Ch19-6: Reunion

-Something terrible has just happened.- Zeni informed Suzume with a quiet chirrup.

The girl already knew. She could feel it, somewhere deep in her soul. But she didn’t know exactly what it meant. Somewhere in the distance, she could hear the mourning howl of a wolf. The sound sent shivers over her body.

-Sister…- the Arweinydd spoke grimly.

“You mean… Lady Zazo?” Suzume asked with a slight gasp. As long as she had spent getting to know the youngest of the Trine, she certainly did not have a lot of knowledge of the eldest sister.

-Yes. That means we are very close. Now come,- the bird fluttered and took flight across the road and into a narrow crevice between stone buildings.

Suzume had no choice but to follow, the best that her legs could carry. She didn’t know where they were or where they were going. All she could do was rely on Zeni’s senses to take them ahead. Just as she had always done on the length of the journey.

The two of them had flown and flown and flown and flown… until Suzume felt she couldn’t fly anymore. The lands beneath them had changed from deep forests to open grasslands with scattered trees. The villages she had seen there were built in strange, spiral patterns, with many colorful banners and tall stone buildings. Zeni had told her that the place was called the Spiral. It was something that Suzume had heard before – certainly in the talk of grownups.

I’m not sure what the Spiral has to do with finding Lucci.

She was just glad to be on the ground again… and to have her person form back. Not that she minded being a bird all that much. But when Zeni told her that she thought she had figured out a way to reverse the transformation, Suzume was completely for it.

Afterall, Lucci won’t be able to recognize me if I’m a bird.

She had not stopped to think the problem would be more along the lines of whether she would recognize him or not. So when the tall, silver-haired man strode past their hiding place, Suzume was shocked when she saw the dark sword that had been haunting her dreams… strapped to a stranger’s back.

“Zeni!” the girl gasped, poking her head out into the street to stare.

-Be careful,- the Arweinydd warned her softly. But she did not try to stop the girl.

Suzume felt her knees shaking as she raced quietly after the figure, her short legs having to work hard to keep up with his long strides. At first, she battled with herself on whether or not it could really be Lucci. Perhaps her mind was playing tricks? Perhaps she just wanted to see him so much that she had imagined this sword to be the same as the one in her dreams.

But it’s hard to believe Zeni would bring me all the way here… if it’s not him.

She finally gathered up all of her courage, focusing on one short word. Her voice quavered as she called his name, “Lucci?”

Suzume wasn’t sure if she was surprised or not when the figure stopped. She could only hold her breath as he slowly turned around, silver eyes shifting downward to rest on her. For a long moment, they simply stared at each other, both with a look of mutual surprise.

Lucci was all grown up — his form was strong and tall, stern face holding only hints of the best friend she had once known. As he towered over her, Suzume felt as if she was shrinking… with a start, she realized she hardly reached up to his waist. There were strange silver markings all around his face and his silver eyes were eerie when they focused on her. She had never felt afraid of her friend before, no matter what everyone else said… but something about him now left a chill over her body.

Suzume felt like crying.

No! Lucci! He’s so different!

It was worse than all her fears could have ever imagined.

I should have never left him alone! This is my fault!

The girl didn’t realize that she had started crying until she felt the wet heat on her face. And heard his startled exclamation.

“Suzume!” Before she had a chance to react, Lucci had dropped to his knees in front of her. His long arms reached around her, swallowing her smaller form in a long, gentle embrace. She could feel him choking, too, stricken by emotion and uncertain of what to say.

For a long time, he just hugged her. And during that single embrace, she felt the tension wash away. Until something within her knew… she was hugging her best friend. The same as he had been before – at least, in all the ways that it counted.

“Lucci..?” she whispered, pulling back from him a little. Inspecting his face. One small finger traced a silver rune along his cheek.

“I missed you so much!” his face contorted with a boyish look.

“You… did?” she couldn’t hide the surprise in her voice.

“Yes… yes… so much…” his smile was genuine as his silver eyes peered into her dark eyes. If being a grownup had changed the way Lucci saw her, he certainly didn’t let it show.

“I… missed you too, Lucci!” she told him, laying her cheek against his shoulder.

“But… how did you get here? Why?” he asked as if the question just dawned on him.

“I flew?” Suzume answered cryptically. She figured she would fill him in on the details later. But there were more important things to talk about. “Because I’ve been worried. I’ve had a lot of bad dreams about you Lucci. About you and the sword.”

Lucci paused, glancing over his shoulder at where the hilt rose. “The sword..?”

“It’s a bad thing, Lucci. My dreams show it all shadowy and dark. I’m really scared of the sword!” she told him, blurting all in one long line of words.

Much to her surprise, he replied in a calm voice, “I know.”

“You know?” her eyes widened. She pulled back from him a bit, staring. “Then… why don’t you get rid of it?”

“Because it’s the only thing that can stop Zeromus,” he replied somberly.

“No… no… Lucci. I don’t think you should even use it to fight Zeromus. I think something awful will happen,” Suzume shook her head, looking afraid.

“Something awful has already happened,” Lucci frown with a troubled look. “And it will keep happening until I stop it.”

“What do you mean, Lucci… what happened?” the girl felt a sinking in the pit of her stomach. There was little doubt that what he spoke of had something to do with the terrible feeling of dread that had washed over her earlier. Back when Zeni had told her something very similar.

