Sorcerer Hunters Fan Fiction ❯ Perchance to Dream ❯ Family ( Chapter 3 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Perchance To Dream

Written By: Teno Hikari
email: teno_hikari@yahoo.com / tenohikari@cs.com
Beta-Read By: Sarryn

Disclaimer: I own nothing but this computer and you can't have it!!!

Summary: To permanently seal the Hakaishin, Big Mamma attempts to kill Carrot by putting him into a deep sleep. However, her plans get interrupted and Carrot awakes physically the same; but mentally, a completely different person.

Warning: Spoilers for both the TV series and manga. Violence, adult situations (a lemon here and there), and yaoi / shounen ai - you've been warned.

Pairings: Carrot/Zaha, some Marron/Gateau, and some others I'll add in later.



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"All stories are true, some just never happened."
The Sandman - by Neil Gaiman

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The funeral had been brief since Onion had stated long ago that he didn't want a long boring one, which would make everyone wish he or she was dead. To honor the man's last request, the eulogy was short and there would be a feast at the wake. It made Zanahoria almost roll his eyes ... almost, considering it was his father who had died. Died for him... just like Marron had.

The Haz Knight shifted uncomfortably in his seat, sipping absently at his tea as he listened to the others tell old stories of their adventures with Onion. He had heard these stories time after time. His father used them as a hobby to annoy his eldest son and pick up women. The stories always started with a "Back in my day..." and then father and son found themselves trading insults. Nothing new... but Carrot Glace finally stopped when his father blurted out things like: "I hate you" and "Why are you still alive?" He knew his old mad said them just to get under his skin ... and it did ... then straight to his heart. The only thing that bonded Carrot and Onion together had been Marron. When that bond was gone, the older Glace brother disappeared from the face of Spooner Continent completely. Fate had been cruel when the two men were reunited after several years.

"Um?"

Zanahoria looked up and was surprised to see Onion's daughter standing before him. The young girl was his little sister and only sibling left. She was of average height and had most of her mother's features. Her
hair was black, the only physical feature that she probably inherited from Onion.

"You're Zanahoria, right?" she asked hesitantly.

"I am."

"Hi, I'm Sundae. Sundae Glace." She fidgeted nervously before gesturing towards the door. "Can I talk to you?"

"Certainly."

He really didn't want to though, but it would be rude to reject her request at their, her as far as she knew, father's wake. Zanahoria rose from his chair and followed the young girl out the door so they could
speak in private. Frantically, he tried to guess all of her possible questions and hoped none of them were about Carrot Glace.

"I heard that you were with my father when he died," the teenager blurted out as soon as she shut the door. He nodded his head and Sundae took a deep breath. "Would you tell me what happened?"

He stiffened but thankfully his Haz Knight robes hid it well. The knight looked down at the young girl and considered. How old was she? Fourteen? Fifteen? Yes, he had been her age when he became a Sorcerer Hunter... almost twenty years ago. For a moment, he began to feel his age ...
restless and weary.

"I will," he said after a long moment. "But not today... not here."

"Then when and where?" she asked with a bit impatience in her tone.

"When you return to the Church," Zanahoria answered. "We'll talk, I promise."

She nodded silently and shivered as a cold breeze blew passed. "It'll be a few weeks though ... Big Mama told me that I could take my time... mom is still pretty shaken up. Dad just went to go pay his respects to
his old family and didn't come back ... then mom went to go check up on him. She found him ... dead ... and his killer ..."

Zanahoria stopped breathing and went pale. "His killer ...? She saw him?"

"Yeah," his sister gritted out. "Mom said that the man was dressed in all black, really tall, and had shoulder length violet hair. She said that after dad was killed the man ...went mad."

The Knight nodded and wondered just how mad Zaha went to have his prey slip from his clutches once again?

"Were you a friend of dad's?" Sundae cocked her head and tried to meet his eye. The Haz Knight refused to be discovered yet a second time; he did have his father's eyes after all.

"I was, but we weren't close." Not technically a lie.

"Oh..."

"It's getting colder, you should got back inside."

"Mmmm... okay," she said with a nod. "Aren't you coming back in or going back home?"

