The Adventures of the SOL

 "What is war?  Where am I?"

 Lita looked around herself and saw she was in a primitive animal skin tent.  There was a table and a cot in the room and that was it.  Outside she could tell it was dark and a loud wind shook her surroundings.  At the table sat two people.  One of them was a woman.  She had extremely long hair braided to her thighs.  The top was short and curled to just the bottom of her ears and she wore chain mail over a white shirt.

 "I know what it is," she snapped at a timid looking man across from her, "Tell me how were doing out there."

 "Not good," the man shook his head, "Those creatures are closing in on the castle every day.  You’re going to have to enlist the help that the Prince has sent you."

 "I know, but the gathering isn’t complete," she said and stood up, frustrated.  "I didn’t become a General by sitting on my hands.  We have to drive them back somehow."

 "How do you suggest we do that?  Until all of the sacred warriors are gathered the prince won’t allow us to move forward with them."

 "How many more do we lack?" she asked.

 "Two," he said, "General Veress, we are running out of time.  You are leading this war, you must lead us to victory."

 The General turned and Lita could see her entire face.  Who was she?  Lita stared at her until the woman looked away.  Lita looked at her ears.  They were pointed.  An elf.

 Suddenly the entire scene changed.  Lita felt her hair blown by a cold wind.  She looked around and saw several soldiers.  They all wore red uniforms with blue trim.  They lined up on a great battlefield and across from them a huge army of black soldiers stood.

 Lita looked behind her and saw the General.  She rode towards Lita on a large white horse.  Over her armor she now wore a large fur coat.  As she past, Lita saw a long braid down her back.  Her face was dead serious as she stepped in front of the red and blue army.  She stopped and held up a hand.

 The men in the army all got down and ready.  The General’s hand went forward and so did the army.

 "What’s going on?" Lita yelled as the roar of battle fell around her ears.

 She watched as man after man surged forward and dark soldier after dark soldier cut them down.  The General watched in agitation and her horse kept wanting to walk away.  The general held the horse steady and pulled out a long sword.

 She galloped forward.

 "Wait!" Lita cried.

 She gasped as she sat up sharply.  Where was she?

 Lita looked around and saw the forest.  Oh yes, she had been sleeping in the trees again.  She rubbed perspiration from her forehead and heaved a relieved sigh.  It was a dream.  Wars weren’t any fun to be in.  She swung her legs around and dangled them over the branch.  She slid down and landed on her feet.

 She walked down the forest thinking of her strange dream.  Who was that General woman?  She was beautiful and strong.  Lita didn’t think she had ever had a dream like that before.

 But it still felt kind of familiar.

 She admired the greenery as she made her way back to the path.

 "So she’s had her dream.  It looks like the time may be coming closer," Ran Whiska told his partner, Donavan.

 "Looks like it," Donavan said, but was watching Lita carefully as she made her way down the path.  Ran looked at him.

"Something wrong?" he asked.  Donavan was staring at Lita with a hard train of thought.  He usually didn't think hard about anything.

 "I was thinking, what are you going to do after we do our jobs?" Donavan asked, then gave a meaningful glance at Ran.

 Ran looked a little startled by the question.  "Omi’s asked me the same thing and I told him I wasn’t sure.  He’s got it in his head that the prophecy contains more than we think it does for us. I try to tell him that we're only messengers but he won't listen.  Stubborn kid."

 "We’d know if it did," Donavan dismissed the thought.  Ran nodded but somehow the words didn't stick.

 "Would we?  I mean, why were we just suppose to deliver a message when whatever force is behind this could have given the memories straight to them in the first place?"

 "Where are we in this prophecy?  Even if we were what could we do?" Donavan scoffed, "I think we have a job to do and the only part of it is the delivery."

 They were quiet again.  Ran cast a sideways glance at Donavan.  "Was that really what was bothering you?  Because it sounded like a question dodge to me."

 "Huh?" Donavan stared at Ran, "What else would there be?"

 "I dunno, you tell me," Ran grinned, and leaned against Donavan's shoulder, "Was it that Amazon cutie that’s got you worked up?  She is pretty."

 Donavan looked at Ran with a small blush on his face.  "Don’t be stupid." He shoved Ran off of himself.

 Ran smiled.  "That’s real cute, a tough guy like you has the hots for a girl like that.  It’ll go straight down in the fairy tales, me thinks."

