Episode XX: Out of Chaos
And so, when dawn came the next day, the Angel Resistance Foundation set off towards Earth’s northern pole. Kit had nearly exhausted herself fixing the converter, and barely got three hours’ worth of sleep by the time morning arrived. She was not the only weary one; Ichi had received a dreadful nightmare during the dark hours, and was too frightened to return to sleep, so she too was tired. Everyone else seemed ready, and ate a quick breakfast before going towards the hangar where the shuttles that had been prepared earlier would take them to Earth.
It was a short and quiet journey to the pole, with few people talking. The previous night had yielded many new relationships, some of them too long in the making, but now that dawn had approached and the day’s difficult task loomed ahead of them all, there was little to say. It wasn’t as if they dreaded the meeting, they just knew that it was going to be a terrible battle, one that would test everyone to their limits. A few of them had never even fought before, let alone for something so powerful as the Ice Djinn, but many of these people had a significant other to help them along the way.
The shuttles made trails in space as they shot out of the Foundation hangar and into the inky darkness, only to emerge into a fiery wall of protection that shielded the blue planet beneath them. They dove further and further down, into a blue sky and through cloudy wisps of white. Those that knew the Earth well guided everyone else to its pole, a frozen wasteland represented by a pure-white dot on the sapphire gem. It had once been the place of myths and legends, but now there was only a small feeling of anxiety and dread awaiting them.
Once the vessels landed on the icy sheet, everyone bundled up as heavily as they could, except for those minor few that weren’t affected by the cold. They all braced themselves for the stinging weather and hopped out of their shuttles, instantly being blasted by the cold despite their precautions. Only Bloodstorm seemed completely unaffected, and laughed softly as everyone (even Keiko) shivered uncontrollably.
“Aww, it ain’t that bad!” he sneered. “Hell, I could wander round’ here naked and not feel a thing.”
“Just don’t indulge us,” muttered Asuka bitterly as she clung onto Brinna. Even if she wasn’t in love with the dancer, she wanted to share body heat so that the cold would be more bearable. Everyone huddled together in groups and struggled to stay warm in the insane frost, and even though she was cold herself, Keiko tried to ignore the weather and took a step forward in search of Aisuna.
“We begin here,” she said firmly, her voice carrying over the howling wind. “I apologize that I can do nothing about the cold weather. We shall have to endure it for the time being. Just keep moving and you will all be fine.” Her words little more comfort than the clothes on their backs, the large group trudged forward into the snow, a few of them wondering if all the pain was really worth it.
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A man with a heart of ice cannot be affected by any kind of cold, so Grady Dorina felt perfectly at home as he plowed through the snow on his mad quest for the Ice Djinn. Through his extensions, he had gotten invaluable information on Aisuna including her location and an ingenious way of releasing her without ever using Ichi. The price he paid for it was a steep one, of course, but he figured all sacrifices well worth the effort to attain his wish. People before him had asked for riches, power, and even destruction, but Grady was going to top them all.
Following the map he had bought with many gallons of blood, and wielding with him a weapon that could even turn diamonds into liquid form, Grady slowly trudged deeper and deeper into the dead north of the world, his large body standing out against the snow. He wore black, a symbolic contrast to the pure white of the world, yet his purpose was just as murderous as the cold that wished to suffocate him into an icy grave. He was stronger, though, much too strong for a mere elemental power to kill him. He went on, further and further, following the map until he came within range.
To his surprise and infuriation, Aisuna was not where she should have been, trapped in a crystal cage in the middle of the white desert. Grady glared and screamed in a rage, his own hatred actually melting the snow around him. His anger rose violently, and he swore that he would slaughter those responsible for giving him such false information. He had learned that Aisuna would be up there in the north, trapped and waiting to be freed once again--he could’ve sworn it! Yet there was nothing there, and from the looks of it, his trip had been for nothing.
But just as he was about to leave, he heard a strange voice coming from the distance. He turned around and saw a kind of cavern that had been cut into a hill not too far from where he was. He couldn’t understand why Aisuna would be in there, but he made a slow dash towards it anyway, his determination and sheer strength guiding him forward when any other man would have faltered ages ago.
