Heavenpoint Lake ~ A question unanswered...

[Wulfi]

It was completely different from the Banshee Forest just north from it.

Heavenpoint Lake was a beautiful lake surrounded by scattered bunches of lush pear trees. The surface of the water sparkled in such a breathtaking manner that it appeared as though this place was almost too beautiful to exist.

During the day, it was quiet, rarely visited because of the rumors that "all who visit, never leave". There was a story that this place stole peoples souls.

This, however, didn't stop a certain happy-go-lucky redhead.

Owen Voss, age seventeen, height five feet and eight inches, skipped into the area. He stopped merely a meter from the shore and scanned the surface of the water. His mouth hung open in an overjoyed smile. "Waaah~!! Airashii desu*!! ♥"

He laughed lightly to himself as the midmorning sun shone brightly from clear skies, the light dancing atop the water of this magical place. A breeze came by and caused his bangs to waver.

Owen's eyes shimmered like the water before him, a beautiful ocean blue themselves. His vibrant red hair was shoulder-length when down, but today, it was held in a ponytail at the base of his neck. The razor-cut ends stuck out in a messy fashion, like a tiny pompom on the nape of his neck. He wore a black and gray checkerboard vest over a white short-sleeved blouse. His pants were a charcoal color and the waffle-bottom boots he stuffed the legs in were black as well. It didn't look like it, but the material all breathed quite well.

Owen ran a hand through the wing of hair that made for the left portion of his bangs, the silver button in the black leather wristband of his left hand glinting in the sunlight. The right half of his bangs was held back by two silver hair-clips.

He took a deep breath, totally at ease, and flexed his right hand. A thick steel ring with a skull head on it was on his middle finger. An arrowhead of the same metal peeked out from the thick interior of the ring.

"Today is such a lovely day..." He couldn't stop smiling. Even if people lost their lives here, just like in the Banshee Forest, it didn't matter to him. If he died here, he was perfectly content with the fact that this would be the last place he'd see.

(((*"Airashii desu" - pronounced "eye-rah-SHEE dehs" - means "It's beautiful")))

[Admin]

Elle approached from behind a tree. Her eyes glided through her bangs, as she stared at the unknown man. She took a breath, and stepped forward.

'I know... not what you've seen. But, you have seen too much. I'm afraid that... you will join those who came to this place. forever in the endless sea...'

Elle stepped into the sun, taking a forceful stance, prepared for her attack.

[Wulfi]

Owen half turned when he heard the voice, and turned completely around to face her as she came into the light. He wasn't smiling anymore, but he wasn't frowning either. Mouth slightly open, the redheaded male blinked twice at the girl, then smiled gently as his eyes became understanding.

"Someone you care about is buried here, right?" He didn't seem hostile in the least, and made no move to defend himself. The soft winds toyed with his short ponytail.

[Admin]

'My best friend. I worked hard to make this place ideal for her eternal rest, and assholes like you come in thinking there's this monster, or this treasure... I will make her existance ideal. I will kill anyone who dares disturb it. Prepare your final thoughts.'

Elle made her sharp charge. As she drew near, she rushed forward with her palms opened.

'Level two mastry: Palm daggers.'

A darkness swirled as she came close, her palms had sharp magically conjured knives swinging, one in front of each palm.

[Wulfi]

"Woah, chotto! Chotto*!!" He immediately took a step back on instinct and his right foot went into the sand. "I didn't come here for that!!"

Pulling his foot out, Owen held his right hand in the air, fingers spread wide.

"Harpoon Jester: Level One Formation!!"

From the ring on his right middle finger, the mouth on the skull opened and the whole ring glowed a bright metallic silver. As the light quickly dimmed, a large gray shield as tall as his entire being was in front of him, a symbol of a pendulum carved into the steel.

"Grandfather!!" he cried the name of the technique as the shield was summoned.

A thick chain connected the middle of the shield to the ring on his finger. The mouth of the skull was still open. He stood in a defensive stance behind the shield. "Aww, come on, I don't wanna fight~!!" he whined.

