Truth Be Known They Meet Again (Zorolo and Sakume)

The fresh summer air died as the sun disappeared from the sky, bring only the night. Another lonely night walking to the city of Zepper. Sara wondered how long has it really been since she last seen him. She’d lost track of time in her quest to restore the gift she received from him. Luna gleamed and glistered in the nighttime darkness of the world. Sara held her arm up, glazing into the beautiful moon that hung down from her wrist.

She could also see the city ahead as she walked closer to its lonely streets. She shifted her backpack to rest on her back better thinking about what he would say when he saw what she found. She thought about wearing it on her trip to the city, but she wanted him to be there when she tried it on.

The place seemed peaceful enough finally making her way into the city grounds. Tried from the walk she stopped a rested on the sidewalk cursing herself for not taking the horse farther. It’ll all play out in the end. I’m sure he’ll love the horse when he sees it, she thought catching her breath. The streets bare, making her worry if anyone still lived around here.

“What going on with this place?” She wondered, glancing around the houses around her. “Could they really all be sleep?”

Did it really matter, she thought getting up from the ground. He should be coming soon if he not already here waiting for me. Quickly brushing the dirt off her clothes she begun walking again; this time through the city streets.

She’d already visited this place before and knew that this town only had on hotel in the whole city. It was a big hotel that changer a scary low piece, but it also had enough rooms to house the whole city if it needed to. She glanced around as she walked finally seeing a few place, but not many walking around and that put her mind to ease a bit. The last thing she wanted was to be waiting in a ghost town.

As she reached the heart of Zepper the number of people she saw increased, but also the more she was able to see the hotel in her sight. The building was huge as she got a good look at it from the gates. “This place as grown a lot since the last time I saw it.” She said walking down the road that lead to the front door.

“Hello miss can I help you,” the lady at the desk asked as Sara walked in.

“Can you tell me if a gust name Raziel is staying here?” Sara asked in a very un-lady like way as she walked to the counter.

“Umm… Raziel. Let me look.” She when on her computer and searched for the name, but found nothing. “Sorry, but he not here. Can I get you anything else?”

Currently, the man known as Raziel stared up at the sky, balanced awkwardly as he watched his bubbles rise to the surface of the water, popping. He pushed off from the thick muck under the clear lake and kicked his way upwards, breaking the water's surface with a splash and a gasp. Swimming, after spending so much time near the water due to the White Knight, gave him a sort of peace and made it easier to think.

"Lorelei..." He floated aimlessly on his back as he thought of her, of all the times they had previously been through since he met her that long time ago.

Do you still love me?

The moon shown down upon him, bathing him in the mellow glow. Zorlo would come to meet him here, as the letter described. He trusted the fencer in matters like this, things that were about such tender things as love. It was better to get the advice of someone not fully involved, or so Raziel thought.

I think I still love you...

He would never let Sara or any of the other girls he had chasing him know that, of course. Raziel had been brought up a gentleman and so he would remain. Perhaps Zorlo could help him better, then. Since... well... neither had really grown up with parents, but both knew somewhat of ladies and relationships. Things were hard enough when you were a dog half the time. He powerfully churned the water as he swam a few laps of the lake, still deep in thought. She should be at the hotel by now, which meant he'd see her very soon. Well... it was probably time to stop running by now, anyway. He began to tread water, diving down to analyze what he could see underneath the water, able to pick out definitions on shapes instead of vague blurs as before he knew Lucien.

His eyes traveled above water and he saw a familiar tone of green. Well, here goes.

"Well, if you're not a sight for semi-sore eyes," the Aura Master joked as he stood upside down on thin air, looking down at Raziel, his hair being forced down, despite the fact it seemed to fight physic's pull. The green haired man slowly seemed to float down, despite still being upside down on nothing but a cushion of aura that held him suspended. The werewolf found himself gaping as the sight as the fencer continued to slowly float down. Odds are, the blue haired warrior didn't know the extent to what Zorlo's powers could do.

This had actually been a favor that Selene had asked the Aura Master to do for her after reading a letter that Raziel had sent her. He seemed to have a lot of problems, so it seemed only wise to send an 'expert', if Zorlo could hardly be called that, to deal with such difficulties. Even if the fencer wasn't a pimp himself, he would try to help the werewolf to reform his ways and settle down. Or, at least, that was the goal.

