********* (I Love You) Interlude XII: Sukuineshi (Savior)Follow

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Yay, another Interlude. This story is finally progressing again…makes me happy^^

Previous chapters, aki, and Interludes

Part I - Connection (Enishi)

Kasho II - Kodoku (Solitude)

Part III - Reunion (Saikai)

Kasho IV- Suriyoru (Closer)

Part V- Secrets (Hiou)

Kasho VI- Hanarebanare (Apart)
---
(Chapter XLV)
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=35;mid=1131636452150807743;num=4;page=1

(Interlude IX)
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=35;mid=1133800951265217703;num=2;page=1

(Aki XLVI)
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=10&mid=113501144625653958#1135182494202893613

(Chapter XLVII)
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=35&mid=1138039094120547425

(Aki XLVIII)
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=35;mid=114115196869295116;num=2;page=1

(Interlude X)
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=10&mid=1141306825158258628

(Chapter XLIX)
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=10&mid=114679612984309647#1146852071109322421

(Interlude XI)
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=35;mid=1148994161214449722;num=0;page=1
---
Bonus Story: Rainfall Memories

Dedicated to Kelsie.

Read and review if you would, I thrive off of your comments!^^

I don’t own FFXI or Tavnazia or whatever, but the plot is mine.
*****
The night of the ball had come, finally.

I wasn’t looking forward to it...

But I had no choice but to go.
***
-fin Interlude XII: Sukuineshi (Savior)
***
Sliding one more pin into my hair carefully, I finally smiled with a bit of satisfaction into the mirror at my work. Despite having never really done it before, I managed to put my long black hair into something approaching what a self-hairstyling guide that I had picked up at the local auction house called a "classical prom" hairstyle. Despite not having any real idea what a prom was, I figured that the hairstyle looked classy enough for me to get away with it for at least tonight.

It was then that the bell decided to ring it’s characteristic tone to announce that someone was there at my doorstop.

Great...

My fingers picking up a small gold necklace, I worked on securing the clasp around my neck while I walked out of my bedroom towards the door. Peeking through the eyehole, I saw that it was my date for tonight, standing there in some type of gray military attire.

"Just a moment," I mumbled through the door as I somehow managed to close the necklace around my neck and checked my dress one final time to make sure it was on straight. I then grabbed my mask off of the peg next to my felt mage’s hat and slid it into place over my eyes and nose while trying to fix a fake smile upon my face.

Opening the door, I immediately had a fistful of half-dead flowers shoved into my face, the pollen from then floating into my face and making me nearly sneeze.

"Hey, youth look gotheous.," he said in that high-pitched tone as his dumped the flowers into my hands and then wiped his hands upon either side of his trousers.

I fought hard to keep the smile on my face as I placed the flowers delicately upon a table right next to the door.

It was bad enough that I had to practice dancing with this idiot at his class for the past week, except for that one day when I went dress shopping. This night is gonna be hel-

It was at that point that Mamaulabion grabbed my hand and not so gently dragged me outside to where I realized a carriage was parked outside. Being pushed in, I realized that it was a rather simple wooden affair, and I could barely make out twin chocobos strapped in via leather harnesses to pull it along it’s journey to the ball through a thin slit in the wood. As I settled myself down across from my date, I heard the crack of a whip and then the carriage lurched forward over the bumpy stone road.

Looking outside, I watched as the various places of the capital of the Tavnazian Archipelago that I was used to walking past during the day flew by coated in shadows created by various glowing streetlamps. After about ten minutes, I heard Mamaulabion cough for attention, and I politely turned my head towards him.

"Youth excithed?," Mamaulabion said as he reached into a hidden side compartment, and pulled out a small bottle of liquid that sloshed around inside with every movement of the chocobos.

"Hai, tonight will be fun...," I faintly replied, desperately wishing to be somewhere, anywhere else.

He popped the cork out of the container with a small pop noise, and then held the bottle between his thighs for a moment while he dropped the cork upon the chariot floor and then reached back into the compartment to pull out twin glasses and then handed one to me.

"Theyth made frothm cleath topathz.," he said as he then grabbed the bottle from it’s resting place and then poured a small bit of fluid into his glass and then mine. Glancing outside for a moment, I could see that the carriage had stopped and I could dimly hear the tones of joyous music playing somewhere.

"A small drinth befothe we go out to dance, hm?," he said as he raised his glass midway into the air.

I really wasn’t in the mood for a drink, but wishing to be a pleasant date I clinked my glass against his own, sending a dull crystal tone ricocheting against the bare walls of my ride. I then closed my eyes and tilted the glass back against my lips and downed the liquid in one quick gulp. The liquid, despite being sweet, crawled down the back of my throat in a gooey mass and I blinked a couple of times while trying to swallow it down abit faster.

It was then as I re-opened my eyes that I noticed that my date hadn’t touched a drop of liquid in his own glass, but had been instead fixated upon watching me finish my own drink.

I opened my mouth to try to ask exactly WHAT he had just given me to drink, but I found that no words were coming out. Confused, I tried to talk again, but all that happened instead that my lips flapped opened and closed repeatedly.

"Liketh? I goth it froth alchemthy people awhile ago...silenthes you and hath a bonus of patalythes you for five minuthes..."

A silence potion?! I can't cast then...

My mind started to fade slightly, and I struggled to lift my arms which suddenly felt like there were thousands of weights attached to each of them. My date after a moment smiled a horrible grin and started to reach for the back of my dress and I found that I was unable...

To...

Stop...

Him...

I was frozen still as I then saw a bright light blast through an open door to the carriage and then a metal hand reach in and pluck my date off of me as if he was weightless. Barely able to turn my head, I saw through my mask some metal armored elvaan sock Mamaulabion in the stomach with his other hand twice and then casted the whimpering ******* away out of my sight with a simple flick of his wrist. He then turned around and walked towards my carriage and tried to step into the doorway but found that his size in the armor made him unable to do so.

"You okay miss?...I happened to be passing by to meet my date for tonight and I saw what he was doing through the carriage window and I felt compelled to stop him..."

His voice sounds oddly familiar, yet I just can’t place it...

Ignoring the Elvaan as he stretched his hand out to help me up, I managed to force my body upwards onto my feet despite the nearly-full paralysis.

"Ah, I should probably leave then, I guess you have control over yourself. Good luck with the rest of the dance miss." I saw his head look at me uncertainly for a moment longer, and then he nodded and started to walk away from me towards another nearby parked carriage where no doubt his date was.

As I then nearly fell out of the carriage and then started to walk my way to where I saw the bright ballroom lights were to try to find a way back home, only a single thought flooded my mind.

Dimitri...

Where are you...

I need you...

-fin Interlude XII: Sukuineshi (Savior)


Edited, Fri Jun 2 10:12:10 2006 by Nightsintdreams

Edited, Jun 16th 2006 at 10:45am EDT by Nightsintdreams