Grady poked his grizzled head inside the cave and saw, to his astonishment, that Aisuna had indeed been inside there all that time! She was sitting on the floor, cradling a human body in her lap, and there was already a small shield of ice surrounding her and the body. Grady could’ve cared less about the body, but as he saw Aisuna sitting there, he chuckled with malevolent glee and aimed his weapon at the ice. An extremely powerful laser shot out, a ray of pure energetic adamant, the strongest source of energy used in only the most advanced forms of weaponry.
Even the Ice Djinn’s shield did not protect her, and within moments, it began to melt.
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“Hold!” shouted Matthew, raising his hand for all to see. Everyone stopped, and all was quiet as he slowly looked around. There was wasteland everywhere the eye could see, but the winged man seemed to have sensed something.
“What is it?” shivered Silvara. He pursed his lips, his eyes on fire despite the cold.
“I sense a powerful disturbance in the air. It is as if somebody is opening Pandora’s Box. I can feel a powerful source of energy surging out of the eastern region, approximately seven miles from here.”
“Do you think it’s this ice woman?” asked Max. Matthew quietly nodded his head.
“Without a doubt. The power I feel is on the same unusual wavelength that Miss Keiko gives out. We may be too late.”
“Not if we hurry!” snarled Bloodstorm happily. Without waiting for anybody else, he blazed through the snow at an amazing pace, blasting a path as he tore off into the east. A blanket of snow fell on everyone else as they shielded themselves from his wake.
“Well, that was polite,” muttered Brinna. She looked at Asuka, who could only shake her head.
“Sorry, Brin. I could never go that fast in this snow. Anybody got any bright ideas?”
“Yes,” said Keiko mysteriously, “but it should not be attempted unless there is a true emergency.”
“I would call this situation an emergency without hesitation,” said Matthew darkly. “And even if I am wrong about the feeling, we should still make an effort to reach Aisuna with all speed--would you not agree?” Keiko, her eyes shut, slowly considered his plea and nodded her head. She raised her hands slowly, and ascended into the air like a balloon. Everyone else followed her to their surprise, and although being weightless was frightening at first, the Seventh Judgment assured them all that there was nothing to fear.
“Just place yourselves in my hands,” she instructed them, and as everyone slowly adjusted to the sensation, Keiko Yamanaka flew off into the distance, towing everyone else behind her as she blazed through the merciless wind. Only Jack Lazarus didn’t seem surprised, but then again, he was one of the few people that knew Keiko on personal terms.
Bloodstorm blazed a trail towards the northern regions of the world, his sensors picking up several life-forms a small distance away from the pole. He grinned gleefully and dashed towards it, his body plowing through the snow as if he were on fire. He skidded to a halt as he reached a cavern that had been cut into a hill, smiling cruelly as he took a good look at it. All his sensors indicated that there were three forms of life in there, two in suspended animation and the third still very much active. Bloodstorm quickly deduced that Grady had beaten them all to the punch, but he was far from distressed. As a matter of fact, he was hoping for it.
“Little pig, little pig, let me in!” he sang wildly. He heard no response come from the cave. “Not by the hair of your chinny-chin-chin, you say? Then I’ll HUFF, and I’ll PUFF, and I’ll blow your friggin’ house in!!” Laughing maniacally, Bloodstorm released the machine gun on his arm and blasted at the cave, sending a merciless shower of bullets raining down on it as his laughter reached an uncontrollable apex. After a few seconds of mad taunting and blasting, he ceased his actions and wondered how many people he had “accidentally” killed. He hoped he got all three of them.
His smile lessened, but not by much, as he saw a very tall man, even taller than he himself, emerge from the cave, carrying in his arms an unconscious woman. She had an ethereal look to her, her skin the color of snow and sky with a touch of ebony. The man snarled gleefully at Bloodstorm, and cruelly tossed the woman onto the icy floor.
“Whoever you are, you’re too late,” he grumbled. Bloodstorm grinned and aimed his gun at the grizzly old man.