 "Unlikely," Donavan snapped, "I don’t have time for something as over-rated as love.  Besides, I’ve got a job to do."

 "Are you volunteering for the night shift then?" Ran asked with a smile on his face.  Donavan rolled his eyes.

 "No!" Donavan yelled, "Make Omi do it."

 "He did it last time and I did it before that!" Ran told him, getting angry, "It’s your turn, especially since Omi did it the time before that."

 "Fine," Donavan groaned, "You don’t have to be a big baby about it if that’s what you want."

 Ran rolled his eyes.  "I’m going to the HQ.  Make sure you keep up with everything.  Things tend to happen unexpectedly around here."

 "At night?"

 Ran looked at him with a smirk on his face.  "You'd be surprised.  Everyone but that animist girl are constantly staying up."

 "Whatever, you can go now," Donavan put his arms behind his head and Ran walked away without a word.  Donavan frowned in his direction, then made his way to the castle.  They had to keep a close watch on all of them to see when they each had their dreams, so they would know when to move out.  Also, to make sure nothing happened to them.  If something did then the prophecy would be ruined and the world would end.

 Of course, Donavan was looking out for himself.  He couldn’t have the world ending on him, not when there was so much havoc to reek.  Why else?  For all those little cockroaches that scurried about this world, always minding their own business and not anyone else’s?  Forget it, he wasn’t rescuing them.  He was looking out for number one, and anyone else who had trouble with it was on their own.  He did what he had to do make sure the world wasn’t over and continued on his way.

 He was sort of the leader of the three messengers.  He had been the first to realize his destiny.  That little kid, Omi, had been the last.  Donavan didn’t understand that kid, but he made the food and did it pretty well, so Donavan didn’t mind.  But he was always giving moral speeches.  "Wake up," "Take your shift," "Stop complaining," or "Shut up Donavan."  And Donavan knew his feelings about the prophecy.  He had some "we make our own destiny" thing going on with himself.  Please.  Destiny wouldn’t be destiny if we could change it.  There was a plan for everyone.

 He found himself at the castle.  He looked at the front yard and cringed.  That amazon was playing with the little boy, Koty.  Donavan watched them as Koty chased Lita around the yard.  He stared hard at the child’s face.

 Donavan looked away immediately.  There was no use in remembering that.  What was done was done.  He was twenty-six years old now, and that was five years ago.

 But he found his eyes going back to that kid’s face, and the resemblance was amazing.  Same hair, same big eyes, but not the same kid.  He knew it wasn’t.  Couldn’t have been.  They looked alike, but not that much alike.

 So then what was it about her?

 He watched Lita’s face.  She was different too.  She reminded him of her.  They didn’t look much alike her but the way they both walked and the way they talked and acted…

 Donavan shook himself out of it.  How could these two possibly be getting to him?  He didn’t have time for this.  In fact, he needed to be watching everyone else if these two were going to run around and play all day.

 But still he watched as a ball was brought out and they began to throw it back and forth.  This wasn’t fair, why did they both have to be so darn close to the two people he was thinking about?  That was all behind him.

 Donavan watched as the ball flew his way and landed at his feet.  He bent down and picked it up, staring at it.  He pulled the goggles across his forehead down and let them hang around his neck.  Koty made his way through the brush and stopped as soon as he saw Donavan.

 He stared up at the much taller man.  "Hello."

 Donavan stared at him.  This was the first anyone even close to SOL had seen of him.  He was amazingly tall with fair blonde hair that was usually shoved back by a large set of goggles.  He always seemed to be wearing all black and always wore a jacket no matter what the temperature.  He looked down at Koty with cool blue eyes and Koty looked back.

 "Can I have my ball back, please?" Koty asked and Donavan stared.  Omi said something about the child being strange.  Omi had said he had an intuition for sensing good from evil.  As he looked at him, Donavan was amazed at the resemblance.

 Donavan tossed him the ball and Koty caught it.  "You know, kid, you look a lot like someone I used to know."

 "Really?  What was his name?" Koty asked, awed by Donavan’s height.  Donavan was way over six feet, though a child as young as Koty couldn't have guessed that.

 "His name was Altair," Donavan answered and kneeled down.

 "I don’t think I know him," Koty said, "Where is he?"  He began to fidget with the ball.  He was smiling at Donavan broadly and Donavan could hardly stand to look.

