Nef Ia part 3

[Asila]

Somehow, the attack would simply wash over Malevolos like a wave, leaving him unharmed. Only the flicker of gold-tinted flame offered a clue to how this had happened, but it vanished as quickly as the light that had miraculously left the villain unscathed.

But in the minds of many, miracles didn't happen. This is what did.

In the moment of helpless horror that would pass just before the struggling Malevolos was struck by the balls of light, Ellina decided that this would be the perfect time to try out her practically untried theory and channel the energy in the heat around her into a shield to defend him. It was a foolish thing to risk, but there had been no time for reason. She had simply reacted.

And so she'd protected the one Saeria loved, but in her quick reaction she failed to employ the theory that she'd hoped would power the attack without draining her. She'd only used still more of the energy in her human body, and now she found herself too distracted by a heart-beat that suddenly felt unstable and the disorienting spin of her surroundings. She wrapped one arm around her ribs in a nervous gesture, placed her right hand on the ground for stability, and tried to will her heart to regain it's normal rhythm. But while this had worked in similar scenarios, it didn't work now. Her breathing just became more harsh as she tried to take deep breaths to keep it from becoming more shallow, and the world was narrowing in her vision.

But she struggled to speak. She had something to say to Lief before she lost consciousness. This fight wouldn't end if Nef and Malevolos refused to end it. She tried to speak with strength in her voice between gasps of air, but of course the words only wavered. "Tell those...idiots...to stop fighting. No one's...gotten hurt. There is no...reason." And then she just couldn't think anymore. She felt so tired. She hated feeling tired. Why didn't she just fall asleep?

((First of all, Ellina didn't call Nef and Molly idiots because she thought they were idiots. She was just trying to sound cool. DON'T JUDGE ME!

Now, on to what I really wanted to explain. My original plan hadn't been to turn Ellina into some kind of martyr. She wasn't supposed to expend any more energy after she first stopped Molly from killing Usha. But I thought about this thread quite a bit yesterday, and on my way home from Lorraine's I realized that the fight would never end if Molly had to be the one to give in. And since Nef and Molly were so unwilling to give a little...well, I decided that in order to end this Ellina had to take another one for the team. ))

[Seven]

For the moment, Saeria had been to horrified to scream when she thought the smoke would reveal Malevolos as a pile of glittering dust. She was sure her heart had stopped, but now that she saw him fine, glimmering almost golden, she felt both relief and anxiety. Anxiety since it quite hadn't sunken in yet that he was fine and not dead, so her heart raced with the remnants of that horror.

This time though, she didn't wait for permission or care to halt for her safety, but moved faster than she had in many months to join him, touch him, make sure she wasn't just imagining him to be alive and well. She touched him and would have smiled. "Love," she said softly; she had been calling him that a great deal the past few weeks.

Lief's eyes widened when he realized what Ellina was doing, long before the smoke parted. Wonderful yet foolish creature! She looked ill from such expenditures so he quickly shifted back into human form and put his arms around her so she needn't bare the pain of using more energy to not keel over. "Do not worry, it is done," he said softly to her. He forced plant growth the the unbearably hot ground, but though the conditions were not preferable, they still made a small cushion so Ellina could lay. "Rest now, you have done well. I shall carry on from here."

Lief rises to intervene. "Stop!" he called out to both sides of the battlefield with a strong, affirmative tone. "Let us end this madness; it has gone too far!"

[Pan]

Befor he can finish the sentace Nef had landed next to him. "I hurd what she said..." Nef say in a soft voice. She leans over to look at Eliina and places a hand on her chest. "Such a brave human, you could have died." Nef hands glowes gold for a few second as Ellina would feel a wormth like no other washing over her body. Nef gives Ellina some of her own life engery to bring her back. she pulls her hand away from her chest and tern to face away from them. "I'm sorry I turly didn't want to see any get hurt... To many people I love have been hurt or killed because of me..." She looks back over her shoulder at them. "And now people I don't even know are being hurt because of me..." She tern looks at Saeria. "You love will be fine, if any thing he might feel beter after that spell seeing as it didn't hit him..."

Ank being to head back to the group. Usha looks at Evening and smiles. "Heh heh look like its over I think..." She pats her on the shoulder. "Sorry about that, Ank didn't want you to get scared." She stand back up and runs off after her sister. "Ank wait for me!"

