Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Into the Dark Night ❯ Chapter Seven ( Chapter 7 )

Into the Dark Night

Chapter Seven: There is no Arizona

"There is no Arizona, there is no Nevada desert. And if there was a Grand Canyon, she could fill it up with all the lies he's told her…" There is no Arizona, some country artist whose name I can't remember.

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Above song describes Rya's relationship with Lloyd. Wanted to call the chapter Fear, after an original poem, but decided on the current name. Gods, I hate it when chapters are friggin' works in progress!

Aaaaaaaanyway. I am back on Griever (my computer at home) with a slow 'net connection, a keyboard with a spacebar whom you must pound to make work (not a problem: I pound my keys really hard), a HUGE screen, HUGE speakers, Winamp and all my fave Skins. So this might be a good chapter…

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Prelude: Entrance to Darkness

Darkness had fallen quickly in his domain. His servants had lit bonfires at sporadic locations throughout his den. The flames cast shadows on the walls-- even in otherwise total darkness. The echo of his alien laughter reverberated off the walls, magnifying the already great sense of evil. The echoes blotted out the horrific screaming; a near-incessant chorus of agony that had struck terror into the hearts of all Heroes who had come to kill him. One Hero cried out, causing him to laugh more. Even the most evil soldiers in his Divine Army shivered at the sound.

November 7, 1993

1

The smell of sunlight tickled her nostrils and made her smile. Rya kept her eyes closed, as their morning game demanded, waiting for the usual question.

"What time is it?" Nasuti's voice asked.

"Eight AM Human Realm Time by the smell," Rya replied, smiling.

Rya had never questioned her sense of smell, had never questioned her ability to smell light and -oddly enough- through that, time. Years of smelling the light had showed the differences between times and given her an unerring sense of said element. Nasuti had been impressed, though Seiji had that ability and used it often. Rya opened her eyes and sat up. Nasuti was, as usual, lying beside her and hovering a breakfast tray above them.

"I'll have some of that, please." Rya said, attempting to make the tray descend to eye level.

Nasuti levitated it higher. "Promise to tell me about Lloyd."

"Fine, fine. I promise to tell you about Lloyd…just not today."

The tray floated to the door. "Tell me about him today."

"HEY! That isn't very nice, Nasuti!" Rya cried, reaching for it in vain.

The tray floated just outside the door while Nasuti glared at her.

"Fine," Rya grumbled, "I promise to tell you about him today, before lunch." The tray appeared in her lap, much to Rya's delight. "Thanks! You're getting better at that!"

Nasuti giggled girlishly, "Seiji has been giving me lessons. Didn't you know?"

"No. And if you want to hear about Lloyd now, then I suggest you sit down and listen. I hope today's a Saturday."

"It is."

"Shall I begin about Lloyd?" Rya asked.

"Yes!" Nasuti replied, giving her a good-natured 'glare.'

Rya took a bite of her rice cake and leaned back in her pillow. "Let me take you where I can show you."

Rya cast the spell, and suddenly they were both enveloped in darkness.

2

His image fixes itself in their minds. He is tall, with platinum blonde hair and violet eyes. Rya loves his smile, no matter how cruel it is. His eyes light up with some alien emotion when Humans suffer, Rya recalls. She at first thought he was a Demon, which made him all the more attractive. She can remember tracing the silver patterns on his black shirt, wondering where he bought it-- maybe can she get one?

"He makes me think of some American country song. Some woman was singing these beautiful words…'He was shiny as gold and sweeter than honey and I went closer and I found barbed wire, barbed wire and roses,'I think. It really describes him." Rya says distantly. Nasuti knows that Rya is caught up in the memories.

A sword appears in his right hand.

"He was a wonderful swordsman, but I don't think he was from this world. He hated humans with more passion than a wronged and vengeful Demon. I mean it. He wanted to kill every human he saw. He couldn't stop talking…talking about…about…"

Rya's voice trails off and they hear another voice. It is cool, seductive.

I hate them, Rya. You know that. I hate them so much. I want to kill them all. Will you help me? Please say you will, my dear Rya, please say you will…

Nasuti gasps at how wonderful his voice is.

"Mother hated him. She was afraid of him, afraid that he would find out that she was half Daemon and that she worked with the Council. He hated the Council for 'coddling humans' as he called it."

Ryoko suddenly appears in place of Lloyd. She is obviously cooking something.

