Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Crimson & Clover Chronicles ❯ Journey 3: Legend of the Swords ( Chapter 3 )

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Crimson and Clover Chronicles

By: Melissa Norvell

Journey 3: Legend of the Swords

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"Ah, it's my help," Cella turned her sights to the three figures who stumbled out of the shrubbery.

"Help?" Sulphur gazed over to the three figures, who walked into the light, revealing their identities to everyone. It was Zazzie, Gastov, and Shizure. "You helped her?" The black bird asked, hardly believing that the princesses' own servants would do something like that to her.

"We decided to help Cella out. We set the traps," Shizure shifted her weight to one foot and placed her hand on her hip.

"Why would you do that to your princess?" Didn't they want Teruna to succeed? Why would they do something to go against her if they wanted to see her obtain the sword? Was this all a test or was there something more to it?

"It was test of bravery and strength. We need to know that our princess can handle herself in battle," Gastov's accent could be heard as he walked up a few steps behind the maid.

"She may be good at leading the country, but in battle she is quite different," the blonde maid wanted to know that Teruna was ready to even go adventuring, let alone find herself caught in a battle for her life. It was because Shizure cared about the girl that she wanted to give her this test. There would be no way that she would let the princess go if she failed to obtain the sword through both Cella and the traps.

"Now we can go adventuring together!" Zazzie threw her arms around Shizure's waist tightly and with great vigor. The young princess had always wanted to go on an adventure and now she finally had her chance! Zazzie couldn't wait to start and thought about all of the fun to be had.

"Yeah, sure thing kid," the maid blew her off.

"She is sleeping," Gastov stated the obvious as he gazed at the slumbering blue blood.

"She wore herself out, trying to obtain Clover," Cella stated.

"I'm surprised that she even got the sword. I didn't think that she would," Shizure admitted. Since the princess was never physically placed in that situation before, she didn't know her limitations or the fact that she could even be that strong. She was proud of her mighty ruler.

"Yep! That's my sis!" Zazzie stuck out her chest proudly.

"Will is very powerful thing, yes?" The white-haired knight asked with a smile.

"People have often gained a strength unknown from will," Shizure explained. "It's something we'll never understand." So far, it was her only explanation of how her princess could pull off such a feat.

"Well," Sulphur replied as he glanced at the wavy-haired girl, "what's our next move?"

"Perhaps you'd like to know the legend behind Crimson and Clover?" Cella asked. Since they had sought the sword out, she figured that at the very least, they would want to know about the very objects that they sought.

"Legend?" Zazzie was interested in the myth behind the blades.

"Do you really think that the swords that you possess aren't special?" Cella asked.

"Well, we know that the swords had some type of magical powers but we didn't know what specifically," Shizure commented.

"We knew swords were old tradition among knights in the motherland and they were an important part of history of country but all else is unknown. Many mysteries surround the swords," Gastov replied.

"Well, I can clear up a few of the mysteries," the white, horse-headed entity began to explain the legend of the two blades. "Long ago, there were two gods of this countries' land. Ashara, the goddess of the east, and of war, and the god Masamune, god of the western skies. They were at war with one another and no one knew why or how. Each god had an army behind them and they battled on the land. Many of their armies' soldiers died. Even though their magical powers were strong, they seemed pretty even in both skill and strength. The battle lasted many years and it got them nowhere but at the end of the second year of war, each one had forged a great sword, a representation of their power. Masamune forged the Crimson, a sword capable of destroying 5,000 men in one slash and Ashara created Clover, a sword said to harness all of the powers of nature. It was mostly used as a defense by the goddess."

"So, Teruna-hime's sword is a defense sword?" Sulphur asked.

"No, it can be used as an attack sword." Cella cleared that subject up. " The swords are very different, however. The Crimson is powerful and strong, as a man. The Clover is graceful and whimsical, as a woman."

"So both swords have feminine and masculine properties?" Shizure was a little confused by the whole explanation. It was strange that one would relate inanimate objects with genders or human characteristics.

"And is coincidence that both man and woman have Crimson and Clover," Gastov pointed out.

"I hope this isn't a prophecy of some sort. I can't see our princess with an assassin," the blonde maid replied. They very thought of her being around such a person brought shame is the royal throne.

"Story! Story! I want to hear more of the story!" Zazzie jumped around with excitement.

A bead of sweat rolled down the back of the white being's head. "Right…Eventually both gods grew weary and Ashara saw this as an opportune time to deliver the final blow, but as she did, Masamune struck his sword out and they ran themselves upon each other's blade.

But, something unusual happened.

Masamune turned into dust and disappeared. A tear ran down Ashara's cheek and the goddess fell to her knees. She had created such a realistic delusion that she could relive time over and over again. She was living under and over stuck in time, trying to alter it. She realized that she could not perform this task over time. She couldn't alter time, nor could she resurrect the dead no matter what her efforts were. Saddened by this, she conjured up Chrona, the Time Goddess and asked her that she be made into a god, but Chrona told her that she would have to pay a price, and she chose to sacrifice her life. As her castle began to crumble around her, she thought of how she'd once again reunite with her love and how they'd finally be together, and be happy. She looked up at the destruction that befell her and closed her eyes, awaiting death," Cella told the group grimly.

