Adventure of a Lifetime
Chapter 2 : Wandering Warriors
By GameGirl

Disclaimer:  I do not own these characters in any way shape or form.  No matter how many crossovers I make!

Kale and Sage were fighting each other in the mountainous wilderness during a blizzard.  The trees were covering the. The wind was blowing hard and the snow was falling quickly.  It was hard to see with the snow falling.  There was at least two feet of snow on the ground already.

"I have you now, Halo," Kale snickered.  "Say your prayers!"

"I won't let you win," Sage muttered, "back to darkness with you!"  He jumped to Kale and their two swords met.

Black and green lights came from their swords and out from the wilderness, heading to the sky.  The two warriors fought together for hours.   Kale cut the gauntlet covering Sage's hand.  The dark energy from his sword penetrated through it and cut his skin.  Sage ducked and rammed into Kale.  He ripped his cape with his sword.  Kale took his sword and nearly nicked Sage's handsome face, leaving a faint scar on the side of his jaw.  Sage stepped back, rubbed his jaw and sneered.  His anger rose and he left a scar on Kale's on face, over his left eye.  (AN:  That's how I think he got the scar, but it could just be a weird birthmark!)  The light from Sage's sword left him blind in that one eye.  Kale screamed and stepped back, covering his eye.  He blinked but through his left all he saw was white, tense and bright. 

"You fool, you cut my face!"  Kale growled, "I will kill you!"  He cut him across his chest armor, leaving a lightning mark.  They continued to fight until they were tired and couldn't fight anymore, leaving both with scratches and burns from their magical swords. The light grew too intense for Kale and he turned and walked away, farther north.   The cold never bothered him. "I will make you pay, Halo!"

Sage sighed and fell to his knees.  He took a few breaths and shivered in the cold.  Though it felt easy to give up, he forced himself to his feet and began to walk down the mountains to the woods where most of the snow was melted.  Sage couldn’t wait to bask in the sun. He soon came down from the cold mountains and to a forest. His journey became too long and he passed out on the ground.  The tired warrior just couldn't go anymore.  "I need to rest, just for a while." He moaned as he fell into unconsciousness.

Sage lay there for hours and he was awakened by a sharp sensation in his chin.  He blinked and focused on tall a woman with brown hair and green eyes.  Her brown hair was tied with a wolf skin and she wore gray wolf skin garments.  She had toned arms and legs as well as a healthy tan. Around her waist was a leather belt holding a canteen, vials and a small leather pouch.  On her right thigh was a band holding a dagger that looked like a lightning bolt.  She was barefoot though she wore an anklet with a small feather hanging on it. It was still a little chilly but by the look of it, she didn't really care about the weather or she would have worn longer garments. She held the spear that pushed his chin back.  A claw of a wolf was on a string tied around her neck, down her collarbone.  She also wore an amulet with a green crystal.  On her cheeks were streaks of dark green war paint.

The Amazon warrior pushed his chin back farther, slightly drawing blood, "what are you doing here on my land?" she demanded. (Doesn't Lita make a great Amazon? She's tall enough!)

"Your land?"

"Yes."

"I didn't know," Sage mumbled, "I was in a fight with someone.  I got injured and tired."

"How long have you been laying here?"

"I don't know, hours, probably.  I came down from the mountains."

"You must be very strong to lay out here in the wilderness with all the wild animals around," the Amazon said and then her fierce face changed as she smiled, "what's your name, pretty boy?" with her spear, she pushed back the lock of hair that covered his eye.

"Sage of Halo," Sage replied.

"You look like you're not here to cause trouble.  I see that you are safe."

"I mean no harm," Sage said.

"A handsome boy like you," she grinned, "what could you do?"

Sage blushed.  Didn’t Amazon notice that he was wearing armor and was armed with a sword?  "What's your name?" he asked.

"Lita," she said, then quickly thought of something to go with it, "of the Forest." She took a canteen off her belt and knelt beside Sage.  Tilting his head up, she urged him to drink. He savored the water she gave him, drinking it all.  "Thirsty, aren't you?" she chuckled.

"Seems like days since I had something," Sage mumbled.