"Anyway, I hear that you've got some woman troubles you needed help with. So, since I read the letter you sent Selene, let me ask you the starting question: Whom do you really love?" he asked the werewolf as he floated down, leveling himself at the man's eye level, still floating upside down.

The werewolf hesitated, looking at the fencer and lowering his eyes slightly. "What do you mean?" he asked nervously, not quite sure what the right answer was, the fencer guessed.

"I am in love with Lorelei," he said after a moment of thought.

"And no one else?" the fencer asked as he looked at the still unsure man.

"Well... love is a hard thing to understand sometimes... so I'm not really sure."

Zorlo had expected that. "When was the last time you saw this woman?"

Raziel raised his eyes to meet Zorlo's and responded. "Three years ago."

On that note, the Aura Master could again only smile. "What if she's moved on?" he asked as he floated back slightly. "After all, time changes people, you know," the fencer stated surely. "What if she no longer loves you? What will you do then?" The fencer didn't ask this with any intent of insult or maliciousness, but only a question for thought. For that was all that mattered.

"I suppose... I will let her be happy," he responded. "But what does that have to do with now? It's not as if I can go and ask her right now." He disappeared under the water for a brief moment before coming back up for air. "Hm..." He closed his eyes, calm for the moment. "I wonder... if Sara is content to just... wait. And see. Do you think Selene would have waited?"

The question must have caught the fencer by surprise, since he did not answer right away. How was he to know? "I'm... not sure," he replied, with a smile. "If she loved me then as much as she does now, I'm sure she would."

"Then I wonder if Sara will. I mean, she is... well, does mean a great deal to me. I'm just unsure of if I love her as much I know I do Lorelei. And I don't know if I can ever be... a good father, either."

"That's a common fear," the fencer replied, "it should have no merit on whether you love a person or not."

"I just wander so much. I wonder if she'd accept me for that. Well, there's also the fact that I'm capable now of protecting those I love. I just... always felt like I'd be a bachelor all my life."

"I understand..."

"I get... really possessive and lustful when I'm near the full moon. I'd never want to hurt anyone I loved in that way, either."

"Hm..."

"Maybe I need to just take things one step at a time, you know? Nice and slow wins the race, or whatever that saying was? She's waiting for me." He exited the water, cape dripping behind him. He shook himself like a dog shakes after coming from a bath, flinging water in all directions. "Brr. Alright..." He settled down for a moment. "I need to ask another question. Did you doubt at all with Selene? I mean, after being with her? Seeing her for the first time? Did you feel love then? Immediately?"

Zorlo didn't think at all as he looked at Raziel. "Not for a moment did I wonder if I loved her and she loved me after that first kiss. I knew it was love. Not even death could keep us apart. Powers beyond mortal knowledge work in amazing ways. Don't doubt them," the fencer stated as he floated back upwards. "Now then, that'll be twenty two fifty," Zorlo said jokingly as he floated off.

As the fencer rose into some clouds, he floated quietly in them as he looked around. "Maybe soon he'll be as free as I am. When that happens, he and I won't have any more business," the fencer said as he looked towards where the person Raziel was looking for was. Her, and another being in the nearby distance. One that had not been spoken of in a great long while. The last of the legendary dark masters.

"Be careful. If you meet him... you both may not live. Be careful," the fencer said as he floated away. He had other business to attend to. Namely things involving heaven and guards and stuff. Freeing people, killing evil kings, and other such ironic things.

Raziel relaxed for a few more moments before freeing himself of water with another shake and heading towards the town. Things seemed quiet in Zepper tonight, and the werewolf liked it that way. Less distractions to bother him. The inn was huge; he could tell from a distance. It towered over the other buildings in the town, and Raziel took a moment to stop, removing a posession from his clothing.

