This update took forever! I have a list of excuses that I won't bother giving o.O
I feel like such a jerk TT
and this chapter is probably as odd as the last one XD

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Farewell

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Late into the thunderous night, Kasumi stayed at Mondo's side as she had throughout the entire journey back to Dunan castle. The trek had been long, cold and extremely wet yet she pushed the bitter weather aside and focused all her attention upon her teacher. At the time, nothing else mattered to her but his safe return to Huan's medicinal care where he could be treated and cared for properly. Even McDohl's abandonment escaped her mind.

However, now that she was assured Mondo was safe, what had escaped her mind was beginning to return.

No tears burned her eyes nor did any sobs rock her body. She'd cried enough for that day and only found it exhausting if she tried anymore. Even now, thinking about how he had turned away from her, the young ninja could find no outward signs of depression to show other than a dank and confused stare.

"I really don't understand him..." Kasumi whispered as she lifted her hand to embrace Mondo's once more. "He tells me to go away...but then he comes to save me...only to leave again. What is he trying to say?" Like a scolded child she began to bow her head. "Perhaps though, he wasn't trying to save me, but something else I'll never know of..."

A desolate sigh of a mournful lover left her lips. Such a downtrodden sound that was nearly as grave as the weather outside. McDohl's actions were killing her inside and driving her to want to drown out the world. The feeling was a magnification of the distress she'd felt the day Rokkakku was attacked and burned to the ground. They say it was better to have loved, then lost, then to have never loved at all...But how did that apply if you love, never had, yet lost anyway? Kasumi decided it was one of those things said only ment to make you feel worse.

"Maybe...I should just leave him alone." Before her words had even ended she knew she couldn't. For four years she had left him be and for those long years she could feel nothing but a black void in her soul. It would be too much for her to bare if she simply let him go again. The ninja needed to confront the young hero and admit so many things only to hope and plea he felt the same in return.

Everything felt like a tale one would tell to children...except that the happy ending was uncertain.

Another sigh and she released Mondo's hand while standing to her full hieght. "I will find out. I can't fight myself any longer...Tonight I must confront Master McDohl." No more thoughts were pondered for fear of rethinking her actions.

Silently, the ninja slipped out of the room and strode quickly through the castle halls. The rain pattered gently in rhythm with her nearly inaudible footsteps making it seem as though she was not there, only a shadow cast by the lightning in the sky. "Where could he be?"

Kasumi paused in the mainhall where the Destiny stone was present. Only two guards were protecting it's vastness and both were fast asleep. Such an oddity caused the ninja to furrow her brows slightly as she slipped further into the shadows. These guards never slept. They all switched off every three hours to avoid dozing.

Before she could further think of the strange occurance, a dark figure became apparent to her. She recognized Clive's dark cloak and golden blonde hair in a sudden flash of light created by the storm outside. Instead of inquiring upon his presence she remained quiet and froze as his keen eyes scanned the room.

"McDohl." He grunted with a bland tone. "Let's go." He exited the maindoors and behind him, the young man followed. The entire ordeal struck more confusion upon Kasumi's heart.

What are they doing? Unable to answer her own question, she waited a moment and followed them out into the savage rain.

Once outside, she had no sight of them. It was dark and loud, making detection nearly impossible. Her savior was a short series of lightning strikes that lit the courtyard and allowed her to see both men standing against the southern wall very near the front gate. It was only the beginning of many things she wouldn't understand.

"Master McDohl!" Kasumi called, attempting to project her voice over the rain. She knew it had worked when both Clive and the young hero looked in her direction, then began to walk away. "McDohl!" She tried again, this time at an attempt to make him halt. He did nothing of the sort and continued on, each step driving a spike into the ninja's heart.

A feeling of helplessness clouded her mind. Distraught and hopeless she could do nothing but try one last time. Her voice was desolate and broken as it drifted through the turbulent air. "Tir!"

McDohl stopped abruptly. Since the Liberation of Toran he had never been referred to by his first name. Pahn, Gremio, Cleo, even Viktor or Flik had never called him anything but his last name since Barbarossa had been defeated. But for some reason hearing Kasumi call him by such a name tore at his mind and forced upon him the feeling of being a true adolescent once again. His lost teenage years now wanted to make him turn to her and laugh as if everything were a joke. The Soul Eater, the wars, his dwindling sanity, all of it was nothing but a prank to bring him closer to her.

But of course that would be a hopeless lie that he himself wanted to believe yet knew was far from the truth.