She returned the canteen to her belt.  She stood up and lent him her arm.  He was surprised by how strong she was when she pulled him up. 

He sighed as his legs went limp.  She held him up and wrapped her arm around his waist and wrapped his around her shoulders.  "I suppose I'm still tired." He groaned.

"There's a stream close by here," Lita said, "I'll take you there."  Behind her fierce exterior laid a kind and compassionate soul.  Some Amazons would have killed him where he lay or sacrifice him to some god.

 She took him to the stream she talked about and took his arm of her shoulder and propped him against a tree. While filling up her canteen, she talked about how clear the water was from the stream and how beautiful the forest was.  Lita picked some berries from a bush close to the stream and walked back to Sage.  "These berries are very good."

Sage smiled as he drank half of the canteen and ate a few of the berries.  She placed the remains in a cloth and put it on her belt.  She took a small drink from her canteen and refilled it again.  When she came back to him, he started to stand up.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, running to him to grab his arm.

"I feel strong enough to walk," he claimed.

"Nonsense.  You've been in the cold," Lita explained, helping him to his feet and wrapping her arm around him.  "If I didn't find you in time you probably would have frozen to death.  You may think you're strong enough to walk but you've already walked far enough without something to eat."

Sage groaned softly.  He knew she was right. He owed her his life. In truth, his head was throbbing and the scratches Kale left him with were getting worse.  He found himself leaning into her.  Lita touched his forehead and she felt a fever. 

"You're burning up," Lita noted, "and your hands are freezing."

"I'll be fine," he started coughing.

"Of course," Lita said, "because I'm going take care of you."

 They stopped next to some cave.  Sage gasped when he heard wolves howling.  Lita cupped her mouth as she echoed the sounds.  The wolves came out of the cave, panted and ran to her, welcoming her with wet, slobbery kisses.  "Were you good while I was gone?" she asked the animals as she reached her hands in their rich, thick fur.

"These wolves," Sage muttered, "they are your friends?"

"Yes," Lita explained, still petting the wolves, "My parents were killed in a shipwreck. Bad weather.  Our ship was struck by lightning. I was thrown overboard. I swam all the way out here. Stayed here ever since."

"That's awful," Sage sympathized.

"Oh, that's alright," Lita said.  "My wolves keep me company. I don't see other humans come out here often."  She pulled on Sage's arm and led him inside the cave.  She started a fire and he settled down next to it.  Lita wet a cloth and dabbed Sage's wounds.  She laid him down and placed a pillow underneath his head and covered him with a blanket.  She felt his forehead again, "your fever has gotten worse," she said and touched his hand.  "And you're still freezing."

Sage groaned, "I can't stay long, I need to find my enemy to finish my fight."

"You can't fight in your condition," Lita said,

"I have friends," Sage mumbled.

"You can look for them tomorrow," Lita told him and she placed a cool cloth on his forehead to keep the fever down.  She called to a young wolf cub and told it to lay next to Sage.

The cub did so and settled very close to Sage, placing its head over Sage's body to keep him warm.  He moaned softly and licked Sage's face.

"Rest," she said, "my wolf cub will keep you warm while I'm out to find some food."  Lita stood up and left the cave with one of her wolves.

Sage petted the wolf cub and it licked his face again.  Soon Sage felt his eyes droop and he fell asleep.  When Lita returned, he was awake.

"Feel better?" she asked, carrying her killed deer.

Sage yawned, "yes."  He sat up petted the wolf that kept him warm while he slept and focused on the animal she was carrying.  He nearly screamed.  The poor creature!

"Here is some deer meat for you," she cut some parts of the meat and cooked it for him.  She placed it on a plate and placed it in front of him.

Sage stared at the meat that belonged to a once gentle animal.  He couldn’t eat it.

"What's wrong?" she asked, "is it still bloody?"

"Oh god," he moaned, blood?

"Let me cook it longer," she placed it back in the pan and held it over the fire. She tossed some of the meat to her wolf friends.  Sage couldn't stand it.  When the meat was well done, she placed it in front of him again.  "There, go ahead.  I'm a pretty good cook for a warrior, but I suppose I should be if there's no one else to cook my meat!" she grinned.

She jokes, Sage thought, oh, why did she bring me a deer?

