NationStates Jolt Archive

"...somewhere..." (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=116901&start=400) Four remarked solemnly. "I can feel her, and I know she can feel inside my mind. She won't hide from us, but I can't decide whether or not that is a good thing."

He sighed heavily, dejectedly, and slipped on a set of tri-sensors. After flicking through a few sensors, he halted at once that cast the eyepiece in lavender. The Agent scanned the jagged horizon for a minute, but growled in exasperation and dashed the sensors on the craggy ground.

"They're useless out here, like most technology. The myth goes that there's some Secret of the Crags, one that renders machinery useless and a man's mind ravaged by lust for civilization, a thing this land is barren of." He smiled grimly. "He'll go off to find some mark of intellect, but he'll never find it, and he'll never come back."

Four shivered uncomfortably.

"But myths are myths. I want to get this over with, the Crags aren't a place to loiter."

"Where are we?. This looks like a wasteland", said Elfira as she came out of the shuttle, ignoring the hand that Four placed there to help her.

She grabbed her rifle in her hand, retiring the belt that was securing it to her back. Placing a magazine right in the receptacle she looked around trying to find something in the vicinity. "The air is heavy here. The wind smells like a rotten psyque, and I don't know much about psychics", she said, turning to look at Four. "Crags?. Is that the name of this place?"

"Aye, that's the name, and it takes up whatever isn't comprised of city in Cyberutopia." Four answered. "We've entered one of the most desolate sections, where the winds don't blow, or they blow like an unleashed demon. Nearer to the cities, there is forest and brush growing on the mountains, but here it's just the Crags. I've only been this far in once before, when we retreated back to organize during the civil war. It's full of deep caves, rusting weapons, and plenty of dead bodies."

"It always makes me feel as if I'm going to die here." He remarked sardonicly.

"Well, if we think about it, we should be dead by now. Only in that revolt in Cyberutopia we were like...two hundred times near death, and we're still here. When I make this kind of missions, I just think that I'm already dead, only living extra time for a while. That helps me to stay focused in my objetives and avoid unnecessary stress", said Elfira smiling broadly at Four.

She walked a few steps away from the shuttle, and scanned the zone through the complicated sight of her heavy rifle. "Nothing around here. This is empty. not even cockroaches are crawling near this place"

"Any ideas of the whereabouts of our intended target?. We could look through this desolated place forever without finding anything"

Four smiled at his partner. "That's a rather depressing way of thinking about it. But whatever works best, maybe keeps us alive to see another sunrise. We will not have to worry about finding our quarry, she will reveal herself once we begin our search, once we are ready. I might have taught her how to kill thousands, but I also taught her chivalry. She will not pounce upon us until we are ready. This is our last respite, and our last chance to depart before we enter something I doubt we will come out of."

"I cannot shake a sense of finality that hangs about this place." He murmured to himself, but shook his head.

"Elfira," he began, looking over at her warmly, "if I die here, it shall be fighting beside you. And I will be happy, for once."

Deep in the maze of abysses known as the Crags, Agent Eighteen, now Hunter One, left the swirling universe she had named Chimera. She sighed lightly and leaned back in her stance, arching her back and opening her eyes to look at the speckles of light above through the jagged rifts in the rock. She straightened again and gazed with sharp slate eyes at the depressing darkness that engulfed her. Slowly, her eyes slid closed, and she let herself fall back into Chimera.

What's this? The Archduchess of Aelosia? I wonder...

One by one, the sadistic Elf plucked the Archduchess' mental stability apart, taking it slowly enough that her victim would not notice until it is too late.

Colonel-Commander, it is you, I see. I believe there is a clash in our future, yes? Certainly you would leave me, along with that traitor to his team – the only family he had left – should your beloved Archduchess' mind be at stake?

"I know, Four. And I'm happy to hear it", said Elfira, in her lips a half smile, half grin. "It's a shame that we're soldiers and stuff. I would probably marry you if I would be a simple civilian", she said, chuckling a little afterwards, patting his shoulder.

"More seriously. I know, and I'll be happy to die fighting at your side too, Four. For me it would be the perfect death, even better that dying in a rage", she said, and her eyes were a little more wet as she spoke, although they returned to normal in just a second...

(Can you explain to me the second post?. I can't understand it).

Four smiled in return and flushed red a little.

"I'm humbled, Elfira. If only we could lead a simpler life." He said with a shrug of defeat. "It's every soldier's dream to be able to stop fighting. If only."

He started to walk forward slowly. "I think we're as ready as we'll ever be. Neither of us have any relations, I don't think we'll need wills, right?"

The two decended into the Crags silently.

((Sorry if the last post was confusing. Basically, Eighteen found the imprint of the Aelosian Archduchess' mind on the psychic plane she calls Chimera, and began to pluck it apart, while sending a warning to Elfira that the Archduchess will die (or at least go insane) if she and Four proceed. The Archduchess will be suffering from major dementia and hallucinations soon, if someone doesn't stop it, probably by using psychic counterattacks against Eighteen. It should be easily sensed and identified by such sensitive species as Elves.))

(Which one?. The Sindarin Empire of Aelosia has several Archduchesses...)

"Wait, I think she's trying to send me a message. She says that if we make another step, she'll turn the Archduchess into a babbling woman, stealing her sanity to sink her in dementia", said Elfira to Four as they moved.

((Oh, I wasn't aware of that. I was thinking of Duchess Celestianna Paelisi, though I thought you refered to her as an Archduchess before.))

"Tricky girl." Four whispered, halting. "I expected she'd hold a hostage. It's not beyond her capabilities, either. She's not going to stop if we obey her, however. I won't go on unless you consent, Elfira."

He shifted his carbine uncomfortably, turning his head with a questioning look to await the Commander's response.

((Oh, I wasn't aware of that. I was thinking of Duchess Celestianna Paelisi, though I thought you refered to her as an Archduchess before.))