He inhaled deeply the scent of his rose, re-inserting it into his slit of clothing to look more handsome, re-opening his eyes. Things were highlighted now as he had mentally asked, different smells pulsating in different colors and shapes. Who knew scents could be so complicated? Raziel went towards a certain pink shade of scent and lifted the bouquet of flowers to his nose. They were a sad comparison to his rose, but that would be unfair of him since the rose was magical. These roses would do. He flicked the owner of the stall a silver piece and headed for the inn. No sense in greeting Sara empty-handed, anyway. He hoped she liked roses. Lorelei had...

He entered the inn and reported to the main lobby, chatting with the woman to find out which room Sara had gone to in order to get settled. She wasn't far, he learned, and climbed the stairs to see where exactly the number was. Nice hotel, he mentally mused as he noticed the red carpet instead of wood he was so used to by now. Here we are. Number 212.

He knocked twice, and heard the door began to open. He held out the flowers and put on a huge smile, without realizing he had. He was looking forward to seeing her again.

"Can I help you, sonny?" An elderly woman adjusted her glasses and peered at the flowers with a terribly analyzing look, a near-glare as if the man were making fun of her in some way.

"Oh... I'm sorry, isn't this 212?"

"Oh, oh, sir!" The main lobbyist panted as she caught up to the two. "Sir, I'm sorry, it was 213!"

Raziel felt his face grow hot under the strange looks he was given by both females. "Oh... Um... I apologize, miss. I didn't mean to startle you. Or disturb you." He moved down a door and knocked, hoping Sara would answer to save him from the patronizing glare of the people down the hall trying to sleep, the roses once more held out in front of him.

The warm water from the shower sprayed across her face and flowed down her body as it drained into the pipe below. It had been so long since she last took a nice hot shower at the warm liquid relaxed her a great deal. Turning off the shower she got up and dried her self off still trying to decide if she should put her new dress on before he came. She was sure he would come to see her no matter what happen to him. As she wrapped the first towel around her body she took other one to dry her hair.

Walking out into the bedroom suite she sat down on the bed finishing up drying her hair. The soap that she’d used left her smelling like a fresh April flower. Getting up to go to her beg she grabbed fresh under clothes out and than walked over to where her everyday clothes sat.

“Hmm… I guess I could wait a little bit longer to try on that dress,” she said taking her clothes and heading back into the bathroom to change. After only getting a change to put her under clothing and skirt on she heard a knock at her door. Grabbing her shirt she walked over to the door while throwing over her head.

She heard a knock again as she got closer to the door. “Who is it?” she asked as she unlocked the door and swung it open. “Yes,” she asked before getting a chance to see who was at the doorway.

“This is for you Sara,” Raziel said holding up the flower in front of the doorway. Sara almost couldn’t control herself as a bright smile came over her face.

“Raziel!” she shouted taking the flower and hugging as if they had been gone for years. “Come on in. I was just finishing up getting dress,” she continued letting him go so he can come in. “Did you take care of what you had to do?” she asked closing the door behind him.

OoC: Short. -.- But gets to the point.

BiC: "More or less, yes," he answered as he returned her strong hug, stepping inside and letting a pack of supplies slip to the floor. "Sorry I was late. I had some little errands to run and all. Did you successfully find the Luna Bracelet?"

A flash from Sara's wrist and she held the charm up, allowing Raziel to take her wrist delicately in his hands, thoughtfully touching her skin. It was smooth, he realized, smoother than he would have expected for so much traveling. Blushing slightly, he slid his hand from hers. "I... I've missed you," he admitted, finding himself happy to be in the company of another after some alone time lately.

"So-" he briefly cleared his throat. "Where... exactly are we going now?" As he spoke, he moved towards the window, gazing out towards the looming woods. He didn't even need to open the glass pane, thanks to his own rose. He could smell her beyond the barrier. Sakume... you're healed, aren't you? That spat... and that man with you... who was he? Are... you mating now? Sakume... you can't do this to yourself. That man... I sensed so much evil from him. And you swore... you swore our fighting was over... didn't you? What of father? Where is he now that he's finished taking of you? Sakume... dearest sister... please don't be angry... I've done nothing. He closed his eyes.

"I'm ready, though, whenever you are, Sara. I'll do anything you ask of me."

It was dark. So dark. The abyssal darkness seemed to swirl around the being of unending darkness. Still, what had once seemed like a gift had shown its true colors as a curse. It had been many long months since he had vanished from anyone's radar to hide himself, if only to prevent the need to destroy anyone. His time was drawing to a close.

