The Fire Arrow

{Right After Alek and Tristen started their fight.}

"Hoshiki, can you move?"

"No Ash. I believe one of them has to be casting the spell."

"But if that is the case, then how did Alek cancellation doesn't work on the spell?"

"I don't know, but we will have to find out later. For now, we have to deal with these guys."

"What about Alek?"

"Don't worry about him. He can handle himself."

"Yeah, you're right."

Ash pulls her blade out as Rose stands right in front of Icibis. Icibis looks up at Rose with a face of concern.

"Rose, what are you doing?"

"I will not let them get to you."

"Rose, stop it. We need to save Princess Vita, not me."

Rose looks back at Icibis, with tears going down her face.

"No. I will not follow your orders. You are my prince, and I will protect you with my life."

Rose turns and points her blade at Ash.

"I will take you down, before you even get near Icibis."

"Is that so?"

Ash swaps places with Icibis and goes to stab Rose in the back, as Rose blocks Ash's attack with a magic sword.

"You didn't think that I was ready for you to teleport? But now I see it's not a normal teleport that you have."

As Rose snaps her fingers, as 5 magic swords start to fly at Ash, making Ash start to dodge them and at the same time she is swapping places with the one that she couldn't dodge. Putting space between her and Rose.

"So you were trying to push me back, so you can cast your magic. You're lucky that Alek is fighting the other one of you, or he would have killed you all already."

"I don't think Sir Tristen will let your friend walk away with a fight."

"Haha, you don't know how strong Alek is."

"Ash."

Ash and Rose both look at Hoshiki.

"Never underestimate the opponent that Alek is fighting. That man was able to defeat Malos, so he must be pretty strong."

Rose snaps her fingers again and has swords fly at Ash from all directions, as Ash starts to swap and dodge them all. As Ash is trying to not get hit, Rose aims at Ash and shoots a wind blade at Ash. As the wind blade is about to hit Ash, Ash swap places with Icibis again, making Icibis to take the hit from the wind blade, as he flies backward into a tree. The time Rose finally notices what just happened, Ash closes in on Rose from behind.

"How dare you, us my prince like that."

As Rose turns to hit Ash with a magic sword, Ash swaps again with Icibis. Making Rose to dispel the magic swords, as Ash cuts Rose right up the back, making Rose fall to the ground. As Icibis tries to get up, Ash uses thread wire magic and ties them both up with wires. Ash jumps onto a wire and stands there looks down at Icibis and Rose.

"You are nothing to use. I mean, it did get a little crazy but nothing I can't handle."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Huh."

Icibis looks Ash right in the eyes and spoke.

"I said. Why are you doing this? None of these people deserve this. So why?"

Ash starts to smile.

"Because, why not."

"Do what?"

Icibis pits down on his lips as he is trying to understand up Ash is getting at.

"So, what you're saying is that. You just want to do this for fun. You find killing others is fun."

"When you say it like that, then yeah I guess."

"You guess? Why you..."

"That is enough Ash."

Both Ash and Icibis look over at Hoshiki, as he slowly stands to his feet.

("How is he able to stand? Balance should be making lose most of his physical abilities.")

Hoshiki stands to walk over to them as he is speaking.

"Quit lying to other enemies about things like that. It is not good to lie."

"You, not my dad, Hoshiki."

"Yeah, but I feel like I have to be sometimes."

"Yeah, whatever. Why can't I have my fun."

"Because we came to do one thing, and that is it. No time to play around."

Icibis looks at Ash then back at Hoshiki.

"What do you mean, that she is lying?"

"He means that, I get to…"

"Ash."

"No fun."

Ash walks on her wires to a tree, and lays on the tree waiting for Hoshiki to finish what he is doing. Hoshiki walks over to Icibis and knees down to him.

"We were not sent to kill anyone."

"Then why kill? Why the battle?"

"Well, the army was not with us. They were sent by a different leader."

"So, you don't serve the same leader."

"I wouldn't say that, yes even I have a lot of questions on how this works in the empire. But I know that when I am given an order from my lord, I will do whatever I can, to make sure that order is complete. You should understand that, from a warrior to a warrior standpoint."

"You have a point but still how the empire is taking things is not right."

"I am not saying that there are, but I will not fail a mission. So, if you will excuse me and my friend, but we are leaving now."

Hoshiki stands up and starts to walk over to Princess Vita. As Princess Vita was standing there, Ash uses thread wire magic and rap her in wires.

"You will not go anywhere."

"Ash let her go."

"Do what, Hoshiki? She is our target."

"Yes, that is why I am saying let her go."

"What if she tries to run for it?"

"She will not."

"And how do you know that?"

 "Because she is willing to go with us, to save her people from death."

Hoshiki walks up to Princess Vita and removes the wire from her. Hoshiki grabs her hand.

"Okay princess, it is time to go."

Princess Vita looks over in the way Tristen and Alek are fighting.

"Forgive me Tristen."

Hoshiki ties Princess Vita's hands together.

"Don't take this as I don't trust you, but I have to.'

"No, it is okay. You're just doing your job."

Hoshiki starts to walk with Princess Vita following right behind him, as Hoshiki turns to look at Ash, a sword flies right past his face. Rose uses sword magic and seeds all the swords that she can at Hoshiki, as Hoshiki pulls out his spear and gets ready for the swords. Icibis looks at Ash, as she draws out her sword.