"Tricky girl." Four whispered, halting. "I expected she'd hold a hostage. It's not beyond her capabilities, either. She's not going to stop if we obey her, however. I won't go on unless you consent, Elfira."

He shifted his carbine uncomfortably, turning his head with a questioning look to await the Commander's response.

"Bah, she should know that I don't care about those damned aristocrats, so be it. I'll go and find her, to have a little coversation with her", she said, cocking her rifle as she spoke. "You'll regret that, dear Elfira. I suppose this affair is between the three of us", she said, taking a step forward before starting to walk...

Four shuddered at Eighteen's true name, and followed Elfira slowly.

"I wish I didn't have to kill her. She was almost like...a daughter." He whispered into the dead air.

For the fifth time, Four checked the magazine and the feed, something he never did. He was clearly nervous. He shouldn't be, most of all not in front of Elfira. He chastised himself mentally again, but made no visible expressions.

'This is going to be hard, in so many ways...'

"Maybe we won't need to kill her. I don't want to, anyway. After all she's my heir, and I feel responsible for all of this. I should had taken care of her when she was a little child. I left her, that's why all of this happened", said Elfira to Four, as she continued to walk towards their objetive.

"I'll try to find another solution..."

"I'd like to think there is another way too, but the enticement of absolute power is a difficult one to resist. I know it's tug, I had the chance to reign over the nation after we took out Cortez. I was a hero to them, and I could have gripped power in an instant. I knew how unhealthy the drink of power is, I stopped myself. Eighteen doesn't have that will. Please don't take all the blame for this, either. Shame can tear people apart." Four said gently.

"Well, I'll try, at least I owe you that", said Elfira with a smile to Four. After a pause, she finally rose her face to the sky "So...I'm stilll waiting for you, My Heir. If you want to find us this is the moment, young girl. Unless you're afraid of face me, or face Four, of course, in which case I'll understand your cowardice", yelled Elfira to her surroundings.

"Well, I'll try, at least I owe you that", said Elfira with a smile to Four. After a pause, she finally rose her face to the sky "So...I'm stilll waiting for you, My Heir. If you want to find us this is the moment, young girl. Unless you're afraid of face me, or face Four, of course, in which case I'll understand your cowardice", yelled Elfira to her surroundings.

Come now, no need to yell. You don't even need to talk. I can hear you perfectly... The voice echoed eeriely in Elfira's mind.

Eighteen sprung from the shadows behind the pair, and lounged casually against a cluster of needle-sharp rock.

"And please don't call me your 'heir.' It's below me." She commented arrogantly.

With the quiet click and rasp of steel against scabbard, Four exposed the first few inches of his katana from within the silver cloak. The Agent shrugged off the cloak and crouched into a defensive position, his sword ready to unleash itself at a moment's notice.

"This is your call, my friend." He murmured out of the side of his mouth.

Wonderful. Then you're here. I see that you suppose that being my heir is below your status. Then why did you summoned me here?. Why you want to fight me?, thought Elfira, quite convinced that she was reading her mind.

Elfira dropped her rifle to the ground and placed her hand over the hilt of her light scimitar, without turning the weapon on, assuming a typical elven battle stance, one of full defense and cover against incoming attacks.

Then what do you want?. A duel?. What's your deepest desire?. Why are you here?. Why you did what you did?, she continued to send her thoughts towards Eighteen's mind, prepared for a psychic assault of some sort..

Discontent mixed with confusion splashed across Eighteen's face, and disappeared just as quickly. Four smiled ruefully. The young Elf never could cover her emotions. She was brimming with raw power, but lacked the finesse of an Agent.

"I...I am going to make a point." Eighteen stammered, caught off guard but the onslaught of questions. "That I don't need to be under anyone's authority. Not the government's, not Four's, and especially not yours. I'll kill you both and then tear the government to shreds, Cyberutopia's and Aelosia's. I'll watch as your bones rot and your countries fall into a catacalysmic war of spite."

Four rose up and lowered his sword, twisting his face into an expression of pity and revulsion. "You're going to kill millions to prove your power to yourself? That is unforgivably savage. You've forgotten all I've taught you except for how to fight. Are you really that weak?"

"I'm not weak!" The malvolent Elf retorted. "I'll show you how 'weak' I am. Come at me!"

Two elegant butterfly knives appeared in Eighteen's hands, one in a reverse grip. Four smiled thinly. He had taught her this style, and now he had to face it.

Elfira just waited at Four's side, looking as how the girl was preparing for combat Four. You lack self-control, girl. Maybe you are the most powerful being in this part of the universe, but that overpower will be your doom. You have more power than you can bear. Four or me could had teached you how to control yourself, but you refused. Now you're going to place yourself in evidence. I'll give Four a chance. And please pray for that he'd be able to defeat you, because if he won't, I'll take the both of us to hell, my daughter, you and me, she thought as she finally turned on her energy scimitar, the beam of blue light gleaming in the wasteland.

Elfira just waited at Four's side, looking as how the girl was preparing for combat Four. You lack self-control, girl. Maybe you are the most powerful being in this part of the universe, but that overpower will be your doom. You have more power than you can bear. Four or me could had teached you how to control yourself, but you refused. Now you're going to place yourself in evidence. I'll give Four a chance. And please pray for that he'd be able to defeat you, because if he won't, I'll take the both of us to hell, my daughter, you and me, she thought as she finally turned on her energy scimitar, the beam of blue light gleaming in the wasteland.

Four looked over at Elfira as the blue sword ignited and lit up their faces, and caught the fierce glint in her eye, the same as on the day when he saved her from a barrage of metal slugs hurtling at her. He still had the long streaks of scar tissue across the small of his back that the slugs made. The Agent almost smirked at the memory, but stopped himself.

'Why should I be smiling about one of the few people I've ever cared about preparing to throw her life away?' He questioned.

Perhaps because you don't really care about her. I know she couldn't care less about you. She's only here because I am. Came the taunting message.