"Go on now, you need your strength."

Sage thanked her softly as he tore off a small piece of meat.  He looked up at her and she smiled, waiting politely for him to eat.  He didn't want to eat it but he didn't want to offend her either.  After all, the Amazon saved his life.  Even though she seemed to be a barbarian to kill the defenseless animal.

"Don’t you like it?" she mumbled with a frown. Her frown turned into a sneer, "I have you know, I tracked this deer just for you!"

"Oh yes," he blew on it, "just a little hot." He lied, smiled and forced himself to eat the morsel of meat.  Tears almost came to Sage's eyes as he chewed the meat of the gentle, mild creature.   Dear God, I'm a MONSTER! He was surprised when the meat tasted good, I like it!

"Good?" she asked.

"Yes, mmm, thank you!"

Lita smiled and picked up her meat with both hands and growled like her wolves.  Sage blinked.  Lita took a bite and pulled her head back to rip off the tender, juicy meat. The wolves made the same noises she did as they ate their meal.  The woman was an animal!

Of all the people to find me, Sage thought, it had to be an Amazon raised by wolves!

**********************************************************

Kale wandered off up the mountain, holding his eye.  He was able to see a little out of it and the burning died down slowly.  He sat down next to a tree to regain his strength.

"Blast that Halo!" he growled.  As he continued to badmouth Sage, he heard some sounds not far off.  "What's that?" He stood up and followed the sounds.  What he found was a woman looking through a telescope.  She was talking to herself about the stars.

"I wonder," she said, "what space is like."

Kale stepped closer and the sound of the snow crunched underneath his feet, startling the woman.

"Oh," she gasped.  She stepped back and nearly toppled her telescope.  He long black hair waved around her.  She wore a dress with a thick fur coat.  Around her neck was a dark red crystal inside an amulet.

"I did not mean to frighten you," Kale apologized. Kale was surprised how he was acting.  Why would he care if he frightened her or not?

"It's alright," she said, "I just thought I was alone up here."

"Well," Kale told her, "you're not alone anymore."

"I can see that," she tucked a strand behind her ear and continued to look through her telescope.

"What is that?" Kale asked, pointing to the unusual contraption.

"It's a telescope," she replied, "you never saw one?" she pulled back from the lens and wrinkled her nose.

Kale shook his head.

"Come here," she wiggled her finger inward and stepped back.  "Look in here." She pointed at the lens.

Kale closed the eye that still hurt and looked though with his still good one, "the stars."

"Yes, this wonderful thing here can show us what is way out there," the woman explained.  "I come out here a lot to see the stars.  It's easier to see them here because the mountains are closer to the sky than the valley.  Time and space is wonderful don't you think?"

"I never really thought about it," Kale stepped back.

"Time you should," the lady looked through her telescope, "just look, ah, it's just beautiful."

Kale never took time to think about space or time.  All he ever cared about was destroying Sage of the Halo.  He looked up at the sky almost as if he never seen it before.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't tell you my name.  It's Trista."

"Kale."

"Well, Kale," she pulled up the legs of her telescope and began to walk away, "I must be going.  It's getting cold up here."

"Till we meet again," Kale said as she left.  He turned his eyes up to the sky again.  He touched the scar on his eye.  It felt like a star.  Kale never took the stars for granted again.

************************************************

"So you see sir, there are five of us all together," Ryo explained to Raye's grandfather.  "We set off to fight our worst enemies, the dark warlords."

"Are they controlled by some giant floating head or something?" Raye's grandfather asked, "or a ancient demon?"

Ryo smiled, "no, not that I know of.  They are men who just don't like us.  They think they are better than we are just because we are good and they're not."

"Ahh, pride," he nodded and looked at Raye, who was walking down the hall dressed in her robe, "Raye has a few problems with that."

"Grandfather!" she hissed and stopped. She turned around, made a face and continued down the hall.  She went into a room and started to take a nice relaxing bath. 

"Listen to me carefully son," Raye's father told Ryo, "These warlords you speak of aren't necessarily all that different from you."

"What do you mean?"

