Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Time's Wheel ❯ Ch.18 Part A: Bonds of Trust ( Chapter 19 )

Dragon Lady

Time's Wheel

Ch.18 Part A: Bonds of Trust

Disclaimer: I don't own either anime… but I wish I did, I'd make a fortune.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Relecos: The town of Cecil

The town of Cecil had been only a short walk from the beach, its gates reaching the sandy beach only about a mile off the coast. Floodwalls surround the city; a protective barrier that is currently housing several heavily armed guards in four towers. Sentries guard the heavy wooden gates, each dressed in full, crimson armor, weapon unsheathed.

Outside the gates, a sea people wait outside. Hundreds of wagons fill the area, many containing children, the people trying to make themselves as comfortable as possible. Dogs run in and out of the wagons, barking at anyone who comes near. Several campfires are lit, giving off the impression that some of these people have been here for quite some time.

"Well, they appear to be on high alert," Duo remarks. "I wonder what the cause is."

Hotaru peers over his shoulder at the guards at the door. "I don't know, but this doesn't look good. I wonder if they will let us in." She turns to Luc, noticing that his jaw is clenched and he is looking a little paler than usual. "Luc, do you know what's going on?"

Luc looks down at her, his cold gray eyes meeting her violet ones, sending a cold shiver down her spine, but he says nothing about it and turns back to the guards. After a moment, he begins making his way through the thong of people to the guards at the front gate, who raise their weapons as he moves toward them. Luc says something to the guard on the right, the larger one, who is carrying a large pike. Luc gestures to the gate and the guard shrugs saying something that Luc apparently doesn't like because before Hotaru can blink the guard is red faced and his companions is struggling to restrain him. Luc ignores him and makes his way back to the group.

"So what did he say?" Hotaru asks.

"They're not letting anyone in without a pass."

"Where can we get a pass?" inquires Duo, his face set in a frown.

Luc is about to answer when a voice suddenly breaks in. "You can only get a pass if you are a citizen of this city,"

Hotaru spins around and is confronted with a young, beautiful woman in green traveling cloak with a dark black dress beneath. A pair of dark eyes, nearly black, gazes at her, seeing through her as if she were made of glass. Although the maiden seems average enough, her eyes tell her otherwise. I sense death about her and her aura is dark, but not necessarily evil. Who is this?

The maiden brushes back her dark hair, revealing a thin face with high cheekbones, pouting lips and porcelain skin. She moves forward and her thin, delicate hands grasp Hotaru's right hand palm up, gripping it tightly. As the woman studies her hand, Hotaru makes note of the gold ring on her finger with the symbol of a raven on it. The woman looks up from Hotaru's hand and goes back to staring her in the eye.

"Um, excuse me, but would you mind telling us what you are doing?" Duo asks cautiously from behind her.

The woman looks up startled and a fey grin spreads across her face. "I am sorry, my name is Delaney and I'm a fortune teller by trade. I'm actually a citizen of this city and was just about to go home when I noticed you people. You are travelers, yes?"

"Yes, we…" Duo begins, but is silenced by Luc's hand snaking around from behind and covering his mouth.

Delaney frowns. "I see…" She focuses her attention back on Hotaru. "You need to get into the city, however, you have no pass."

"Your point?" Luc asks coldly.

"I will let you borrow mine, but on one condition. You let me read your fortune girl."

Hotaru looks back at Duo and Luc, hoping one of them will give her some clue as to what to do, but Duo, still being restrained by Luc, could say nothing and Luc himself only shrugs, leaving Hotaru to make her own decisions. Finally, she turns to Alaois, hoping that he would break his silence, but he too fails her.

Well, if we can get into the city this way…

"Alright, I accept."

Delaney's face brightens. "Good, if you would just sit down here, I can do it right now."

Hotaru sits down on the grass, laying her glaive across her lap, ready to grab it just in case. Delaney sits across from her and extends both hands out to her. "Take my hands," she says quietly.

Hotaru reaches out and places her palms against hers, trying to keep her heart still, not knowing why a simple fortune telling reading would bother her so. The moment her hands come in contact with Delaney's, she feel her whole being shake and she is thrown into darkness.

