Beyond the Rainbow: Draco/Ruu *Resumed*

[Ruu]

Dylan

A man with dark and brooding features, long strings of obsidian hair, clothed in a simple garment, stood watching the entrance to the Second Dimension. In his hands was a Lance, and the powers of the Winds swirled about him, his connection to the powers of Earth. At the moment, he was straining to balance the North and South Winds on Earth, for the two were in a constant struggle and threatened to tear apart the world if the full extent of their power were let loose. It was strange how they seemed stronger somehow. It took all of his effort to keep them in check, not to mention the East and West winds howling in the foreground. What sort of wizardry was at work? Was one of the mortals attempting to wrest control of the weather from his capable hands? Or was there dissension among his own kind? It had been so long since he had interacted with the others. He and Aeleus were loners, dedicated to their duty and little else. Perhaps it was time to let Aeleus take over and to traverse the dimensions to find if anything was amiss. He knew Aeleus was even more anti-social than he, so asking the stalwart guardian to leave his post would be futile. He turned over to look at his silent companion, a question forming on his lips. Before he could say anything, the Hero of the Earth merely nodded. The two had gone beyond the need for words and therefore they practically knew each other’s thoughts.

“Good man,” Dylan nodded, “I will be back before you realize I’m gone. Swifter than the wind.”

With this short saying, he walked towards the portal that would lead him to other dimensions and touched it. At the warmth of his touch, the orange beam of light that barred entry disappeared, leaving him free to travel to the Dimensions-in-Between, the only places where there was free access to all.

Narcissus

Narcissus tapped his fingers impatiently as he waited upon his ornate throne. Carved from what seemed like ivory vines and ornamented with living, breathing roses, the throne was a testament to his power and command over Nature. The throne had not been there before he had joined the ranks of those who were to guard the various aspects of the Earth, but he felt it was fitting for his position. In essence, he was Father Earth after all. He marveled how his perfectly pristine hair mirrored the color of the roses, and how his crystal blue eyes were the same shade as the glorious sky that was ever present in the Green Dimension. It was a paradise of flowers and foliage, whenever Arlene wasn’t deciding to wreak havoc with her lightning. Narcissus was rather proud of the fact that he had such an exalted position and wasn’t afraid to show it.

But now he was waiting for Arlene’s return. He knew it might be a little while longer. The journey through the Dimensions-in-Between was often perilous, fraught with dangers such as monsters and perils of nature. But he was certain Arlene could handle it. Besides, her ward might be causing her trouble. Dawn…the enigmatic girl of Light who somehow could bend and twist the memories of others. She had only just appeared in the Light realm, but ever since his flowers had brought news of her, he had desired the unique powers she brought with her. He also heard that Hikaru, another newcomer, had recently disappeared. This would be the time to trick the young Dawn into entering his realm, from whence she would never escape. Arlene would return with her soon. It was only a matter of time.

Isa/Hikaru/Braig

“Isa? What’s wrong? Why do you look so angry? Where are we going? I thought you said Lee wanted to see me,” whispered Hikaru, wide blue eyes framed by pale blond hair looking up with an innocent expression.

Isa’s heart burned with anger, and the heat could be felt resonating from his body, causing the young boy whose wrist he held in a tight grasp to flinch. What a terrible lie Isadore had created. He should have foregone any mention of Lee, should have created a different excuse. Lee…the terrible betrayer…They had made their own goals. They were to have created a perfect balance of fire on the Earth, learned to wield the element to perfection, and then…They would have taken over the other Dimensions one by one. But Hikaru had been the snag…Lee, always curious, had gone to introduce himself to the new members of the Yellow Bow, though Isa had advised against it. And somehow…the little twerp had managed to worm his way into Lee’s heart until their plans were all but forgotten, and yes, Isa himself was forgotten as well. The cursed Hikaru had stolen the one person he had called friend. But now…Hikaru was going to pay! They would all pay! Isa smirked to himself as he thought of Hikaru’s fate. He knew of the power-hungry Ansem, denizen of the feared Violet Dimension. It was no secret that Ansem desired the strange powers of the boy Hikaru. Though Hikaru had powers of Light as his predecessors had, there was one thing he could do that they could not. He had the power to unlock the realms of the others, and though it took time and effort on his part, it could be done. Isa knew that Ansem desired that power. What better way to break Hikaru’s spirit, punish his former friend Lee, and create havoc than to join with Ansem? As they neared the realm of darkness, he could see Hikaru begin to shake, to squirm with fear.

