This is the third to last chapter. There will only be two more chapters following this one. Read them slowly, and not in haste. If there is a sequel to this story, it will not come for some time. There are many things going on in my life that warrant my attention, and I am staying up late to write this story, because if I didn't, I think I would be insane about now. Warning: This chapter is a bit graphic. .o.o.o.o.o.o.o. Trial of Hearts "Never doubt. Doubt is the source of all failure." Yano .o.o.o.o.o.o.o. "Yano-sama?" Hatoko asked, and the figure nodded. He wore a white and blue robe that lay upon the floor all around him. A silver tiara rest upon his forehead, and silver white hair floated gently about his face. Sapphire blue eyes watched the girls. "Yes. For many thousands of years I have sat here, waiting patiently for you two to arrive. Waiting for you to realize your eternal love for each other, to realize your ultimate destiny, to feel the greatest pain and the greatest happiness, to experience the deepest emotions. You have accomplished much, fair ladies. And, it comes to me to pass on the knowledge, and power, of Atlantis, the Eternal City of the Sea. Atlantis is the home of the sea spirit, Umiki-sama, the greater spirit of all water on this world. Atlantis is here to protect this spirit. It has been the guardian gates since the beginning of time. And you two are here because it is time for the rightful nobility to take charge. I am merely a puppet of Umiki-sama." Yano explained dutifully. "We... are the heirs to Atlantis?" Misaki asked. "Yes. Misaki-sama, Hatoko-sama, you were once my daughters. Long ago, you made a pact to the sea, to love and cherish each other for all eternity. The sea took you and nurtured your souls. It shared its wisdom with you, and when the time came to put you both back into the world, the sea influenced many things to happen just perfectly, so that when you were of appropriate age, you would meet one day and become friends. "But, friends was just the beginning of it. Your relationship continues to sail past friendship, and venture into new waters. These waters you once experienced when you were Mia and Miu, but your knowledge of them was lost in time. There are many things you haven't discovered about yourselves, but eventually, you will learn about them. It may only take a few months to venture further, or a few hundred years, but it will happen, and after each new discovery, a new one will await you on the horizon." "Then, what is it we must do? Misaki, she was killed." Hatoko asked, looking hopefully at the figure before her. "Misaki-sama is immortal. She is not dead." Yano replied, almost mysteriously. "Then...?" Hatoko began to ask. Yano stood slowly. "It has been a long time since I have stood..." Yano said, stretching. "Hatoko-sama, prove to me you are worthy to become what you were meant to be. Kill me." "How could I possibly kill you? Why would I want to?" Hatoko asked desperately. "What about Misaki?" "If you do not kill me, I will destroy that pendant around your neck, and the soul within." Yano replied, and a shaft of light appeared in his right hand like a scimitar. He rushed at Hatoko before she could say anything. "Hatoko-chan!" Misaki cried, "Remember, our promise. Do not let it end now." Hatoko blinked away her numb mind, and the sword of light shattered into a million fragments of light against Hatoko's barrier. Hatoko willed two sabers of light into her own hands and retaliated. "You have grown masterful over your mind, Hatoko-sama." Yano commented, swinging a new shaft of light at Hatoko's head. Hatoko, while not physically strong nor fast, willed her weapons to block the blow like she willed Suzuka to move on the Layer. "Now, learn the truth." "What truth, you're trying to kill the dearest person to me!" Hatoko retorted. She swung furiously at Yano, ripping his clothes to shreds. Blood poured from a wound in his calf, but he continued to fight. "I came her to bring Misaki back to life and you try and kill her forever!" A wave of rage over took Hatoko, and she struck Yano down to the ground. Pain never crossed his face, and he gingerly began to stand back up, only to be thrown against the opposite wall by a powerful pulse of seawater. He slammed into it. "You, have grown... powerful indeed. Water... is an offensive element that can move very fast." Yano explained, sending an ice shard towards Hatoko at blinding speed. It shattered against another invisible barrier. "I want Misaki back, I don't want to fight you, Yano-sama." Hatoko pleaded. "Watch, and you've seen. Read, and you've read. Try, and try, and you've done." Yano replied, catapulting himself off from the wall, sword down as he fell onto Hatoko. The girl spun, slicing both blades through the elder and his weapon. He fell to the floor. Blood and flesh floated freely out of the carcass and into the water. The blade disappeared. Hatoko, shocked as she saw what she had done, turned around, tears forming in her eyes. "Misaki... Misaki..." she cried softly. Silver tears escaped her eyes into the great sea, and her knees felt weak. Her face expressed her emotions precisely. She didn't know what to do now. "What... What have I done to our hope? Why did he make