Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade nor it’s characters, but I do own the plot idea of this Fic, and the world of Chrysalis.

Author Notes: Chapter 43, the final chapter of the second book. Wow I can’t believe that it took me over a year and a half to get this done. Yeesh! Two and a half years since I started WFE. Wow… where has the time gone?

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Chapter #43: Grand Blanc, Land Of Eternal Snow

Two and a half weeks passed so uneventfully that by the times the ship docked in Grand Blanc, they were all thoroughly high strung by the calm. The snow fell around them in large flakes, looking like cotton that melted on their mitts and cloaks.

“Geez… the snow is thick here,” Takara commented as she watched the snow fall around them. The ground at the docks was like a slushy, wet with partially molten, dirty snow. And in places it has frozen back, creating dangerous slippery black ice.

“Guys, should we send someone up ahead to announce our arrival? We’ll be at the castle in a day, if the weather is favourable,” Mariah said.

“That wouldn’t be such a bad idea, under normal circumstances, but Robert is more hospitable when he’s taken by surprise.” Johnny replied as he watched the gantry cranes lift their wagons out of the ship’s hold.

“So he might reject us even if we do show up?” Mariah asked surprised. The silence from Johnny spoke volumes.

“Mariah, don’t worry, he’ll be a fool to object to my kind of bargaining chip.” Vega brushed past the pink-haired elf, and clapped her on the shoulder.

“What? Vega?” Mariah turned around, watching as the woman approached Farrell who leaned down, allowing her to whisper in his ear. His eyes widened and the tiger seem to ponder on something. “What are you planning Vega?” Mariah wondered.

“Oh nothing. C’mon fluffy… we have a little flight ahead of us.”

“As you wish, Miss Vega.” The tiger moved away, assuming his true form, Vega didn’t waste time using one his paws to boost herself unto his back, fisting a bunch of his fur as reins.

“Vega doesn’t be stupid! What can you do that would sway…”

“Not what I can do.” Vega replied. “What Fluffy here can do. Robert doesn’t strike me as the kind of man who would commit a political faux pas. Fluffy here, after all… just happens to be the lord of the west. I’m pretty sure we can come up with a diplomatic solution.” With that said the tiger rose to his paws and took off.

---

“Mou… Miss Vega are you sure you can reason with Lord Jurgen?” Farrell asked as he flew up over the town. Vega reached up to pat him over the head.

“Don’t worry Fluffy, I think I can come across. You weren’t there at Johnny coronation. Lord Jurgen was pretty awkward by proxy when Johnny made entrance with Hikaru. And going by that, I have a feeling that face value is very important to him. Now how would it look if he rejected both you, and the Lady Of Destruction? Hmm?”

“Miss Vega, sometimes I do think you are using me.” The tiger sighed.

“I don’t see you objecting.” Vega replied, reaching over to tweak his ear. The tiger mewled, almost in the fashion of a sigh, but kept flying. After a few minutes he sped up and Vega had to lean down into his thick fur to avoid being swept off, or frozen solid by the cold air rushing past as they flew.

---

“Was it really wise to let her go off like that?” Max wondered as the wagons began to move on their way to their final destination.

“She’s with Farrell, and then there is Kaosu. I have a feeling all of Robert’s men wouldn’t be enough to stop them,” Charly reasoned with a shrug.

“I’m worried that Vega’s temper might get the better of her. She seemed pretty irate about Robert’s possible rejection. Though it didn’t show on her face, I could feel it quite plainly.” Max replied. At that Charly’s smile vanished.

“Lets hope,” she paused, a very ugly scenario already brewing in her mind. She wondered if the explosion plume would be visible from where they were. “Let’s just hope he is more agreeable than he appears to be then. Vega’s temper is the last thing you want to trifle with. Especially now that she knows fully what kind of damage she is capable of.”

---

Vega looked up when she felt Farrell decelerate, before her was a deep forest and a vast frozen lake, an upswell in the land formed a large cliff overlooking the lake, on top of which was a large castle.

“This is the place,” Farrell murmured. He hovered in the air, and without the wind rushing over her ears, Vega could hear the hum and snapping of the lightning he emitted to remain airborne. “But I’m afraid, landing might be difficult. I see archers on the walls. Longbowmen. Were I alone, I could fly right past them before they could fire a single shot. But with you miss Vega, I cannot fly that fast.”