 "He died," Donavan said, "A long time ago."

 "Oh."

 "Koty?" Lita called, bursting in, "You sure are taking awhile.  Is there something--?"  She gasped when she saw Donavan and stood in front of Koty, protecting him.  "Who are you?"

 "Just a stranger," Donavan said, standing up.

 "Leave Koty alone," Lita said, clenching her fists and pushing Koty behind her.  He looked up at Lita confused. "If you’re one of Creton’s minions…"

 "If you must know, I’m in the same league as Ran and Omi," Donavan said indignantly, "I’m sorry I talked to the kid.  It won't happen again."

 Lita stared at him a moment.  Donavan sighed and moved the goggles back onto his head.  His blonde hair spiked out over them.

 "So you’re one of the people here about this prophecy?" Lita asked, relaxing a little.  Not completely, he could be lying.

 "Yes," Donavan said simply, "And you are one of the SOL members.  We all have an occupation, you know."

 "Well, you don’t have to be rude," Lita scowled heavily, "My name is Lita Barral if you please.  So who are you?"

 "Donavan," he said, "Donavan Crossfire.  What’s it to you anyway?"

 "Just being polite," Lita smiled, "Girl can’t ask a name without getting her head bitten off?  Nice name Donavan Crossfire."

 There was a moment of silence as the two stared at each other for a moment.  "There’s something really strange about your eyes," Lita tilted her head, "Something in them that tells a long story.  But you don't look very old."

 Donavan stared at her, startled.  "I have to go," he said calmly, and without a word, walked into the dark forest.

 Lita stared.

 "Lita," Koty pulled at her pant leg, "Can we play now?"

 "Uh, sure," Lita smiled at him, "Come on, little guy.  I believe I was beating you in a nice game of soccer."

 "Yeah, right," Koty said and kicked the ball away.

 Lita laughed and chased after him.

 "Donavan Crossfire?" Rei asked.

 "Yeah, real mysterious," Lita told all of them in the lounge, "He said he was in league with Omi and Ran.  He seemed okay to me."

 "You believed him?" Hotaru asked, "Come on, Lita, a guy like that can’t be trusted.  I don’t think we can even trust Omi and Ran."

 "If he was after Koty, he could have grabbed him.  He and Koty were alone long enough for Donavan to have left and I wouldn’t have known the difference," Lita protested.

 "And?" Mina asked, "Maybe he isn’t after Koty."

 "Then who’s he after?"

 They were all silent.  They were sitting around in the lounge, Rei looking very thoughtful.  Amy frowned, fidgeting a little.

 "I don’t like it that he was talking to Koty," Amy said, "Did Koty tell you what he said?  Did he tell him something?"

 "I asked and Koty said that Donavan told him that he reminded him of someone named Altair, then he asked Koty’s name," Lita said, "There was something so strange about the way he stared at me."
 "Sounds like a pervert to me," Serena sniffed and Lita glared.

 "No, it was more like he could see someone besides me when he stared at my face," Lita frowned even as she said it, "Which is weird, I know, but something about him seemed so… sad…"

 "We know Koty reminds him of someone, but who do you remind him of?" Mina asked, "This guy sounds like he has problems."

 Lita was silent.  These guys didn’t understand.  There was something so lost about his eyes.  What was it about those eyes?

 "He doesn’t sound dangerous," Rei said finally, and everyone else grumbled, "And we have to give him the benefit of the doubt, after all, we can’t just accuse him of being a bad guy when, in fact, he may be on our side."

 The rest of them were hesitant but agreed.  It was never a good idea to throw stones.  Lita was glad that Rei had at least thought it through.

 "I have some things I have to do," Amy said succinctly and walked out.  Lita saw she was a little peeved by Rei's judgement.  She had become very protective of Koty.

 Everyone gradually left, except Rais who sat reading on the couch, and Rei and Lita.  Rei nodded for Lita to come to her.  Lita walked over to where Rei was, leaning against the fireplace mantel.

 "I do think they were right about one thing," Rei glared at her, "This guy sounds a little confused, like he thinks your someone else.  Don’t lead him on in anyway, okay?

 "What?  Don't give me that look, Rei.  He was cute but..." Lita sighed and nodded, "I won’t.  I find him intriguing, but I’ll keep my distance."

 "That’s my girl," Rei winked, "I wish I knew about this guy.  I would meet him but we don’t know where to find any of those guys.  And I want to know what they want with us, why they’re helping us but not joining us."