The darkness fades to reveal herself lying on the ground in a pool of blood, her glaive by her side. Her cloths are torn to shreds and there are several lacerations on her body, blood seeping out of several cuts and deep gashes. Her skin is pale and her eyes are blank, staring up into nothingness. Beware Hotaru, the darkness comes for you in death.

Hotaru's eyes shoot open and once again she is staring into dark pools. Delaney's eyes are blank for a moment, as if they are still staring off into a place that only she knows exists. Slowly, her eyes focus on Hotaru, but she says nothing, only gets back to her feet and brushes some of the dirt of her cloak.

Reaching into a pocket, she pulls out a crimson piece of paper, a pass into the city. "This is what I promised," she says, handing the piece of paper to Hotaru. "Remember what I said firefly, there is nothing you can do to stop it, but remember." With those words she walks away, disappearing amongst the crowds of people.

Hotaru stares after her as she disappears, her heart still beating several times its normal rate of speed. Her hands clench the city pass in an effort to stop the bile rising in her throat.

A hand comes down over her shoulder, offering a small hint of comfort. "Are you okay?" Duo's voice whispers in her ear.

Hotaru nods. "I'm fine, let's make use of this little piece of paper and go on inside."

The inside of the city was about as foreboding as the outside. Duo glances around, the scenery very much like that he had seen in the war. His throat tightens at the sight before him. Bodies are spread over the ground outside shops, on street corners, and everywhere else in between. These men are all the dead or dying, men who are left to their fate because nothing more can be done for them. Blood soaks the ground, staining the dirt a dark crimson, as well as the boards and stones in the foundations of buildings.

Duo cringes slightly on the inside, but his outer demeanor remains the same, the scene all to familiar to him. He has already seen death, met him, and in a way, was him. I just can't seem to escape war, it is something that seems to be everywhere, no matter how hard I try to avoid it.

Duo glances to the side and catches Luc staring at him. He glares back, allowing his cold cobalt eyes to lock with the storm that rages inside Luc's own. There is something here that he isn't telling us.

"What is plaguing these people Luc?" Duo asks quietly. "Are there so many dead or dying that these men must be left to die in the streets? Why are they lying here, Luc?

Luc doesn't answer immediately, staring down at the victims sorrowfully with a look on his face that Duo has never seen before, though his eyes are hard as ever. If he didn't know any better, he's say it was guilt, tinged with anger. "It is the darkness. An evil power was released thousands of years ago, a price that a humankind pays for its foolishness. This power has consumed the world, both demon and human and is draining the life force from human and demon alike. What you see here is the result of a war with the darkness. It can take over any life force and control it as its own, and it has taken some of the most powerful. This town is trying to fight the inevitable; and losing."

Duo waits for Luc to elaborate, but he is disappointed as Luc only continues walking, moving past the bodies as if there is nothing there at all, ignoring the slaughter that lays around them. Shrugging, Duo follows, shoving his hands into his pockets, trying not to look at the fallen.

Luc leads them to a crumbling building, the sign above the door carved in the shape of a Pegasus with the words in a foreign language that meant Inn. The red shutters are all nailed shut, keeping everything that existed on the outside from entering. As he nears the door, Duo looks up to see that several shingles are missing from the room as well, some lying on the ground near his feet.

No one bothers knocking, even though evening is settling in and darkness is taking over the land. The old oak door creeks open, sending a loud squeal through the room inside. The companions enter the crowded commons, attempting to avoid hitting anyone in the crowed room. Many of the rooms occupants are crowded around the center of the room, staring at something of great interest.

"We must make an expedition into the tower. The only way for us to have any hope of defeating the darkness is to fight it with the light, the sword will help us accomplish this! The time to act is now, later may be too late!"

Duo finally catches sight of what is holding everyone's attention. A young girl dressed in layers of white robes that cover her from head to foot is standing on top of one of the inn's wooden tables, speaking to the crowd of people below her. Dark, forest, brown hair spills over her shoulders around a beautiful oval face, a sharp contrast to her white robes. A brown leather cord holds back the hair around her face, keeping it from her eyes, which are a brilliant emerald, shining with an inner light. High cheekbones and full, lips add to her features and the voice that she is speaking with has a commanding ring that marks her as a natural leader.