"Don't play mind games with me, you cannot best me." Four growled.

"Prove it." Eighteen said maliciously.

Spurred on by this, Four charged at the silver-haired Elf, and she did the same. Eighteen thrust both knives at Four's abdomen, and the Agent slipped to the side, brining the finely honed katana down on her back, where it was met by the two butterfly knives, crossed along Eighteen's back. The fight had begun.

-- :evil: --

-- :evil: --

Elfira just stood at one side of the fight, looking at the combatants with awe. She knew they both were awesome fighters, and that it was difficult to bet on he was going go gain the upper hand.

But who do you really want to win this match, Elfira?, she asked to herself, confused by the fact that she didn't wanted any of them hurted or injured. Four was maybe the most steadfast and able companion of arms that she ever had, and the Valar knew that it was difficult to keep her pace. but the girl was the gift that she promised to leave to the world, her legacy, her own inmortality beyond her ageless body.

She just saw as their blades met each other for the first time, and watched as sparks flew through the air without moving an inch to help neither of the combatants, although her agile, feline body was tensed like a bow, ready to start her own fight once Four finished his own.

Four broke from the sword lock and spun, thrusting his sword back into where Eighteen's stomach should be. But the graceful figure had been long gone, bounding to one side and holding a hand outstretched at her enemy. The pins on Four's trio of grenades slipped out, but he noticed and flipped, scattering the grenades at Eighteen while putting distance between himself and his traitorous disciple. The Elf's eyes flickered to the grenades, and opaque sheaths enveloped them, shielding her from the deadly blast. She moved her hand to Four's new position and set her hand into a complex movement, whipping the katana from the Agent's hands. A low growl escaped his lips as the thin blade cleaved a fine cut in his side and clattered on the rough ground. His hand shot to his side and came back with a steady trickle of crimson. His snarl turned into a wicked laugh, and he crouched again.

"The day the student surpasses the master?" Eighteen mocked.

A quartet of shurkien flew, singing shrilly, from Four's hands and buried themselves deep in the granite behind Eighteen, both of her butterfly knives among them.

"You know not to distract yourself with idle chatter. Something wrong?" Four retorted, smirking.

Eighteen glowered and spun to face the other way, thrusting both her hands at the steely rock. It imploded violently, caving in on itself and setting the imbedded weapons free.

Four catapulted himself towards his sword, rolling over it and coming up with the fine katana in both hands, a bloody smear marking where he hit the ground. His eyes flitted towards Elfira, who remained in awe of the duel.

The Elf stepped steadily towards the bleeding Four, heels clicking ominously on the gray rock. Her knives rose from the rubble and whirled around her, glinting in anticipation of more spilt blood.

-- :evil: --

-- :evil: --

Elfira was still watching motionless until finally the blood of Four flew throught the air, then she finally reacted.

She jumped high, after a pair of hurried steps as a running start, passing over eighteen's head, making a complicate double sommersault in the air before landing right between Four and Eighteen, swinging her weapon wildly to cover herself and to keep Eighteen at bay.

Then she stood motionless again between the both fighters. "My turn, Fours. I hope you won't mind to have a little rest while I entertain this little girl a little. I'll show her how a mature woman must fight", said Elfira, saluting with the power-cell hilt of her lightscimitar, then bringing it down so suddenly that the beam of light hummed through the air.

"Are you prepared, Elfira?. Are you prepared to fight me?", said Elfira, mostly trying to provoke the emotionally unstable elf.

Four grimaced in an amused way. "Take your time, I'll be glad for a respite."

He hung back, not wishing to interfere with this fateful duel between an Elf and her heir. Still, his katana remained out, a sign he was prepared to leap to Elfira's aid.

"Prepared to fight you?" Eighteen gave a laugh like a coyote's harsh howl. "For someone so high and mighty, you shouldn't need to ask such foolish questions."

She advanced at an unnervingly casual rate, her knives creating a shield of refined steel around her, striking at Elfira's solid defenses fiercely. Eighteen herself felt herself slip into Chimera, and she easily located the Colonel-Commander's active mind. After studying it for a split second, she began to manipulate it maliciously, attempting to bypass the Elf's disciplined mind and horribly blur her vision. Then she could make her strike to end it all.

She can break any defense that I attempt, she's enough powerful for that and for more. She can also break my mind in instants if I try to think too hard, or to focus myself, or just to concentrate, thought Elfira as the former Agent launched herself forward against her. Then suddenly her mind found the answer...

The only defense she can't break is the one that doesn't exist
The only thought she can't corrupt is the one that doesn't exist
The only mind she can't invade is the one that doesn't think

She let the young elven girl to feint and to move towards her position without moving an inch, not reacting at all at her onslaught, as she knew that her knives were aimed at placing away any defense that she would try with her sword. Not placing any defense, Eighteen's movements would be useless, at least for this moment until her opponent realized her point.

She kept her mind in blank, not daring to think about anything, not denying access to Eighteen's mind to her own, but just reducing her thoughts to an endless nothing so she couldn't extract anything from them. She just looked behind Eighteen, and refused to think, refused to pay heed to her and her attacks, both physical and psychic...

Eighteen fell out of her concentration as Elfira's mind disappeared from her influence. The pair of knives returned to her hands, gripped within white knuckles

"Damn it!" She muttered, glaring at the experienced Elf. "That was clever, I can't harm your mind..."

She smiled sardonicly, and held out a white hand. A shock of concussive air slammed into Elfira, carrying her across the ground.

"But I can still harm your body."

Elfira was blown away by the impact until she finally hit a rock far beyond her former position. Dust covered the area of the impact as her body collapsed against the stone, the elven commander hearing a clear and noisy crack inside her. Inside me?. There goes a rib, she thought, a slash of pain running through her entire nerve system before she barely reprised a scream of pain. Her head was well hurted with the impact too, and for sure the warm and viscous liquid that was running down her forehead was her own blood.