 "They are kind of weird, huh?" Lita asked, "I mean, they have helped us and they have gotten close to some of us, but we don’t know the first thing about them."

 "It’s a code to never tell the damsel in distress your name until after she falls for you."

 They turned around and saw Rais smiling to himself.  They then looked at each other.  They remember Rais had been the same way.  Living on his own, fighting for them but never with them.

 "What do you mean?"

 "I think they’re just playing hero," Rais stretched, never turning away from his book, "Trying to act mysterious to flatter themselves.  Making this out to be dramatic.  Why, I couldn’t say.  They have something they want to do with us specifically but they're dragging it out."

 "And that something specific is...?" Lita asked him.

 "I wonder that too," Rais frowned, finally looking up, "What’s their goal, what are they trying to achieve?  But if they wanted to help, they would just help."

 "Miss Rei?"

 Rei turned to the door with a smile.  Koty was looking in.  "Koty, what’s up, small guy?" she cried to him.

 Koty laughed and ran in.  He jumped at Rei and she caught him, holding him waist level.  "Have you met Mr. Crossfire yet?"

 "Nope, not yet," Rei said, then looked curiously at Koty, "What did you think of him, Koty?  I heard you got to have a little talk with him."

 "He talked to me like I was a big boy, right Lita?" Koty asked.

 "That’s right," Lita nodded.

 "I liked him," Koty said, "He was nice.  He said I reminded him of someone else named Altair but I had never met him before."

 "Have you met Mr. Crossfire before?" Rais asked, a question mark forming on his face.  Rei thought he looked rather strange looking back at them on the couch.

 "I think so, but I can’t remember when," Koty replied, "He reminded me of the diamonds.  And the angels."

 "You talk about diamonds and angels a lot," Rei said, "What do you mean?"  Koty gave a secret smiled and Rei smirked.  "Okay, fine, keep your secret.  I’ll figure it out eventually."

 Koty laughed as she put him down and ran out of the room.

 "You’ve gotten close with him," Lita said, looking at Rei in surprise.

 "Yeah, he’s a cute kid," Rei smiled, "He’s real special.  There's something hidden inside of him.  I think he has a lot to do with what’s going on."

 "What is going on?" Rais asked her.

 "I don’t know, but if we find out, I think Koty will be the one to help us," Rei smiled warmly in the direction of the door.

 "I’m going out for awhile," Lita said suddenly, "I’ll see you guys later.  Hold all of my calls, if you don’t mind."

 Rei cast a suspicious glance at her as she headed for the door.  "You aren’t looking for that Donavan are you?"

 "No," Lita said, then walked out.

 Rei watched then scratched the back of her head.  "Never listens to a word I say…"

 Donavan saw her leave the castle with a start.  Where was she going?

 He was by the hedge again and watched her walk straight into the forest.  He followed, watching her closely.  Omi had been a little suspicious and worried about him when he asked to take a double shift, but he hadn’t said anything about it.  Donavan was fascinated and he wasn’t going to let a little extra work slow him down.

 Anyone who knew Donavan would have said he was lazy, but when Donavan wanted it, he wasn’t lazy at all.  And right now, he wanted to figure out the resemblance between Lita and her.

 He finally saw her on the path.  He snuck silently down the path, beside her, watching her, trying to make the connection but finding, again, that there was none.  Who was this girl anyway?

 She turned a corner and went out of view.  Donavan followed quickly, but when he saw the path again, she wasn’t there.  He stood all the way up.

 Where did she go?

 "Hey!"

 Donavan fell forward in surprise and flipped over.  Behind him, Lita had jumped from the trees.  She was laughing as he sat up on his elbows to glare at her.

 "What’s the big idea?!" Donavan shouted.

 "I could ask you the same thing," Lita smiled, fluffing her hair, "I know I’m beautiful, but stalkers are never a good thing."

 Donavan flushed.  "I’m not stalking you!  I was… I was…"

 "Well?" Lita asked, leaning over him, that same smile on her face.  It bothered him.  He frowned and put a hand on her face, pushing her back as he stood up.

 "I don’t have time to converse with small children," Donavan said and turned around, looking a bit angry.

 "You know, I can follow you anywhere you go in this forest," Lita said as he walked away and he turned to look at her.

 "Impossible, I’d lose you like a blind man loses his way," Donavan folded his arms.

