Unlocking the Heart Mia and Arine held their arms in front of their faces to shield their eyes from the blinding white light being emanated from the diamond. As Johan fired the blast of mystical energy that he had been building in the form of a beam of magenta light, the power of the diamond seemed to collapse upon itself, and then exploded like a supernova. The wave of mystical energy from the diamond collided with the energy that Johan had fired, throwing it back at him. Johan cried out in pain as his body was hit with his own mystical energies, throwing him over to the roof of the next building over. As the white light faded, Mia and Arine observed the scene. Johan was unconscious two buildings over, both the Ruby and the Sapphire were lying on the roof that Johan had just been thrown from, and lying on the ground before the two girls was Mia's diamond earring alone. "Pierre," Mia choked. "He...He sacrificed himself to save us." Arine said with the same sadness that Mia felt, "Diamond was the only crystal that could have protected us from Johan. And the only diamond that Pierre had available was your earring." Arine and Mia looked at their ground, their tears falling to the cement of the roof. ---------- As the surrounding mystical energies returned to normal, the Jewel Summoners came out of their disorientation and regained their balance. "Is everyone all right?" asked Alana. Her subjects responded, "Yes, Lady Alana," or "Yes, Milady." As the Jewel Summoners' daze continued to lift, Giovanni regained his senses enough to wonder, "What was that?" "It was more powerful than any corundum I've ever sensed," mentioned Fredrika. Unlike the other Jewel Summoners, Felix was much more sad than he was confused. "I believe..." he said, "...that it was diamond." The other Jewel Summoners looked at Felix with a combination of incredulity, amazement, and fear. "Are you sure, Lord Felix?" asked Alana. "It's the only thing that could have produced a force powerful enough to disorient every Jewel Summoner in the area," Fredrika agreed "Lord Pierre must have had some with him..." said Felix, ..."and used it to protect Arine and Mia." "Lord Pierre," Alana said, as if speaking to her fallen comrade, "I hope what you have done was for the best." The Clan Leaders spent a moment in silence to mourn. After their moment of silence, the Clan Leaders continued moving their subjects to the elevators to help Arine and Mia. ---------- Mia walked to where Pierre stood before he had disappeared. She picked up the diamond earring at her feet and examined it with tearful eyes. "All that power..." said the brunette, "...from one little diamond." However, Mia and Arine's moment for mourning was short-lived as Arine noticed Johan's fingers start twitching. "Mia!" she called. "Johan is coming to!" Mia looked at Johan to see that although he was not yet conscious, Johan was indeed stirring. "What are we going to do?" she wondered. In her injured state, Arine was unable to do what needed to be done. She said to Mia, "You have to get over there. Get both the Ruby and the Sapphire." "I can't get over there fast enough," said Mia. "The only way to get there before Johan is to fly." As Mia spoke, an idea came into Arine's mind. "Then fly," she said. "What?" asked a confused Mia. "Run as fast as you can toward Alvara's crystals," the blonde instructed. "Even without the power of corundum, I think my telekinesis is still powerful enough to bring you the rest of the way to that building." "Run?" said Mia. "I don't think I can. Not without overworking my heart." "I think I can give you enough strength for one short dash," Arine said. "Mia, it's the only way." Knowing that Johan would regain consciousness any second, Mia knew that she had no choice but to do what Arine suggested. She backed up until she was standing next to the blonde. She took a sprinter's stance and then looked at Arine one more time. "Are you sure about this?" the brunette asked. "I'm sure," Arine encouraged. Arine and Mia reached for each other and held hands for a moment. Their hair sparkled as Arine used her gene of biological vigor to give strength to her girlfriend. Mia felt a surge of energy as she held Arine's hand. "Now fly," said Arine. "Fly!" Utilizing all of the strength that Arine had passed to her, Mia made a mad dash toward the other end of the roof, toward the building that the Ruby and the Sapphire were lying on. As she reached the edge of the roof, Mia jumped across the alley toward the next building over. Arine reached toward Mia, using her elfin powers to the best of her abilities, attempting to keep Mia airborne until she reached the next building. However, Arine's telekinesis was not powerful enough to get Mia all the way to the next building. Mia started falling, but managed to grab the ledge of the roof before she fell to the pavement below. Mia pulled herself up to where she could see Alvara's crystals lying in front of her. She could also see Johan lying on the next building over, slowly opening his eyes. Mia struggled to get up to the roof in reach of the Ruby and the Sapphire. Johan stood up and saw that Mia was reaching for the crystals. Overcome by the urge to get to the crystals before anyone else, Johan ran toward the building that Mia was hanging onto and jumped to the building. Then, just as Johan dove for the crystals, a memory stirred inside Mia. It was extremely vague, but Mia somehow remembered reaching toward a red jewel just like she was doing now. As the memory flashed inside Mia's mind, the Ruby moved out of Johan's reach toward Mia's outstretched arm! The Ruby flew toward Mia, but Johan used the power of the Sapphire against her. A force both threw the Ruby away from Mia and knocked Mia over the edge of the building. At seeing his niece fall, Johan suddenly realized, "Mia! What have I done?" Johan ran to the edge of the roof and aimed the Sapphire at the falling brunette before him. He used the power of the Sapphire to slow Mia's descent and then pull her back up to him. "Are you all right, Mia-chan?" he asked Mia as he held her in his arms. "You almost killed me," said Mia. "Don't call me Mia-chan!" Her anger