"Are you crazy girl?" yells a man in front, his words slightly slurred; the effect of too much ale. "No one could make it through that tower, it's impossible! You might as well forget that sword lady and accept fate like the rest of us have. The darkness is here, there is nothing you can do about, you might as well enjoy what life you have left!"

The girl sighs, her face falling, but her eyes keeping their determined look. "Will no one come with me?" She glances around the room, receiving to response. Her face twists into a look of disgust and she kicks over one of the mugs that is sitting on the table, much to the chagrin of the man holding it. "Cowards! Why have you given up hope? Do you have so little faith in humankind? Do you not have faith in your Goddess? You…"

Stuttering, the girls steps down from the table, defeated, knowing that she will get nothing from this lot.

"Why don't we help her," Hotaru whispers quietly and then another thought comes to her. "Is this tower she refers to the Hall of Mirrors?"

Alaois nods. "It is."

"Then we are all going in the same direction, why not offer her our aid?" Hotaru says, her decision clearly already made.

Duo nods, "Yeah, that makes sense, I'm all for it."

"I too agree, I see no reason we can not take her with us," Alaois adds.

Duo turns to the last member of their group. "Well, Luc, what do you think?" Duo waits for a moment, but doesn't receive a reply. "Luc?"

Luc stands unmoving, staring at the girl who had spoken, who is now seated in a corner near the fireplace, eyes wide and haunted, his face a few shades paler than usual, mouth slightly agape. Duo steps in front of him and begins to walk around him in a circle. When he is once again standing in front of him, he begins waving his hand in front Luc's face and stands there puzzled when he doesn't respond.

"Hmm, lights are on, but nobody's home," Duo mutters. Moving to Luc's side he stands on his tiptoes until his mouth is nearly touching Luc's ear. "HEY LUC! RETURN TO EARTH PLEASE! LUC…!"

Duo's words are cut off due to the lack of air when Luc grabs him by the collar, lifting Duo to eye level. "What is it brat?" Duo struggles but can not seem to get another word out.

"We were just discussing accompanying that girl to the tower since we are going there as well," Hotaru says softly, trying to calm Luc down.

Luc's eyes slip from Duo's to Hotaru's and after a moments hesitation he nods. "Whatever." His grip loosens and Duo crashes to the floor, gasping for air.

Duo glares up at Luc from his position on the ground. "Well, now that we have that settled…"

The girl is seated by the fireplace, cradling a thin, golden staff with a silver orb on top that is glowing softly in the dimly lit room. She stares into the fire, watching as it dances and flickers over the stones inside the hearth. From the look in her eyes, she is distant, her mind in a different place than where her body resides (kind of like sitting in the middle of calc class…).

Hotaru approaches the girl hesitantly, the others behind her. As she nears the fire, she is glad for the warmth, not realizing immediately that she had been cold. For some reason, a comforting feeling washes over her, blocking out the dark hours that she had spent along the road so far. Somehow, she knows it is not the fire that is doing this.

Clearing her throat loudly enough to get her attention, Hotaru steps toward the girl. The girl's head snaps up, her thoughts returning to reality. "Can I help you?"

Hotaru offers her a small smile. "Maybe, that is, if you want. We heard you speaking earlier and we know of your plans to go through the tower."

The girl stares at her blankly and Hotaru sighs. "Right, to the point. We also need to go into the tower, though not for the same reasons, and we were wonder if you'd like to accompany us."

"I see," the girl mutters. "I think I would be glad to come with you, but if you don't mind me asking, why are you going into the tower?"

"We need the keys to Heaven's Gate."

The girl glances at her in surprise. "The keys, but…!" For the first time, she notices Luc and Alaois standing behind Hotaru and Duo. "And you travel with demons! What…?"