[Asila]

Immediately after the failed attack, Malevolos remained very still. He was thoroughly baffled by the realization that everything had just come to a halt. The fiery tone of his eyes returned to their usual bright crimson as his confusion forced him to take a moment to think before he could pick up another attack.

Then he saw Saeria rush toward him and he held out his arms to catch her as she came close. As they had so many months ago, his wings closed around her. This time, however, there was a tension in the ligaments that reflected his desire to isolate her from all harm. He could hear her heart racing, even feel it through her fingertips, and though his gaze softened when she called him her love he frowned, concerned. "I've frightened you, Saeria." He said softly, somehow surprised.

In answer to Lief, he only unfurled his wings enough to gaze directly at the fox, and while the message in his stare still contained undertones of violence it also portrayed clarity. For now, his rage had diminished, but the cause still remained.

Ellina had curled onto the plant cushion thinking that she may as well just close her eyes and rest a little. If Lief couldn't convince the others to make a truce of some sort, then she certainly couldn't. The only reason that she had remained awake for as long as she had was that this feeling of weakness, so much more severe than any she had known previously, was frightening to her. Though she was tired, she didn't really want to sleep at all. She wanted to fight it off, to be able to stand and feel strong enough to fend for herself. But that was one battle she was losing, and by the time Nef approached her she had nearly departed from the waking world entirely. When Nef spoke, her words reached Ellina with all the vagueness of a dream. It was only when she began to feel...better that she opened her eyes and tried once more to connect with the world. "Thank you," She told Nef, "And don't worry. These things happen."

Yep, she was awake, but she wasn't getting up. Her mind was still reeling and she was waiting for everything to feel stable again.

As for Evening, well, she was also a bit baffled. Getting carried off by Usha had been a surprise, but she definitely understood the gesture. She still felt badly unnerved by the situation, but not as frightened as she could have. She nodded to Usha, murmuring a thank you. Then she would follow Usha and Ank tentatively. There certainly was a lull, now. She wondered what had happened...

[Seven]

Saeria looked up to Him as the shadows from his wings closed around them. Her shone in the subtle light with the gleam of unshed tears, but she smiled, arms moving to stretch around Him, holding onto him tighter. "No, I'm happy," she whispered in response. "Thank you." She buried her head into His chest, happy, yes, but a feeling of shame behind it all...

She was forgetting of the world again--she didn't even notice when Lief spoke or the slight sound of unfurling of His wings. Just a slight feeling of slipping, though she stood sturdy in her place.

Lief also smiled at Nef when the woman cured Ellina. He sighed in relief to know that she'd be ok. He looked to Nef again, nodding his head gratefully. "Thank you," he said softer than Ellina would, though it was in his eyes that he truly expressed his gratitude. He crouched beside Ellina again, just to check on her momentarily. She would be...fine, thankfully, but she still needed rest. He smiled to her and spoke calmly. "There is no need to stay awake when sleep will do you better, dear. And when you awaken, I shall fill you in on the details, okay?" He hoped to persuade her to sleep, though he knew how stubborn she could be, how tough she wanted to be.

Standing again, he looked between Nef and Malevolos. "I believe there has been some horrible misunderstanding here."

[Pan]

Nef places her hands on her hips leaning to one side. "Yeah there is. Yes I am married to Daemon, but I want nothing to do with him." She glaces back at her girls as they approch. "Daemon want nothing more then for me and my girls to be dead." she looks at Malevolos. "I'm sorry about snaping at you I was just sick of have my family being threaten and I snaped. I have been through a rough time right now because of Daemon, and I have lost so many people I love. I just could let someone kill my children..."

Usha and Ank finly reach the group lisoning to what there mother is saying. Ank get a strage look on her face and terns her head to Malevolos and Saeria. "Something wrong...' She mutters to Usha. Ank walks up to Saeria and pulls her hair back from her right eyes. The eye glowes a bit and she say out loud. "This poison is doing more then killing you love, she is loseing her mind." Usha gasp and runs next to her sister. "How can you tell." Ank points to her eye. "I can see it."

[Asila]

Ellina began to take Lief up on his suggestion. She sighed and let her eyes fall shut as some of the tension slipped from her. But she didn't fall asleep before she heard Ank's announcement, so she didn't fall asleep fast enough. Though she still didn't open her eyes, her breathing became too shallow and silent as she listened intently. For as long as her tired mind would cooperate, she would listen for herself; and fabricate schemes of vengeance just to keep her hatred from burning her from within.