building, Mia attempted to kick Johan in the groin. However, his foresight alerting him to the danger, Johan jumped over Mia before her foot made contact. Still holding on to Mia from behind his back, Johan threw the brunette over his head, back to the roof of the bakery, where Arine was lying. "Mia!" cried Arine as Mia lay beside her, unconscious. As Arine put her hand to Mia's neck to feel her pulse, she saw the Jewel Summoners rise to the roof on their spinel vehicles. "How is she, Arine?" asked Lady Fredrika. "She's alive," said Arine at feeling a slight pulse. "But I don't think she has much left in her." The blonde looked back at Johan, who was looking at his hands, horrified by what he had done. "Look at what your elfin powers have done to you, Johan," Arine called to him. "You're finding it difficult to know friend from foe. Your powers are struggling to break free from the confines of your body, and you can't contain them." "Don't tell me what I can and cannot do with my powers!" Johan spat. However, his expression suddenly changed from one of anger to one of confusion. "What did I just say?" he asked himself. Arine saw that the Ruby had not fallen to the pavement below, but had landed at the far end of the roof. She turned to the Jewel Summoners and said, "I can't get to the Red Ruby of Alvara. I need someone to bring it here to me. I need its power to help Mia." "Lord Sven!" said Fredrika to the Jewel Summoner that was closest to the Ruby. The elderly Jewel Summoner took out a spinel crystal and aimed it toward the Ruby. The spinel crystal glowed red, and it seemed as if the crystal extended itself toward the Ruby, taking the shape of an arm and a hand. As the glowing red hand picked up the Ruby, Johan fired a blast of energy from the Sapphire at Sven. The blast hit the spinel hand, shattering the spinel arm and Sven's spinel crystal. However, the blast also threw the Ruby toward Sven, who caught the red jewel and threw it to Arine. Arine held the Ruby over Mia's body and held Mia's hand. As the Ruby glowed red, Arine's elfin powers increased and her hair started sparkling. "Hang in there, Mia," the blonde pleaded with her unconscious girlfriend. "Hey, Arine," a young male voice said from in front of her. Arine looked to see Sam ascending on a spinel vehicle that was being piloted by David. The boy was holding an amethyst crystal in his hand. "Need a hand?" Sam asked. "Please," Arine cried. Sam jumped off of the vehicle onto the roof and ran to Mia. He held the amethyst crystal over Mia's body and it started glowing purple. With the healing powers of the elf and the healing powers of quartz, Mia's hair began sparkling just like Arine's. As Arine and Sam were preoccupied helping Mia, the other Jewel Summoners advanced on Johan to keep him from getting to the Ruby. "Please! Stay back!" Johan cried. "I can't control..." Johan trailed off, his powers controlling him to attack his opponents. Johan started firing attacks from the Sapphire at the Jewel Summoners, and the Jewel Summoners summoned crystal soldiers to fight Johan. "Arine!" Sam cried. "It's working." Indeed, Mia was beginning to stir. She opened her eyes slightly and looked at the girl with the sparkling hair. "Arine?" she said. "Mia," Arine said, a smile coming to her face. As the Ruby and the amethyst stopped glowing, and as Mia's and Arine's hair stopped sparkling, Mia found the strength to sit up. Mia realized that Sam had aided Arine in reviving her. "Sam," she said to her childhood friend, "thank you." Mia and Sam embraced, happy that Mia was alive and kicking. Just then, as Sam looked over Mia's shoulder at Arine, he noticed something strange. "Arine," he said. "What is it, Sam?" asked the blonde. "The Red Ruby of Alvara," Sam said. "It's not reacting to you." "What" Arine asked. "Didn't the Blue Sapphire react when you touched it?" "You're right!" said Arine. "Why isn't the Ruby reacting like the Sapphire did?" "Arine..." said Mia, who was staring intently at the red jewel in Arine's hand, "...give me the Ruby." "What?" said Arine, surprised by the mesmerized look in Mia's eyes. Mia slowly extended her hand toward the Ruby. Then, just like before, the Ruby started moving on its own toward Mia. It lifted from Arine's hand and flew toward Mia's. As Mia grabbed the Ruby, it suddenly glowed a brilliant red. Mia's hair sparkled and the red glow of the Ruby engulfed the brunette. ---------- As the power of the Ruby engulfed her, Mia found herself atop a cliff. There was a guardrail to keep people from falling off. Below the cliff was a body of water, which was filled with large masses of land of about the same height as the cliff. The sun was beginning to set over the fjords across the valley of water. Leaning on the guardrail, looking out over the fjords, was a young man, about 16 years old. He had blue eyes and elegant, silver-blond hair, and was wearing earmuffs to keep his ears warm in the northern climate. He had a smile on his face, obviously very relaxed by the view. As the man enjoyed the sight before him, a young woman, about his age, walked up next to him to look at the sun set over the fjords as well. The girl had brown hair and brown eyes, very similar to Mia's hair and eye color. "Magnificent view, isn't it?" she asked the boy. The boy looked at the girl and was suddenly enchanted by her beauty. He felt his heart beating faster, but was quickly able to calm himself. "Yes, it is," he answered, still a little red in the cheeks. For a moment the two teens simply smiled at each other, feeling some sort of mystical energy pass between them. "Well, um..." said the boy, trying to break the silence. He held out his hand toward the girl and said, "I'm Rikhard. Rikhard Mustanen." The girl took the boy's hand and responded, "Erika Dagomar." After Rikhard and Erika had introduced themselves, they looked back over the fjords, admiring the sunset. "Come here often?" asked Erika. "No," replied Rikhard. "This is actually my first time in Norway. I live in Finland." "Why are you all the way out here?" asked the girl. "For this," said Rikhard, looking out at the fjords again. "I needed to go some place to relax, get