"Hang on! Let me explain. Duo and I aren't from this world, we came here by mistake and we only want to go home and through Heaven's Gate is the only way we can do that. As to why Luc and Alaois accompany us, it is of their own free will, but they have been a big help to us so far and we would have never made it this far without their aid."

Alaois steps forward, pulling his wings in around him to save space. "Miss, we mean no harm and do not plan using Heaven's Gate in any way. This I promise you miss."

Her eyes narrow, staring at the tengu with distrust. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"Desgods iglth ro kard, hyt rowd si ym noroh," he replies softly.

Hotaru and Duo stare at Alaois, confused, and Luc's face remains emotionless. The girls eyes widen in surprise. "I'm sorry, I was wrong about you, the other I don't know about, but I see you at least are trustworthy. My name is Eileen, one of the clerics of light."

Hotaru steps forward smiling. "My name is Hotaru and the one you just spoke with is Alaois. The one with the braid is Duo, and the quiet one is Luc. It's a pleasure to meet you Eileen."

"And you as well. I must admit, I was terrified there for a while that I might have to go through the trials on my own. I am glad I have someone to come with me. The tower door only opens at dusk and dawn, so it is too late to go now, so we can us tonight to gather supplies and rest and we can leave at fist light tomorrow, is that okay?"

Everyone nods in agreement. "Tomorrow then," Hotaru says happily.

Eileen smiles and then asks, "So, you and Duo aren't from here right?"

"Yes…"

Eileen's grin broadens. "Well, since we have time and if it wouldn't bother you, would you mind telling me about your world Hotaru?"

Hotaru smiles, nodding. "Sure, I'd be glad to."

The two talked well into the night, the rest of the group eventually disbanding with the exception of Duo, who added in a few words about his own world. Hotaru told her everything she could possibly think of, from the technology to the history, steering clear however, of the sailor scout area. Eileen listened with a rapt eagerness, trying to absorb everything that came out the Hotaru's and Duo's mouths. Before long, the commons had emptied, leaving only the tree of them sitting at a table near the center of the room.

Finally, Eileen glances around the room, noting that the time has gone by far too swiftly. "Oh, my, it has gotten late. I'd love to listen to your stories more, but I actually have to be able to crawl out of bed tomorrow. Perhaps we could continue this another time."

Hotaru and Duo both nod. "Eileen's right," Duo says. "I'm beat, see you all at dawn."

"Right."

Duo yawns sleepily, not quite awake yet in the first few minutes before dawn. He had been roughly hauled out of bed by Luc only a few moments ago and had hastily gotten dressed and grabbed his sword before going out the door. The streets had been dark and deserted with the exception of the few poor souls still on the ground. The five walked toward the tower that stood on the outskirts of the city, just beyond the walls, which they had had to climb over (or in Alaois's case, fly).

Now staring up at the tower itself, Duo's sleepiness is beginning to abate, his body becoming more alert to possible danger. The tower itself is a sight to behold, reaching up toward the sky, as tall as any modern skyscraper. To Duo, the whole tower looks like it is made of glass, the outside of it nothing more that crystal, reflecting everything that passes before it. Outside stands several tall pillars, each about half the size of the tower itself.

"This place was originally built as a temple to the Goddess of Light, but was deserted during the war. Now, the only things it houses is the Mirror Sword and your key."

I can see why it is called the Hall of Mirrors. It's beautiful, I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like this before. But I see no door.

"Okay, just how are we supposed to get in?" Duo asks aloud.

"Patience Duo," Eileen answers. "All shall become clear in just a moment."

Suddenly, the sun comes above the horizon and light sweeps across the land. A ray of sun catches the eastern pillar, reflecting it so that the beam hits the south, followed by the west then north. The northernmost pillar reflects the beam onto the base of the tower, revealing a door with steps that lead upward into the tower.

"Now's the time to go," Alaois remarks casually, making a race for the door. "The door will only be open for a few moments, so we must hurry!"

The others hurry through the open door, Hotaru the last one in, scrambling to make it through the doorway before it closes. Once she is through, the door vanishes, leaving only a solid wall behind.

"That was a little bit too close," she murmurs, trying to catch her breath. "For a second there, I thought I wouldn't make it."

