Standing on the Sky
Part Two, Chapter Two
By Aiko-chan


"Anger."

Presea shook her head. "No."

Cerise stubbornly pointed to a spot on the page that the book she held in her lap was open to. "It says to feel your anger. Do it, Presea."

The blond woman rolled her eyes. "Cerise-san, I understand that this training is important, but I don't remember anything about myself or my past, and there's been nothing to anger me since I came here. How can I feel anger when there's nothing to provoke me?"

Cerise lifted one eyebrow, the brown line moving up above the dark red pool of her eye. "Shall I provoke you, then? Remember, Presea, that Papa has taught me all I need to know to help you complete your task." She closed her eyes, folding her hands on top of the open pages of the book. "Anger."

After a moment's thought, Presea sighed, shutting her eyes. She needed to feel anger, or Cerise wouldn't go on. So, she'd have to provoke herself.

It's your own fault, you know. It's your own fault you lost your memory. Cerise said it's just a side affect of your commitment to her orders, but you know that isn't true. You made some mistake; you messed up your own life.

Anger, anger at herself, bubbled inside Presea. She opened her eyes. Cerise was watching her. She closed her eyes again. She needed to encourage the anger.

You were probably a horrible person. I bet you killed people, just like you're going to kill the Magic Knights for Cerise. But you know the Magic Knights are evil --- they killed Cerise's parents without reason. But I bet you killed innocent people.

Or maybe it wasn't that kind of horrible thing. Maybe you were cruel. Maybe you made people feel terrible about themselves. I bet you did. You're a horrible person. It's all the better that you can't remember the things you did.

Presea clenched her fists as anger at herself, the things she was trying to lead herself to believe. The anger bubbled more --- it was beginning to boil.

"That's good," Cerise said. "That's enough. I can tell that you've touched your anger.

"That's the end of that part of your training." Cerise turned a few pages ahead in the book.

Presea took a few deep breaths, unclenching her hands. She cooled the anger inside herself. "Cerise-san... What is the purpose of my touching different emotions?"

Cerise tapped the pages of the book. "Papa wrote this book. It shows me how I should train you to your best ability.

"Because you lost your memory when you committed to following my orders, one of your exercises in your training is to get back in touch with your emotions. Things that make you sad, happy, angry... By knowing your own emotions, you'll know yourself again."

The pale little girl pointed to one page. "This is the next step: You need to learn your physical limits, and broaden their horizons.

"According to what Papa wrote, you must fight so that you can figure out where your physical limits are. Then you need to train hard so that you can surpass those limits and become stronger."

She snapped the book shut. "Come with me, Presea."

Cerise tucked the thick book under her arm, hopping down off the bed. She crossed the length of her mother's bedroom, opening the door and stepping out into the hall, Presea behind her.

The little girl led Presea back to the staircase on the opposite side of the hall. They traveled up the stone steps, their footsteps echoing in the small space, until Cerise stepped onto a landing on one side of the staircase and went through a doorway.

Presea followed the small girl down a wide hallway. The cold floor was covered by a dark blue carpet, and paintings of bright landscapes hung on the walls. There were candles lit, one between each of the paintings, giving the hallway a dim, soft glow.

At the end of the hall there was an oak door, identical to every other door Presea had seen in the house. Cerise knocked lightly on the door, calling out, "Meline?"

The door swung open, revealing a tall girl who looked to be in her late teens. Her skin was a more healthy tan than Cerise's pale color, and her thin, jet-black hair hung limply behind her shoulders, reaching nearly to her waist. Her golden eyes flitted from Cerise's face to Presea and back again. "Is this Fa--- uh, Presea?"

Cerise nodded. "I talked to Mama for a little earlier. She said she had given you a job, and that I was to let you out."

"Thank you." Meline stepped out, shutting the door behind her. She walked beside Cerise as they headed back down the hall.

As they got back on the staircase and began climbing upward, Meline asked, "So, what have you done with Presea so far, little sister?"

"I read in the book Papa wrote that I had to teach Presea to find out about herself. She doesn't remember anything. I had her try to find out what sorts of things made her feel different feelings." Cerise smiled faintly. "Now Presea has to find out what her physical limitations are."

Meline shook her head. "Now now, don't beat her up too badly, Cerise." She smiled faintly. "You seem to have a tendancy to overdo things."

"Well, why don't you help me?" Cerise suggested. "I'm following Papa's instructions, but sometimes there's big words that are hard to understand."

Meline considered the offer. Her mother had asked her to lure the Magic Knights to their home, but she didn't want their slaughter to take place here. She sighed. Meline hated to disobey her mother, but she would prove herself by aiding Cerise, instead.

