Not having the energy to make it back to her room on floor B1, Mia slept in the infirmary that night. Arine had fallen asleep at Mia's side. It seemed that sleep was the only time that the two girlfriends were at peace, not having to worry about the troubles of the waking world. Unlike Mia and Arine, there were two people that could not sleep. Sam and Pierre were so baffled by the situation that they could not help but play recent events over and over in their minds, trying to find out where they went wrong. "Why?" Sam said softly, his voice rife with grief. "Why did it have to happen like this?" "I don't understand it at all," said Pierre, his voice just as grave. "Arine's powers should be able to help Mia." "She has the Blue Sapphire of Alvara with her. Isn't it supposed to increase her elfin powers?" "So we thought." Just then, a thought came to Sam's mind. "The Sapphire," he said to himself. "Sir Samuel?" Pierre asked. "Arine has the Sapphire," Sam said, still to himself. "Arine has the Sapphire...but not the Ruby." The young Jewel Summoner excitedly turned to Pierre and said, "Lord Pierre. The Lancestor Clan has been led to believe that both the Ruby and the Sapphire are required to awaken the elf." "Arine's powers have awoken," said Pierre. "Otherwise she wouldn't have been able to use her powers against us during the raid." "No, Lord Pierre. No," Sam cried. "All that Johan did was teach Arine to use the powers that she already had inside her. She had used those powers even before she knew about the Legend of Alvara. All that Johan did was help Arine to use those powers consciously!" "What are you saying?" "During Lord Felix's inquiry, Arine said that she had her vision when she had only the Sapphire in her hands. After that, there wasn't any mention of the Ruby at all! What if Arine's powers are not fully awakened yet?" Pierre began to understand what Sam was talking about. "Johan said that the elf held the key to the future of his clan, that his uncle had some kind of disease that only the elf could cure. If Arine's powers HAD awoken, she would have been able to do that for Mia!" His excitement growing by the second, Sam dashed over to a sleeping Arine and shook her by the shoulders. "Arine, wake up," he gushed, doing his best to keep his voice low as not to awaken Mia. "What is it?" said Arine, tired and now heartbroken again at remembering Mia's prognosis. "Arine, think back," said Sam, "When Johan had you hostage, where was the Red Ruby of Alvara? Did Johan use the Red Ruby in any way?" Not even bothering to think about it, Arine simply said, "Not that I can remember. What has this got to do with anything?" "So it's true then!" Sam exclaimed. "What?" said Arine, very irritated by being awoken from her peaceful slumber. "Your powers WAVEN'T awoken!" "What the fuck are you talking about?" said Arine, her anger and her sadness rising. "You saw what I did to your comrades. Now how could I have done that if my powers hadn't awoken?" "What powers did Johan teach you how to use?" "I don't know. Leave me alone, Sam!" "No!" said the boy, this time much more assertive. "I can't leave you alone! Not when Mia's life depends on it!" Mentioning Mia's name caused Arine to stop fuming and pay attention to Sam. "I'm asking you," Sam said. "What powers did Johan teach you to use?" This time, Arine put thought into her response before answering, "Foresight, telekinesis, empathy, and biological vigor." "How did Johan teach you to use them?" "He injected me with a hypnotic drug and told me to think back to times when I had..." Arine trailed off as a realization came over her. "I had used those powers before," she realized. "Not intentionally, but I had used them!" "Did he use the Ruby at all?" Sam asked, feeling that he was on the verge of a breakthrough. Arine replied, "No, I don't think so." Sam and Arine looked at Mia's sleeping form. "Then there may be hope after all," said Sam. Arine looked at Sam, listening intently to Sam's reasoning. Sam explained, "Both the Ruby and the Sapphire are needed to awaken the elf's powers. Johan didn't use the Ruby. Your powers have not completely awoken yet. When they do awaken, you may have enough power to save Mia." "We need that Ruby," said Arine, her determination rising. Sam then said with a pessimistic tone, "That's the one thing Johan is not going to give up willingly." "Arine?" a weak voice said. Arine looked at the direction of the voice. "Mia," said Arine, seeing that her girlfriend had awoken. "What's going on?" asked the brunette. "We think there may still be a way to save you, Mia," said Sam. "But we need the Ruby to do it," Arine added. "How are you going to get the Ruby?" Mia asked. "That's what we're going to figure out right now," said the blonde, conviction overflowing in her voice. Arine and Sam walked over to Pierre. "We need to convene," said Arine. Also knowing that convening was the right course of