'Home?' thought the man formerly known as Carrot Glace. 'I am home ... aren't I? Or did I give that up, too, along with my name?'

"I think I'll head back to the Church now," he answered.

"Well, I'll being seeing you." Sundae placed a hand on the doorknob before turning to face him again. "Remember you promised!"

"I will honor it, my lady." Zanahoria gave her a small smile and the young girl blushed. "Goodnight."

"Eer... goodnight, Zanahoria...," she stuttered before turning back inside. From the corner of his eye, the young knight spotted Cinnamon at the window. She was beaming at him from the rim of her teacup. He hope she wasn't going to come out and talk to him ... otherwise he'd be stuck out here the whole night. For the sake of his sanity, he would have to teach her to speak faster... surely it could be done. All Zanahoria
needed was time and right now he had plenty of that.

Cinnamon tore her gaze from him as Sundae approached her. They were talking and the girl, being very young, was surprisingly not impatient. His sister was so unlike him ... but not exactly like Marron. Taking a deep breath, he turned on his heel and stalked into the woods.

Laughing ...

Sundae was laughing. It must be some funny story that Chiffon was telling her. He would have to remind himself to thank the older Haz Knight later. Zanahoria kept walking and refused to look back to the place that had once been home. It wasn't his home anymore. If he wanted his little sister's happiness, then he would have to stay away.

The Knight stopped in his tracks, miles away from Hordic, looked up and glared. A crow perched upon the branch of a tree, staring down at him. Ebony black feathers fluttered gracefully before they pulled back. Beady looking eyes glinted in the darkness... one black and the other gold.

"Persistent bastard, aren't you?" he hissed as strong arms wrapped around his torso possessively.

"You know me well," Zaha almost purred. The Sorcerer smiled as the boy in his arms began to shiver despite the layers of armor and robes he wore. A hand undid the cowl of the Knight's cloak, letting it fall to the ground, while another hand began to wander underneath those robes...

"Stop it!" Zanahoria growled as the hand under his robes paused a little too close to his groin. "You're indecent ... you murdered my father ... to think I'll ever..."

Zaha let out a low laugh as the smaller body stiffened at his touch. "You wanted your father dead because you hated him. Don't deny it ... but you're relieved that he's gone."

"I'm not!" the younger man shouted. "I hated him before... but I don't now... I hate you for killing him ... I hate you!"

The former knight just smirked as he only tightened his grip. "You hate me but you want me ... want this. Many have died for you, Carrot Glace, and you couldn't do a thing to save them. Their blood is as much on your hands as on mine."

The boy let out a gasp as he was shoved up against the trunk of a tree while an unseen force pinned his arms above his head. A spell was immediately on his lips, ready to break the invisible binds that held him. But Zaha had beaten him once again: the Sorcerer silenced him with a kiss. Whatever the plan of action in Zanahoria's mind, it was quickly erased and he silently cursed himself.

He remained pliant as the older man leaned against him until the kiss finally ended. The Sorcerer pulled back a little, running his fingers through the young knight's black hair almost affectionately. Zanahoria
winced as the intimate gesture turned painful as his attacker twisted his hair.

"You only cared for Onion after he died," Zaha stated, releasing the boy's hair. "It's only when we lose something that we take for granted, do we actually value it's worth."

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Chapter Three - Family

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Gateau groaned as he turned in bed, muttering 'stupid fever and stupid Carrot' under his breath. It was because of that idiot that both he and Chocolate were stuck in bed with a cold. Chocolate didn't seemed to
mind since her 'darling' was waiting on them hand and foot. As soon as they settled down at Onion's house, Carrot immediately made sure they were taken care of. Marron and Tira had went to Grandpa's after Onion and Millie had disappeared somewhere. The older Sorcerer Hunter just wished Marron were here rather than his big brother who was acting so un-Carrot like.

"Do you need another blanket?"

A cool wet cloth wiped away the sweat from his forehead and made him sigh in relief. Gateau opened his eyes to regard the other boy standing at his bedside. Chestnut color-eyes that openly expressed his emotions, were now narrowed and closed off. Remembering the question, the older Sorcerer Hunter shook his head.

