She's braver than she looks. Or maybe I over did the nice guy bit. Or maybe she really doesn't know anything. Well, it didn't particularly matter to him. Still, he hadn't done much other than act like a jerk up to this point.

Better make sure she knows this isn't a game.

"Heh. Maybe you really don't remember, just like everyone else. A city full of people, and no one remembers a damn thing. Except one guy, 'cause he got lucky. Or unlucky, depending on how you look at it."

"And I think you do, too."

There was a low crackle, and suddenly Garv's other hand wasn't empty anymore. A knife was in it, one with a black blade that zig-zagged like a lightning bolt.

"Now, I don't want to be unreasonable here, but I really must insist."

And then, he pulled out a blade. Where did he get it? She hadn't seen him carrying a knife-- it didn't look real, though. But none of that mattered. He had a weapon. A sharp weapon. A sharp weapon he intended to use on her if she didn't talk. A sharp weapon he had used on a man in Galaens who did talk. And he probably had to be "coerced," too.

But what if Mayako really didn't know? He'd have been hurting an innocent girl . . .

"I-- I don't-- I t-told you I-- I d-don't r-re-- I d-don't . . ."

Mayako could barely even get the words out. Her heart started to pound harder than ever--but . . . no. It had pounded this hard before, numerous times. This wasn't the first time her life was threatened, but the same fear was there. A fear for her life, and the lives of everyone around her--and for those of Galaens, too. Had this man done the same to those people? Had he killed everyone who wouldn't talk?

I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, she repeated in her head continuously.

"P-please . . ." Mayako breathed in deep, a deep wheeze which sounded a lot like she was going to cry any second, "P-please-- please don't . . . I-- I d-don't--"

Awww...bloody hell in a handbasket. He could only assume at this point that he really did have the wrong person. Probably. Certainly if she really knew something she would have caved by this point and told him.

Dammit all, I hate making girls cry.

If it were anything else, he probably would have given up right there, not wanting to press his luck and scar a girl for life. But he really, really needed to know what happened with Theleaus.

Alright, just a bit further, then. I hate this job sometimes.

"Well, that's too bad...but maybe you're just having trouble recalling, eh? After all, I hear it was a pretty hectic day." He pressed the knife closer to her throat, though being sure to watch her carefully--wouldn't do to have her hurt herself on the blade or something.

"So...I hope for your sake this is jogging your memory."

"Y-you-- you heard--" Mayako was about to ask, but was cut off as quick as she began.

There was a blade to her throat. A blade. Right against her neck. She could practically feel it brushing up against her skin. It was like it was going to cut right through. She could feel the pain already. She could feel her life-blood flowing from one of the most important veins in her body. She could see Death coming for her already-- no, not Death. Etsu Hikane. Come to take Mayako away this time.

"O-oh God-- oh God--" Mayako gulped as she tried to pulled her head back away from the blade.

It wasn't working, though. She couldn't put any distance between the knife and her throat. Garv had a grip on her, and she couldn't get any further away from him. He had her effectively paralyzed. What could she do? What was there to say?

If she said nothing, she'd die. If she said something, she'd feel like dying. What big of a difference was there? It was a lose-lose situation. But that wouldn't be the first time she felt like dying. That wasn't permanent. Death was.

"I-it's-- i-it's . . . i-it's . . . M-- Me--" Mayako stuttered as her fear continued to well up more and more-- until near a breaking point. "Memoria! Wh-why everyone forgot! Th-the . . . the . . . the C-Crepesculum e-ex-- Me-Me-Mem-Memoria! Th-that's all I know! I-I-- I swear!"

Okay, that made no sense at all. Nothing. He couldn't see how they pertained to Theleaus, though Garv made a mental note to write the words down later just in case. If she was acting this all out to throw him off though, she was way better trained for even him to see through the ruse--and she was just too genuine.

Well, it'd be something to think on later. He got what he came for. He kept his hand on her shoulder, just so she didn't go run screaming or anything, but withdrew the knife. "Alright, thank you. I'm not going to hurt you, so relax, alright? I just needed--"

He suddenly ducked as something flew right through the space where his head was--something very hot, and very fast, coming from the side. He didn't like to hurt girls, didn't like to involve them, but when his life was on the line he'd take any advantage he could get, chivalrous or not.

Using the hand on her shoulder, he spun Mayako around before wrapping it around her stomach, and at the same time he brought the knife up to her throat again as he turned to face his assailant.

"Put it away or I--" He stopped. Cold. A total freeze, and Mayako, held against him as she was, would be able to feel the shock as it rippled through him.

Standing before them, impossibly enough, was Fenix. He was standing unaided, with a very large crossbow that he wasn't holding so much as it seemed attached to his arm. But more prominently, stretched behind him were a pair of black wings that seemed actually aflame...

The arm around her waist loosened--the knife actually fell from his hand, plunking harmlessly into the dirt. If she were to turn and look at her captor, she'd see that he was as white as a sheet.

"I-I-Impossible," he whispered hoarsely...but it wasn't the shock of someone who was seeing a frightening sight for the first time. There was clear recognition in his voice.

