Thomas Kasuto
Saias’s Villa
3 Days
As
I awoke the next morning, I opened my eyes
slowly, as they had grown unaccustomed to the light during the few days that I
was blind. Well, at least Luna’s potion
worked. Better by morning, just as she said. Lying on my bed beside me was
Zelda. She lay on her side, facing me, and her eyes were open as well, though
she didn’t notice that I was awake until I reached over and gently began
stroking the side of her face. Startled, she flinched away slightly, but she
began smiling when she saw that I was awake.
“Good morning,” she said softly. “Can you see now?”
“Yes; Luna’s potion worked exactly as well as she said it
would,” I said. Zelda smiled her usual radiant and beautiful smile, but after a
moment, it disappeared as her face returned to its original solemn, almost
lachrymose expression. “Are you okay?” I asked. “You look like you’re about to
cry…”
“Oh…no, it’s…nothing,” she said, forcing herself to smile.
“Really…I’m fine…”
“Is it about what happened back in Shendu Territory?”
Once again, her smile vanished. Her eyes closed, and she
slowly nodded. “I…I’m not sorry that I did it…that I stepped up to protect you
when you needed me to. But that man…when I was attacking him over and over like
that, I just…couldn’t stop…It was as if I was being controlled by all my anger,
all my hatred…and I killed him. I know he said his deaths weren’t permanent
like how a normal Human’s were, but I just can’t…I can’t get these feelings of
dread to leave my heart, no matter how many times I tell myself that. And then,
when I saw my reflection in Luna’s eyes, and I saw myself covered with all of
that blood, and I saw all of that rage on my face, in my eyes…I really felt as
though the dread and nausea together would have killed me. I…I never want to
look like that again!” Her eyes began to well with tears, but none of them slipped
out. “Thomas…was that…what it was like that the first time you killed someone?”
“I think…it might be different for different people,” I said
after a moment’s thought. “Before I left Cyclamen City with Victoria, I had
been alone for so long that loneliness had hardened my heart. I guess…that
never really left me. The first time I killed anyone was while I was still
training with Victoria, sometime after I had found Statuedramon. The man I
killed was a lone bandit, and so I was able to easily kill him before he had
hurt anyone. When he fell to the ground…all I felt was relief; relief to know
that he hadn’t hurt anyone else; relief that I had escape unscathed. Victoria…she
was so proud of me for what I had done to protect the people of that small
village. I remember it all very clearly; she hugged me so tightly…she kissed me
on the forehead…That’s why I’m able to kill so effortlessly…each time I do, I
am reminded of the relief I felt from saving everyone that day, and the warmth
of Victoria’s embrace that followed. But you…you had been alone for far longer
than I had, and treated with far more cruelty than I could even begin to
fathom, and yet you are still so pure of heart. You are a kind and gentle
person; the nicest I have ever known. The emotions you felt when you killed him
were quite natural for someone of your delicate temperament, and they are
nothing to be ashamed of.” I reached over and stroked her face once again, and
I ran my fingers through her golden, silky hair. “If you ever need to talk
about it some more, I’ll always be here for you.”
“Thank you…Thomas…” Zelda took my hand and kissed the back
of it. “I feel better, though, after hearing you. Thank you.”
“Happy to help,” I smiled.
“…So…what was it like to be blind?” Zelda asked.
“It was…very…dark,” I replied. “The worst part about it…was
that I couldn’t see your smile, your eyes…and I didn’t get very long to see you
in a bikini, either. I’m quite disappointed about that.”
Zelda giggled. “Well…if you’d like…I can show you again
sometime,” she said softly. “If you’d like…”
“I would like that very much,” I smiled. We continued to lie
in bed for a few brief moments, staring into each other’s eyes until someone
lightly knocked on the bedroom door.
“Are you two awake yet?” Apollomon asked from the other side
of the door.
“Yes, sir.”
“Pheragas, BlackGaomon, and
Dianamon have returned. Come down as soon as you are able to.” Zelda and I
glanced at each other with curiosity before climbing out of bed.
10 Minutes
“You both
lost the Horcruxes?!” Statuedramon exclaimed. “How the fuck did that happen?!”