He closed his eyes again and thought of that glaring girl with the short blonde hair and blue eyes. Was it really Éclair? If so, why didn't she respond when he called out her name? Then again, maybe it wasn't her.
Maybe he was just delusional after catching a cold, but she really did look like his long lost sister. Physically that is. The girl who served Zaha Torte was too cold to be his little sister. Familiar stranger.
Just like Carrot. He thought he knew the perverted idiot ... now he wasn't even sure if Marron knew his own brother.

"It's already noon," Carrot informed him. "Did you sleep all right?"

Gateau gaped openly at Carrot before looking over to the open window where sunlight streamed through. Morning? The blonde groaned again, but did feel a bit better now that his fever was gone.

"Pops and Milphey are making lunch. Did you want to eat in here or outside with us?"

"Outside," Gateau answered. "I need some fresh air... and Marron..."

The other boy just nodded with a small smile on his face. The dark-haired teenager stood up and turned away to head out the bedroom. Before leaving, the older Sorcerer Hunter could have sworn he heard Carrot mumble an apology. It was weird, Carrot had already apologized last night ... so what else was he sorry for?


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"How are you feeling, sis?" asked Tira, poking her head inside the room. Her older sister just smiled from where she sat up in bed, holding a small teddy bear in her lap.

"A lot better," Chocolate answered before holding the bear up to Tira's face. "Look it's Pot-Sticker."

"Pot-Sticker!" Tira gasped then brought a hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle. "Wow, it's been ages! Where did you find him?"

"Here, it was on top of my pillow when I woke up." Chocolate smiled at the bear, although it was bit dusty and missing an eye. "We had him ever since we moved in with the Glaces. Before meeting darling, we used to drag Pot-Sticker around everywhere with us ... I think he lost his eye when I accidentally dropped him from a tree."

"Yeah, I remember mom got tired of sewing it back on..."

The two girls sighed happily as they reminisced about old childhood memories until someone knocked on the door.

"Come in!"

The bedroom door opened slowly and Carrot stepped inside.

"Darling!" Chocolate beamed at him, wishing she could leap out of bed to glomp him.

He gave her a slight smile. "Feeling better, I see."

"Uh huh!" the redhead nodded, not noticing the look of confusion on Tira's face at Carrot's behavior. "I feel even better now that you're here, darling."

"Are you all right Carrot?" asked Tira. "You look kind of pale. Did you sleep at all last night."

The dark-haired boy shrugged. "A little."

"You could always come in and join me," Chocolate suggested with a seductive smile on her face.

"Chocolate!" Tira exclaimed.

Carrot blinked before shaking his head. "I have to go and meet Grandpa now. You and Gateau should get some more rest if you want to get better."

"Whatever you say, darling," the elder sister nodded. "Tell Grandpa that I'll see him when I'm all better."

He nodded before his umber eyes narrowed in on the teddy bear in Chocolate's arms. Both of the sisters smiled as Chocolate held up the dusty looking stuffed animal. "Look, darling; it's Pot-sticker! You remember him, don't you?"

"No."

Carrot turned around quickly before they could see his forming glare.


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Onion whistled to himself as he doused the fire used for grilling up a lunch big enough for twenty people. Of course their group was under, ten but both he and Carrot ate more than enough for three people. He had to remind himself to keep a mallet nearby in case they ended up fighting like dogs for the last scrap of food.

Dusting his hands against his pants, he smiled and inhaled the sweet smell of pine from the forest along with the mouth-watering aroma of the barbecued salmon he had just prepared. He turned towards the large picnic table and the person sitting there. Milphey had been humming along with Onion as he set out the side dishes.

"So tell me...," Onion began, his carefree smile melting away. "He didn't start using magic until after Mama tried to kill him?"

Milphey stopped smiling and sighed, dropping his hands into his lap. "It's our belief that Carrot's near-death experience triggered a link with ...him. But nothing more, otherwise ... we wouldn't be here."

"Well, shit," the older-looking man cursed as he sat down at the table. "Why didn't Mama just hand him over to Zaha with a big red bow around his neck?!"

Milphey's delicate and feminine features hardened. "Onion..."

