[ Watashi ]

[ Tomodachi ]

[ Saint Seiya ]

[ Clamp ]

[ Fanfiction ]

I shivered, staring at the gooseflesh on my right arm with incredulity. It was cold.

Cold...

The adjective echoed in my mind as I looked up at the sky and observed the dark clouds slowly making their way over the high peaks of the Taygete range on the other side of the gulf of Kalamata. I walked to the leftmost edge of the terrace and leant a hand against one of the white pillars supporting the roof, watching the majestuous peaks in the distance. They could clearly be seen, their every detail exposed to the awestruck eye of the admirer that I was. I smiled, feeling somehow honored that the mountains had allowed me this sight of them. It was a rare occurance in Summer : the heat almost always hid the Taygete behind a thick curtain of mist, and often people came to Koroni and left, still believing that in front of them was the infinite vastness of sea, an horizon that was free until the end of the world was reached... Well, the mountains were shy, and wary of strangers...

Amused by my current train of thought, I chuckled silently as the dark clouds unfurled, reaching out to embrace this small part of Greece, and eventually walked back into the house. I carefully set the CD in place, pushed on the play button and went back to sit at one of the small round tables on the terrace. Leaning back, I watched the deep blue of the Aegean Sea in front of me, perfectly aware that I was grinning ferally.

It was high time I kept my promise.

Food was good. Filling one's stomach was definitely the closest thing there was to happiness for the moment. Conversations were passing between the two tables we were occupying in the Hilton's restaurant, not too loud but still bound to be overheard,which I couldn't help finding funny. The fact that it was likely the other patrons were also attendants of Anime Expo and thus wouldn't be freaked by what was being said took a bit out of the amusement, but still all this felt really good. Now, if only my weary mind had been able to keep track of everything...

"I'll take care of that. After all, the Bishounen Hunter S. is the best when it comes to killing with style."

I smiled inwardly when Steve's words reached me, imagining two curved blades engaged in a flashy and intricate dance that left the enemy neatly cut into tiny pieces perfect for a barbecue. I stfiled the laughter bubbling up my throat, chiding myself for having a bit too much liking for dark and cynical ideas for the moment. Suddenly, from the other table Kristin stood and faced Steve. Her voice rose clearly above the other conversations as she said :

"I challenge you on that statement..."

Instinct instantly tugged at the higher levels of my consciousness, demanding attention, and like the faithful engine that it was, my brain went back on line, fully focused on what was happening. Silence had fallen over our group at Kristin's words, everyone watching her and waiting to hear what she'd say next. Before Steve could muster a reply, she added with a bright smile :

"And I name Ariane as my champion."

Belatefly, I realized that she was pointing towards me, and that the silence had become even deeper. So... Taking in all the faces and expressions, I smiled and bowed slightly, saying softly :

"One is honored."

The moment passed, shock left and laughter resounded in the air. I resumed eating, mentally holding this piece of the puzzle in front of me and musing inwardly, wondering where it would fit best. Eventually, I reached a decision and set it in place, nodding satisfyingly.

Done.

Now it was started, and nothing would stop it before it was over. My thoughts briefly touched the state named Tenessee, and I sipped at my coca-cola, smiling contentedly.

There was nothing more awful than waking up early to go take a place in a line that was more than five hhundreds people long. Gods, I'd have appreciated it if Watase Yuu hadn't been so much known in the US. Sitting down and entering the discussion Jeff and Peter were having about soccer, I reasoned that sometimes one had no choice but to bear with reality, and be patient. Not an exercise one was good at, admittedly. I shrugged good-humoredly, and started explaining to Jeff and Peter how dearly I hoped that France wouldn't win the World Cup, still amazed that I had found myself in the company of two Americans who seemed to enjoy soccer quite a lot.

I looked up as I saw Mark waving, and smiled as I recognized Liz and Adrian. I nodded at the both of them, saying :

"Hi ! I thought you two weren't going to attend this panel..."

Liz shook her head.