away from it all. You see, the leader of my clan--" Rikhard suddenly stopped talking and corrected himself, "I mean my household recently died." "Oh," said Erika, a hint of sadness appearing in her face, "I'm sorry to hear that." "She lived a long life," Rikhard said. "Many of us didn't expect Lady Heidi to live as long as she did. You see, my family carries a rare genetic defect." "What kind of defect?" "It creates an anomalous protein that creates two bodily deformations. The most obvious deformation is the existence of points at the ends of the ears." Erika suddenly became excited at the mention of pointed ears, but was able to hide her excitement. "The second deformation," Rikhard continued, "is of the heart. It causes the heart to be weaker than normal, making the carrier more susceptible to fatigue, and in extreme cases, cardiac arrest. That's how Lady Heidi died." Then, a very solemn look appeared on Rikhard's face. He said, "I have the same disorder." Erika gasped at what Rikhard had just said. "And so," continued the boy, "seeing one of my household die of this disease really shook me up, because it reminds me of my own mortality, how likely it is that this disease will ultimately lead to my own death." Erika put her hand to Rikhard chin and turned his head to look at her. "Please, don't talk like that, Rikhard," she said. "You shouldn't worry yourself with things like this." A small smile appeared on Rikhard's face. "I don't even know how I'm able to talk about this at all," said the Finn. "We Mustanens are very sensitive about this subject. It's not just the heart condition, but the ears as well. I doubt that many people would understand pointed ears." "Rikhard," Erika said, a hint of nervousness in her voice, "I'm sorry if it's inappropriate to ask but, do you mind if I look at your ears?" Much to Rikhard's surprise, he did not object to showing this stranger his unusual physical characteristic. He lifted his earmuffs ever so slightly off of his ears, revealing his pointed ears to Erika. The brunette looked at the ears in awe, bringing her hands to the sides of Rikhard's face to feel them for herself, making sure that they were real. Erika's next statement was a little surprising to Rikhard, "They're actually...kind of cute." "Cute?" Rikhard said with an amused expression. "I've never heard that term applied to a disease before." ---------- Rikhard and Erika spent the rest of the afternoon talking. After the sun had set, they continued to talk over dinner at the restaurant at the inn that Erika was staying at. Erika lived in Stockholm, Sweden and was in Norway for the view, just like Rikhard. Rikhard and Erika ended up talking for so long that it was almost 10:00 pm by the time they noticed what time it was. Rikhard walked Erika back to the room that she was staying in. "Well, this is me," said Erika as they approached room #104. "Thank you for walking me back to my room." "It's my pleasure," Rikhard said. "Say," said the Fin, and idea coming to mind, "would you like to have brunch with me tomorrow? I could come by at say...eleven-o-clock?" Erika smiled and said, "I'd like that." "I would too," said Rikhard, smiling as well. "Well, good night, Erika. Pleasant dreams." "Same to you." Rikhard started walking away as Erika entered her room. As soon as her door was closed, Erika rushed to the phone and dialed home. The phone rang several times before someone answered. "Fredrika Dagomar speaking," said the voice of a mature woman, noticeably tired from the late hour. "Mother," Erika said at hearing her Clan Leader's voice. "Erika, is that you?" asked Fredrika. "Yes, it's me." "Are you all right?" Fredrika asked. "You sound a little worked up." Erika explained, "Milady, I met someone today. A man with pointed ears. I think he's a descendant of the elves." "Is this true?" Fredrika asked, excitement coming to her voice as well. "What should I do?" asked Erika, awaiting instructions from the leader of the Dagomar Clan. "Follow this man," Fredrika instructed. "Find out more about him. Report back as the situation develops." "Yes, Milady." "Good night, Erika." "Good night, mother." Erika hung up and started getting ready for bed. It took Erika several hours to find sleep. Her mind raced with the image of Rikhard and the possibility of the Jewel Summoners' mission finally coming to an end. ---------- Rikhard came by Erika's room at 11:00 am, just like they had agreed. He was wearing his earmuffs to hide his pointed ears from the general public After Rikhard had knocked on the door, he heard Erika's voice say from inside, "Just a moment." "Take your time," Rikhard said. As Rikhard waited for Erika to exit, Rikhard coughed several times. However, Rikhard recovered just as Erika opened the door. She had obviously not heard his coughs. Erika was still combing the tangles out of her hair as she exited. "Sorry, Rikhard," she said. "I overslept." "I do that all the time," said Rikhard, his smile having never left his face. "Shall we?" Rikhard extended his elbow toward Erika and she took the joint in her hand. The two of them proceeded to the restaurant for brunch. ---------- "What?!" Erika cried as they talked. "You want me to come with you back to Finland?" "I know it's a little sudden," Rikhard said. "I'm sorry if I jumped the gun." "I don't know what it is about you," said Erika as she looked into Rikhard's eyes. "I've never felt this strongly for someone I just met the day before." Rikhard and Erika looked deep into each other's eyes. The same mystical energy that drew them together the day before pulled them together again, causing them to lean toward each other. They met at the center of the table, their lips touched, and they kissed each other. After a moment, they broke this kiss and looked back into each other's eyes. They both were very serious, neither of them fully comprehending the situation. Then, Erika smiled and responded, "I would love to go to Finland with you." "Really? You mean it?" Rikhard cried, a large smile coming to his face. Erika nodded and they embraced each other. ---------- After spending the next few days in Norway, Rikhard and Erika hopped on the plane