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Chapter 5
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The chard and pitted remains sighed a weary groan as they gave way to the weight bearing gently down upon it. The once proud and beautiful building lay as a mound of ash upon the ground. Little recognizable remained.
Scott surveyed the damage with a keenly dispassionate interest. It wasn't just this building that had been razed. Virtually all of the surrounding environs had been laid waste. Yet this one house had been hit hardest. Scott wondered why. Looking down, wedged beneath several charred pieces of wood, something caught Scott's attention. Bending over slowly, he carefully pulled the object free of the ruins. It seemed as a small plush doll.
"MARIE!?" screamed a voice from just behind Scott. The small yellow thing was suddenly pulled from Scott's hand. " MARIE?!" screamed the voice once again. Scott watched as Mizuho held the tiny object close to her. Sobbing, Mizuho called to the burnt and lifeless moppet in her hands. There was no response. Bell moved closer to her friend. Kneeling down, she tried to console the grief-stricken Miss Kazami as best she could. Mizuho, her face stained by tears, simply held the little creature tightly to her bossom.
Belldandy looked up towards Scott. Was she hoping for support from him? Or just a feeling that he cared what was happening? Scott was busy sifting through the rubble to notice. Strange, Bell thought to herself, how he hides his true feelings from everyone. She sensed the anger welling deep beneath the veneer of indifference. No. It was more than just anger. Bell sensed something more. Something primordial. Almost like an unbridled animal instinct. Bell noticed Scott had something in his hand now. A small black box with lights and dials. He seemed to be scanning the area with it. He stopped and looked off towards a clump of trees that had not fallen to the carnage.
" My dear Kei," Mizuho sobbed softly," What has happened to you?"
Bell understood the pain her friend was experiencing. All too well. She could not allow herself to dwell upon past unpleasantries. The moment now was more important.
" I'm sure he's safe, Mizuho." Bell said quietly, trying to be as honest as possible. " Your not always right, Bell." the emotionally distraught woman replied, laying the limp ragdoll upon the ground," even when your intentions are true."
Bell held Mizuho as closely as she could. Mizuho collapsed into her friends arms. How could this be happening again? Bell thought to herself. Looking up, Bell could see no trace of Scott anywhere. Apprehension swept over her quickly. What if those who had perpetrated this ghastly deed where still about, lurking in the shadows?
"Miss Kazami?" came a voice from the shadows. " Miss Kazami, is that you?'
Mizuho wiped her eyes as she gently pushed herself away from Belldandy. Turning towards the source of the voice, both women were pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face appear from the shadows.
" KEI!" Mizuho screamed with delight. Stumbling forward across the remains of their home, Mizuho rushed to embrace him. Bell felt a tear well in her eyes. "Thank God." she said as she watched the happy reunion unfold before her. Standing up, Bell felt an unusual sensation engulf her. A numbing cold that she had not felt since...
Mizuho was just within reach of her beloved Kei when Bell realized what she was sensing. Desperately Bell called out to her friend.
Mizuho seemed to stop in midstride for just a moment. An unearthly calm settled upon them.
A quiet shattered by a bloodcurdling scream.
Back in Crystania, the dark elf Geizelle, Fam and Kevin made their way to the cave on the edge of the city that now served as the Dark Elf's home. There, Geizelle's apprentices meet them. Suddenly, the dark elf stops and decides to give Kevin a chore so she and Fam may talk in private.
"Kevin, take this pail and fetch us some water from the river." Geizelle abruptly asked rather coldly handing him a wooden bucket.
Kevin took the pail and looked at the two somewhat confused, then left to do as asked as he began to realize what her intent was.
"That was not nice." Fam told her aunt somewhat surprised and annoyed by her sudden change in temperament. "I know if you asked him nicely..."
"Fam." Geizelle interrupts. "Tell me of your feelings for this human."
Fam is startled by her aunt's abruptness, and then her cheeks begin to blush intensely with embarrassment.
"W..Well...He...he's special to me." Fam stammers uncomfortably unable to look the elder elf in the eye.
"That's not what I meant and you know it!" Geizelle exclaims some annoyed. "Do you love him?"
Fam is taken aback by her aunt's directness. This must be important for her normally gentile aunt to suddenly be this way. Confronted by her inquisition, Fam turns her back to her aunt and replies,"It's complicated."
