Living Life to the Fullest Arine slept on the second bed in the room, hoping that putting some distance between her and Mia would prevent her dreams from controlling her. The blonde was thankful when she woke up the next morning when she did not remember any of the dreams she had had that night. Operating mostly out of habit, Arine got out of bed and groggily walked to the adjacent bathroom. She heard water running and looked to see the shower curtain drawn. Behind the shower curtain, Arine could see the silhouette of her beloved Mia. Arine became completely awake as she watched Mia shower. Although Mia herself was not visible, Arine could still clearly make out the silhouette's curves, her wide hips, slender waist, impressive bust. The blonde quickly turned away from the shadow landing on the shower curtain. "Don't think about it, Arine," she told herself. "Just don't think about it." Arine tried her hardest to keep her back turned. However, she could not help but take another glance at Mia's figure. Mia picked up what appeared to be a bar of soap and started lathering up her body. Mia was in the worst possible position for Arine, in profile, causing Arine to clearly see Mia's full breasts. As soon as Arine saw Mia start lathering up her breasts with the soap, blood started dripping from her nostrils. Arine gasped as she noticed that her nose was bleeding. "Arine?" Mia asked. The blonde's body instantly became rigid. "What's wrong?" "Oh, nothing," Arine stammered. "Nothing's wrong." Arine quickly grabbed a wad of toilet paper and started wiping the blood from her nose. "Are you sure?" the brunette asked. "I heard you gasp." "I was just..." Arine tried to make up an excuse. "I just noticed you in the shower and...and..." again, Arine tried to create a lie for an answer. Mia pulled back the shower curtain just enough for her to poke her head out and look at Arine. "Since when are you so nervous about seeing me naked?" Mia asked. Arine did not answer, but simply looked at her feet. "Let me guess," said Mia, "you still don't want to tell me yet." "That's right," Arine said softly. "I love you Arine," said Mia. "That means that I will respect your wishes. However, it also means that you can tell me anything." Mia's words gave Arine the courage to look back at her girlfriend. "Thanks, Mia," she said, a smile beginning to return to her face. "I love you too." With Arine having reaffirmed her feelings of love, Mia smiled back at her. She closed the shower curtain and continued showering. ---------- Considering their recent transit over nine time zones, Mia and Arine were surprisingly able to wake up at 9:30. Half-an-hour later, they were with the rest of the Clan Members in the meeting room of floor B3. Just like the night before, they sat with Sam with the rest of the Lancestor Clan. It was a promotion ceremony for the Jewel Summoners that were ranking up. Among the Jewel Summoners that were promoted were Pierre and Sam. With Pierre now able to harness the power of a crystal as powerful as spinel, it was time for Lord Felix to grant him the title of Lord Pierre Doulin. Sam's promotion was a slightly different story, Lady Alana had not known that Sam had grown powerful enough to use quartz at his age. Alana felt just a small bit of guilt at not having promoted Samuel to a full-fledged Jewel Summoner sooner. The 19-year-old was given the title of Sir Samuel Lancestor. As the promotion ceremony came to a close, Sam rejoined with his parents. "My son, with the title of Sir before his twentieth birthday!" David exclaimed. "I always thought I would be presented the title of Lady before you received the title of Sir," Julia said to her son. "Congratulations, Sam," said Arine as she and Mia approached to congratulate their friend. "I'm proud of you..." said Mia. She then ended her sentence with a mocking, "...Sir Samuel." "Don't call me that," said Sam, feeling a little embarrassed. "It is your proper title," Arine said. "Wear your status with pride, Boy!" proclaimed David proudly. "Mom, Dad," said the boy, "you can call me whatever you want." He then turned to Mia and Arine and said, "But I want my friends to treat me as that, a friend." "I was only joking when I said that, Sam," Mia said. "But congratulations anyway," said Arine. "This ceremony is concluded," Lady Fredrika finally announced. "Remember to convene tonight at eighteen hundred hours to discuss the awakening of the elf." As the rest of the Clan