Fan Fiction ❯ The Goddess Sagas ❯ Shadow grail ( Chapter 58 )

Chapter 4: Shadow grail

Everything was dark, except for a pale white mist that washed over the area, and blanketed Ryan like a comforting blanket, but a blanket that wished to suffocate him. He laid on his back, arms at his side, eyes closed as breath slowly left and entered his lungs, but more and more he tried to breath in the harder it seemed to get, but still his unconscious mind did not seem to notice.

He still remained laying still on the ground made of rusty soil, even as a figure approached him, over shadowing his body. It was a woman, whom stared down at him before dropping to her knees beside him, leaning closely and kissing him softly and longingly with a pair of tender lips. Even as he didn't stir she continued to kissing him tenderly, as if to bring him out of his slumber.

He groaned softly, feeling two hands resting on his chest. His eyes felt heavy and he didn't really want to open them, but he felt someone...someone kissing him softly, someone warm. Slowly he forced his eyes to open and found himself gazeing, stunned, into a pair of beautiful ocean eyes that seemed to look right into his soul. His heart seemed to stop in his chest, stopped beating right then and there as instantly he reconized who the eyes belonged too.

Ohhhhh,

In my dreams,

I can see you smile,

your sweet smile at me,

"R..." He stuttered. "Ruto!!" dispite the heaviness of his body he was fully awake and setting upwards now, staring at her in disbelief. Ruto smiled happily, eyes filling up with tears of joy.

"Ryan! It's been so long!"

"It's been forever! Ruto, am I....am I dreaming? Or, are you really hear!?" He could feel his own tears well up in his eyes. Right now he didn't care if he was in truth dead, Ruto was hear. She finally came back to him, or maybe....he came to her.

He savored the warmth of her hand as she took his into hers, her smile was the sweetest thing he had seen for a long time...he was, so happy.

"Ryan...It's no dream, see..." She placed her hand on his cheek, he could feel her warmth flow through his cold and numb body, wet by the residue from the mist that washed over them. "I'm real."

Don't let me wake up,

until I kiss the tender lips,

which smile at me so lovely

"Ruto!" Ryan cried, throwing his arms around her, holding her close to him, crying out in happiness, tears of joy rolling down his cheeks. "I don't care how you can be hear right now, I'm just so happy to see you! I love you so much!"

"I love you too Ryan. I always will. Even in death, I never stopped loving you."

"I'll never let you go. I'll never loose you again."

Ruto leaned her head against his chest, smiling, a blush creeping up on her cheeks. "Good, because, I'll never let you go either."

Oh you must be,

the angel of my dreams!

guiding me, through my lonely nights,

with eyes as bright as the stars above

The Angel of my dreams! The Angel of my heart!

"Ruto..." Ryan looked into her eyes, after to released each other from their long and passionate hug. "You really are hear. Am I dead? Even if only in death I can be with you, I don't mind it at all. I just want you with me, Ruto."

Ruto shook her head, at little sadly. "No...your very much alive, but...there is something evil happening right now...I...I need you help. Your help along with Colt, Gabriel, Lima and Rose...something...horrible is going to happen if we don't find the shadow grail in time...and without help, I can't do anything to prevent it."

"Of course I'll help you! But...the others, are only Colt, Gabriel, Lima and Rose hear? What about Mimi, Squall, Lemon, Carrie and Parfait. What about Angel and the other children?"

"I'm....I'm afraid the rest of our friends must of died...I tried to bring all of you hear but....I don't know what happened." Her eyes shimmered. "But I can feel Angel, she is safe for now, but....she is helping the enemy!"

"What!? Ruto, please explain."

"....I will. As soon as we find the others, but Ryan...?"

"....Yeah?"

Ruto leaned forward close to him, taking both of his hands into her own.

"Ryan, promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"Promise me...that if I am ever in trouble, if I ever need someone to help me....to rescue me...that you will be there for me."

But what if your not there,

when I open my eyes,

will the dream end there?

Ryan could feel tears burn in his eyes and intense gulit in his heart. "I wasn't there for you the first time, the memories still haunt me to this day. I'd have nightmares in which I saw you dying, and I'm unable to reach you. I still can't help but blame myself for causing you to die, but Ruto." He leaned forward, so close they were almost touching noses. "I promise I'll never let you down again."

