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Where Fate Turns
Chapter 16: Backattack!!
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I'm at University! It's craziness! I can't tell if I'm going to have more free time or less.

Linnda: XD Apparently, it was whim inspiration that let me release chapter so quickly.. ToT I'm so glad you're still reading and reviewing, though! There are lots of people who just... disappear and leave me wondering what happened to them. .

Crystal Ketchum Darklight: -smiles- Wee-!

KimuraSato: Kawaii desu ne? Hope you do keep writing more

Mimi-102: Your wishes were received -huggles-

Dragi: XD I dunno what to say. Thanks!

Hiril Moon: Holy dearness! Thank you so much for the many insightful reviews. That's the kind of enjoyment that gives me joy... if that makes sense, lol. And now summer's over... -cry- As for the others... you will have to read on to see. x3

takuya: Glad you got to read the chapter, hope you can read this one too!

black kitten: Ano.. XD; You ARE reading the fic, right?

KawaiiKaren: You're not alone, I don't have personal against Sora in this fic. XD Rewrite love! Whisper cards... if you have a good Hunter or Wizard, it shouldn't be that hard to get with... a lot of effort depending on the server, lol. I've seen a lot of similarities with this fic and Ragnarok: the Animation... one thing being blue-haired females guiding the main characters. It's freaky. My idea first dammit! XD Hope your RP goes well? x3

Rave-n: Aw, poor dead review. x.x What do you mean by "fast old guys," though? x3

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-When all is left and done, the past is not all that remains...-

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Takuya was in momentary bliss, although he naturally wished it was permanent. The first time he had been to Comodo, he had found a hidden hut-like structure. Some previous natives had long-abandoned the hut and it hadn't been occupied since. It reminded Takuya very much of Kouji's and his home back in Morroc. This hut was too small for a complete residence, as it only had room for a bench and some walking area, so Takuya knew it had a different use...

Not that he was going to overindulge... but times were so rare for them, and the youth could only keep working to relieve their burden... the burden set by those from the past. Which made Takuya wonder... was there a way to end the suffering? Was there a way to keep Ragnarok from ever occuring, to keep the MVPs out of Midgard forever? The idea hadn't arrived at him until Kouji mentioned how comforted he was now that the Moonlight ordeal was over.

But was it really over? There were too many questions of which he wanted answers. But he kept getting distracted before he could delve into it...

" Mmm... Kouji..." the brunette mumbled as the other cooed at his neck. Kouji's sweet, hot breath easily kept his worried thoughts running... running so far, it didn't occur to the brunette that he could discuss it. Well, he could save it for later...

A sensation-seeking tongue touched his sensitive areas, and the matter was thrown out of his mind. The darkness of the hut and Kouji's radiance was too much on his senses... it seemed as if the deep black was sucking him powerless while Kouji was his only salvation. Of course, salvation did not come without fee...

" Kouji... the things you do to me..."

" Hn... just doing what feels natural," the pony-tailed Assassin replied, moving his hands along Takuya's silky flesh, " Not my fault you like it so much."

" So... tease..."

Kouji paused, remembering fragments of the event before withdrawing from Moonlight's control. He remembered all of the tenacious things he had done to Takuya...

" I'm sorry," he said, changing moods.

" W... wha?" Takuya said sleepily.

" Everything I've done to you under Moonlight's influence... I know it was because of her, yet... I let it happen. I ran from you that day..."

Takuya watched him as if Kouji were a hurt Desert Wolf Puppy. " No, Kouji... I'm at fault as well. I didn't pay enough attention to you... I was too enrapt in things that weren't nearly as important as I made them. It wasn't until I was alone with you in Payon cave that I realized how large of a mistake I made." Takuya nuzzled against Kouji's chest as the other gripped him tightly. " I never want to value you over anything else so flippantly... You mean too much to me."

Touched, Kouji gave the brunette the rarest of smiles. " You too, Takuya. I wouldn't be the same without you."

" No... you'd be going around killing people with your solid charm. Definitely like you."