She took the luxury of projecting a feeling inside Eighteen's mind before fading against to black. But my body is not exactly what you want don't you girl?. You could have it from the beginning, with all that raw power you have. However, you're playing a game, a game that you can't win, no matter what happens. How should I call you?. Elfira?. DO you really like that name?. My name?. Or should I call you Eighteen?. But wait you don't want to be an agent anymore, you're fighting your own mentor, teacher and father here. You don't have no name, no identity, and nothing to fight for. YOU...just...can't...win

A tear, clear as a diamond, slipped from an eye that would be beautiful, were it not for the contempt locked within it. The young Elf realized what brutal truth was held in those words, and she realized that she hated that truth, and had done so forever. That was the true object of her hate. But at once she knew that the truth wasn't something to be fighting against, couldn't be fought against. Another pristine drop of water clouded her eyes and then fell, splashing against the irresponsive rock.

Th...That...that is not your business to trifle with. I don't need a name for others to call me by, I fight for myself and only myself. There is no game, this is my life, and I will succeed in it, for myself and only for myself. Who are you to make judgements like that? Look at you, all you have left to live for is the next fight, the next assignment. You don't receive any true glory, respect, honor. I will. I will win, you'll see. She responded mentally, trying to project the facade of calm.

Another voice, soft, innocent, and alluring, broke through the shield around Eighteen's mind. It was immistakeably that of the little girl Elfira first encountered so long ago.Yes...I want to live up to you...but your name is the closest I can get...

Eighteen visibly shuddered and flung one of her knives with the velocity of a bullet at the Elven commander's face. However, it screeched to a halt just before her forehead. Four's katana was jabbing lightly into Eighteen's back.

"I don't want to kill you, but if you wont make this easy on yourself, I will do so with little hesitation." He whispered to her.

"You are wrapped in your arrogance." Eighteen hissed. "And you must be thrust aside.

A shockwave of mental energy bubbled out from the psychic, and Four was pitched backwards. He landed in a deep crouch a significant distance away.

Eighteen turned darkly towards Elfira again, and stepped forwards, her knife moving close enough to flit across the commander's neck. She said nothing, having learned how easily Elfira could destroy her concentration.

"Leave her alone, damn you!" Four cried, and rush at Eighteen with the sword in one hand.

Thrusting himself forward, the katana left his hand and moved through the air as a dark blur, before imbedding itself firmly in Eighteen's shoulder. The Elf cried aloud in intense pain mixed with self pity and sorrow. The knife clattered to the ground at Elfira's feet, as did the one in the younger Elf's hand as her left hand grasped desperately at her ruined shoulder and the wicked blade that did the deed. Her knees buckled with the pain and her hand shot out to catch her, but snapped under her weight, having lost all control.

"My...my...my ar...ar...m..." She sobbed softly.

Her body began to glow with an unearthly light as she lay contorted there.

My God, no!

"A war regarded as inevitable or even probable, and therefore much prepared for, has a very good chance of eventually being fought."—George F. Kennan

This has been an official tag by the Five Civilized Nations.

Elfira reacted quickly, standing from the ground the fastest way she could and taking the former Cyberutopian Agent, her own former heir into her arms, hugging the elven girl close.

"I know", she said, using words instead of thoughts, too emotionally affected to keep on with the telepathic communication. "I didn't want you to become me, I didn't want you to suffer everything I suffered from the beginning. I didn't want you to replace me. I wanted you to be better than me, to have a life better than mine. I wanted to leave you as my gift to the world, as a reminder of all the things I fought for centuries". Now the rough elven commander, the battle hardened soldier, the most feared weapon in all the aelosian arsenal, was crying. Crying like a mother after hearing the news of the death of a son, crying like a lonely widow, like a normal, sensitive woman.

With careful movements, the same movements she did thousands of times to help her battle comrades injured in battle, she removed the Katana from Eighteen's shoulder. "Please!, desist in your attempt. I wanted you to build in the places where I destroyed, help in those places where I razed. Not to be me!, not to be like me!", said Elfira between sobs. "What can I do to make me happy?. What can I do to help you?. Tell me, if you need to take my life so be it. Not Four, not me, not anyone will stop you for doing so if you do. But promise me that you'll be a better woman than I was. That's all I need".

The young Elf curled into Elfira's arms, but she had stopped crying, utterly shocked to see that the woman she was hell bent on ending had a life, had feelings, had a heart. Eighteen didn't bother to wince as the stinging katana was freed from her shoulder, didn't notice the streams of crimson creeping down the tactical bodysuit she wore.

"I'm...sorry. I don't really know what else to say. But you don't need me to be your token in the world, to be what you won't be. If anyone should be doing all those things, it's you. I can help you, but ultimately, I won't be able to redeem you for the lives you've taken, the cities you've burned." She said softly, managing to smile weakly under tearstained cheeks. "I can't be a better woman until you've set something for me to surpass. Prove that you can change, that you can be great, and then I can follow you. Do that for me...then we'll both be at peace."

Four walked calmly to the two figures and stood over them with a serene look on his face. The Agent gingerly picked up the bloodied sword from the crack-filled rock, and sheathed it quietly.

He sighed and smiled with an amused look on his face before speaking. "I take it you won't be tearing our minds apart any longer. Glad as I am that you've resolved this, we should leave this place. It reminds me too much of what I've lost, especially you, Eighteen."

He offered an armored hand to Eighteen and she took it, leaning against his body for support.

Her eyes lit up with a soft light. "Please...call me Elfira."

((Bump?))

((Here's to hoping Aelosia will respond. We're just about done.))

"I'll do whatever you want, Elfira. Whatever you want, as long as I can stop you from this madness and help you to be a better girl every day", said Elfira with a careful tone of voice.