“Darn. I was hoping I’d have shot at least one of you. Oh well! Now, what do you think I’m too late for, old man?!”
“Everything,” glowered Grady. He gave the woman a nasty kick, which snapped her out of her trance. She moaned bitterly, wearily looking up through bleary eyes at two wicked-looking men. Her heart moaned in agonizing pain as she realized that she had been freed, and the one man who vowed to protect her was nowhere in sight. Mournfully, she stood up and prepared to kill her soul once again by granting another selfish wish.
“Who freed me?” she asked painfully. Grady stuck his thumb in his chest.
“I did, Aisuna. I am your master now; I command you and control you.”
“Yes, I understand,” she whispered. Bloodstorm growled and aimed his gun at the old man, fiercer than ever.
“To Hell with you, bastard! My objective is to annihilate anyone who comes in contact with Aisuna, and to put this stinking woman out of her bloody misery! So give me one good reason why I shouldn’t turn you into paste right here and now!”
“Because I hold all the cards, whereas you are powerless,” snickered Grady cruelly. He leaned forward and pressed his grizzled beard to Aisuna’s ears, and was just about to whisper his wish when Keiko and everyone she had levitated with her hovered onto the scene, a few minutes late but still present.
“Damn, we’re late!” snapped Max. “That man already has that ice woman you told us about!”
“Justice delayed is never justice denied,” stated Keiko as she landed on the ice. The woman in black coldly stared at Grady, opening her eyes completely and quickly pointing a cursed blade at his throat. “Vile, treacherous human! You defile the name of goodness and everything that is just and fair in this world, perpetuating wicked ideas and meddling into affairs that should never be within your grasp! You have a wicked and depraved soul, abominable being, and your punishment shall be a merciless tour of the most damned pits of Hell! Release that woman and receive thy judgment!”
“I think not!” stated Grady sharply. He hugged Aisuna closer, even though everyone could tell that the demi-goddess was loathe to grant his desires, and screamed his wish for all to hear. “Legendary Ice Djinn Aisuna, granter of wishes and goddess of the ice world, hear my call! I beseech you to endow me with the power to dominate the minds and wills of every living being in this galaxy, for the sole purpose of serving me and my whims! OBEY MY COMMAND!!!”
“It will be as you say,” she moaned softly. Aisuna closed her eyes and raised her hands, despite the protests coming from Keiko and the horrified onlookers. A scream came from the cavern as another voice joined the chorus.
“Aisuna! Desist! You do not have to obey his commands!!!” Aisuna sadly craned her head around, a look of unhidden sadness clear on her face as she pleaded with the only person who ever cared for her.
“Forgive me, Glavius…” Before anybody could stop her, a vast wave of light flashed out of Aisuna, encompassing the entire world and stretching out to the very ends of the galaxy, taking control of every single mind and will just as Grady wanted. Only his voice could be heard over the deafening noise: a powerful laughter, long and loud and sick with tyranny. As soon as the shockwave clouded over the entire galaxy, Aisuna fell over in a slump, her body weary from exerting so much power, her face wrenched in a grimace of horror and grief. Two extra flakes of snow fell onto the ground as she wept.
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Grady Dorina shivered, though it was not due to the cold. A thrilling sensation trembled down his spine, sending his entire body into delightful shudders as a feeling of omnipotence overcame him. Slowly, very slowly, his mouth curled up into a smile, and his entire body became covered with goosebumps as the realization of total power was finally soaked into him. He laughed once, though it sounded more like a hissing growl, and clenched his fists as if to demonstrate his power.
Suddenly, the dark figure of Keiko Yamanaka emerged from the snow, slapping the blankets away and coughing out the bits that had gotten stuck in her face. She shook herself like a wet dog, growled, and pointed her sword at Grady again. His smile quickly turned into a sneer.
“You have lost,” she stated coldly. “You are a foolish man indeed. Not even the powers of the Ice Djinn have any effect on myself. You may have the entire cosmos under your thumb for all that matters, but as long as there is one who stands in opposition to you, you have no way to be victorious.”