Members stood and started exiting the meeting room, Mia said, "I wish they wouldn't refer to me as the elf. Knowing that I have these powers. It's overwhelming." "Give it time, Mia," said Pierre as he approached the group. "You'll learn to handle it eventually." "Congratulations on your promotion, Lord Pierre," said Sam. "The same goes for you, Sir Samuel." "So," said Mia, "are we going to go outside today? I'm dying to see Europe!" "I might be able to summon a transport to Paris if you want to see the Eiffel Tower or the Champs Élysées," Pierre said. "But I don't think we'll have enough time today to visit any more cities. We do have to be back in Zurich in ten hours." "That'll be fine," said Mia. "I'm sure we'll have time to see the rest of Europe later," Arine agreed. In order to get to Paris, spinel was needed to summon a flying machine. To make sure that the general public was kept in the dark about the Jewel Summoners' existence, Mia, Arine, and Pierre had to take off from the roof of the bakery. As they prepared for the 3-hour flight, Arine asked, "Do you think that we can get to Paris undetected?" "Well," Pierre said, "Mia was able to help Samuel use the power of quartz. I'm sure she can use the power of fluorite all by herself." Pierre nodded to Mia and Mia nodded back. Holding up the fluorite crystal that Pierre had given her, she used its power to create a layer of fog to hide themselves from the sights of the people on the street. Pierre held up his spinel crystal and in moments, a glowing, red flying machine made of spinel appeared before the three. After they had gotten on the vehicle and were secured by the spinel shoulder harnesses, Pierre piloted the vehicle off of the ground. Powered by mystical energy instead of conventional fuel, the vehicle accelerated quickly. Within moments, it was flying west at a staggering speed of 100 miles per hour. ---------- As the information specialist of the Mustanen Clan, Annika was the first person that Johan went to. If anyone could discover the significance of the image that Johan had revealed on the crystal tablet, Annika was the one to discover it. "Why is this picture so important to you, Johan?" Annika asked him "She bears a striking resemblance to someone that I know," Johan explained to his colleague. "I need to know if there is some relation." "I can run a search through the internet to see if there's a correlation," said Annika. "Do it," was Johan's direct and instant response. Without delay, Annika scanned the image into the computer and ran an image search. 'Could I have been wrong this whole time?' Johan thought to himself as he looked urgently over Annika's shoulder at the images that her computer searched through. ---------- Pierre, Mia, and Arine arrived in Paris, France a little after 1:00 pm. Even though the trip took almost three hours, none of them were bored during the flight. Flying above the clouds without the incessant roar of jet motors felt like being on a magic carpet. However, as they made their descent into Paris, they had to descend through a thick layer of clouds. As Pierre landed the vehicle atop a building in Paris, Mia hopped off the vehicle singing, "Melody, melody, my melody de Paris." "Hopefully it'll clear up soon," Arine said, unhappy about the cloud cover that was looming overhead. "Did you forget how the clouds got there in the first place?" Mia asked with a smirk on her face. The pale-blue fluorite crystal in Mia's hands started glowing and within moments, rays of sunlight started shining through the clouds. "There we are," said the brunette as the last of the clouds disappeared. "Your abilities are improving nicely, Mia," Pierre said, impressed by the 19-year-old's ability to use fluorite. "I do not doubt that soon, you will realize the extent of your elfin powers," said the professor. "I hope so," said Mia. "Once I completely awaken, I won't have to live in fear of my heart condition catching up with me. I'll be able to enjoy everything from a good horror movie to a rigorous game of soccer." "Or even--" Arine started to say before she stopped herself. Pierre and Mia looked at Arine, curious as to what she was about to say. "Or even what?" Pierre asked. Despite how intent her friends were, Arine answered, "Never mind. It's...just a dream I had." Arine's answer had the opposite effect than what she was hoping for. Mia became even more intent. "Oh, tell me," said the brunette. "Not now," Arine