Kouji gave him a blank stare that showed he wasn't impressed. He did, however, sigh. " Don't want to know what goes on in your head sometimes."

" It'd be boring if you DID know. Makes life more entertaining if there's mystery, na?" Takuya relaxed for a moment before he spoke again. " Do you think we should head back? They might think we got lost."

" They wouldn't underestimate us that much... stay for now." Kouji held Takuya tightly, settling back onto the bench. " Please..." No opportunity to disagree... as if Takuya wanted to. It was one last moment before they would all tumble into oblivion...

----

" I've never worked with Dancers before," Kouichi noted as they prepared plans the following morning.

" We won't get in your way," Izumi reassured, " Although we might send the MVPs on the run, hehe."

" That won't be useful if we want to FIND and HUNT them down," Kouji half-muttered.

Izumi appeared to be offended, but Takuya excused him. " He's always like that... Best get used to it."

" Let's move it," the pony-tailed Assassin ordered effortlessly, " The sooner, the better."

" I'll call our party warper," Shinya said as he pulled out a small, electronic device. " Worm, are you there?"

Not long after, an Acolyte in rusty-brown clothing arrived. " 2,000 zeny for Glast Heim! Gogo!"

Glast Heim was a ghostly place at first impression. Stray monsters wandered the ancient city, haunting anyone who dared to tread by. It almost seemed like a Halloween scene, yet it lacked the cheeriness of humor that came with the holiday. Rather than spooky dark towers with pointy pillars, Glast Heim looked like a cursed ghost town... a place in which the life was sucked out by something dreadful. Pale blue and grey floor tiles and broken buildings layed over once-plentiful greenery. One could only suspect...

" Now to find the others before we go in..." Takuya said as he scanned their surroundings.

" Hide inside the party, you two..." Kouichi warned to Taichi and Yamato, " These people might be looking for us."

" Pathetic that you need to hide," Sefirot said as Taichi moved behind his PecoPeco, " We should tear them down one at a time and see how they like it."

" No... these are people we're fighting for, not against... this isn't their war," Taichi reasoned half-heartedly, looking down.

" They're trying to make it their war, however," Sefirot commented, " It would only be just to put them in their place. Even if this isn't their war, there will be war among us eventually."

Moonlight's words suddenly echoed in the brunette's mind. 'Is it because you don't want to hear it? You don't want to hear that your actions will lead to the death of all humans sooner or later?'

" I know..."

" Life is an ongoing war... there is never eternal peace," Sefirot continued sagely. He sighed. " But alas, you stand correctly. We must concentrate on the larger threat. Other issues... later."

Yamato raised an arm to let Hawkes onto it. " Hawkes couldn't find anyone familiar, so I doubt they're out here in the open. They may be inside already."

" Heh... troublesome. Maybe they didn't need our help at all and they're already sealing the remaining two MVPs," Kouji mumbled, adjusting his bandana.

" I won't allow that! I want a piece of them before they go," Takuya growled, a dark flare in his gleaming eyes. " Those bastards..."

" What are YOU so worked up about? Sure, they don't belong here, but that doesn't mean we should treat them with such hostility," Izumi said playfully, not realizing that she had hit an out-of-tune keyboard on the piano.

Takuya remained still for a tense moment, his stance unpredictable. Kouji watched him worriedly, feeling a sickly recognizable aura coming from his lover... An aura that spilled crimson red into one's senses and sent one's insides shriveling... His killing aura...

But it was gone in an instant, replaced by a straight expression. " Long story... let's just get over with this. I... I want to go home."

Kouji froze. Home... he had not thought about that word in such a long time... What could they call home? Should they even be thinking about it at such an important period?

" ...As do I," Shinya added all of a sudden, " Monster hunting has been fun and all, but it still doesn't compare to the days when I could hunt in the forest for a monster without fearing death at any moment."

" I miss zapping Bibilan Dungeon Kukre for instant zeny profits," Junpei reminisced.

