Silver Carousel: Volume 11

Act 3: Mo Returns

     "M-my Lord?" Mo whispers, the cold of night setting on his skin. He didn't like the cold. Not one bit.
     "Cosmo. You finally came," a voice croons. Mo gulps. His master was always very unnerving. "Come in."

     The small imp steps into the cavern. He was waiting there for Mo. He looks pale, much paler than he usually does. Little beads of sweat form on his face.

     "Did you find anything?" 
     "W-well, Balthier came back to life."
     The man groans quietly. "His powers are certainly growing- it's a real shame that he is a failure..."

     The man lays back down, sighing. He takes deep, heavy breaths. The bandage isn't working very well. 

     "My Lord, you should find a doctor. Your wound is reopening-"
     "You fool, if I get a doctor, I'll be ratted out," he hisses. "I have to endure it. I've suffered worse."

     Mo sighs. His master was very stubborn at times. He couldn't do much about it though, so he bowed in respect and left. He wished that his master would try to open up. He hadn't done anything wrong. His master insisted, though, to keep their presence under wraps. He wanted to protect someone. He wouldn't say who, though.

My Lord is very strange.

~~~~~~

     Yukio and Kazuki stand in the courtyard. Everyone else is under the shade of the balcony, wearing warm coats. Vex Vega even had a little one of his own.

     "Yukio, what are we doing?" Kazuki asks.
     "We're going to see how you're 'dangerous'. All you have to do is counter my attacks. That way, I can see what you can do."

     Yukio steps back a ways. He runs towards Kazuki and leaps into the air, ready to land on him-

     -but all Kazuki does is whimper and move to the side. Yukio lands.
     "Cookie, don't worry about hurting me. This is for your own good- if someone is going to hurt you, fight back!"
     "O-okay, I'm sorry...I was just startled..."

     Yukio smiles and starts again. He leaps into the air, ready to kick Kazuki in the back.

     Kazuki quickly takes a stick from his sleeve and pushes against Yukio's feet, causing him to move backwards. 
     "Good, Kazuki!" He says, clapping.
     "Where did that stick come from?" Lilia asks.
     "I think he has some kind of mechanism in his sleeve," Marie replies.

     Yukio takes a spare sword from off the ground and points it at Kazuki, mere inches from his face. He takes it back and swings.
     A blade comes from Kazuki's stick and blocks the sword.

     "Is that a scythe?" Yukio asks.
     "Yeah..."

     "Boooring!" Blade shouts. "Do something exciting!"
     Yukio smiles. "Alright then."

     Yukio looks Kazuki in the eyes. The boy isn't wearing his patch, and he's staring straight into his eyes-
     Kazuki's right eye forms a pupil. It grows much bigger than it usually does, now the size of a normal pupil. A small trickle of blood comes from his eye. It doesn't seem to bother him, though.

     Kazuki takes the scythe to Yukio's neck, pulling him in with the blade. Yukio smiles.

     "You broke out of my trance," he says. "you must be special."
     "Special isn't the same thing as dangerous."

     Kazuki moves the scythe to let Yukio free. He runs at Kazuki again, this time the sword pointed towards his stomach. Kazuki jumps and flips through the air, landing behind Yukio. He trips him with the stick.