"It wasn't that bad," Eileen replies. "And now that were here, let's continue on. Something tells me that we have a long climb ahead of us."

Eileen leads the way up the steps, her boots clicking softly as they hit the solid crystal. The climb is over in a matter of minutes, leaving the group in a large chamber with no other way out besides the way they entered and four glowing, blue, glyphs on the floor.

"What the…? Okay, now what do we do?" Duo asks, staring at the glowing spots on the floor.

Luc comes forward and begins studying the markings. "They're teleportation glyphs, meant to teleport whatever gets onto it to a certain place, disappearing once they are used."

"The question is, where are they supposed to take us?" Eileen wonders. "And are there another set that are supposed to get us back?" She falls quiet, her brow furrowed in concentration, but after a moment, she only shrugs, offering no more advice on the matter.

"So now what?" Duo asks.

"Risk it?" Hotaru replies.

"I can't think of anything better," answers Eileen, still a little hesitant, "but there are only four glyphs and five of us. If we decide to go, one of us is going to have to stay behind."

"I'll stay." Alaois backs away from the glyphs and settles himself in a corner near the group, not giving anyone else a chance to argue. "Something tells me this little escapade is not meant for me. I shall wait here for your return."

Luc gives Alaois a hateful glare and Alaois smiles back at him, knowing full well that Luc had wanted to be the one left behind. "Fine," Luc mutters under his breath, moving toward one of the glyphs on the end. "I'll take this one." Luc steps onto the glowing symbol and vanishes in the blink of an eye, the glyph fading within seconds of his disappearance.

"Well, I guess we're going," Hotaru says, walking toward the next glyph. "See you on the other side, wherever that is."

Eileen watches as she disappears, and then makes a decision between the two remaining glyphs. "Hurry Duo, don't fall behind."

Duo glances at the last glyph and then back at Alaois. "Are you sure you don't want to go?"

Alaois shakes his head. "No, you go ahead, I'll wait here. Don't worry, it's not going to kill you."

Duo sighs, stepping onto the last of the strange symbols. "I was afraid you'd say that."

Eileen waits patiently for the dizziness to wear off and her vision to clear, a typical side effect of teleportation. I'm starting to remember why I dislike doing this too much. I can feel a splitting headache coming on already.

"So, it looks like you ended up with me," a voice says from nearby.

Eileen turns around to see Luc standing behind her, arms crossed, and his eyes as cold as ice. "Luc, you scared me half to death! Don't ever do that!"

Luc stares at her coldly, but says nothing.

For a moment Eileen answers with her own silence, but quickly decides that silence is a little too uncomfortable for her. "Where are Duo and Hotaru?"

"How should I know? All I know is that neither of them are here."

"I see, so now what exactly are we supposed to do?"

He walks past her and down a hallway in front of them. "We keep going, what else are we supposed to do?"

Not about to stand there staring at his retreating back, Eileen follows reluctantly, not knowing what else to do and allowing the demon to take the lead. Figures that I'd get stuck with him. He acts like he knows everything! Not only his he a demon, but he's an arrogant one as well.

The white hallway stretches on until it stops at an oval room, another hallway across form it. Looking around the room, Eileen notices two orbs setting on a pedestal in the center of the room, one black, and the other white. The walls are etched in glyphs, their patterns covering the entire surface of the cool walls, the designs centered around two grooves at opposite ends of the wall.

"Luc, wait a moment!" Eileen shouts, hoping that he stops in time to hear her out. To her surprise, Luc stops and turns to look back at her, acknowledging her by nodding once as if to say that he understands.

He takes a few more steps and pauses just before the next corridor. Eileen watches as he closes his eyes and stretches a hand out in front of him. Dark energy collects at the palm of his hand, swirling around until it forms a perfect sphere. Apparently satisfied with his work, Luc opens his eyes and lowers his hand slightly, once again studying the exit. Suddenly, he flings the ball of energy at the doorway, where it promptly shatters against an invisible barrier, the wall absorbing the energy with little difficulty.

"Magic barrier," Luc states monotonously.

"Thought so, but how did you know it was there?"