action, Pierre said, "I'll alert the Clan Leaders." Yvette was sitting in Pierre's lap while she slept, so Pierre needed to awaken Yvette so that he would be able to stand up. "Yvette?" he said. "Pierre?" asked the woman, the man's voice waking her. "I have to meet with the other Clan Members," Pierre said. "We have to discuss retrieving the Ruby from Johan." Yvette stood up, allowing Pierre to stand as well. As Pierre and Arine were beginning to leave, Sam said to them, "If you don't mind, I think I'd like to sit this one out." "Sir Samuel?" Pierre asked, surprised by Sam's wish. "If you're going after Johan," said the boy, "there's not much that I can do. Besides, I'd like to watch over Mia for a while, if that's okay with the Clan Leaders, that is." Pierre thought for a moment. Eventually, he responded, "I'll be sure to let them know." "Thank you," said Sam, smiling. Arine went to Mia one last time to say, "I have to go now, Mia." "I know," the brunette replied. "Don't worry," Arine assured. "We'll get through this somehow." After giving her beloved one kiss before leaving, the blonde said, "I'll be back soon." With that, Pierre and Arine exited the infirmary to gather the rest of the Jewel Summoners. ---------- Although he had fully recovered from his injuries, Johan was very agitated. To distract himself from his own confusion, the Finn had gone to a bare room at the hideout to practice his martial arts and to train his newfound elfin powers. The Red Ruby of Alvara was sitting on a plain, wooden table at one side of the room. While practicing his martial arts, Johan jumped to one of the walls. Now with the heightened senses of an elf, even though Johan spent only a fraction of a second on the wall, it felt more to him like several seconds. Johan jumped off of the wall to the ceiling and then jumped from the ceiling back to the ground. Looking at the table, he waved his hand just a little bit, his new telekinetic powers causing the table to shake. Johan clenched his fist and the table simply shattered into splinters. He raised his hands above his head and the room started shaking. After shaking the room for a moment, Johan simply looked at his hands, amazed by the power that he had gained. "Sir Johan?" said a voice behind Johan, where the door to the room was. Without even looking behind himself, Johan jumped in the air, did a back flip, and landed behind the person who had spoken. Odin jumped back from the younger man who had just landed behind him. Seeing the stun in Odin's face, Johan started laughing at Odin's surprised expression. After he had stopped laughing, Johan asked casually, "Yes, what is it, Lord Odin?" "Was that you that just made the ground shake?" asked the older man. Johan put his hands on Odin's shoulders and said with their faces inches apart, "And I didn't even use the Ruby." Johan laughed at his new elfin powers, and then released his superior and walked over to the shattered table. "Sir Johan," said Odin as Johan put the Ruby of Alvara in his pocket, "with you recovered, I thought we should be getting back to Finland." "Back home," Johan realized. "Yes," replied Odin. "Lord Blake's condition has still not improved. But now, you can save him. You can save your uncle, Johan!" "Yes. I can, can't I?" said Johan, his voice surprisingly unenthusiastic. "Sir Johan," Odin said, "I may not have the powers that you have acquired, but I can still sense that something is troubling you. What is it?" Johan hesitated, thinking about how to tell Odin about what he had discovered. Eventually, the tall man answered, "I have a niece." "What?" a surprised Odin asked. "You heard me," Johan said, turning back to the older man. "I have a niece." "A niece? How?" "My brother," Johan replied. "Twenty years ago, he married that Jewel Summoner, Erika Dagomar." "What of it?" Odin asked, remembering the events that had transpired 20 years before. "On the night that Rikhard died," Johan explained, "he inseminated Erika with his seed. A child was conceived and was born on October fourteenth, 1987. Since then, the child has been found by the Jewel Summoners." Johan then approached Odin and said with a pleading look on his face, "Lord Odin, you must help me. What am I to do about Mia Carver?" "What's the problem with her?" asked Odin, a hint of irritation coming to his voice. "She is my kin," said Johan, "yet she is a Jewel Summoner. Am I to treat her as an uncle, or as an enemy?" "I'm sorry Sir Johan," said Odin, "but I can't answer that question. My only obligation is to the Mustanen Clan, not an individual Clan Member with the rank of Sir who has a grudge against the people who killed his brother. Now come. We must arrange a flight back to Finland." As Odin turned to leave, Johan took out the Red Ruby of Alvara and aimed it toward Odin. A force pulled Odin backward and spun him around so that his face was in front of Johan's. "Do not dishonor me or Rikhard