"We weren't, but I need to ask you something..."

Noticing the puzzled expression on her face, I gestured for her to sit down too, asking :

"What's up ?"

She shrugged.

"Well, I wanted to show Adrian that Saint Seiya and X crossover you wrote, so we sat together at a station, and went to your page..."

She looked at me with an embarrassed smile.

"This might sound weird, but... Have you changed the ending of Yours Ever ?"

For a few seconds, I stared back at her blankly, then repeated :

"Changed the ending ?"

She nodded.

"Yes. I remembered it ending rather well, but as I reached the last part..."

Adrian continued :

"I'd never have thought you'd have Shun falling under Hades' will so completely that he'd really wipe humanity from the face of the earth..."

Completely taken aback by his words, I shook my head, as if that could somehow clear my mind from what it had just heard, as if that was enough to undo Time and rewind it a minute or two backwards.

"What ?!"

The whisper was meant to have been a loud exclamation, but it was all that managed to pass through my lips. Liz took a long look at me, and sighed.

"I thought as much. Hurting your heroes is one thing, but destroying humanity isn't your style..."

A slight smile reflexively came to my lips when I heard that, the automatic response of my mind being :

No, not anymore.

I abruptly realized that I was letting my brain drift away, and disgustingly chased useless memories, focusing on Liz and Adrian. Wanting to understand what the hell was going on here.

"I also checked on Rika's ClampFic archive, and found the ending to be the same as on your page."

I snorted, as much in annoyance as to shake off the shock that had come over me.

"This is ridiculous ! I never change a story once I'm done. Well, okay, I'm correcting Remains, but I never change the story itself. Besides, the idea of Shun agreeeing to anihilate humanity and actually *doing* it..."

I waved angrily at the ceiling of the convention center, unable to voice the revolt this was stirring within me.

The concept was wrong.

Horribly wrong.

"If you didn't, then..."

I looked at Adrian and didn't reply, feeling so frustrated I could have screamed. Questions were taunting me, demanding answers I didn't have. I stood abruptly, and started pacing back and forth in the hall. Gods rot it...

"Ariane ?..."

Kritsin was walking towards me, apparently surprised. Distantly, I wondered why she was here now when I knew she had planned to get everything ready for tonight's masquerade.

"My, but you look disgruntled ! Is it always like this when you have to wake up early in the morning ?"

Suddenly, I saw myself through her eyes and laughed. Gods, but I was a comical sight, walking with that air of offended dignity ! Once I managed to regain control over myself, I shook my head apologetically.

"Nope, I'm lazy all right, but not so much that I'd start snapping at everyone or sulking whenever I have to wake up early. In fact..."

I interrupted myself and asked her :

"But why are you here ? I thought you had things to attend to..."

She shrugged.

"Costumes are ready, so my presence wasn't required anymore, and besides Liz phoned me to ask if I could come over."

I shot a surprised glance in Liz's direction, and suddenly had the very ugly feeling I knew what she was going to tell Kristin. She nodded and said :

"While I was checking Yours Ever on the ClampFic archives, I had a quick look at others..."

She sighed, turning towards Kristin.

"Krstin, did you change the ending of your fics ?"

Damnit !

Startled, Kristin whispered :

"What ?!"

Liz bowed her head wearily.

"Okay, I think we have a problem here..."

Kristin and me fell more than sat down, muttering in unison :

"What in hell is happening here ?"

Liz shrugged helplessly.

"No idea, but I can tell you that every single fic I checked had a new ending. Yours, Monica's, Sionna's, Nathalie's, Rika's..."

I heard a sharp intake of breath coming from Kristin, and wondered why I was feeling so calm all of a sudden. Perhaps it was because the piece had fallen into place, and because abrutply I understood all of it.

It was too obvious, I should have foreseen it, hell we all should have foreseen this, and moved to prevent it.

Now...

He had turned the tables on us.

I smiled despite myself, forced to acknowledge the perfection of his move. He had changed the whole game, but it didn't mean we were check mate. Not yet. I looked at Kristin and asked her :

"Are we thinking about the same thing ?"