“What do you mean archers? I don’t see a single one.” Vega looked over his head, fisting his fur tightly as she stood on her knees to see.

“They’re wearing white, they blend perfect with the stones of the castle. It’s not that I can see them miss Vega. I see the electricity that runs their bodies as a faint glow around their positions.”

“Ah I see.” Vega slumped back down. “Can you fly in until you are just out of their range?” she wondered. The tiger obeyed silently, losing altitude until they hovered just out of the range of arrows.

“Miss Vega… I do not see how I can breech their lines without endangering you.” Farrell said. Vega hummed as if she didn’t hear him.

“I have an idea fluffy. Arrows fired up would not fly even half the distance of their normal range. Gravity would yank them back down. See that flat section of roof on the west wing?”

“I see what you’re planning. Brilliant as always Miss Vega.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t come up with it yourself.”

“Mou… good point.” Vega patted his head and the tiger demon moved, gaining enough altitude to avoid arrows as he merely spiralled around, and landed calmly on the roof of the west wing. Almost immediately glaive-wielding soldiers appeared on the roof.

“Farrell and I mean no harm to you, or this castle. However we have traveled quite the distance for an audience with Lord Jurgen, so please…”

“And who are you to command us to do anything?”

“Notify Lord Jurgen that someone traveling with Lord McGregor has arrived. That is all you need to know.” Vega replied. One of the soldiers turned and ran back into the castle; Vega watched the others as a hawk. Farrell didn’t bother letting her dismount, this way if the soldiers were to attack, they could not reach her.

---

The soldier ran like the wind, his armour ringing like bells, and when he arrived at his lord’s study he knocked and stepped inside, instantly falling to his knee. Robert glanced at him, wondering for a brief moment what got the man so panicked. The soldier took the lord’s silence as permission to speak. “Milord, a human woman and a tiger demon just arrived. The two have landed on the west wing roof. She says she travels with Lord McGregor.” Robert’s straightened in surprise upon hearing that.

“I shall see her,” he said.

“Aye my liege.” The soldier backed out of the room, bowed, and ran off back towards the west wing. Robert picked up his cloak, which hung on a hook by the door and his sword, before exiting the room and shutting the door behind himself.

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“He sure takes his sweet time.” Vega whispered to Farrell, patting him over the head fondly. The tiger was eyeing the soldiers, his tail swishing from side to side in a way of a warning to the men. “I’m getting cold.” She added.

“Mou… Miss Vega, maybe you should’ve worn extra woollies.” Even as he spoke that, his ears perked up and Vega noticed this. Out of the shadow of the roof’s entry-way appeared Robert, carrying himself ever as a king, his owlish stare focused instantly on the giant feline, and the woman sitting on its back, playing with the tiger’s fur.

“You.” He said, emerging from the ring of soldiers. “Should have known. Only you would have no manners.” Farrell raised his paw, allowing Vega to slide down his side and unto his paw, where he set her down carefully. In an uncharacteristic show of humility, Vega bowed, but never once did she take her eyes off Robert, and her gaze was that of a serpent, ready to spring. “What is that you want woman?” Farrell behind her assumed human form.

“My group and I have made a landing on the shore an hour ago. They will be coming here soon enough. I flew ahead to announce our arrival.”

“And if I choose to reject you hospitality?” Robert wondered.

“I have foreseen the possibility. Which is why I have personally chosen to fly ahead.” She raised her hand to the ties of her cloak and undid them. In the light breeze, the heavy wool material slid off her shoulders easily, revealing the second cloak she wore. Farrell instantly grabbed the wool garment before it could become dirty. Robert’s eyes widened by a tiny fraction of an inch upon noticing the black metal guards on her shoulders, and it was enough to tell Vega that he recognized the cloak’s brandings. “I very much doubt you would do that. Milord. After all… I stand before you as more than a mere human woman. This cloak brands me as a servant to Akasha. But in actuality… I stand before you as The Lady Of Destruction herself.” The murmur of the soldiers exploded all around them, Farrell placed a hand on his reverse blade, weary of the whispering.

“I was not born yesterday woman. I do not for an instant believe that claim. Your bluff is as shallow as you are.”

“Oh pardon me my good sir. I did not rob two king demons out of their lives with a mere bluff.”

“I assure you, Miss Vega is quite who she says she is,” Farrell slipped in.