"Rose, stop this or they will kill you."

"No, I will not."

"Please, I am begging you. Rose."

Rose shoots all the swords at Hoshiki, as Hoshiki uses his spear and his super reflexes and awareness, to block all the swords from hitting him or Princess Vita. As Rose is trying her hardest to beat Hoshiki and shuriken was thrown right in front of Rose, as Ash swaps places with the shuriken and goes to kill Rose, as Ash's sword swaps with an arrow that starts to shock Ash.

"Aaaaaaahhhhhh."

"Ash?"

Hoshiki saw what happened but is confused on how the arrow got in Ash's hand.

("Did Ash us swap, to swap her sword with an arrow? Or did swap have a malfunction. But that makes no sense.")

As Hoshiki runs over to check on Ash, another arrow is above him and Ash as the arrow swaps places with Madison, as Madison shoots another arrow at Hoshiki.

"Rainbow Arrow, Fire Wall."

("Shit, he can swap to.")

Hoshiki grabs Ash and jumps out of the way to dodge the arrow. The arrow hits the ground and makes a wall of fire between Hoshiki and Icibis, as another arrow hits the ground in front of Princess Vita, making another fire wall between her and Hoshiki. Hoshiki looks at the fire wall in front of him, then at the one behind him.

"I see now. Your bow or you are able to shoot magic arrows."

Madison lands on a tree branch and aims at Hoshiki.

"You're close but not close enough. My ability is more complex than that."

"Alright."

Hoshiki looks more at Madison than at Ash, before taking a breath.

"Well, I guess I have no other choice."

Madison gets ready to shoot when Hoshiki drops his spear.

"I give up."

Madison looks at Hoshiki with a confused face, Madison lowers his bow.

"You what?"

"I give up. There is no point in fighting, if I have no chance to win."

"That is fair, but how do you know that you will not win."

Hoshiki smiles.

"Well outside of your magic arrow thing that can do more than magic, I saw your other friend that sneak around the tree line to free Princess Vita, and I am not mistaken but that first fire arrow you shot, was not just for a wall. But to also free you other friends."

"I give you credit for getting all right. Let me guess, you saw what I was doing from the start."

"No, just when the second fire arrow hit the ground."

"I see."

Madison jumps down from the tree and walks over to Hoshiki, as Rose and Icibis walk out of the fire wall, right next to Hoshiki and Ash. Rose goes to use sword magic as Icibis stops her.

"No Rose. He gave up."

"That doesn't change a thing."

"It does Rose."

"Rose, lesson to your prince for once."

"Madison, you stay out of this."

Icibis then looks at Hoshiki, with a serious look on his face.

"So, what now?"

Hoshiki takes a breath.

"Well, to be honest. I have no clue, but I will come up with something."

"And what about the princess?"

Madison aims his bow again at Hoshiki.

"You take her, there is no way I can win against all of you."

"I see."

"How do we know that he is not lying to us?"

"Because Rose, you can look him in the eyes and see that he is not lying."

"He did seem like a man of his word."

They all turn and look at the other firewall, as Reinhart and Princess Vita walk out of it.

"It is best, if we get going now."

"Yeah."

"Fine, I guess."

"I guess we will see you around?"

"Oh, yeah you will. I have a feeling that it will be real soon to."

Rose, Reinhart, Icibis, Madison, and Princess Vita all leave, as Hoshiki treats Ash's wounds. As they are running the the woods, Icibis picks up Princess Vita.

"Icibis, what are you doing?"

"Sorry princess, but we have to move faster and with you in your dress, we can only move at a certain speed."

"I see. I guess, I will allow this once."

"Yes, my lady."

As the group runs a little ways into the frost, they hear the voice again.

("Stop running.")

"Do what?"

"It was the voice again."

"Then we should stop then."

"If you say so princess."

The group stops running as Icibis speaks.

"What now?"

("Just wait, you will see it soon.")

"See what soon?"

("The door.")

"A door?"

"That is what he said."

As they stand there a giant door appears right in front of them, as the door opens and a girl with purple hair walks out of it and looks at the group.

"I am guessing, you all are the ones that my brother wants me to bring to him?"

"Your brother?"

"Who are you?"

"There is no time to talk. If you are the ones, then walk in but if not I will take my leave."

"We are the ones you are looking for."

Princess Vita gets off of Icibis' back and walks over to the girl.

"It is you. It has been sometime hasn't it, Tina?"

"Yes, it has, Princess Este… I mean Vita."

Princess Vita turns and looks at everyone.

"Everyone, it is time to go. Now hurry and go through the door."

"What about Tristen?"

"Don't worry, I will pick him up after his fight."

Princess Vita grabs Tina's hand.

"Thank you, Tina."

"Yes of course princess."

The group goes into the door, and they appear in a giant library, where they meet the man that is known has the voice.

"Hello everyone."

Everyone sees the man stand there with a cup of tea in his hands and a smile on his face, as Princess Vita starts to walk over to the man.

"It has been a while, Lloyd."

"Yes, it has, princess."

Everyone looks at the princess then at Lloyd.

"Don't worry, we knew each other as kids."

"Yes, indeed we did."