Most of Malevolos' attention lay with Saeria, around whom his arms closed more firmly. Protective. However, his gaze rested with predatory intensity first on Nef as she spoke, and then on Ank as she arrived and came closer. He would have been much more pleased if the girl would have maintained her distance, but he didn't lash out, even when she reached for Saeria. If there was a truce, he wouldn't break it. He would not let this turn back into a battle when he had Saeria in his arms. He had control enough to manage that.

When Ank announced what she felt was wrong with Saeria, his expression suddenly lost it's violent intensity, locking down into a blank mask. His red eyes became dark as all light within them abruptly faded, and a fine tremor raced down his spine, as though he were freezing.

All fire that remained in the clearing was abruptly extinguished.

He wanted to deny the truth in that statement, to exclaim the girl was lying, to convince himself that this wasn't true. Instead, he asked what he felt he had to know. "How long do we have?"

Evening simply stood silently at the very edge of the group, her eyes suddenly gleaming with sorrow instead of fear. She didn't know what to say.

[Seven]

((Yup, I'm sorry, but this is ridiculously long. I hope I don't contradict anything anyone was going to do, but I could always modify it. (There is one part that might have been funny if not for the tone, at least! *sheepish grin*) I guess this stuff just happened since I had the whole night to just think about my post without a chance to post...Well...Hope it's ok!! *sheepish smile*))

Saeria sighed contentedly in His arms, more than just comfortable. She didn't really hear the truce Lief declared or when Nef and her daughters approached. If she had payed attention, she might have been able to prepare herself for for what Ank so tactlessly revealed. Of all the things she did not listen to, her ears picked up the sound of Ank's voice, her words seemed to pierce through her like a harpoon through her gut. Her heart fell, her expression no longer one of a contented sigh, and everything had gone quiet literally cold, including her beloved.

Malevolos would feel Saeria suddenly freeze tensely in place, her hands suddenly clenched tightly, desperately onto the loose fabric of the back of his shirt. She held her breath as Ank spoke, but when she fell silent Saeria would have buried her head closer to Malevolos, shuddering, trying to hide like a wounded animal.

Though there were no coherent words running through her mind right now, so strongly she had the desire to run away, hide, disappear--how she would have loved to disappear from this horrid limelight. But there would be nowhere for her to hide and ironically she was burying herself into the person whose eyes she would have most wanted to avoid in this situation. She was shamed and her now shallow breaths sounded faintly of sobs.

Lief's eyes softened as he watched the pair. Was there no end to sorrow's depths? From the mere way he could see Saeria acting, it was clear what the young daughter of Hell had been true. Saeria was acting more like the forest beast he had been some 600 years ago than the bright young girl everyone had come to know. He chastised himself for not realizing earlier. There were cues he should have picked up on that he ignored or wrote off as weakness. She had hardly spoken the past 3 weeks and often looked distant. There was also some other oddity he had noticed....

The kitsune approached where the two stood as the center of attention, trying to remain cool. "Wait Malevolos, let us see if what this girl says is true. She might be incorrect yet," he truly hoped so, for everyone's sake, at least. "A test, a simple one, from something I noticed, should suffice. Just one question," he said to Malevolos, as if he were asking permission, but then looked to Saeria without waiting for the hybrid's answer.

Lief crouched just slightly, a gentle smile directed at the girl in question, perhaps wanting to lessen any unintentional blow. "Saeria, Saeria?" he called twice, and still in Malevolos's arms the girl would slowly turn her head to look at him from over her shoulder. Her expression was a little too wide-eyed, frightened, though she forced a shaky smile. Somehow, she knew, this would be painful. But Lief persisted.

"Saeria...what are our names?" he asked, then gestured to their little group.

She looked around the forest clearing with a faltering smile--she tried she really did--but she shivered more and felt frigid to the touch. Lief nodded pleasantly, a silent call for her to say his name, prompting Saeria to widen her smile awkwardly. This simple question seemed to cause unbearable pressure, and if she would have had problems remembering a person's name before, all this anxiety made it simply impossible. Trying to avoid the fox's golden eyes, she quickly shifted her gaze. She saw Nef and her daughters. Questioning look, she wondered if she even knew them. Had they been enemies in the past, or just newcomers. She moved to Ellina, resting on her leafy bed.

