Radiant Garden: Town

[Saeed Jama]

" So someone else was with them and kept this journal, perhaps even another master. Which means we may be able to get some answers. Does it mention the person's name anywhere?" Therin moved eagerly over to where Xanov stood with the journal and tried to look.  

[AztecSunGod]

The Journel? *he looked at the book and saids that name in a nostalgic tone* It belongs to Master Rizo...*he tears a bit then snaps back to normal* why am i crying...  

[Saeed Jama]

"... Roxas used to have that kind of response. He would tear up after remembering something. Your responding to the echoes of emotion. Your sombody cared for him, or at least enough to produce such a response." Therin thought for a bit. "So if Rizo brought Ovan and Mauka there, something must have happened to cause Mauka to start down the dark path. Maybe the experience there started something in all of them and Mauka's reaction was insanity, or something similar." If they could fgure out what happened, they may be able to find clues to help defeat Mauka.  

[AztecSunGod]

*flips through the book and read to himself a passage* well it seems that with Ovan his ambition is to find balance and forgiveness...and Mauka..seems like revenge  

[Saeed Jama]

"Revenge? Revenge for what?" This added something new to the equation. If Muaka was seeking revenge for something that happened there, that means he had at least one target, probably more. Which ment that they had to find them first. Therin thought about the big picture, trying to fit all the pieces together. "So, wait, let me make sure I got this right. Mauka betrayed his masters and turned to darkness, because of something that happened at Broken. Now he's out for revenge, but we don't know what, unless the journal has something to say about it?"  

[pinnedbutterflywings]

Risu looks first at Xanov and Therin, then up at her teacher, whose face is once again hidden by her hair.

"Rizo.... If the elders kept me from following you all because they knew I couldn't handle it, could you not bring yourself to tell me what happened for the same reason? Is that why things were never quite the same after that? Even though I tried…” Kaname says quietly, seemingly having ignored Therin and Xanov's conversation. Her words are soft, but the tone of her voice borders on desperate.

Risu reaches out to her teacher, once again placing a gentle hand on the older woman’s arm.

“Master, you did what you could. Master Rizo would not want to see you like this,” she says firmly.  

[pinnedbutterflywings]

Kaname laughs bitterly.

“Did I? A mad young man is on the loose, one of my best students has had his heart stolen, and my best friend is dead,” she chokes on the last word. “And the only clue to Mauka’s plan is revenge, which Rizo never told me anything about. In fact, he never told me anything. And now he can’t, because he’s dead!”

The woman’s dark laughter has turned to hysteric sobbing, so her youngest student wraps her arms around her in a hug, saying nothing.

They stay like that until Kaname, face still flushed from crying, suddenly releases Risu, turning to the two boys.

"I apologize. I should not have allowed you to see me in such a state. It is not proper, and I should have known better," she murmurs guiltily, bowing from the waist, her head down.  

[Saeed Jama]

"Don't feel bad about it. I doubt anyone would be able to take such problems so easily. It shows your still human, that you would feel such things." Therin looks at her, thinking of all the hardship he faces in his past, how it haunts him. "I know how hard it is to face such betrayal, especially from someone so close to you. I had to help destroy the organization I once considered my family."  

[pinnedbutterflywings]

Kaname straightens, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Rizo did not betray me. Mauka did. Only he did not go by that name while training under me. I said before that he has a rather...strange ability, and I meant it. In all my years of training, I have never seen anything quite like it.

"I am not sure if his gift is unique to his people or solely him. If I knew anything more about it, perhaps I would have been able to prevent the destruction of my home..." she trails off, her bangs hiding her eyes again.  

[pinnedbutterflywings]

Risu chews on her lip nervously.

"What is this 'ability' of his, anyway? From the way you're talking about it, it sounds horrible," she says. Kaname glances at Xanov.

"It is. But I think that maybe Xanov should explain it to you. It's his former ally that we're talking about, after all," the dark-haired woman explains. Then, she glances at Therin, and bows again.

"I thank you for your understanding. It is much appreciated," she says quietly. "I know, too, of the Organization. I will not ask any questions, because no matter what, I have a feeling that you did the right thing."
 

[Saeed Jama]

"Just don't be too concerned about how you feel. It doesn't help much to dwell on the past. It happened, and it should be left alone, unless of course something like this happens. Then we deal with the consequenses." Therin bowed to her, showing he respected her as a keymaster and he appreciated being able to know her. "Now, Xanov, if you can remember anything that can help us, it will go a long way towards helping defeat Mauka.  

[AztecSunGod]

Im not sure anymore...if i have to remeber everything then Azure Field would have helped alot. he knew i would remeber more if i went there which is why he may have destroyed it.  

[Saeed Jama]

"...well,if that's the case, then we need to figure out where he is, or who he's after." If Azure Fields was gone, then a key piece of Mauka's plan may have involved it at some point in time, but without more information, they didnt have many options.  

[pinnedbutterflywings]

Suddenly, the gravity of their situation hits Risu hard. 'My home...my world...it's gone. And if it's gone...' Her stomach drops.

"No...Mother and Father...! Master, my parents..." she swallows the rest of her words, unable to continue. Kaname looks at her sharply, then, seeing her distressed look, sighs.

"I'm afraid you all misunderstood me. Azure Fields was not destroyed. What Xanov-kun and Mei-chan will remember as their training grounds were, but the world itself was not.

"I went to Radiant Garden to see if I could find you, Mei-chan, or information on Mauka. As we speak, Rose-san and Kousuke-san are probably beginning reconstruction," she explains. The pink-haired girl sighs in relief.

“So they’re all right then?” she asks, hope returning to her eyes. Her teacher nods.

“Yes. I informed them that I would be looking for you before I left. Your parents told me to give you all their love, and to tell you that they love you very much. They believe in you, Mei-chan,” Kaname says quietly. Risu smiles softly.

“I’m glad. I want to see them again, but I’m sure that I can’t return until I have finished my mission,” she says firmly, her smile fading slightly. Kaname raises her eyebrows.

“Mei-chan, your original mission was to find Ovan-kun. Haven’t you done that?” she asks, gesturing to Xanov. The girl shakes her head.

“I found Xanov-nii, and while he’s Ovan-nii’s Nobody, he isn’t quite…Ovan-nii. Especially since he doesn’t remember everything…” she trails off, thinking of how Xanov hasn’t remembered a lot about his time spent with Kaname, and therefore, her. But she shakes it off. Now is not the time to be thinking of such things.  

[pinnedbutterflywings]

“Mei-chan,” Kaname says slowly, “don’t you think that if Xanov-kun were to return to Azure Fields, he might remember more?”

Risu furrows her eyebrows in confusion.

“But Xanov-nii lived near the dojo, Master. I don’t know if he would remember anything else…” she says, biting her lip. Kaname sighs. Then, she turns to look at Xanov.

“Well, Xanov-kun, what do you think? Should we return for a short while? Just to see if you remember anything?” she asks.