“I…I thought you said we were going to see Lee,” whispered Hikaru in a pitiful voice, “B-but we’re so close to the Violet realm. He wouldn’t be there…I-I don’t wanna go there.”

“Don’t worry,” Isa finally broke his silence, striving to his keep his voice level and smooth, “Just a little more and it will all be over. Everyone will be happy.”

“W-what do you mean? P-please Isa…I don’t want to go with you anymore,” pleaded Hikaru, trying to pull away.

A flaming ring of fire burst from Isa’s hand to encircle Hikaru’s wrist in burning pain.

“I’m afraid you’re not going anywhere,” replied Isa.

Hikaru’s eyes widened, but he could not escape Isa’s fiery grasp. He bit back tears of pain. Though they could not die easily, some of the people of the Rainbow were more susceptible to pain than others. And though they were unparalleled in their own dimensions, they had nearly an equal amount of strength in the Dimensions-in-Between. And right now, Isa had the upper hand. Hikaru was practically dragged along, until the portal to the Violet realm was in sight.

“Ah, here we are. I’m afraid this will be the last you see of anyone, let alone Lee. Enjoy your last moments of freedom,” grinned Isa, holding his hand high and firing a bust of flames into the sky.

That would be sure to get Ansem’s attention.

Inside of the shifting, swirling realm of darkness, Braig was practicing with his weapons, instead of performing his duties once again. Ansem might be angry, but he didn’t care. Who was he to order Braig around anyway? The rather annoying Sniper was just about to beat his previous record when a burst of flame just outside the realm could be seen illuminating the entrance to the Realm of Darkness. Who on earth? Lee? Or Isa? Those two were trouble, but…Braig really didn’t care.
“I ain’t getting it, poppet,” he called out with a smirk, “You answer it yourself Ansem. Send those losers back to where they came from.”

[DracoMalfoy]

Indigis

Foul play was looming between the Bows. Indigis' clairvoyance told him such. It was on rare occasion that Indigis left his Dimension; the Indigo Bow, the epitome of spirituality was his home and any other place, including Dimensions-in-Between felt too foreign for his comfort. But, even though in isolation, Indigis knew there was trouble on the horizon. Deep in meditation, the vision of chaos falling upon the Bows came to him. The cause was still shrouded in mystery, but his curiosity had been aroused. The new protectors of the Light Bow had caught his interest, like they all the others. Their unique abilities, in more capable hands could bring peace and prosperity or utter destruction. Indigis knew of several others who would attempt to gain this power and doing so would throw the Dimensions into chaos.

When he'd received news of Hikaru's disappearance, Indigis was not surprised. He knew instantly who was responsible. What a lovely game Ansem was playing. Did he plan to use Hikaru's abilities to take control of the Bows? Or did he have another sinister plot in store? Regardless, Indigis knew he could not sit idly buy and let this opportunity pass. If others were gambling for control, then perhaps he could throw in his lot as well. Many schemes danced in the back of his mind, left behind to gather dust. Perhaps now was the time to take action. It was well known that Indigis hoped to see the Orange and Green Bows fall to chaos and despair. Both, Earth and Nature, were the barriers to Spirit and Psychic. If both Bows were no more, the scale would tip in the favor of his will. Yes, if chaos was painting the treaties of peace between the Bows, now would be the time to act.

First though, he would have to venture out and evaluate the situation further. Before acting, he'd have to seek an alliance. Ansem was too powerful to face alone, especially if he held Hikaru's power in his hands. There had to be other Guardians he could rally to his cause. Prospero was lost in his cards. He took no notice to Indigis' approach. "I must see these interesting developments for myself. Perhaps they will prove useful," he said to his partner. Prospero wished him good fortune before returning to his cards. With a sigh, Indigis touched the portal of the Indigo Bow and the dark blue pillar of light faded. And, for the first time in anyone's memory, Indigis departed from his Bow and found himself in the Dimensions-in-Between.