“A woman, and a traitorous demon. Hardly persuasive people. If that’s all, I will allow you to leave if you do so promptly. Out of respect for Johnny, I will overlook this act of trespassing and not throw two of his companions into my dungeons.” He turned around, the woman had too much bravado, and he was not about to waste any more of this time on her childish antics.

“And if we refuse? You would throw the Lord Of The West into your dungeon?” Vega asked. Robert’s step faltered and Vega grinned. ‘Checkmate’ she thought. When he turned around Vega wiped all trace of victorious smirk from her face. “Farrell here is none other than the western lord. Though I’m afraid with me so close to him, he cannot show you his birthright. The oldest of all lightning beasts, Djinn.” The name rung in Robert’s ears, echoing. There was no other way for the woman to know the name of the beast that passed from lord to lord, unless her claim was genuine. He hated that smug grin that soon graced her lips, she gambled, and she won, and Robert hated when he was outdone, especially at his own game.

“Very well woman. Follow me. And put on that cloak before you catch a cold. I don’t need a sick human running amuck.” With a gesture of his hand he parted the soldiers and they watched as the Lord walked to the entryway with the woman and the tiger demon following him closely. “I want to know what has been going on since our last… parting. It would seem much has happened. I am particularly interested in how it is that you have come to claim to be Akasha’s apostle of destruction.” Robert added over his shoulder.

“I’ll be happy to oblige, if there is a place where I can sit down and warm up. It’s a long tale.”

---

The wagons lumbered along the passageway between the coast and the castle. Flanked on either side by rock faces, the road snaked its way along a path cut into steep hills. The weather was clement for winter, there was no wind, but the snow was falling steadily, but the lack of wind didn’t make it particularly cold.

“We should arrive there by evening if the weather doesn’t get worse.” Rei announced, looking up from a map. “But this path is so winding… I don’t understand why we couldn’t use the straighter passage just west of here.”

“That area is prone to landslides and avalanches. Its best to avoid it.” Johnny slipped in.

“Will Vega come back?” Evelyn asked, clinging to Bryan, with no Farrell around to cling to, she clung to the next man in the group around whom she felt safe.

“Unlikely,” Johnny replied. “If I know Robert like I think I know Robert… she’ll likely be quite busy explaining things, especially if she does something as infinitely stupid as telling him about her new title.”

“Unfortunately as with Vega now… she likely will.” Max sighed. “I think Kaosu is having some adverse effects on her. She’s much more arrogant, more so than before… well before she figured out how to use the Magnum.”

“Is Robert really that bad?” Evelyn wondered.

“He’s a Jurgen, they’re not known for their congeniality,” Johnny replied. Evelyn didn’t know exactly what he meant, but she relaxed when Bryan put a hand on her head and ruffled her hair. As with all children, a small show of assurance went a long way.

Tala sat on the bench, silent through all of this. His arms folded over his chest as he pondered over everything. Figuring he should’ve went with them, but at the same time knowing that Vega was safe, with both Kaosu and Farrell around, as much as he disliked to admit it, Vega would be as safe as safe could be. And they haven’t seen black smoke from the north yet, meaning she hadn’t yet lost her temper to the point of using the magnum. That was after all a very good sign.

---

It was a few hours after sunset when the group arrived at the gates, the guards let them past wordlessly. Which Johnny found odd indeed. As the wagons lumbered up the drive way he noticed many curious looks from the guards. The wagons eventually pulled up to a stop and everyone climbed down. The castle’s atrium doors opened and there stood Vega and Farrell, the woman was grinning, and the tiger seemed relieved.

“What took so long?” she asked.

“Vega!” the girls called, racing up the steps to their friends.

“Fluffy!” Evelyn let go of Bryan’s cloak and raced up the steps to cling unto her first choice of a guardian, her arms flailing, and a big smile on her face. Farrell kneeled, letting the child hug him as she wanted before he picked her up.

“Missed me little lady? Come now, I wasn’t gone long.” He assured.

“A child?” a voice asked. Evelyn gasped and jumped, clinging unto Farrell’s top, hesitantly looking at the man.

“That’s Evelyn, Robert please go easy on her… she’s shy.” Vega said.

“She’s…”

“Yes… but she can’t control it.”

“So you two reached some impasse?” Charly wondered, poking Vega in the side.