replied. "I'll tell you later." the blonde then looked at Pierre and continued, "...when we're alone." "Okay," said Mia, honoring her girlfriend's wishes. "Well," said Arine, getting into the spirit of things, "until we have to be going back to Zurich, let's make the most of our time here in Paris." With that, Arine started marching toward the entrance to the stairwell. As Pierre and Mia followed Arine, Pierre whispered to Mia, "Is it just me, or is Arine becoming more expressive?" "It's not just you," answered the brunette. "It seems like ever since I first met her, she has been expressing herself more and more. It was a few days after we met that she said that she was more able to open up towards me." "Perhaps she feels safe around you," Pierre suggested. "Being in love does that." "Yes," agreed Mia. "Love does that." The three travelers exited the building and walked onto the streets. "Well," said Pierre, "now that we're here in Paris, what do you two want to do first?" "Well, it is after one o'clock," said Arine. "Perhaps we should get some lunch." "Good idea, Arine," Mia said. "I'm starving." "The question is," the blonde then said, "where should we eat?" "The Champs Élysées is well known for many things, including cafés," Pierre explained. "I think it's the best place to visit for tourists such as yourselves." "Well then, let's go," Mia said in her usual, cheerful tone. With that, Pierre started walking in the direction of the Champs Élysées with Mia and Arine following closely behind. ---------- Mia, Arine, and Pierre found a café on the street where they decided to get some lunch. Mia and Arine sat at a small table with their lunches while Pierre observed them, leaning against the wall with a cup of coffee. "This is great," said Mia. "A real French café. I didn't think I'd be able to visit a place like this during the middle of the school term." "Me neither," Arine laughed. "The city of romance," said Mia in a dreamy voice. "The perfect place for the two of us to spend some time away from school, parents, Alvara, all of it." "I know," the blonde replied. "I think it's so great that we can be alone for a while." She then looked in the direction of the third member of their party and said, "Well, except for Lord Pierre watching us." Mia looked at Pierre as well, noticing his eye on her and Arine. "He probably wants to make sure that we enjoy our day," the brunette said. "But it would be nice to be TRULY alone." As Pierre sipped his coffee, he happened to glance across the room, where his eyes fell on a woman, sitting alone at one of the tables. Probably in her mid-thirties, the woman was reasonably pretty, with curly, blond hair and a white sundress. As the two made eyes contact, they smiled at each other. The woman then gestured to the second chair at her table, inviting the man to sit down with her. Pierre held up his index finger, indicating that he would be there after a moment. Pierre went to where Mia and Arine were sitting and he said to them, "Girls, I'm going to be spending some time over at that table." Seeing the woman at the table, Arine said in a suggestive tone, "Oh, I see." "If you don't disturb us," Mia said, "we won't disturb you." With that, Pierre went over to join the woman at her table. "I think we just caught a lucky break," Mia sighed. Holding Arine's hands in hers, she said, "Finally, Pierre isn't watching us everywhere we go." "It's a relief, isn't it?" said Arine. "So," said Pierre after he and the woman had introduced themselves, "your name is Yvette and you're from Versailles." "That's me," the woman said. "What about you, Pierre?" she asked, resting her chin in her hands. "Where are you from?" "Well," Pierre answered, "I was born here in Paris. But I've been traveling the world for about fifteen years now. I come back home every few years, but the past several years I've spent in the United States." "The United States," Yvette said with a slight bit of intrigue in her voice. "What have you been doing there?" "Teaching, mostly," replied the professor. "I am a professor of mineralogy." "Really?" said Yvette. "Do you teach any particular field of mineralogy? Rocks? Crystals?" However, as Yvette spoke, Pierre sensed something from across the room. He looked in the direction of his sense, trying to find out what it was. Much to Yvette's surprise, Pierre's attention was directed toward the blonde and brunette that were sitting together several tables away. "Pierre?" Yvette