ever again!" Johan barked at Odin. "My apologies, Johan," said Odin, cowering in front of the younger man. Johan released Odin. Odin then said, more kindly this time, "If there were any person that could tell you what to do about Miss Carver, it would be Rikhard. I doubt there's any person alive that could make that kind of decision. Now please. Come." Odin exited the room. Johan looked at the Ruby in his hand for a moment. "Only Rikhard can decide, eh?" he said to himself. Johan followed Odin out of the room. ---------- Meanwhile, the Jewel Summoners had convened. Pierre was standing up, addressing his comrades. "Arine mentioned nothing about Johan's use of the Red Ruby of Alvara while she was held in Paris. If what the Lancestor Clan has discovered is true, and both the Ruby and the Sapphire are needed, then the elf's powers are not fully awakened yet. We must devise a strategy for recovering the Ruby of Alvara from Johan Mustanen." Pierre sat down after his speech had ended. Lady Fredrika spoke, "When we inspected the Array after Johan used it to escape, we discovered that the floors and the ceilings were burnt all the way to the surface. For the Array to cause such extensive damage to the material of this compound, it is likely to assume that Johan suffered similar burns as well. Without the healing abilities of the elf, I don't see how he could have survived." "Which means that the Ruby must still be nearby," said Lady Alana. "The Lancestors will conduct a sweep of the area, find out Johan's fate and look for anyone who may have taken the Ruby." It was then that Arine stood up. Because Arine had decided to sit by the Lancestor Clan, Alana was the one to announce, "Arine Sylven." "Jewel Summoners," Arine addressed everyone in the meeting room, "all I can say is..." Arine trailed off, trying to summon the courage to speak her wish. She finally finished, "...do everything in your power to help Mia. I couldn't bear to live without her." Remembering what she had done the other night, she continued, "I know I have no right to ask this of you, but you must help her. I don't know why yet, but I do know that this is not over. I sense that there is still danger ahead and that we must anticipate the unexpected." Arine sat. Alana, having seemingly warmed up to the elf, said to her, "I do not doubt your powers, Miss Sylven." She then spoke to her subjects, "Members of the Lancestor Clan, tread very carefully; do not let any stone go unturned. We must make absolutely certain that Johan is, indeed, dead. Because, if he is not, then it is most likely that he, or another member of the Mustanen Clan, is in possession of the Ruby." ---------- Back in the infirmary, while Sam watched over Mia, Yvette had decided to observe the Jewel Summoners that were injured in the attack the other night. "What's your name?" Yvette asked of one of the female Jewel Summoners. "Antonia Valentino," said the Italian woman. "What is the Valentino Clan's role in the awakening of the elf?" asked Yvette. "We are charged with the duty of misdirection. It is the Valentino Clan's duty to make sure that the general public is not aware of our existence." She then said, somewhat irritated, "And thanks to Pierre Doulin, outsiders such as you have discovered us!" "I promise I won't tell anyone about the Jewel Summoners or their powers," said the Frenchwoman. "You had better not," Antonia spat. "Because if you did, others would want to learn the secrets of our powers, and they would only distract us from our duties." "I understand," said Yvette. Not wanting to deal with Antonia Valentino any longer, Yvette simply continued her observation of the other injured Jewel Summoners. As she continued, one Jewel Summoner caught her eye. "Sam?" she said, very surprised. "What is it, Yvette?" Sam asked. "I think there's something that you should see." Sam turned to Mia and said, "Yvette is calling me to one of the injured Jewel Summoners." "Go check it out," said Mia. "I'll be fine here." Sam went to the Frenchwoman and asked, "What is it, Yvette?" Yvette looked as if she had seen a ghost. "Look," she said, gesturing to the unconscious Jewel Summoner lying on the bed before her. Sam looked at the Jewel Summoner and took on an expression no less perplexed than Yvette's. "What in the world?" he cried. "Who is she?" Yvette wondered. "I'm not sure," said Sam. "But I sure as hell want to find out!" Sam then heard someone racked with violent coughing behind him. Sam rushed to Mia and said, "Are you all right?" Having seemed to have recovered from her fit, Mia said, "Yes. What is it that--?" Just then, Mia was overcome by another fit of coughing. "You should rest," Sam said. "Don't worry yourself about anything. I'm going to make sure that you survive somehow." "Okay," Mia said. Agreeing with Sam, Mia did as he said closed her eyes. "She's asleep," Sam said as Yvette approached. "I think we should find out who