me do this? Why? How am I supposed to save you without him? I don't want to lose you... Misaki..." Hatoko murmured sadly, her weapons dropping to the floor and disappearing like Yano's had. "I only... I only want to hold you, Misaki-chan..." "Hatoko-chan..." was all that Misaki could say, for she had lost all words as well. "Do you think death stops immortal beings?" Yano called. Hatoko spun, only to see Yano standing before her as they had first seen him. Another shard of ice shot from his hand. Hatoko was unprepared this time, however, and it struck her lower torso. Blood filled the water. She cried in agony, and in pain, but mostly in challenge. Two double-bladed shafts of light filled both of her hands, and the twirled around in a fatal dance that called out a scream of death as they spun swiftly. Hatoko deftly wielded the blades. "My physical agony is nothing, Yano-sama, I will kill you again. Kill you until you can no longer threaten my Misaki! Not even you will stop me from saving her!" Hatoko screamed in retort, swinging her blades against Yano's driving him into pillars that were quickly vaporized by Hatoko's beams of destruction. "You are not learning from me, Hatoko-sama," Yano said calmly as a silver blade removed his left hand. "Learn, or we will be here for an eternity." "Bring back my Misaki!" Hatoko cried once more, swinging her blades down upon Yano's skull. Yano's own blades shattered, and the shining shafts split his body in half. This time, Hatoko remained watching, blood spilling into the water from her own wound. She ignored it. Hatoko didn't blink, and she saw Yano's body disappear into the sea as if it melted into the water itself. "Are you dead yet?" Hatoko shouted. "No." A blade flew like lightning, and Hatoko parried it down. Yano's beam swift through her legs, and they floated off into the water, melting away. Yano had resurrected behind her. "Learn." Hatoko willed her body to move, and move it did. It flew at great speed, following her mind precisely. Flip, twirl, swing, double swing... Her chaotic movements flowing like the crystal waters of a brook in the mountains to a deadly waltz. "You find Yano-sama that my love for Misaki makes me physically immune to your pain." Hatoko touted, and she pushed Yano farther back, outside the temple and into the sea. He move backward quickly, then summoned a torrent of ice. Hatoko blocked it with her shield, and accelerated forward against the volleys, slamming into Yano with the invisible wall. He was sent flying backward, and Hatoko lengthened her weapons till they were ten meters long, slicing at Yano from a distance. They flew through the water in great arcs at blinding speed. Yano activated another shield and help up his blades, but they both broke, and Yano was ripped to ribbons. A patch of blood filled the water, only to melt away like before. Hatoko activated her shield. Blood poured from her wounds like she had an unlimited supply of it. "Misaki, I need your help." Hatoko said softly. "I feel weird now. I feel like I am trapped in a cycle, and after every cycle, I lose more of myself... I want to see your face again." "As do I, but I am not as powerful as you right now. My soul is being squelched because its difficult for a soul without a heart or mind to affect the physical world." Misaki replied. "True love is beautiful, like the rose red blood of mortal beings. But, we are not mortal, and as long as you continue to close your mind to what is not, instead of open it to what is, we will fight for all eternity." Yano said, and he appeared within the shield, placed his hand over Hatoko's head, and liquefied it. Hatoko's limp body fell to the seafloor, the glowing pendant following. Hatoko's spirit hung visibly in the water. "How dare you!" Hatoko screamed. "You're not going to finish me that easily!" Hatoko resurrected behind Yano, silver blades spinning once more, splitting Yano's heart in two. "Look at you Hatoko-sama, you just died." Yano commented as his lifeless body melted into the sea once more. "And yet, there you are, killing me again. I told you, this would go on forever until you stopped and learned." "If I stop fighting you will kill Misaki and..." Hatoko stopped, staring at her legs as they dangled freely in the water. She wasn't even using them to propel herself anymore. Yano reappeared before her. "Yes, I will kill Misaki-sama if you stop fighting. I have the power to kill a spirit without a mind or heart, even if they are immortal, they must first be trapped however, and that is only possible if they are willing." Yano reached for the pendant, which had moved to the new Hatoko's neck in the blink of an eye when she resurrected herself. Hatoko threw back Yano with a rush of water, and liquefied his entire body from a distance. "Misaki... I understand now. We have searched all this time for someone to resurrect you. The truth, however, is that you always have been immortal, and that you have the power within yourself to relive. Misaki... Trust in yourself and do this." Hatoko whispered, and the pendant grew brightly. Hatoko sensed Yano's form behind her and she swung, slicing through Yano's body yet again. "For you, for us... Anything, Hatoko-chan..." Misaki replied. Ripples of