in
the corner opposite her, and Rowan and Madoka were sitting by the computer,
arguing over some experiment they were doing for a science course.
Ari leaned back, and just absorbed the moment. She was warm, comfortable,
safe, and surrounded by family. It felt nice. It felt...rather like what she had always expected a normal home should feel like.
She smiled fondly at Rowan and Madoka as the argument seemed to come to
some sort of head. Madoka was making extravagant hand gestures as she stated her point, quite loudly, in scientific gibberish. From this, Ari guessed that 'Doka was losing. Rowan just repeatedly gestured to a sheet of equations. Finally, Madoka threw up her hands in defeat, and the two continued with their paper, or experiment, or _whatever_ it was.
Rowan. At first, she hadn't been all that sanguine about having a brother.
However, over the last couple of weeks, she had come to like the boy. He was
quiet, kind, polite, and a nice change from Madoka. She could see why 'Doka had become so fond of him.
And even if she hadn't grown to like Rowan, she'd owe him a great deal for
what he'd done for 'Doka. Before they had gone to the Ronins for help, Madoka had hidden her true feelings, her insecurities and fears, behind a wall of flippancy and humor. Her brashness and bravery had hidden a terrible emotional insecurity. However, since Ari had been rescued, she had noticed a decided change in her sister. Madoka now was truly happy with herself; comfortable with her life. All in all, she had become a well-adjusted, balanced, individual. Ari believed that Rowan's brotherly care had a lot to do with this. Even though he had thought she was his cousin at the time!
She glanced at Sage. Sage. Now he was an interesting person. At first, she had thought he might have a crush on her sister, but that idea was kinda shot down when she realized that Damiet and Madoka had declared themselves a couple. Now that had been a shock. She had known that Damiet had some indeterminate feelings about her twin, but not that Madoka returned them. She had thought that she was going to have to do some major matchmaking. Turns out, everything had been done while she was away. What a letdown. She had been looking forward to a little romantic maneuvering. She
liked matchmaking. It was a much more pleasant way of using her skills that those required by her position...
'Oh well. What will be, will be. Still, I have five gorgeous, uncommitted
boys in my new circle of friends. Finding mates for them should occupy my
attention...Well, _mostly_ uncommitted. Ryo is staked out by Mia, and it's just a matter of time before he realizes it and gives in. And that irritating furball of my sister's has pretty much called dibs on Kento. Still, that leaves me Sai, Sage, and Rowan. All handsome, personable boys...Yes, this ought to be fun.'
***
"Hey, Ari? Where'd Missy go?"
Ari made a face. "Don't ask. She might come back."
Madoka grinned at her sister. "Now Ari, don't be so mean. You shouldn't
hold a grudge for _this_ long. It isn't healthy." She turned back to Kento with a grin. "Why'd you ask, Kento? Did ya miss her?"
Kento blinked. "Well, yes. She's a good friend."
The disappointment on Madoka's face was almost comical. "Friend. Right. Of
course. Well, she's off looking for something for me. She'll be reporting in
tonight. Maybe she'll drop by and visit before leaving. Then again, maybe not. You never can tell with kitsune."
Sai and Kento visited with Ari and Madoka a little longer, and then had to
get back to class. Ari and Madoka started off across the quad.
"Madoka?"
"What?"
"What, precisely, is Missy out looking for?"
"Umm, orange popsicles for Alex?"
Ari shot her sister an amused look. "Never lie to a liar, sis."
"Right. She's looking for the Sword, of course."
Ari's face grew abstracted for a moment. "She'll find it."
Madoka's eyes lit up. "Really?! You saw it?"
Ari nodded. She still had a strange look on her face. "Yes. But something's not right..."
She gave her sister a worried look. "Sis? Have you ever had an overwhelming feeling of impending doom that just wouldn't go away?"
"Ari. You're scaring me."
Ari stuck her tongue out at her twin. "Oh, never mind! I should have known
better than to expect some seriousness out of you!"
"Yes, you should have!"
The girls were laughing as they departed for their seperate classes.