"They are men, just like you and your friends are," he went on, "but pride has plagued their hearts and they have turned to the darkness.  If they do not change now, they will become more dangerous.  Someone dark and evil may take control of these warlords.  The evil your opponent told you about before he died are coming.  I had a dream last night.  I feared this day would sometime come."

"You know about this?" Ryo asked.

"Yes," Raye's grandfather nodded, "when I was younger, my grandfather told me about this evil darkness.  It would change all that was good into evil.  He wasn't sure whom it was going to do it, but he knew it would someday come.  I've warned Raye about this.  We must be prepared for whatever happens."

"What about your dream?"

"The first place to be plagued by the darkness will be a holy sanctuary.  I hope it is not my temple."

"Maybe is a church," Ryo suggested.

He closed his eyes. He remembered seeing a building in his dream with stained window that was not his temple.  "You're right, it is a church.  And it's not far from here."

"Oh no," Ryo mumbled.  He stood up, "I have to stop it!"

"You are still a little weak," Raye's grandfather said, "you can't go out to fight now. I will make you a special elixir to help you get your strength back." He stood up and left to make his elixir.

Ryo went to his room to rest a while.  He couldn’t sleep and decided to take a bath, thinking Raye was done, he went to the bath.  White Blaze was right by his side. He opened the door, stepped in and saw Raye's dark haired head.  She was still in the tub with bubbles on the water.  Thank goodness she wasn't lying in the tub the other way or he would have gotten an eye full.  All he saw was her head and her toes.

"Ahh, this is heaven," she sighed, reaching her foot out of the water.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Raye," Ryo said as his face turned red.  White Blaze hid his shame by turning his head.

"Ryo!" she screamed, "get out!" she ducked into the water, although Ryo didn't see anything in the first place.

Ryo closed the door, "I'm so sorry, Raye!" he shouted through the door, "I thought you were done in there!"

"You liar, you knew I was in here!" she hollered, "You came in to peek on me!  Grandfather, get this pervert out of here!"

"Honestly, Raye, I didn't!" Ryo cried, "I didn't know you were still in there!  How was I supposed to know you took long baths?!"

"Your elixir, Ryo," Raye's grandfather handed him a cup with a white mixture.

"I swear I didn’t see a thing!" Ryo said, "I didn't know she was still in there, honest! All I saw was her head and her toes and that was it!"

"Don't worry, Ryo," Raye's grandfather smiled, "you're not the only traveler that had a peek at my grand daughter.  That is what she gets for taking too long of baths!"

Although what he said was supposed to make Ryo feel better, Ryo turned redder than before.  "Others?" he mumbled. 

"That's right, I think that's why they always want to stop here!" he chuckled.

Ryo gulped down the elixir.  It was strong and hot and it burned his throat, "Eyyaaa!" he cried and handed it to Raye's grandfather, "another one, please!" he said, his voice just a whisper.

"Come with me, young man, it's alright."  Raye's grandfather led him to the kitchen and gave him another drink or two of the strong elixir.

*****************************************************

In the heat of the desert, Kento and Dais faced off together.  Dais had amazing abilities to make illusions and because they in the deserts, where mirages happen often, they seemed very real to Kento.  Kento couldn't find Dais.  All around him was sand and cactuses.

"Where are you?" Kento growled, "Show yourself!"

All Kento got was Dais' maniacal laughter and an illusion.  He was surrounded by demons standing around, laughing at him.

"Stop laughing at me!" Kento screamed, swinging his weapon around.  He hacked off the heads of the demons and they were still laughing, even without their heads.  "Stop it, stop it!"  Kento shook his head and he came back to reality.  The demons he saw in the illusion were only cactuses.  "You need to stop hiding behind your illusions, Dais.  Come out, you coward!"  He didn't know that Dais was sneaking up behind him.  Dais was right behind him and when Kento finally turned around, he thrust the blunt end of his weapon into Dais' left eye.

"My eye!" Dais stepped back and placed his hand over it.  Blood poured from his eye and down his face.  {Okay, maybe this isn't how he lost his eye, but I've always wanted to know! Maybe he sold it to the black market.  Naw, I don't think so. He has pretty eye(s)!}  "I'll make you pay for that!"  Dais brought his hand down to reveal his wounded eye, "Now look at what you've done!"