Lucci took a deep breath and shook his head. He spoke like someone with a lump in his throat, “I don’t know the details. We just got here, in the Spiral earlier today. No one seems to have all the news. But Zazo says she thinks… something has happened to Lord Zemi. And to Ceiswyr.”

“Ceiswyr?”

“She says… that they were attacked by Zeromus… and it’s gone, Suzume,” a look of pain flooded his face. “I was… too late to help them.”

Suzume opened her mouth, the sting of loss flushing her cheeks. “Ceiswyr? Gone? That’s… that’s not possible. Nothing can take down Lord Zemi… right?”

Lucci turned his head and looked the other way.

“No… no… Lucci… it…” as much as the girl wanted to deny it, she felt it within. The heavy sorrow in her chest made sense. It all clicked in her head. And she knew that what he said was the terrible truth.

For the second time, she found herself crying.

This time, Lucci’s words were not as comforting. He rose to his feet, peering down at her. “I’m not going to let Zeromus get away with this anymore. I’m going back to the Inner Realms… by myself… and I will defeat him.”

“What..?” Suzume stared up at him in surprise. “Lucci… you can’t!?”

“I have to,” he responded, beginning to take a few steps away from her. “I know that you don’t like it. I know that they don’t like it either… that’s why I ran away from them. I’ve dragged them into enough danger.”

“Who?” she asked, doing anything to try to stall him there.

“Suzume, I have to go. They’re going to be looking for me. They’ll catch up to me as soon as they realize I’m not in my room anymore,” he told her with a hint of intensity to his voice.

“Wait! Lucci! Take me with y–” her words were choked, cut off as something large and strong snaked around her throat. Suzume gave a strangled squeal as she found herself lifted off of her feet. Darkness rose behind her. Darkness and the scent of decay… something that was so frighteningly familiar.

Lucci spun on his heel at the sound of her alarm. In a heartbeat, everything about her friend changed. His face grew cold and spiteful, silver eyes sharp and angry. His hand was on the hilt of his blade, ready to draw… his body tense, poised for deadly battle.

“It’s not them that you should be worried about catching you,” a smooth, cold voice spoke. The owner of the arm that had her captured and held back.

“KoGuRai! No… no! Not this again! You wouldn’t DARE hurt her!” Lucci snarled, plumes of wafting silver mists starting to rise about his feet.

“Oh… wouldn’t I?” the voice chuckled. “Do you think that one little girl has any meaning to me and to my Master’s plans.”

“Unng!” Suzume couldn’t speak. But she could feel a cold sharp edge of a weapon against her cheek. Terrified, she stared at Lucci, eyes pleading.

“Wha… what do you want?” Lucci suddenly didn’t seem so confident. In fact, he looked quite afraid.

“But one little girl… is that important to you?” KoGuRai sneered.

“Let her go,” his voice rasped, looking hopeless. “Please… don’t hurt Suzume.”

“I think we can make a deal,” came the smirked reply. The point of the weapon came away from her cheek, motioning towards Lucci instead. “I want that sword. You will give it to me.”

“Is… Zeromus that threatened by it, then?” Lucci grit his teeth, his hand tightening on the haft.

“You should know… you’re the Bane,” KoGuRai barked a laugh.

“He thinks if you take the sword that I won’t find another way to destroy him?”

“I didn’t say that,” the Dark Champion’s voice was smooth as he added, “Perhaps I would like to be the one to use it against him, myself.”

“Huh?” Lucci’s face fell stunned.

“The fall of Zeromus would restore my freedom,” KoGuRai smirked slowly. “Do you think I want to live the rest of my life out as his Marked slave?”

“Then let me through. Let her go! If you want to see him fall, let me defeat him!”

The Champion laughed again. “No… no… nonono. It doesn’t work that way, LuShi.”

“What? Why not?”

“Because… I will take his power. I will reclaim Nefol as my own… as it should have been,” the dark eyes flickered with a hungry light. “And I will destroy anything that would seek to stop me. Especially you, boy-Sygnus.”

Suzume felt the tip of the blade press against her cheek again.

“Now,” KoGuRai began to walk forward, sounding conversational. “Stick that sword down into the ground, right here in front of me. Unless you want to be sucking the soul of your little girl friend in about ten seconds.”

She gasped, eyes wide.

Lucci’s face was horrified. His hand shook as he drew the blade from the dark cloth sheath. For a moment, it looked like he was calculating – considering how he might be able to strike at the Champion and still save his best friend. Frustration marred his brow as KoGuRai’s grin grew wider.

Slowly, Lucci planted the point of the blade into a sandy area of the road, in front of the Dark Champion. His face was filled with loathing and bitterness as he took a step away. “Now… let her go…”

KoGuRai didn’t respond. His smile just grew all the more twisted as his hand reached for the pommel of the blade. Just as his fingers made to close around the grip, the Champion reeled back with a shout that turned into a frustrated screech.

A spray of black colored the wall next to him and Suzume found herself suddenly freed. With a mad dash, she ran to the safety of Lucci… who was already snatching the blade back up out of the ground and away from the Champion’s grasp.

TsuYa stood perched on top of a stone pile only feet away, face livid as his dark eyes focused on KoGuRai. Dark blood dripped from the edge of his scythe as his hands tightened on the grip. His voice was dark and threatening, the gleam of fangs showing as he growled, “You heard the kid… let the little girl go.”