Wild ARMs: Off on a Tangent
By: Chibi-chan
Part 20: “The Very Long Day of Elmina Nietee”
*
A figure in a hooded cloak drew nearer to the house of Nicholi Maxwell. By its side walked the shadow of a black wolf. On the figure’s back was Nicholi’s son, who was still very much unconscious from a recent ordeal. The figure said nothing as it shifted so it could knock on the door without dropping its most precious cargo off its back. The door opened with the shortest of lag times. Nicholi took one look at the figure and his son and said only two words: “Ceilidh?! What…?!”
*
Earlier that day, at the Dead Sanctuary…
Cecil was doing his best to avoid the monsters. Time was of the essence and monster fights would not help at this point in time. All he was thinking about was getting back to Elmina and Boomerang so they could help Laine. He hadn’t gotten too far before he ran into Elmina. “’Mina! Laine! We gotta! She’s in! Where’s James?!” he said despite only being slightly coherent and a more than a bit out of breath.
“He went back. I kept going to catch up with you in case you did your little escape trick,” Elmina said. Despite having further to go, she, unlike Cecil, was in a much better condition and coherent.
“Then we gotta… we gotta…” Cecil said, breathing hard. “I dunno about you, but I gotta sit down.” He then quickly sank to the floor. “’Mina, I’m sorry, I’m just so tired…” he apologized as he sat on the floor, supporting himself with his arms. It was only then Elmina had a chance to notice the boy’s hair was quite visibly streaked with white.
“It’s happened again…” Elmina started softly, growing louder as she continued. “You’ve pushed yourself too far again! Dammit, Cecil, do you have a death wish or something?! You should speak up if you’re not up to doing something, for Aru Sulato’s sake!” she continued, sounding exactly like someone’s mother.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. I don’t want to be lonely anymore…” the prince said with an eerie calm. He chuckled softly and with an undeniably bitter undertone to himself. “Heh, but I never get what I want anyway. Not for long, at least.”
The warrior woman sighed. “Idiot. Let’s get you out of here…”
*
The “fun” didn’t stop there for the pair. No sooner were they a short distance from the entrance of the Dead Sanctuary did the sky begin to crack. The same acid-trip swirl seen at the attack of Adlehyde could be seen from where the hole in the sky formed. Beams of light shot down around the pair, this time leaving nothing behind when they vanished instead of monsters. “Hello… Elmina, is it? The one my Hanpan thinks so dearly of?” the voice of Zeikfried said, ghostly echoing.
“Great, just what we need right now, a major attack… Why not make things more fun and break both my legs and give me a halibut to fight with instead of a sword too?!” Elmina growled.
“Hey, smart-ass comments are my area, ‘Mina,” Cecil weakly protested.
“Hmph, is this any way to show gratitude? You are the first humans to be ‘invited’ to tour our Gate Generator,” Zeik’s voice interrupted.
“’Gate Generator’? The hell is that?” Elmina asked.
“Their way of moving troops from Point A to Point B, if it’s the same thing a book I once read was talking about,” Cecil answered.
A “*ding*ding*” sound was heard coming from out of nowhere. “A correct answer! And now, here’s your prize!” Zeik’s voice mocked before a beam of light hit Elmina and Cecil, teleporting them to who knows where…
*
A different acid trip swirl, this one in blue, surrounded the warrior and the weakened sorcerer. “All we need is a Guardian and this is one of my visions, ‘Mina,” Cecil muttered before three… well, only “umbrella-wielding clowns-if-clowns-were-designed-by-an-artist-on-crack” can describe what attacked the two.
Elmina drew her sword and said, “Stay back, princey, I’ll handle these-“
Cecil accidentally cut her off by going on the offensive himself. He acquired a purplish-black aura as he cast a spell. “Randomizer… GLOW BLAST!” White beams of pure holiness taught the drug-inspired-designed clowns a new meaning of pain. “Were you saying something, ‘Mina?” he said to his companion with a weary grin.