that Jewel Summoner is," suggested the woman. "I agree," said Sam. "I'll go to the meeting. I'll ask them. Do you mind watching over Mia while I'm gone?" "Do I have much of a choice?" Yvette asked. "I'm sorry that we have to leave you on watch duty, Yvette," said Sam. "But I'm sure Antonia Valentino told you why we have to keep your exposure to a minimum." "Yes, she told me," Yvette replied. "I'll watch Mia," she conceded. "Thank you very much," said Sam. With that, Sam rushed off to inform the rest of the Jewel Summoners of the alarming new development. ---------- "If the Ruby is in the hands of the Mustanen Clan," Lord Giovanni said to his subjects, "then we must be very careful when retrieving it. We must not arouse suspicion on the part of the Mustanen Clan, or the general public." "Is there anything more?" Felix asked the Jewel Summoners. When nobody responded he said, "Good. The--" As Felix began to speak again, he was interrupted by the sound of one of the doors to the meeting room opening. He and the other Jewel Summoners turned to see Sam enter the room. "Sir Samuel?" he asked. "There's an injured Jewel Summoner in the infirmary that we want identified," Sam stated. ---------- Sam led Arine and the four Clan Leaders to the infirmary and presented the young woman that was lying unconscious on the bed in front of Yvette. "Who is she?" Yvette asked. Fredrika recognized the brunette lying on the bed. "That's Madame Lena Dagomar," said the Clan Leader, "my granddaughter." "Don't you think she looks a lot like Mia?" said Sam. Fredrika gave Sam a surprised expression for a moment. She looked at Lena again and then looked over at Mia. "Gud i himmel!" Fredrika cried at seeing the striking resemblance. "Lady Fredrika," asked Arine. "What does this mean?" Unable to think of anything better to say," Fredrika said, "Lena is the daughter of my son, Lord Erik Dagomar." "Erik Dagomar?" Pierre said. "I know what you are thinking, Lord Pierre," Fredrika said. "And you are right. Madame Erika Dagomar was Erik's elder sister. She was my daughter." Sam looked at Lena again and said, "First, Erika Dagomar has dealings with Johan, then twenty years later we find that her brother has a daughter that looks like Mia." He then looked at the Clan Leaders and said, "Coincidence?" "Absolutely not!" Arine cried. "This is NOT a coincidence, I'm almost sure of it." turning to Fredrika, Arine asked, "Lady Fredrika, when did the Dagomar Clan lose contact with Erika?" "It was just after the Christmas of 1986," replied the Swedish woman. "'Eighty-six," Arine said to herself. "That's about ten months before Mia was born." "Do you think that there's some kind of connection between Mia and Johan?" Yvette asked the blond-haired girl. "Back in Paris," Arine said, "Johan told me about his twin brother, Rikhard. It seems that Rikhard and Erika were married twenty years ago. Rikhard had a heart condition that killed him when he had sex with Erika. Johan said that he caught up with Erika in the Far East. Mia's parents found her in Japan, and she has a heart condition just like Rikhard!" "Rikhard Mustanen must have impregnated Erika," said Fredrika. "Erika fled just a few days after the Dagomar Clan rescued her, she probably didn't know yet that she was pregnant. Ten months later, Fredrika finds herself in Japan, and gives birth to Mia." "My God!" Sam cried. Mia is Erika Dagomar's daughter!" Pierre then added, "...and Johan's niece." ---------- "That's a flight for two to Helsinki," Odin spoke to the travel agent on the phone. "Yes, from Zurich to Helsinki." As Odin spoke with the travel agent, John concentrated on the Red Ruby in his hand. "Brother," he spoke to the jewel that he held. "I am sorry to awaken you again, but I am in desperate need of your guidance." The Ruby glowed red as Johan tapped into its power. Odin noticed the red glow and looked at Johan. "Sir Johan?" he asked as the red glow of the Ruby engulfed Johan's body as well. As the glowing of the Ruby and Johan stopped, Odin asked, "Sir Johan, what was that?" "We can't leave yet," Johan announced. Odin then spoke into the phone, "Could you hold please?" Odin set the phone down and yelled at the tall man before him, "Johan, have you lost your mind? We must return as soon as possible! Lord Blake needs your help!" "I just spoke with my brother," Johan said. Odin stared blankly at Johan, surprised by what his subject had just said. Johan explained, "Part of his spirit was still inside his white sapphire when he died and that sapphire became part of this Ruby, so Rikhard's spirit is inside this Ruby. I can commune with his spirit and he has told me what to do." After a pause, Johan spoke again, "My niece needs my help. And I will give her my help." ---------- Sam, Yvette, and Pierre stood over Lena Dagomar, regarding the physical similarities that she had to Mia. "How could we have missed something so obvious?" Sam