asked, trying to get the man's attention. "What?" Pierre asked. He turned back to Yvette and said, "Oh, I'm sorry," he said, realizing that he had just made a fool of himself. "What were you saying?" Yvette replied, "I was asking if you teach any particular field of mineralogy." "Oh, right," said Pierre, remembering what Yvette had asked. "I teach almost every aspect of mineralogy, but I specialize in crystals. I come from a long line of crystallographers, dating back since..." Pierre thought for a moment before answering, "...I think even before the time of Christ." "How interesting. Tell me..." Yvette pointed to the green gemstone that she wore on her necklace and asked, "What is this?" "Emerald," Pierre said without even pausing to examine the crystal. "Good," said Yvette. She then pulled back her hair, revealing the pink studs that she wore as earrings. "What about these?" With the same certainty in his voice, Pierre replied, "Opalescent orthoclase, otherwise known as moonstone." "Very impressive. Now..." Yvette then held out her hand toward Pierre, showing him the gemstone in the ring she wore. "What is this one." Pierre was about to answer, but then he caught himself, realizing that it was not the crystal that he originally thought it was. "Cubic zirconia," he then replied. "Nope," said Yvette. "This time you're wrong. This is a genuine diamond." "I assure you," Pierre said confidently, "that is not a diamond. It's definitely a cubic zirconia." Yvette looked at Pierre in stun. "Incredible," she said look a defeated expression on her face. "How did you know?" "Crystallography is in my blood," Pierre said. "I doubt there's any crystal that I can't identify." "Well, you will have to teach me how to do that," said Yvette, impressed with Pierre's abilities. Just then, Pierre sensed the same disturbance that he had sensed several moments before. He looked back at the two girls sitting at the other table. "Pierre?" "Yes, Yvette?" Pierre asked, turning back to the blond-haired woman. "You keep looking at those two girls. Do you know them?" "Yes," replied Pierre. "They are two of my students. I'm sort of looking after them during their stay here in Europe." "I see. Are they studying abroad?" Pierre paused for a moment, just long enough to come up with an answer. "Yes," he lied, intent on keeping the truth from this commoner. "Yes, they are studying abroad." "Well, would you mind introducing me?" "Of course not," replied Pierre. He stood up and led Yvette toward the two girls. "You seem to be enjoying yourself, Pierre," said Mia as Pierre and the blond-haired woman approached her and Arine. "Care to introduce your friend here?" asked Arine. "Of course," Pierre replied. "This is Yvette from Versailles. Yvette," he said, gesturing to the brunette, "this is Mia." "Enchanté, Mia," said Yvette shaking Mia's hand. "And this is Arine," said Pierre, gesturing to the blonde. "Hello, Arine," said Yvette shaking Arine's hand. "Well you two seem to be hitting it off pretty well," Arine said. "Just like you two did," said Pierre. "Wait," said Yvette, a little surprised by Pierre's statement. She looked at the two girls sitting before her. "You two are...?" "That's right," Mia said, not caring what the woman might think. "I am hers and she is mine." "It was love at first sight for us," Arine said. "Although, it didn't go as smoothly as we would have hoped," explained Mia. "We only became girlfriends a couple of weeks ago." "I was worried about telling her how I felt and she was worried about telling me." " But when Arine finally built up enough courage to tell me, she didn't have to say a word. I saw in her eyes what she felt, and that's how it all began." There was a pause as Yvette attempted to assimilate all that Mia and Arine had told her. "Well," she said eventually, "congratulations to the both of you. If you two had been brought up here in France, you might not have been so afraid of telling each other how you felt." "I'm just glad that we got together at all," said Arine. Mia and Arine leaned in and kissed each other briefly. After their brief, loving moment, Mia said, "Well, if we're all done with our lunch, I'm ready to start exploring. I want to see what Paris has to offer us." "We'll I'm done with my lunch," said Arine. "I didn't have much appetite in the first place," said Pierre. Yvette replied," I just came here for a cup of coffee." "In that case," Mia exclaimed, "let's go!" The brown-haired girl stood up and started marching toward the exit. "Energetic, isn't she?" said Yvette. "That's Mia," Arine explained. "Always cheerful, always energetic. She usually wears out at the end of the day though." "I cam see how that would happen," the woman said. "Well," said Pierre, walking after Mia, "shall we?" With that, the four of them exited the café and started touring the Champs Élysées. ---------- Meanwhile, Johan was in a plane, flying from Finland to France. Annika had found a matching image to the face pictured on the tablet just before Johan had left. Now knowing the identity of the woman pictured on the tablet, Johan continued on his crusade. 