~ Rya, he's dangerous! Please, please, don't promise him anything. Please, promise me you won't. Please, Rya, I ask so little of you and this is for your own good…Ryoko says.

Rya's voice catches in her throat. "I should have listened. Lloyd gradually lost interest in me and began to hate humans more. I didn't promise anyone anything. He grew tired of my indecision."

Rya shows Nasuti an alien symbol that someone carved onto her back. Her memory comes into view before them.

Lloyd is glaring at Rya. He looks dangerous.Rya, please decide. You cannot have both. You will either join me and kill them or flee and be killed. Make your choice.

Rya is on her knees beneath him. Lloyd, please. She is trembling and her voice is weak and afraid.Please, Lloyd. I have done nothing wrong, I have killed those you brought to me. I am a fourth Daemon, Lloyd. It is not in my nature to actively find and kill. I would not know what to do in the heat of battle.

Rya, Lloyd's voice seems sad, will you do this to yourself? Your ambivalence will kill you.

Create a religion, a ritual! If you would give me a purpose, I could kill as well as you do!

Their death IS your purpose, Rya!

Inflame me! Make me hate them just as much as you do!

I've tried. Do you not think I haven't?

Create a ritual, then! A ceremony for those humans who particularly annoy you!

Why? Why SHOULD I, Rya? You would neglect it!

I would nurture it, make a religion of it!

Would you? Would you really?

YES!

He draws his knife and holds her down with one arm. Searing pain courses through her and she cries out as he carves the alien symbol into her flesh.

It is the mark of a Death Priestess, Rya.

Death Priestess? Who are you REALLY, Lloyd?

The memory ends and the image of Lloyd vanishes. Only a bloody Rya remains before their eyes.

"I never should have asked." Rya says bitterly. "He watched me closely after that. He kept me away from everyone but the dead and dying. He did not let me kill, although it would have pleased him greatly."

"What drew you to him? What bound you?" Nasuti asks.

"This…"

The image of Rya vanishes, replaced by Lloyd in a bar. He is smiling and has planted his elbows on the table. He is holding his cheeks in his hands in the paragon of boredom, though he seems amused. His smile is inviting, confidential. Rain (or sweat?) has slicked his platinum hair to his face and he seems more impish than dangerous. An image of Rya, standing behind the bar, utterly entranced, flits through their minds.

Hi. My name is Lloyd. His voice is oddly welcoming.

"He was drunk." Rya laughs bitterly."He wasn't at all a mean drunk-no, quite the opposite. He was rather friendly when my shift started, having been there for at least two hours."

Hi! I'm Ryoko. Nice to meet you! The waitress-Rya says.

"I was the perfect waitress, he the perfect gentleman. It was odd, because his speech wasn't at all slurred and he could walk fine."

"Where was it?" Nasuti asks.

"My maternal grandfather's bar, where I worked." The real Rya says, then continues the memory.

Ryoko. That's a nice name. He says, offering her another smile.

Thanks. What can I get ya?

He leans closer, teases her ears with his lips. Freshly spilled human blood would be nice. If not, I'll have a large mug of ale…

No FSHB for you. I guess it'll be that large mug!

"I thought he was joking about the blood. He wasn't." Rya says to Nasuti, nibbling her lip.

Wait…Lloyd's arm reaches out to stop her, Do you have red wine?

Plenty. The Rya in the memory says.

I'll have a glass of your reddest. His smile is disarming.

"He was so nice to me. I think he left just after my shift ended. He turned up at the bar the next night. This time he was more distant."

It is a different night. The man smells of sweat this time.

Hello again! Rya says happily.

Hi. He seems subdued.

How are you? Rya tries again.

Fine. You? His voice is distant, as though he is thinking of something else.

Great! So, what'll it be? Rya continues to be cheerful.

You really don't have freshly spilled human blood. It is a question, though not phrased as such.

Nope, sorry. This is a New Age Daemon establishment. The New Age Daemons don't like fresh blood.

Oh.

We have some old stuff, but trust me; it's not that good. The Fated One once drank here, realized we had no Blue Wine, and left. We've had a decline in popularity since then. Mother could run it better.

I see. Who's the Fated One?

Wha? He's Date Seiji, from an ancient family of Human Demon Hunters. He was cursed-fated, Mother calls it- to be a Daemon long before he was born. He is the most powerful creature in this realm. Even the Succubi are afraid of him.