wondered. "Arrogance on the part of the Jewel Summoners," Pierre said. "We thought we had everything all figured out. However, it just shows you that although powerful, we are still human. We cannot know everything there is to know about the universe." As Pierre finished speaking, Sam sensed something from the other side of the infirmary. He saw that Arine was sitting on Mia's bed, her golden hair sparkling as she held Mia's hand. Sam walked over to the blonde and asked, "Arine, what are you doing?" "What I can," Arine responded. "If I can extend Mia's life only by a few days, it'll be worth it." "I think you could use some rest," Sam suggested." "I can't rest," said Arine. "Not until I'm certain that Mia is going to live a full, healthy life." Knowing that it would be useless to argue with Arine, Sam simply nodded and started walking back to join Pierre and Yvette. However, it was just as Sam was beginning to leave that he sensed something else from Arine's general area. Arine's hair stopped sparkling and she looked at the Sapphire in her hand, which had started glowing blue. "The Sapphire?" Arine wondered. "What's happening?" asked Sam. "Someone is using corundum to lock onto the Sapphire," Arine said. She then said with an ominous tone of voice, "He's here." "Johan," Sam said, realizing what Arine just had. "I'll warn the others." "Wait," Arine said as Sam was starting to go off to warn Pierre of Johan's approach. Arine said, "He's not here to fight." "What for then?" Sam asked. "I can't be certain," said Arine, "But I think it's...to bargain." "Bargain?" asked a surprised Sam. "That's what I sense. It's difficult to tell exactly what he's thinking; he's very closed. But I believe that he's here...to negotiate." "That doesn't sound like the Johan we know," said Sam. "I agree," said Arine. Sam walked over to Pierre to see that the Frenchman was holding a glowing yellow Pyrite crystal. "Lord Pierre," said Sam. "Sam," said Felix, his voice now one of fear, "Lord Felix senses the activation of the Ruby! Johan must have survived passing through the Array!" "Lord Pierre," Sam tried to calm the man, "Arine sensed the Ruby's presence as well. What's unusual is that Arine believes that Johan is not coming to fight, but to bargain." "Do bargain?" Pierre asked. Sam nodded. "That IS unusual," Pierre agreed. "We must be very careful. For Johan to change motives so suddenly is too suspicious to ignore." Pierre held up his pyrite crystal again to send a message to Lord Felix. "Should the Clan Leaders confront Johan?" he asked Arine. Arine concentrated for a moment, using her elfin powers to get a feel for the situation and come up with a course of action. "No," she replied. "That would not be wise. It would be better if it were people that Johan knows. Pierre, you would be the best person to go since you have the most experience with Johan, and you have the closest relationship to him too. You've been 'friends' for almost 20 years." "That is true," Pierre said. The pyrite crystal in Pierre's hand stopped glowing. "The Clan Leaders have called off the offensive," he stated. "Right now, the Jewel Summoners are completely defensive. "Good," Arine said. "We don't want to threaten Johan with an attack on him. But just in case he changes his mind and decides to fight, I think I should go with you. You might not be able to stand up to him without an elf at your side." "Very well," Pierre said. As Pierre and Arine were about to go to the surface to meet with Johan, Mia said, "Arine?" Arine turned to the brunette to listen to what she had to say. "I have to go with you." "What?" Pierre said, very surprised by Mia's statement. "Why?" asked Sam. "You can't go up there! It's too dangerous, especially in your condition!" "I don't know why," the brunette said, "but I know that I have to be there." "She's right," said Arine, surprised by the truth of Mia's statement. "I sense that Mia has some role yet to play. I don't know why either, but she does have to come with us to meet with Johan." "You can't be serious!" Sam cried. "I'm dead serious!" Arine countered. Arine started helping Mia out of bed. "I can't let you do this!" said Sam, running at Arine. Arine reacted to Sam's planned attack by aiming a glowing blue Sapphire at Sam. For fear of getting hit by a blast of elfin magic, Sam stopped dead in his tracks. "Please, Sam," said Arine, trying to sound composed. "Trust me on this one." When Sam did not respond, Arine knew that Sam had given in to her command, and so lowered the Sapphire. "Come on, Mia," she said. "Let's go." With that, Pierre, Arine, and Mia exited the infirmary and made their way to the surface. ---------- As the three of them got to the roof, Pierre, Arine, and Mia saw a glowing, red ball of light jumping from rooftop to rooftop toward them. As the ball of light landed on the roof of the French bakery, they could clearly see that the ball of red light was in fact the