"Let me offer you something. I want to learn to live a normal life in a normal society. I want to move with you, and act like a mother, or like an older sister, if you let me to. Let me learn alongside you how to make this world a better place to live everyday, ok?", said the rough elven officer as she passed her gloved hand over Elfira's hair, a smile appearing in her lips. This time a true, trustful, honest and sincere smile, without any ironic visages or wry grins.

The young Elf smiled at the Commander, and said gently, "I can do that. And I know you can, too."

Four's eyes lost all apathy and he grinned genuinely. He leaned across Eighteen and gave Elfira a soft kiss on the forehead.

"Thank you so much. I couldn't have asked for a happier ending. If you want...I can provide you with a start to a new life." He told her, his hand clasping hers.

He pulled his hand away slowly, leaving a tiny black box with a brilliantly glittering ring buried in it. The ring had a bright diamond centerstone, with a small black stone of pure black on each side of it, set into the band with master craftsmanship. The Agent smiled secretively at Elfira.

"Wow, What's this?", said Elfira as she looked at the ring. "I think I'm still a grizzled soldier, but what's the exact meaning of this ring, Four. is what I think?", said the elven commander, as her hands cleared her cheeks of the rests of tears.

"Wow, What's this?", said Elfira as she looked at the ring. "I think I'm still a grizzled soldier, but what's the exact meaning of this ring, Four. is what I think?", said the elven commander, as her hands cleared her cheeks of the rests of tears.

"If I know you as well as I'm sure of...yes, it is what you think. If there's one person I would spend every moment of my life with, it is you. And I hope you feel the same." He held her hands in his and spoke softly. "If you would do me the honor of marrying me, I could not think of a better thing to hear than 'yes.'"

Elfira gasped, all this affair was a surprise from the beginning, but with no doubt she was now a different woman than when she came out of the shuttle this same day. And after all, she remembered her own words to Four eraly this day, and laughed at the irony of life, and how Four took advantage of the situation. He was a hell of a genius, after all.

"Then you will have a yes. I can't be happier now, today I woke up as a lonely soldier and now I'm a lovely prospect of a wife and of a mother. Today is a good day indeed, with the exception of these broken ribs, of course", she said, smiling at Four and leaning on his shoulder, finally letting her face to approach his own, closing her eyes, expecting the contact of his lips against her mouth.

Elfira gasped, all this affair was a surprise from the beginning, but with no doubt she was now a different woman than when she came out of the shuttle this same day. And after all, she remembered her own words to Four eraly this day, and laughed at the irony of life, and how Four took advantage of the situation. He was a hell of a genius, after all.

"Then you will have a yes. I can't be happier now, today I woke up as a lonely soldier and now I'm a lovely prospect of a wife and of a mother. Today is a good day indeed, with the exception of these broken ribs, of course", she said, smiling at Four and leaning on his shoulder, finally letting her face to approach his own, closing her eyes, expecting the contact of his lips against her mouth.

Eighteen smirked at the two and walked off to the shuttle.

"And to think I came here expecting to die..." Four murmured softly.

The Agent put a hand to her cheek and his other gingerly on the small of her back. He pressed his lips to hers, and the two enjoyed the deep kiss.

"...and that you were just another soldier I'd fight beside, before fading away into the past." He finished, breaking off from the kiss. "If only I could stand her forever."

"Then I suppose we can enjoy a few times of peace and happiness now", said Elfira, crossing the fingers of her gloved hands with Four's ones. Then suddenly she looked him in the eyes, and the wry grin appeared again.

"Wait!. I can't call my husband Four. Damn you!, I don't even know your real name!", she said, quite amused by the fact.

He grinned broadly. "You're right, I was just about to say...I suppose I can't get in trouble for telling you. My real name is Taeko Arakida. You're the first person to know, and I'm glad to let you know. I had been planning to do so for a while, but now's better than ever."

He lowered his head and kissed her hand softly, but the whine of the shuttle warming up interrupted them, and the low, predatory growl that answered it through the darkness.

"Forgot we were in the Crags..." He mentioned, leading her off to the shuttle. "So...where to?"

Elfira smiled, "Taeko, it sounds nice...kind of exotic. At least better than Four", she said, crossing her fingers with the fingers of the cyberutopian, her first and unique newfound love.

"Is here any problem?. Better to leave this place fast, before our happiness fades away too quickly thanks to any unwarranted interrumption", she asked, looking at the shuttle and helping Eighteen to stand up.

((Eighteen isn't there, just to let you know. She got the shuttle warmed up.))

The two approached the shuttle, and the Agent climbed in, helping Elfira in after him. He walked up to the cockpit, where Eighteen was doing a systems check.

"You are not driving, not with that arm." He said, looking at the ragged hole in her shoulder and the ring of caked blood around it.

"Don't worry, I can handle a lot more than this, and you should know that. I can stay conscious." She reassured him, nodding to the back of the shuttle. "And you should go sit with Elfira."

Taeko gave a short smile and acquiesced, backing into the rear portion of the craft and sitting next to Elfira.

"Think the planning can wait 'til later?" He asked her, looking into her eyes.

"Yes, we can wait for those preparations until we arrive, but someone should help Elfira with her shoulder. I know that she can withstand an enormous amount of pain and damage, but there's no need for that anyway", said the elven commander as her hand was placed in Taeko's cheek.

She stood and walked to the "First Aid" little suitcase of the shuttle and opened it up, searching for something to fix the bloody wound on Elfira's shoulder. "Taeko, come and help me here, I don't understand this cyberutopian manual", she called, smiling broadly.

The Agent smirked and looked over the Elven woman's shoulder.

"There it is in Sindarian." He remarked, flipping through a few pages and pointing to a section filled with the Elven language. "Go ahead and put a few patches of gauze on it, after you inject her arm with this nanobot syringe. Works just like a morphine shot, but without the addiction."

He went up front to pilot the craft while Elfira worked on Eighteen's wound.