Luc shrugs. "You didn't sense it?" He pauses a moment, thinking about what he just said. "No, I suppose you wouldn't have, not with human eyes."

Eileen scowls, Luc's words not what she really wanted to hear. Oh, well then Mister High and Mighty, thanks for being so sensitive. Goddess, of everyone in the known world that I could possibly get stuck in a maze with, it has to be this guy.

"So now what?"

Luc moves to the two spheres in the center of the room, a smirk playing on his face. "Well, two spheres, two notches in the wall, one sphere black, the other white, one representing darkness, the other representing light." He moves his hand toward the dark sphere, once again focusing his power in once source, muttering something under his breath. Suddenly, the sphere explodes in a black light, power coursing along its surface.

"You are a cleric right? You should be able to do the same to the other sphere with light."

Eileen shoots him a dangerous look, silently annoyed at him for pointing out the obvious. Reaching out her hand and placing it lightly on the orb's cool surface, she summons up the power of light, its familiar warmth coursing through her body, joy springing into her soul at its comforting power. She allows it to fill her fully before trying to focus it, letting its waves run their course.

Before long, she is holding up the second sphere, shining like miniature sun in the palm of her had. When she turns back to Luc, she is surprised to find him staring at her, his eyes loosing their icy hardness just for a brief moment, making him seem softer and more relaxed.

The scene doesn't last long, Luc turning around to face the nearest notch in the wall, ready to place the orb into it. Eileen shakes herself out of her stupor and moves toward the remaining slot in the wall, gently placing her orb into it.

Nothing.

Eileen steps back, staring at the wall blankly. "It didn't work!"

"So I see," Luc says from the other side of the room.

I wonder…

"Luc," she says quietly, pulling her orb from its position, "switch me places. I think we have the right idea and perhaps it didn't work because the spheres were not in the right places."

The two switch places, Luc taking Eileen's spot and she his. At the same time, they place their spheres into the grooves in the wall. The moment the spheres lock in place, the glyph flares to life, the white light from one side combining with the black to form a violet glyph that covers the room floor to ceiling. The barrier that had guarded the exit lets off a flash of light and then shatters, clearing the path for the two travelers.

Eileen stares at the door out, smiling in relief. That wasn't so bad, but something isn't right about that corridor, it's far too dark.

"Are we going to continue, or are you just going to stand there all day?" Luc asks, sounding a little annoyed.

"Of course," Eileen retorts, "it's just that…never mind."

Eileen precedes Luc through the door, stepping into the uncertain darkness. After only a few steps, she can no longer see her hand in front of her face, completely blind to all of her surroundings. She ignores that fact that she can't see and just keeps on walking, trying not to let it get to her. Come on, it's not like you're scared of the dark, nothing is going to hurt you.

"Do you know where we are going? We've past several turns already and I'm beginning to doubt if you have any sense of direction at all."

Eileen jumps at the sound of Luc's voice, she hadn't realized that he was standing right behind her. "I know where I'm going Luc!" Reaching out her hand, she summons light energy, forming a glowing ball of light, but to her surprise, the light does not penetrate the darkness, she still can't see her hand in front of her face.

"Foolish human, this is pure darkness. A small globe of light will not penetrate this much power." He pauses, and then, more softly. "You can't see, can you?"

Eileen holds her tongue, not wanting to admit defeat, but then again, lying would get her nowhere. "No."

A hand snakes out and grabs hers, firmly holding on to it, causing her to stiffen in surprise.

"Relax, I'm not going to try anything, but seeing as that you can't see and I can, I'm going to try and get us both out of here."

Eileen whirls around and gasps. Luc's eyes are glowing faintly in the dark, almost like a cat's, although instead of glowing emerald or amber, his gray eyes have turned molten silver.

"Surprised?"

That your eyes are glowing, no not really, demons are able to easily see in the dark. No, that wasn't the surprise.

What had caused her to jump has nothing to do with his eyes, but the hand that clasps hers so firmly. His hand is firm and guiding, as if he grasps something that he is afraid to lose, but even this does not shock her. Demon hands are usually as cold as death, which many of them are, achieving their demonhood after their death. That is what shocks Eileen, and in a way, almost scares her more than the fact that she has agreed to travel with a demon.

