Edge's Quest

Chapter Six – Masamune

Oblivion faded into a shadowy landscape, where the only sense that seemed to function was hearing.

"How can I tell him? There must be a way." Rydia's voice.

"You are willing to do anything?" Asura.

"Anything. Name it." Rydia again.

"Trade your life for his?" The Queen. A pause. Rydia's voice.

"My life is forfeit, for he is life. Yes."

Where am I?

"You are sure?" Asura's low voice. Rydia's, in tears.

"I have never been more sure of anything."

What? Who… who are they talking about?

Rydia's voice. "Tell me, Queen Asura, is it possible to love someone so dearly… in so little time? To know you want to be near a person forever… after meeting them only once? To realize how much you love them… only when they lay dying?"

More tears. "It took my ignorance to make me realize how much I cared for him… my own stupidity, my own carelessness… and because of me, he might not live. I… I would give anything… anything… to see him smile at me, if only for a moment. To hear him laugh, to see him lose his temper… to hear his voice, to hear him forgive me… Am I wrong to be so sure? Is it wrong for me to be willing to sacrifice everything for someone I barely know?"

Why is Rydia so sad?

Asura. "You say… you had a dream? That you talked to him again?"

Rydia. "He told me to leave him there, wherever 'there' was, and for me to live."

I remember. Rydia said she… I let myself die so she could go free… Free from what?

Asura. "Did you tell him anything? That dream might be more than it seems."

What I wouldn't give to be able to see! Why can't I tell her that it's not her fault?

Rydia's voice, softer than before. "I told him that I never hated him…"

"And…" came the Queen's prompting.

"And that… that I wanted to stay with him in the darkness… that I loved him…"

She loves me… Why can't I wake up? The shadows closed in again, darkening the ninja's senses, taking him back from the shadowy landscape to utter darkness – and to the torture that awaited him.

~*�*~

The ninja girl Melantha walked slowly through the Eblan caves. The moisture dripping from the high recesses of the caves made small echoes that assaulted her ears, reminding her of the absence of people. Where is everyone? she thought to herself. The caves seemed empty to her, and she needed help.

She couldn't remember who she was, or why she was there.

Picking up her pace a little, she traveled deeper into the network of caverns, in search of someone who would help her. She could barely remember her name, much less any other details of recent occurrences. She could, however, pick up traces of memory – and this is what sustained her.

Sire, my birth name is Melantha.

Dark flower.

I was lucky to escape… from what? Why am I here?

A small yet powerful voice in Melantha's mind answered that question. You are here to collect my swords.

Melantha was taken aback by the answer. "Why? If they are your swords, why are they here?"

The evil King of Eblan stole them from me. You… dispatched him… and now you must collect the swords. They are very important to me.

"Who… who are you? Why should I obey you? You might be trying to trick me."

A sharp pain assaulted Melantha's head, making her cry out and double over in pain. Because if you don't… you will be punished. You will remember that I Called you so I am your master… until you do, get me the Murasame and the Masamune!

Melantha had to struggle to answer. "Get… them… yourself!"

The presence increased its force, making the young ninja scream in pain. You are my servant! You shall not disobey me!

The ninja girl continued to struggle until something in her brain snapped. Her eyes went gray and dull. "The swords… they are yours," she said in a monotone.

Perfect…

Melantha ran tirelessly to where she now knew her Master's objectives were. The Murasame and the Masamune will be mine… her Master's voice and presence faded out as she reached the frontier caves. The large collaboration of ninja was dispersing as she arrived. Melantha tapped a ninja on the shoulder. "What is going on?" she asked innocently, hoping that the ninja didn't recognize her as the one who led the King into the shadowy cave.

"The King, he's…" the ninja said sorrowfully. "Along with the Caller Rydia… their bodies just disappeared. All we found was blood."

This got Melantha's attention. "No swords?"

The ninja looked at Melantha warily. "No… our King's blades weren't found."

The ninja girl's eyes flashed from gray to red. "Where are they?" she asked, her voice low and menacing.

"I-I don't know… one can only assume they're with the King, wherever his body is, anyway." The ninja turned around and began to walk away.