" I miss being able to duel someone without them wanting something from me if I lost, fairly or unfairly," said Tomoki.

" The equal days," said Taichi. He could still remember his daily ventures to Payon forest for Willow trunks. " It's our duty to maintain the balance in Midgard, each and every one of us. Not just the MVP sealers... We all have to do what we can to support this world."

" That's right," a few of them replied.

" I'm so glad you guys understand..."

" Of course! It'd take a pretty ignorant idiot to not understand something so simple," Sefirot replied, smirking. " It comes naturally, after all."

" Can we go in yet?" Kouji said dully.

" Oh yeah, of course," one of them replied sheepishly.

Still huddling among the others, they ventured into the building nearby. Kouichi ordered everyone to take the first opening at the right. Although worn-down, it was apparent that the entrance was once thriving with guests. Rows of benches covered the grand hall as the party shuffled by...

" Heya, an Evil Druid! I've always wondered what they look like up close..." the Dancer Melissa noted. Across a staircase, they saw what appeared to be a mass of disheveled pirate clothing and wooden material. A black book hovered with it...

" Is that pile of junk ALIVE? It's moving..." Izumi inched closer to her female companion.

" It's slow and Undead, just like most of the monsters in the area where Dark Lord is. If you want, we can test it out..." Kouichi half-grinned at the prospects.

" Hey, Kouichi, can you use Magnus Exorcismus?" Junpei asked.

" Yes, but I've never actually used it yet. I don't know how effective it will be."

" Try it on the Evil Druid. Thunderbolt!" the blue Wizard sent a bolt of lightning to zap the Evil Druid. The shock would certainly attract its attention...

" Um, okay... I don't know how long it'll take," Kouichi said hesitantly. He stood his feet shoulder-width apart and reached out with one arm. " Lure it in my area while I'm casting, all right?"

" I'll do it!" Shinya volunteered, joyfully accepting the challenge. Foot by foot, he brought the mass of junk over to Kouichi without letting it attack him. Another Knight finished counter-attacking a different Evil Druid and followed Shinya silently. The other Knight's actions were more nerve-wrecking than the monster itself...

The magic circle beneath Kouichi's feet glowed consistenly as the Priest concentrated his holy powers.

" One Evil Druid coming up!" Shinya shouted, stopping a few close feet from Kouichi.

" Magnus Exorcismus!" An overwhelming, violent-tinted light erupted from the magic circle in a cross-shape, swallowing the Evil Druid in its intensity. It stood still in mid-air for a moment before collapsing into a pile of aged wood. The light from the Magnus Exorcismus continued glaring as the others opened their eyes to witness the scene.

" DANG that's huge!" the stranger Knight wailed, " What the heck is that? You killed the Evil Druid so easily... GAWD!"

" Just a Priest move, sir," Kouichi replied as the light slowly died down, " Killing Undeads is our offensive specialty, after all."

" Oh... right, right. Maybe I should've been a Priest instead. That was downright kickass! I've never seen anyone kill a big monster so quickly."

Kouichi sweatdropped. He didn't feel the need to inform the Knight of the powers he had inherited from Moonlight. " Well, just because you're a certain class doesn't mean you can kill faster than others. This was just an advantage of mine... and well... nevermind. We should get going, eheh."

Kouichi scuttled ahead, the rest of the party quickly following. Unfortunately, the Knight trailed behind them, grinning innocently.

" This guy could be out to get us," Kouji grumbled to Takuya and Kouichi.

" He doesn't seem to know who we really are, but he's still trouble," Kouichi replied quietly, " We need to lose him somehow... for all of our sakes."

" Huh? But he could help us..." Tomoki said at his side.

" He doesn't have enough experience. He won't even last here very long... we should send him to safer place."

" Didn't think Kouichi was the type to judge people's abilities," Tomoki stated.

The plush-haired boy frowned. " We have a goal... the last thing we need is for an unintentional mistake to happen at the critical point. I suppose his efforts to get here should be respected, but we're not who he should be hanging with. We can do this nicely, though..."