 "And you think I’d get lost in the forest I was born and raised in?" Lita asked, pointing to herself, "Not likely.  Besides, I just wanted to ask you some questions."

 "Oh really?" Donavan rolled his eyes.

 "You bet," Lita said, leaning against a low tree branch, "First of all, who do I remind you of?  I know I remind you of someone.  Then second, who’s Altair?"

 Donavan stared for a moment and shook his head.  "I won’t say, now go away, your cramping my style."

 "If you had style," Lita sniffed, "I think your doing a good job ruining it yourself.  Who wears trenches like that anymore?  And the goggles?  That is so five months go."

 "Like I care," Donavan said, clutching the goggles protectively and baring his teeth at her, "I said go away."

 "And I’m saying make me," Lita answered.

 "And I’m saying I don’t make girls, I shoot them," Donavan said, "Now, go away before I decide to tie you to a tree."

 "You’d have to catch me first," Lita answered, jumped onto the branch and sitting "So is it an old girlfriend?"

 "Is what an old girlfriend?" Donavan asked.

 "The girl I remind you of," Lita said matter-of-factly, "You know I’m not leaving until I get answers.
 Donavan sighed.

"Okay, little girl…!"

 "The name is Lita."

 "Whatever," Donavan said, "Lita.  Get it through your head.  Go.  Away."

 "No," Lita said.

 Donavan was about to tell her something else when he paused.  "Do you hear that?"

 "Hear what?" Lita asked and cocked her head to one side.

 "That sound," Donavan said.  Lita heard a strange rustling sound.  Donavan frowned and pulled a gun from underneath his trench coat.  He aimed it into the trees and fired.

 "Whoa!"

 They both stared as a strange looking woman fell from the trees.  She had orange skin and a long ponytail to one side of her head.  She looked at them and Lita saw her eyes were a clear yellow with no pupil.

 "That hurt!" she cried.

 "Who are you?" Donavan asked, feeling confused.

 "The name is Gem," she said.

 "And my name is Eni," another voice said and the girl’s twin landed next to her.  They looked exactly alike.

 "Who exactly are you guys?" Lita asked.

 "We were sent by Creton to take care of the SOL," Gem said.

 "And capture the boy," Eni added.

 "Oh, well then," Donavan said and cocked the gun at them, "We can’t have that."  He aimed and the twins looked at each other.

 Donavan fired twice and they put their hands forward, side by side.  The bullets stopped and fell to the ground.

 "Um," Donavan took a step back, "Got any ideas?"

 "I’ve heard of your kind," Lita took a confident step forward.  "You live in a small village in the midst of the Dragon Mountains.  There you learn all kinds of martial arts."

 "Yes," Gem nodded.

 "Martial arts is our first love," Eni added with a smiled.

"Well, I also hear your kind must always accept a challenge," Lita said put a hands on her hips, "And by the Rules of the Duel, the challenger always makes the rules, am I right?"

 "Yes," they both said after looking at each other.

 Lita smiled, "Okay, then I challenge you two to a fight.  You both against me.  No magic, only physical attacks."

 "We cannot do that," Gem said.

 "Their must be two opponents to fight two people," Eni agreed, "Goggles over there must join the fight."

 "Me?" Donavan pointed to himself, once again adjusting his goggles, "But that would be unfair to you guys."  He smiled and winked.

 "Shut up, Donavan," Lita snapped, "You can talk the talk but I wonder if you can really walk to walk.  This is the only chance we have."

 "Fine," Donavan said, tossing his hair out of his eyes.  He took off his jacket and Lita stared at the belts crisscrossing his hips.  He had four different guns.  He unconnected the belt and tossed it aside with the coat.  Then he pulled the goggles down so they hung around his neck.

 "I’m ready," he said.

 "I was born ready," Lita said, "Do you accept our challenge?"

 They both nodded at each other and said, "Yes."

 "Begin," Lita said and ran forward.  Her target was Gem.  As short as Gem was, she was actually pretty fast.  Lita kicked forward and Gem moved her head, catching hold of Lita’s ankle.  Lita kicked with her other foot and hit Gem in the chin, but then had to flip backwards to keep her balance.  Gem was suddenly in front of Lita and hit her in the stomach, causing her to double over.