Slowly their lips parted and they kissed each other, a soft kiss quickly turned into a longing one then quickly to a passionate embrace. Their hands running through each others hair as they both slowly fell back to the ground, lips still touching as they held onto each other.

Will I fade away into sorrow?

Will my hear be torn out

and lost to the night,

or will you be waiting for me

the next time I close my eyes

The Angel of my dreams! The angel of my heart!

"Ryan...." Ruto mumbled, nuzzling her head under his chin. "I can still remember the day we first met like it was yesterday."

Ryan smiled, holding her hand tighter. "I as well. I remember every detail. How you stood atop of the table, an angry frowned placed on you face as you yelled at the town people in the bar to help you battle the water demon."

Ruto chuckled slightly. "And how I blasted them sky high when they refused, calling them cowards. I thought everyone in that village was chicken until, I saw you. I did not realize it at first, but I think I had fallen for you sight on seen."

"I too. Since I saw you, the real you, in Trisu I felt funny inside whenever I was around you, to bad I was to stupid to notice just what it was then."

Capturing my heart forever,

you don't need to steal it from me,

for I give it to you and only you freely,

The sweet angel of my dreams!

"Our first kiss." Ruto smiled fondly. "......I still remember it...it was so magical."

Flashback

They stayed still for a moment, but as if his hand had a mind of it's own he reached up to stroke a strain of hair behind her ear.

The action caused Ruto to become even redder.

" No need to thank me, I don't mind catching you when you fall."

"Then you'll be catching me a lot, because, I always seem to fall..."

Before either knew what they were doing they leaned over and their lips touched. They did not know how long the kiss last but

both pulled away from each other at the same time when they realized what they were doing.

"Ryan...?"

"Ruto, I..."

End Flashback

Ryan looked a little sad. "Even then...I looked to run from my feelings, but now I just wish I could run back to that moment."

Ruto just smiled up at him, his still nuzzled under his chin. "But I'm hear now, you don't have to regret what you did in the past so much, Ryan...I'm here for you."

You are pure like the water,

crystal clear, soul and mind,

bright as the moon and the sun,

the lovely angel of my heart!

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!

The Angel of my dreams and heart!

"I've never been happier for years..." Ryan looked into her eyes and smiled, stroking her bangs.

"I don't regret a single thing past, present or future. That night we made love Ryan, it was our first and only time...and though it may seem to us as though it was what caused as to break apart for awhile...if it never happened, we would never of been blessed with Angel."

"Your right...I always think, `maybe if I acted more responsible that night' or `I if behaved more properly, or `If only I told her how I really felt about her.' but I never once thought that if it had never happened, that Angel would never of been born."

My angel, mine and mine alone,

to love and hold in my arms forever,

I'll never let you go, I will treasure you,

Forever!!!

"Some times good things come from things which seem bad. Evil does not always breed evil and good does not only breed good. You must learn to understand this."

"Ruto..." Ryan could hear the strain in his voice as he fought to keep in tears. This whole thing, it was so unbelievable. Was it really happening? Or...no it had to...it had to be real...he just couldn't accept it being only some sort of dream, his mind and guilt mocking his sleeping soul.

"Shhh...Ryan." Ruto smiled, putting a finger to his lips as though to hush his tears. "It's all right, I'm hear now. We will be there for each other, and for Angel too, from now on."

"Ruto, I love you, so much." The man sobbed, wrapping his hands around her waist, allowing tears to roll down his cheeks, staining her white robes. She looked the same as he remembered her before she became Messiah and sacrificed herself, same clothes, same face, same voice, and same age, same Ruto...she had to be, and if there was one thing in this world he could have asked for it would be to hold Ruto in his arms again and now that his wish came true, he would never let her go....he vowed he would never loose her again, even if it meant his own life, he would not loose her to death again. As he thought this he looked up into the sky, seeing Oisa burning over head in the sky, it's evil light breacking through even this thick smothering mist. He would not loose her to this forsaken thing again!

'I swear it...'

When I dream of you,

they are purest dreams ever...

dreams of true friendship and love,

the angel of my dreams...the angel of my heart...

The angel of my soul!"