In that realm where no light shows, the man would become darkness stood. As he stood silently, he recalled the simple truths of his life. His right arm had completely vanished, having no physical form any longer. His left arm had vanished until mid bicep. He had lost both of his legs to his knees, and his health was following his body vanishing. The darkness was no going so far as poisoning him, trying to take the last bits of Shinu's life. And there wasn't anything he could do about it.

The darkness swirled around the Master of Darkness, the powerful element flooding into his arms to create artificial limbs, and a thick, purple substance flowed out of his new, solid magic limbs and leaked into the realm. Darkness poisoning flowed out of the false limbs as the dark one's head rose, looking outwards into the realm he seemed bound to be nothing more than a memory of. "Even now... I don't have much longer. I will die... I do not deny this. But I can not die like this... rotting away. I need something... someone... just to help me feel alive one last time."

The realm of darkness slowly faded away as the Nightmare returned to where he found himself living, concealed in the forests around him. Sakume stood behind him, staring at his legs and arms as his clothing materialized over them. "Are you ready to go?" he asked, looking back at her as he brought his hood over his face.

Sara was busy packing her things while Raziel stared out the window seeing troubled. She didn’t know what had happen with him since she left his side, but it most likely none of her business. She turned back around hearing him talking nonsense to her. She knew something had to be troubling him bad than as she walked over to him.

“What was that?” she asked ever so sweetly as if she didn’t hear him the first time.

“I’m ready to do anything you ask of me, Sara,” Raziel repeated stepping closer to her. Sara smiled soft before lightly tapping her hand over his cheek.

“Stop being silly. I don’t know you and you don’t own me,” she replied before tipping on the noise like a little kid. “Now, don’t think I can’t tell when something wrong with you,” she finished up before turning back around to grab her bag.

“Sara,” Raziel said calling her letting a tear run down his eye.

“When you’re ready you can tell me what on your mind. In the mean time I found this beautiful traveling dress,” she said as she begun to dig into her bag. “I thought you meant like it as much as me since it blue.”

She pulled out a beautiful blue gown like dress that seemed very lightweight to the wearer. It reached all the way down to the ground and a light belt like warp came around the waist of the dress. “I found it in the village near the shrine. Do you like it?”

Raziel took a step back at the beauty he saw. Blue had always been his favorite color, but on her it seemed to jump out at him. "It's... it's wonderful on you," he breathed out, taking her hand and bestowing a gentle kiss on it. "It's perfect for your figure. Really makes you look feminine and... well... curvy." He couldn't think of a better word, and blushed as he admitted the truth. Behind him, his cloak swayed slightly. His tail was wagging. "So... you're ready to go then?" There was indeed a reason he wanted to go somewhere so badly and seemed so uncomfortable.

Of course Sara would never have known, but it was time for the wolves to get together for the season, and being half-wolf, Raziel tended to be more wild and lustful in this time, something he didn't appreciate in the least. It was nearly unavoidable, staring at the most luscious parts of a woman and knowing in the back of his mind his body wanted hers. Sara was no exception. He would have to complete whatever she was going to ask of him quickly if he wanted to avoid the temptations heading his way.

~------------~

Sakume felt the swell. The females had a worse time of it. She was definetely in heat, though her mate, technically not a werewolf, did not seem to notice at all. She wanted Shinu. She wanted him terribly. And he had said, when he first met her, that he wanted her as well. In fact, that was all he wanted. To mate with her and have her bear him a pup that he could use to go on surviving... so why did she suddenly feel this negative sensation at his lack of interest in her? This... unwanted feeling?

Am I not attractive? She blinked once, nodding in reply to his question. Surely he could choose to mate with me if he wished to. The feeling of uselessness was accompanied by another unwanted emotion, something she had not felt for years. Sadness. It washed over her in a great wave of sympathy, smashing into her brain, threatening to bring tears to her eyes. You're going to die, Shinu. You... the first... only real loved person I ever thought I would have. And you don't seem to care... don't you want me at all anymore? What good am I to you? I... thought we would truly love one another... why can't you stay?