"That's tragic and all, but what does this have to do with the Crimson and Clover?" Shizure didn't see the relevance in the legend at all.

"After Ashara's death, Crimson and Clover were left unguarded, so Chrona decided to place each of them in our forest to be watched over for centuries to one day be revived by those worthy enough to obtain them," Cella informed.

"And when day comes?" Gastov was curious on the subject.

"No one knows. It's unnerving to see what will happen now that the swords have both been awakened…I don't know everything about the legend, it's been obscured over time and there are many visions but in all, it's said that the swords will come together again and either clash in battle or fight side by side."

"So we don't know if this is good or bad?" Shizure wondered what the point of it all was if there was no definite outcome. For all they know, they could have just started a war on a great magnitude.

Cella shook her head.

"Is trial and error," the white-haired knight stated the obvious. When they thought about it, they really had no choice in the matter. What's done could not be undone, and now they were forced to deal with the consequences as they would be dealt to them.

"Whether or not we come into contact with the wielder of the Crimson, we'll still have to deal with that prophecy," the maid replied, and that being if the prophecy were in fact true.

"Or the prophecy could be a simple fairytale…A myth or legend made not to be taken seriously. What if the swords are nothing but old artifacts and have no special powers at all?" Sulphur asked. After all, if it was all trial and error, then anything was possible.

"Well, there is a place you can test Clover out in," Cella offered, in case they wanted to test the sword's abilities.

"Where?" The knight asked.

"Stone Country, it's beyond the Ouron Mountains," the white beast instructed.

As the group was discussing Stone Country and the means to get there in order to test out her newly acquired sword, Teruna slowly stirred awake. The princess slowly cracked open her round, green eyes. When everyone noticed that the girl was awake, they turned to her in unison and uttered her position in shock.

Teruna slowly sat up and wiped her eyes. "I must have been out for a while…" The sleepy girl decided before she slowly glanced around at everyone, who had huddled around her with concerned expressions on their faces. "Huh?" The wavy-haired girl seemed confused at the presence of her royal court and sister. The girl then glanced to the intricate Clover Sword, which lay flat at her side. "That's right…I was able to get Clover. What are you guys doing here?" She looked up at Gastov, Shizure and Zazzie in question.

"We helped," Zazzie replied with a large, cheesy smile.

"Helped? Helped who?" The princess asked.

"Cella-sama!" The tanned girl thrust out her hand towards the white entity, which stood a few feet away.

"But why?" Teruna asked.

"It was all part of the test. We wanted to know that you could face anything to get the sword. Sorry that we challenged your position, your highness," the maid apologized and bowed before her princess.

"It's alright, Shizure-san. I know you're just trying to watch out for me." Otherwise, her servant would not have acted in such a brash way. She knew that Shizure would not go against her.

"I only had your best interest in mind," the woman informed.

"Now, to prove that you can wield the sword and handle its power, you will go to Stone Country, beyond the Ouron Mountains to test your control of its abilities…" Cella paused, "and if you can't handle it, then the sword will come back to this spot."

Teruna stood as a determination washed over her. She couldn't afford to screw up now that she had fought so hard to acquire the infamous Clover. Plus, the princess didn't want to have to come back if she lost it. Who knew? It may be harder to acquire the sword if she'd have to do it a second time and she didn't know if she would be able to actually beat Cella this time around. The girl wrapped her arms around the blade and held the large sword to her chest.

"Right, I'll make sure that Clover is safe," Teruna's words were strong, as if to reassure her promise.

"Yay! Adventure!" Zazzie threw her arms out in enthusiasm.

"You can't go," Shizure shot her hopes of joining their team down in flames.

"Uwah! Why?" Teruna's younger sister whined.

"You're too young."

"But I helped!"

"Zazzie, you have to stay and help the Master Mage, as Teruna-hime's sister and future ruler of this land, it's your duty," the maid replied.

"But…I don't want to. I wanna go on an adventure with you!" The girl continued to whine. It was hardly fair to be left in the castle all alone with the Master Mage while everyone she was close to left for an adventure that would take who knows how long! It was just too long of a wait for her to bear and she couldn't stand worrying about everyone during that wait.

Why sit and worry when she could actively help out?

"Quit whining, kid. That's exactly why you're not going," Shizure narrowed her eyes and folded her arms over her large bust, staring the girl down in warning.

"Okay…I'll go back," Zazzie slouched over melodramatically and hung her head.

"It's alright, sis. I'll be back soon," Teruna smiled to try and reassure the girl, although she knew that her efforts would be in vain. Once the light-blue haired girl's mind was on something, it was very hard to get it off track. Her sister was stubborn by nature.