Red Ruby of Alvara...and that it was being held by Johan Mustanen. "And so," said the Finn, seeing the three people standing before him, "we meet again." "Johan!" cried Pierre in dismay. "How did you recover so quickly?" "Because he has the powers of the elf," Arine sensed. "My powers." "You can sense the mystical energies emanating from me, can't you, Arine?" Johan asked. "Yes," the blonde replied. Johan then looked at Mia and his face took on an expression that none of them had seen on his face before, and expression of caring. Smiling, Johan said, "Mia-chan." Pierre, Arine, and Mia were all surprised by what Johan had said. "What did you just say?" Arine asked. "I said, 'Mia-chan,'" Johan replied. He then proceeded to explain, "'Chan' is a Japanese honorific used to--" "I know what 'chan' means," said a very protective Arine. "What right do you have to call her 'Mia-chan'?!" Johan replied, "You must have realized the truth by now, Arine. Mia is my niece." "So," Pierre said, "you've found out too, Johan." "I have." The Finn then turned to the brunette and said, "Mia-chan, it's time for you to come with me." "What?" Mia asked. "You poor girl," Johan said in a sympathetic tone. "Living in this world for nineteen years with no ties to your true origins. You don't have to be alone any more, unsure about what life has in store for you. You are one of the Mustanen Clan. I can teach you all that you desire to know about me, our clan's history, even dating back to the time of the elves." "Oh my God," said Arine, rolling her eyes. "Don't pull that crap on her, Johan!" Arine turned to Mia and said, "He did the exact same thing to me, he tricked me into believing him so he could convince me to join him to attack the Jewel Summoners." Arine turned back to Johan and said, "You want her to join you in your quest too, Johan?" "Of course not," the tall man said. "This is purely to reunite her with her heritage." "You may want Mia to know her heritage," Arine said, "but you are lying." Johan was mildly surprised by Arine's statement. "Empathy, Johan," Arine explained. "I can sense other people's emotions and I know when someone is telling the truth or not. You plan to use Mia just like you used me!" Johan then said, "You haven't been able to save Mia, have you?" Arine jumped as if she had just been kicked in the stomach. "Simply touching skin isn't enough," Johan continued. "Mia needs an infusion of elfin DNA in order to live a healthy life." Turning back to Mia, Johan said, "Mia, I have infused myself with Arine's elfin powers. I have the technology to do so. I can save you, Mia. I can do for you what I did to myself." "Johan," said Arine, sensing something strange about the tall man in front of her. "Your mystical energies. They're out of balance." "What?" Johan asked, confused about what Arine had said. "There is something very wrong inside of you," said Arine. "Those elfin genes that you injected into yourself, they're not naturally occurring. I can already sense that you're losing control. If you do the same thing to Mia, it will destroy her!" "You don't know what you're talking about," said Johan. "I have been taught about the elves my whole life. A few days ago, you had no idea that elves even existed. What would you know about elfin powers?" "I'm telling you Johan," Arine cried, "you are not in control of your powers! If your powers are not contained, they will soon begin to alter your body's physiology!" "Mia is my family," Johan asserted, "and I will have my niece properly taken care of!" Johan aimed a glowing Red Ruby at Arine. "If you try to rob me of all that I have left of my brother, then you will be making a great mistake!" Arine aimed a glowing Blue Sapphire at Johan and said, "You will not survive for another year with those elfin genes inside of you, Johan. I won't let you do to Mia what you have done to yourself." Seeing that the situation was getting out of control, Pierre held up a pyrite crystal, hoping to alert the other Jewel Summoners to the eminent danger. However, Johan saw the pyrite crystal in Pierre's hand and threw an attack from the Ruby at him, knocking the yellow crystal from the Jewel Summoner's hand. As Johan threw his first attack of the night, Arine fought back. ---------- Arine fired a blast of mystical energy at Johan from the Sapphire. Johan dodged out of the way and fired a similar attack at Arine from the Ruby. Arine dodged out of the way and continued running at Johan. As the blonde reached the Finn, they started attacking each other with their bare fists. However, every attack that they threw were either blocked or dodged by the opposing fighter. "What's wrong?" asked Johan as he blocked another one of Arine's punches. "You can't seem to land a punch on me." Arine smiled and said, "You can't seem to land an attack either, Johan." Arine attempted another punch and Johan jumped clear of the attack, did a back flip in