Luc's hands are warm.

"Well, this isn't going to be a picnic," Duo mutters staring at their challenge with contempt. "I don't think that I've ever seen so many stairs in my life."

Hotaru nods in agreement, the place they have been teleported to is a true maze.

Stairs are sprawled out over the area, on ceilings and walls as often as the floor, each leading to a door or corridor which in turn seemed to lead in any number of directions.

"Should we just try walking through a door and seeing where it leads us?" Hotaru asks.

"I don't think we have any other options and standing here isn't going to get us anywhere."

Hotaru steps forward, leading her and Duo to the nearest door. For a moment, all she can see is darkness and then suddenly, she emerges... on the ceiling. "You've got to be kidding me, at this rate, we'll never get out of here."

Duo nods, glancing around the maze. "Well on the plus side, from here we have a pretty good vantage point. We can see most of the maze from here." Raising his hand, he points to a door opposite the one they entered, standing at the other end of the maze, beautifully decorated and a little taller than the others. "Look over there. I think that one is the exit. If we can just make it there, we can get out, but just randomly running through halls will take a million years, we'd never get out."

He glances once more at the door. "Do you trust me Hotaru?"

Hotaru looks at him in shock. "What! Of course I trust you, why wouldn't I?"

"Well, because I got an idea, but it means that you're going on from here on your own."

"That's okay."

"Good. Listen I'll stay here and guide you through to while you walk the maze. From here, I can see every move that you make. Once you're through, all I have to do is retrace your steps."

Well, I don't have a better plan. "Okay." Taking a deep breath, she takes her first step into the maze (AN: sorry for not elaborating more on this section, it's just that I've been here a while at this point and this really doesn't contribute too much to the plot).

Eileen sighs in relief, gland to be out of the darkness. I'm glad that's over. "Know I know what it's like to be blind."

Luc smiles. "Yeah, I suppose you do."

Eileen's eyes widen in surprise. Was that a chuckle I just heard?

"Anyway, what's next?" she says, shaking herself out of her stupor. The two are now standing inside a circular, marble, room, and the only thing barring their passage an engraved silver door with two more giant orbs on top.

"Why does this look too easy?"

Luc comes to stand beside her, staring up at the two orbs above the double doors. "It's just a guess, but I think that we once again have to activate these doors. Once that is done, these doors should unlock."

"That sounds logical, should we try it?" Eileen asks.

"Yes."

Eileen focuses her power on the large white orb, sending every once of light energy she can through it, trying to fill the void inside of it with power. Come on! Just a little more! She feels the molten white energy filling her and it is becoming harder to focus it as she slowly and painfully begins to lose her own.

Finally, she collapses to the floor, exhausted, the orb atop the doors still not activated. She lifts her head to see Luc in a similar predicament, his sword drawn and him leaning on its hilt, sweat soaking his white hair and rolling down his face, his breath coming in short gasps. The black orb above the door is also still dim. He looks a little drained that's surprising. I'll bet he's not used to feeling so drained.

"This is going to be a little harder than I thought it would be," Luc gasps. "There has to be another way through."

Eileen looks up at the orb, she had been afraid this would happen. He is right, there is another way of doing it, but it wasn't one she rally wanted to try. Hmm, remain here with him forever or…

It is an easy choice. "There is another way Luc. We can combine our powers to light both orbs, but that would mean that you would have to control my light energy and use it to fuel your dark, and I…" she gulps, looking a little ill. "I would have to control your dark energy."

Luc's eyes widen slightly, showing a little surprise. "You sure?"

Eileen grins weakly. "Let's see, some minor discomfort few a few moments or stay stuck with you in here for eternity… Sorry, I think I'll pass on the latter."

"Fine, catch your breath and then we'll begin."

Duo stares back at the endless staircases and sighs with relief. "I never want to see another set of stairs in my life!"

"That makes two of us. It makes me realize how much I took elevators for granted. All that shifting of direction was making me dizzy," Hotaru replies.