" Leave it to me, Kouichi!" Tomoki chirped.

Before anyone could do anything in return, Tomoki turned around and called out, " Ice Wall!"

Swiftly, he surrounded the poor Knight in Ice stalagmites.

" Hey, what's the big idea?!?"

" Frost Diver!"

A streak of ice charged from Tomoki's wand to the Knight, enveloping him in the cold solid.

" Now run for it!!! AHHH!!"

The others followed him, sprinting all the way to the next portal. When they made it to the other side of the portal, Kouichi spoke up.

" ...Guess that works."

" He'll thaw out in a short while. But he shouldn't be able to find this place."

The other simply sighed in relief.

" At least we made it to the graveyard. Dark Lord should be lurking somewhere here. And hopefully the other MVP sealers..."

" Guess which one I want to find first," Takuya said sarcastically.

After sliding down a steep elevation, the group found the graveyard surprisingly less threatening than the entrance room. The auburn-tinted area had much more open space, which made monster-spotting less of a stress. In the distance, a group of Zombie prisoners wandered closer...

" They're slow, but don't let them get too close. They make nasty damage if they get their hands on you," Kouichi warned.

" No need to tell me that twice," Kouji said, preparing his Katars, " Why would anyone want to get close to something so unattractive? ...No offense."

Kouji counted four Zombie Prisoners before heading out to lure a few. As he approached, an Acolyte came from the other side and cast a Heal spell on one of the monsters, causing it to wince from the Holy power. The Acolyte then turned on her heels and kept her distance from the Zombie, healing it again.

" Heal bombing..." he observed casually, watching the Acolyte and Zombies at the same time. " You could do that too, right, Kouichi?"

" Healing takes more work than you may believe," Kouichi said, " It's meant to support others rather than act as an offense. We have other techniques for such matters. It's catching up, Kouji!"

" Huh?" Before he could properly respond, the Zombie Prisoner took a massive swipe at him. He tried to jump back, but the deadly grasp caught his bandaged side. Kouji winced in pain as the other ganged up in counter-attack.

" Che... I've been hit there before... not good."

" Gah! My Kouji! HOW DARE YOU!!" Takuya...

" Way to tank, Kouji," Kouichi smirked, raising a hand to heal Kouji's wound.

" Shut up."

They wandered the area for another hour, tearing through Undead monsters along the way... they passed a few training parties, but no one they were looking for...

" Ugh, I'm already tired of looking at these ugly zombies and skeletons. Isn't there something cooler we could fight?"

" Izumi, do you even know why we're here?" Tomoki said in suspicion.

" Yes... getting rid of big and mean MVPs, we are..." Izumi said with a pouting face, " I didn't think it would be this boring, though. How hard can it be to find him?"

" Obviously, there has to be SOME challenge," Melissa reasoned, " Hey, I see something big behind that pillar... wait."

They stopped at a gathering of tombstones and watched. They could see a hint of a large, black cap hovering in and out of appearance behind the pillar.

" Could it be Dark Lo-"

" Quiet, Junpei!" Tomoki hissed.

" It's possible..." Kouichi said under his breath, stirring fear into their veins.

Suddenly, the figure behind the pillar jerked. A massive skull face peered to the side, narrowly missing the party's location. " It probably is..." The creature moved again, and this time the others couldn't but back up in caution. A few of them started to run back, but Kouichi stopped them. " It's not Dark Lord! It's one of his minions... It got separated from Dark Lord, so it's powerless."

" Eh?" Takuya said, pulling out his weapons, " Are you saying that this guy is a sitting duck without Dark Lord nearby?"

" Unless Dark Lord comes back for it..."

" Don't jinx it!" Izumi wailed sadly, " Let's beat this one up while we can!" From her waist, she pulled out a small contraption that quickly unraveled to reveal a whip.

" I guess we could..." As Kouichi gave his word, the others catapaulted themselves onto the idle monster. It stood more than three times as tall as any of them, but that didn't hold them back. It was a giant punching bag more than anything else... They cheered as the monster collapsed into nothingness, their spirits lifted.