that would bring them from Bergen, Norway to Oslo, to Helsinki, Finland, and then north to Ivalo, where the Mustanen Clan lived. As they boarded the plane, Rikhard's cell phone started ringing. He picked up and said, "Rikhard Mustanen speaking." "Ah, Rikhard," said a friendly, older male voice. "It's your uncle, Lord Blake." "Oh hello, Uncle," Rikhard said. "Rikhard," Blake said, "I have wonderful news." "What is it, Milord?" Rikhard asked. "According to Lady Heidi's will," Blake explained, "I am to succeed her as leader of the Mustanen Clan." "Why Uncle," Rikhard cried, "that IS wonderful news!" "I hope you will be able to attend my inauguration as the Clan Leader at eight-o-clock tonight." "I should be in Ivalo by seven." "I am glad to hear it. I'll see you tonight. Safe journey, Rikhard." "Thank you, Lord Blake. Good bye." As soon as Rikhard had hung up, he turned to his girlfriend and said excitedly, "Erika, wonderful news! My uncle has been chosen to succeed Lady Heidi as the leader of the Mustanen Clan!" "That's wonderful, Rikhard," said the brunette. "You must be very proud of him." "I am. And I'm sure Johan is too." "Johan?" Erika asked. Rikhard replied, "My fraternal twin brother." ---------- Rikhard and Erika landed in Ivalo, Finland at 6:50 pm. The Mustanen Clan headquarters were not far, so it did not take long for them to arrive at the large building that Rikhard lived in. Rikhard's uncle, Lord Blake, was there to greet them. Blake was wearing a set of earmuffs similar to Rikhard's, which indicated that just like his nephew, he had also inherited the pointed ears. After Rikhard and Erika had settled in, Rikhard decided to see his brother before resting. a bit. As he entered his brother's room, he saw a young man, no older than he was, sitting at his desk, intently reading a book on Norse mythology. "Hello, Johan," Rikhard said to the boy. The boy turned to the doorway to see Rikhard standing in front of him. "Oh, hello Rikhard," Johan said, recognizing his fraternal twin brother. "How was Norway?" "It was fantastic," Rikhard replied. "The people there were so nice. I'm glad I went there." "Rikhard?" a young, female voice said from the doorway. Johan and Rikhard turned to see Erika standing in front of them. "Johan," said Rikhard, walking to the girl, "this is my girlfriend, Erika Dagomar. Erika, meet my twin brother, Johan." "Nice to meet you, Erika," Johan said. "Nice to meet you too, Johan," Erika said with a smile on her face. "The inauguration of Lord Blake as the new clan lord is taking place tonight," Rikhard said to Erika. "Would you like to participate the ceremony?" "This is only for members of the Mustanen Clan, isn't it?" Erika said. "You are no less a member of the Mustanen Clan than I am," said Rikhard. "I am sure that our mother and uncle will gladly give us their blessings." Rikhard then turned to Johan and said, "Well, I think that I should get some rest. The flight took its toll on me. I'll see you tonight at Uncle's ceremony, right?" "Of course, Brother," said Johan. Rikhard and Erika left Johan to his book and went off to Rikhard's room. ---------- After the inauguration of Lord Blake as the new leader of the Mustanen Clan had ended and most of the clan members had left, Rikhard and Erika met with Lord Blake and his sister-in-law, Rikhard and Johan's mother. The two teenagers had news to give to the two elders. "Mother, Uncle," Rikhard said, "Erika and I are getting married." Blake and Rikhard's mother were surprised by the sudden decision. "Really?" Blake asked. "We love each other very much," Erika explained. "We fell in love at first sight and we want to make the most of the time we have together." "I do sense the connection between you two," said Blake. "And considering Rikhard's condition, I approve of this. Rikhard, Erika, you have my blessings." Rikhard smiled and bowed his head to Blake in thanks. He then turned to the older woman and asked, "Mother?" It took Rikhard's mother a moment to think over the situation. Eventually, she decided to smile and said, "Rikhard, Erika, you have my blessings." Both Rikhard and Erika smiled. They looked at each other, leaped into each other's arms and kissed, so happy that they had the blessings of the Mustanen Clan. ---------- Rikhard and Erika spent the next several weeks planning their wedding. With Erika being accepted into the Mustanen Clan, it was decided that the wedding would be held at the Mustanen household, in the same room where the clan leaders had been inaugurated. "This is amazing," said Erika as she decorated the hall. "Two months ago, I would have never believed that I would be getting married at the age of sixteen." "Me neither," said Rikhard. "It is pretty incredible." "So. Where should the refreshments go?" Erika asked. "Well," said Rikhard, pointing to where the food was situated at Lord Blake's inauguration, "I was thinking of having all of the food over on that side of the room. Maybe one table for refreshments, another for the cake, and another for lunch and dinner." Rikhard and Erika started pushing one of the tables over to the side of the room. It was heavy, but they wanted their wedding to be perfect, so they decided that it was worth the effort. "Phew," said Erika, wiping her brow after the table had been put into position. "That was a workout. Maybe we should move the other tables later." "Maybe you're right," Rikhard agreed. Just then, Rikhard was overcome by a violent fit of coughing. He covered his mouth and fell to his knees. "Rikhard," Erika cried, rushing to her fiancé's side, "are you all right?" When Rikhard removed his hand from his mouth, both he and Erika were horrified to see blood on his hand and dripping from his mouth! "What's happening?" Rikhard said, in a state of shock. "Come on," Erika said, lifting Rikhard to his feet and draping one of his arms over her shoulders. "Let's get you to the infirmary." ---------- Using modern medicine and whatever mystical powers they had inherited from their elfin ancestors, the witch doctors of the Mustanen Clan diagnosed Rikhard's symptom as a result of his genetic disorder, the same disorder that gave many of the Mustanen