Chapter Six, Part One

Chapter 6- Falcon Rising, LeMae Falling

"Thom and Bane glanced briefly at one another, and then Thom got up. The swordsman strode with assurance over to the young woman, bowed, spoke briefly, and then gestured in the direction of their table. The girl seemed unsure, and then suddenly came to a decision. She followed the swordsman." -The Orb Of Stars

Spoiler rating:� Lunar: Eternal Blue- *****

The transporter buzzed, and moments later Zen, Christine, Raff, Bat and Blue were off the pad and into another forest.�

Raff spoke loudly, �Come on, everyone, another song!�

�No more songs!� If I have to listen to you belt out one more beastly chord, I�ll remove your larynx!�, groaned Zen.

�All we do is walk, Zen.� Singing� at least helps past the time.�, smiled Christine.

�Calculate the number of meaningless deaths in history.� That will help you pass the time and you�ll be a lot quieter afterwards.� Zen shook us head.

�There he goes, again.� Raff put his hands behind his head. �The Prince of Pessimism returnith.� I bet Lord Leo was a great man to travel with.� He was probably a marvel of conversation, a vision for the ladies, and a gallant man of confidence!�

�More like a somber, doubting weakling.�

Raff started to fume.� �Yeah, like you know anything.� Heroism to you is probably how many people you can kill before breakfast!�

Zen stopped walking and turned around in Raff�s face.� �You want to know who Lord Leo was?�

�Zen, don�t. . .�, whispered Christine.

�

�No. No.� The idealistic beast kid should hear this.�� Leo was a man so absorbed in the ideals of goodness and justice, that he couldn�t see things that were happening right in front of his face.� He helped bring about the resurrection of Zophar and hunted the true heroes of the time instead of helping them, all because his vision of justice blurred the reality around him.�� Oh, and that �vision of the ladies� never, EVER, had a girlfriend.� I feel sorry that Mauri had to look after him all the time.� All because of the �heroism� you covet so badly.�� Mark my words, there are no clear-cut lines between chivalry and malevolence.�� Zen turned around and continued walking, mumbling under his breath, �Jeez, just like Falcon. . .�

Raff stared. . . speechless, quiet.� �He�s lying, right Christine?�

Christine sighed.� �From the books I read while in Vane. . .history doesn�t look favorably on Leo.� I�m sorry. . .but I feel in my heart he was indeed a noble, righteous man, if that helps.�

Raff could have dismissed Zen, but hearing such a thing from Christine was harder to shake off.�� What if what Zen said WAS true?� How could any harm come from wanting to do the right thing?� It wasn�t possible, was it?�� Raff walked the rest of the journey without saying a word.

Finally, a clearing opened up to a huge boulder adorned with spirit wards and a quaint looking Japanese style house.�� Zen stopped behind the house.� �This is where we will rest and find the location of LeMae.� A wise old friend and teacher lives here with his daughter.�� I ask that you all show proper respect and manners.� You will dishonor me if you do any less.�

�We�re not children, you know.�� Christine folded her arms.

�I was speaking more to beastboy.�� Raff said nothing, but looked at the ground in silence.� �Well, at least he�s quieter now.�

When the group moved around to the front of the quiet house, a young woman and an old man stood upon the porch as if waiting for them. The old man looked very frail and had a walking stick to lean on. The young woman, however, looked very slender and elegant in a beautiful kimono. She had a pleasant friendly smile that reminded Christine on her mother.

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At last, the young lady spoke very softly, �You have arrived, Zen. It is an honor to see you again.� My father has been anxiously awaiting your arrival.�

�Kodoku.�� Spoke the old man.

�Sensee.�� Zen bowed before the old man.� After a few moments, Zen cleared his throat and Christine and Raff bowed as well.

�Please, Kodoku, come inside.�

�Why does he call you that?� whispered Christine to Zen.

�It is his nickname for me.� Zen whispered back as they entered the house.� They all sat around a large table without any chairs.

�Yuki, please bring our guests the tea.��

�Yes, Father.�� The woman in the kimono left the room.

�May I help?�� asked Christine.� Zen eyed Christine, who immediately backed down.� �Or maybe, not. . .um. . .sorry.�

�I apologize, Sensee.�

�Not at all, Kodoku.� Your young friend there is very polite in asking to help.� Yuki, would you like some help?��

�I would be very grateful.�, replied Yuki smiling.� �It is quite a lot for one person to carry.��

Christine and Yuki soon returned with the tea, which Yuki started pouring for everyone.�� So, Sensee,� started Zen.� �I see Ramus told you we were coming.�

�It was important that he did so.� Falcon was here.�

�Zen, Ramus mentioned him while we stayed with him.� Who is he?� Christine asked.