"Now that's a surprise....Since when you started to make these manuals in Sindarin?. A pleasant surprise nevertheless", said Elfira in a happy tone, following Taeko's instructions and placing the patches over the wound. "It looks like Cyberutopia is the first country that finally understood us the aelosian elves. It looks strange, but I feel Cyberutopia as a really friendly country. I know it has some elves, but after all it's a human country".

"Well, although that was after the Cortez' affair. But finally I see that humans and elves start to understand, accept and approve each others, and that makes me happy", she concluded, placing the injection as Four said. "Nanobots, the ultimate medical treatment for grave wounds. You have the best of the best over here, I'm glad to see that you're well prepared for anything", she commented, massaging Eighteen's neck and shoulders a little bit.

Taeko gave Elfira a kind smile.

"Multi-linguality has been a staple of Cyberutopia for a while, we try our best to conform to and understand others. Those manuals first came out at least a couple decades ago." He told her in a warm tone. "We have a significant Elven population, as you know, but things for the Elves still remain the same since before Cortez. We are still two nations bound only by borders. Hopefully someday that will change, and humans and Elves can finally coöperate on something. Only one native Cyberutopian Elf has been married to a human, one Lafiël Ahb. But she wasn't married to a Cyberutopian. No, that still has yet to happen."

He shrugged, looking a little forlorn, and turned back to the shuttle's controls as Eighteen leaned back a little into Elfira, her eyes closed and a faint smile on her face.

"I heard about that Läfiel, as far as I know the Princess liria went to her wedding and everything. It looks like her husband was a charming, handsome and brave prince of a foreign country. And what about you, Taeko?. I suppose you'll be the first yberutopian to marry an elf, although a foreign elf indeed", said Elfira with a wry grin, staring the cyberutopian guy directly into his eyes. "Do you think that your people will take that like a good thing or like a scandal?. I'm not worried about it, but I don't want that to become an obstacle between us".

Elfira then paused for a moment, and fondled Eighteen's hair a little, trying to fix it and remove the dirty and the dried blood off. "Finally I have found something of value, something worth dying for. As a matter of fact, I have found two. I'm really, really happy".

"No, it won't become a scandal. You have to remember I'm practically a god in these people's eyes, they'll support it fully. We will get a lot of press, however, no matter how little we let out." He flashed her a grin. "And I swear, nothing can come between us. We've been through just about everything together. You know, when I'm near you, I can always seem to find the inner spark that lets me go a little harder, a little longer, and I can find a piece of myself that was missing."

He looked her deep in the eyes, admiring her face, but then his brow crinkled.

"You have broken ribs. I think you should really go lie down." He said, a tinge of concern in his voice.

"Oh, press. I suppose it will be fun, after all I've been living in the shadows for almost all my life. And I'll have the chance to smash some cameras too", said Elfira with a sarcastic grin in her lips. "And you're lovely when you said that. I never thought that such a tough guy could be so sweet, good soldiers are usually emotionless, hard to the bone fellows", she finally answered, now the grin replaced by a broad smile.

"It's not the first time, although I hope it will be the last time. I suppose I can handle these broken ribs, even more if I can give myself a shot of those nano machines. At least we're not in trouble anymore", she said, lying down even with her protests.

"Oh, press. I suppose it will be fun, after all I've been living in the shadows for almost all my life. And I'll have the chance to smash some cameras too", said Elfira with a sarcastic grin in her lips. "And you're lovely when you said that. I never thought that such a tough guy could be so sweet, good soldiers are usually emotionless, hard to the bone fellows", she finally answered, now the grin replaced by a broad smile.

"It's not the first time, although I hope it will be the last time. I suppose I can handle these broken ribs, even more if I can give myself a shot of those nano machines. At least we're not in trouble anymore", she said, lying down even with her protests.

Taeko looked back at Elfira with a wide smile and a bit of a blush on his face, but was drawn back to the cockpit's control board by a soft bleeping before he could respond.

Eighteen sat down near the Colonel-Commander's head and spoke quietly. "You're right, he's really the gentlest man I've ever met, you might mistake it for innocence if you weren't close to him. He'd never let it show around anyone else except for you and I, though. Otherwise he was just another cold Agent."

((Das Bump!))

((Das Bump!))

"Cold...Emotionless. I suppose those are words inherent to our job. Or to our former one, anyway", said Elfira. "But I'm also glad to finally met the warm of a man's heart inside the icy cover of the agent and the soldier".

"And at least you're out of that angst attack, dearie", she said, fondling Eighteen's hair a little with two of her fingers. "I was quite worried, but I suppose that was more than obvious. I'm so happy now, but I'm still puzzled about what is our current destination". finally she stood and rubbed her ribs a little, placing her arms over Taeko's shoulders and hugging him a little. "So...I suppose I should ask the pilot about that".


OOC: Sorry about the delay...=(

"Cold...Emotionless. I suppose those are words inherent to our job. Or to our former one, anyway", said Elfira. "But I'm also glad to finally met the warm of a man's heart inside the icy cover of the agent and the soldier".

"And at least you're out of that angst attack, dearie", she said, fondling Eighteen's hair a little with two of her fingers. "I was quite worried, but I suppose that was more than obvious. I'm so happy now, but I'm still puzzled about what is our current destination". finally she stood and rubbed her ribs a little, placing her arms over Taeko's shoulders and hugging him a little. "So...I suppose I should ask the pilot about that".


OOC: Sorry about the delay...=(

((It's ok, so long as I get a response at some point. :) ))

Taeko grinned and craned his neck upwards to give Elfira a peck on the cheek.

"I've got to return this shuttle to the Craftworld, I kinda...stole it." He told her, laughing a bit. "But after that, I don't know where we're going to go." His voice dropped to a low murmur. "We could always ditch Eighteen and go somewhere secret...just to get away for a while."

"Oh, we won't face any troubles. After all we're returning it in almost perfect shape, and in any case, I have enough rank to give authorizations on my own, and to shut up normal incoming traffic officers", said Elfira, leaning her head over his shoulder, placing her cheek against his own.