"Where is his body?"

"I don't know… what's with you, anyway?" He turned to face her, but she was gone.

~*�*~

Rydia looked forlornly at the Masamune and the Murasame, which lay on the table beside her, the two blades unusually dark. She grasped Edge's large hand in between her two smaller ones, sadly acknowledging that, even though he was still alive, he was getting colder. Asura repeatedly cast curative spells on him, the most powerful she knew. His wound from the Masamune was almost completely healed, yet for some reason, he couldn't – or wouldn't – wake up.

"Rydia?"

"Yes, Asura, what is it?"

"If… if only we could find away to communicate with him… to tell him that the Masamune's black magic has to be broken—"

"What?" Rydia turned her gaze from the two swords to look at the Queen. "What's the Masamune have to do with any of this?"

Asura sighed and sat down, knowing it would take her time to explain what she had deduced. "You know that dream you described to me? Well… I believe the dream came from the Masamune's magic."

Rydia looked down at Edge's sleeping form. "I remember… 'This blade of black, Masamune'… that's what the dragon who guarded it said when we tried to take it…" she said softly.

"The force that attacked Edge must have been evil. The evil, in combination with the offensive nature of the blade's black magic, made the sword very strong. That's why you almost died… it was over-exertion, brought on because the Masamune drained your strength through your connection to Edge. It's the Masamune's magic that keeps him in this trance, and if something isn't done about the spell that is doing this, Edge will die. Not even I can go against something as strong as the Masamune."

"How can I… what does it take to defeat it?"

"Remember when I asked if you would trade your life for his?"

"Yes. I remember my answer as well."

"The Masamune, when it's been used for evil like this… it thrives on life force. Either you must defeat whatever did this to Edge, or you must make a bargain with the sword and trade your life force for Edge's."

Rydia could feel the too-common tears welling up behind her eyes again. "I know there is no chance of me finding the," Edge called it a shadow, "shadow monster in time."

Asura nodded sadly. Rydia was like a daughter to her, and so young. She hated to see Rydia so calm about dying, even if it would make her happy to save her King. "Leviathan and I will help you to set up audience with the Masamune. You… you do know that there is little or no chance we will be able to save you once you're imprisoned in the Masamune's world." The green haired Caller nodded again.

"I do this for him."

She is so in love… Asura thought to herself, looking at Rydia who still held Edge's hand, who still looked at Edge's face. If only I knew who did this… then I could save them both. Rydia is so different now, nothing like the girl who came here before and made friends with the monsters… she deserves life, not the Masamune's dark torture. If only the blade accepted monsters, I would go in her place… I must talk with it.

Asura's movement caught Rydia's attention, drawing her gaze away from Edge. The solemn Queen of the Summoned Monsters went over to the table where she had laid the ninja's swords. She reverently lifted the Masamune from its resting place and carried with her out of the room. Rydia looked at the Queen's retreating form inquisitively, wondering what Asura had planned.

~*�*~

Where are my swords, Melantha?

"Sire, they weren't in the caves."

Where are they?

"I… I don't know, Master."

What do you plan to do about this situation?

"I plan to find the swords, Master."

What should be your punishment for failure, Melantha?

Melantha looked around the dark chamber wildly. "It was not my fault, Master! I don't know what happened to me after I lead the King of Eblan to the caverns, so—"

You killed him. Is this so hard to comprehend? Apparently, you are extremely weak, so killing the King of Eblan made you lose control. Because of your weakness, you have lost the Masamune and the Murasame. I repeat my question, what do you think is fitting punishment for your failure?

Melantha bowed deeper to the invisible presence. "What… whatever you wish, Master," she said slowly.

At first, all that could be heard in the chamber was a short, dark laugh. Then, Melantha's scream.

~*�*~

The audience chamber was gray and misty; no features such as size or shape could be determined from sight. Asura, Queen of the Summoned Monsters, walked forward regally, trying to make her human form seem more powerful and more intimidating that it actually was. She continued forward until a deep, sepulchral voice rang in her ears, Stop.

She kneeled down in respect to the voice, waiting for recognition.

Hello, Asura.

"Lord Masamune. It's been a while."