'I can't believe I didn't see it before,' Johan thought as he looked out the window at the clouds below. 'Mia Carver's powers must be great to deceive me so well. But, as soon as the Jewel Summoners are destroyed, I will have the elf's power.' At that moment, a red glow came from Johan's pants pocket. Hoping that nobody would see the glowing red light, Johan made his way to the nearest restroom to investigate the feeling that had suddenly come over him. As he locked the door, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the glowing Red Ruby of Alvara. 'What is this feeling?' Johan wondered, using the power of the Ruby to find out what it was that he was sensing. 'I've felt it before. There's another corundum crystal nearby,' he realized. 'I didn't sense it before, so it can't be on the plane. It has to be a very powerful crystal for me to sense it from the air. Could it be?' Johan smiled as he realized what it as he was sensing. "The time is near for the elves to take back what is rightfully theirs!" ---------- As they walked along the Champs Élysées, Mia, Arine, Pierre, and Yvette explored the many shops that lined the street. Although Arine preferred plain, simple clothes, she allowed Mia to get her some clothes that were more intricate and colorful. Among the outfits that Mia picked out for Arine were blue jeans and a short-sleeved tank top for casual dress, a red evening gown for special occasions, and a pink bikini and pareo for the beach. Pierre and Yvette spent most of their time in the jewelry section, admiring the gemstones that they carried. After spending several hours looking at the stores and cinema, the four found themselves at the base of the most impressive structure in Paris, the Eiffel Tower. Mia and Arine were in awe of the tower's enormity. "It's huge!" Arine exclaimed. "It's the tallest structure in Paris," said Pierre. "I'll bet it has a stunning view from the top," said Mia. "You want to go up there with me?" Arine asked the brunette. "Of course I do!" Mia excitedly replied. As Mia and Arine approached the entrance to the tower, Arine asked, "Pierre, Yvette, could you give me and Mia some time alone?" The two adults looked at each other and then looked back at the two girls. "Sure," said Yvette. "We'll be fine down here for a while," Pierre said. Arine responded, "Thank you." With that, Mia and Arine continued to the Tower. They paid the entrance fee of 10.50 euros each and started on their way to the top platform. As the elevator reached the top platform Mia ran to the edge and looked out over the edge. An expression of awe spread across the 19-year-old's face as she looked upon the vast landscape below her. "Wow," she managed to say. Arine approached Mia and said, "I heard one time that you can see forty-two miles from up here." "It really is beautiful," Mia said, still in awe of the fantastic view before her. For several moments, Mia and Arine simply stared silently at the view. However, the silence was eventually broken my Mia saying, "There was something you wanted to tell me." "Yes," the blonde replied. "It was a dream you had, right?" "That's right." "Tell me about it." Arine sighed, knowing that the time had come to come clean with her girlfriend. "It's about me and you," said Arine. "Something...happens between us." "What happens?" asked the brunette. "Something bad?" "No," replied Arine, "I DEFINITELY would not say it was bad." "Something good then?" "It was good in the dream, but it would have...unfortunate results in real life." "What happens in your dream?" "I've had two variations of the same dream. There are minor differences like where we are or who is taking the lead. But there is one thing that is important." Arine hesitated, not sure how Mia would react. Eventually, she managed to explain, "We