Elmina put a hand over her face and muttered, “Of all the stupid, stubborn- ACK!” While she was talking, the acid trip swirl dissipated and abruptly dumped the pair onto a hard metal floor.
“Are you both INSANE?!” Zeik’s voice shrieked. “Fighting in between dimensions creates energies strong enough to destroy yourselves AND us at the same time!”
“I thought you wanted absolute destruction, Zeik,” Hanpan’s voice chimed in with, “And who’s the idiot who sent monsters to fight them there in the first place?” The warrior could almost see him smirking like Cecil after hearing him say that.
The sound of a loud slap reverberated against the metal walls. “Do not undermine my authority in front of humans! Now go do your job!” Zeik commanded.
“But don’t I have traps to set and stuff first?” Hanpan quipped. Another slap was heard.
“Guardians, he sounds like me…” Cecil said. “Doesn’t he, Elmina?” Elmina didn’t answer. Her hand was tightly gripping her still-drawn sword and a scowl dominated her face. “’Mina?”
“How dare he… he has no right to hit him…” the warrior woman growled. She checked her temper the best she could and sheathed her sword. “Let’s go, princey,” she said resolutely.
“Er, right,” Cecil replied. I can go a little further, I can go a little further…
*
At a completely different location…
“erg… nnn… mmph…” Laine groaned as she started to regain her bearings.
“Ah, getting your strength back already, eh? I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, my precious pet,” a voice Laine knew in the back of her mind as that of someone dangerous. “But please, rest a little longer. I don’t want my pet tired for what I have in mind…”
“Hn…” was all Laine said.
*
Back to the Gate Generator…
“How you holding up, Cecil?” Elmina asked. She knew the answer was “not very well” from the expression on the boy’s face, the slowly increasing amount of white in his hair after every monster encounter, his slow pace, and the amount of time he spent leaning on her, but she wanted to know just how bad it was from him. He didn’t reply, which only worried her further. He just wasn’t a quiet person, as you already know.
“Hn, I’m fine,” he muttered.
They were at one end of a bridge when they saw Hanpan at the other side. “I’m sorry, but I have to do this…” He took out a small metal gadget and pressed a button. Half the bridge fell down a seemingly bottomless pit. “I’m afraid the other sections of the bridge are highly unstable and will most likely drop too if you step on them… what are you doing?”
At the other side, Elmina was holding a length of rope. “Are you sure about this, ‘Mina?” the prince asked.
“Absolutely. Just hold on tight and try not to look down,” the warrior told the boy as she made a makeshift lasso out of on end of the rope.
“I’m not sure I like what I think they’re about to do…” Hanpan said as he watched the warrior woman charge down the remains of the bridge with the lasso at ready. The Hiadan put his hands out and frantically waved the universal signal for “Nononostopstopstopdon’t!” “Are you flippin’ mad?! Stop! Go back!” he cried.
“Sorry, can’t! Catch!” Elmina shouted, throwing the lasso out at Hanpan.
“What?!” Hanpan said as one of his wrists was snared by the rope. Immediately thereafter, the pair of humans dropped and threatened to bring Hanpan down with them if he didn’t pull them up. “Man, this day never quits! First Calamity gets all snippy with me, then Harken smacks me upside the head, then Zeik, and now this!” he grumbled as he pulled the humans up.
Once back on solid ground, Elmina chuckled, said, “Thanks, Hanpan,” and pecked said mouse boy on the cheek. Knowing that the longer he stayed, the more trouble he knew he’d be in with Zeik, the Hiadan got up and exited quickly, the rope still attached to his wrist. Cecil couldn’t help but laugh at this, and Elmina couldn’t help but glare at Cecil.
*
A light went on at a balcony up and to the right of them. Hanpan leaned against the balcony’s railing and rested his hand on a large lever next to him. “Hello again, Elmina, Cecil. I hope your day has been going better than mine. Mine’s only going to get worse because of that bridge thing…” he said unenthusiastically.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but it hasn’t,” Elmina told him. “… does he always treat you like that?”