"Relationships usually are." Geizelle confirms. "Does he know of your feelings for him?"
"I think so." Fam hesitantly replies.
"You haven't told him." Geizelle acknowledges somewhat disappointed.
"It's hard...I don't want to run him off too." Fam admits sobbing.
"Too?" Geizelle inquires. "What do you mean by 'too'"
"I…I can't…" Fam crying begs her aunt not to continue.
"Dear, I'm just trying to help you find the happiness you so richly deserve." Geizelle says stroking Fam's head trying to comfort her.
Fam hesitantly tells her aunt of the way Lyle avoided, and belittled her once she had revealed her feelings for him. Geizelle, seeing the tears welling up in Fam's eyes, understands her niece's unwillingness to reopen old wounds.
Geizelle sits next to her niece, places her arm around her.
"You need to tell him how you feel." Geizelle advises Fam. "If he feels the same way, your love will grow stronger."
"What if he does the same as Lyle." Fam asks.
"Has he shown himself to be like this Lyle?" asks Geizelle hoping to help her niece.
"In some ways, yes, and in some, no." Fam sighs as the crying subsides. "He treats me very well, looks out for me and I think loves my company. I don't think he would ever hurt me…at least not on purpose."
Geizelle then smiles at Fam. She has just answered her own question.
"I'll tell him...when the time is right." Fam resolves as she gets up and heads down a corridor carved out of the cave wall. "Thank you."
As Fam moves out of sight, Geizelle thinks to herself. "Hmmm. Perhaps there is something I can do to help move things along."
Suddenly an idea pops into her head. A smile spreads across her face as she giggles to herself.
"Sometimes, competition is the perfect lever to give love a gentle nudge."
Meanwhile, several miles away, Andrew lies down in his cell wondering about several things. What do the dark ones have in mind for him? When will his comrades rescue him? Why can't he use his power?
Abruptly, his concentration is broken by the sound of stones striking sharply outside the cell's window.
He stands on his cot trying to peer out of the small, highly placed window. He takes hold of the bars and pulls himself up the rest of the way using nothing but pure upper-body strength. Looking out into the courtyard he sees an unexpected sight.
"Merle?" Andrew thinks. "What the hell is she doing here? She should be back at that village recovering."
From the courtyard, Merle spies her savior.
"It's all MY fault he is in there." The capricious catgirl thinks to herself. She thinks back to how he tore up his own shirt to bandage her wounds. How he carried her over three miles while avoiding and dodging the attacking beasts to a nearby village. How he allowed himself to get captured so they would forget about her.
The least she can do is not allow him to feel alone and forgotten.
The sun shone brightly high upon a clear azure sea. Belldandy closed her eyes and took in the sweet nectar of life all around her. A gentle breeze playfully tosseled her flowing locks of chestnut hair about her face. It felt so good to be alive.
Keiichi was busy at the far end of the temple with another of Tamiya's ... ideas. He had not been happy at all with the task. Despite the reassurance of Chihiro that this would be a great accomplishment, Bell could sense the reservation her beloved Keiichi had about it. Still, she did her best to support him in the endeavor.
She reached up to remove the clothing from the wires upon which they hung. Off in the distance Bell could just make out the sounds of her sisters happily arguing over some recent matter of importance. She smiled as the disagreement reached a rousing pitch. Neatly folding Keiichi's favorite sweater, Bell held it close to her chest for just a moment and then carefully placed it atop the rest in the basket at her side.
It was then that she noticed the unearthly quiet that had descended upon the environs of the home she had shared for 6 years now with her sisters and Kei.
Bell shivered. A chill as cold as any she had ever known enveloped her in its misty hands of ice. Something was very wrong. Something very evil and unforgiving. The basket of clothes rolled slowly away as Bell ran towards the compound. "KEI! " she yelled as she approached the converted garage. " Kei!?" Bell said once more as she rounded the corner and found herself staring into a empty void. Keiichi's tools sat scattered about the project he had been working on, as though waiting their master's hands. Bell raced towards the house. The sounds of her sisters squabbling had ceased.
The cold was freezing now, penetrating deep into Bell's soul. For the first time a real sense of fear gripped her as it never had before. Bell ran into the house, her shoes flying off at the doorway. Was it just her imagination or did the house seem possessed of a slaugh....