Kento almost got sick as he looked at the hole in Dais' face.  It was disgusting.  He was surprised that he even did that.

Dais set the pain aside and stormed toward Kento, swinging his sword across his face.  He cut his cheek and the blood spilled down.  He ripped off the guards of his armor and cut the lining.  Kento pushed him back and knocked Dais across the head.  Dais wasn't going to let Kento win but the pain of his eye became too great and he used the last of his strength to cast an illusion and he disappeared.

The scenery quickly changed into a rainforest and Kento looked around.  "What's going on here?"  He muttered, "How can a rain forest be in the middle of a desert?"  He pressed on and the rainforest went back to a desert.  He shook his head, "I hate mirages."

*********************************

A girl with long blond hair wearing an orange dress walked by a display of fine jewelry.  She couldn't help herself and took the jewelry and placed it in a sack. I hope no one notices….

"Stop, thief!" guards yelled.

"Oh no!"  She whispered and ran away as fast as she could.  "You can't catch me!"

"Someone, stop her!"

The girl knocked down some barells to slow them down.  She ran almost out of the city and to the desert.  She saw a man dressed in armor coming up to her.  She jumped behind a building.  "Shh, you didn’t' see me!"

Kento looked at the beautiful girl hide.  He wondered if he was still hallucinating or if it was real.  He figured that she was in trouble so he did as she said.  The guards caught up with him.

"We're looking for a thief," one of them said.

"Sorry, I didn't see one," Kento said.

"Did a girl pass by here?"

"No," he lied.

"He's lying," another said, "tell us where she is!"

"No!"

"Get him!" the guards attacked him one by one and Kento gave him a beating they'd never forget.  Mina squirmed and squinted as she heard Kento throw them around.

"Carry on," the first said to Kento.

"What about the thief?" the other demanded.

"Forget it, she's just a girl!" they left before Kento did more to them.

Kento turned around the corner.  "You can come out now."

"Thank you," she whispered.

"What did you steal anyway?" he asked.

She opened her bag and pulled out a fine bracelet.

Kento was disappointed.  He was hoping it would be food. The man was starving!  She walked up closer to him.  "I'm Mina," she said.

"Kento."

"Well, Kento you're an outlaw too, you know," she said.

"Don’t worry, I won't tell anyone," he joked.

Mina laughed lightly and Kento hunched forward, "oh no!" she cried and placed a hand on his chest and another on his back, "are you alight?"

"I'm fine," he said, "I was just traveling in the rain forest or desert or whatever it was for a long time."

"You're delusional," she noted.

"I have a right to be," he explained, "I was fighting someone that could cast illusions to make them look like reality.  He kept laying with my head."

"That explaisn the cuts on your face," Mina said, "come with me."  She took him to a small cottage close to the desert and dabbed his cuts with a wet cloth.  Kento was happy when she provided him with a meal.

"I guess I see why you live out here," Kento said.

"Yes, I'm an outlaw and an outcast," Mina explained, standing up to look out the window.  "I used to be a hero in my old country but I was in an accident. A building burned down and they thought I died. People forgot about me, they only thought I was myth.  I didn’t' see any reason to stay so I ran away an became and outlaw."

Kento lost his appetite for a small moment. He stood up, "why would they forget you?"

"They didn't really know me in the first place.  I had a secret identity."  A tear ran down her cheek.  Embarrassed, she wiped it away.  "It's amazing how a whole country loves you but they don’t know who you really are.  They write legends about you and talk all about you.  Then suddenly, they forget all about you.  Like you never mattered."

Kento looked down at the meal he found impossible to finish, "listen, for what it's worth, I wouldn't have forgotten you.  People aren't allowed to forget their heroes, it's a rule."

"I'm sorry to tell you that," Mina apologized, "so what's your story, Kento?"

"I told you, I was in a battle with someone," Kento reminded.  "There are four other warriors like me.  We fight these mean who call themselves dark warlords."

"Sounds exciting," Mina praised.

"Really?  A nice girl like you interested in something like that?"

"Absolutely," Mina said, "People adore soldiers and those who fight for good."

Kento smiled, "well, I appreciate all this but I need to go."  He started for the door but she grabbed his arm.