 Donavan was having the same luck.  Neither had been able to hit the other in his fight.  The broke apart and Eni suddenly came out with three blades.  She tossed them at Donavan.  He jumped backwards as one past him and moved to the right to avoid the second.  He moved his head sharply to the left as the last went by his face, barely missing and taking a few strands of his blonde hair.

 Last minute, Lita dropkicked Gem and Gem flew backwards.  Eni was distracted by her sister’s fall and Donavan managed to hit her backwards.

 "These guys are good," Gem told Eni.

 "Yes, I think we may have to show them our secret," Eni told Gem.

 "What are you guys babbling about?" Donavan growled, waiting for them to get back up.  The twins didn’t respond.  They held out their hands and locked fingers, staring straight ahead.

 "Transform," they said together.  Lita and Donavan were both taken off guard as the wind picked up suddenly and enveloped the twins.

 "I just remembered what they call these guys now," Lita said.

 "And what’s that?" Donavan asked.

 "Mergers!" Lita called back frantically, "And while they are martial art fanatics, I forgot to mention, when they start losing they usually cheat."

 Slices of red and black energy swallowed the Mergers and they disappeared.  Then something larger grew out of the blackness.  Lita and Donavan stared at it towered over them.  It was like a large dog, but its head was cat like.  It had three tails, each large and fluffy and four horns protruding from it’s scaled head.  It’s claws left marks in the dirt as it crouched down.

 And its eyes were red and focused right on Lita and Donavan.

 "Watch out!" Donavan cried but it was too late.  The creature reached forward and hit Lita across the stomach.  She cried out and fell back, but was up immediately and running.  Donavan ran also and the huge creature lumbered after them.

 "What are we suppose to do?" Lita asked Donavan.

 "If I knew that, I would have done it by now!" Donavan shouted back over the lumbering of the animal.  It was gaining speed on them every minute.

 Lita stumbled and Donavan watched her carefully.  He saw blood leaking over the arm she held over her stomach.  It soaked the front of her shirt.

 She stumbled again and fell.  Donavan kept running for a minute, groaned, then turned around.  He reached down into his boot and pulled out a shut gun when he reached the fallen Lita.  He fired up at the creature’s face.  One of the bullets made contact with the creature’s eyes and it reared back in pain.

 "Get up!" Donavan yelled at Lita.

 She bit her lower lips and shook her head.

 "I said get up!!" he yelled again and fired up at it.

 Lita sat up.  Finally, Donavan picked her up and carried her down the path.  Lita opened her eyes up all the way and found Donavan carrying her.  "I can walk!" she said and jumped out of his arms, running for herself.

 Normally, Lita was much faster than Donavan, but hurt she was actually slower.  Still, neither of them could outrun this thing.

 It jumped up at them and Donavan let out a cry, shoving Lita away, then crouching down.  He waited for the creature to crush him.  He felt a blast of wind over his head and looked up.  Something had tackled the creature back.  He scrambled out of the way.  It was another creature, exactly the same.  He watched, confused, and realized it was the shapeshifter.

 "Hotaru!" Lita called happily.

 There was huge black blast out of nowhere and they turned and saw a large Sady huffing.  She let out another attack, hitting the Merger dead on.  With a flash of light the creature shrank and so did Hotaru.  Close to where Lita and Donavan sat, the twins appeared next to each other.   One of them fell over and the other crawled over to her.

 "Eni?" Gem asked the girl, "Eni?"  With a small breath, Eni died and turned into a pile of dust.

 She stared at her dead sister and Donavan and Lita exchanged uncertain glances. Hotaru ran down the path and stopped when she saw the Merger alone in the path.  Everyone else ran in from the other side.

 The Merger looked around herself and saw she was surrounded.  She disappeared then reappeared behind Lita.  Lita gasped as the Merger took her from behind.  Everyone rushed towards Lita.

 "No one move or I’ll kill her!" Gem hissed.  Everyone did freeze.  Gem eyed everyone, uncertain, confused, and angry.

 "Let her go," Serena said steadily.

 "Stay back!" Gem yelled at them and everyone did.

 Donavan held up the pistol, but Gem stared at him and the gun flew from his hand and deep into the forest.  He growled but stood down.

 "Just let her go, and we’ll let you go," Rei told Gem, "We promise.  Just release her."  She locked eyes with her, but Gem just became angrier.

 "You will pay for Eni!" Gem yelled and grabbed Lita’s stomach, sinking her fingers into the wound.  Lita cried out as the blood spilled down her shirt.