"Don't leave...again...I-"

At Kasumi's gently and pleading voice, McDohl spun to face her with an expression so cold it nearly froze the air. He charged up to her almost violently, forcing the young ninja back several frightened steps. An air of righteousness surrounded him, only to turn to fear once hitting Kasumi. He looked horribly menacing with such an expression digging into her as he leaned closer in a very intimidating manner.

"Kasumi," His voice was low, yet forceful. Such a tone shocked her enough that she couldn't respond. "Do you want this war to end? Do you want peace? Do you want to be married and have children without having to worry about war carving out your heart? Do you want to be free Kasumi?" A silence hung in the air.

She didn't know what he was saying. If he had said it in almost any other tone without such a terrible look in his eyes she could have thought he was suggesting something to her. But with how frightening he was being she didn't know how to answer.

So she answered truthfully. "H-hai..."

McDohl's eyes softened as he raised a hand to caress her cold, wet cheek. He looked so tender and caring just as he had the night they had walked together. When finally he did speak again, he was so close his lips tenderly brushed against hers. "Goodbye Kasumi..."

Perhaps she would have been happy if his sentence had not alarmed her so severely. Fear turned to terror of another sort. The horrid terror of losing what is most precious to one in the world. However, even as protests began to form in her mind, she began to feel groggy. The tears returned and blurred her eyes as a faint chanting drifted into her consciousness. "No..." The last thing she would remember was the mournful face of McDohl as she involuntarily dropped into sleep.

Luc sighed in irritation as he pushed damp bangs from his face. "Idiot, letting yourself be followed. I should have let her cry and scream and watch in glee as your plan was foiled. Not lull her to sleep."

"Thank you..." McDohl whispered thinly as he quietly held Kasumi's limp body. He had paid no heed to Luc's bitter comment and hence, thanked him for his assistance. "She doesn't need to know what's going on..."

"She'll remember us." Clive stated simply. "Luc and I."

The magician scoffed. "You forget that she never saw me."

"She heard you. I'm sure of that."

McDohl interrupted the conversation suddenly, his eyes still fixated upon the ninja in his arms. "It doesn't matter. By the time anyone figures it out, it'll be too late. Just hold back as long as possible."

"Whatever...Just hurry up with your plans and free me from this damned place..." Luc stated darkly before disappearing via a finger snap.

Clive had no response. He removed his cloak silently and held it out to McDohl with a very vague sense of interest. He wasn't fully sure why, but the young man had always tugged at his curiosity; something that very, very few people or things did. Perhaps it was McDohl's determination, or even the fierce will to help people survive that he harboured that had allowed Clive to be interested. Whatever it was, it was the only reason the sharpshooter was helping the younger man.

Glimpsing at the cloak McDohl nodded slightly and cast Kasumi an apologetic look. With a gentle and loving touch he pushed wet strands of hair from her face as he spoke to her. "This is farewell...Our paths will never cross again..." He bit his lip slightly as he handed her reluctantly to Clive. So many things could have been said and emotions could have been unleashed yet all were silent as the young hero took the sopping wet cloak and turned sideways to clasp it about his neck.

Hollow expressions were exchanged thinly by McDohl and Clive, neither wishing to say anything to one another concerning the situation. No good-byes were said as the gunman turned to return Kasumi in her bed and the young hero took off running out of the castle's front gates.

Almost immediately he was spotted by the gate guards. "Hey!" One of them shouted miserably through the rain. McDohl ignored the holler and continued on, taking long urgent strides as he did. He could only hope that he had gone fast enough and the weather was bad enough that the ruse would be successful.

"Knock it off! There's no point in trying to stop him!" The second guard growled to the first.

"Why not! Lord Shu requested that no one leave!"

"Clive always leaves! You want to try and stop him? Be my guest, it'll be great to watch you be shot for your stupidity."

There was silence then a simple. "Oh. Well never mind then."

The trickery was successful. McDohl could feel the cranks of his mind moving to signal a beginning. His plans were starting their motion which filled him full of a morbid determination. Perhaps he was trying to save the world, or perhaps he was going insane. Either way everything would end soon and McDohl found solace in that.

"The Kingdom of Highland..."

The Soul Eater began to shimmer. It's dark light illuminated McDohl's leather glove and pulsed like a beacon activated in a storm. Each throb drummed not pain, but invigoration into the staffwielder as though the true rune was prompting and supporting the psychotic ideals.

"You and I Soul Eater..." His voice drifted hollowly through the wind torn brush. "We will make it fall to our hands..."

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"Culgan, Seed."

The two knights stepped forward, one the epitome of calm, the other a living flame. "Yes Highness?" Both Generals bowed with respect to their sovereign, Jowy Blight.