(((*Chotto - "CHOH-toh" - means: "wait a minute", or "hold on")))

[Admin]

Elle twitched slightly, her temper was growing thin. 'There's no reason for anyone to be here! I know your kind! I've killed your kind. I have to protect her!'

Elle stepped back a bit, and swung her wrist.

'Level one mastry: Shadow arc.'

From the ground, an arc shot up and above the shield, dropping down towards Owen.

'Let this be a warning! Allow me to kill you swiftly!'

[Wulfi]

His oceanic eyes widened at the incoming attack. "Harpoon Jester: Level One Formation," he muttered, eyes still large. He sharply pulled his wrist back and the shield and chain became a stream of metallic gray light again. Swiftly, he barely managed to dodge the attack as he sped forward through the retreating light, speed very impressive despite the sand weighing his right foot down.

"Standstill Javelin!"

He flung his right hand forward and the stream of light became a chain again, this time with a foot-long pendulum at the end. The chain wrapped around Elle repeatedly until she was tied up with her arms bound to her sides. Owen spun to a stop at her side and turned to face her. His eyes, once lively and full of emotion, were sad.

"Please stop this," he asked, voice kind and pleading. "I can't stand pointless violence." He finished his sentence with a soft smile.

Due to the effects of the Standstill Javelin, the victim becomes lethargic and has trouble moving, though all thought processes remain unaffected.

[Admin]

Elle stared blankly. 'You're not as well prepared as you probably think you are.'

She breathed quietly. Her hair flowed gently.

'Calm mind: His Divine Eggshell'

As she chanted those words, a spiral of dark magic buzzed around her, slicing off the chains.

'Oh, how fare ye, young warrior? Does the sun shine too brightly? Or does the bloodshed dry the river of your untainted purity? Allow me to dry the river you consider Your Life.'

Elle paused slightly, and chanted again.

'Tameni Style: Fury Overhaul.'

Elle felt a red and white aura surrounding her like flame. As was designed for battle was the way Elle was using it. With a charged magical energy flowing through her, she prepared a defensive stance, ready for a heavily weighing counter attack.

'Let this be a lesson to you. Don't underestimate the defender of her grave. She taught me the Overhaul Technique herself. I cannot lose.'

[Wulfi]

All he heard was the name. He didn't hear anything after that. Only the name echoed in his head. The broken chain links became silver light and returned to the ring. As the light faded, the skull's mouth closed, showing he had deactivated his weapon.

As Elle finished talking, Owen responded with panic. "Tameni desu ka*?!" His blue irises wavered, begging for answers. "Donoyouni**?!"

He clenched his fists, biting his bottom lip as a tear formed in his eye. Raw emotion in his eyes, he yelled to her, desperate for answers. "How do you know Tameni?! Did you learn that from her?! Has she become strong?!"

His top teeth met his bottom lip as the tears began to flow. He wanted to know more about his cousin, and he wanted to know badly.

(((*"desu ka" - "dehs kah" - used to show the sentence is a question.

**"donoyouni?"- "doh-noh-YOH-nee" - means: how?)))

[Admin]

Elle comprehended. The red in the aura sunk to her feet and the white in it glowed brightest towards her hands. Almost as if Tameni wanted to reach her powers out towards the man.

'As you may or my not have heard, Velor Country was in mass peril, what with... the whole... treason to Lady Fale, and such... What was kept secret from most of society was that Lady Fale and group of friends, have planned to retake the country. Unfortunately, a roadblock has arisen, and some people have to die before the country can be restored to glory. Tameni was one of those friends traveling with Lady Fale, Lord Set, and others, including myself. She perfected that technique from her fighting teacher, Miss Zofia, and she told me the applications of the technique. Tameni, unfortunately, has passed. Recently in fact. She did prove to be quite the genius, though labored the burden of self doubt too long, and her strength gave way a bit prematurely. She died in a tournament battle. Truly, she was a marvel to behold. I can only pity your sorrow. Are you... a friend? Perhaps an ex lover? I know she had no siblings... and she wasn't dating at the time, atleast, I don't think...'