 "Stop!" Mina yelled.

 BANG!

 Gem’s eyes went wide as something went in one side of her head and out the other.

 They all turned and saw Omi holding one of Donavan’s guns.  He lowered it slowly.  Lita scrambled away from Gem and over to her friends.  She nearly fell over but Serena caught her and helped her stand.

 Gem fell backward and turned into dust.

 Everything undid and they all turned to Lita.

 "Are you okay?" Rei asked her.

 Lita bit her lip and nodded.

 Rei looked over at Donavan and past him at Omi.  She saw Ran just behind him.  She stepped forward.  "Who are you guys?"

 "Prophets," Donavan said and walked towards Omi and Ran.

 "Of what?" Rei asked, and when Donavan kept walking she became angry, "Answer me when I’m talking to you and don’t turn your back!" Rei walked forward.

 Donavan whirled around and aimed a gun at Rei’s forehead.  The barrel was to inches away from her.  She stopped.

 "I'm not one of your subjects, your highness.  Just don't," Donavan shook his head, "It’s better for both of us."

 Rei stared at him very hard to let him know she wasn’t afraid.  "Tell us who you are," she whispered, "Tell us why you fight."

 "We messengers and we fight for the prophecy," Donavan said, "For now, that is all you need to know.  Now leave."

 "Donavan..." Ran's voice came in as a warning from behind him but Donavan ignored him.  He was focused on Rei's stare.

 "No," Rei said.

 "I said…!"

 Donavan cocked the gun and felt something unexpected at his throat.  A blade.  "You’ll want to not do that," Rais said.

 They were locked like that for a moment.  Donavan’s gun was at Rei’s head and Rais’s sword was at Donavan’s throat.  Rei took a step back and Donavan’s gun went down.  Rais’s sword dropped with it.

 "Wait," Donavan said, stepping back, "Just wait and you will know why we are here.  Until then, do not involve yourselves with us.  It is dangerous for all of us."

 He then turned his back and walked away from them.  No one made an attempt to stop him.  After they had gone a growl built up in Rei’s throat and she fired a blast at the ground in anger.

 "Stupid, egotistical idiots!" she shouted, "What are they trying to prove?  I’m sick of their shattered explanations and their prophecy talk."

 "I think they are too," Lita said, stepping up next to Rei.

 Rei glanced at her sidewise.  "You’re bleeding."

 "Just a scratch," Lita smiled with a small wink but she didn't look all that great, "I’m alright to go back to the castle."

 "Then let’s go," Rei said and turned around.  The way she walked suggested that she was still angry about their behavior, but not as much as she had been.  Everyone else slowly followed, Mina leaving Serena by herself.  Serena noticed everyone else was gone, and with a sigh, followed.

 "So many of us our getting close to them, but he said it was dangerous to involve ourselves with them," Rais told Rei, walking next to her, "How is this going to end?"

 "Badly," Rei said, "The same with any situation that involves recklessness."

 "Are they behaving reckless or are they doing the opposite of what you would do?" Rais then asked and Rei huffed.

 "Probably the opposite, but how could they get so intimate with people as suspicious as those guys?" Rei asked, "And why did I let them?"

 "Rei, you can’t control them," Rais frowned, "You can’t tell them who they can like and have feelings for, no matter what your intentions are, good or bad.  Feelings are something we just have, and there isn’t much anyone can do about it."

 "I suppose, but feelings show up at desperate times," Rei said, "Which happens to be dangerous times."

 "Sometimes they do," Rais said, "And they cause more pain then anything."  Rei walked into the castle and he paused outside the door.  "But they’re still there."

Lita dreamed the same dream again about the General Veress, but this time, blue eyes haunted the dream.  She couldn't make them go away.

 And that same night, all three of the messengers sat outside the castle.  Omi and Ran were watching Donavan.  They had asked him what was wrong with him and why he was acting the way he was.  He was looking at the ground, trying to figure out a way to begin.

 "You know, sometimes you annoy me Omi, because you remind me of me back when I was about your age," Donavan said, "I wanted to protect the innocent and hunt the evil.  I wanted to make the world a better place.  What a fool I was."

 "Why is that foolish?" Ran asked.

 "Do you wanna hear this?"

 "Yes," they both said together and he continued.