Arlene/Dawn

Arlene skipped merily through the Dimensions-in-Between humming a strange tune to herself. She was in an unusually joyful mood presently and that was because all had been too easy for her. The Yellow Bow had become weak since Hikaru's disappearance and Narcissus seemed to know who was responsible for the kidnapping. So, he'd concoted a plan of his own. With Dawn, the Yellow Bow's second Guardian, in their hands they could rule over the others themselves, allowing Nature and Storm to be the most powerful of elements. It sounded absolutely fabulous to her, but Arlene had detested the assignment of abducting Dawn and bringing her to the Green Bow. She assumed she'd meet much resistance, but as it turned out, Dawn was a stupid child. She'd admitted to struggling to support the Bow alone and had agreed to follow Arlene after the lightning witch had told a pretty little lie. Dawn hoped to Hikaru waiting for her in the Green Bow, which certainly wouldn't happen.

"How much farther Arlene?" Dawn spoke up, interupting Arlene's thoughts and her tune. Turning to look at the small girl, cautiously following her, she smiled with phony sincerity.

"Not much longer dear, Hikaru will be happy to see you!" Arlene lied through her teeth, holding back her sinister smirk. She had been truthful about one thing though, it took them only a few more minutes to reach the entrance to Green Realm. The mistress of storms rested her small, but powerful hand against the beam of light that guarded the Green Bow and moments later, it lifted, allowing her and Dawn to pass. Once Dawn had eased her way into the foreign realm, the light returned, trapping her inside.

Curiously, the young guardian of Light looked around, hoping to spot her partner and friend. But, she could not. She only saw a stranger, sitting on a throne that appeared to be made of vines. This had to be Narcissus, Arlene's partner and the second Guardian of the Green Bow. Arlene had already skipped up to her partner, leaving Dawn behind.

"I brought the brat just as you said Narcissus," Arlene said, loud enough for Dawn to overhear. "Everything went perfectly."

"Wait..." Dawn gasped, suddenly realizing that the promise of Hikaru's presence had been a lie. "You-you've tricked me. But, why?" Arlene only smirked and let out an eerie laugh.

Ansem

In the middle of the Dark Realm rested a black throne whose arms were spiked. The throne perfectly represented the heart of its occupant. Ansem wore a face that lacked true emotion; no happiness, no anger, just indifference. He was waiting patiently. Time meant little to him. Minutes, hours, there was no distinction. Now though, every second felt like a decade. He was waiting for Isa; his partner had promised him Hikaru. Hikaru was powerful, much more than any other, besides himself, realized. This power didn't deserve to be free; it needed to be controlled. And Ansem did not want another to harness the power. It was for him and only him.

But, as time passed, the master of Darkness began to fear that Isa had not held up on his end of the bargain. He worried the Fire Guardian had taken Hikaru for himself. If that had been the case, Ansem would perceive the desception as an act of war. Never before had there been war between the Bows, but now, it was coming eerily close to it. Without one of its Guardians, the Yellow Bow would fall into chaos with would throw the six others off balance as well. Who knew what the outcome of this would be? Truthfully, Ansem cared little. As long as he had this power in his hands, he would be untouchable.

When Braig informed him of the flame at their Realm's entrance, he smirked. He certainly wouldn't be sending them away, as his partner suggested. Braig had never been his first choice for a partner. At first glance, he was incompetent, nosey and he seemed to lack intelligence. But Ansem knew there was something going on in his mind; he was smarter and far more devious than he let off. Ansem didn't trust him for a moment, but as of now, Braig was no threat to him and his plans. So, he would disregard his concerns for now. Standing from his throne, Ansem made his way to the light protecting their Realm. He reated his gloved hand on it and watched it lift, giving Isa and Hikaru entrance to the dark realm.

Ansem smiled as he saw Hikaru's hands bound. Isa had remained true to their agreement. "Isa, what perfect timing," he said. He was happy to see his plan coming together, but still, Ansem spoke with a voice that lacked emotion. "I was beginning to think you'd abandoned our agreement. Come and please keep our... guest under control."