*********************************

Colt groaned, pushing himself up onto his feet, looking around himself dazed as though in a dream. Everything was distorted and hard to focus on. The sky was nearly pitch black, Oisa he could see hanging in the sky dispite the thick and heavy white mist which filled the land, not allowing them to see any more then a few feet ahead of themselves. It was frightening...was he hear alone? What happened to Carrie and Ein, were they all right?

"Carrie, Ein!? Do you hear me!? Answer me!!" He shouted, running around in the mist searching for them. It was so god damn dark and misty he could not even see where he was placing his feet. His voice sounded hollow against the sky, as though the mist was stopping it from reaching out far...there wasen't even a echo. "CARRIE, EIN!!!"

He stopped running for a moment, gasping for breath, hands resting on his knees. It was almost like the more he moved, more heavier the mist became until it was weighing him down, making every bone feel as though it weighed a ton.

"Carrie, Ein! Please if you can hear me, please answer me!"

`I can hear you, Colt.'

The young man gasped, eyes going wide. He could hear the though spoken within his own mind, but it was not in his voice he heard it, nor did he even think it himself. But the voice it was familiar, and one that haunted him every now and then when he allowed himself to think about his past.

"F...Father!?" He called, looking around himself. He spotted nothing at first but then, in the distance, a figure stood silhouetted in the fog. It was not easy to make out. Who could it be? Could it be his father? Is that where the voice came from....but no, that wouldn't make sense, he father was dead, he knew for sure after he was the one that...

`Killed me.'

He gripped his head, uttering a low growl, gripping his hands to the side of his head as once again his father's voice, now darker and more hate filled echoed throughout his mind forcefully, racking his brain harshly.

"What the hell is happening to me....I'm I going crazy....F...Father...is it really you....?" Colt groaned, taking steps forward towards the nearly invisible figure before him. With every step his took the mist got heavier until his lungs felt like pure burning fire, as though the fog contained acid instead of water inside of it's fluffy misty mass. It pressed down on him, causing his mind to begin screaming and throbbing with a headache that was not much unlike taking a hammer and a nail and nailing a large bolt into someone's brain. He was almost 1/4 to the creature when three of the beasts that had attacked him outside the orphanage leapt forward out of a clove of tress. They really did look like tables with legs, fur and tons of teeth. He backed away fearfully, knowing that they had him surrounded. He looked back up nervously at the figure that had lead him into this trap. It was not moving even an inch. Just watching, that was all. Just watching.

"What are you looking at, huh?" Colt growled as the beasts began to close in on him. Right now he was wishing that during the sixteen years of peace that he had trained his body a little more, got use to his false legs, because right now...he was wishing he had. He feared that he would be ripped apart right hear by those oful looking beasts.

`I have to fight....but can I....? I don't want to get killed...It's the only way, I guess...' Uttering a low growl Colt transformed part way, turning quickly to swipe one across the face, or at least he thought that was where the face was. It was hard to tell, he just punched close to where he saw teeth, but these creatures were made up almost only of leathery skin and row and rows and rows of razor sharp teeth, which grined together like a meat shredder.

His attack barely even caused it to stagger, his fist really did nothing. Well it did do something, and that something was to alert the beasts that the battle was on. They all jumped him at once, pinning him to the ground. Before the one, whom seemed to be the leader of the trio could sink his teeth around Colt's neck, the boy used his two false legs to kick it hard in the stomach, sending it staggering away from him. He quickly pushed himself up on to his two feet, and tried to transform, but before he could even start the change he was hit from behind and sent crashing to the earth. Dirty soil staining his face as his cheek pressed into the dirt from the force of one of the creatures stepping on his back. He could feel hot breath on his back, causing the hairs on his neck to stand up on end. To say he wasn't afraid would be a lie, he could hear the beasts closeing in on him. No...he couldn't die hear...he couldn't...

He felt the teeth coming closer and closer to the back of his neck, and then with a new inner strength born from the determination to live he twisted around, grabbing the top and bottom of what he now saw as a gaping mouth. The beast struggled to get loose from his grip, but Colt was not about to let go, he was not about to die.

The jaws of the beast broke in his hands, ripping apart the mouth with a hideous spray of thick red blood. He threw the dead monster from off top of him, and panting pulled himself to his knees.