She nodded thoughtfully.

"Indeed. Let's go find Sionna and Nathalie, they'll want to hear this..."

We stood at the same time, and suddenly she looked at Mark, adding :

"I think you'd better come along as well, this concerns all of us."

He stared at us questioningly, and eventually shrugged.

"All right. I wasn't that much interested by this panel anyway."

Looking behind us, Kristin smiled at Steve.

"And you should come too, we may need the talents of the Bishounen Hunter S. ..."

He grinned back at her, chuckling.

"Not that you could stop me from going with you anyway."

And so we left the line for Watase Yuu's panel with little, if no regrets, very much aware that the chances of winning an autograph or a sketch in the raffle had been more than remote. As we exited the convention center and crossed the street to get back at the Hilton, I looked up at the startingly pure blue sky and smiled grimly.

Writers are gods.

We had always taken that for granted, we had allowed ourselves to be lulled by the feeling of absolute security. We had become complacent, and that had been a bad mistake. Now a new god was walking among us, and it looked like he was intent on changing the rules of our game.

And changing them forever.

Steve's room was more than crowded. counting on my fingers the number of people present, I admitted with an inner smile that one could hardly expect a room fit for four to comfortably hold ten persons. As luck had it, we had met Lai and Rika in the lobby, and they had followed us here. Looking at the chaos we had brought to the room, I thought with dry amusement that it was a picture very much unlike what a war council should have looked like. For this was what it was about.

War.

As Sionna was finishing her speech of explanations, I observed the expression on the faces around me. Nathalie had a knowing amslie on her lips, Steve's eyes were literally glinting, Lai, Adrian and Liz were listening with rapt attention, incredulity and awe written on theri faces, and both Kristin and Rika were nodding at Sionna's words. Only Mark's expression showed some skepticism, which wasn't totally unexpected. Kristin smiled at him, saying :

"Drop logic and the laws of physics, possible and impossible, will you ? Just simply believe..."

Relief washed over me when I saw him gesturing helplessly and smiling back. It was important that Mark agreed to this, he was one of those who knew, maybe not perfectly but still he knew, and his presence might very well be the key element that would tip the balance in our favour. For what we'd attempt wasn't without risks...

But then there wasn't really a choice.

While everyone was still trying to grasp the whole meaning of Sionna's words, I grabbed the moment and asked :

"So, now that we do understand what exactly is happening, do we agree on our course of action ? We'll battle our enemy on his own ground..."

I smiled grimly.

"On our own ground..."

I turned towards Kristin.

"You named me champion once. Will you entrust the crossing to me ?"

She looked at me, silent, and eventually nodded. I held out my hands. Kristin took the left, and Lai the right. Once all of us had joined the chain, I asked :

"Ready ?"

Mark shrugged, smiling.

"I don't think we can be, considering we've never experienced this, but it matters little. What we face is too grave. Tragic stories are good and needed sometimes, fitting. But to have *all* stories, tales and legends end in blood, pain, death and the triumph of evil... That isn't something we can ignore."

Kristin's hand squeezed mine, reminding me we had no time to waste, and that the moment was right. I took a deep breath, knowing we'd be expected, knowing our enemy would have anticipated our reaction as well as my choice. Some would have considered this attempt pure folly, but I trusted my knowledge, my friends and my enemy's flaws. Pride and arrogance... He'd underestimate us, and fall. He would, there couldn't be a place in my heart for doubt. Chasing fear away, I closed my eyes and focused my mind. Once the feeling was right, whole, I stepped forward, pulling everyone with me.

To the other side of the mirror.

The young man's eyes opened as his keen senses perceived the smallest ripple in the flow of the universe around him. He smiled satisfyingly as he thought that the flicker was almost imperceptible, and that none but him would have felt it.

Good.