"Wait Kento," she said, "you were traveling through the desert for maybe hours.  You can't go out there without some rest."

Kento groaned, "I just hope my friends are alright."

"If they're anything like you, I'm sure they are."

The two smiled at each other for a while and Mina provided him a place to sleep.

*******************************

A woman with very short light brown hair and wearing men's clothes mounted a horse.  Everyone believed she really was a man, at least, that's what she thought.  Women weren't aloud to compete in horse races so she kept her hair short and wore men's clothes.  (I'm not sure they had horse races back then, but I didn't know what else to make her!) 

"Alright, everyone," the announcer said, "You must follow this trail." He pointed at a trail of flags, "and come back here.  It is at least ten miles.  The first to come will receive one hundred gold peices!"

Two men in the audience talked about Amara, the man-looking woman.  "You know, I've heard that man was a woman," he pointed to Amara.

"That's absurd!" he grumbled, "The punishment for portraying a man is death!"

"I hope he knows that, if he is a he, that is."

The announcer held his arms up, "on your mark, get set, go!" he pulled his arms down and the gong-ringer rang the gong.

Amara started out in the lead.  Nobody could catch up with her.  She was the best racer in the country and she had the best horse. 

"That man is extraordinary," one racer said under his breath, "I never raced against someone who could move so fast."

Someone heard him speaking to himself, "it's the horse that's doing the work," he said to him, "we're no the ones who are racing, the horses are.  If one of us was riding that horse, we'd be in the lead."

Amara reached the end of the trail and went on to the finish line.  She was still in the lead. 

"That horse is unbelievable!" a racer said.

The crowd cheered when Amara reached the finish line. 

"The winner!" the announcer tossed the sack of gold to her.  "How do you do it?"

"It wasn't much," Amara explained, "I just take good care of my horse.  I guess she takes it from me, I'm a fast runner too."

The announcer chuckled. A few of the other racers congratulated Amara and the others were angry.  They wanted her horse.

The person in the stands looked closer at Amara.  He saw something around that glittered in the sun.  It looked like a necklace. Why would a man wear a necklace?

"Stop!" the man stood up.

"Hey, get down!" his friend ordered.

"That man is a woman and I can prove it," he walked onto the trail.

"You can't be here," the announcer said.

"That man is an imposter!" he accused.

"What are you talking about?" Amara demanded.

"This!" he ripped her shirt, revealing the necklace she wore underneath it.  "She's a woman!" Amara wore a midriff under the man's shirt He was about to rip her under shirt to expose her breasts (men can be such pigs!) also but as he did, he saw a spider on his hand.  "Ahh!" he jumped back and tried to shake the spider off.

Amara wrapped her arms around herself.  She felt absolutely violated. 

"I bet anyone could be a good racer if they had a fast enough horse!" a jealous racer snarled, trying to steal her horse.  But he was stopped when the horse seemed to disappear and was replaced by a two-headed giant snake.  "Oh my god!"

The whole scenery changed and it left people confused.  While she tried to figure everything out, Amara felt a hand fall upon her shoulder.  She screamed and turned around to look at a man with long white hair missing his left eye.  He kept his left eyelids closed so she wouldn't have to look at the grotesque hole in his face.

"Come with me," he said. When they left, everything was back to where it was.

"Where did that woman go?" the jealous men cried.  "She needs to be punished!"

"Oh, leave her alone," some of the humble folk said, "she won!  If you let women be in the races, you wouldn't be in this mess, would you?"

"Just who are you and what do you want from me?" Amara demanded.

"I only saved you," Dais said.

"Well, if it's the gold you want," she snarled, "I won't give it to you!"

"I don’t want anything," Dais admitted.  Except maybe my eye.  He turned and began to leave.

Amara felt bad at the way she acted to her rescuer, "wait, I'm sorry."  She said.

Dais stopped and turned.

"Thank you for saving me back there," she said, "what did you do?"

"I have an ability to cast illusions," he explained.

"That's quite a gift," Amara smiled.  She studied him.  "You look injured, let me help you."

"That is not necessary," Dais said.