They stopped talking as Carrot stepped outside, closing the door behind him. There was a glare on his face, which quickly vanished when he faced the two men who were giving him curious stares. The teenager shifted uncomfortably before turning to face his father.

"Chocolate and Gateau are feeling well enough to come out for lunch."

Onion blinked. "Oh, good. Marron should be back from Grandpa's anytime now."

"Okay."

The older Glace swallowed hard, a normal conversation with the boy wasn't easy for him. Their relationship was pretty awkward, especially since they constantly battled one another, insulted one another... He didn't expect his son to ever open up to him ... and he hoped Carrot would now.

"Hey, idiot..." Onion felt like smacking himself. That sure wasn't a nice way of opening a deep conversation. He prepared himself to get punched and/or insulted but his son just stood there. His young face void of emotion.

"Yeah?" asked Carrot, not looking offended in the slightest.

"Uh..."

Milphey cleared his throat and made some excuse to go back inside in order to give father and son more privacy. The door closing shut behind him, Onion allowed himself to breathe and try to act normal.
Surprisingly, Carrot just stood there, waiting for him to finish.

"So, uh... are you all right?"

Carrot shrugged. "I'm fine. My ribs are feeling better thanks to Marron's healing spell."

"Marron healed you last night?" The former Haz Knight raised his eyebrow in suspicion. He knew Marron had been busy collecting herbs for his friends and hadn't healed Carrot's broken ribs. They weren't even broken when they caught up with Zaha, just bruised. "So other than the ribs ... you're okay?"

"Pretty much." The younger Glace nodded.

"You're sure?" his father pressed. "I mean after last night... with Zaha..."

Carrot sat down at the picnic table, drumming his fingers against the wooden surface. "You mean when he kissed me?"

Onion looked visibly uncomfortable as he tried not to remember that scene last night. Unfortunately he wasn't senile yet and his memory was still in tact. Damn memory of his former Captain leaning down and kissing his son. "You kissed back..."

The boy flinched and his fingers stopped their drumming. "It was a reaction," Carrot quickly explained. "I wasn't in the right frame of mind..."

"You sure sounded like you were," said Onion, folding his arms across his broad chest. The young man's eyes narrowed to glare at his father, but he stopped and simply let them close shut. The older Glace raised an eyebrow in surprise as his son calmed himself. "Wow, you've really changed..."

Carrot tear stood up from the table, a small weary smile played on his features as he turned to walk away. "That's the understatement of my life."


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Lunchtime came around and everyone enjoyed the feast. The day after the storm was calm and peaceful, with lots of sunshine and not a dark cloud in the sky. It was also filled with laughter and the retelling of old stories ... until they noticed something important. Chocolate looked up from where she was holding Pot-Sticker on her lap.

"Where's darling?"

Marron looked up from where he was sitting next to Gateau and then looked around their party. Carrot had returned for lunch and somehow slipped out without them noticing. Worry etched his face and he was about to go off looking for his brother until Milphey spoke up.

"I believe he went to see the village elder."

Tira cast a glance at Carrot's plate and it's half eaten food. She frowned as she looked at her older sister. "Why didn't he say anything?"

"That's weird," said Gateau as he helped himself to another tuna sandwich. "That idiot always announces when he's about to do stuff... even if he has to pee or something. Like we need to know..."

"Did he tell you anything, Milphey?" asked Onion as he cast a glance at his friend.

"The look on his face said it all," the pretty man sighed. "He wants to be left alone right now."

The party was silent for awhile until they heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Looking up, the teenagers were surprised to see a beautiful middle-aged woman standing before their table. She had long, wavy burgundy hair and jewel-like amethyst eyes; giving them a smile she held up a picnic basket.

"Sorry I'm late," the woman apologized. "The apple pies took a lot longer than I thought..."

Onion leapt up from the table and much to everyone's surprise, kissed her. The woman smiled and leaned against the taller man as he took her heavy picnic basket with one hand. They turned to look back at the
picnic table of their shocked audience as Onion wrapped his arm around the stranger.

"Everyone, I'd like you all to meet someone special to me," Onion beamed happily. He nodded his head to the beautiful lady. "This is Caramel."