" Hey... if this guy got separated from Dark Lord, maybe..."

" Is something up, Kouichi?" Takuya asked as they continued their stroll-and-search.

" No... just a farfetched idea."

" Hm..." Takuya gave him a pat on the shoulder, startling him. " We may be taking things seriously, but it doesn't mean we're not open to suggestions. What's on your mind?"

Kouichi made eye-contact with the brunette and did a double-take. ' This boy...' " Well, it doesn't matter now. Look over there."

A rumbling in the distance made them turn their heads, regardless of Kouichi's words. It was the all-chaotic Lord of Vermillion attack that indicated a fierce battle was close.

As the party moved closer, they could feel the ground shaking beneath them. Soon, the whole area was set ablaze by the vicious magic attack. The party had to take extreme caution to not take damage from the torrent of destruction.

" Sheesh... that's definitely an MVP if it can cast Lord of Vermillion so consistently... but where is it?" Junpei shouted above the ruckus of the giant falling fire balls.

" I can't see very well in this mess. Where are you, Junpei?!?" Tomoki called.

" Right here!"

" What?"

" In front of you!"

Tomoki ran into something and sweatdropped. " Oh!"

" Gah, this is nuts. Can you see Dark Lord, anyone?"

That seemed to be the cue for a towering, black being of power to make his appearance. He stood with his arms outstretched in spell-casting mode, emitting lightning sparks from his hands. Everything was too bright and foggy to see if anyone else was there, but Dark Lord stood above the rest. Next to him, one of his minions mimicked his actions, throwing magic spells at every sight possible.

" This MVP is all about total destruction, isn't he..." Shinya observed.

" Are you going to help tank or not?" said Sefirot, charging forward on his PecoPeco.

" Hey, don't order me around!" Shinya pouted, crossing his arms. He saw flashes of people passing by him towards Dark Lord. He sighed, uncrossed his arms and joined them.

Takuya simply glanced around with Kouji by his side, avoiding the fire of Dark Lord's attacks. They had been through several sandstorms, so they were accustomed to the reduced visibility. They saw Izumi and Melissa dancing to a spell that increased the party's fighting abilities, Kouichi spamming Sanctuary spells wherever he could to heal his comrades and throw Dark Lord out of balance, the Wizards using whatever spells they had, Arbor the Blacksmith casting a fighting support spell and then shuffling through his cart for something to eat, Taichi and Yamato shooting as usual... Their cooperation was quite amazing.

" You okay, Takuya? You look like you want to back out..." Kouji said warmly.

" No... you said it yourself, Kouji. We have a reason to do this... Let's go."

With that said, he twirled one of his daggers, put his Assassin mask on and lunged ahead, letting Kouji follow. He didn't even need to look back to know the darker-haired boy was smiling.

It felt like a slaughterfest... Dark Lord was one of few words. As Kouichi tired from casting too many Sanctuaries, another Sanctuary appeared although he had not done anything to create it. How did... he saw something green stick out from the fuzzy mess. He knew only one person related to the mess who would wear something so peculiar... " Menchi?"

She grinned lazily, allowing her face to appear with the accompanying Romantic Leaf. " I have the Sancs covered. Let's see some ME!"

" ME? Oh... Magnus Exorcismus..."

As he concentrated his powers, he asked about the others.

" Every single one of them is here. The sealers, the sisters... Even Sakura! Um... our Huntress. She's always so anti-social, so this is rare of her. And of course... the other two, Daisuke and Takato, with their respective partners."

" That's great... I can't believe it."

" Well, you better believe it!" Another blue-haired sister appeared in a Sage's apparel. " This guy will be down without much struggle. Just watch."

Taichi and Yamato had joined the Huntress Sakura in ganging up arrows into Dark Lord's back. Their plan seemed to be running smoothly...