[Wulfi]

He fell to his knees, head in his hands and eyes wide. He didn't blink as the tears came pouring.

"Iie... Uso darou... Uso tsukanaide... Uso tsukanaide kudasai...*"

Owen felt the rose-shaped mark on his sternum pulse again and he suddenly smiled, no more tears needing to be shed. "Sou da ne?**"

He kept smiling serenely as he stood, wiping his eyes. "I'm her cousin, though it's not surprising that she never spoke of me," he told Elle, brushing the dirt off of his knees. He opened his sad eyes to look at her, a gentle smile still ever present on his tear-stained face. "I left when we were still very young, and I bet she didn't want to bring up any bad memories. It hurt her a lot when I had to go."

A tear slid down his face and he caught it with his index finger, flicking it to the ground. "Sorry, I'm a bit of a crybaby," he admitted, blushing with a grin. "I wish I could have said goodbye, though."

It seemed as if he was bipolar or something...

(((*"Iie... Uso darou... Uso tsukanaide... Uso tsukanaide kudasai..." - "EE-eh... oo-SOH dah-roh... oo-sou tsoo-kah-NYE-deh... oo-sou tsoo-kah-NYE-deh koo-dah-sigh." - "No... It's not true/It's a lie... Don't lie to me... Please don't lie to me..."

**"Sou da ne?" - "SOH dah neh?" - "Is that so?")))

[Admin]

'Well... you can say it... to me.'

The red aura hugged the floor even more closely. A flash of light appeared, and though Elle stood there, the shadow showed someone clearly someone holding a pendulum.

'So... do you have any last words? Elle can't use this technique forever, so... while I maintain my aura here, do you want me to tell you anything? Do you want to tell me anything? Do you want me to tell her anything, since she has absolutely no idea that she can do this... Are you... disappointed that you have to talk to me looking like a frumpy blonde girl? Should I wear my hair back like you remember it?'

Tameni took a clip from Owens hair, smiling, and pinned her hair back as best as she could.

'Look a little more familiar?'

[Wulfi]

His jaw dropped when Tameni started speaking through Elle. He knew he could feel something nostalgic in this area. Maybe that's what drew him to it.

As she took a clip from his hair, he couldn't breathe. With one breath, he was afraid he would lose her again. Tears took refuge in the corners of his awestruck eyes.

She pinned her hair back, and the stunned words came. "T-... Tame-chan...?! It's really... you...?!" He took a step forward, hand reaching out for her, though he didn't know what would happen if his skin touched hers. With that thought in mind, he drew back, but smiled just the same.

"Tame-chan... I'm so happy... After I left, I just knew there was little to no way I was ever going to see you again... I ran away from the family, I ran away from it all... I wanted to take you, but I knew... I knew you deserved the best. I knew you'd be better off living the sheltered life... I needed the open air, the excitement... I needed adventure, Tameni!"

With that outburst, his gaze fell to the earth, a tear not even hesitating to drop. "I didn't want to drag you into the dangers of the outside world, but I guess there was no avoiding it." The melancholy smile on his face was pained.

He raised his gaze to meet hers once more. "Tame-chan, I'm sorry... I'm sorry for leaving you, I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me..." He closed his eyes and tried his best to give a genuine smile, just like the old days. "Forgive me, ne?"

[Admin]

'Forgive you, ne? Ah... O-kun... Of course I'll forgive you. But shame on you for not even offering me the opportunity. Naturally, I would have said no, but I was always wondering why you never asked. And please don't touch Elle. Nothing bad will happen, but she just doesn't like to be touched. I should issue you a warning, before time runs out. Elle is hostile and defensive. You're going to have to escape before my aura remixes with hers. She may not seem too capable, but she can really kill you in some of the most disgusting of ways. Also, if you can do me a wee little favor... There's a girl. She looks 12, but she has the sign of the Demon-Touched. She's the only person I know that could reconstruct a body for me. Her name is Juni, and her trademark is naturally her Demon-Touched-Red-Hair. I know for a fact that she is in contact with Lady Fale. Escape from here, and contact Lady Fale. I know it's alot to ask O-kun... but...'