"Yes it is," she said, taking his arm, "it's the least I could do after what you did."  She heard her horse running to her.  She told Dais to ride her while she led the horse.  She led the horse to her home and there she provided treatment for Dais' wounds. 

"What happened to your eye?" she asked.

"I was in a fight," Dais replied.

"You're lucky that's all you lost," Amara said.  She placed an eye patch over his eye.  She gave him some tea and some food.  "You're welcome to stay here if you'd like to.  Until you regain your strength."

"I appreciate that," Dais said, "but I must be going."  It was strange how he was feeling.  Why did he save Amara? Why would he care what they were going to do to her?  And why did he get so angry when he saw that man try to rip her shirt and embarrass her more than she already was?  More importantly, how was he going to act now?  He stood up and began to leave.

"If you need to go, I won't stop you," Amara said, "but can I at least have your name?"

"It's Dais," he said, stopping in the doorway.

"I'm Amara," she said, stepping up closer to him.

Before he left, Dais tried something.  He made a peaceful illsion for Amara.  Her small house seemed like a castle and her men's closed changed to that of a princess's gown. Amara looked down and laughed slightly.  He was pleased to hear her laugh.

"This is wonderful," she whispered.  "Thank you."

Everything turned back to just as it was before.  "Goodbye," Dais said.

"Goodbye, Dais," Amara wished, "take care."

Dais walked on, wondering what he did and why he did it.  For a moment there, he forgot his missing eye and forgot about Kento and wanting to kill him.  When he that Amara was in trouble, everything he knew about himself went blank.  All he wanted to do was help Amara in her time of need and use his illusions for something good for once.

*******************************************

THE DAY BEFORE SERENA AND DARIEN'S WEDDING

Mollynn came to check on Rowen's wounds, just like she always did.  "Hello, Sir Rowen," she bowed her head in greeting.  "How are you feeling?" she asked when she came closer in the stable.

"Better thank you," he said.  He sat on a bale of hay while reading a book.  He set the book aside.

"Glad to hear that," she sat down next to him and felt his wrist.  "I think your arm has healed." 

"It doesn't hurt as much as it did.  It's just a little sore."

"I'm going to remove the sling," she warned, "if you feel any pain, tell me.  Understand?"

"Yes, Mollynn," Rowen said.

She took the sling off and unwrapped the bandages that held the stick to his arm.   She held it straight. "Does this hurt?" she asked.

"No," Rowen shook his head.

"I'll check your ribs," she pressed gently on his side, "does this hurt?"

"No."

"Good," she remarked and removed the bandages around his body.  She helped him back into his shirt.  "I'm impressed at how quickly your wounds have healed, Rowen."

"I've always been able to heal fast," he blushed.  (Since his kanji is life, I think I'll give him an ability to heal quickly."

"My lady will be pleased to hear about this," Mollynn said, "she'll think it would be better news than her wedding tomorrow."

"W-wedding?" he mumbled.  He suddenly felt sick to his stomach.  His ribs and arm hurt again.

"Yes," Mollynn confirmed, "my lady is going to be wed tomorrow; to her dear friend Darien.  My lady has not told you?"

"No, she didn't," he whispered. He winced.

"Are you alright, Rowen?" Mollyn asked in concern. She put her hands on his chest. 

"Yes, Mollynn," he lied.  "I'm just a little surprised."

"That my lady is getting married?"

He nodded.

"She hardly speaks about it.  Even to me and she talks to me about almost everything."

"Does she love him?" he demanded.  "Does he love her?"

"Why I don't know," she sighed, "like I've already told you, Rowen, she doesn't speak of it much."

"Have you seen them together?" he asked, "how do they act to each other?  Does he ever kiss her, does he--?"

"Now hold on here, Rowen," Mollynn stepped back, "why all these questions?"

Rowen sighed and turned around. 

Mollynn gasped, "I understand now, you're in love with my lady, aren't you?" she walked up to him and placed her hand on her shoulder, "what news!  You're the reason why she's been smiling.  Before you came she's been quiet and to herself most of the time.  Sad and lonely too.  I can't believe I haven't noticed it before!"

"She's been sad?" he asked, turning back around, "then she doesn’t love him!"