make love. And it was real to me. This dream was so real. I felt like I was actually there, making love to you, you making love to me. I could feel and hear and taste everything. I could describe every single detail if I wanted to." Mia was stunned by Arine's words. "I know I shouldn't be thinking these things about you," Arine said. "I can't control these dreams, and sometimes, I worry that they're going to control me." Much to Arine's surprise, instead of backing away from her, Mia took her in her arms and held her tightly. "There's nothing wrong with those feelings, Arine," the smaller girl reassured. "There is nothing wrong with you having these feelings for me." "Mia, I don't know what to do." Despite the brunette's words of assurance, Arine was still close to tears. "I'm so afraid that if these dreams continue, I'll completely lose control and...I'm worried that I'll try to rape you or something." Mia held Arine's cheeks and positioned her head so that they could look into each other's eyes. Then, Mia asked, "Do you want me to make love to you, Arine?" Arine was stunned. "Nothing would please me more than to make you feel good." Arine looked down at her feet. "I couldn't accept your touch," she said. "If you made love to me, I would feel so guilty about not being able to return the favor...without killing you." "Oh, Arine," said Mia, finally understanding what Arine was going through. The two girls embraced one another. "I want it, Mia." Arine sobbed. "But I can't have it. I want it but I can't have it!" "We'll get through this somehow, Arine," Mia said, trying to comfort her girlfriend. "Somehow, we'll get through it. You heard what Pierre said. My powers will awaken soon. And when that happens, I'll have the strength to be with you. I'll have the strength to be with you fully." Mia leaned forward and touched her lips to Arine's. Arine closed her eyes and sank into the kiss. ---------- Meanwhile, Pierre and Yvette were talking at the base of the Tower, getting better acquainted. However, in the seemingly peaceful atmosphere, danger was brewing. Distracted by his conversation with Yvette, Pierre did not notice Johan enter the tower. ---------- "What a cute couple," Mia and Arine heard a voice say as they embraced. "Thank you," said Mia, turning to the man. "But would you mind giving us some time alone--" Mia's words caught in her throat and her eyes grew wide with fear as she saw who it was that was standing before her. Arine looked at the man and her body went rigid. "Johan!" the blonde cried. "We meet again, Arine Sylven," said the Finn, "Mia Carver." Mia choked out, "How the hell did you--?" "Find you here in Paris?" Johan finished Mia's sentence. Holding up the Red Ruby of Alvara, he said, "With this of course. I came to France looking for the rest of the Doulin Clan. But when I was in the air, I sensed the presence of a powerful crystal, one so powerful that it could only be the Blue Sapphire of Alvara." Knowing that Johan was going to try to take the Blue Sapphire from Mia, Arine jumped in front of Mia and acted as a human shield to protect the elf. "You are surprisingly brave, Miss Sylven." "Arine," said Mia, walking out from behind the taller girl's back. "Let me." Holding the Blue Sapphire of Alvara in her hand, Mia said to Johan, "I can use the Sapphire against you just like you used the Ruby against Pierre." Johan burst into raucous laughter at Mia's threat. "Try it," the man laughed. "I'll give you a free shot." Johan's next action shocked the two girls. He put the Ruby back into his pocket! "See?" he said. "I won't even hold the Ruby." Holding his arms out to his sides as if he was ready to accept any attack from Mia, he said, "Take a shot. Take your best...damn...shot!" Mia concentrated on the Sapphire in her hand, trying to use her elfin powers to summon an attack at Johan. However, much to her and Arine's surprise, nothing happened. "What's wrong, Miss Carver?" Johan asked. "Can't harness the power of the Blue Sapphire of Alvara?" Mia struggled to summon even the smallest bit of mystical energy from the blue crystal. However, not even a shimmer of blue light would come from the Sapphire. "Don't worry, Mia," said Arine, taking Mia's hands in hers. "We'll get through this somehow. Your powers will awaken soon. I can feel it." Just then, as Arine's hands enveloped Mia's, the tip of Arine's finger touched the Sapphire. A blinding flash of blue light exploded from the Sapphire, lighting up the sky. ---------- As Pierre was talking with Yvette, an immense disturbance in the surrounding mystical energies disoriented the Jewel Summoner. 