"Pleased to meet you," Caramel smiled at the group of gaping people. Well, Milphey had shut his mouth and returned her kind smile.

Onion then gently took her hand and lifted it up so they could all see the ring set with a garnet on her finger. "She's also my fiancée."

"WHAT?!"


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Zanahoria lifted his head from where he knelt and looked over his shoulder to see her. Sundae fidgeted nervously before she stepped inside the dimmed room lit by over a hundred candles of all shapes and sizes.

The captain of the Haz Knights took in a deep breath before he stood up, watching her cross the room towards him. He could only count the seconds as her booted footsteps echoed off the marble floor. Sundae stopped a meter shy of the towering Knight, only an arms length apart. She was hidden in the length of his shadow. Knowing how uncomfortable the teenager was, Zanahoria made a gesture with his
hand. In mere seconds, his knightly armor faded from view, exposing the young man beneath it.

The girl let out a gasp of surprise. The Haz Knight Zanahoria was an enigma to her and her fellow Sorcerer Hunters. No one knew what the man looked like under those burgundy and black robes. What made him stand out from the other knights was the golden horns of his cowl. What did they represent? What did they mean to the Knight? Her amethyst eyes raked him down from head to toe, and blushed. He
surely wasn't what she and the other had expected him to look like. The young man appeared average looking for his age, the age he 'looked' like. But he was handsome ... especially the attire he wore underneath his robes. A burgundy sleeveless turtleneck, which matched the color of his uniform, made his made his warm-colored skin look pale. The rest of the outfit, the gauntlets around his arms, his pant, and boots, were all black and in leather.

Noticing that she was staring at his body, the girl ripped her gaze away and began to stammer an apology. But the words never left her mouth as she looked straight into his deep umber eyes. When he looked at her, she could see a profound sadness in his eyes. A sorrow so poignant that it made her heart ache. Then she took in his short spiky black hair and felt a sense of familiarity. Why did this man remind her of her father?

"This is who I was," he said absently after her inspection. "Carrot Glace."

She blinked, not comprehending at first. "Carrot? Carrot Glace?"

"Yes," Zanahoria nodded and attempted to smile. "I ... I'm your brother."

Another gasp of disbelief followed by a slap that echoed across the room. Chiffon paused by the door and took a step back to let the young Sorcerer Hunter run passed him. He looked over to his leader who
tentatively brought his hand up to his throbbing cheek and the red imprint of the girl's hand.

"Zanahoria?" the older Haz Knight took a step forward. "Aren't you going to go after her?"

The boy looked at him, letting his hand fall back to his side. "Why?"

"Ah, I see..." Chiffon nodded in Sundae's direction. "So that was your intention. She didn't even ask for an explanation?"

"She needed none," Zanahoria answered. "I abandoned my family ... She doesn't even know me. So why would she care about what a stranger has to say?"

The older man frowned as turned back to the young Knight. "That's because you won't let her know you."

"What would be the point?"

"You're family, that fact will never change... even if you have changed your name."

"I did more than just change my name!" snapped Zanahoria. "Look at me! Look at me and tell me if you see Carrot Glace in this room! The person I was doesn't exist anymore, because the world he protected destroyed him!"

Chiffon turned around and stalked towards the door. "No, Zanahoria. Our world did not destroy that child ... you did."

"It's ironic," the Knight continued, just a few steps outside. "Zaha Torte said your exact words before he turned. I wonder ... if you will follow in his footsteps..."

The young man flinched as he turned his gaze back on to his mentor. "Chiffon...?"

"Don't sever your ties with Carrot Glace," Chiffon advised him. "Don't push everyone away like Zaha did..."

Zanahoria closed his eyes, fighting the internal struggle within him. A part of him heard Chiffon and knew he was right. That part outweighed the negative side of himself that wanted to dispute. No, he wasn't going to become like Zaha Torte. His eyes opened with a look of determination as he nodded before rushing passed the older knight to find his sister.


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"Here you go, sweetie. Open wide!"

"AUUHHHHH!"

The four teenagers at the table just stared at the happy couple in disbelief. Well, Gateau stopped staring and was now trying to get Marron to close his gaping mouth. Then tried another approach, by pressing his
lips against his boyfriend's.