"I am ready." She knew long before he did of Raziel's presence in the distance. His smell was rough, enticing, even, as disgusting as it was. She hated it, but she knew that she couldn't be too near her brother, for fear of her female hormones picking up in such a hard time for her. "Don't disappoint me."

Shinu... We've gotten to know each other so much over the past few months, hiding out together, and yet you've no time for me. I... understand, but I thought you couldn't live without me. Why must you torture me like this? Don't you know how much I want to love you while I still can? Don't you know the truth? If only you could see... how much someone loves another if they truly do love them... if you could only know how much I'd protect you.

Shinu nodded as he looked up at the sky and thought. "After this battle... we will no longer need to hide. We can live outside of this dismally dark world that I've created. We can live in the light and be... happy. We can finally be... a family," he told her as he looked at his arm. It pained him so much, having to keep away from her, but he had found a way out. He could be free, all he needed was Raziel's sword and he could put an end to it. Aizi would finally be gone.

Even so, the demon had long been quiet. Just as the werewolf power that coursed through Shinu's veins was kept quiet by his magic, the demon within him was kept quiet by the werewolf energies. They made Shinu the stronger of the two. When the demon was gone, the dark one would no longer be the Master of Darkness, nor a demon, nor Zorlo, nor anything that was related to these ideas. He'd simply be a demidemon, trapped to forever be an incomplete being. This he could live with.

Still, for now, he needed his powers. The great magical energies that coursed through his veins were exactly what he needed. Even if he nearly destroyed himself in the battle, so long as his head remained intact, he could free his body from the curse of the Dark Realm and be pure and complete once again. No longer slave nor subject. Instead, he would be a master of his own destiny.

Darkness cloaked the Master of Darkness as he moved towards Sakume and hugged her. "Soon, we will be together forever," he told her, kissing her as the darkness swallowed them both up. The predestined spot of this battle between the forces brought together would be headed to now. Although Shinu didn't know exactly where he was headed, he sensed where they were, the werewolf and his cohort. They would die soon, and he would be free.

Folding her dress back up Sara couldn’t help, but feel displeased with the way he was rushing him. She didn’t want to pressure him into about the topic. She felt it was best to wait for him to tell her, but her watery eyes and puffy lips couldn’t help show her feeling. She felt he didn’t trust her enough to share his thoughts and feeling with her.

“Really?” he asked walking ever so closely to her with his bag over his shoulder. As he stepped over to the side of her, Sara turned away, not looking at him while she tried to control the tears building up in her eyes. The wolf man brushed his hands along her cheeks giving it a light push towards him.

She could feel her heart pound strongly, feelings coursed through her body, resting her hand on his arm. “Stop,” her soft voice said, but her heart controlled the sad sound that came from it.

“What wrong?” Raziel asked letting his hand slid up to the back of her ear. She finally turned to face him; her smile that she put on was clearly a lie.

“Nothing really. I just wish that you’ll trust me more,” she said before walking pass him and to the door. “Now, I have one more thing to show you,” her voice returning back to a more normal sound; opening the door before looking back.

She could tell that her comment had him thinking as he slowly made his way to the door. This made her smile seem less fake while she walked out of the hotel and down the lonely street of the city. From her little time she spent in this place it seemed to always be dead at night. She continued to glance over at Raziel that still hadn’t spoke since they left the hotel.

It was fine with her, but she wished he would say something soon. She didn’t care what it was, just something to let her know she wasn’t too harsh on him. Even though, what she said was her true feeling.

“Raziel…” A strange dark voice cried out into the air. The darkness that begun to form in the air as Sara begun to leave the city limits crept her out. She’d never felt so much evil in the air like that of what she felt now.

Folding her hands to her side she watched the darkness spread across the field in front of her. This present was on a whole other level than her own darkness that watched over her. She could hear the demon hound growl in her mind all the way from the other realm. “Who is…. It?” she asked fighting her own fears to ask.

Light arms covered her, calming her body and shook off the coldness that tried to take over her body. She could see the image of two being forming out of the dark fog of clouds that suddenly appeared. What going on Raziel? was her only thought, but her body was still too much in shock by the powerful presents that appeared.