energy pulsed from the pendant, cascading outward from Hatoko in every direction. A flash of light suddenly appeared in front of Hatoko. It faded, and a form appeared, like something was now de-melting. Hatoko stared into her eyes. It was Misaki, but she looked different. Same height, same face, but... the prettiest blue eyes she had ever seen in her life, even bluer then Misaki's old eyes, and flowing blue hair the color of the sea. She looked like the Misaki-chan doll in the near distance, including clothing. But, Hatoko knew it was Misaki. She spun to kill Yano again, but his dead body was already floating away. Misaki had already done away with him. "Persistent one, ain't he, Hatoko-chan... Hatoko-chan... I have not said your name like this for such a long time..." Misaki spoke. Same voice as always too. Misaki looked at her flowing blue hair as it gently floated freely in the water. "I seem to have taken part of the form of Mia." "I suppose so... That sounds right to me for some reason." Hatoko replied, staring with rapt attention at the person in front of her. It was her. It was Misaki. The most wonderful person in the world... No... She was no person... She was a god of the sea. A spirit of love and destruction. Hatoko could feel an aura emanating from her. It was empowering, and warm. A burst of bubbles appeared where Yano had just resurrected a few meters behind Misaki, and the body floated down once again, or at least, what remained of it. It was mere evidence of Misaki's superiority. "Misaki... This... This is yours." Hatoko whispered, blushing. She handed the pendant on the silver chain to Misaki. Misaki's hand brushed against hers, and it felt like heaven. "Thank you, Hatoko-chan..." Misaki replied, blushing as well, placing the necklace around her own neck. Yano's voice interrupted their moment. "Misaki-sama, you have a power that no other entity has. The power to end immortality. Use it on me and kill me." Yano instructed. Misaki nodded. "I have reason to trust you fully now, I will carry out your instructions until you are at peace." Misaki responded, she turned. Yano was before her, kneeling. "You two are now the High Guardians of all of Atlantis. All Atlantean look up to you. The sea is yours to command forever. Umiki-sama is your faithful servant. You are higher then she now. She has always had a weakness. She never was able to love, because she had no partner. Love is always the higher power, and you two know a love greater then the world has ever known. Your trials have proven this. Help her as you can." Yano explained. "Answer me two things," Misaki began, and Yano nodded. "Why am I in the appearance of Mia-san?" "Because, your soul forgot part of the old Misaki and remember a part of Mia instead. You were outside of your body for sometime." Yano replied dutifully. "That explains it well." Misaki said, "Then, if you will, please explain to us what virginity means." Misaki held a straight face, but Yano looked up in amusement and smiled. "That is something I cannot tell you, but instead something that you will discover the meaning of later in your lives. Some advice I will give you however is: do not rush it. Remember to treasure each day to its fullest." Yano advised. "Let fate decide to show you what it means and entails." "I will, Yano-sama." Misaki replied. "I will follow your orders. I thank you for what you have given me and Hatoko-chan. We will fulfill our duties." "I trust you will. Dear daughters, I love you both." Yano said softly, tears coming to his eyes now. "Please, don't forget the story about the bunnies." "Yes, father." Hatoko replied. She bent over to kiss Yano on the cheek. "Goodbye, dear father." Misaki kissed Yano on the other cheek, and his body began to dematerialize. He looked up at the girls as his body returned to the water. It faded away, and all that was left was the silver spirit of Yano himself. It split into two, and one copy floated away. The other was absorbed into the pendant around Misaki's neck. "Misaki... What happened?" Hatoko asked. Misaki knew. "The entire knowledge of Atlantis, of us, of the history of all the water on this world. Everything. Yano wanted to forget it, and finally live peacefully among the stars." Misaki replied as the information filled her mind at her whim. "Misaki... Please, look at me." Hatoko asked softly, and Misaki looked at the girl in front of her. Her nude body shined softly with a pale light blue aura. She reached her hand up to Misaki's face and stroked it gently. She found herself unable to resist her love that was locked away for so long, and clamped onto Misaki, kissing her sweetly on the lips. There were no words to say. .o.o.o.o.o.o.o. The sea turned a brilliant white as Misaki and Hatoko emerged from its surface. A small doll followed them, flying right behind them. Misaki and Hatoko were still embracing each other, and they glided softly to the deck of the catamaran. All eyes were on them, save for Icchan's and Trent's, who were still locked away. Misaki stared into her mother's eyes. "I am back, Mother." .o.o.o.o.o.o.o. Author's Notes: At last! ... But wait! Me not done yet! More soon! Revised August 18th, 2004 .o. Munkii
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