“Damnation!” spat Grady. “I should have been more specific! Controlling you alone might have been more beneficial to me in the end.”
“Don’t you know anything?” Another figure emerged from the snow like the rising dead, shaking and spitting out flakes as he revealed himself. It was Bloodstorm, still bearing an insane grimace. “You can’t control those who are in a position to judge, old man, and not even the great Ice Djinn can bear control over a cyborg. Heh, heh…”
“Damnation again!” he snarled in a rage. He glared angrily at Aisuna, who gave him neither pity nor apology. She actually looked glad, though of course she didn’t show it openly. “YOU!!!” he shouted. “You insolent bitch!! How dare you do this to me, your very own master! I ought to incinerate you alive!!”
“You would be doing me a favor,” she told him coldly, “but I fulfilled your wish. Observe--call your forces.” Grady sneered at her for a very long time, then slowly he turned his head back to the others. Clearing his throat, he commanded those who were loyal to him to emerge from the snow and stop the only two who were unaffected. Slowly, one by one, everyone arose like zombies from a grave, their bodies covered with snow (since they had been thrown back earlier from the shockwave). A lifeless look was in their eyes, as if their minds were truly under control.
“What in Sam Hill is all this?” wondered Jack Lazarus as he scratched his head. He looked around him, and only took a second to register everything before he figured it out. “Oh yeah, the wish. But I guess I wasn’t affected. Well, don’t that just beat all?”
“This is inconceivable!!” shrieked Grady, his face totally red and the snow around him melting into steam. “I can understand that woman and a cyborg being unaffected, but you are a human being! How is it that you escaped her powers?”
“I dunno; maybe I crouched at the very last second,” he shrugged. Grady let out an infuriated snarl, and cursed at the smarmy man as he smiled back at him. But Jack wasn’t the only one who remained unaffected: Ichi remained her normal self as well, as did Shellby Blake, who (because she was genetically enhanced) could not be under such an influence. Everyone else, though, was a mindless zombie for Grady’s orchestration.
“Well, all things considered, I suppose I got the lucky end of the bargain,” he snorted. “I am still disappointed to not have total control as I wished, but this shall be enough. You, destroy those rebels! Aisuna, let us be off to begin my new reign of terror.”
“I’m afraid that the lady is still with me, old man!” called a very familiar voice. Keiko couldn’t help but smile as she saw her old friend, the wise and intelligent Glavius, emerge from a pillar of snow and greet Grady with a nod. Even Aisuna smiled, though the Informer’s mouth curled the longest.
“You!”
“Ah, the army grows larger every minute!” he chuckled merrily. “Though I wonder whether I truly survived, or if Aisuna spared me that ugly fate. I wonder…” He smiled lovingly at the Ice Djinn, who could only give him a shy smirk in return. Grady’s face wrinkled up with rage, and without a second wasted, he spat out an order to the zombie hordes to kill all who were not under his control. Bloodstorm, Jack, Shellby, Keiko, Ichi, and Glavius quickly became surrounded by their friends and allies, a situation that was darker and bleaker than anything they had ever faced before.
“What a pestering situation we have,” muttered Glavius, slowly backing up against Keiko. He smiled at her knowingly, exchanging a mental greeting from one good friend to the other before facing the masses. “It seems that our enemy knows how to play his cards. My dear Keiko, what do you suggest we do?”
“There are too few of us to hold all of them back,” she replied. “Many of our friends are strong, and their numbers leave us at a disadvantage. I will attempt to destroy Grady and restore order, but I will need no distraction. Glavius, could you…?”
“My dear, I would be delighted,” he smiled. Keiko thanked him and left the small group of free-minded people to face Grady once again. The others were left with the grievous task of fighting back their friends and allies, now turned into mindless drones for Grady’s dominance. Shellby went to Lantariz first and repulsed her with her stronger arms, but Tara no longer knew any kind of restraint or fatigue, and pressed onward despite her girlfriend’s efforts.
“Tara, please! Don’t do this! I know this isn’t you, honey! Please, fight this!”