"E--eh, L?" she said slowly, she continued to smile, though her eyes looked wet once again. Lief gave no indication to her whether or not she had been right or not, but rather just smiled and nodded at her to continue, this time indicating to Malevolos himself. By now she felt she could of died of embarrassment.

She looked up into her love's eyes. She still smiled, but it seemed like she was silently pleading with him. Pleading for some sort of help, an end to this torture. Now she really was on the verge of tears, but she seemed unable to suffer anymore indignity. Swallowing hard, she tried desperately to hold onto any coherent thought or memory.

"Ma..." she tried to sound it out. "Ma-le......" she paused, mind racing. "...Molly?" She stared up at him in silent desperation before her faltering smile finally died. It was wrong. She knew it was wrong. She didn't know why though, but she knew no one had to say it. Was it that she pronounced it incorrectly, or was it the wrong name all together?

Looking up at him, a tear finally shed itself. She opened her mouth to speak, a faint a whispy sound so low even Lief standing not so fare away had trouble hearing. "I love you..." she trailed off slightly. More than anything, her whimpering tone was apologetic, as if wanting to explain something she did not know how to articulate anymore. She could only tell him that she loved him, even without quite knowing or remembering everything she was supposed to, hoping against hope that would be enough.

But to her, it could never be. Gently pulling herself off of him she raised a hand over her eyes to mask the tears that obviously came. She felt unworthy. She couldn't even remember the names of the people who fought to save her! The truth had given her no quarter. Lief's silvery eyes flopped downwards in regret. He should have not said anything to begin with, but softly he asked, as if expecting to not be heard, he asked, "Yours?"

"No," she replied. "I...It was my secret." She looked at Ank sadly. "I...didn't want anyone to know..."

In her, Ank would have seen a literally scrambled mind. Many things forgotten, thoughts and memories meshed together, her sense of communication dwindling. Embarrassment. She felt herself a lost cause. Even if she were cured now, she feared she would already be too broken. Weeks ago, when she still held onto some rationale, logic, she had come to the realization her mentality was breaking down. She knew she was close to the end, and since then, she decided it would be kinder to hide it, best she could. There was no hope for her, she knew. Why couldn't everyone just realize that?

In some ways--no, most ways, she already felt dead. Broken now, with knowledge her mind would only continue dying, all of the hateful mind-probing and interrogation, shame, death would be kindly.

[Pan]

Ank walks over to them, bending down so what she can see eye to eye with Saeria. She reaches out a small pail hand and places it agenst her forhead. Both eyes being to glow as she peers into to mind again. She speek not of her own voice but what a hundred more. "Her mind is fading fast, I'm guess we have little less then a week... maby even five days..."

Ank pulls her hand away and her eyes stop glowing. she stand back up and faces her mother. "Mom, how much do you know about poisons?" Nef crosses her arms as she thinks. "Not much. I know how to heal human from normal human poisions, but not like this." Nef bits her lip as she looks at the poor dyeing girl. "If Ia was here we wouldn't have to worrie, she could just get ride of this in one quick action...." Ank terns her head to look back at Saeria and Malevolos. "What about her mind? I'm still learning about my owers..."

Usha finly speeks after hearing every one talk about this. "Mom what about Uncle Sceatto? He might be able to do something about her mind." Nef terns and looks at her oldest child. "you know Usha thats not a bad Idea! I could send him a later through the messenger! She could get Sceatto here in no time!"

[Asila]

Ellina had lay still when Saeria tried to name her, feigning sleep so that she didn't make her poor friend feel any more awkward than she already did. It was an act she never would have managed if her face had been tilted in their direction, as her eyes were wide and shining with inner turmoil, but her automatic tendency to turn her face away from people before she closed her eyes to sleep had worked out for her here.

It was so hard to listen to her friend struggle. So hard. As the questioning continued, she felt the familiar icy pang of sorrow twist beneath her ribs like a blade. And if she felt like this, they must feel worse. Oh, Saeria. You are the last to deserve such a fate. And Malevolos...how cruel that your chance at redemption should slip away from you. Why?! She always asked this last when she despaired.