[Ruu]

Dylan

Dylan allowed his senses to extend, seeking clues from the wind that always answered to his call. What he felt surprised him. The wind sensed tremors from the Red Bow, whirlwinds of anger, hatred, lies, betrayal…And only one member remained. The wind told of an absence, a void in the Yellow Bow. Completely empty. This was a calamity! If none were left to guide the power of Light, it would either consume the Earth, or it would be washed away by Darkness completely. The Green Bow held three members, a strange occurrence…And it also spoke of lies…The Blue Bow and the Indigo Bow were the only Bows that felt fairly normal. Yet the Violet Bow…four members of his kind stood there. What could this mean? Dylan shook his head. His first course of action would be to approach the remaining member of the Red Bow. The Red Bow members were supposedly the leaders, though they rarely had to act as such. If he were to find answers, this was where he would go first. Who were the members of the Red Bow again? Isa….Isa and Lee? Ah…those were their names. He could not remember much of them, other than that Isa’s icy calm demeanor was in stark contrast to Lee’s fiery, abrasive personality. Whatever had happened to destroy Isa’s calm must have been a terrible occurrence indeed.

The silent guardian finally reached the Red Bow, and allowed a gust of wind to flow around it, sure to attract the lone occupant’s attention.

”Lee? Isa? I would speak with you about matters of great import,” said Dylan slowly, unsure as to which of the Red Guardians remained.

Narcissus

Narcissus glanced up as Arlene and Dawn entered his realm, a soft smile playing about his lips. Sp, Arlene had succeeded, and though he had not doubted her abilities, she did tend to make light of these situations. He was half afraid Arlene had decided to take Dawn on some jaunt through a forest or monster-infested cave just to frighten her. He nodded in acknowledgement to Arlene’s words.

“Yes, I was sure it would,” said Narcissus smugly, “Would you ever doubt me? I commend you on your success.”

In another moment he had turned his attention on the young Dawn, rose-colored eyes boring into her crystal-blue ones. He could not hide the pride inside of his features, nor could he mask the intrigue he felt when regarding her. Why were these members of the Yellow Bow so fascinating? Why did they possess powers that the other members did not? What made them special? Why had they received talents and abilities that even years of practice would never bring to Narcissus himself? This would be the time to find out. Dawn would answer his questions, and then she would aid him in bringing down those in the foolish Indigo and Red Bows. Such distasteful Bows. They held little respect for nature and its beauty. They were the reason for discord and as such they must be wiped out. Finally escaping from his thoughts, Narcissus turned his attention back to Dawn as he stood.

“I am sorry for the trickery, my Lady,” he said in a smooth, silky voice, one filled with a sense of self worth, “But it was the only way to get you to come to visit our lovely realm. Take a moment to breathe in its grandeur. Is it not magnificent?”

After allowing her a few moments to drink in the beauty, Narcissus began speaking once again, “Hikaru is not here as you can see. Most likely, even now he has been taken to the Violet Realm. Ansem has been lusting after his power for some time. But I can help you can get him back, if you help me and answer a few of my questions. Do we have an understanding?”

Isa/Hikaru/Braig

Isa reciprocated Ansem’s smile as he gave Hikaru a final push into the realm of Darkness. Hikaru immediately sank to his knees, feeling as if he had been drained completely of strength. The aura of light that seemed to always surround his body faded until it was barely perceptible. The only powers of use to him would be his ability to escape the realm using his Key, but it would take far too much time and energy. Ansem and Isa would stop him before he had a chance. He hesitated before looking up at Ansem, a man he had only seen in terrible nightmares and heard whispers of from Lee. The denizen of the Violet Bow had hair the color of spun silver and fiery eyes that burned with little emotion, yet endless desire.

“I would not abandon an agreement so easily. I am a man of my word, unlike the traitorous partner I once called friend. Your…guest…will do little harm here,” Isa said grimaced as he said the word “guest” as if it were anathema to him, “But you know that already. Light is conflicted with Darkness. His Light powers will do no damage. But I want nothing to do with him any longer. He is yours to use as you see fit…I do not even want to see his face. All I want is to know that he will suffer tenfold for the heartache he caused me. And I want our other parts of the bargain accomplished soon. I want Lee dead. Then you can do whatever you wish to the Red Bow. I care no longer. I also want you to imbue me with powers of Darkness. I no longer desire the fire that once burned in my heart."