“It won’t do you any good to talk to them!” shouted Glavius as he tried to hold back Max and Matthew. “They are all deaf and dumb to your words. They only obey Grady. We’ll just have to hold them back until we think of a solution.”
“Well you’d better hurry!” exclaimed Jack as he was being tackled by Eien, Kit, Miichi, and Silvara. “I’m kinda in a mess here!”
“I’m not!” chuckled Bloodstorm proudly as he squeezed Brinna and Asuka close to his metallic body. “Heh… not even the genius of the battlefield can wiggle free from my vice grip!”
“Care to trade?” offered the boss. Bloodstorm let out a sick cackle.
“What, are you joking?! I’m not gonna get run over by four women!”
“I can handle another,” muttered Shellby as she wrestled Tara fiercely. “Throw one over to me!” Jack quickly tossed Kit over at her direction, hissing out an apology as he fought off the other three girls. The situation was bad (for most of them, anyway), and it got no better as Ichi offered to struggle with a few. She held back Asuka all by herself, leaving the inexhaustible Bloodstorm to wrestle with Brinna and Miichi. Everyone now had two mindless drones to worry about, still keeping them occupied as Keiko challenged Grady all by herself. Aisuna, still weary from the wish she granted, leaned up against the cave and watched the battle ensue. She desperately wanted to help, but was restricted by her own destiny.
The cold winds of the north blew mercilessly against the bodies of Grady Dorina and Keiko Yamanaka, then suddenly stopped and became still. The entire northern world became a hush (save for the massive struggle not too far away), and the entire world was silenced as the Seventh Judgment stared at the madman. She dramatically pointed her sword at him again, a cursed blade that was indestructible, and declared her sentence upon him.
“I mourn for all the souls that are now lost, Dorina,” she said in a very grievous voice. “My heart aches for those in your slavery. I never could have imagined that such wickedness could ever be inside the human heart, and had I any knowledge of it, I would have slain you decades ago. Now I must atone for my lack of vision by destroying you and sending you into the fiery bowels of damnation! I dedicate this battle to the billions that I have failed, and to the few who love me despite my errors! This ends now!!!”
“How do you hope to fight a man who has been elevated to god-like status?!” roared Grady. “I control the minds and wills of all the living creatures in this galaxy! It is mine to command now! Even you are like a gnat in comparison!”
“You may have power,” she moaned as a tear came down her eye, “but what good will it do you here? The power to control is insignificant next to the power to decree judgment, and even my own powers are nothing when compared to those that can heal a torn heart. I relinquish all my abilities to those who have such a power; the ability to save lives instead of destroying them; the knowledge of love instead of greed or revenge; the strength of compassion in dark times, and the tenacity to keep patience and kindness even when surrounded by bitter action. I am truly nothing in comparison.
“But you, Grady… I almost pity you, for your life is little more than a flame on a candle, easily lit and snuffed out! It is time for your existence to be extinguished!!!” With a mighty roar, the Seventh Judgment flew towards her enemy, her sword screaming in the icy air and her face wild with retribution. Grady quickly raised his own sword to counter, but even his bearish strength couldn’t hold up to that of the woman bearing down on him.
He launched his boot at her midsection, forcing her away so he could charge forward in an attack. Keiko was shoved backwards but undamaged, and floated gracefully on the snowy banks as she braced herself for the massive swing. A thunderous sound clapped in the air as the blades met, and another when they met again. Grady was slamming his weapon as hard as he could, sacrificing skill for raw power as he rammed his blade towards Keiko again and again. She shielded herself every time with the flat of her cursed blade, not needing to move her arms very much since all Grady did was hack and chop.
She quickly punched him as he was raising his blade, knocking him backwards a great distance. She quickly flew after him and slammed her boots into his abdomen as he flew, knocking him flat into the icy floor. She quickly slashed at him, shredding his black jacket and cutting his skin a little, sending a burst of blood squirting onto the snowy white ground. He groaned and quickly shoved his feet at her legs, knocking her over and giving him time to stand back up and attack. He swung, but Keiko was blindingly fast and blocked again, giving him another slash before he knew it.