“… yes, yes he does,” Hanpan replied. His tail waved uneasily and he closed his hand around the lever. “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you this time. I…” he said. He threw the switch and… absolutely nothing happened. It turned out the trap was on and he had turned it off instead. “Er, oopsie. Guess I’m just a big idiot, hmm? Better turn it back on,” he said, trying to hide a smile. He tried to pull the lever again, but it broke off at its base. “Tsk, such shoddy workmanship. You win this time, my canny adversary! Ta ta!” He ran off after that.
Elmina was not sure what to say. Cecil did, as usual. “Either he’s insane, or his boss really is stupid enough to buy that,” he commented.
“For his sake, I hope it’s the latter, princey…” Elmina replied
*
The pair was walking down a corridor when they heard Hanpan loudly talking to himself. “Gee, I hope they don’t FIND THE HIDDEN SWITCH BETWEEN THESE TWO PIPES AT ABOUT WAIST LEVEL FOR THE NICE LADY!” he called out, feigning as much innocence as he possible could.
“Is he even trying to feign loyalty to Zeik now?” Cecil asked.
*
In the next “trap” room, there was a note on the fourth door on the right reading, “Please use the second lever again before entering!”
“Nope, not trying at all,” Cecil confirmed.
*
Two rooms later, they encountered something Hanpan more than likely could not sabotage. The golem Diablo was waiting for them and there was nothing they could do to change that. Hanpan appeared from out of nowhere in front of the massive red golem. “Sorry, but there’s nothing that I can do for you here…” he apologized sadly. The golem raised its arms and…
A loud explosion from behind the golem was heard and partially seen by those in front of it. Large pieces to small bits of stone flew from the source of the explosion. The golem dropped its arms with a loud “THUD!”. It was no longer in working order, obviously.
Hanpan cracked a dopey smile and proclaimed as if it were the most amazing revelation in history, “So THAT’S were Belselk’s old cherry bombs went!”
“I am so glad he’s on our side, ‘Mina,” Cecil said, for once in his life scared of another person who didn’t wear a habit.
“Me too, princey, me too,” Elmina replied, equally disturbed.
*
In the next room was a door with a keypad. “E-L-M-I-N-A,” Cecil mumbled as he typed out a potential password. The door opened. Behind it was Hanpan and a larger door. “How do you keep getting ahead of us but are able to not disturb the traps?” Cecil asked.
“All I can say is speed and wit are my forte, dear boy,” Hanpan replied with a very Cecil-like tone. “Zeik, open up, they’re here and ready to kick your butt!” The door opened and he entered the next room.
“Right, what are we waiting for?” Cecil said proudly, trying not to let the true extent of his tiredness show. His hair was largely a snowy white by this point, which was REALLY Not A Good Thing.
Elmina put a hand on his shoulder and started to ask the boy, “Cecil, do you think you can-“
“Of course! That’s our only ticket out of her, you know! We can’t keep Jamie and Laine waiting any longer,” he said.
“Cecil…”
*
The control center of the Gate Generator would be the dream of any evil megalomaniac. The standard Computer Screen of Doom™ loomed high above anyone who stood in the room, and the standard Shiny Buttons, Levers, And Switches of Evil™ shined and flashed proudly on the long console they rested on. Yes, if the color scheme of the room were only a fitting black rather than a horrendous orange, this would be the greatest Control Center of Death™ ever. But it wasn’t, so you’ll just have to deal with it.
Zeikfried stood just off center in front of the console and Hanpan was somewhere to his left. Zeik took a few steps forward and smirked. “So, we meet again. This time shall be the last time you see anyone, so remember it well once you’re sent to oblivion!” He summoned the spear Glumzamber, and the fight was on…
*
“Ceilidh,
what happened to him? How did you find
him? Who did this to him?”
“Lucied
tells me her ‘other half’ brought down a strong electrical attack on him, ‘how’
is irrelevant, and ‘who’ has already been answered.”
“Must
you be so cold at a time like this? Our
child…”
“Your
child. I have no right to say he is
mine anymore. Your child will be
fine in your care. He always has
been. Farewell, Nicholi.”