Hikaru could only shiver in a cold sweat at Isa’s speech. What had he done to Isa to deserve this? He still didn’t understand. A lone tear trickled from his sky-blue eyes to strike the pool of darkness that seemed to envelop everything. He looked up at Ansem with a pleading expression in his young eyes.

”P-please sir…” he stammered, “Please allow me to go home. I don’t know what you want with me…I-I don’t know why I’m being treated like this. I didn’t do anything to Isa. Let me go home so that I can be with Dawn again. She must be worried by now. A-and Lee..he must be worried too…”

”Shut up!” growled Isa, the first spark of fire in his eyes in a long time, “You will not speak that way to your master. You will have no say in anything. Lee does not care for you at all. You have swayed him with your strange power over hearts and minds, but no longer!”

“What is all this racket?” yawned Braig as he approached the group, “Ansem…I thought I said to send…Ah…I see…So you finally get your wish, eh? Well…what a cute little poppet he is. Seems like a plaything. Just don’t break him. And leave me out of it. I don’t want anything to do with it. I still don’t know why you want anyone from the Red Bow here. They’re more trouble than they’re worth.”

Isa glared at Braig but said nothing.

[DracoMalfoy]

Lee

Lee was not one to stay inside his Bow. No, he liked lurking between the Bows and enjoying himself. He often spent time in the Yellow Bow with Hikaru and Dawn; the two had become good friends of his, but Hikaru had become a younger brother to him. He was much more kind and carefree than Isa who preferred solitude and silence. Sometimes, Lee wondered why he and Isa were friends; they resided on opposite ends of the spectrum. Perhaps they held a certain respect for each other. The fiery redhead didn’t question the way the world worked. Isa was a good friend of his and Hikaru was his best that was all that really mattered. But, recently his heart had been heavy. Isa had been distance towards him lately and Hikaru had been missing. Not even Dawn knew of his whereabouts. This troubled Lee greatly; he wanted nothing more than to leave and search for his friend, but Isa had ran off on a mysterious errand and Lee was now forced to remain in the Red Bow, so balance was not thrown off.

So, with his heart plagued with worry, Lee was forced to sit in solitude and play with his fire. He loved making the fire dance and do tricks that would normally leave strangers frozen in awe, but today, the fire didn’t warm his heart or make him smile. He wanted Hikaru here next to him, enjoying his tricks. He wondered where the young Guardian had gone off to. He feared foul play was involved in Hikaru’s disappearance. But who was responsible? Ansem perhaps? Indigis was always scheming up plots. It didn’t matter who was behind it; Lee just wanted to save his friend and return things back to normal. He let out a bored sigh and watched the fire fade away, his concentration was too weak to keep it burning. Lee jumped to his feet, noticing a gust of wind outside of his Bow followed by a voice. He recognized the voice, but barely. Lee never spoke to the other Guardians, save for Dawn and Hikaru.

Lazily jumping to his feet, the normally carefree Guardian moved to fiery entrance of his Bow. He rested his hand against the fire, clearing the entrance for his visitor. Noticing he was being visited by none other than Dylan, Lee threw on a half smile in greetings to the silent man. “Dylan!” he exclaimed, drawing out the n. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

Arlene/Dawn

Arlene smiled and crossed her arms over her chest. She acted as if she made an amazing achievement and deserved some sort of reward. It was rarely that she complied with any orders, so she felt Narcissus should consider himself lucky. She did not voice her thoughts because before she could, her partner had begun speaking to Dawn who looked far more frightened than a child facing death. A child facing death…why did that bring a sinister smirk to her face? Arlene shrugged it off and kept silent. Narcissus’ way of dealing with their captive was already irksome. It would be much more profitable to beat the information out of Dawn. What made Narcissus think Dawn would agree if he was asking so gently? Pfft, what a weakling he was.

Dawn on the other hand was deadly afraid of the man on his thrown. She eased slightly at his calm tone. Examining his Bow, per his request, she did notice that it was quite in fact beautiful. It was nothing like her own. The Bow she shared with Hikaru was bright and heavenly; Narcissus’ Bow was green and it seemed to represent the beauty of earth’s nature. “I-I guess it’s al-alright,” Dawn said, too frightened to show any resentment towards Narcissus. Her heart felt heavy as he confirmed her fears. Dawn was afraid Hikaru had been taken; why would anyone be so cruel? A small tear escaped her eye and rested on her cheek.