the air, and landed on the roof of the building behind him. "Are you running, Johan?" Arine taunted, "Far from it." Johan waved the glowing Ruby around, summoning a powerful force that threw Arine headlong toward him. Caught off-guard by the mystical force, Arine could not react in time to avoid Johan's fist hitting her in the face, knocking her to the ground. "Perhaps you didn't know about the amplifier gene that my family carries," said Johan. "All of my elfin abilities are doubled with it." "Johan," Arine moaned. "Please listen to me." "I will NOT listen to a friend of the Jewel Summoners!" Johan barked. Johan fired another attack from the Ruby, but Arine rolled out of the way, using her momentum to cartwheel herself up onto her feet. "Stop using your powers!" Arine cried. "You're only quickening the deterioration of your body! Surely you can sense that your powers are taking control of you. "What I sense," said Johan, "is that my powers are much more powerful than yours!" Johan threw another attack at Arine, throwing her back to the roof of the French bakery, where Mia and Pierre were still looking on. "Arine!" cried Mia as her beloved landed in front of her. "Don't worry, Mia," Arine said as she got to her feet. "I'm all right." Looking over at Johan from across the alley, Arine noticed Johan hold up the Ruby. Arine sensed what Johan was about to do and she held up the Sapphire as well. A red flash of light came from the Ruby, and Arine counteracted the flash with the Sapphire. When she looked at Pierre and Mia, Arine found that they were completely still, not even breathing. "So Arine," Johan said, "you weren't affected by my stopping of time." "I reacted to what I sensed was about to happen," said Arine. "I should keep Mia frozen in time until I have cured her of her heart condition," Johan said. "Johan," explained Arine, "she's frozen in time only because her mind thinks it is. Her brain cells are still functioning normally, and with all of her bodily functions stopped, her brain is losing oxygen!" Arine held up the Sapphire. The Sapphire glowed blue for a moment, and Pierre and Mia became unfrozen. However, while Arine was distracted by pulling Mia and Pierre back into normal time, she was hit by another blast of mystical energy from the Ruby, throwing her to the next building over. Johan waved the Ruby around, calling forth a force that pulled Mia toward him. Johan took Mia's body in his arms, to which the brunette screamed, "No! Let me go!" Arine got to her feet and saw that Mia was struggling in Johan's arms. "Johan! Let Mia go!" Arine cried, hoping that Mia would not become worked up enough to bring on another cardiac episode." "Calm down, Mia," said Johan in a soothing voice. "If you don't stay calm, you're going to have another attack. Let me take care of you. Let your true family take care of you like we were meant to." Just then, the Ruby activated for no apparent reason. A flash of red light emanated from the Ruby, throwing Mia back towards Pierre, causing both of them to fall over the edge of the roof of the French bakery. However, before they hit the ground, Pierre pulled out a spinel crystal and summoned a crystal vehicle just below them to slow their descent until they reached the ground. "Are you all right?" Pierre asked the frightened girl in his arms. "Yes," replied Mia. Johan looked at the Ruby in confusion. "What was that?" he wondered. "I told you," said Arine. "The elfin genes that you injected into your body have caused a mutation. If you had been born with those genes, you wouldn't be losing control of your powers like this. It will destroy you if your elfin genes are not neutralized." "You would have me give up these powers?" said Johan. "What's more important," Arine asked, "your powers or your life?" Both Arine and Johan jumped back to the roof of the French bakery and started throwing punches at each other. "Please, Johan!" cried Arine as she dodged Johan's fists. "This is for your own good!" As the two elfin descendants fought, they happened to aim Alvara's crystals at each other at the same time. Both crystals glowed, trying to overcome the other crystal's power. A ball of magenta light formed in between the two crystals where their mystical energies collided, the energy building between them. Finally, the ball of magenta light exploded, sending both Arine and Johan flying away in opposite directions. As Arine flew through the air, she lost her hold on the Sapphire as she flew earthward. While Johan handed safely on the roof of another building, skidding to a stop on both feet, Arine's body crashed into the roof of another building, rolling to a stop just before falling off the opposite edge. At the same time, Mia and Pierre rose to the roof on the spinel vehicle that Pierre had summoned. At seeing her beloved lying motionless at the far edge of the roof, Mia cried out, "Arine!" and ran to the blond-haired girl. "Are