“You’re
leaving? Without telling him good-bye?”
“It is
for the best. He doesn’t need to know
the desireless coward his mother has become.”
“…………………”
*
The fight had been narrowed down to Elmina and Zeik, and neither one had backed down despite all that was said and done. Cecil, too weak to participate anymore, simply sat on the floor and hoped for a miracle. Hanpan, on the other hand, seemed far too interested in one of the Shiny Buttons of Doom™. “This is getting us nowhere!” Zeik complained. “Hanpan! Set the generator for 200%!” he ordered.
“Why?” Hanpan asked lazily. “I don’t have a death wish and neither do these two humans here.” He could have sworn Cecil snickered, but he shrugged it off.
Zeik stormed over and grabbed Hanpan by the shirt. “Could have fooled me,” he snarled in the impudent underling’s face. “Do it or else, Hanpan.”
“I choose ‘else’, if you don’t mind,” Hanpan replied with a grin. Zeik let go of his spear, then slapped the mouse boy with enough force to knock his glasses askew. “Ooo, Mister Superior, losing his temper in front of humans of all things…” the mouse boy said, refusing to be quiet. The second slap sent his glasses flying in Cecil’s direction.
Elmina had just about enough of watching another rational being, one that had been of much help up to even now, being mistreated the way Hanpan was. Sword still drawn, she concentrated on an attack, one that would be strong enough to get through Zeik’s armor…
“Do NOT mock me, especially now!” Zeik reprimanded. “You do what I say when I tell you to-“
Elmina went in for the attack. “MAGNUM FANG!” she cried as she went for the swing and the miss that brought in the painful purple-black pick-up stick-like items to pierce Zeik many times.
One by one, the charged pointy sticks impaled Zeik, each one hurting more than the last. Needless to say, he let go of Hanpan very fast. Hanpan, in shock, gawked at the woman who had come to his aid. “You… you hurt him…” he gasped. He slowly turned to the console and started flipping some switches and pressing some buttons.
“Hanpan?” Elmina asked. “What are you doing?”
“200%… Oh well, my life sucked anyway…” the mouse boy mumbled.
“’Mina! Get away from him! Something isn’t right!” Cecil shouted, trying to get his companion’s attention.
“But…!” Elmina said. The room started to get terribly drafty. Then again, when a black hole forms in a room and begins sucking everything into it, I would imagine a little wind would pick up. “Hanpan! What is this?! What’s happening?!”
“You hurt him badly. I can’t allow that to go unpunished. I thought I could, but what one thinks they can do and what one truly can do are two different things,” Hanpan said hollowly. “The black hole will take you… well, I honestly don’t know where it’ll take you to. It’ll just take you away…” Everyone in the room was swept up into the black hole and then…
And then, the Tear Drop shone and Cecil’s miracle happened.
*
Elmina and Cecil were deposited outside the house of one Nicholi Maxwell in the town of Court Seim. Elmina stood up while Cecil remained in a sitting position on the ground. “What…? How…?” Elmina breathed.
“The Guardians asked me what I wanted to do and I said I wanted to go home. This is the first place I felt like I was at home in a long time…” Cecil whispered. He then collapsed. He could not do anything more. He had went beyond his limits for too long. His hair was completely white at this point. He couldn’t hear Elmina calling out to him to wake up, nor Lina, who happened to be in town for some odd reason, rushing to them and yelling at Elmina for letting this happen, or Nicholi trying to quiet them both and get the boy into the house…
*
“We were too different, Luci. He was… is a genuinely good person, and I… I am…”
“I suppose so…”
*
End Chapter 20
Chibi’s notes:
Whee, the mysterious Ceilidh appears again! Hn, things didn’t quite turn out the way I planned, but the general flow is just the way I want it.
Rudy: You plan things? I’m stunned. *WA-TAK!*
Hush, you. I’ve been itching to write this part and the parts following this part for some time coming, so don’t ruin it for me! *Has evil, evil plans…*