This is unusual I take it. His sardonic voice makes her pause.

What, being disgustingly powerful? Umm…DUH!

I see. I'll have your newest, then.

"When I rushed home to tell Mother about him, she didn't see why I was so excited. I didn't realize that she was worried that he could insinuate himself into my thoughts like that. He stood out, but not enough to make me really excited. Not without magic." Rya says as the memory ends.

"Rya, what do you know about Lloyd as he is now?"

"Almost nothing. He relocated his base. A canyon, I think. I have a friend who's been keeping tabs on him."

"Show me his old one." Nasuti says.

Rya nods and they are somewhere else.

"This is his old home." Rya says as Nasuti gasps. They are within a huge castle. It is almost completely dark, with only a few torches scattered around to give off light. Rya leads Nasuti to a huge room.

"The Throne Room." Rya whispers. The throne before them is vaguely cross-shaped. It shines like silver in what little light there is despite its dark color. They can barely see the man who sits upon it. He is dressed entirely in black, only the silver of his hair and vest stand out from the throne. He looks up, to their surprise.

"I knew you'd come." He says. His voice has not changed from the memories. It is still smooth as oil and sweet as honey.

"Nasuti, I must thank you for your curiosity. It was your curiosity that brought Rya here."

Rya finds it in herself to speak, "Is it really? I have come here over and over again, walked these Halls, wracked my memories, trying to figure out where you went."

"Ah. Lenus." He says this with an understanding tone, as though he is consoling her, or maybe putting pieces together in his mind.

"No." Rya's voice loses its sardonic tone.

"Meru." He does not question, but it is obvious to Nasuti that he is guessing.

"No." Rya's voice is even, measured. If Lloyd can tell whether she is lying, Nasuti does not know. Nasuti herself does not know.

"Who, then? Lenus and Meru were the only who could amuse me long enough to gain my trust."

"Lenus loved you and Meru hated you. Besides, they say they are the same as you, but Meru doesn't hate humans. How could I use either?"

"Ah. Dart, of course. The fearless leader who was only concerned for his people. Gigantos, Winglies, Dragoons…. None of this concerned him." Lloyd's voice takes on a bitter turn. "But that leaves me one question. How could you find him, Rya? You were good but never that good."

"No." Rya is lying. Nasuti knows it, but does Lloyd?

"Rya, do not lie to me. Tell me how you found him."

Does he know? Can he? These thoughts and more flit through Nasuti's mind.

"We leave now." Rya says. A wind seems to rise from nowhere.

But only one leaves. For suddenly, she is at home, in Rya's room.

Postlude: The Hall of Sworn Revenge

He laughs. His lack of mirth does not affect the chilling beauty of the sound. He stands and raises his arms. Cruel laughter fills the Hall. The fires go out, but the laughter does not cease. It is the last thing his captive hears.

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Hnnn. The Preludes and Postludes were named after the rooms in Vagrant Story (Entrance to Darkness is the first room in the Wine Cellar, which is the first "level." Hall of Sworn Revenge is the first room in the Catacombs, the next "level"). They seemed apt.

I am actually pretty proud of this one. I refuse to tell you who the "looming evil" is. It isn't really Lloyd, though I make it look that way. I am amazed that I portrayed Lloyd's relationship with Rya so well. If you read this and then play Legend of Dragoon, you will notice that this sort of mirrors the relationship between Lloyd and Lenus, which is what it was meant to do. Except Rya isn't dead yet. And Rya isn't a Whatever-the-Hell-Lloyd-is (I know, as would any LoD player but any non-player will know whenever I find the time is ripe), unlike Lenus.

Hey, I sort of have a point…. Actually, no…

Recently, I went back to one of my favorite scenes in LoD. I was startled that Rose's voice was so high the first time I saw that FMV, and it still continues to amaze me…I mean, GEEZE! She shouted Kansas in this really weird voice…and it was really, insanely high…with an almost-Southern accent! I mean, oh god…but… "Ka-a-n-zus!" in that voice? I mean, sure, she's 26, but still! And like, her voice got lower! However, while Kansas wasn't the best voice-over-thing she got, "Zieg! ZIIIIEEEEGGGG!! *sob*" was AMAZING. It still makes me curl into a ball and just sob. Shirley's voice was more like what I'd thought Rose would sound like. And Zieg was so thin. His hair was really flat too, but…ah screw it, this ain't my blog…