"Of course I would like that, darling, although I don't think that Eighteen would like to be ditched in just some place around, unless I leave her at home, and promises to behave", she said, smirking a little. "But anyway, it's up to you to choose the place, please don't ask me to be romantic, I'm not exactly the type"

"I figure Eighteen will give us some slack to do what we want. She better anyway, or I might just pull rank on her." He said with a full grin. "About being romantic, I think you and I are going to have to learn together. I'll take you somewhere special."

((Yes, it is I, and I am back!))

"Then I'm eagerly waiting to see your surprise", said Elfira to Four, fondling his hair a little. "I'm going to the passenger cabin to rest for a while, just let me know when we arrive", she said leaving the cockpit.

((Heh, sorry about not responding for so long...please forgive me!))

Four smiled after Elfira and sighed out into the cold expanse of space. A little over an hour later, the beautiful Aelosian craftworld came into view. He landed in the bay they had taken off from, as gently as possible, and left the cockpit to find Elfira. He stood over her and smiled tenderly.

"Wake up, my love, we're here." He said softly.

(Hi, sorry about the delay, but the last weeks have been hell for me. But I haven't forgotten about one of my dearest rp partners...you. And by the way, of course you can join my mentor thread, in any way you like)

Elfira woke up suddenly, her eyes wide opened, only relaxing when she saw the familiar face of Taeko looking at her, and she took the opportunity to kiss his cheek and stand up really quickly.

"We arrived, oh yes!", Elfira said, smiling again to Taeko. "C'mon, then, let's go again to home".

Taeko caught himself before he fell over, Elfira's chipper antics suprising him and painting a grin on his face all at once. He took her hand and led her through the shuttle's corridors, to the exit. He poked Eighteen in the shoulder along the way, and she stirred back to conciousness. The young Elf followed the two outside into the picturesque artificiality of the Craftworld. Taeko took a deep breath of the crisp air. It wasn't his home, but it might as well have been. A few moments later, he realized there was a beautiful Elven woman in a silvery gown standing before him, arms crossed. Two Aelosian guards flanked her menacingly.

"There!" She shrieked, pointing at the three. "That one there, in the armor! He stole my very expensive personal shuttle. I would have expected it would be you."

Taeko sighed heavily, expelling any of the joy he formally had. "Look, I took it for a critical emergency that would have caused a catastrophe between Cyberutopian and Aelosia if not averted."

Eighteen hung her head slightly at being referred to as such.

"Don't be all arrogant with me!" Came the Elven woman – who was (not very coinceidentally, as it was her shuttle) the Eternal Lady of the Cyberutopian Elven Court – replied.

The Agent took a step forwards. "I'm arrogant?"

"Yes, and bitter too, ever since you killed my Adrian!"

Taeko took a step forwards and looked down into her crystalline eyes, which were brimming with tears.

His voice was a barely suppressed growl. "I did not kill your god damned daughter."

The crack of an open palm on flesh resounded throughout the landing bay. The Agent slowly brought a hand up to his bright red cheek.

His voice and his eyes suddenly softened. "I...I didn't mean god damned. I would never have hurt Adrian. Take your damned ship."

The Eternal Lady's eyes remained afixed in their hatred. "Fine. I will."

The two brushed past each other roughly. The red mark was still adhered to Taeko's face. He stared up at the artificial sky and cried silently.

Elfira approached the elf lady, placing her hands into her pockets, clicking her fingers towards the guards to dismiss them easily. After the pair of soldiers dissapeared, she stood in front of the cyberutopian elf and gave her a nod, just before launching her body forward to give the Lady a bow in the traditional aelosian fashion.

"Is a pleasure to meet you, Lady. Is that man giving any troubles to you?. Can you please explain me the situation so I could help you?", asked Elfira to the woman in front of her, smiling in a really ironic, wry way.

The Lady glared at Elfira. She really didn't like the Aelosian's sardonic smile. She was even more annoyed that the two guards had been dismissed by the Aelosian. Violent things usually happened when the Agent and Eternal Lady were thrown together – though she generally started the downward spiral.

"Well, I don't see why it concerns you, but I'll tell you anyway. Giving me troubles? Oh, he's given me much more than that. Agony, despair, you name it, he'll bring it upon you. That demon let my only daughter die. He tricked her into coming with him, and for that she paid with her life. She was trapped in one of those concentration camps during the Incident, and wound up shot in the back by some drunken soldier. You can't possibly begin to understand the pain I go through every day, and it only aggravates it when the bastard responsible insists that we let it lie. He claims he loved her dearly, but I can't see how that's possible when he won't even make the barest amends." She explained all this with a voice choked with deep suffering, and tears rushing down her face.

Elfira was prepared to land her fist in the woman's face and send her tumbling to the floor of the landing bay. She was prepared to shout at her and explain to that lazy courtier that Taeko did everything to save her daughter. That she was there, and she saw what happened with her own eyes. She was prepared to say to that woman that she didn't know how horrible was a battlefield, and how tragedies always happened, and that people how could only accept them...

But that was before she saw the woman crying, and felt how her heart betrayed her own feelings, a knot forming in her guts out of the sadness and rage that the Cyberutopian elf seemed to exude. Forgetting all her rage she let the remorse, the guilt and the sorrow to take over her "I...I can't say anything. I won't say I'm sorry, because I can't know how you feel. I won't say that I undertand you and that I feel the same, because it would be a lie. However, I can tell you something. I would like that your daughter had been saved. I would like that she would be alive, and I would like to meet her", said Elfira know feeling how the knot in her guts slowly began to crawl up to her throat.

Probably another woman would tried to place a hand over the crying woman's shoulder and try to comfort her, but Elfira wasn't capable of such a show of pity with an unknown woman. The flashback of the elf girl falling with a shot in her back came once and once again to her mind, and how Taeko tried to save her. "I...I would tried to save her. But so many people were there that day, and it was impossible to save them all, it was impossible", she stuttered to the woman, feeling her eyes wet and her sight clouded by a strange mist.