“I couldn’t really tell you, Statch; it happened so fast,”
Dianamon said. “One minute, I was standing in the Savage Prairie, and the next,
I was flat on my back, one step away from being knocked unconscious.”
“It vas de same vith me,” Pheragas added. “BlackGaomon and I
vere at Lake Viscaria ven ve vere attacked from behind again.”
“I feel so pathetic,” BlackGaomon said. “That’s twice that, because of me, a Horcrux was taken…”
“Don’t feel so bad,” Apollomon said. “I’m glad you’re all
back safely after having been attacked by the Bio Hybrids.
“They couldn’t have been attacked by the Bio Hybrids,” I
said.
“Vu else vould have attacked us, den?” Pheragas asked.
“Well, we were
attacked by the Bio Hybrids, too,” Luna said. “Both of them, actually. In fact,
they released Generalmon from the Dark Area, and if I weren’t there to stop
him, he would’ve destroyed Acacia City.”
“So, are we to assume that the individual or individuals
involved in the theft of the sword are to be involved?” Apollomon asked.
“If you put all that
information together, that’s the only thing that makes sense,” Luna agreed.
“And you say that Generalmon has been defeated?”
“Killed him myself.”
“And the swordsman that Zelda fought…has he any connection
to the Horcruxes?” Dianamon asked.
“I don’t think so…The only thing he seemed to be interested
in was fighting Thomas,” Zelda said. “No mention of the Horcruxes, the Bio
Hybrids, or of Lilithmon came up during our fight.”
“Who was that guy, anyway?” Statuedramon asked.
“He didn’t tell us,” I said. “Rather, he didn’t know
himself.”
“…In any case, with the Medallion of the Crescent Moon
taken, along with the Wolf’s Flute and the Clairvoyant’s Mirror, that leaves
only two Horcruxes we have yet to go for,” Apollomon said. “One of them lies
deep in Lotisea Jungle, and the other far to the north in Nymphaea.”
“So, we either have the option of getting lost forever in
the forest, or freezing to death in the tundra,” Statuedramon said.
“Wonderful.”
“Not much choice there,” BlackGaomon said.
“Nevertheless, I propose we go after the one in Lotisea;
we’ve been there many times before, and we’ll have a better chance of finding
the Horcrux without a blizzard hindering us,” I said.
“Thomas is correct; the Horcrux in Lotisea would be the
ideal one for us to locate first,” Apollomon said. “I am fairly certain the Bio
Hybrids would also want to save the one in the harshest province for last.”
“So, where in the jungle is this Horcrux located? Somewhere
far away, right?” Statuedramon asked.
“And what is it?” I added.
“This Horcrux, the Mask of Ages Past…is in a place the two
of you have been to before,” Apollomon said. “It has been a little over two
years since you have been there…to Deckerdramon’s Temple.”
“That old place?!
There wasn’t anything of value there!”
Statch exclaimed.
“Then MirageGaogamon was right in hiding the Mask there, if
you and Thomas were unable to find it.”
“…Or, maybe it was already been taken by the time we arrived,”
I suggested.
“Indeed; that is why you and Statuedramon should depart as
soon as possible,” Apollomon said.
“As usual,” Statch added dryly.
“Um…What…about me?” Zelda asked shyly.
“Zelda…you are clearly under a lot of stress over whatever
it was that happened to you in Shendu Territory,” Dianamon said in a concerned
voice. “I understand that you do not want to talk about it with us, but the
fact is that those events are clearly weighing heavily on your conscience.
Until you have everything sorted out, Apollomon and I think it would be best
for you if you were to stay behind. The decision is up to you, dear, but that
is the course of action I would strongly recommend.”
Zelda turned to look at me. Her sapphire eyes bore deeply
into mine, as if asking me what I thought she should do.
“This time, it would be safer for her to remain behind,”
Apollomon said. “None of us wishes to see her get hurt.”
“I…I’ll stay,” Zelda said.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
She nodded, smiling at me. “I wouldn’t…want to get in your
way. I’m sorry…”
“Don’t worry about it. You just stay here and get some rest,
and I’ll see you when I get back,” I said. “I love you, Zelda.”
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