Clan, including Rikhard and Blake, their visibly pointed ears. "When Sir Rikhard pushed the table," one of the doctors said, "considerable stress was put on his heart. Because of this, his heart was unable to properly pump blood away from his lungs." "So that's why I started coughing up blood," Rikhard realized. "It seems that in Sir Rikhard's case," said the doctor, "his heart is losing strength gradually over a long period of time. It saddens me to say this, but I would estimate that Sir Rikhard does not have more than ten years left." The horrifying news of Rikhard's inevitable fate was too much for Erika to bear. The brunette fell to her hands and knees and broke down into tears. Using what strength he had regained, Rikhard managed to stand up and go to Erika, embracing her, trying to comfort her. ---------- The day of the wedding arrived. As leader of the clan, Lord Blake was chosen as the minister. All of the clan members were happy for Rikhard and Erika...all except for Johan. Although he hid it well, his suspicions about Erika were growing. "Well, here we are," said Erika as she and Rikhard entered their room. "Man and wife." "Yes," said Rikhard. "Here we are indeed." Despite the joyous occasion of their union, the celebratory atmosphere was simply a euphemism for the sadness that Erika and Rikhard felt. "What are we going to do, Rikhard?" asked Erika, again saddened by Rikhard's steadily worsening condition. "What are we going to do?" "I don't know, Erika," Rikhard said. "I don't know." "I can't stand to be without you," Erika mourned. "Why did it have to be this way?" "This gene has been passed down through my family for generations," Rikhard explained. "We believe there was once a gene that was able to counteract the ill effects of this one, but it has been lost to the sands of time." "I just with there was something we could do to keep you alive." "I know, my darling," Rikhard said, embracing his wife. "I know." After holding each other for a moment, Rikhard then said, "There is...one way for me to live on." Erika looked at her husband and asked, "What is it." "Children," Rikhard replied. Rikhard walked to his desk and picked up the white sapphire that he carries. "I told you that our father had the same illness that I have," Rikhard explained. As Rikhard spoke, he used the power of the sapphire to transfer a small portion of his spirit inside it. "Our mother knew," he continued, "that Lord Heikki would live on inside his sons, and so he does, inside me and Johan." Rikhard put the sapphire back down on his desk and walked back to Erika's side. "The doctor said I had ten years left at the most. That doesn't necessarily mean a full ten years. It could be five years, one year, maybe even a matter of months. This may be the only chance I have to pass on my lineage." "Rikhard," Erika cried, "don't you know what you are asking?" "I'm asking to consummate our love," Rikhard repeated himself. "We do not have much time left, and we may not have another chance. I want to become one with you before we run out of time." Erika looked into her lap, thinking about what Rikhard was suggesting. "Please, Erika." Tears started welling in the young woman's eyes. "Oh, Rikhard!" she cried, jumping into her husband's arms. They wrapped their arms around one another and met in a passionate kiss. ---------- As Johan walked down the long hallway, he could hear moaning from Rikhard's room. However, it did not hit him what was happening until he heard Erika's voice crying out from behind the door. "Oh shit!" said Johan as he made a bolt for the door. "I hope I'm not too late!" Johan was petrified by what he saw when he opened his brother's door. Both Rikhard and Erika were naked. Rikhard was lying unconscious on his bed; Erika was sitting next to him, looking at his body. With all of his suspicions about Erika painfully confirmed, Johan's rage exploded from him. "You bitch!" Johan screamed at the woman before him. "You people haven't changed in fifteen hundred years. You're still trying to complete your mission. Well let me tell you something, Dagomar, you will never destroy the elves completely! The Prophecy of Awakening will come to pass, I assure you! The new age of the elves will come to pass and you Jewel Summoners will be destroyed just like our people were destroyed!" Johan rushed to his brother's desk and picked up the white sapphire that Rikhard had kept with him. Using the white sapphire's power, Johan summoned a powerful force that threw Erika from the bed and onto the floor. Erika found herself lying next to her coat and she quickly reached into it, pulling out a pyrite crystal. Erika tried to use the pyrite to call other members of the Dagomar Clan to her aid. Erika believed that she got the message across, but Johan threw another attack at her, knocking the crystal from her hand before she could get a confirmation. With the power of Rikhard's white sapphire with him, Johan chased Erika out of his brother's room. "I'll never forgive you!" the boy screamed, throwing attack after attack at Erika. "You corrupt my brother's heart, then you have your way with him, knowing full well what it would do to him! You bitch!" Erika found the exit and ran out into the snow-covered Scandinavian landscape. Johan continued chasing. "I'm not going to let you die from the cold, Dagomar!" he said. Rikhard's white sapphire started glowing white and a powerful force threw Erika backwards, toward Johan. Using his free hand, Johan grabbed Erika by the neck. "I will be the one to kill you," he said, looking Erika square in the eyes. "I will not grant you the luxury of dying from anything besides my hands." Slowly, Johan started tightening his grip on Erika's neck. The brunette started chocking as her windpipe was crushed. she struggled to break free from Johan's grip, but she could not overcome Johan's strength. "Yes," Johan said, an evil grin coming across his face. "That's it. Struggle all you want. Try to escape. Let me see the fear in your eyes as the life drains from you." Erika's eyes rolled back in her head as Johan continued to tighten his grip on her throat. Her struggling slowly became less and