“Yo-you can save him?” she asked Narcissus, her sad voice filling with some hope. “I’m not sure if I can answer all of your questions, but I-I’ll try.” She Light Guardian feared she wouldn’t know the answers to Narcissus’ questions and then, he wouldn’t help her rescue her partner and friend. Then what would she do; she couldn’t protect the Yellow Bow on her own. As she wallowed in her grim thoughts, Dawn didn’t notice Arlene scoff. The sadistic woman sent Narcissus a look, silently requesting permission to take a more…pressing route with their captive.

Ansem

Ansem kept silent as the grave as he evaluated the scene before him. Isa had been a good assistant and he did look forward to infecting the Red Bow with darkness so it could eventually join the Violet Bow and tip the scale of balance in his favor. Soon, with Hikaru’s powers under his control, all of the Bows would fall to darkness and he would control all that existed. The plan was perfect and with the Guardian of Light in his realm, there was no force that could oppose him. Part of him fed off Hikaru’s fright; it was inspiring and assured Ansem that his captive could not fight him. Isa’s speech of darkness brought a sinister smile to his face. He would not hesitate to give Isa his wish. Slowly he stood from his throne and approached the two.

“I am an honest man, as are you Isa,” Ansem told his coconspirator. “You have brought me what I desire and in return, I shall grant you your wish. Lee shall be dead soon, if that is what you truly want.” Ansem found Isa’ way of thinking to be absolutely delightful. He now wished the man that was once his friend dead. Out of jealousy, he took Hikaru, but that was not enough to please his dark heart. Ansem wondered if he had to do anything to fill Isa’ heart with darkness; it was possible darkness plagued his heart on its own. “Your heart has been opened to darkness.” With a wave of his hand, Ansem demonstrated his power. He willed the darkness to flock to Isa and extinguish the fire he’d promised to guard. He did this now to partly strike fear in the heart of his…guest.

Finally lowering his hand, Ansem turned to Hikaru and gave him a smirk of evil desire. “Don’t be foolish young Hikaru, you have stolen what Isa once held dear. You’ve destroyed the brotherhood of fire. It is your fault that the Red Bow will cease to exist. You don’t deserve to guard the Light. You are to stay here and obey me. If you heed my commands, perhaps you will live the rest of your days unharmed. I shall rule over all of the Bows soon and you will help me gain control over them.” He gave a small grin towards Braig, frowning slightly when his partner claimed no interest in the scheme.

“I know of your displeasure of the Red Bow, Braig,” Ansem said to his partner; his monotonous voice somehow holding much charisma. “With Isa at our side, the Bow had been weakened. If you disposed of Lee, there would be no Red Bow to hate. Would that not please you my friend?” Ansem knew well that Braig was smart, he just hoped his partner would see the grand scheme in his favor. Ansem disliked dirtying his own hands; disposing of Lee would be too much work for him. All of the pieces would fall into place if Braig was willing to put out Lee’s fire.

[Ruu]

Dylan

Dylan regarded Lee silently for a moment. The brash redhead certainly didn’t look the part of a leader, and yet…Dylan could see that there was a certain seriousness, a level-headedness that appeared in tragedy he had never seen before. Perhaps Lee would be the one to see them through this. Dylan didn’t trust those of the Green Bow or the Indigo Bow. The Blue Bow might have been the only other place to look for allies in a crisis that threatened the very balance of the world. But if he could persuade Lee of the need for action…

“Lee, I am sorry to say that this is no pleasure call,” he said slowly, speaking finally and giving close attention to each of his words, “If you have not noticed, the Balance is fading slowly. Though you may not have been called to it before, you are a member of the Red Bow and as such you are to guide the others. The winds have told me of strange happenings in the other bows. The Yellow Bow is completely devoid of life. And yet one of the Yellow Bow members is even now inside the Green Bow. The Violet Bow causes me the most suspicion. It would seem your friend Isa is there, inside, which seems most strange to me. Is there some kind of business he would have with Ansem and Braig? For you see, the other Yellow Bow member is there as well. As of the moment, the Light is dying a slow and painful death on Earth and my winds mourn. Lee, you must act. I will help you in any way I can, this I swear. I will not allow the Bow to fall into Chaos. My intuition tells me that Narcissus has taken Dawn while Ansem has ensnared Hikaru within his realm. If either Narcissus or Ansem were to use the powers of the Yellow Bow…The results could be disastrous…”

Dylan did not know of the close personal connection Lee had with Hikaru, and how it might cause suspicion in Lee now that he heard Isa was in the realm of Darkness.