She punched his face again, and whirled around him so fast that she was able to crack at his backside while he was still falling away. She sliced at his exposed back with her sword, creating a large “X” mark and sending another howl of pain into his body. She then leaped up and kicked at the injury, flattening him to the ground. Her sword quickly rose into the air and dug into his shoulder, impaling it all the way through and immobilizing his arm. Grady screamed, and jabbed blindly at Keiko as he laid there, giving her a small cut on the hip.
She swerved away and showed no signs of wincing as the wound stung her, while Grady stood up, wounded in several places. He scowled at the woman in black, slowly stomping towards her with his sword weakly held in his good hand. Keiko stood straight and tall, regarding the madman with contempt and pity as he advanced towards her. Grady found his second wind and dashed towards her again, his sword swinging everywhere as he went on the offense. Keiko protected herself with no problem at all.
She leaped back and swung her sword in the air, creating a gust of wind that knocked him far away, and another slash blew him even further. She mercilessly flew after him, but was stopped suddenly as he raised his blade in the air at the last second, skewering her in the stomach. Keiko froze and winced, staring down slowly at where the sword had struck her. The tip was in but not very deep, so she ignored it and bored her eyes straight into his skull. With a powerful chop, she shattered his blade into pieces, and jammed her blade into his leg, forcing him to scream out loud. She plucked the remains of his sword out of her body and studied it slowly as he writhed in pain beneath her. Slowly, Grady crawled away from her, only one leg and one arm working, and managed to rise to his feet. Keiko looked up again, seeing him try to make a futile mistake, and shook her head coldly.
“You cannot escape your own demise,” she told him. Grady snarled at her, still resistant, and pulled out a gun. Keiko flew after him and knocked several shots away on her flight, swatting at them with her sword like they were flies. She sliced the barrel of the gun with her sword as she hovered in front of him, and with a second cleave, she rammed her sword right into his body, impaling him in a single stroke. Grady froze momentarily as his life gradually seeped out before him, and knew no more as Keiko yanked her sword out and took a final stroke at his neck.
Taking in three deep breaths, the Seventh Judgment sheathed her sword once it was cleaned, and gazed down pitiably at the remains of her enemy. The snow began to slowly fall again, gradually burying him in flakes of pure white, covering his body up and any other memory of it. His judgment had been passed down, his sentence carried, but Keiko’s job was not over yet.
She walked towards Aisuna, who had watched the battle stoically. Seeing that her “master” was dead, Aisuna reasoned that he no longer had power over his wish, and understood the woman’s unsaid request. Even though she was still drained from her last action, Aisuna raised her hands into the air once again, concentrating deeply as she summoned her powers to reverse the wish that had only recently went into affect. A second shockwave pulsated out from her hands and covered the entire universe again, this time with a negating affect that cancelled out her original action. Slowly, the entire galaxy, from wispy edge to wispy edge, was washed clean from the evil effects of the mind-control, and things gradually returned to their original state. Out of chaos… came order.
Groggily, Asuka woke up out of the snow, as if she had been in some deep dream. She shook her head, sending flakes falling back to the ground, and groaned wearily. Rubbing her bleary eyes, the half-elf looked around her and vaguely remembered being knocked down by an incredible blast. Her mind turned to Brinna immediately, and she began waving apart the snow in a desperate attempt to find her.
“Brinna? Brinna, where are you? Brinna, can you hear me?!” She quickly came across an unresponsive young lady, nearly frozen by the snow, and gasped in horror as she uncovered her. Asuka shook Brinna fiercely, but no response came from the unconscious woman. Desperately, her body wracking with terrible thoughts, Asuka took Brinna’s body into her arms and openly expressed fear--fear of losing the only person she ever dared try to love.
But as Asuka’s body warmed her, Brinna slowly shook back to life, wiggling barely as she took in a breath. She was nearly frozen to the bone, but with Asuka holding her close, she warmed up quickly and came back to the waking world. She slowly returned the half-elf’s hug, smiling warmly.