'What is this feeling?' Pierre wondered, trying to regain his senses. He looked up toward the top of the Tower and saw the bright blue light shining from the platform. A large smile came across the man's face as he realized what was causing the light. "Pierre?" asked Yvette. "What's going on?" "Something has come to my attention," Pierre said excitedly. "Wait right here, I'll be back soon. I just have to talk for Mia for a moment." As quickly as he could with his broken leg, Pierre hurried to the entrance to the Tower. 'It's finally happened,' thought Pierre. 'The Blue Sapphire has activated. The elf's powers are awakening.' ---------- Arine jumped away from Mia and the blue light from the Sapphire faded. "What the hell was that?" a bewildered Arine gasped. "I'm surprised at you Arine," said Johan, who had kept his composure all throughout the event that had just occurred. "You have absolutely no idea what's going on, so you? And the Jewel Summoners are also oblivious, I take it?" "What are you talking about, Johan?" said Arine. Without answering, Johan grabbed Arine and took her in his left arm. "Arine!" Mia cried. "Back off!" demanded Johan, holding out the Ruby with his other arm. Mia stopped in her tracks, not wanting to be hit by a blast of energy from the Ruby. "Stay away, Mia," said Arine. "He's using me to get to you." "You still don't get it yet," said Johan. "I'm not after Miss Carver at all." "What?" said Arine, confused by what was happening. Johan replied, "I have all that I need right here." Johan concentrated on the Red Ruby and it started glowing. ---------- As Pierre got to the base of the elevator, a sudden feeling of uneasiness came over him. 'What?' Pierre wondered. 'This isn't the Sapphire I'm sensing. It's another piece of corundum.' Just then, a look of horror came across Pierre's face. 'It's the Ruby!' Not waiting for the elevator to arrive, the Jewel Summoner quickly pulled out his spinel crystal and jumped off the tower, his flying machine appearing right below him, flying right up the side of the Tower. ---------- As the Red Ruby stopped glowing, Arine saw that Mia was completely motionless. "What have you done to Mia?" the blonde demanded and answer. "I've simply suspended time for her for a moment," Johan answered. "Just long enough for us to make our escape." Johan simply took the Sapphire from Mia's hands and pressed the button for the elevator. The elevator arrived at the top floor and the two of them descended. Just as the elevator started going down, a glowing red blur flew up and over the Tower. The red object disappeared and Pierre landed in front of Mia. "Mia?" he asked the completely motionless girl. "Mia!" he cried. Mia suddenly gasped as she returned to normal time. For a moment, the brunette looked around, stunned for a moment. "Arine? Where are you?" She then noticed Pierre standing in front of her. "Pierre? How did you get here? What happened?" "Mia," the professor asked urgently, "was Johan here?" However, Mia was in a state of delirium, panting heavily, not hearing Pierre's words. 'Oh no,' Pierre thought. 'Mia's going to have another attack in I don't do something.' Pierre said, "I'm sorry about this Mia." In one swift motion, Pierre grabbed Mia's head and brought it down hard against the guard rail, hoping that Mia's temporary unconsciousness would slow her weak heart. Pierre took out his amethyst crystal and used its power to heal the large lump that was beginning to form on Mia's head. Mia very weakly opened her eyes and looked at the man holding her in his arms. "Pierre?" she could barely ask. "What happened?" "We have to get back to Zurich," said Pierre. "I think Johan has taken Arine." ---------- With Mia not fully comprehending her surroundings, Pierre knew that he could fly his vehicle much faster without giving the girl too much of an adrenaline rush. Unable to leave Yvette waiting for him at the base of the Eiffel Tower, Pierre brought his ladyfriend along for the ride back to Zurich. Yvette was in a state of shock as she stepped off the vehicle and laid foot on the roof of the bakery. "That...was amazing," the woman said. "We need to get Mia inside," said Pierre. Pierre and Yvette helped Mia to the stairwell and brought her to floor B1, where they put her to bed. "I hope that Mia