" That can't be all there is to this guy..." Kouichi said softly as his Magnus Exorcismus tore through the menacing MVP, leaving Dark Lord in further shambles.

Menchi didn't reply, although it was apparent she had heard him. Something about her expression seemed different... Tsunade stepped in, wallowing in the Sanctuary to heal the wounds from Dark Lord's might attacks. A Wizard of her kind accompanied her.

" He won't last much longer according to my Sense skill. Let the MVP sealers do the rest of the work from here," the Wizard noted gently.

" Takato's been Grand Crossing this thing from the start, let him get the MVP," one of the sisters odered.

Takuya, who had not met the other MVP sealers, gazed around to see a small Crusader surrounded in white light next to Dark Lord. Another Crusader was by his side, shielding him from attacks with his dear life. A touching scene... It was interupted by an abrupt shock of pain in his skull.

Another Assassin appeared from the cloud of ashes and fell to his knees, also in anguish. His goggles... he was undoubtedly the remaining MVP-sealer. Takuya looked to Kouji, who had just noticed him after tiffing with Dark Lord. He was calling to the brunette, but even though he was right in front of him, he sounded so far away... Takuya felt incapable of moving. And a sound was beginning to rise above the others...

" Cursed humans who seek to seal the MVPs... I care not for you, so I shall not leave without what I seek."

" What do you want from us? We don't owe you anything!" a voice in the distance shrilled. The Crusader, it appeared to be...

" Memories. I shall consume your memories, for they shall last even beyond Ragnarok, whether I am physically existing or not. I feed upon memories for my own existence."

" But... memories make us who we are!" the other Assassin reasoned.

" I shall not give you freedom until I have memories to feed upon..."

" I don't understand.. why..." Taichi's voice... However, there was no reply to such concern.

Instead... " The next time light shines from the east side of this graveyard, I will sacrifice all in this place for their memories. If I do not find memories of the MVP-sealers, I shall continue to sacrifice any human until I find what I seek, innocent or evil. I give you this time so you can prepare these memories for me."

" Blasted sore loser..." Daisuke the Assassin growled, muttering curse words. " You've been sealed! Be gone already!"

Then, just as quickly as the pain had formed, it vanquished. All four MVP-sealers keeled onto the ground in sudden exhaustion. Their comrades ran to their side, checking their vitalities. Again, Daisuke spoke.

" Che, these guys suck out every last drop of fun in this world," he said distastefully, " Let's hurry up and seal the last MVP, then we won't have to dea with this old man's revenge."

Mrs. Gates had a fearful expression as she dusted the battle scars off her clothes. Takuya glanced at her only to see a quick smile plastered on her expression. " Let's find a shelter so that we can regroup first. Menchi?"

Menchi's warp led them back to the outdoors of Glast Heim-- on the rooftops of previously-magnificient castles. Strangers walked unaware below them, going to and fro between the castles. Everybody settled down in their own groups without saying anything to each other, resulting in an awkward silence. Eventually, Takato's partner spoke.

" What MVP item did you get?"

" Huh?" Takato just blankly stared at his blue-haired friend before coming to attention. " Oh... his skull..."

Suddenly, the sound of rubber clashing upon aged brick reverted their attention. " Sorry for the wait, I had to organize my cart," came Mrs. Gates' voice, " Let me explain... You don't have to worry about Dark Lord's threat. Takato sealed him, so he should no longer have access to Midgard. Isn't that right, Takato?"

Takato blinked. " Uh... y-yeah."

Mrs. Gates eyed the massive skull in Takato's grasp. " I can hold that for you so it won't drag you down, boy."

" Okay." He gave the MVP item to Mrs. Gates, who carefully placed it in her cart.

" We're taking a break... relax for about twelve hours... it'll be pitch black, there won't be others in the area by then."

Darkness... Mrs. Gates didn't need to explain the reason behind her conclusion. Suddenly, she smiled. " Let's have a bonfire cookout!"