The other two beasts charged towards him in fury over the death of their leader. Each of their mouths were opened, ready to grind his bones. He jumped into the air, to avoid being smashed between their two bodies, and kicked one back into the tree. He heard a `Swoosh' sound and a `thump' behind him but it was only when he landed back on his feet that he saw the other creature lay behind him, having been embedded in what would of been it's crotch in the grass, a Katana sticking though it. He twisted around, seeing Rose running up to him, red hair swishing behind her. She stared down at the bloody mass, eyes wide. Before shaking her head and pulling out her Katana.

"...It looked like a walking mass of mutilated blood..." She muttered. "So small...so fragile, yet so horrible looking at the same time...and deadly. They are all missing their heads."

"Rose?" Colt asked, almost concerned.

She turned around, and pointed panicked behind him. "Colt!"

He turned around seeing the beast he had knocked into the tree dashing towards them. Not knowing what came over him, he grabbed something at his waist and pierced the creature with it through the chest. It was only after the beast fell down dead that he looked to see what he had used...a knife craved and made from bone...the same knife he threw away after the battle with Saiyoua...the same knife he had used to...

FLASH

"SQUALL!!!" Lemon exclaimed as Quzecolt stabbed the unsuspecting man-beast into the chest.

"ARGHHHHHH!!!!" Colt screamed a warrior's cry, dashing forward, stabbing one of his curved twin daggers into the back of his father's head, killing him instantly.

FLASH

"You too, huh?" Rose asked, with a sigh, staring at her Katana. "I got rid of this after the battle, I did not want it any more, but...suddenly it just appeared in my hands..."

".......What is this place?"

"...It's hard to recognize isn't it? But, I think we are right where we started."

"Wha---"

"Ryan's Orphanage is right this way." Rose pointed behind her, a little to the left into the fog. "It is empty, but at least there is none of this damn mist inside. This stuff is blinding me...besides, if your hear, someone else might be. I think it would be best if we waited for them there."

"Y...Yeah, I...I guess, man, this doesn't make a hint of sense!"

"Don't I know, but, we wont solve anything just standing hear, lets go wait for the others, if no one comes by morning then we'll continue on our own."

"O...Ok, I just hope that Carrie and Ein are safe and sound...Wait a moment, him...!" Colt twisted around, to where he had saw the figure silhouetted in the fog only to see that the space was empty now.

***********************

Lima groaned, pushing herself up slowly, shivering, wrapping her arms around herself as she stood near a pond of water. The pond was dirty with green water. But, wait, there was something in the water. She frowned, taking a glance into the pool, seeing a large shadow mass, hidden underneath it's surface. It was the form of a man. She swallowed hard, she prayed it wasn't one of her friends. As she got closer bubbles began to erupt on the surface of the water pool and then, before she had a chance to react any further than a few confused blinks, something sprang out of the pawn and grabbed her wrist in a bruising grip.

She screamed horrified seeing a man that was half skeleton, rotten flesh hanging off of scratched, chipped and yellow bone. A toothless mouth laughing at her in a mocking tone as she struggled to get away.

"Let go!!" She cried out, trying to kick the creature, but was standing to far for her leg to hit it, and missed by a couple of inches. "Somebody---!!"

"Lima!" Like a miracle Gabriel's voice rang behind a couple of bushes and he pushed into the clearing, stumbling on a few tree roots, bleeding from a few wounds. He looked as though he had just been in a fight, and was breathing heavily. He gasped, frightened, seeing the predicament his wife was in. But swallowing his fear he rushed forward, and though not knowing much of any fighting skills did a successful judo chop on the skeletons arm, smashing it, and releasing Lima from it's grip. Still laughing the skeleton sank under water, and disappeared.

Lima sat on the ground on which she had fallen trembling, face pale and drawn, eyes wide. Very concerned, Gabriel knelt down infront of her, caressing her cheek as he tried to calm her down.

"Lima." He spoke seriously. "Are you ok?"

"W...What was that thing!?" She cried, burying her face into his shirt, crying softly. "What is this horrible place! All there is, is fog, darkness, Oisa and horrible monsters!"

"I don't know what that thing was." Gabriel rubbed him back, like one would do to stop a child from crying as he held her in his arms. "But, I saw Ryan's Orphanage, I was attacked outside of it, I was about to go in but then I heard you scream. Lima, are you hurt?"

"My wrist feels a little numb, but I'm fine. Thank you."