The teenage monarch stood beside an ivory stallion, looking down at the two with a simple expression. His days as king had waned his smiles to nothing but a faint memory which left him looking cold and serious. "Are your troops prepared?"

Culgan was the first to speak, leaving Seed to impatiently wait his turn. "We are your Majesty. With the combined power of the Matilda Knights and your strategic-"

"We are ready as well Highness." Seed cut in quickly, deciding no one needed to hear Culgan's elaboration upon the assault. "Every man is strong and prepared to plunge into battle for the glory of Highland!" Glee and anxiety rang powerfully in the young General's tone making it difficult for him to keep his voice low and formal. His apparent lust was for nothing but battle.

It forced a thin grin of taunting from Culgan. "A true barbarian. Do you drink the blood of your enemies after battle as well?"

"Hmph." Seed glared sideways, his eyes burning ambers of challenge and dislike at being made fun of. "I'll wipe that grin off of your damned face Culgan!"

Jowy shook his head slightly. "Enough please. You do remember the battle plan do you not?"

"Yes Majesty."

"Yes Highness."

"Very well...I wish to inform you of a-" Jowy paused and wavered slightly, needing his horse for support. His eyes lulled while his head spun in reaction to a dismal flash from his true rune. "ungh..."

Culgan moved to steady his King while Seed drew his sword. Aggravation engulfed the younger general as he keenly looked about for any signs of danger. "What the hell just happened! Is this some sort of magic?"

"Perhaps his majesty is just exhausted?" Culgan suggested, though neither knight received an answer from the Highland monarch.

"Sword Rune..." Jowy uttered vaguely as his vision lost and regained focus erratically. A buzz flooded his mind and showed him images of many things he didn't understand. Battles past, warriors fought and destroyed. Faces of the ones he cared for such as Nanami, Jillia and Pilika only to be severed and destroyed by fire. A subtle gasp left his mouth and his pupils dilated in fear. "What...how!" The final visions bestowed upon him were of L'Renouille in runes, then of Riou prepared to fight.

His senses were restored as Seed's hand connected with the side of his face. Jowy blinked several times as if to assure himself of what he'd just experienced. "...Riou...You wouldn't..."

"Seed!" Culgan snapped "That's blasphemous! Slapping your King!"

"Shut up you old bastard! It brought him around, didn't it?" Wanting nothing more than to impale Culgan, Seed suppressed his urges and looked down at Jowy. "Your Highness, Are you alright?"

Jowy tore away from Culgan and jumped onto his saddle. His face was contorted by fear and fury even as he willed the steed to turn about. "Back to L'Renouille!" He snapped vibrantly which surprised his subordinates.

"But your Majesty what about Matilda?"

"Assemble your troops and return!" Taking no more time to dawdle, Jowy spurred the horse and set off at full gallop to Highland.

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A particularly loud crash of thunder startled Riou from his sleep. He cringed slightly for his body still ached from his encounter with Yuber in the previous battle. "Ow..."

He looked out the window and rubbed his pounding head. As the grogginess began to lift he could feel that something was amiss - out of balance even. Such a feeling grew more and more troubling at a steady pace until suddenly he was wide awake and on the verge of panic.

A bright light flooded his room as the Shield Rune activated. Riou jumped in surprise and stared in befuddlement at his hand. "W-what's going on?" Again it flashed with such intensity that the young warrior was forced to squint his eyes. He knew then that his rune was trying to speak to him.

"Shield Rune..." He whispered quietly and attempted to focus upon its power. "What are you trying to tell me...?" At first, there was no response. No flash of light, hum of noise or even a twinge of pain. Determined to find an answer, Riou focused intensely upon his rune. "Please tell me."

A dull pulse spread through the hero's body as images began to flood through his mind. The pictures weren't vivid but alarmed him nonetheless. Fire, suffering, the twisting of a pure mind. He could see darkness and within it a clouded figure running and fighting for what seemed like eternity. With each image Riou's eyes grew steadily wider until a final image sat before him. The person was so sad and forlorn it bit at the young leader's conscience.

"...Jowy?"

The picture began to crumble and burn before fading into darkness. Fear gripped Riou fiercely as he jumped to his feet. "No Jowy!"

"Lord Riou!" One of his guards shouted with alarm. "Is everything alright!"

The boy held his head for a moment so that he could gather jumbled thoughts. "No...Awaken Lord Shu and-and everyone else." He found he had to pause again, this time to beat down panicked worry concerning his old friend. "Flik, Viktor, all of the commanders, Now!"

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Connections...hmm...Is this destiny?

Hahah, I'm sure it seems a bit strange, but bare with me ;

Read and Review please