"I'm not sure," Mollynn said, "their parents have been planning this wedding since they were children.  They act polite to one another, so I suppose she does.  Wait--I remember something--when we were children she told me that Darein was very handsome."

"Handsome?  That can't mean that she loves him."

Mollynn blushed, "I'm sorry sir.  She never told me her feelings about Darien.  I'm her servant, not her mother."

"Why don't you ask her for me?"

"I will not!" she huffed, "I never ask my lady such questions!  If you want to know how she feels, you'll have to ask her yourself!  Besides, I've got work to do."

Serena walked in, "hello," she said gracefully, "oh, I see that your bandages have been removed."

"Yes, my lady," Mollynn said as she curtsied, "I've removed them.  His wounds have healed quit nicely."

"Thank you, Mollynn," Serena said.

"I must be off to finish my chores now," Mollynn announced and walked out of the stables.

"Mollynn told me you are getting married tomorrow," Rowen said flat out.

"What?" she gasped in surprise.

Rowen folded his arms, "how come you never told me?"

"I don't like talking about it," she replied.  "And I don't think it's really none of your business!"

"None of my business?" Rowen echoed, "listen, your highness, you took care of me this last week. You fed me, clothed me and came to visit me.  You became my friend.  If you told me you were going to be married, did you think I'll say something wrong?"

"Listen, Rowen," she sighed, "I really can't talk about this."

"I think we should," Rowen came closer to her.  "Something has happened to me.  I think I'm falling in love with you."

Serena hung down her head, "Please, it doesn't make any difference.  I have to marry Darien.  Our parents planned it."

"They planned your wedding, why?"

"Princesses are supposed to marry princes, you know," she replied, "don't make this difficult, Rowen, please!"

"Do you love him?" he asked.

"What?"

"Do you love him?" he repeated.

"Well, I--"

"You don't, do you?" he said.  "When you look at him, do you lose your voice?  Does your heart stop?  Does he take your breath away?  Is he the reason you wake up in the morning?  Do you ache for him to hold you and kiss you?"  With every question he asked her, Rowen walked closer to her until her back touched the wall.  He placed his hands right above her shoulders.  "Does your whole body go numb whenever you're around him?"

"Why are you asking me this?" she demanded with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I think you know why."

"I believe I do," she sniffed, "we're polite and kind to each other."

"Being polite and kind is very different from being in love, your highness." Rowen told her, his face coming dangerously close to hers.

She wanted him to kiss her.  He wanted to kiss her too. Now that he could use both his arms, all Rowen wanted to do was hold her and kiss her and make love to her this very moment.  But he couldn’t.  She was to be married and once he touched her, there was now way Rowen would be able to let go.

"How would you know," she questioned, "have you ever been in love?"

"Not until this moment," Rowen declared. "I love you, Princess Serenity.  I loved you from the first time I saw you.  That love grew every time you came to see me."

She swallowed, "you are very special to me.  I'm glad that you feel better now.  But I am getting married tomorrow."

"Do you love him?"he asked again.

"What does it matter?" Serena sniffed.  Her sobs became harder, "even if I told my parents I didn't love him they'll make me marry him anyway!  There's nothing I can do, Rowen, it's out of my hands!"

"We could run away," Rowen cupped his hands around her face. Her tears spilled onto his hands. He wiped them away with his thumbs, "and leave everything behind."

"This is my home, Rowen," she sobbed, "I can't leave!"

"You'd marry a man you don't even love?" he asked, "just because your parents told you to do it?  Other people, Serena, shouldn't plan your life out.  You're the own sailor of your life.  You're the captain.  Sail upon the waters of love and life.  You can't marry someone you don't love, Serena.  That's just wrong.  You choose what you want."

"If only I knew what I want," she mumbled and pulled his arms down.  She looked down at the floor and finally met Rowen's.  Her chest heaved; "I'm so sorry Rowen!" she turned away from him and left the stables, crying.

Rowen banged his hand on the wall.  The sound of Serena's sobs echoed inside his brain.  "I can't interfere anymore," he said to himself, "and I would if I stayed here another day.  I have to leave.  I have to leave here.  Tonight."

End Part 2!!  Oooh, cliffhanger!  All together now scream, "No, Rowen, don't leave!"