“I’ll tell you girls all about it later,” Vega replied.

“Well it matters not, come on in. I shall have the maids show you to your chambers. After that, come to the dining hall, there shall be a late dinner in half an hour.” With that said Robert walked off.

The lord’s mind was abuzz, musing over this latest piece of information, last he recalled Plague was supposed to be a demoness or a witch, not a child who clung to people due to a childish shyness of strangers.

Johnny watched this closely, wondering just what Vega had to tell the lord to get them such uncharacteristic hospitality from Robert. He knew the Wind Lord respected those with power, and as scary as it was, Vega had a lot. But for him to be so hospitable, there had to be something else.

“Vega I’m going to need a word with you.” He said coolly.

“Uh… sure Johnny,” Vega replied, confused.

Wolborg materialized, no bigger than a common pet dog, “Vega have you lost track of the calendar?” he asked.

“Wha?” the girl wondered.

“Tonight is a full moon. And it will rise in about half an hour… Kaosu and I will undergo our… metamorphosis.”

“I guess I’ll be late for dinner. Huh?” Vega asked. “Kaosu omitted this whole thing, and somehow I have a feeling he did it on purpose.”

The maids arrived to take them to their rooms, and they were surprised when Vega asked for the bathhouse instead. Tala waited by the gates, Wolborg would assume form from the snow and ice, so all he had to do was wait.

---

When the two entered the dining room, flanked by Kaosu and Wolborg, they took their seats. Kaosu and Wolborg meanwhile sat at the end of the table, ignoring the food before them. Even despite being in human form, they could not eat. They also didn’t feel like being anywhere near Robert, judging by his owlish stare that didn’t seem to waver from their general direction, both knew it was impossible for him not to have recognized at least Kaosu, and by extension Wolborg.

The wolf demon couldn’t help but be a little annoyed at the whole thing, and as he watched his former pupil he knew the feeling was mutual. There was a tense posture in the dragon’s shoulders, and his tail tip shook from side to side agitatedly. Kaosu was eyeing Vega, who was sitting at Robert’s immediate right, which didn’t go unnoticed by everyone. Least of all Johnny, who had an unusual scowl, and seemed to ready to pounce at any moment and demand the meaning behind the sudden disrespect on Robert’s part. All he needed was likely for something to snap the hair trigger of his normally very short temper.

“These months will amusing to say the least.” Wolborg said to his former pupil.

“Indeed… Vega does not realize what she has gotten herself into. And she refuses to listen to me. Wolborg tell your… ward that he should keep an eye on Vega. I cannot do much if she is away from water, and it makes me uneasy. I very much don’t like the way Robert is suddenly treating her so… respectfully. He is planning something.”

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Author Notes: Well this is it for this chapter and this book. It was really a lot of fun. This story really went from one thing to another in the duration of this second book, more particular in the last six months with the final three arcs or so. The plot really came a long way. And the third book will bring it all together in an explosive climax. I can’t wait to get that out. I have such an ending in mind, that it will blow your minds. Oh on that note, all new chapters will be published under the third book, ‘Wishing For Eternity Book 3: The Journey Home’. The way I have it laid out, it wont be as long as one or two. So it won’t take a year and a half to get it out. My goal? Six months. I have a lot of time on my hands now that I no longer have studies bogging me down. So I shall slave at getting the third book out. So keep a lookout for that. Adding me to you update alerts wouldn’t hurt.

Bonus Materials: As with the first book, I will put up a list of songs that I consider befitting the second book. This time there is a noticeable contrast between the mush-heavy list of the first book and the heavier tones of the second. Songs marked with an (R) are highly recommended, but really I would say if you can scratch together the whole list, you will not be disappointed. These songs were chosen for lyrical fitting, as well as tones, and the whole air of the song.

Who Wants To Live Forever – Queen (Farrell’s theme) (R)

You Can Still Be Free – Savage Garden (Brooklyn’s theme)

True Colors – Phil Collins (Evelyn’s theme)

Missing – Evanescence (Evangeline’s theme)

A Thousand Years – Sting (Farrell’s lament) (R)

Not Listening – Papa Roach (Lueaxanna’s song)

Bring Me To Life – Evanescence (Gluttony’s Theme)

Hit The Floor – Linkin Park (Sloth’s theme)

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me – U2 (Tahmores/Lueaxanna theme)