***
The small pink fox flinched back into her hidey-hole. Just a little past
her nose, the boots of hundreds of Shadow Solders passed.
'Oh no. They know I'm around here somewhere! I can't leave, they'd catch me. But I can't stay here! I have to find that sword! I have to! For the sake of the worlds, and for my friends.'
In the back of Missy's mind, the image of Kento took predominance over the
others. 'For him. I must find the Darksword before Akenti and the Darkness!'
***
Hovering above the solders, Akenti glared at the distant horizon. 'I must
find that sword. I never thought I'd miss the way things were, but now...I'd take a sadistic father or an overly soft brother over this Darkness. I actually miss my family...I must find the Darksword. He'll kill me if I don't...'
She flew off to check on the other parties of solders who were sweeping the area to the north. 'Where could those blasted Rings have hidden the damn thing? That's _two_ sets of Ronins that have given me difficulties. I wish they'd all dry up and die!'
And dimensions away, all nine of the Rings sneezed.
***
Aristan was watching her new friends interact. For some reason, the way the boys goofed off was comforting. She _liked_ watching Ryo and Whiteblaze rough-house, and Rowan and Sage smirk at each other, and Sai wander around all domestic. And Kento, well, eat. Her mother had stopped by for a visit, and, of course, to annoy her children. She excelled at that.
At the moment, she had Madoka so mad she could have spit brass tacks.
Damiet was, very sensibly, staying out of the discussion. Evidently these last
three decades of exposure to her twin's temper had taught him when to keep his mouth shut.
Ari blinked as Rekkian ran in. "Sarendet-sama!"
Her mother smiled, but it was a bit on the pained side. Of all the members
of this strange little team, Rekkian had the greatest amount of respect for her mother. It actualy kinda irritated the Queen of Secrets. She wanted to be treated as a normal human at the moment.
"Do call me Sarah, dear."
"Sarah-sama! I need your advice!"
He grabbed Sarah by the arm, and dragged her into the kitchen. Ari found
this too interesting to resist. If he was actually dragging the all-powerful 'Sarendet-sama' around, he had to be _really_ upset!
She snuck up to the kitchen door and eavesdropped shamelessly.
"Now, Rekkian, dear, what has you so excited?"
"Alex, she, and then I, she won't, I can't, HELP!"
Ari had to stiffle a giggle at the sheer panic in his voice. He could face
a centuries-old evil with flippancy, but one pregnant wife...
"Oh dear. Might I assume this has to do with your lovely wife, Alex?"
"Yes!!"
"Right. Well, what seems to be the problem?"
"She just burst out crying and locked herself in the bathroom and won't
come out no matter what I do and I can't..."
"Shh. Calm down a little. No need to get so flustered. Now, did you say
anything to her before she went off?"
Ari could practically hear Rekkian attempting to get a hold of himself. She grinned. He really was disgustingly devoted to Alex. She was almost envious...
"Well, she said that she was getting so big that soon her old clothes
wouldn't fit any more, and then I said that I thought she looked beautiful, and then off she went!"
"Oh dear. Oh dear. I do believe I should go talk to her."
Aristan blinked. Her mother sounded amused.
"I did that to Rowan's father once. He got so adorably confused..."
Aristan heard what sounded like an exodus from the kitchen. She leapt away
from the door, and tried to look like she hadn't heard a thing.
She watched as her mother and Rekkian left for the stairs. Poor Rekkian. He is going to have a nervous breakdown sometime in the next seven months if he keeps getting so worked up. She smirked. Poor Alex. Having to put up with all the concerned boys in this household...
Ari really liked weekends. Everyone got together at Mia's and had dinner.
She liked being able to spend time with her new...well, family.
She tilted her head to the side, considering that word. 'Family'. Yes. That was what the Ronins had become.
"Oi, Aristan?! Come here and help me beat the pants off Kento at this
game!"
Ari smiled at the sound of her twin's voice. Family. She could get used to
this.