The kiss woke Marron right up from his stupor and responded before he remembered that the older boy's condition. "Gateau, you're still sick... we shouldn't do that until you get better..."

"But, Marron," Gateau protested. "It's okay. We're supposed to share everything..."

"I don't want your cold."

"Aww... you're no fun..."

Chocolate was beaming at the older couple as Caramel finished feeding Onion his slice of pie. "So how long have you two been together? When's the wedding? Where did you meet? Where are you going to go for your honeymoon?"

"Sis," Tira protested as she tried to still her bouncing sister. "Calm down..."

"About six months now," answered Caramel. "My little brother and I moved here to Hordic when he became a Sorcerer Hunter. But he... he passed away last summer..."

The commotion at the picnic table died down and Onion held his fiancée closer. "He was killed by a group of Sorcerer Hunter Killers ...according to Mama. After he died ... I had nowhere else to go, so I stayed
here."

"Onion was very helpful to my brother and I... and we fell in love." The older woman's face brightened again as she leaned closer against Onion and let him wrap his arms around her. "We're planning a Spring
Wedding. I'm so glad I got to meet you all ...and..."

Her violet eyes turned to Marron. "I hope you will give us your blessing."

The teenager blinked as he gazed at his father and his father's fiancée. His lips twitched into a smile as he nodded. "Of course, and I'm sure my brother gives his as well to see our father happy. To see you both
happy together."

Caramel blinked, "Brother? Is he here? I would like to meet him..."

"Ah, he took off to go see the elder," said Onion. "Now ... about the honeymoon..."

"Pervert."


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"She still hates me, doesn't she?"

Caramel finished removing her dried laundry from the clothesline and turned to face horned Knight. Brushing some gray-streaked, burgundy hair from her face, she gave him a smile as he helped her fold a bed sheet.

"Sundae doesn't hate you, Zanahoria," his stepmother assured him. "She's young ...and confused. Just give her more time."

"I have plenty of that," the young man sighed as he carried the load of laundry back into her house. "She still keeps in touch I hope."

"Writes me a letter almost every week." Caramel smiled as she gestured for him to sit down as she prepared some tea. "I know she's having a difficult time with this war. But she doesn't say anything about her hardships in her letter. You've been watching her, haven't you? Is she really all right?"

The Haz Knight sighed as he accepted the tea and simply held it in his gloved hands. "One of her team mates has passed away. I know she was pretty shaken about it..."

"Oh my," the older woman brought a hand over her mouth. "What happened?"

"Her team was jumped by a group of Sorcerer Hunter Killers. Sundae's team was able to defeat them, but one of her comrades took a bad hit. The Sorcerer Hunter died before they could take her to a doctor," he told her. "Sundae's strong ... she's hanging in there."

"I'm glad." Caramel gave him another smile before she broke into a series of coughs. The younger man was immediately at her side with a glass of water and a napkin.

"Caramel?"

"I'm getting old," she rasped weakly. "Winter is coming soon..."

He nodded before picking the older woman up in his arms and carrying her to the bedroom. "Please, get some rest. Is there anything I can do for you? Would you like some soup? Another blanket?"

Caramel brought the quilt up around herself and placed a hand on her stepson's. "Please ... continue to look after her, Zanahoria. After I'm gone ..."

His brown eyes widened slightly before he nodded his head. The Knight took a seat by her bedside and watched as the older woman fell asleep. He got up after feeling a draft in the room and made a nice fire in the fireplace.

The wind howled outside the bedroom window and Zanahoria gazed outside at the leafless trees and gray clouds. Sighing, he sat back down in the armchair beside Caramel's bed and listened to the chiming of the
grandfather clock in living room. Winter was coming soon ... the season of death. How many people in this war would live to see Spring? he wondered bitterly to himself.




Fires blazed and writhed in the darkness like a thing alive. The parti-colored flames flickered and swayed as they circled around two bodies. The fire boiled up, long tongues licking hungrily for further
sustenance, but it couldn't feast upon its victims as something held it at bay.