"All right. I'll help you train Presea." Meline glaced over her shoulder at the blond woman, grinning wickedly. "I hope you're prepared, Presea. I hear you used to be a weapon maker. I suppose you aren't good in combat by nature."

After travelling down the stone steps a ways, they reached the bottom. Cerise and Meline showed Presea into the dank, empty basement.

"Cerise is going to give you your weapons," Meline explained, "while I perpare for your fight. Wait with her."

The dark-haired girl left the two standing by the door. She went through another door on the left wall, entering the room where Ryker was kept.

Meline smiled as she crossed the room. Ryker, a fully adult dreygen, was dozing in the corner. She poked him, rousing him from his slumber. "Ryker, you need to come out now."

The dreygen glanced up at her with dark eyes, as if it say, "Why?"

"Please, Ryker. We need you."

After a brief pause, Ryker hopped up. His eyes were shining, and he was wearing that goofy grin that was typical of dreygens on his muzzle. He followed Meline on four long, thick legs out into the main room of the basement.

Cerise smiled as Meline emerged. "I have shown Presea how to use her glove to use magic, as well as a sword, a dagger, and a bow and arrow. Is Ryker ready?"

Meline nodded. "He's ready." She petted the dreygen's head. "Presea, I'm sure you're aware of the habits of dreygens. They're friendly and silly, and would never think to harm another creature." She narrowed her eyes. "Unless provoked. When put in danger, dreygens can become deadly animals."

Cerise handed a rod to her sister. Meline held it up for Presea to see. "This is a storm rod. I'm holding the wooden handle, you see, so it can't hurt me. But if the metal part touches a creature, it sends a bolt of electricity into their body."

Meline kissed the top of Ryker's fuzzy head. "I'm sorry, Ryker," she apologized. Then she touched the metal storm rod to his side.

The dreygen jerked from the pain. His dark eyes flashed, anger surging from the attack.

"That woman!" Meline cried, pointing at Presea. "That woman caused it!"

Ryker snarled, baring its teeth. Dreygens eat plants, so they have only flat teeth --- except for the two needle-sharp fangs used if they enter combat.

The dreygen shifted its weight onto its two back legs, bounding across the stone floor towards Presea in a kangaroo-like fashion. It swiped its thick, heavy tail out, hitting the side of the woman's head and knocking her to the floor.

"Defend yourself, Presea!" Cerise shouted.

Presea narrowed her eyes, focusing. The jewel on her glove shone red, and a wave of light shot out of it, into her other hand. The light solidified into a sword.

As Ryker swept one paw towards her, the retractable claws out, Presea swung the sword up, meeting the creature's paw with the flat of the blade. Ryker pushed his paw against the blade, swinging down under it and coming up, his sharp fangs in Presea's face.

The blond woman fell back, and Ryker leapt upon her, sinking his fangs into her shoulder. Presea cried out, swinging the sword up and slicing a long, red line into the dreygen's side.

Ryker cringed back, and Presea returned the sword to the jewel on her hand. She swung one hand forward with incredible speed; the air swirled around her hand, then shot forward with a loud, low rumble. The wave of thunder hit Ryker, throwing the creature back a few feet.

The dreygen leapt back on its feet, swinging its heavy tail out again. Presea aimed a bolt of electricity at Ryker, and it hit his tail.

Ryker let out a hoarse cry, and Presea summoned a bow and arrow from the jewel on her glove. She nocked an arrow, aiming it at the dreygen's throat.

"No!" Cerise cried, trying to run forward, but Meline held her back. "No! Meline, you can't!"

Presea let the arrow fly.

"No! Ryker!" Cerise ran over to where the dreygen had fallen. She fell to her knees, throwing her arms around the creature and burying her face in its tan fur. "No, no..."

Meline patted Presea on the shoulder as she passed the woman. She continued on, kneeling next to her sister, putting an arm around her. "I hate it, too," she whispered, her voice choked. "But Ryker had to die. Presea had to learn. I hate myself for causing it, but it's for the greater good."

"Why Ryker?" Cerise wailed. "Why not capture a wild dreygen? He's been our friend our whole lives!"

Meline bit her lip. "Gomen nasai, Cerise. I know you love him. I do, too. But it had to be done." She hugged her little sister tightly. "I'm sorry."

After a few minutes, Cerise rubbed the tears out of her eyes and stood up, facing Presea. Her sister stood up next to her. "There are a few more things you must learn, Presea," the pale child said in a strong, steady voice. "Then you will kill the Magic Knights."