 "As soon as I turned twenty one, I took a job in the force as a detective for the continent," Donavan explained, "I wasn’t bad either.  I started small, worked my way up to some serious busts.  It hadn’t been a year into the job before I was assigned to protect a woman and her son.  She was beautiful.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone like her.  I have met someone like her, though.  She was so innocent but so smart at the same time.  I thought she was an angel."

 He stopped, unsure how to continue, so Omi continued for him.  "Did you love her?"

 "Yes," Donavan said, and paused.  After a moment of silence he continued.  "We were together maybe six weeks.  Her son was a neat little kid.  I have seen someone like him.  That kid that those guys have taken in looks almost exactly like him, except not the same person.  But there’s something in the eyes and face that is so much alike.  Anyway, I was suppose to protect them because they were on a target list.  Some wizard was after the woman and her son because he was the father.  She had run to us and I was assigned to protect her.

 "We spent those six weeks doing everything.  Spending so much time with each other, I never thought I could have so much fun.  I felt free and like I didn’t have a care.  Maybe that’s what went wrong.  Either way, her old boyfriend caught up with us.

 "I found myself with them, captured with them.  The guy thought he’d use me to teach Amber a lesson.  Amber was that girl, by the way.  She was supposed to watch me die.  I wouldn’t have minded.  Would have saved me a ton of trouble if I were to be killed then, then die the way I am now, with blood on my hands and weights on my heart.  They say those with a clear consciences dream.  I know Omi dreams beyond the prophet dreams.  I wish I could."

 "What happened?" Ran asked.

 "She ran forward to save me," Donavan said, far away from where he sat, "She ran forward and he killed her.  I freed myself, saw she was dead and grabbed Altair, her son, before anything could happen to him.  I managed to find the way out.  I walked through that door and a blast came from nowhere.  Tore that little kid apart.  Just because he was born, that’s how I always saw it.  The kid never did anything but be born.  And there he was, in tatters because of me.  Mr. Justice.  I wanted to make the world a better place and I screwed over two people in one fantastic mission.

 "The only woman I’ll probably ever feel that close to is dead.  My own wife and kids…"

 "Hold on," Omi cried and Ran’s ears shot up, "You have a wife and kids?"

 "I never mentioned in this story I was cheating on my wife?" Donavan laughed bitterly, "I loved her, but not in the way I loved Amber.  And those kids, a girl named Rose and a boy named Brandon, they were better without growing up with a killer father.  I know where they are right now but they don't know me.  Rose is going to be seven and Brandon will be five.  I check up on them every now and then.  I’m sure they’re fine.  I’m not sure what Day told them happened to their daddy.  I hope she told them some brilliant story about how he died in the line of some noble battle.  But I hope they figure out that you have to look out for yourself.  That’s how people get hurt is when others try to help."

 "That’s not true," Omi said, "Bad things happen whether you believe in helping others or destroying lives for power.  Bad things are part of life.  I truly am sorry for your losses, but you aren’t to blame.  People like the one you used to be aren’t to blame.  That wizard is to blame."

 "You don’t understand.  How old are you?  Fifteen right?  Ran, your seventeen, right?  I’m twenty-six, which sure ain’t no gray hair wise old age, but I’ve learned a lot.  I learned a lot about love and hate and ‘making the world a better place.’  There isn’t such a thing as justice.  It doesn’t exist, because being just is being fair, and life isn’t fair."

 "And it wouldn’t be easy if people like us didn’t try and make it fair like us," Ran said, "If people didn’t help each other, where would this world be?  What are we suppose to stand up for if life isn’t fair or there is no justice?  If there is no justice, then there is no freedom, and I know that freedom exists.  What you choose to do with that freedom is your choice."

 "You make your own destiny," Omi said quietly and they both looked at him, "I can see that you understand, both of you, so why can’t you just accept it?  We make our own destiny.  We can involve ourselves more into this if we choose to."

 "Give it up, Omi," Donavan said.

 He stood up and walked back into the forest.  Ran watched him and looked at Omi.  Omi stared at him intensely.

 "What about you Ran, do you believe it?" Omi asked, "If anyone, it has to be you.  Don’t you believe what you know in your heart is true?"

 Ran stared at him, then sadly turned in the same direction of Donavan.

 Omi hung his head and the sun sank past the horizon.  In her bed, Lita sat up and went to the window, forever haunted by the pain inside those two blue eyes.

Chapter 20