NO! Bell pushed those thoughts from her mind. Calling forth her sister's names, Bell slid open the door to Skuld's room. It was as empty as a freshly opened grave. The same was true of Urd's room. The entire house was as though no one had been there.
Bell was positively freezing now. Slowly she made her way towards the front door. Something moved in the shadows. "Kei?" she called out. " Kei, is that you? Are you alright?" The figure moved again. It seemed to be coming towards her. Slowly. Ever so slowly.
There was a sharp crashing sound behind her. Bell turned, startled by the sudden distraction. A lamp had fallen from its pedastal. She sighed in relief. As she turned back, Bell could just make out the form of what was approaching her. She started to smile in relief.
A smile fated to fade.
Belldandy screamed in disbelief.
Than all was silence. A silence of a tomb.
"Hey! A little help here please!"
Bell snapped back to reality. Scott was carrying Miss Kazami's unconcious body towards the car. She was alive and undamaged, at least physically.
Bell looked back. The creature that had been Kei Kusanagi a moment before slashed manically at the barrier now standing between it and the trio of fleeing humans. Composing herself, Bell quickly assisted Scott as he hurriedly placed Mizuho in the backseat of her car. She looked back. The creature bellowed in hate-filled rage as it pounded against the shield with increased enthusiastic intensity.
" I hate to break up your little flashback here, " Scott said angrily, " but that forcefield isn't going to last too much longer. We need to go and go quickly." Bell seemed oddly transfixed by the sight of the snarling creature. " Do I have to THROW you into the car?" Scott said hotly, his agitation mounting. If that shield failed before they could get far enough away.....
Bell entered the vehicle, her movements practically like a zombie, and sat down beside Miss Kazami. Scott slammed the doors and hurridly slid into the driver seat.
"Falgarcarb!" he uttered in disgust. Twisting about, he patted Mizuho for any sign of pockets. Bell hardly seemed to notice. She intently watched the creature clawing desperatly at its cage. It stopped and looked directly into her eyes. " I know who you REALLY are." it whispered into her mind.
Bell gasped for air.
Scott found what he was looking for. The motor roared to life. Despite an unfamiliarity with a stick shift, Scott found a way and the car hurtled away from the hissing black form and all the destruction it had wrought. A cloud of dust was all that remained when the forcefield finally fell. The creature looked on in disgust. Its mission had been accomplished.
Deep in thought, Fam slowly made her way down the hallway that led outside. Proping herself against a split-rail fence, she wrestles with the wellspring of emotions racing through her mind. Returning from his ... water fetching mission, Kevin sees her leaning against the fence with a perplexed look.
"Penny for your thoughts." he says to her, having set down the pail, he walked up behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders.
"You don't want to know." She responds softly. Obviously something is weighing heavily on her mind.
"Then why did I ask?" Kevin says wiping away a remnant of a tear from her eye.
Fam thinks to herself of Kevin's gentle touch and the comfort it brought. She trusted him completely. Why, then, can't she tell him how she cares for him.
"Ah! I just remembered something." He says reaching into his shirt pocket. "Close your eyes. I have a surprise for you."
With her eyes closed, Kevin pulls a flower from his pocket and lightly brushes the tip of her nose with it. Slightly startled, Fam pops open her eyes and sees the near perfect tulip before her.
"It's beautiful!" She exclaims. "I love .....................it.................Thank you."
Fam wraps her arms around Kevin's neck and pulls herself close to give him a kiss. Aiming for Kevin's lips, Fam reconsiders and instead makes it a quick peck on the cheek.
Kevin, noticing the last minute change, just smiles at her to hide his disapointment.
"I know something is on your mind." Kevin whispers into her ear. "Perhaps, someday you'll share it with me when the time is right."
Sheepishly she looks up towards him trying to smile.
"Sorry." Fam says quietly. "I..I just can't. Not yet."
"No pressure." Kevin comments smiling. He then picks up the bucket and continues into the cave, giving only a silent sigh. Fam watches him walk away, frustrated that she had just let herself down by letting yet another opportunity pass. Just then, a question pops into Fam's head... what is a penny?
Geizelle watches from the top of the cave with two of her apprentices, Zhulla and Theile.
"You know what to do, riiiiiiiight?" The dark elf asks of her two associates.
"Yes, Mistress!" They both respond in unison.
"Very well, then." She remarks confidently. "Just remember, don't get TOO carried away."
Go Back :: Chapter 6
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