***
Aristan leaned against the chair back and watched as Rowan and Madoka
argued. They seemed to do so quite frequently. Of course, so did she and Madoka. Madoka's way of showing affection seemed to be arguing. If she didn't like you, she'd just ignore your opinions.
She shot an amused glance at Sage, and was suprised to see him gazing at
Rowan. There was something strange in his eyes. Her smile faltered, and then died. He was hurting; what...?
Sage noticed her concerned gaze and blinked in surprise. Then his normal
expression masked whatever was paining him. He smiled politely at her and
went back to staring at the book in front of him. The one that hadn't had a page turned in the last fifteen minutes, now that she thought of it. What on earth was bugging Sage? He was practically family, as close as he and Rowan are...Rowan.
'That strange look in his eyes. That look seems familiar somehow...I've
seen it. I know that I have!' ~Zaren stared at her, a strange look in his no-longer-empty eyes... 'Oh my Lord and Lady!' The realization suddenly smacked her right between the eyes. 'Sage is in love with Rowan!'
***
Madoka sighed. "Okay, okay, I give up. You're right, Bro. I'm wrong. You
are a genius unparalleled and I'm an idiot for ever questioning your brilliance. Just please, no more theorums. My head is spinning." She grinned at her brother.
Rowan grinned back. "Well, so long as you admit it..."
The two exchanged an almost identical smirk and went back to their studies. Madoka idly let her gaze wander. She had been studying for a major test, and her brain was starting to hurt. Any distraction was welcome.
Her eyes fell on Sage. He was reading. She frowned. 'Reading. How can he be so clueless! Rowan is head over heels for him, and he doesn't even seem to notice. Not even shoving him into a lake has given him a clue. It's been seven months now. Seven! I've been pushing them together for seven months! What is wrong with these two?! I mean really! If I got any more obvious...'
Her glance fell on her sister. Aristan was staring fixedly ahead with a
look of shocked comprehension on her face. 'What on earth has gotten into my sister? She looks like someone's just smacked her in the back of the head with a two-by-four.'
Madoka shook her head sadly. 'Why can't everyone else be as sensible as I
am?'
***
Rowan stared at Sage. Sage stared at Rowan. Aristan and Madoka were glaring so hard at each other that actual sparks were flying from their locked gaze. Rowan winced. 'I hope they don't cause a scene. There are people I know at this party...'
"Umm, guys? Why're you so angry?"
Aristan gritted her teeth. Here she was, trying to get Sage all alone with
Rowan, and her sister had ruined her efforts!
Madoka bit back a growl. She had been trying, out of the goodness of her
heart and out of sisterly concern, to get Rowan all alone with Sage, and her
irritating sister had fudged the whole deal.
"Madoka! How nice to see you."
"Ari! How kind of you to come."
Rowan and Sage winced. They were showing their teeth in some very nasty
smiles, and the edge to their voices was sharp enough to cut steel.
The two boys exchanged a glance. Sage nodded. "Right. Well, why don't we go on ahead, and you two can catch up later?"
Rowen grabbed the blond by the wrist and left at an undignified pace,
calling over his shoulder, "Don't hurry on our account we'll be fine have fun talking bye!"
The two sisters stopped trying to impale each other with glares, and stared bemusedly after the fleeing boys.
They each said, in unison, "Well, that went well," then blinked at each other in surprise.
***
Aristan sighed. Her sister had once again managed to corner her for a
'talk'. Man. Her sister was trying to nag her into telling her about 'whatever is bugging you, sis'. Right. Like I can tell her, 'Well, you've singlehandedly managed to bugger each and every one of my attempts to matchmake our brother and Sage. Other that that, not a thing.' As if.
"Ari? I've noticed that you don't seem...comfortable with Rowan lately. Is
something bothering you? You know you can talk to me about it, right? Does
this have something to do with...you know...him?"
Ari winced a little. It still hurt. To think of all the things she never
said to Zaren, of the chances they'd never have. She had convinced him not to go through with the ceremony. She had! And then...then the Darkness had possesed him. Her mother said he was the same thing as dead now. Her Zaren. Her dark-winged angel...