"I miss technology."

"Ditto. Well, there's no use standing around here any longer, let's get moving before something else happens. Knowing our luck, the stairs will shift or something and we'd have to do that all over again."

"Absolutely not!" Duo cries taking off toward the door at a dead sprint. Hotaru chuckles and runs after him.

Trying to forget about the butterflies in her stomach, Eileen focuses on trying to regain some of her energy, keeping her breathing slow and steady. Finally, she glances at Luc and nods, signaling that she is ready.

Luc moves toward the door and stands underneath the dark orb, Eileen beneath the white. Both are now fully recovered and time could no longer be wasted, it was now or never.

Eileen closes her eyes, trying to release her power, but not focusing it in anyway, simply letting it rush through her veins, filling her entire being without expending any of her own energy. The light power responds willingly, flaring to life at her call, surrounding her in its comforting warmth. When Luc begins to draw on it, it is almost painful as it leaves. She can feel the power being sucked from her into Luc's being as he shapes and molds it along with his own dark power.

Before long, the process is over, the dark orb hanging above the door glowing in a soft violet light. My turn.

Once again, Eileen calls up her light energy, the power coming more easily this time. She holds it in wait and reaches out for Luc's power.

And encounters a wall of blackness.

Eileen struggles to hold back a cry as the dark power sears through her, making her stomach turn. The power threatens to overrun her, wanting to swallow and take her into that black void. No, I don't want to! I can't handle this power; it's so cold…

She tries to pull back and reach for her own power to counter it, but can not. Breathing is becoming more difficult and her whole body is throbbing with the effort to keep it a bay. As the power continues to rise, she tries to construct walls to block out the tainted wave, but her walls crumble in seconds of their erection. Damn…

Then, familiar warm hands clasp both of hers and a strong presence envelops her from behind. For a moment, the swirling darkness eases, allowing her to draw a breath.

"You need to relax," a voice whispers into her right ear. "The dark can not harm you, like light, it is just energy. Let it take you."

The voice in her mind is comforting, but still, she resists, afraid of what giving in would do.

"Trust me."

Something in that voice catches her and not knowing exactly why, she lets go. A rush of power the likes she has never seen rushes through her, but unlike what she had feared, it didn't hurt, it just kind of hovered there. As her body calms down, Eileen once again finds that she can reach her own power and does so, carefully combining it with Luc's and focusing it into the orb of light, using the dark energy to enhance that of the light.

This time, the orb fills quickly and even with her eyes closed, Eileen feels that it has been filled.

Slowly, her eyelids flutter open and she smiles as she sees that the white orb atop the door is finally blazing with a white-hot fire. At last.

As her senses come back to her, Eileen finally notices the warm arms still wrapped around her and she feels color rising in her cheeks, positive that by now her face is a bright red.

Luc releases her and moves away to study the door, looking at it curiously. Eileen shakes of her momentary embarrassment and joins him there. "How come this door hasn't opened yet?" she asks. "We just activated the orbs, shouldn't they have unlocked."

Luc doesn't say anything for a moment, his eyes narrowing. "I think," he says slowly, "that we didn't open this, but another somewhere in this tower."

"So…?"

"So we wait awhile and see if Duo and Hotaru can open this one."

"I see." Eileen watches as Luc moves away and goes to lean against a wall, staring off into space. "Luc," she begins, deciding to get a little daring. "How come you looked at me so strangely when you first met me? And come to think of it, why were you so much warmer to me just now?"

Luc stares at her for a moment, losing his emotionless mask and looking a little confused and, if she is not mistaken, a little nervous. Finally, he simply says, "You remind me of someone that's all. The resemblance is very… unnerving."

Eileen waits for him to say more, but when he remains silent, she decides not to push her luck. She moves to the other side of the circular room, hoping that Duo and Hotaru unlock the door quickly if that is indeed what is happening; the silence is becoming too heavy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

< p>DL: Okay, I know not everyone is going to real happy with me, but I'm going to stop this here and divide this chapter into two sections, it's just too long (26 pages to be exact) and I've got a way to got yet.