The forlorn girl took out her aggressions on a nearby rock, kicking it as hard as she could before uttering the word 'goodbye' and proceeding to walk off.

"That was, how you say, harsh, Shizure-chan," Gastov looked after the girl. He felt sort of sorry for her.

"The kid's a trouble maker. She's got to learn…Besides, she'll get herself killed if she tries to follow us off," Shizure told him. Even though it was harsh, it was for the princesses' own good and Zazzie was so stubborn that it was very hard to convince her by simply being nice. It took a firm hand to handle the girl.

"Besides, if something were to happen to Teruna-hime, Zazzie-hime could rule in her place," Sulphur replied. It was a good idea that Zazzie stay behind in case something did happen, then the country would have a proper ruler.

"Right," the maid agreed.

"Thank you, Cella, for doing us this honor," the knight bowed to the white beast.

"Thank you for finding the long-awaited wielder of the Clover. I wish you luck on your journey," Cella told the group as she looked towards the princess.

Teruna spoke just up. "Thank you, Cella-sama. I'll never forget you," the girl then turned her back to Cella and prepared to leave.

"Wait, don't you want to take the easy way out," Cella offered. It would be harder to walk all the way through the woods, especially after obtaining the Clover made the girl so weak.

"There's an easy way?" Shizure turned and looked at the beast in question.

"Of course," Cella stamped one hoof against the forest floor and a large portal appeared directly in front of the white entity and emitted a pink and purple light that bathed over the group's forms.

"Oooh…What's that?" Zazzie placed a finger up to her tanned lips in amusement. "It's colorful and shiny." The princess had been hiding behind a tree, waiting for everyone to make a move before she decided to tail them. Zazzie had planned on following the group but now that this large, colorful aura appeared, the girl was curious as to what secrets and mysteries it held.

"What is this? Magic?" Gastov looked towards Cella in question.

"It's a portal to the entrance to Stone Country. If you pass through, you should be able to make it in without going over the Ouron Mountains. All you have to do is pass through it and you'll be there," Cella instructed the group.

"Well, let's go," Shizure wanted to get there the quickest way possible and if that was it, then so be it. The less time that they wasted, the better off they were. She was all about being punctual.

"Thank you again, Cella-sama," the grateful princess replied with another bow.

"Yes, thank you, Cella," Sulphur told the fellow beast.

"You're welcome and good luck on your journey."

"Be careful out there, Cella-sama," Shizure told her.

"Of course," Cella's words faded as the group walked through the portal and traveled from one place to another. Seeing her opportunity in the moment, Zazzie darted out from behind the tree she had concealed herself behind and made a mad dash to the portal but the light had grown smaller and smaller. By the time her body was through it, it was as large as a paper place and ensnared her ankle, trapping it between worlds.

The blue-haired girl grabbed her leg and pulled as hard as she could and with a few good yanks, she was able to pull herself the rest of the way through. Zazzie stumbled backwards and fell on her rear, mutter the word 'ow' and rubbing her hind end with one eye closed. A few moments passed after she realized that she was out in the open and quickly scrambled behind a nearby rock so she would not be seen.

"Did you hear something?" Gastov caught wind of the faintest of noises from the girl.

"Actually…I don't hear anything," Shizure looked around at her surroundings. There were few trees. Mostly everything in the area was rock, even the ground. Grass grew in sparsely spread clumps. "That's odd, don't you think? Usually, a village is bustling and noisy…but this one is silent…I don't even see anyone around," the maid glanced around at the small town. It was as if it had been abandon for a while and not even the faintest of life was heard or seen.

"You think it is ghost town?" Gastov looked to the woman for an answer.

"Only one way to see," Shizure began to walk through the town with the knight following suit.

'I have weird feeling about this.' The blue-eyed knight glanced around the empty village. Shizure and Teruna were a few steps in front of him.

"Some knight you are. You're just going to let us walk into danger," Shizure commented. He was supposed to protect them and there he was, walking behind them. Some brave protector!

"Hoiii…" The man drug a hand down his face as he whined. "You make me look bad, Shizure-san!"

The blonde smiled crookedly. "Then get your ass up here and protect us, oh, brave, legendary knight." The woman mocked.

"Mocking time is over now," the strong man looked annoyed as his eyebrow twitched and he trudged ahead in front of the girls. "If I didn't know better I'd say you want me to walk in front so if enemy comes, I die."

"Well, if the shoe fits…" The maid shrugged.

"I love how you care," the man's eye brow twitched even more.

" Anytime," Shizure smiled.

Teruna jolted to a stop suddenly, causing Shizure to run into her, which caused her to go forward into Gastov.

"A little warning next time please, before we suddenly stop without notice," the sarcastic maid rubbed her head, causing her side ponytail to bob up and down.

"Look!" The shocked princess pointed to directly in front of her where as her knight and maid gasped and freaked out looks crossed their faces. This was definitely something that all four of them had not expected.

…To Be Continued….