Narcissus

Narcissus could sense Arlene’s growing impatience. He knew that she enjoyed more direct approaches to obtaining information, but in this case he was not going to allow her to have her way. He looked at her with a stern expression when she looked askance to use her own methods and shook his head. His eyes told Arlene to wait. If Dawn proved…difficult, she could use any of the tactics she deemed best. When Narcissus noticed the tear slide down Dawn’s face, he allowed himself to show an expression of mock sympathy. Setting his deadly scythe down so as not to frighten the girl, he stepped forward and knelt down, silently wiping the tear away.

“Come now, there can be no tears in such a beauteous place as this. You will ruin your lovely face,” he said, feigning gentleness, “Do not worry, if you answer all my questions I can save him. Believe me, I want to help, but if you don’t answer my questions, I’m afraid I would be powerless to act. Now, my first question. It is said you have a special power over memories…What exactly do these power entail? How can you use them? Are there limits? The reason I ask is if we could somehow manipulate Ansem’s memories, we could easily confuse him and bring back your dear friend.”

Isa/Hikaru/Braig

Isa grinned as he felt the power of darkness flow through his body, the fire once burning now extinguished. Somewhere, far in the recesses of his heart, he felt a twinge of pain as his connection with Lee broke. Somewhere, Lee would probably feel the same. Isa hoped Lee’s pain was far worse.

“Darkness…why was I chosen for fire when the Darkness resonates with me? I can feel it’s power!” laughed Isa, “The power to rule and to have dominion over foolish creatures. What is friendship to this power? It is nothing…”

Braig continued to mutter angrily. It wasn’t fair. Ansem wasn’t supposed to do this, but he would be silent. He would bide his time. He looked over at the kid, who seemed to be shuddering with fear, just as Ansem had predicted. He shook his head. If Hikaru was frightened now, he would surely die of Ansem inflicted any of his cruel, emotionless tortures on the child. Ah, but that was none of his business either…

When Ansem turned to Hikaru and spoke, the child of Light couldn’t help but cross his arms over his chest, as if that would protect him. He willed the Light to form a sphere of protective warmth around him, as it had done so often in the past, but nothing happened. The Light had no power in the Darkness…A sob nearly escaped his lips as Ansem accused him of breaking the fellowship of the Red Bow, because he believed the deceitful man’s words. He had broken Isa and Lee’s fellowship…Isa hated him enough to do this to him…It was his fault…All his fault…but…

“I won’t help you,” he said, suddenly looking up with a light in his eyes, light that tried to hide the fear he felt, “I know it was my fault that I hurt Isa and Lee. It’s all my fault. And I’m sorry Isa…But that doesn’t mean I should help you. You’ll destroy the Balance. I-I won’t let you do that. I’ll resist you and continue to resist you until I can’t anymore. I don’t care what you do to me!”

Isa ignored Hikaru’s apology. It came too little and too late. He rested his gaze on Ansem, giving him a look that suggested harsher tactics should be used to coerce the child. After all, he didn’t bring Hikaru here for a pleasure ride. In his twisted mind, he expected Hikaru to be in pain and his glance suggested as much. He didn’t say anything, not yet. But he would if the need should arise. He wouldn’t do anything himself, however, because he wanted nothing more to do with the child.

Braig groaned at Ansem’s words. He really was quite lazy, but he knew Ansem didn’t like to do his own dirty work. The two really made an ineffective pair sometimes…

“Course I hate that dratted Red Bow. But with you draggin in one of the stupid members, I don’t see much of a reason to get rid of Lee. There’s no Balance there now anyway. Besides, I can’t defeat Leealone in his own Bow. The power of Fire is strong there. I ain’t fighting a fight I can’t win. Now, if we could get an ally or two to help us take out Lee, I might consider the offer. Otherwise, no can do.”

[Sponsored content]