Sundae was the first to regain consciousness and felt something heavy pressed her into the ground. Whatever it was just groaned. Opening her eyes, she let out a gasp and looked down at the young looking man. Blood streamed down his torso from several gapping wounds.

"Zanahoria!"

The young man didn't respond as he continued to bleed all over her. Gritting her teeth, the Sorcerer Hunter carefully pushed him to the side so she could sit up. Letting him rest on his back, she pulled out one of her daggers and began to cut away the tattered Haz Knight uniform.

Sundae shut her eyes tight in horror, swallowing hard to reign in her nausea. The odor of charred flesh persisted, but after a moment she steeled herself and opened her eyes. Thank god the Knight couldn't see her reaction.

The shredded, bloodstained robes covered a wound much larger than she had expected. She realized he must have gotten this at very close range. The Sorcerer Hunter gazed warily at the exposed muscle, bone, and tendon still weeping with blood. It was only partially cauterized. Damn it, how come she didn't notice those fire archers earlier?!

"Zanahoria," she repeated again, removing his cowl. Her fingers slipped underneath his turtleneck and tried to feel a pulse. She found it, but it was faint ... he wasn't going to last much longer. "Zanahoria ...
please wake up..."

No response, she wondered if she just imagined feeling his pulse. He looked so pale ... so dead. Her violet-eyes watered as she began to shake the Haz Knight, hoping he would stir awake. Nothing.

"Don't leave me..." she pleaded, tears running down her face. "Please... stay with me... Zanahoria ... Carrot ..."

Still nothing.

"BROTHER!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, slamming her fists against his chest.

Zanahoria awoke with a gasp, his eyes flying wide open as he let loose a torrent of painful coughs. Quickly, his skin began flush with color and he was alive once more. The Knight sat up, wincing at his wounds and the impact of Sundae's fists.

Sundae...

He jerked his head to face her and let out a sigh of relief. She was okay. She was crying but okay. He raised a hand to his wound and took a deep breath. A few minutes later, the bloody rents in his flesh began to heal ... well at least the major one.

"You're still crying," he noted. "Are you all right...?"

"Idiot!" she spat out before throwing her arms around his neck. "My big brother is such an idiot..."

Zanahoria's digested her words slowly before smiling.

"Yes... I am."


-----------------------


Carrot awoke from where he lay against a massive tree trunk. Yawning, he stretched his limbs and leapt to his feet. It was sunset ... wonderful. He had spent the whole afternoon napping away and he was sure his family was worried about him. His mouth curved into a lazy smile as he
turned back to his house.

By the time he walked through the door, it was already nightfall and he simply told them he had taken a nap somewhere. His friends bought his excuse, after all he had stayed up most of the night looking after
Gateau and Chocolate. The young man walked passed the dinner table and towards one of the bedrooms. He didn't really need anymore sleep, but he did want time to analyze the dream he'd had during his afternoon nap.

"Onion sweetie, I don't think now would be a good time..." said a familiar voice behind his bedroom door. Carrot's eyes widened. No... it couldn't be...

"Don't worry, honey, I know the idiot is still awake. He did sleep the whole damn day..."

The young man rolled his eyes with an amused expression on his face. The door burst open and light flooded the darkened room. Wincing, Carrot turned his head towards the door to face his father, along with a very familiar looking young woman...

"Guess what, idiot son?"

Carrot yawned. "You're getting married?"

"WHAT?! Who told you?!"

"Congratulations," the young man smiled as he watched his father storm out of the room.

"Okay, which one of you ruined my surprise?!"

Caramel sighed before turning to the teenager and giving him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry about that... The news has been all over Hordic since the day he proposed. Oh... I forgot to introduce myself. My name's Caramel. Caramel Apple."

He got out of bed and to shake her hand politely. "My name's Carrot, but my pop forgets from time to time."

"I'm sure he doesn't mean it."

"I know he doesn't. My dad's a big loudmouth jerk, but he's decent guy."

Caramel stifled a laugh, "I know. Well, I'm really glad to meet you, Carrot."

"Likewise..." Carrot cocked his head and looked thoughtful. "Welcome to the family."




-----------------------



End of Chapter Three


::wrings out the mush from this chapter::