Episode IV: When Ripples Become Waves
He couldn’t keep his eyes off her, no matter how much discipline he used. Aisuna, the legendary Ice Djinn, was more terrifying and beautiful than any mortal could bear. She was a literal goddess, or at least a fraction of one, and defied all human imagination simply by existing. She had skin as light as snow and hair as black as death, with shades of icy-blue streaking down like raindrops at night. Her half-colored eyes didn’t just pierce, they drilled, yet there was also an emptiness in them. She had been in song and myth for countless eons, and bore immense destructive and reconstructive powers within her soul.
The Informer was, for all accounts, unquestionably smitten with her. It was not her beauty or power that drew in his stare, though these were very attractive on their own. No, this was the woman he had been looking for all his life, literally his entire life, the one he had read about and dreamt about, and wished to meet ever since he first heard of her. This immortal, unfathomable Ice Goddess was everything he had hoped for and more; she was the real embodiment of his dreams, and he made a secret vow to himself that he would never part from her as long as he drew breath.
Of course, this meant briefly giving up his Informant ways. The Informer had been hired by a man named Ezra Price, who wanted to use Aisuna’s powers for his own personal gain. There were a few people in the world that knew a little about the Ice Djinn, but only the Informer knew everything, or at least everything that survived over the millennia. Nobody else would have been able to help in the degree that he did. His knowledge was priceless, as was the strength of the swordsman that had also accompanied them (and who left just as quickly).
But if the Informer wanted to prove his boundless devotion to the Ice Goddess, he was willing to make that one single sacrifice. He was more than willing to stay with Ezra Price, just so long as Aisuna did the same--and Aisuna vowed to stay with the man until his wish had came true. Personally, the Informer hoped that it would take decades and decades, but with Aisuna’s powers, she would probably be gone very soon. Therefore, his emotions were jumbled up and his depression grew, but at least he could spend a few hours observing her.
Aisuna knew of the strange man, and probably knew of how he pined over her so, but she didn’t react to it. She had known hundreds of similar suitors, each of them thinking only of love (or else lust), and willing to sacrifice themselves for her. It was all the same pathetic show to her, where the man (or in some cases, the woman) would literally give anything to her and would follow her everywhere, until time or death finally claimed them back.
Aisuna always returned to the frozen world of the north, no matter what. She was cursed with that destiny--cursed with the destiny of waiting in her prison of crystal, waiting for a savior to break her free and demand a repayment for their efforts. She would do it, of course, though her heart sometimes bled because of the greed. She had once encased almost the entire world in ice because of the wickedness of a few greedy people, and had sunk a whole continent into the ocean for the same reason. Humans were the best and worst species ever made, but Aisuna could do little about it.
She would allow the Informer to watch her and smile at her and think that it was all in secret. She knew of it but allowed no action to happen, because it would all end up as a hopeless chase in the end. She had grown tired of caring eons ago, long before the modern times, and reasoned that no heart, no matter how big or pure, could ever pull her out of her own miserable apathy. It would not even be right to pretend. Letting another person indulge in their personal fantasies would be even more cruel than anything else. Better to let them die with a bit of misery than a lot…
The Informer smiled, adjusted his glasses, and kept his powerful black eyes locked square onto Aisuna. She was a treasure among treasures, a rare sapphire jewel that one sold everything they had just to keep it as their own. She was lovely, nearly perfect in every way, with power and beauty to spare. Finding a legendary creature such as her was the apex of his life; there was now little other point in existing. After finding the Ice Djinn, there was nothing else in life for the Informer to really aim for, except collecting money. But really, how much fun was that?
As the Informer stared at Aisuna dreamily (she was taking a break from helping Ezra Price with his wish), a pale flash of light lit the room up in a brief glow. The Informer could sense the presence of another person in the room, one that had came in suddenly. With a smile, he could already guess who it was, and turned around just to make sure.
It was another woman behind him, just as stunning and powerful as the one he had been staring at. She was about the same height but not quite as muscular, and her hair was the same length and color, except without the blue streaks. She wore black all around, from gloves to the belt and even the boots--nothing but black everywhere, like a kind of uniform or skin. Her eyes were closed, as they usually were, but when they opened, they both shared a smile.
“My dear Keiko…”
“Good day to you, Glavius…” The Informer and his guest each drew in for a hug, kissing the other’s cheek in a polite and friendly manner. They released each other and kept the smile, though only the male spoke.
“Dear Keiko, I haven’t seen you personally for ages, and the last I heard of you, you were off expelling members of the Demon’s Twenty. How in all the Realities are you, my dear?”
“I have changed little, my good man,” she replied, her voice regal and powerful as always. “Eve sends her love to thee. My life, if you wish to hear of it, is as the same as it has always been, ere since my rebirth. Little other discourse has made an impact, lest one worthy of speech. And thee?” The Informer gave her a warm smile and shrugged.
“I’m still the same greedless, irritating, nosy, cocky, confident young rascal you know and love! Why, did you think I would change?”
“Not even if the world did so around you,” she replied with a twinkle in her normally-invisible eye. Growing a little more serious, she continued with, “I have an urgent mission that does concern you. Will ye be in the mood to assist me, friend?”
“I always am,” he replied happily. “For you, beloved Keiko, I shall do anything.”
“I am glad; may that possibly be put to the test today…” She trailed off and became even more serious, lowering her voice down to a whisper as her indescribable eyes burrowed deep into his soul. “(Glavius, heard you the news of the release of the Ice Djinn Aisuna?)”
“Well, you could say that. I was actually part of that expedition.”