She was the one leading, and her master over the border crossing was almost perfect. Almost... But then perfection wasn't of this world or of any other. He stood, and looked at his seat, unsurprised to see its appearance was smoothly changing to that of a throne. She was very good at her task, he had to give her that, but to be honest he would have been very disappointed if she hadn't been.

It would have ruined all the fun.

He walked towards the huge mirror on the right side of what was quickly becoming a majestuous, shadowy hall, and watched as his own features and clothing shifted to fit with the universe she had chosen as battleground. He smiled behind the dark menacing mask now hiding his face, admiring the utterly black robe covering his body and the long grey - grey so pale that it was almost white - hair cascading down his back. This was fitting indeed. She had gone exactly where he had expected her to. As he settled the blood-reddish helmet on his head, he wondered for a few seconds if she had done this knowingly, acting out of sheer desperation and hoping to use her more than intimate knowledge of the play, or if she had run headlong without considering what he might have planned to receive his guests. Not that it mattered in the slightest, but... Ah well, maybe she'd be kind enough to answer this question before the end. He had no time for idle musing. The moment had come to greet his would-be challengers, and make them feel welcome and at home.

Turning away from the mirror, he went to sit on the still blurry throne and leant back, relaxing and focusing his thoughts.

Slowly, gently, he reached out, smiled as he saw her about to set foot on this side and embraced the starlike shining rings of the chain she had shaped.

Then, he pulled.

Whisper in the absolute silence.

Breeze in a valley.

Ripple on the still surface of the universe.

Hand holding...

Emptiness...

Drifting...

In a store of Detroit's suburbs, customers watched openmouthed as a young man suddenly became transparent, and disappeared as he was reaching out to take a bottle of milk. The item fell on the floor, and people stared at it numbly, thinking only that this was going to have to be picked up and put back in its correct place. One didn't want the store to turn into a mess. No, one definitely didn't want that.

Hand grasping...

Hand.

Falling.

I laughed delightedly as I felt the hot breeze on my cheeks the moment I tore through the veil and completed the one step over the border and came into being on this side.

The side of dreams.

My eyes took in the high cliffs surrounding us, the circle of daunting peaks around us, the Stairs climbing the rocks to the top of the mountain in front of us and the Twelve Houses it went through before reaching the Temple of the Goddess itself. As always, a shiver ran up my spine, mixture of wonder, awe and joy. Behind me, I could hear the low roar of the Aegean Sea challenging the land that was Athena's domain. Briefly, I remembered a time when a castle had barred the way to this place, its doors open, but its inside a maze, an intricate labyrinth I had lost myself into, wandering in a sky full of stars until at last I had yielded and bowed to defeat. I grinned at the memory : to lose a battle was very far from losing a war, and one was stubborn.

"Steve ?!"

Kristin's voice cut through my reverie, and I tensed as I heard the worry in her tone of voice.

"Mark ?!"

I turned aruond sharply, and saw that Rika's right hand wasn't holding anything but empty air. Just as Kristin's left was. My heart skipped a beat as I was forced to accept what my eyes were showing me.

Mark and Steve were gone.

Cold abruptly hit the pit of my stomach and I staggered, struck by the enormity of what had happened. What I had allowed to happen. Something squeezed my left shoulder, and I realized that Kristin had walked up to me. She asked urgently :

"Was it during the crossing ?"

I nodded woodenly, whispering :

"Yes, right before I tore through the veil, I thought I felt something brush past me, but it was so quick and small..."

I shook my head helplessly.

"I didn't realize, I..."

Kristing sighed.

"Not your fault. I myself didn't feel anything..."

Sionna came towards us and nodded.

"Me neither. Had I led, likely I'd have felt the same thing you did, and I'd have discarded it as well."

Adrian turned upon himself, openmouthed, drowning in the sight and feeling of the surroundings, and chuckled to himself :

"Sanctuary... Oh my god this is Sanctuary..."

Liz looked at him for a few seconds, and then shrugged, smiling helplessly. She asked :

"Any idea where they might be ?"

Nathalie embraced the mountains and the sky in a broad gesture, replying :

"Here, anywhere in this universe."