�Falcon, is a self-proclaimed hero of the world fighting in the name of justice who doesn�t understand anything much like a certain Lord Leo I mentioned earlier.�

�May I be excused?� �Raff spoke softly.�

�Raff. . .� Christine touched Raff�s shoulder.� Raff quickly got up and walked outside.� �Zen, I don�t expect you be nice, but. . .�

�Christine, not now.�

Christine stood up and slammed the table.� �NO!� Listen, you tell us to be polite and nice, and Raff was.�� And how did you repay him?� You slandered his hero again!� I seem to recall you getting upset when someone said something bad about Ghaleon!�

�There�s a difference.�

�Right!� One was a hero who fought bravely with righteousness and heroism, and the other was a maniacal tyrant trying to rule the world with an iron fist!� History has some bad things to say about Ghaleon too!� You only know one way, ZEN�S WAY, and suddenly that means there are no other ways in the world.� But if you want Raff�s help, and MY help, you are going to have to start showing us a little more consideration!�� Christine slumped down, crossed her arms, and looked away from Zen.

�HAHAHA!!� You have spoken true, child.� , spoke the old man.

�Sensee, I. . .apologize.�� Christine lowered her head.

�Not at all.� Isn�t this amusing, Yuki?� I would not have expected the great Zen to be bested by a polite young lady.�, spoke the old man.

�Very true, Father.�� Yuki smiled.

�Sensee, you called me Zen. . .� You haven�t called me that since the first day you met me.�, said Zen in amazement.

�Zen, Kodoku in my native language means solitude. . .loneliness.� I called you that because while I have understood your stern demeanor, not everyone does and therefore you feel comfortable walking alone, without a friend to stand by you.� However, these two young people have chosen to follow you, and from what Ramus has told me, they have followed you very far.� They do this for friendship.� The friendship they have with you.� If you have friends, I can no longer call you Kodoku! HAHAHA!!!�

Zen smiled.� �Yes, Sensee.�

Zen got up from the table and walked out to where Raff was sitting on the ground.�

�Raff, I forgot to tell you something. . .�

�Haven�t you said enough?�

�No, this is important.� After Leo realized who his enemy was, he fought with all his heart and soul to safeguard the world.� In the end, his duty to justice and goodness played a part in saving our world.�� We may admire two very different heroes, but they were both heroes in the end.� And yours deserves the same respect as mine.� I. . .erh. . . apologizeforspeakingoutofturn.�

�What?�� Raff looked up.

�I said I�m sorry, and you better feel special, because I do not apologize very often.�

�And Leo�s a better hero than Ghaleon, right?�

�Don�t push it, beastboy.� Now come inside.� We have much to do.�� Raff smiled and walked back inside and the two sat once again at the table.

�So, Sensee, you said Falcon was here?�

�Yes, let me explain to your young friends here, Zen.� Forgive me, but your stories of Falcon are a bit. . .partisan.� Falcon and Zen both trained in my house for a time.� Falcon is descended from a long line of heroes, and came to my dojo to train in the art of combat.�� Zen passed into my house at that time as well, but he was more interested in my philosophy.�� Falcon immediately looked at Zen with disdain.� He constantly stood by me, warning me that Zen was a demon and would bring destruction to the world.� Obviously, I tried to bring the two together as students, but Zen was not interested in such things, and Falcon, well, obviously he wanted nothing to do with Zen.�� Many times Falcon challenged Zen to combat, and lost.� It soon became his one heroic mission to stop the evil Zen, no matter how much I tried to dissuade him.� He was still my student and I still cared for him.� I was out of options.� Zen volunteered to leave so I could continue Falcon�s training.�� And he has thought of nothing but destroying Zen ever since.�

�Is he skilled?�� asked Raff.

Zen interjected.� �Let me put it this way.� I represent the top student of a mage class.� Falcon is the equivalent in a warrior class.�

�Wow. . .� Raff�s jaw hung open.

�But. . .� continued Zen.� �Because of my immortality, I still outclass him.�

�About that, Zen.�, spoke the old man. �He came because he says HE will be the one to safeguard LeMae to her destiny.�

�So, he knows about LeMae. . .and LeMae is with him?!� Zen became agitated.� Christine had never seen Zen look this way before.

�

�No. No. Zen.� See the boulder out back?� When LeMae was to first appear here, Ramus contacted me and I contained her essence within that rock with the spirit wards.�

�

Raff raised his hand. �Excuse me?� But how do you contain a goddess with spirit wards?!�

�

The old man stroked his chin.� �Haha.� This old man�s better than he looks, eh?� No.� No.� Truthfully, LeMae is a goddess, but she is a sleeping goddess.� The wards put her in a suspended animation.�� Essentially, I am just delaying her awakening.� I told Falcon I would only release LeMae to the winner of my two best students, you and him.�� This duel will take place tomorrow.� Naturally, I told him of your group, and that is where he is now.� He is getting together his Falcon Class to make it an even match.��

�

�Falcon Class?�� asked Christine.