If despair asked, then will answered. Suddenly unable to lay idle while assaulted so severely by emotion, she all but threw herself to her feet. She had to be strong, the warrior. That was the role she had always thought was hers as a child. She would be the one to make things fair, since no one else would. She wrapped her hand tensely around the phoenix pendant she had worn since she snagged it during her last visit to home and imagined channeling all of her energy into it, her sorrow, her outrage, her helpless sense of despair. This was a mind game. A positive one that helped her work with her inner turmoil instead of trying to fight it.

As she begins to calm, she looks toward Evening who appears absolutely desolate. The girl's hand trembles as she raises it to cover her mouth, and Ellina holds out a hand and gazes intently at her. When there are no words to say, she doesn't speak. Evening, of course, reacts immediately to this behavior in a way that very few people would and pads silently over to stand beside the taller girl.

Ellina smiles at this friend, but she's thinking, now. She's considering what Lief said to her earlier. "If it comes down to it, we will have to help him, not them." In those lines she found the spirit of her mission. She would help Malevolos, and more importantly, Saeria, and damn anyone who would step between her and this mission.

And so outrage, will, and pride plot this course together even as sorrow and despair stream silently from her eyes. And if an exhaled breath snags on a single sob, it's just because she's frustrated that she can't make this right on her own, not because she's weak.

****

Malevolos remained far too still when at first the interrogation began. Expression still avoided his features as light did his eyes. He felt cold, he couldn't hear his heart beat, and he could no longer tell if he was breathing. In truth, it didn't matter to him just now if he was or wasn't. As the reality of Ank's announcement continued to sink deeper still, he soon found it impossible to think of anything else, to feel anything but the deathly chill that was consuming him.

When Saeria failed to remember the name of her friend, Ellina, his jaw tensed. When she turned to look into his eyes and failed to remember his name, her felt himself fall further still. Not because he was angry with her, of course, but because he felt so afraid for her that he could hardly remember what it was like to feel anything else. As distant as he was he still heard her tell him that she loved him, however quietly she whispered the words, and through the distance he sent his assurance and his warmth. "I know, my dearest Saeria. I will never doubt you." It might not sound like much to your average romantic, but he had never held such faith in anyone as he did in her. Had never understood the concept at all until he learned what it was to love like this.

And when Lief asked her to tell them her own name the kitsune earned a look of warning from the stricken dragon, but the look didn't change anything. The question had already been asked. Though he had let Saeria pull away, he wished she hadn't now. He should be protecting her. Even from this.

Standing, he gazed attentively at Saeria, his vigilance interrupted only by the final dark glance he cast at Lief for mercilessly continuing this trial even after the truth of Ank's diagnosis had been painfully driven home. There was so little time left. Why worry such wounds at all?

Then the unknown Sceatto is brought into the equation and Malevolos frowns, uncertain. He mistrusts Nef and the girls, as would be expected considering his temperament and recent events, and is reluctant to let of any relation of theirs near Saeria.

But Ellina seems to have other ideas, because she immediately asks Nef, "You know someone who can help? How soon can he get here?" She speaks more quickly than normal, and her tone is almost feverish, but she's alert and eager for a solution.

((Ah, writing makes me happy. Sorry for the length! ))

[Seven]

Saeria protested not as the strange, pale girl came closer, sure to give another horrifying announcement. And she did. She knew it. Saeria didn't react as the hand approached her forehead, probing her mind again. She was weak. In both ways. More than anything, she was tired. She reverted back into her duly numb state of mind. Empty again. Not knowing where she was nor the events that had passed moments earlier. Perhaps the final means of coping was to forget everything. She hadn't meant to be the victim, but...She hadn't meant to give up, but she could no longer remember when she had.

Not sure what was going on anymore, she looked around, and spotting her Others, she went back to their general side and sat down. No point of standing awkwardly, looking confused. She didn't really hear, or at least didn't understand, what they were saying now anyways.


Lief shyed away from the disdainful looks Malevolos had thrown at him, mainly because he knew he deserved that. He overstepped a line, well intentioned that he was. And with everything had been said and done, Saeria suddenly looked worse, less cognitive at least. The fox was unsure with what to do or how to react, skittishly sorting with the countless years of information he had acquired, trying to think of something. Fortunately for him, the sounds of Ellina disrupted his train of thought before it could anxiously peak. Not that he would have reacted poorly, not that he ever outwardly reacted to stress, but it was nice to have something else to think of. Hence, he heard her the moment she restlessly stood, swiftly moving beside her, knowing all too well how drained she was supposed to be. He tried to offer her a reassuring smile, knowing she shouldn't be up yet.