He stumbled away from her, not letting her go so much as abandoning her in an attempt to get away. He slipped, fell on his rear-end, crab-walked backwards on all fours, scrambled to his feet, and with one last look over his shoulder bolted into the woods as though running from the devil himself.

There was a pause as Fenix looked at Mayako...and then both the weapon and wings seemed to burn away into nothing, and he pitched forward, landing heavily on the grass...

Whether or not she said all she knew was something Garv would have to contemplate later. Not that it was going to get him very far. Not that he was ever going to come back, for that matter. Crepesculum ex Memoria was--


--end of--

--darkness from--

--a memory.


But even for people that threatened to kill her, Mayako had a conscience.

Oh God, what . . . what have I done?

Especially when it seemed Garv was going to let her go.

For a second there, she really thought she was a goner. But Garv was going to let her go. Maybe . . . maybe she really was going to get out of this alive. Mayako's thoughts immediately strayed from the question of conscience she had found herself in. Maybe Fenix was going to make it out alive, too. Again, her thoughts were on him. Now that immediate tension seemed to lighten just a bit, even a tiny bit, she was able to think of the man she was taking responsibility for. Hopefully--hopefully he was still alive.

When she saw him next, it was yet another surprise. She was about ready to scream at him, his name particularly, to both express her happiness to see him alive, and to alert him to the seriousness of the situation, and how much he needed to run right now.

But Mayako didn't get that chance. The girl was pulled back in an instant, brought back against Garv. What happened next, she couldn't explain. There was cold. Residual cold? Perhaps. Cold--and darkness. Funny. After mentioning them . . .

Mayako couldn't keep up with everything that happened. All she knew was what happened next--and what she saw of Fenix. Everything was a blur. She felt like she was going to faint. And then she fell to her knees. Garv had been holding her up, incidentally, but he was gone now.

Mayako slowly tried to pull herself back up--but it was harder than she thought it would've been. She was too shaken to think straight, let alone move. Even where she sat on the ground, her legs were shaking. Unfortunately, that wasn't the closest to death she had been over the last few months. But it never stopped haunting her, when things like this happened. Still, there was such a blur, and such a faint, light-headed feeling.

But despite that, she still had someone she was responsible for--someone who was face down in the dirt. She couldn't even see if he was breathing; the world was moving too much, too chaotically. Not spinning, just blurred and shifting too repetitively. So repetitively that she could barely stand it. She felt like she was going to vomit. The most she could do was crawl, on her hands and knees, towards Fenix, to see if he really was breathing, to see if they were going to make it out alive . . .

As a small bright point in what had suddenly become a chaotic day, Mayako would be able to tell even in her condition that Fenix was still breathing. Laying on his chest, grass stains and dirt were visible all down his back and legs, and he was sweating heavily. As she started to get near he began to stir. His arms stretched out as he attempted to push himself to his feet, visibly shaking with the effort, but alas he did not have the energy. Getting down the hill, using his magic, and just standing long enough to take a shot had taken everything he had.

He looked up towards her, though it seemed to take him a few seconds to focus on her. "...Are you alright?" he asked, fatigue evident in his voice.

The feeling of relief was enough to make the dizziness and faint feelings go away. Fenix was all right. That meant-- that meant that everything was going to be fine. Garv had information; information she felt bad about giving, but information nonetheless. Now all they had to worry about was the oncoming storm.

"Oh thank God . . ." Mayako sighed; she was so relieved that she didn't even stutter.

At that point, it didn't matter how she was. She could have a broken leg, and she'd still feel all right; in fact, she'd feel fine enough to help Fenix up and move on as if she had taken no injury at all. Adrenaline was pumping. That may have been the source of her barely-there sensation, though it might have also been something else . . .

Nonetheless, she was unharmed. Mayako didn't even have an indent of the blade against her throat. Garv had put it close enough to make her feel as if it was there, even though there was still an acceptable distance before she was even close to being scratched.

"I-- I'm-- I'm okay . . ." replied Mayako as if it weren't important in the slightest, as she reached down for Fenix to take his arm, and maybe help him try to stand, "W-we . . . we sh-should get back to the clinic, okay?"

Fenix nodded awkwardly from the ground. Indeed, getting back to the clinic would be a good idea; rain was normally not much more than an inconvenience, but as weak as he was he could get quite sick from being cold and wet.

Though he tried as best as he could to support himself, Mayako would end up needing support the majority of his weight. "The crutches should be at the bottom of the hill," he informed her breathlessly. It was up to her if they went and grabbed them first; Fenix would move easier with them, but it would also take time to get them.

Either after Mayako went and got the crutches, or after a few moments of helping him walk, he'd ask quietly, "Aren't you...afraid of me?" The sight of those wings had been enough to scare Garv off, after all...he was amazed Mayako was even approaching him, especially as she didn't remember him from Galaens at all.

With or without crutches, they had a difficult time ahead of them. It was raining, now, and pretty soon, the grass and dirt were going to be horribly wet. It was almost impossible to walk in twos in conditions like that. Helping him walk would make her susceptible to possibly falling, and he would be incapable of walking alone. With crutches, he might be better off, but if they didn't move fast, that'd be an impossibility, too.