less violent as her strength left her. "Die. Die! DIE!!" cried Johan. Just then, out of nowhere, a glowing red javelin flew toward Johan. His foresight alerting his to the danger, Johan dropped Erika and dodged out of the way. The boy looked in the direction that the javelin was thrown from and saw a band of several elderly warriors, each one of them holding glowing red spinel crystals. "Madame Erika!" Lord Sven cried at seeing the young woman lying unconscious on the snow. "What have you done to Madame Erika, you monster?" Sven summoned a vehicle, similar in design to a motorcycle, composed entirely of glowing red crystal. He drove the vehicle straight toward Johan, but the boy jumped out of the way before he was run over. As he drove by, Sven grabbed Erika and picked her up. Seeing that Erika was being dragged to safety, Johan used the power of Rikhard's white sapphire and threw another attack at the Jewel Summoner. Before the attack hit, Sven took out a glowing apatite crystal and used the green crystal's power to drag him and Erika toward the other Jewel Summoners. Johan's attack hit the snow where the spinel vehicle had disappeared. Sven retreated behind the other Jewel Summoners, who were standing as a wall to protect Erika. Once he and Erika were blocked off from Johan, Sven took out an amethyst crystal and held it over Erika's body. As the crystal glowed purple, the unconscious girl started breathing more easily. Johan held up the white sapphire. The transparent crystal started glowing white as Johan prepared to fire another attack at the Jewel Summoners. However, one of the Jewel Summoners pulled out a crystal of the deepest red. The red crystal started glowing and the white sapphire stopped glowing. The Jewel Summoner had somehow used his crystal to negate the power of the sapphire! Suddenly, Johan knew what it was that the Jewel Summoner was holding. In awe of the Ruby that the Jewel Summoner held, Johan was distracted from the other Jewel Summoners summoning more crystal vehicles. Before Johan could snap out of his trance, the Jewel Summoners were already too far ahead for him to catch up. ---------- When Erika awoke, she found herself in a warm bed, a harsh contrast to the snow-covered landscape that was her most recent memory. As she opened her eyes, the brunette recognized the setting of the infirmary at the Dagomar Clan household in Stockholm, Sweden. She saw several people watching over her. "Erika!" an older woman cried cried. "How are you feeling?" Erika recognized the voice as that of her mother and leader of the Dagomar Clan, Lady Fredrika. "Not so well," Erika said in a raspy voice. "I have a slitting headache, and it's hard to breath." "That man chocked you to the point of near asphyxiation," said Lord Sven. "You're experiencing symptoms of hypoxia." "Choked me?" Erika asked. The girl then remembered what had happened. She jumped to a sitting position and cried, "Johan!" As she sat up, Erika suddenly groaned in pain and collapsed again. Her throat hurt and she struggled to breath. "Easy, Erika!" said a brown-haired boy in his early teens. "Easy!" "You've contracted a case of laryngitis," said one of the doctors, "you should not exert yourself for the next few weeks." "No," Erika protested. "I can't stay here. Johan will find me." "Johan?" asked the boy. "Who is Johan?" "Rikhard Mustanen's brother," Erika explained. "Rikhard died of cardiac arrest and Johan blames me for it. He will never stop hunting me." Erika realized, "I have to get away, as far away from here as possible. If Johan finds me, all of you will be in danger." "Where would you go?" Fredrika asked. "I don't know," the girl replied. "All I have to do is keep Johan's attention away from Stockholm." "How will you accomplish that?" asked her mother. Erika thought for a moment about how to keep Johan away from the household of the Dagomar Clan. "The Red Ruby of Alvara," she answered. "Johan saw one of my rescuers use it. He will most likely try tracking the Ruby with his brother's white sapphire." Looking straight at Fredrika, Erika said, "If you give me the Ruby, I can lead Johan away from here, and you will be safe from him." "The Ruby?" asked Sven. "I'm sorry, Erika," said Fredrika. "I can't let you have the Ruby. I was entrusted with its protection when Lady Kerstin died last year and I can't risk letting the Ruby be lost." "Please, Mother," urged Erika. "It's the only way." Fredrika thought about it for a moment. Eventually, she responded, "All right. But please, stay in bed for at least a few more days. Give yourself a chance to recover some strength." "Yes, Milady," Erika said, settling back into the bed. "When will you be back?" the boy asked Erika. "I don't know, Erik," replied the brunette. "If I do return, I will contact Mother and tell her." "Sister," the boy said, "I hope you know what you're doing." "So do I, Brother," Erika said, closing her eyes. "So do I." ---------- After several days of partially recovering from her ordeal, Erika left Stockholm and started her journey. As February, 1987 rolled by, Erika had not menstruated. It was then that she knew that she was pregnant. With her late husband's child inside her body, Erika knew that she had to do everything in her power to evade Johan until the child was born. October came and Erika found herself in Japan. Having not fully recovered before fleeing Sweden, Erika had become more susceptible to respiratory disease, and was still suffering, even 10 months after her last encounter with Johan. The combination of breathing difficulty and the growing baby inside her womb made it difficult for the 17-year-old to make her way. She had acquired a walking stick to help her walk. Erika tried her best to stay away from the cities. Johan would most likely suspect that in her ill condition, Erika would try to find lodging in nicer places where her risk of disease would be lower. However, Erika managed to live in deep forests, far away from the big cities, only going into town to buy food, water, and whatever medicinal herbs she could find. After the last 10 months of moving from place to place, living off of whatever she could find, enduring the