"Ellina..." he had only began in trying to persuade her back to at least sitting, before his ears picked up Nef and her girls' somewhat excited clamoring. Then he turned his head towards them, instantly forgetting his prior train of thoughts due to the incredible disbelief he was in. So much was his shock that he didn't register neither Malevolos' dark looks nor the fact that Ellina beat him to inquiring about this 'Uncle Sceatto.' But when he snapped out of it, in practically a blink he was right up there, eyes widened for a moment, almost staring, before trying to figure out a way to articulate some sort of thought.

"Your....Uncle Sceatto...? He wouldn't happen to be...." he trailed of with a questioning tone, not sure how he was going to finish that sentence himself. (Then again, it had always been quite common in Japanese speech to vaguely leave a sentence hanging such that the other party could finish it off. Though he should have remembered he was in the West, not the East anymore.) There were more than enough words in human language to describe someone, yet he wasn't sure which ones to use to identify the man without making a fool of himself should it not be the person he had in mind. But then again, how many people are named something like 'Sceatto?'

The fox didn't realize it consciously, but as he left the sentence hanging, he gently pulled one one length of hair, a shorter strand actually, tugging it just slightly upward as if to show a spike. To anyone else, it might have just looked like a nervous habit. Which it could have been classified in this situation, considering Lief was doing it subconsciously.

[Pan]

Nef stared at leaf and back to Ellina say in a soft voice. "My uncel Sceatto is good with minds, he might be the keeper of time, but I think he can help you all out." Nef terns and looks to the sky she rais her hands above her head and speaks in a language that they have not herd before, it ia not demonic nor angelig, but what ever she said something happend.

From above there head the would hear and see someone comeing. a young looking girl lands in the grass infront of Nef. She is short and built think, one black wing and one white wing fold agents her back. Her white hair with the black tip are tied up in a pony tail. A red eyes on the side of the white wing and a blue eye on the side of her face with the black wing. She is dressed in what look to be messenger clothing with a large bag slung over her shoulder. She opend her mouth and skeep in a raspy voice. "what did you call me for Nef? you said it was vary important?"

Nef nodes her head looking at the girl. "Yes I need you to go to Sceatto and tell him where i am at. Tell him that I need his help badly ans that an innocent girls life and mind are on the line, and we are running out of time." Nef says this all vary quikly and the girl nodes her head. she spreds her wings again and take flight.

Nef terns back and looks at the group. "Sceatto should be here with the hour.... i hope..." Nef addes on in a hushed voice. Usha and Ank stay quite looking at the group hopeing that they can help poor Searia.

[Asila]

Ellina doesn't look at Lief when he speaks her name. She simply couldn't right now. Everything seemed to be rushing so quickly through her mind that her ability to focus was severely limited, so she devoted all of her energy to the task at hand. Besides, it was bad enough she was losing control in front of Lief again. She would rather avoid seeing his expression.

But when the strange and beautiful messenger arrives and departs, when everyone is looking away, she also decides to sit for a while. Balancing her chin on her hand she observes the group silently. She is waiting for someone else to do something, because right now, she is out of ideas.

The far more alert Evening is rapidly processing everything that is said, all while keeping tabs on the silent messages that every creature broadcasts through it's stance and tone of voice. If this merged group becomes unstable again, she wants to know before it's too late to smooth the tension. Everything is so tense already, the atmosphere savoring strongly of despair and desperation. Anything could happen.

She is the one that next speaks to Nef, glancing skittishly at Malevolos while she does so. "Within the hour? Maybe we should head back to the house and sit more comfortably while we...wait..." She trails off, disliking the way the fine muscles tightened around Malevolos' eyes when she made the proposal. She didn't realize he was so territorial...

"We'll wait here until he arrives." Malevolos amends in a low voice. He looks sharply at Evening, who cringes. He will not play host to Daemon's children. His hatred runs far too deep. He simply can not suffer the outrage. Not now.