�

�His friends.�, answered Zen.�� Warriors trained under him, like mages trained at The Academy.� He will probably have his two best warriors.�

�

�Alright.� We can take em!�� spoke Raff.

�

�For once, I agree with my young friend here.� Sensee, Falcon is still no match for me.�

�

�Be on guard, Zen.� He looked very confident when he left.� You should rest for the battle tomorrow. . . after you have eaten.�, the old man stood up.� �Yuki, first show our guests to their rooms.�

�

�Yes, Father.�

�

Later that evening after dinner, Zen retired to his room.� Bat was off entertaining Blue, and for the first time in a while, Zen had a peaceful moment.� He stepped outside onto the balcony attached to his room and let the cool breeze hit him gently in the face.� He thought about what his old teacher had said, and wondered if Falcon might actually win.� If perhaps there was a way to die. . .the thought was actually appealing to one as old as Zen.

Yuki walked up next to Zen.� �You seem lost in thought.�

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�I am sorry if I am interrupting.�, continued Yuki. �Your door was open.�

�Not at all, Yuki.� Just thinking of the possibilities of death.�

�

�And smiling. . .does the lone wolf only think of such such things, to kill or be killed?� Does nothing else make him smile?�

�

�I�m finding many things besides death make me smile.� And I regret that.� It makes my job harder.�

�

�You have chosen fine friends.� They seem to have a good affect on you.�

�

�More like, they chose me, I think. . . �

�

�I wish. . .I had known you now.� Things might have been different between us.�

�

�Yuki.� You know why I couldn�t marry you.�

�

�I know.� You did not love me.� And now?�

�

�I still do not love you.�

�

Yuki was not hurt.� She knew what to expect from Zen, the cold honest truth.� And she respected that more than a lie.� �What about the young lady?�

�

�Who?� Christine?�

�

�She seems captivated with you.�

�

�Yeah, so captivated she nearly captivated my head right off today.�

�

�Ice is only helpful when it is cold, and so it is with your dedication, but do not close your heart completely, Zen.� When you complete your mission with LeMae, what happens next?�

�

�I don�t know. . .death?�

�

Yuki giggled into her kimono.� �A man who could not see what was happening around him.� Lord Leo, Falcon, or. . .Zen?�� Yuki turned around and opened the shutter.� �Good night, my love.�

�

�Good night, Yuki.�

�

The morning arrived and Zen assembled his team outside of the house.� �Now, listen, this is important.� You must understand what is about to happen.� Raff, has Christine explained things to you?�

�

�Yeah, I think so.� We need LeMae to save the world from destruction, but if Falcon is a hero too, why shouldn�t we let him help us, or just let him take care of things?�

�

�Raff, Falcon�s singular goal is to destroy me as an evil force.� So I ask you now, am I evil?�

�

�No,� I don�t think so, I guess.�

�

�Yes or no?�

�

Raff thought about Zen apologizing.� �No.� You aren�t.�

�

�Christine?� Zen looked at Christine.

�

�Well, your method leaves a lot to be desired. . .�

�

Zen sighed.�

�

�No, of course I don�t believe you�re evil, silly.�� Christine smiled.

�

Zen continued.� �Good.�� Now let me explain this.� While Althena is a goddess of goodness and Zophar is a god of destruction, LeMae is a goddess of neutrality.� In other words, she is a wish goddess.�

�

�A wish goddess?�� asked Raff.

�

Christine answered, �I think Zen means that being a non-partial goddess, she serves whoever wishes her to serve them.�

�

�Exactly.�, said Zen.

�

�Now you see why we can�t let Falcon have LeMae.� His judgment is clouded by hatred of me.� We can�t let a person like that have LeMae.� Falcon has not the experience to know how to use the power LeMae offers.� Understand?�

�

�Right!� answered Raff and Christine.� The woods rustled as some figures emerged from the trees.� �Now here they come. Sensee, Yuki, the powderpuff, and Bat should wait inside out of danger.�

�

�Master, you do not want my help?�� asked Bat.

�

�In most circumstances, yes, my friend.� But this is a fair 3 on 3 fight.�� Zen smiled and scratched Bat�s chin.� �With you in the party that adds an extra 4 or 5 powerful men at least.��

�

�No need to be sarcastic, master.� I understand.� I will observe from inside.� Good luck.�

�

�Nothing I haven�t handled dozens of times before, Bat.�

By this time, the figures had come to the front of the house.� A reddish brown long haired man with an iron breastplate and a green cape led the group. Christine assumed he was Falcon.� His followers were a huge muscular man with a giant mace and a light purpled headed girl with a bow.

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