elements, Erika was surprised that she had not miscarried. It was in the late afternoon of October 13th that Erika came across an abandoned hut in the Japanese countryside. It was just as Erika was approaching the hut that she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. She fell to her knees and held her stomach in pain. "Now?" Erika said to herself. She had always hoped that she would have her child in hospital, surrounded by friends and family. However, she was at that moment going into labor in the middle of nowhere, Japan. Before her contractions became too painful for her to bear, Erika made her way to the hut and prepared to give birth. She laid down a towel in order to prevent the child from coming in contact with the floor, which was probably unsanitary. Erika was in agonizing pain for the entire night. It was then that she wished more than anything for Rikhard to be with her to comfort her, for the child to have a father to look into the face of as he came into the world, to convince Johan to stop chasing her. The sky was beginning to turn a dark blue as the first light of October 14th, 1987 appeared. Erika entered the final stages of labor and she felt an uncontrollable urge to push. Erika bore down, pushing the baby out of her uterus with every contraction. However, she was overcome by a fit of coughing as she felt the baby's head move out. After she had recovered from her coughing, she could hear an infant crying. Although exhausted from labor, sleepless night, and difficulty breathing, Erika was still able to smile as it sank in that she was now a mother. Erika wrapped the infant in the towel that she had given birth to him on, after which she raised the child up onto her body to clean and examine him. Upon examination, Erika found that the baby was, in fact, not a "he", but a "she". Erika had given birth to a girl. Erika's initial examination showed that the baby was healthy. She was moving her arms and legs energetically and had a loud cry. However, as Erika began to recover from the pain of delivery and regained her powers of perception, she noticed the baby's pointed ears! "Oh no," Erika said, "No! Please God, NO!!" Erika held the baby close to her body and cried, knowing that the child would have to endure the same disease that her father had, a weak heart that would make her twice as likely to die from cardiac arrest than of old age. Erika raised her worn-out coat above her chest and brought the infant's head to her left nipple, breastfeeding her child. As the baby suckled on his mother's teat, Erika noticed a dull, red glow from nearby. She looked and noticed that the glow was coming from the pocket of her pants, which she had naturally removed upon entering the hut. Letting her child rest on her body to continue breastfeeding, Erika took her pants and fished into her pocket to see what it was. The object that Erika removed was the Red Ruby of Alvara. "Johan," Erika realized. "He's near." Erika looked at her child and wondered, "What am I going to do? What happens if Johan finds her? I can't just leave her here." At that moment, the infant did something very surprising. She removed her mouth from Erika's nipple and looked directly at the Ruby. She seemed entranced by it. The baby reached toward the Ruby to touch it. As the baby's fingers touched the Ruby, the red glow that the crystal gave off intensified greatly, giving off a mystical energy that Erika felt quite fully. "The Red Ruby of Alvara is reacting to her touch!" Erika cried. Suddenly, despite the horror that she had felt upon learning that her child had inherited Rikhard's illness, a large smile appeared on Erika's face. "It's happened," she realized. "The elf! I've given birth to the Legendary Elf that the Prophecy of Awakening speaks of! It's happened! It's finally happened!" The red glow of the Ruby suddenly fluctuated as something interrupted its power. Erika knew that Johan was tracking the Ruby with another piece of corundum, most likely Rikhard's white sapphire. "I can't leave the Ruby with the child," Erika knew, despite the fact that her child needed the Ruby to bring about the new age of the elves, "Johan will find her." Erika soon experienced a series of several small contractions, which resulted in the delivery of the afterbirth. Erika knew that she had to get away quickly before Johan got to her. Although she was still weak from delivering her child, Erika was still able to pick up her walking stick, stand up, put on her pants, and leave the hut through a back door. Unbeknownst to Erika, postnatal blood was dripping from the placenta, leaving a trail toward the back door and into the forest. The sky was turning yellow as the sun began to rise. The blood from the afterbirth had since dripped away and the child's circulatory system had closed. As Erika trekked through the forest, she came across a river. With nowhere else to go and Johan quickly closing on her position, the brunette had no choice but to leave the baby there. Erika used a dagger that she carried to cut the umbilical cord, after which she threw the placenta into the river. With her baby still wrapped in the towel, Erika set her down on the river bank. She said to the infant, as if she could understand what her mother was saying, "I'm so sorry that I can't be there to watch you grow, watch you find love, have children. I'm sorry that I can't be there when you fulfill your destiny and bring about the new age of the elves." Her voice was filled with so much sorrow. Erika would rather die that leave her child all alone without her mother or her father. However, she knew that she had no choice. Erika took out the Red Ruby of Alvara and held it close to her child's face. Erika said, this time with intent rather than sorrow, "Remember this Ruby, my child. It may be ten or twenty years before you see this Ruby again, but please, remember it." Erika kissed her child on her forehead, and then stood. The baby started crying, as if sensing that her mother was about to leave her. Erika's heart shattered as her daughter cried for her. Tears gushed from Erika's eyes as she turned her back and walked away. When she was sure that