x continued here with @linksense
She stood there, her hand held out to him against the winds of the wintery breeze. Even as her light blue cloak swayed in the cold breeze, threatening to make her shiver with the low temperature, the fairy refused to move. After being denied time and time again, this was Aoi’s final request. Yusaku had every reason to hold back; his past was filled with nothing but dark memories to haunt him. Aoi must have been crazy to want to tag along with him; many of her friends in the Trickstar Clan had agreed upon that, but Aoi didn’t care. For the longest time she had wanted to help the mage, and now her desire had only been fuelled further as she finally had her own reasons to take down the Hanoi Guild.
The winds slowly came to a stop and Aoi was left to stare at Yusaku as he answered her request, his hand slipping into her own. While the tight hold did hurt a little bit, Aoi knew of his intention and returned the squeeze with the same amount of force as she nodded at his words. She wouldn’t be scared – not of him or this journey they would embark on together. She had come too far to back out now over the fear of certain possibilities. With Yusaku’s hand in her own, he could do just as she said and drag her to the depths of hell and she’d stay by his side and help as much as she could.
She wasn’t going anywhere.
“You may not come back the same. I can’t promise it.
… Stay your distance the best you’re able. You don’t deserve a fate like my own.”
“I’ve already changed,” Aoi whispered with a light shake of her head, a sad smile upon her face as she took a step towards him, her hand still holding tight onto his own. “The ones you speak of tried to corrupt my magic and cast my soul into an eternal slumber. I can’t just sit here and let them do that to others when I could be doing what I can to help. I won’t hold back anymore.” Her amber eyes filled with determination as she reached out, grabbing a hold of Yusaku’s other hand, her fingertips glowing with a light blue aura as she let her own magic keep them warm against the snowflakes that fell.
“Your vengeance is no longer yours to handle all alone; show me the path and I’ll forever stand by your side.”
Mm. She was quick to return his painful grip with one of her own — not that the pain was visible on his face as he dared not to flinch — not even for one second. It was a good start, to the path she had chosen by his side. It spoke of a strong will to never fall within the darkness again — and hopefully it would carry her far away from the dark.
Yusaku is left to only hum in agreement, as his gaze narrowed in anger. After what the Hanoi Guild had done to her, all to get to him, he couldn’t deny what she had been through. She had already been dragged into Dark Arcana — using it’s powers only slightly was enough to change and damage her mind. Of course it would change her, and her changes were evident as she unconsciously already found herself on the “Playmaker’s” path.
He had to wonder… was the fact that she had already been exposed to the darker magics why she was a fair deal stronger against it? His gaze fell as he remained in thought as he continued to listen. Just how much her mind was damaged was something he was already keenly aware of — what with how he fought so hard with his familiar to free her — from spell and curse both. … But it isn’t long before he’s pulled from his thoughts, his attention being brought back to the here and now, with the sight of a glowing hand entering his view. He blinked, watching as the Angel of Blue took his other hand — and it’s made clear that the glow was her magic. The magic of a simple warmth spell, made clear as he felt the warmth flow through every inch of him like a butterfly dancing underneath his skin.
He felt the spell move around his chest like a gentle flame — making all of his chest warm, including his dark and enchanted heart as he breathed in from the wake of the spell. Little did the dark mage know that the breath would prove to steady him for what he had to say next.
“… Fine,” was his curt and cold reply — clearly not letting the angel worm her way into his heart so easily as he dragged her through the dark. (Was it even dragging her anymore, when it was willful? “So I will.”
To make his distance clear, his hand was pulled away — the spell still lingering in his chest as he began walking further north into the woods.
“This way.” He spoke, back turned to her as he continued to walk — not even bothering to look to see if she was following as the snow crunched underneath his feet. “My camp is farther in the Wood.”
There’s a silence, for a moment, as the black mage and the blue fairy walked through the protection of tree canopies and ruining virgin snow below their feet — an odd couple through the forest. Yet, for once, after some time, it was the user of darker magics who broke the silence.
“… The Go Ogre has already defeated their transmutation mage.” He spoke, turning his gaze to look at her as he continued to walk forward regardless. “Have you found any leads on who cast your sleeping curse yet?”
It was a legitimate question — after what she had been through. If she was to go against the Hanoi, on a path such as this, she may as well have something to prove. Going up against the person who cursed her in the first place may prove to be just that. And while he was the one who asked the question, he had a secret hidden up his sleeve, like a good practicer of magic. And that trick just may have been that he had the answer she was seeking… if she wanted it.
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