"I would like that. But I'm sure that your daughter still wants to see you strong and happy, and not grim and weak. She died in a really brave way, and the less that you can do for her is to overcome your loss with that same bravery. Don't blame others, blame fate or blame yourself, only cowards place the guilt in the shoulders of someone else. To blame the Agent for your loss is an insult to the memory of your daughter", said Elfira, finally finding the strenght to speak to the Cyberutopian in a firm, quiet and strong voice.

The Eternal Lady stared at the ground of the landing bay, inspecting the shapeless crystalline sanctuary that her tears had formed at her feet. Her head came up to meet the taller Elf's eyes, and she smiled softly, her eyes broadcasting a message of hope.

"Thank you." She said humbly. "I can see now that you are correct in everything you say. I should have seen all of that sooner, I guess I just needed someone to bring the message to me." The noble fell to her knees and clasped Elfira's hands. Her eyes were averted in reverance. "You may think yourself just a soldier, but believe me, I can see much more beyond that. May the Valar guide you."

Elfira was quick when she also knelt in the floor in front of the Cyberutopian Lady. "I don't need that, neither you, neither the memory of your daughter, please stand", she said placing her arms around the woman's shoulders and helping her to stand. "And now I'm not only a soldier, I'm also the woman that is trying to fulfill the empty space that the dissapearance of your daughter left in the man she used to love, although I'm sure I won't be ever capable to fill it".

Elfira clapped the woman's shoulders with her gloved hands, and a half of a smile apeeared at the left side of her mouth. "Don't say good bye. I don't want you to leave, I would apprecciate if you can stay and can teach this rugged and old soldier how two elven women can turn into friends".

The Eternal Lady looked up at Elfira and beamed.

"She was a great woman, my daughter." She said softly. "But so are you. I cannot speak for him with any conviction, but I believe you can and will fill that void. Both he and I shared that void for many years and fought fiercely over it, and now it looks as though we might finally be able to end our grief. A friend to care for is a thousand times more valuble than an enemy to spite."

"Bah, you're also a great woman. I can see that in your eyes", said Elfira, brushing the back of one of her hands over what looked like a blushed cheek. "Basically, I just don't want to see people around fussing and fighting. I have had enough of that for this entire life and the others to come. Wise words you have spoken, and with no doubt I know that Taeko will offer the wisest and most delicate of the apologies for his words, as long as you can ask him for forgiveness about that slap that with no reason you seemed fit to give him...", said Elfira smirking a bit, turning to see Taeko's face...

The delicate Elf bowed her head humbly.

"Of course. I just...lost my head." She said softly.

Taeko had been listening intently, though he didn't show it. His eyes, still slick with tears, watched Elfira intensely, and glistened with a ray of some deeply buried hope for resolution.

Placing one of the fingers of her right glove in her mouth, Elfira pulled the fabric off of her hand, winking at the same at Taeko. "Now, you, tough guy, come over here", she said placing her hand in the back of his neck.

"We all have lost important thing in the past, but that shouldn't mean we must keep losing them in the present and in the future. Let's make ammends, Shall we?", said the former tough, emotionaless soldier looking at the both Cyberutopians.

Both Cyberutopians bowed deeply.

"Of course." They said almost simultaneously, and Taeko looked up. "We have all made mistakes. Some have lead to catastrophes, and we shared one. It set us apart when we should have done the opposite, but now we can remedy that. One brilliant Aelosian has seen that, and she has guided us." He gave Elfira a sidelong smile. "Can I consider it settled?"

The Eternal Lady smiled broadly, and briefly grasped his hand reverently. "Yes, yes you can. I'm so glad both of us can finally see eye to eye."

"You transformed me from a rugged soldier into...something else, something better. I must thank you, and not the opposite", said Elfira, bowing again to the Eternal Lady and winking at Taeko.

"But there's no more pain and suffering here. Maybe we should try to do something fun?", she asked, her gaze switching betweem the both cyberutopians. "And where in the hell did my girl go?", she asked, unable to find Eighteen.

Both Cyberutopians nodded their agreement, smiling broadly.

"Did you have anything in mind? You would know the Craftworld better than us, after all." Taeko inquired.

The Eternal Lady started laughing lightly to herself, and the Agent looked oddly at her. The Elf stopped laughing, turning red while she struggled to keep it in. Taeko turned away, and she resumed laughing harder. He glanced behind Elfira and smirked silently.

"Aren't you supposed to be able to tell when there's someone behind you?" Eighteen grinned from a few centimeters behind Elfira's back. "It's an Agent thing."

Elfira didn't turn around when she heard her heir's voice behind her, but just smiled, yet a sad and tired smile. "I'm too old already. I suppose you're now faster, more cunning and silent than I have ever been", she said in a calm voice, closing her eyes for a moment as she shook her head.

Turning slowly, her eyes still closed, Elfira finally faced Eighteen. "And I never was an agent. That was Taeko's career and not mine, I was a Chosen of Khaine, and my duty was to die in battle, not exactly a skill I want you to learn about...", she said, grinning wider. "Although it's not that I would mind teaching to you that, but you could get hurt. Remember that making fun of an old elf warrior is sometimes a risky move".

Grabbing Eighteen's hands as fast as lightning, before the younger elf could even flinch, Elfira pulled and attracted her against her body into a warm and friendly hug, surrounding her with her arms, leaning her head over Eighteen's shoulder and whispering in her ear "I still have some tricks hidden up in my sleeve, dear, but each time you move like that, each time you draw a breath, each time you speak, you make me really proud. Really proud"

Eighteen flushed scarlet and smiled happily.

"Bah, you're just flattering me for no reason. Do you want something out of me?" She joked, returning the embrace tightly. "I want to learn everything I can, and while I might be younger, you still know lots more, and you will never lose your warrior's instincts or your grace."