"Ari? Oh jeez, sis. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to...Oh, dammit!"
Aristan shook herself. 'Don't sink into depression again. You have things
to do with your life, Aristan. Like get Rowan to realize what an idiot he's being, for a genius.'
"Don't worry, 'Doka. I'm fine."
Her sister gazed worriedly into her eyes for a few moments, then nodded. "In that case, sis, what is with you lately? What's going on in that head of yours?"
"Nothing."
"That's for sure!"
Aristan glared. Leave it to her sister to insult her in the middle of a
serious conversation... "That's not what I meant, sis..."
"So, what's the problem?"
Ari raised an eyebrow.
"I meant besides him! The problem with Rowan. Our brother? The only one around, besides us, with blue hair? Him?"
Ari sighed. She had been trying so hard to manufacture a situation where
Rowan would realize how Sage felt about him, but it was difficult. The two boys seemed to be steadfastly determined to suffer in silence. Idiots. And Madoka wasn't helping...
Ari liked Sage. There was something about him that she felt was soothing.
Probably a healer thing. After all, her name meant 'Final Healing' in the old
tongue. He had suffered a lot, and deserved a little happiness. And Rowan was being a clueless schmuck!
"I just don't know what you want me to say, 'Doka."
She had been avoiding Rowan lately, because she wanted, every time she saw him, to just shake him until he saw sense!
Of course, that would probably do more harm that good. But it was so hard
to throttle down the urge to take him aside and give him a good talking to. Fat chance of that. Not only would that probably do more harm that good, it was impossible to talk to Rowan alone without Sage being there, or talk to Sage without Rowan for that matter.
Ari blinked. 'And why is that, Ari? Why haven't you questioned this
serendipitous arrangement? Let's see, now that I think on it, they're always together because 'Doka keeps shoving them together...'
Ari froze as that thought sunk in. 'Shoving. Them. Together.'
Madoka blinked in surprise. Her sister's expression had just gone from
evasive to blank. Then she smiled. The smile that made Madoka's blood freeze. The one she usually only saw on her own face. The 'I've just thought of something especially evilly mischievious' smile.
"Sis?" she asked, a note of terrified panic in her voice.
"'Doka?" That smile widened, until it spread across her twin's face. "I have just gotten the most interesting idea..."
Madoka stared at her sister like a deer into the headlights of an oncoming
semi-truck. Only one thought escaped the chaotic jumble in her mind. "Oh
shit. We're in so much trouble!"
Madoka might have been the Queen of Mischief, but Ari...Ari was the Queen of Lies.
***
The Darkness smiled to himself. The foolish minion of his host body was off scouring the dimensions for the Darksword. Soon. Soon he would have the
third part of himself freed. Soon he would be able to continue his vengence against HER. To pay her back for betraying him. Of all the others, he had spared her from his hatred, and she had betrayed him. She would pay.
He smiled. 'All I have to do is kill one small woman. Easy.'
A wave of burning rage smashed against the wall of his mind. His smirk grew wider. "Oh no, little boy. You can do nothing to stop me. I am you, now. Just think, the last thing your 'beloved Lady' will see before I slit her from stem to stern is your smiling face. Isn't that just lovely?"
The rage grew, burning at his shields. He laughed. "You can't stop me,
little one. Not at all. I controlled your father, and I controlled you through your foolish urge to save your people. Now I have your body, free and clear, and I'm not giving it back. This is far too much fun. Give up. Let the vestiges of your self go. Die, already!"
The rage dimmed, having burned itself out. The Darkness sighed. It would be back. This was the first time anyone had ever been able to withstand him,
and it irked him no end. This weak little child managed to maintain a place within himself where the Darkness couldn't reach. He was holding on to himself by the thinnest of margins, but that he could do it at all was worrying. He had to retreive the last piece of himself. He had to break the third seal. He had to find the Darksword. He had to kill the Lady
Aristan.
Wishes, Prologue
Wishes, part 2