she was far enough away from her child so that Johan would not find her, Erika took the Ruby and started concentrating on it. "I hope this works," she said to herself. She remembered Rikhard transfer a portion of his spirit into his white sapphire just before he died. Although not a descendant of the elves like Rikhard or Johan, the Dagomars were among the most powerful of all the Jewel Summoners. Erika hoped that she was powerful enough to do what Rikhard had done. "If my daughter ever finds the Ruby again," Erika thought, "this should help her remember." Just then, Erika's concentration was broken by her coughing. "I hope that was enough," she said. Erika put the Ruby into her coat pocket and continued wandering through the forest. Erika came to a ridge, which overlooked the waterfall that was upstream of where she had left her child. Unable to move very quickly due to her fatigue, it did not take long for Johan to catch up with her. As Erika struggled to get away, Johan simply walked up behind her and picked her up by the scruff of her worn-out coat. "I found you, Dagomar," Johan grinned. "You don't understand, Johan," Erika said weakly. "Oh, I understand," Johan said, refusing to hear Erika's explanation. "I am not the fool that you take me for, Dagomar!" still holding Erika by the scruff of her jacket, Johan kicked her hard in the back, knocking her to the ground. Erika started coughing violently, a small bit of blood dripping from her mouth. Johan kicked Erika again and again. When he felt that he had kicked Erika enough, he picked her up by her neck just as he had done back in Finland. "Suffer, Dagomar," he said. "You and all the Jewel Summoners will suffer for the pain that you have inflicted upon my kind, upon my family, upon my father, upon my brother!" Before Erika had choked to death, the white sapphire in Johan's hand began glowing. It was pulling Johan toward Erika's jacket. Johan dropped Erika and reached into Erika's pocket and pulled out the Ruby. "The Red Ruby of Alvara," said Johan, amazed that he was actually holding the fabled jewel. "I have been tracking this crystal all over the world with my brother's white sapphire." As Johan was distracted by his awe of the Ruby, Erika crawled to the edge of the waterfall and painfully got to her feet. "I tried to tell you, Johan," she said. "But I see that it is pointless to try to convince you. Since there is nothing more that I can do to help, my life may just as well end here. I'm sorry, Johan." Erika closed her eyes and spread her arms out to her sides. A single tear dripped down her cheek. "Rikhard..." she said wistfully. Erika leaned backward and let gravity pull her off the side of the ridge, her body being engulfed by the mist of the waterfall. ---------- Mia sat in stun as her vision ended and the red glow of the Ruby stopped. As her senses returned to her, she remembered where she was: in Zurich, Switzerland, upon the roof of the French bakery that housed the Jewel Summoner headquarters. "What the hell was that?" Sam cried at seeing Mia's hair sparkle and both the Ruby and Mia's body glow bright red for several seconds. 'The Ruby reacted to Mia's touch?' Johan thought to himself in awe. He looked at the Blue Sapphire and his hand and realized that it was pulling him toward Arine, not the brunette that the Ruby had reacted to. 'But the Sapphire is pulling toward Arine,' he thought. 'Mia's Jewel Summoner abilities should be affecting the pull of the Sapphire toward her like back at Oceanside.' Johan gasped as the truth hit him like a ton of bricks. '...unless the powers that the Ruby sensed were coming from Mia!' "I understand now," said Mia in monotone, the truth having dawned upon her as well. "I understand everything that's happened." Coming out of her trancelike state, Mia stood up and looked at Johan. The vibrance returning to her voice, Mia called out to her uncle, "Johan. I just had a vision. A vision just like Arine had when she touched the Sapphire for the first time. I was not affecting the power of the Ruby at all when you used it to home in on me at Oceanside. The power the Ruby was sensing actually was coming from me. The Ruby is for me, just like the Sapphire is for Arine. Give the Sapphire to Arine." "The Sapphire is pulling toward Arine," Johan said to himself still coming to grips with the truth that he had realized. "If Mia was unintentionally affecting the power of Alvara's crystal, it would be pulling toward Mia!" Then, Arine spoke, "I can sense it." Mia and the Jewel Summoners looked at the blonde, wondering what she was talking about. "The Sapphire is calling to me..." Arine continued. She then turned to Mia and finished her sentence, "...just like the Ruby called out to you." Arine reached toward Johan, trying to affect the power of the Sapphire. Johan felt the pull of the Sapphire intensify, as if Arine was pulling at it with her own hands. Johan gripped the Sapphire tightly, engaging in a tug-of-war with Arine. However, with the Sapphire desperately trying to find its way back to Arine, the power of the Sapphire prevailed over Johan, pulling the Finn toward Arine. Johan let go of the Sapphire and grabbed a hold of the ledge of the roof of the French bakery. As the Sapphire flew into Arine's outstretched hand, both of Alvara's crystals started glowing; the Sapphire glowed bright blue and the Ruby glowed bright red. As the crystals started glowing, the holders of both the crystals, Mia and Arine, felt the crystals calling to one another. Mia and Arine held the crystals toward one another, the light that they gave off intensifying as they came closer and closer together. As the Red Ruby and the Blue Sapphire of Alvara touched one another, a bright flash of magenta light came from the point of contact. The light was so bright that nobody could make out the silhouette of the Ruby or the Sapphire. Both Mia and Arine arched their backs, as if some great, mystical energy was shooting through them like the electricity of a defibrillator. Their hair sparkled brilliantly as both of their bodies were engulfed in a magenta glow. To be concluded...
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