From her cart, she pulled out a mass of wooden logs and unceremoniously dropped them in a open part of the rooftop. She proceeded to take a red bottle from her belt and dump the contents onto the log, which immediately set the wood ablaze.

" Arbor, you're loaded with food, right? I haven't eaten since yesterday, let's chow!" one of the sisters suggested, poking the lazy Blacksmith.

" A'ight... Don't eat all of it, okay? My cart is one of my weapons, too... it needs to stay loaded."

While most of the hungry people went to raid Arbor's cart, Kouichi, Kouji and Takuya sat against the castle pillars. The two Assassins finally took their masks off, relieving themselves slightly. It felt as if they were becoming different people under those masks...

" We're almost there... I never thought it would happen this quickly. Yet... I still feel it was overwhelming."

Kouji watched Takuya hold his kneading forehead.

" After this..." the brunette continued, " What do we do? Go home... to Morroc?"

Kouji and Kouichi's initial reactions were to look at each other while Takuya continued to observe the rooftop bricks. Kouichi blushed and stammered, " My mother will probably need my help, and since I'm more capable, I should..."

Takuya was about to cut in, but Kouji caught it first. " Once peace comes back to Midgard, your mother won't have to work so much. You don't need to be so worried about her..." he said, " ... She's not your real mother."

Kouichi just looked at the duo nervously. Had he really said that...?

" I've never seen her since I joined our current party. I wonder what she'll do when she finds out that I know..."

" Does it matter?" Takuya asked quietly.

" Well..." Kouichi paused. His "mother" whom he had known all his life... and Kouji, whom he had known for only a few months... yet Kouji would always be truly related, whereas his "mother" would never be related. How could he weigh such thoughts? His "mother" had raised him for so many years, surely he couldn't ignore such effort.

" She's still my mother in my eyes." He looked upon the other two and solemnly remembered their story. " I'm grateful to have her."

" We've lost almost all memory of our parents," Takuya said for Kouji and himself. He sounded neither glad nor saddened, but his comment still arose suspicion...

The plush-haired Priest wondered if Kouji was still thinking about Moonlight... because Kouichi himself could not relieve the thought.

Kouji suddenly shook his head, as if he realized that there were more important matters than his thoughts. Kouichi and Takuya both noticed, but said nothing of it. There were more important matters, yes... but they had half a day before they would do anything about it. Did Mrs. Gates arrange this on purpose? No... she couldn't possibly know what was plaguing these boys' minds...

It wasn't the appropriate time to discuss the matter; they needed a distraction.

Takuya found it. " Let's get some nourishment while it's available. The meat smells good..."

They conversed mainly with the other sisters while they ate. There was one for just about every class...

" WHAT?!?"

The rash shout caught everyone's attention as they turned their heads to the source near the bonfire.

" This guy here is an MVP-sealer?" the voice continued," He hasn't even bothered to change to a second class! I don't believe you!"

" What's not to believe?" the person in demand asked.

" I don't believe that you're an MVP-sealer, simple as that! It's impossible for a 1st classman to fight against MVPs evenly."

" Heh! You're dead mistaken, kid."

" HEY! Don't you dare call me a kid when..." he stopped, knowing not to cross a certain line. Instead, he puffed a sigh of air. " Then duel me. Give me all that you have and I'll see if you're worth it."

" Who're you to judge me..."

Kouichi, Kouji and Takuya had moved enough to see the one at the center of attention.

The provoker, the Assassin Daisuke, raised a Katar. " It's going to happen whether you like it or not."

On the sidelines, another Assassin with shoulder-length, indigo hair pleaded for Daisuke to cease. On the other end, a blonde Archer urged his companion to ignore the Assassin...

Taichi said nothing in return to Yamato's words, nor did he respond to Daisuke. His eyes were fixed on the raised Katar... fixed even as Daisuke advanced at blazing speed. Fixed...

----

There's still lots of room for yaoi as the story proceeds. Plotphobics, please do not fear. XD;

In addition, feedback concerning WFT's Gallery would be greatly appreciated! -plug-in, remove spaces-

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