Adrian suddenly snapped out of his admirative trance and walked over to us, shaking his head.

"That's bad. We could have to search forever..."

"Not quite..."

We all looked up, startled, and suddenly saw someone sitting at the half of the part of the Stairs leading to the first House. I raised a hand to my brow in order to shield my eyes from the harsh light of Greece's sun, and desperately tried to divine who the hell was there.

"Roy !"

Lai nodded to me, smiling.

"It's Roy !"

All at once, we ran towards him, and as we reached him he stood up, grinning.

"I've been waiting for a while. I was wondering when you'd show up... But then, unlike some among you, I do know patience."

I stuck out my tongue at him, knowing the remark had been meant for me, and asked :

"What's going on ? How can you be here ?"

He shrugged.

"I was pulled out while doing some shopping. Why, I don't know. But when I saw where I had been pulled to, I knew you'd soon be here. After all, we had discussed this background for the fic, hadn't we ?"

Indeed we had, and I had promised to give him a place in it, but... He added :

"As to where Mark and Steve are..."

His right forefinger pointed upwards, in the direction of the Temple of Athena.

"I'm sure that someone there knows."

My eyes fixed the top of the mountains for a long time, and I berated myself for being a fool. The most stupid fool there had ever been in any universe, real or dreamed. I had expected his anticipating my choice, I had expected traps, but this...

That he'd act during the crossing of the border.

That he'd even *feel* it...

Gods rot it, I had underestimated his control and strength, for to pull people out during the second of eternity it took to cross... Between veils, Time didn't exist, had no meaning, but on each side...

That he had been able to do this was nothing short of miraculous. At last, I shrugged off the useless thoughts and nodded grimly.

"You're right..."

I smiled icily.

"All we have to do is get up there and ask politely."

Rika stamped her right foot down, turning resolutely towards the Stairs.

"All right then, what are we waiting for ?"

Before she could start climbing up to the first House, Roy said :

"I for one would like to know who has usurped the title and place of Athena's representative on Earth..."

Kristin replied, sighing :

"Someone who aims at having all the stories, tales and legends end in tragedy, loss, blood and death. One who wants every last sentence to herald the triumph of evil and scorn the useless battle of light against the dark..."

For a few seconds, Roy didn't react, then a smile slowly crept up his lips, and suddenly I thought I saw his shadow changing for that of a tall slim man wearing a long trenchcoat. The moment was extremely brief, and I started wondering if there was still the slightest trace of sanity left in my brain. Oblivious to this, Roy said cheerfully :

"Indeed ! I see. It's time we set things right and spanked him for his presumption."

Lai started laughing when she heard that, and she was soon joined by adrian and Rika. I looked at Kristin, Nathalie and Sionna, all thought of laughing left me when I saw their expressions. I had wanted to discard the idea that I intuitively knew to be true, and I had been wrong. Voicing our thoughts, Nathalie said softly :

"It won't be fun, or easy. There is danger to this venture, for we're now inside a story."

And if our enemy had his way...

Kristin cut through the ominous silence that had engulfed the place at Nathalie's words, saying :

"Not that we have much of a choice about what must be done anyway. When we decided to cross over, it was already determined."

She was right, but still I felt compelled to add :

"All of us don't have to go. So if anyone wants to step out now..."

I was interrupted by Adrian, who exclaimed indignantly :

"Step out ?! Never ! This is the chance of a lifetime ! Let's go !"

Suddenly, I found myself feeling much better, and silently thanked Adrian for his reckless enthusiasm. Roy looked at him and Rika for a while, and finally shrugged.

"I was wondering whom to call Seiya, you or Rika, but it seems to me the both of you deserve the name of Pegasus..."

Laughter resounded beside me, coming from Lai and Liz, and I joined them, unable to help myself. After all, a bit of fun before a battle couldn't hurt... I looked at the Twelve Houses above us, at the Stairs joining them, and thought we were all crazy.

End of the Part 1.

On to Next Part.

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