you all right?" the brunette asked. Arine slowly opened her eyes and looked at the girl looking down upon her. "Mia," she said weakly. "Can you stand?" Mia asked. Arine tried to lift herself up onto her feet, but then groaned in pain and collapsed again. "No," Arine replied to Mia's question. "I think my left hip is shattered, and my leg is dislocated." Johan looked back to the roof of the French bakery and saw the blue crystal lying there. "The Sapphire," he said to himself as he jumped back to the rooftop. "Oh no," said Arine as Johan picked up the Blue Sapphire. "I don't think you get it, Arine," said Johan. "It doesn't matter if I live or die. All that matters to me is avenging the destruction of the elves. Why do you protect the very people that destroyed your ancestors?" "Is that all that matters to you, Johan?" Arine seethed. "Is revenge the only driving force in your life now? What about the new age of the elves? Doesn't that matter to you? Killing more people won't make things right again." "I see where you're going with this," said Johan. "It's not going to work." "Throwing your life away won't bring back your uncle..." "Shut up." "...or your father..." "Shut up!" "...or your brother!" "SHUT UP!!!" Johan held up both the Ruby and the Sapphire in his hands, both of them glowing brightly as he tapped into their power. The blue light of the Sapphire and the red light of the Ruby fused into a bright magenta light at the distance that Arine and Mia were at. "This is not good," said Arine. Just then, a gust of wind started blowing from Johan's position. "What's happening?" Mia asked, caught off guard by the wind. "Johan is feeding all of his energy into the Ruby and the Sapphire," said Arine. "With his amplifier gene and both of Alvara's crystals, nothing will be able to hold back the energy he's about to throw at us." It was just then that Arine noticed something strange about Mia. Ever since they had gone shopping at the Champs Élysées, Mia had always worn a pair of diamond earrings that she had bought there. However, as the wind from Alvara's crystals blew Mia's hair out of the way of her pointed ears, Arine could clearly see that there was no earring on Mia's left ear. "Mia?" she asked. "Where's your left earring?" Mia brought her hand to her left ear and felt that her earring was missing. She then looked around herself and said, "Where's Pierre?" As Arine and Mia looked back toward Johan, they saw Pierre standing in front of him. He was aiming something toward Johan in his hand. It was the earring! "Is he...?" Arine trailed off. "Oh my God!" Mia cried as she realized what Pierre was doing. "These girls are the key to the future of the elves, Johan," Pierre pleaded his case. "Do not destroy them to settle the score with someone who is only trying to help you." Johan did not seem to react to Pierre's statement. "Please Johan," Pierre begged, tears forming in his eyes, "don't make me do this." Johan and Pierre simply looked into each other's eyes for a moment. Johan almost seemed ready to stand down and end the feud. However, he instead fed all of the energy that he had gathered into the Ruby and Sapphire that he had in his hands. Seeing that Johan was about to fire all of the mystical energy that he had gathered, Pierre held up the earring, the crystal stud glowing bright white. ---------- Having sensed the activation of both the Ruby and the Sapphire, the Jewel Summoners knew that Arine and Johan had been fighting. Knowing that they had to help the elf in any way they could, they were boarding the elevators to the surface to help fight Johan. "Come on! Come on!" said Lord Giovanni as he herded the members of the Valentino Clan to the elevators. "Go on," Alana said, guiding the members of the Lancestor Clan to the elevators, "protect the elf." "Whatever you do," said Lord Felix, "don't let Johan--" However, before Felix could finish his sentence, he was overcome with a strange, extremely strong feeling of some impending calamity. "What is that?" Fredrika wondered, obviously noticing the same feeling. All at once, all of the Jewel Summoners became disoriented by the upheaval of the surrounding mystical energies, many of them nearly losing their balance. "It's powerful," said Alana. "I've never felt anything like it before," groaned Giovanni. Then, Felix realized what was happening. "Could it be...?! ---------- Mystical energies in the form of white light swirled around Pierre as he tapped into the power of the diamond earring that he held in his hand. As the light emanating from the earring began to envelop Pierre, the Frenchman looked back at the two girls staring at him in awe. Tears streaming down his cheeks, Pierre said to Mia and Arine, "Tell Yvette...that I'm sorry." As Pierre spoke his last words, the city of Zurich was engulfed by the white light of the diamond. To be continued...
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