He turns toward Saeria and a platform of soft shadow rises beneath her, lifting her off the ground. The darkness condenses into an elaborate bed with delicate spires twisting a few feet upward to form the head and the foot. Threaded between them are the fragile tendrils of established passion flowers, soft black but the blooms rippling with the brightest orange and coolest blue of a cheerful campfire. Another small gift, meant to warm and cheer his despondent Saeria.

He knelt beside the bed, clasping one of her hands in his and searching for her gaze with his own. The others would remain ignored until they did something useful. Or threatening.

[Seven]

((I am angry. I had nearly finished this post when my computer died. As a result, I can promise that this version is going to be crap because of the sheer frustration I am feeling right now.))

Saeria continued to sit despondently on the floor, not taking any noticed of the messenger when she arrived. Literally. Even now she was beginning to forget the cause of her sorrows, which only frightened her more. By the time the messenger had gone, it was already wiped from her mind, leaving her feel hollow, like something important was missing yet again. But at least at this point, her sadness only stemmed from that vague emotion, and therefore, was not as intense or as difficult to endure.

When the shadows rose her suddenly from the ground, she looked about her curiously, with a sudden and almost amused delight. She did not realize that it was Malevolos' doing, but rather, just seemed fascinated that the ground was capable of doing such a fascinating trick. And it was a lovely bed as well; she noticed the beauty of the small details. She smiled brightly, and brighter yet when she saw He was approaching. She looked at him, having forgotten for the moment all of their worries. They would sure enough return to her evetually, but only a strange merriment lit her expression now, and could not for the life of her understand the solemn look on his countenance. She only knew that she would have much preferred for Him to join her on the bed. She figured they would both be far more comfortable, and she would have enjoyed Him being closer yet...but she knew he always had to be such a gentlemen. She would have asked him to join him on the bed, she always meant to whenever he did this, but the only problem was that she never remembered how when it came to it. So, instead, she did what little she could, putting her fragile hand over his, and looked into his eyes, engaged in what she could only figure was... a staring contest.


Lief fidgeted uncomfortably where he stood. It seemed so strange for him, as he was always so serene, yet now he looked obviously distressed. So much so he was even wringing and clutching one of his tail with both hands. At least, on the bright side for Ellina, it meant that the fox was not unintentionally wounding her pride by insisting one thing or another for the sake of her well-being.

Lief had wanted desperately to find out if the man in question was the man he knew, but everyone had seemed intent upon ignoring when he had brought the subject up. Well, no use making a fool himself by bringing it up constantly. It seemed hard to think it was the same Sceatto. It's been...fourteen years... It was hard to believe. The time he had spent at the hotel, all those years ago, just seemed surreal at this point. Once he had left, he had never spoken of his adventures there again, nor seen the friends he once had. At was so strange. He knew, on some level, he missed those times, those people. They were so happy, so dramatic and adventuresome, even for him being cursed. He had learned a great deal at that time. It was when he left behind much resentment from his past.

But he never spoke of it. Who had to tell, after all.

Oh, what does it matter if I know whether or not it's the same Sceatto? It's not like it'll make a difference if I find out now or when he arrives... He realized he was hurting his tail at this point, and abruptly let it free. Then, still acting oddly, he decided suddenly to take a seat next to Ellina, and silently just wait.

~~~~~~~~~Roughly 20 minutes later~

Above the gathering, a strange black hole suddenly began to emerge. It was dark and looked threatening. Moments later, a pair would come through... ((Yes Pan, I decided that "Pan" would be with him.)) Lief silently rose to his feet, staring up into the darkness, waiting expectantly.

((And, as I am angry with my post previously being deleted upon near completion, I'll just end it here.))

[Pan]

A girls with blond curly hair lands on the ground her black cat ears twich and her tail sways back and forth. She is of normal hight and has a rather cute look to her aged face."Nef whats the matter dear? The messenger said you needed to see Sceatto!" Nef smiles and the sight of Pan and Sceatto. "thank god you guys got here so fast, yes we need sceatto's help." Nef explanes what has happend to Saeria in a vary fest and frantic noise.

Pan blinks and then looks at Scaetto. "This sound like something for you to do... I don't know why I even came I am of no help." Pan looks over the group giveing a waves to Ank and Usha then her eyes fall apone the fox boy. Her ears pirk up as she looks him over with her blue eyes. She walks away from Sceatto and Nef and closer to the Fox boy and the strang girl next to him. "You... look fermiler... Do I know you?"

((Sorry is short I have little to say XD))