Gabriel nodded. "Ok, I think we should get over to the orphanage, maybe someone is there. Hopefully our friends."

"Raifan, Gau, Lilli....I hope they are ok..."

"...Me too....god...me too."

*********************

"I don't believe it..." Colt blinked, staring up at the huge orphanage, it looked exactly the same, but unlike before it had a dark and lonely feeling to it. "It really is the orphanage...did we never even leave this spot? What happened then?"

"I already told you, I don't know!" Rose snapped.

"Well, sorry!"

"I don't have time to listen to you repeat the same question---" Rose stopped, looking past him into the past. "Look!"

He turned around, and saw two figures approaching. Both Rose and himself got ready to attack but as the figures appeared out of the fog they relaxed, seeing Lima and Gabriel.

The female elf squealed happily, and ran up to them giving both big hugs, crying softly.

"Thank god, someone else is hear!"

Colt accept her display of affection well, being also glad two more of his friends were still around. But he was quite disappointed that Carrie or Ein weren't the ones to show up. Rose just shrugged the elf off, and crossed her arms, looking away pointedly.

"Colt, Rose." Gabriel began. " Did either of you learn anything new? Did you see anyone else."

"The only living things that weren't monsters we saw was you." Rose explained. "Even this orphanage, it's empty."

"But, that doesn't make sense." Lima shook her head. "The place had over sixty kids, how can all of them be gone?"

"Maybe this isn't the same orphanage..." Gabriel began, but Rose scowled.

"It is so, look for yourself!"

"This is all like some kid of strange dream...a dream that you just can't make out." Colt, looked at the ground, a pained expression crossing his face. "It's almost as though we are..."

Trapped

Lima blinked a few times, face suddenly dropping a few shades in color, eyes going small. The rest of her friends were discussing some things, when she backed up into Colt, causing him to hit up against Rose. Both turned, along with Gabriel to see what was wrong and all had the same reaction. Looks of fright, shock and disbelief spreading across their features as though in slow motion.

Ryan, was walking towards them from the mist, holding the hand of the woman that had sacrificed herself sixteen years ago to save them all...he was holding the hand of Ruto.

The girl smiled at them, almost looking like she wanted to laugh at their shocked looks.

"Missed me?"

"M...Miss. Ruto..." Colt stuttered, rubbing his eyes to make sure he was seeing right.

"Ruto...Is it really you!?" Lima looked on the verge of happy tears. She couldn't believe it...was their friend really back from the dead!?

"How can it be...?" Rose breathed, putting a alarmed hand to her chest.

Gabriel never having met Ruto personally, bowed his head in respect. "It is a honor to meet you, the woman who saved all of us."

Ruto shifted uneasily, as though embarrassed by the praise. "No need to be so formal, and no need to thank me. As you can see..." she frowned looking up at Oisa. "I didn't do I good job."

"Ruto..." Ryan looked concerned.

"Ok, I'm officially lost!" Rose put a hand to her forehead as if she had a headache. "I have no idea what is happening! Someone please wake me up..."

Ruto shook her head annoyed at Rose. "Lets go inside." she gestured towards the building infront of them. "I'll explain as much as I can."

**************************

`Uhhhh....' A man groaned, being suspended on the wall, wrists bound by cuffs, locked and attached to a stone wall it's self. Black hair fell over a pale face, skin bruised. He looked as though he was trying to wake up, but couldn't...his head, his eyes...every nerve, every fiber of his body refused to move. It was as though he had became stone it's self.

The only thing on his body which moved was his bottom lip which quivered as horrible images kept penetrating his mind, his mouth managing to speak a few incoherent mumbles.

A figure watched him, a smile spread over her face, light blue eyes twinkling as she caressed his face, purring softly.

"You don't know how important you are in all of this, do you? Poor, foolish boy...But you will find out soon, just what it is I plan, it will all soon fall into place...."

"Master!"

The woman turned around, scowling. "Yes?"

"Have you seen what's up in the sky?" A man asked, ash-blond hair falling over his face, eyes concealed behind a pair of glasses.

"The sky , Edward?" The woman, blinked. "No, what about it?"