can recover from this ordeal," said Pierre as he laid Mia down on her bed. "Pierre," Yvette demanded, "tell me what the hell is going on." "I'm sorry, Yvette," Pierre said, "but I can't right now. We don't have the time. I need you to look after Mia until I return. Can you do that? Believe me when I say it is of the utmost importance." Yvette looked into Pierre's pleading eyes. Eventually, the woman sighed and gave in. "Fine," she said. "I'll look after Mia." "Merci," Pierre thanked Yvette. "Merci beaucoup." Pierre left the room and went straight to room B01. He knocked on the door and Lord Felix answered. "Lord Pierre?" Felix said. "I thought you were still in Paris." "We must reconvene," said Pierre frantically. "Right now?" "It's urgent. Johan attacked us in Paris. I think he took Arine." "Why would Johan take Arine?" Felix wondered. "I don't know," Pierre replied. "That's why we have to convene now." "I will contact the rest of the clan. Tell the other Clan Leaders." "Yes, Milord." Pierre went to each of the quadrants of the floor, telling the other Clan Leaders of the situation. Felix used a pyrite crystal to contact and summon the rest of the Doulin Clan back to the meeting place from wherever they were at the time. ---------- The Clan Members convened quickly in the meeting room. Felix, Giovanni, Fredrika, and Alana walked to the center of the room to apprise the Jewel Summoners of the situation. "We apologize for calling you back prematurely," Fredrika said. "I am sure that most of you were planning to spend the remaining few hours engaged in leisure activities." "However," said Felix, "a disturbing, new development has occurred. Johan has struck again. He has abducted a dear friend of the elf, and he has taken the Blue Sapphire or Alvara as well." The Clan Members murmured in dismay at hearing what Felix had said. "What we do not understand," Giovanni spoke up, "is why Johan would abduct someone such as Arine Sylven. She is not the elf, so he has no use for her." Sam stood up. "Sir Samuel Lancestor," said Alana. "Could it be that Johan harbors ill will toward Arine?" Sam suggested. "After all, she is a friend of the Jewel Summoners. Pierre then stood up. "Lord Pierre Doulin," Felix said. "Seeing how much Johan hates the Jewel Summoners," said Pierre, "it is unlikely that he would show any more concern for a friend of the Jewel Summoners. If his actions were based solely on hatred, he would have most likely injured Arine instead of abduct her. There has to be some other motive behind it." Pierre and Sam sat down. "The difficulty this time," said Alana, "is discovering why Johan would abduct Arine instead of Mia." "I think I know the answer to that question," a weak voice said from the entrance to the meeting room. Everyone looked to see Mia standing there with her arm over Yvette's shoulder. ---------- At the outskirts of Paris, a limousine pulled up to a small, apparently abandoned facility. Johan stepped out of the limousine, dragging Arine with him. Other members of the Mustanen Clan exited the facility and helped Johan take the struggling girl inside. Inside the facility, Johan threw Arine to the ground of a bare, empty room. "Where have you taken me?" a tormented Arine asked. Continuing in his frighteningly calm tone of voice, Johan answered, "This used to be a base left over from World War II. When the Nazis occupied France, they used this place as a hideout. When the war ended, the Mustanen Clan happened by it. We've used this place ever since to relay information back to Finland from central Europe." "Why have you taken me here?" Arine asked. "To fulfill the Prophecy of Awakening, replied Johan. "Do you really think that Mia will come and give herself up to you?" Arine said. "No, no, no!" Johan laughed. "I don't expect Mia to do anything!" "Then how do you plan to use me to awaken her powers?" "Did you learn nothing from what happened atop the Eiffel Tower? Mia was unable to use the Sapphire. The Sapphire only reacted when you came into physical contact with it. You, Arine Sylven, caused the Sapphire to react." Slowly, the truth dawned upon Arine. A look of horrible realization came across the 18-year-old's face. "You...don't...mean...?" "That's right," said Johan, seeing that Arine had finally realized the truth. "Mia is not the Legendary Elf that the Prophecy of Awakening speaks of. You are." ---------- To be continued...
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