“(Ah, then your assistance shall be invaluable. My friend, allow me to be frank: this woman’s time has come. I have heard it being whispered among the fates. She is a tool of slaughter, a conduit for destruction and greed and hatred. Whole civilizations have fallen due to her powers, and people shall suffer more and more as the years go by. I have ignored her for all my years because of her imprisonment, as have my predecessors, but with her reemergence, I shall have to take action. I must slay her if there will be any balance in this world.)”
The Informer’s heart sunk, all the way past his feet and into the ground below. He loved and trusted Keiko implicitly, and would literally have done anything for her, even take his own life. But to hear her proclaim death on the woman he had been “living for” was the most terrible thing he had ever forced himself to hear. A conflict immediately sprang up in his heart, whether to listen to his friend or defend his life’s pursuit. However, his great skill as an Informer, along with the rare ability to speak to Keiko on personal terms, gave him an edge.
“My dear, dear, dear Keiko Yamanaka… I love you and respect you with my whole heart. If this were any other request at all, I would execute it willingly. But I’m afraid, my precious, I must play the devil’s advocate this time around and defend the lady Aisuna, whom I have yearned for my whole life.”
“Eh, you will?” Keiko whispered in confusion. Her face showed a bit of anger, but the Informer paid it no mind.
“Unfortunately, I shall refuse you, but only because I believe it is not she you are after.”
“I have been told by higher authorities than mine that I am not mistaken.”
“And I have no doubt that they are probably correct,” he said in quick defense. “But Keiko, this woman herself is nary responsible for what she has done. Think about it: if the humans really wanted it, they could have used her powers for good and not evil, and it may have been possible to transform everything into a utopia.”
“I know where this leads, but you are only half-right,” she added. “Thou art correct when you say that humans do have evil desires, but with something to amplify these desires and to make them real at their disposal, would it not make sense to destroy the cause instead of the source? I will not argue when you say that there are wicked humans in the land, just as there are those that do good, but I have not the authority to annihilate these millions. I am not a malicious barbarian.
“Therefore, it would only make sense to destroy the one cause of all the madness in the world, instead of the source that wished it. The other Judgments and I could punish and punish them for all eternity, but there would still be some who contain greed and malice. This cannot be prevented. The least I can do, then, is to merely be rid of the tool they use, so such devastation could not be caused again. Do ye disagree?”
The Informer gave it a good thought before responding.
“No, I do not. I just don’t agree with your very method.”
“But I am the Seventh Judgment,” she stated, as if he hadn’t known it already. “This is my method. Whether I love it or nay is irrelevant; it is my duty and position in life. I personally wish this not to happen, for Aisuna herself is innocent of all crimes. Yet--”
“It’s not like you to slay an innocent, even if the end result is beneficial,” said the Informer darkly. “My dear lady, I don’t believe you came here willingly. This must have been your most undesirable job yet--perhaps ever.”
“I hope so,” she sighed, shaking her head. “Yet… I sense that if I do not destroy her, there may come a human whose greed is so great, they would use her to enslave the minds of all humanity, perhaps even elevating their own self to god status.”
“But you and I both know that the future is pliable,” said the Informer gently, placing his hand on her cheek. He looked into her beautiful face with love, and calmly spoke to her as only he could. “My dear, beautiful, gentle, sweet woman… dearest of all friends… there is no way to truly know all of this. A vile force may be in the horizon, and your prediction may yet come true. I could very well seal the entire future of humanity by vindicating to you here.
“But… well… I don’t wish to sound smarmy, but there are some people out there who really are strong enough to mold their destiny. This future you believe to happen could change. In fact, I would very much like it if I were to become lady Aisuna’s bodyguard. I would watch over her and make sure that no man or woman with such evil intent ever steps towards her. Mr. Price’s wish might be selfish, but it’s hardly evil; I can tell the difference, you know.”
“…But--”
“Trust me!” he insisted softly. Keiko looked into his dark eyes sadly, and even though she feared what could happen if she let things go as they were, leaving the deadly Aisuna to the whims of the fates, she still trusted her friend more than that. With a sigh, she nodded her head slowly, putting her trust in the Informer over the entire fate of all living creatures.
“There’s a good girl,” he sang, smiling warmly. Keiko managed to mirror it, and drew him in for a hug.
“I regret telling you this, Glavius, but that was the entire purpose of my visit here. I intended to leave once I slew Aisuna, but seeing as how I can entrust thee to guard her, I have no other purpose here, not even to spend time with you, though I would like it.”
“It’s no problem,” he shrugged as he embraced her. “I am used to it, sadly. It was rather nice speaking with you, even if it was brief. I feel as if I should apologize for something.”
“Nay… don’t bother,” she assured him with a smile. “I suppose you did the right thing, though who can really say? It was good talking to you as well, my friend. Please take care of Aisuna.”
“I will,” he swore as he leaned in to peck her cheek. “Give my love to Eve, won’t you?” Keiko smiled back at him, a raunchy look in her eyes as they closed and her brow raised.
“Don’t I always?” The Informer laughed out loud, guffawing madly at his friend’s dirty joke in disguise, and watched as she vanished from him, in the same flash of dim light she used to arrive. Alone once again, the Informer turned around, spying Aisuna still resting in the distance. It was his task to stay close to her and make sure that she was safe.
It was going to be a very tough job, but he figured he could handle it.
Keiko Yamanaka, the Seventh Judgment, has a lover named Eve, but her creator Darke Raven (who also volunteered to fill in for the Informer) said it was okay if she had a close friend. Thanks go out to…… ehhh, you know! Preview of next chapter: Ichi goes up against Thirteen in an all-out battle!
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