"It's....you should see for yourself." The man, Edward pointed towards a large window, a curtain drew over it. The woman looked at him puzzled for a moment before walking over to it and pulling the ruby curtain aside, she gasped, gazeing upward into the sky. Oisa burned brightly above them, it looked as though it was over shadowing the sky, blocking the sun and the moon, no light or darkness, just Oisa. But shockingly the woman smiled, before tilting her head back and laughing.

"Master?" Edward asked, cocking an eye brow.

"This is a sign! A sign from heaven, the day of judgment and our salvation is at hand."

"Our salvation...? From, Oisa?"

The woman turned to Edward seriously, pale blue eyes burning. "Oisa is a sign from the goddess, she must be pleased with our work. Go gather the rest of the members of the NGC. I hope that our two mercenary troops can get us the shards. It may be the only way to save humanity from it's self!"

"Yes Master!"

****************************

"I destroyed Oisa, yes, that is true, however...part of that Oisa broke off in a shard and planted it's self on Gaia. The evil was growing for along time, but I only became aware of it recently." Ruto explained seriously. "He has these messengers called `Judgment' or some call them `Pyramid head' or `red devil' who takes care of the guilty and sinful for him. Oisa was created by the sinful and guilty in the life stream, and therefore he is like a exterminator, destroying what created him. The Goddess stone may be gone, but there is still a way to save Gaia, that way is the Shadow grail.

Like the holy or unholy grail that was used to summon either Key or Saiyoua, the grail of shadow can be used to seal away Oisa's power and the power of his judgment. It may be our only chance. There are eight holy items scattered over Gaia that we must find! There is someone working against us, who wants to revive the goddess stone, they want to deliver the ultimate sacrifice onto the planets! We have to stop them! They already fooled Angel and the rest of the kids."

"Hold on." Rose stopped her. "You said you `brought' us here before, but we were already on Gaia. We were right in this same spot. Where did the others go, or should I ask, where are we?"

Ruto bowed her apologetically. " We are on Gaia. You see, this is...is Oisa's version of Gaia, this place...empty of light and happiness. This is a `Alternate Gaia' or maybe the true Gaia. Maybe things were always like this and we just couldn't notice it.I'm sorry, I'm rambleing. Our children are on the Gaia in which we were use to seeing we are on Oisa's Gaia. Understand?"

".......I......I think so...." Colt looked deep in thought, trying to puzzle this all out. "I just want Carrie and Ein safe."

"Same about Raifan, Gau and Lilli." Lima gazed down at her feet sadly, eyes burning with tears, while Gabriel tried to comfort her, patting her back softly.

"Angel, Parfait and all our friends...We can only hope the best for them." Ryan looked worried. Ruto meanwhile was looking at him strangely, before frowning.

"Where is the talisman?"

Ryan blinked, brought out of his thoughts. "I...I gave it to Angel, to protect her."

A strange look crossed Ruto's face and she shook her head. "You shouldn't of done that..."

"What?"

"Hmm? I didn't say anything." Ruto smiled up at him. "But, hear Ryan, take this." the palm of her hand glowed softly and she handed him the winged sword. Ryan took it with a puzzled expression.

"The winged sword? How? It turned into energy in the final fight."

Ruto laughed softly. "I am a goddess, it's simple to revive a sword, and talisman or not, you are the guardian of the light. We can sense the items together, and revive the grail. Of course, we have to do a ritual, and only the chosen one can perform it. You Ryan are that chosen one."

"............"

"So I guess we're fighting again." Rose stood to her feet. "Well I'm ready."

Colt nodded. "I don't like fighting, but to save Carrie and my son I will fight until the last breath in my body."

"I'm really scared." Lima admitted slowly. "But I know I can't run from this, even if there was a place to run to."

"I never fought before in my life, I'm not sure if I can be much of a help." Gabriel looked a little shaky. "But, I made a promise to Lima once that I would always be there for her and our kids, and I will be."

Ryan smiled, feeling some courage grow deep inside of him, he nodded. "We will fight for our planets, and also for our friends and children as well!"

"......." Ruto smiled a secretive little smile. "We will find the eight items, just you wait and see Oisa. Nothing will stop us."

***************************

The woman everyone referred to as master stared at the window, waiting for Edward to gather the rest of the NGC. Her blue eyes seemed to glaze over as she turned towards a picture on the wall of a man with brown hair and glasses.

"Everything is going just as you wished it to, Tenki, just you wait, I'll make you proud of me."