Tameni paused. She felt too guilty to keep eye contact.

'...but... I'll... I'll promise to give up my dangerous life and live in simplicity... I would owe you that.'

[Wulfi]

Owen took everything in with watery, attentive eyes. He took in every single bit of information without word. When Tameni finished speaking, he smiled softly and nodded once with his eyes closed in a calm manner.

"Wakarimashita... Demo, Tame-chan,*" he prompted, opening his eyes to meet hers. His smile never fell. "You don't need to go back to living like a caged bird."

Owen grinned and put his hands in his pockets, taking on a laid-back posture. "Once you've had a taste of what's out there, you never wanna go back. And so," he went on as his grin returned to a simple smile, "the least you could do is to stay with me."

In a somewhat heroic fashion, he put a hand over his heart and smirked, sheer determination burning in his eyes. "Let me protect you, Tame-chan, like I should have."

(((*"Wakarimashita... Demo, Tame-chan," - "wah-kah-ree-MAHSH-tah... DEH-moh, tah-meh-chahn," - "I understand (used formally in regards to the seriousness of the conversation [informal: Wakatta])... But, Tame-chan,")))

[Admin]

'Hah? Protect me? Hardly. In case you hadn't heard, I learned to fight with a very heavy pendulum. I'd say the blade was equal to me in weight. If anyone needs protection it's you. Oh, mighty O-hime. Hah, I jest. But in all seriousness, Elle is getting ready to overpower me. Take your hairclip, and run like hell. This girl will find you, and she will slaughter you.'

Tameni ripped the hairclip from the snarled tuft of hair, and placed it in his hand.

'Start to run now. I'll see you... soon...'

[Wulfi]

Upon hearing the "-hime", his eyebrow twitched as he peered at her with eyes that screamed "I can't believe this girl...".

She wasn't the same Tameni who got lost in the hedge-maze and had to have O-sama fetch her, that was for sure.

Just before she withdrew her hand after returning the clip, he took it and held it firmly, holding her gaze with serious, yet wavering, blue eyes. "Shinpai shinaide, Shirotame-chama*," he told her, voice low yet still very much full of emotion.

With that, he jumped back a few feet, eyes still on her, and threw his hand into the air. "Harpoon Jester: Level Two Formation!" The skull ring glowed bright silver once more, mouth opening like only a few moments ago. "Pierrot Wing!"

The arrowhead on the chain shot out from the compartment within the steel band and shot into the sky, glowing brightly. It jerked back down as the glow quickly vanished, this time in the form of a white metal feather. The chain fell around his right arm and tightened as he gripped the white object at the end of the links.

A white-silver light engulfed him. When it swiftly faded, the entirety of his weapon had become pure white and the feather had become a glove with a skull on it. White smoke-like strips of raw energy danced along the surface of the snow-colored metal.

"Mata ashita. ♥**"

With one forceful downward motion of his right arm, he was off into the sky. The smoke-like aura became a sort of translucent wing of white wisps. Off he glided, still smiling.

Whilst in the air and away from his cousin, sweat started to form on his face. Shit, is it too early to be using the level two settings...? I have to risk it. I need to find that Juni girl! But first, I need to pay milady a visit!

And so he took off in the direction of the little home where Wulfi's characters used to carry on.

(((*"Shinpai shinaide, Shirotame-chama," - "sheen-pie shee-NYE-deh, shee-roh-tah-meh-chah-mah" - Don't worry, White Tame-chama [chama = mix of "chan" and "sama", often used in regards to older sisters, or in this case, to mock the supposed power of a younger girl.]

**"Mata ashita" - "mah-tah ahshee-tah", or "mah-taahsh-tah" - "See you tomorrow"

Also, "O-sama" is not the same as "Ou-sama", which means "King".

End of my part.)))