“Don’t be scared, precious,” she whispered gently. “I’m here, I’m here. I won’t leave you like that ever again, I promise.”
“B… Brinna…” Asuka could only croak out her name, slowly fixing her emerald eyes into Brinna’s. She gave the dancer a beautiful smile, one completely void of any delusions of being “tough”, and allowed the tears to fall and turn into crystals. She kissed Brinna several times just to be sure, and held the dancer close as they shared silence, not caring who was staring at them or what they now thought of her.
Slowly, one by one, other people emerged from the snow. Jack had been buried by Kit and Miichi, and struggled to get the two petite ladies off him. He chuckled as he saw Lantariz fighting to pry Shellby off her body, and Bloodstorm actually seemed pleasantly happy for once as he dug Ichi and Matthew out of the ground.
“Is everybody okay?” shouted Jack. Miichi groaned first and wriggled in his grasp.
“Ugghnnn… can I… stay in bed… a few minutes more…?”
“If you do, you get a pay cut,” he said playfully. Miichi grunted in annoyance and opened her eyes. She squinted as the blinding light of day pierced her vision, but a smile was on her face as she saw everyone slowly get back up. Kit yawned cutely, and gave her boss a warm smile.
“Oh, hello sir! Are we all right?”
“Looks like it,” he grinned. As the two of them removed themselves from his flattened body, they looked around to see if everyone else had made it. Letting out a weary sigh, Matthew Dark shivered the snow off his wings and went in search of everyone. To his amusement, he saw Silvara and Eien huddled close together, looking very cute as they laid there in the snow. Even Kit let out a coo.
“Aww, aren’t they so cute together?”
“But do they not argue all the time?” asked Matthew. Kit gave him a shy smile.
“Yes, well… you know what they say. You always argue with the one you love… I think…”
“That’s not exactly how it’s said,” came a firm voice from afar. Everyone turned around and saw Max Rockwell just standing there, looking as stoic and unwavering as ever, as if the ordeal hadn’t affected him. He actually smiled, and waved back at everyone. “I’m fine, by the way. Thanks for asking.”
“It’s a pleasure to see that everyone’s safe,” grunted Matthew as he lifted Silvara and Eien up out of the snow. Both girls quickly sputtered to life, and shrieked as they noticed that they had been clinging onto each other. They both quickly let out a snort and turned their backs to each other, but everyone else laughed.
“Are you okay?” asked a chuckling Kit. Eien snorted and gave the petite girl a cute pout.
“Hmph… I guess. I could’ve gone without waking up next to her, though!”
“But I bet you would be a really cute couple!” grinned Kit shyly. Eien growled at the mere thought of it.
“No way!! I can’t stand that freak! Besides, I already got a girlfriend--you!!” She grinned at Kit, who could only blush and stammer shyly. Silvara snorted as well, but in a much friendlier way; Miichi sneezed.
“Goodness… it’s gotten warmer up here!! Oh, uh, Miss Yamanaka! Are you okay? Whatever happened to that crusty old man?” Grimly, Keiko nodded towards the large mound of snow that had gathered, under which Grady had been buried. Miichi’s face turned pale as she saw the little hill; Ichi actually looked like she gained some color back.
“Ah. I owe you one, Keiko,” she whispered. “That pays off many debts. Now I might actually be able to sleep at night.”
“We’re okay too, if anybody cares,” said Glavius suddenly. He waved lazily at everyone, his other arm wrapped inconspicuously around Aisuna’s waist. The ice demi-goddess attempted to smile and waved back; Keiko softened as she saw her friend standing there.
“Forgive us, Glavius. I was just in deep thought, and… well…”
“I understand,” he replied with a smile. Keiko gave him a grin, but the happiness on her face did not last long. As everyone stood out of the snow and embraced friends and allies who were once enslaved by an insane madman, Keiko sensed that the battle had only just begun.
“I would not celebrate just yet,” she indicated to everyone. They stopped briefly, wondering what she meant by that statement. “You see,” she continued in a softer voice, “our fight is not over yet. Everyone, stay on your guard. We are not alone.”
To be continued…
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