So, Mayako pulled herself together. She got up, slowly but surely, and made her way to the crutches at the bottom of the hill. Had Fenix fallen down the hill? It seemed that way, but she couldn't be sure. He might have thrown himself down the hill to speed things up. Nonetheless, as fast as her shaken body could move, Mayako retrieved the crutches and got to Fenix, who she'd help up and back onto the crutches.

Still, though, he was going to need help walking. He was drained, and it was raining. Crutches slipped easily on slick, wet grass--so Mayako would remain as close to him as she could, without crowding him or making it difficult for him to walk. With all this urgency, Mayako was more concerned about getting Fenix back to the clinic than she was worried about maybe being afraid of him-- for some reason or the other.

"N-no?" Mayako replied, confused.

Was she supposed to be afraid of him?

"Y-you probably s-saved m-my life, you know?" Mayako reasoned, "Wh-why would I be afraid of you . . .?" It was a rhetorical question, "N-now come on, l-let's get you back to the clinic . . ."

Unused to such things unless they were made rather obvious, Fenix missed the fact that her question was rhetorical. "Most people who see me like that are afraid." As unusual as it was for Mayako to think she should be afraid, the fact that she wasn't at all was equally unusual to Fenix. Sure, some people ended up accepting him, but not without some trepidation. Only two people had ever not been afraid of him at all...

Thunder boomed once more as they moved, and even with the crutches Mayako would need to aid Fenix. Before he'd gotten around mostly without trouble, but now he often slipped or stumbled, and it had not even started raining yet.

Fortunately, as fast as storms could blow in, it wasn't quite fast enough this time. As they returned to the clinic the clouds were getting darker, but still it remained dry--though several villagers were rushing around in order to take care of things before the inevitable downpour.

Mayako didn't respond, she simply kept moving. The girl didn't look afraid of him in the least; no, she looked determined-- determined to get Fenix back to the clinic before a storm broke out. That was the most imperative issue. Everything else could wait.

Fortunately, determination paid off. They managed to get back to the clinic before it even started to sprinkle. Mayako felt momentously less rushed as soon as they entered from the clinic-side door, but she still needed to get Fenix to his (and Emma's) room. Mayako helped him to the door and a little ways inside--but that was all. Emma, who was still reading, didn't pay attention until Mayako spoke.

"I-I need to talk t-to Tsukimono-sama," Mayako declared as she stepped back to the doorway, "I-I'll be back i-in a little while. I-I'm sorry."

Responsibilities fulfilled: Fenix was back in his room, safe and sound. Now she could freak out--and Mayako would much rather have a mental breakdown around someone she knew, that wasn't also in the middle of a mental breakdown. This would probably leave Fenix alone with Emma for some time.

"What for?" Fenix asked, not understanding why she was apologizing, but Mayako was already out the door. Sighing, he carefully lowered himself to his bed. He was exhausted; using his magic even that little bit, along with simply standing, had wiped him out. This can't go on. I need to get my strength back.

But now wasn't the time. Unfortunately, as much as he wanted to crash and take a nap, he couldn't. His hand moved to his chest again, fiddling with the area where his pendant should've been. Without it, he didn't trust himself to go to sleep, especially not in a place like this.

He didn't have anything in particular to say to Emma, and wouldn't speak unless she spoke first. He was waiting for Mayako, and in the meantime he mulled over what happened--that man, Garv Phibrizzo...he was certain he'd never met him, and yet there was something undeniably familiar about him...

Mayako . . . wasn't going to be back for a little while. Not for a couple of hours. Maybe a few hours, even. More than likely half the day. Some things had happened. She needed to calm down--and maybe freak the hell out for a little while first.

In the distance, a door slammed. It was in the same place, but a different building--the house. Someone was shouting, desperately it seemed, loud enough to be noticeable, but not enough that diction could be discerned. The voice was female, and young, but the words were far too garbled to be heard. Another garbled female voice had enough volume to be heard, but seemed to be attempted to sooth and calm the other. A male voice chimed in every once in awhile, too.

Once she couldn't hear it all anymore, Emma set her book down. It was obvious who's voice that was, so now things had become Emma's business. She turned and looked Fenix down.

"What happened?" Emma asked, a tone of absolute seriousness in her voice--a demand for information, even. Bullshitting her was going to end with a book between the eyes. In Fenix's weakened state, risking that was not an option.

Should I tell her? He wasn't entirely sure if it was a good idea, but he didn't have the energy to lie, and as difficult as she was to talk to she had managed to give Fenix some answers before.

"Some guy came around and asked me about Theleaus and Galaens--seemed to want to find him. I asked Mayako to leave so we could talk in private," he added, remembering Emma absolutely did not want him to say anything to her about what happened.

"But then he went, and I think asked Mayako some questions...I don't know for sure though. When I got there he was pointing a knife at Mayako, but I managed to scare him off."

He didn't mention that Mayako had seen his wings, but he probably didn't have to--Emma would likely infer it. He didn't want to say it straight out, as he got the impression that was something else that she'd probably disapprove of, and though he didn't much care there was no point in aggravating her for no reason.