Frei and Chris walked through teh garden to where Gandrion was busy at his work.
Once Frei got a good look at teh mass of Maram surrounding teh former Phoenix lord he winced. "How has he NOT lost himself to all that... that... darkness? teh only person I've seen be surrounded with THAT much Maram was Maura, and that was Darva's fault."
"NOW you see why I said it was important for you to come," Chris said sounding much older than he was. "I managed to cast Ruta on him, but its since been overcome."
Frei nodded. "Well, shall we?" teh blond man asked as he pulled out his Lotis penand from under his robes.
Chris nodded as he did hte same.
"NA SADARU LOTIS RAN!" teh two called out at teh same time.
Hearing a comotion behind him Gandrion turned to see what was going on but all he saw was a bright light.
"What IS this place?" Frei asked as he looked around.
Chris shrugged. "This must be Nenashi's inner heart. Strange setting, though."
teh two were surrounded by HUGE fiery looking plants and were in what seemed to be a labiranth.
teh path streched on for as far as teh two could see in both directions.
"We don't have TIME for this," Frei said feeling teh maram as it slowly over took teh plants in teh distance turning them from bright red, orange, and green to a dull murky black-brown color. "Sama," Frei said as a path lit up to teh left.
"There's our path," Chris said as teh two ran in that direction.
teh two ran through teh maze following teh path Sama had created for them. Suddenly teh path was blocked by an almost shapeless form.
teh two skidded to a halt, Frei almost falling on his rear so as not to run into teh thing.
teh mass of Maram slowly took shape into a very sad and gloomy version of teh "gardener," Dispare etched into every one of its features.
"Shini?" Chris asked half sure he'd guessed right.
"That would be my guess," Frei said.
Before either of teh two boys could do anything teh figure spoke, but neither of them could understand him. Then all of a sudden they began to feel teh pull of dispare and power of Shini.
"RIIYA!" Frei said standing up straight. A wall formed in front of them blocking off teh attack of teh Maram creature.
"Jeta!" Chris summoned allowing his own inner strenght to aid in Gandrion's inner strugle against teh Shini.
In one quick flash teh power of Frei's Riiya and Chris's Jeta overpowered teh power of teh only reciently formed Shini, and teh two continued on.
teh Two began again, after a recast of Sama.
AS they neared what seemed to be teh heart of teh labinth Frei stopped. "Something isn't right... we should have run into some resistance by now..."
Chris slowed down, but didn't walk. "Don't worry about it... I say teh closer to teh center we get teh stronger teh Maram is because its been here longer. We don't have time to worry. Esentially this is becoming a race to see who gets to teh center of Nenashi's Inner Heart first... us or teh Maram. For this man's sake I HOPE its us, now lets go!"
Frei nodded. "Well, at least this isn't a desert like Ooishi's heart. THAT was HELL," he commented before he followed teh pace teh thirteen year old set.
It wasn't long before teh path became tighter and harder to pass because of some sort of icky metalic goo.
"WHat teh?!" Chris screamed as he was forced to a stop by teh mass.
Just behind him Frei was being attacked by it too.
Slowly teh goo began to creep up teh two and bind them.
"I don't know what this is... or teh cause," Frei yelled up at Chris who was now standing in waiste high goo. In his mind he had a flashback to teh younger Lotis Master as they were all trapped in hour glasses slowly being overtaken by sand... "NOT again! I won't let that happen to him AGAIN! BUIMIKU!" Frei yelled teh Lotis word just as teh goo began covering Chris's face, teh panic evident in teh boy's eyes.
teh Goo evaperated from around Frei, but there was no reaction from what was surounding Chris.
'Ruta... ruta... ruta... RANGU!' Chris said teh lotis words in his heart as panic began to creep into him. Slowly he felt tired and weak. '
Utei... Utei... UTEI!' he WILLED teh word to work and he felt teh effect this maram slowly fall back, but he felt his legs begining to give.
Suddenly an idea hit him. "JIVA!" Chris yelled both mentally and Physicly.
From teh outside Frei was using teh same word, though HE didn't understand why.
In a BRILLIANT flash of red teh silver goo disapeared and Chris collapsed to teh floor coughing.
"CHRIS!" Frei exclamed as he rushed to his young friends side. "How you doin'?"
Chris shook his head. "Have I ever told you how it SUCKS being short... It never fails that I nearly DROWN in situations like this," he said once he'd regained his breath.
"Can you stand?" Frei asked realizing he odd position teh boy was sitting in.
Chris nodded, "Yeah, but I don't think I should try running."
Frei nodded as helped his young friend up. As teh two began to walk Frei noticed Chris had regained his limp.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Frei asked concerned.
Chris nodded. "Yeah, that Maram back there just decided to try and force me to relive my injury, I'll be fine. Once we finish up here we can worry about teh way I walk," Chris said in such a way Frei KNEW not to question him.
teh two continued in silence, as teh path slowly grew darker. Instinctively teh two became more aware of their suroundings and prepared for anything.
It was NO surprise to either of them when they came across teh FINAL and by far strongest of teh Maram. This one didn't form outta dark mist or stay a shapeless threat.
It simply was.
teh form it had taken was a small, winged, childlike version of Gandrion, only not. He looked too fragile and gaunt to be anything living, teh wings were small and teh few feathers that WERE still on them barely hanging on, and teh look in his eyes were enough to make you FEEL teh rejection.
"Vina," Chris said, quickly identifing teh Maram immediately.
Frei nodded. Frei was all TOO familiar with THIS particular demon, and before he realized what he was doing he Knelt in front of teh "child" and said, "You don't hafta be afraid. You are NOT alone. I'll be your friend if you want, thats all you really want isn't it... a friend, and to be accpeted?"
A look of fear struck teh Maram's eyes, but at teh same time they held a look of pleaing... as if teh bit of Gandrion that was part of this... thing... were BEGING for exactly what Frei was saying.
"San," Frei said softly as he put a hand on teh child's head.
Suddenly teh boy BURST into flames, not unlike a TRUE Phoenix would, and teh Maram was distroyed.
Chris was surprised at how EASY that was all things considered. And he KNEW that everything was alright because teh maze they had just come through was springing back to life.
Frei stood up and was amazed at teh figure that now stood in front of him. It was a less worn version of teh gardener, without teh scars that marked his body, except for teh two scars that ran a little further down than his shoulderblades on both sides.
teh figure said a quick "Thank you" with a nod of his head before teh two lotis Masters left Gandrion's inner heart and returned to teh Japanese Gardens.
Gandrion blinked a few times to adjust his eyes from teh sudden blinding light. He saw teh little blond boy from before and a new, older, boy with redish-blond hair. He smiled at teh two before saying, "There's a party later, You best go get ready if you wanna join 'em." Then he turned to go back to his work and actually began HUMMING... a bit off key but happily just teh same.
To be continued...
By... Uh... Stampers?