Love is a Joke 2
By In Fine
It's been less than a week since we've joined the Jowston Army, but I'll have to admit it's a much better deal than the Toran Castle stint. The castle is gorgeous, the people seem nice, the food is GREAT, thanks to the army's chef Hai-Yo (hard to believe one man can cook for so many) but there's still something missing...
No doubt anyone who is reading these words remembers my antics in the Liberation Army in regards to a girl named Meg. Niece of reknowned Trickster Juppo, and... well quite honestly... the only girl I ever really loved. Kinda funny when you think about how many OTHER girls were running around the base. I dunno, perhaps I'm just a sucker for the hot-tempered, mischievous type.
She left on a journey shortly after the fall of the Scarlet Moon Empire, and to be honest, I missed her the second she stepped out of the door.
But I suppose none of this matters, and I'll have to get over it sometime. Therefore I'll try and be a little more lighthearted in my writings from here on in.
Shu is a pretty decent person. He's a cold and calculating individual at some points, but that's only because (as a strategist) he needs to be. The kid in charge, the legendary grandson of Master Genkaku (or so I am told. I'm still not sure why he's "legendary") is also pretty cool, though he doesn't talk much. His sister Nanami is alright. She keeps up the morale around here. Her attitude almost resembles Meg's and I wouldn't be suprised if they were related. (I suppose if circumstances were different, perhaps I'd try asking her out.
I don't think I'll try though. It might be "blasphemous" to attempt to ask out the Jowston Army Leader's sister...
But I digress. My God I really wish I could have been in the army for the defeat of Luca Blight, but thanks to old man Max, we barely missed it.
SPEAKING of whom, his old friend Sancho decided to go home to his family, and he left ME to take his place! Normally I'd be honored, but frankly, the Knights of Maximillian isn't the strong, proud organization we were back in the days of the Liberation Army. Most of the older knights retired, most of the younger ones went home to their mothers, and now all that was left was Max, myself, and twenty-eight other men. Granted it evened out to a clean thirty, but thirty men really isn't much against a full-formed squad. Especially when you take into account the fact that the thirty men earlier mentioned were a ragtag group of teens with bent and broken swords and armor. To be honest, they all looked a bit like Max.
I on the other hand have kept myself intact, training constantly, improving my skills. I even used the money I've been saving to invest in a Ressurrection Rune, so I could be called a Holy Knight, I suppose! Not an official one, but the idea makes me feel better.
I'm not precisely sure how this could be possible, but recently, a new enemy has showed up who is appearently more dangerous then even Luca Blight. Well... actually, when I was talking to Viktor, I found that he WASN'T a new enemy. Apparently Viktor had dealt with him twice before. His name is Neclord... or THE Neclord, depending on who you ask. Makes you wonder wether it's a name or rank, but who cares?
Well anyhow, a few of the guys in the army decided to form a squad and head over to Tinto to see about dealing with Neclord. I wasn't invited, so I decided to look around the castle a bit more.
North Window must have been a great place to live before it was massacred to a point where we had to completely rebuild it, but I think we've done a decent job of fixing it up.
That's all for now. I'll try and make my next entry a bit more exciting for you.
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OH MY GOD I CANNOT BELIEVE IT!!! MEG IS HERE!!! SHE'S BACK!!! Oh my God I thought I would never see her again... Actually, why am I writing? I've got to say something to her!
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It's been strange over the last few days... I feel like a different person.
Here's how my first conversation with Meg went:
"MEG! It's you! You're here!!!"
"Umm... excuse me... do I know you?"
I felt as if my heart would burst...
"Don't you remember? The Liberation Army? The ice boats? The Alen and Grenseal incedent? I was the worst assistant you ever had?" I ranted, trying desparately to make her remember. I prayed I wouldn't have to start all over with her. Finally, I leaned over and whispered:
"You... you kissed me?" I leaned back, biting my lip and hoping.
"Hmmm... sorry, I can't seem to remember... ah well, see you later." She turned to walk away. I raised my now choking voice as I tried to hide my tears which were only beginning to show.
"I HELPED YOU NAME GADGET!" I shouted. A few of the men and women in the hallway began to stare at me, realizing there was something important (for gossips at least) happening.
She remembered. She must have, for she whirled around, one gloved hand clapped over her mouth. She walked towards me slowly, and reached down to take my hand. With nary a word, she pulled me off to one of the abandoned rooms which hadn't been refurnished yet.
"Davis... I-" She began, but I silenced her by putting a finger on her lips, the way I'd seen other couples do. I'd always wanted to do it myself.
"Don't worry about it, Meg... it's been three years. I didn't expect you to remember." I said softly. I looked into her sparkling brown eyes, and couldn't help but smile.
"I still feel bad about it." She said almost wimperingly.
"Now Meg, this isn't like you at all. I just wanted to talk to you and see what's been going on."
Meg stepped back and sat down on a small crate, knees pulled up to her chin. I sat down next to her on the dusty floor and simply stared straight ahead.
"So..." I whispered absently.
"Hmm..." She answered. Both of us seemed uncomfortable, and Id've given anything to know what she was feeling at that point. "Well, there's not much to tell. I wandered around a bit, put some finishing touches on Gadget, and ended up here after a... disagreement... with some guards at the Greenhill-Muse Checkpoint." She said simply, then looked down at me for my response.
"I've been training with Master Max...sadly Max and I seem to the only ones in our squad to be DOING any training... the rest are just loafing around." I almost laughed at how hypocritical I sounded, for three years ago, that's all I wanted to do. "But... since the last time I saw you... you were all I'd been able to think about. When I was training I kinda hoped that... that I'd become as strong and as popular as General Lepant or Luca Blight... perhaps you'd remember me and come look for me." I said, realizing how pathetic I sounded.
She blinked at me, almost as if confused.
"I love you, Meg."
I'm not sure why it was so easy to say it that time... perhaps it just seemed right. Or perhaps because this time I wasn't looking at her when I said it. I simply continued to stare at the far wall, envisioning how she was reacting. In my mind I could see her nose scrunch up in distaste.
After an awkward silence, I heard her feet touch the floor as she stood up and began walking towards the door. I looked up after her, a heavy sigh escaping my lips. I began to wonder what would happen after she told everyone "what a loser that Davis guy is". How I would be tormented for my attempt to win her heart for the rest of my life...
As I watched her, she reached out to the door, but instead of turning the knob and opening it, she slid the latch over, locking it.
My eyes widened, and my heart began to quicken it's pace as she turned back to me, a pretty blush illuminating her cheeks.
I stood up and stared at her apprehensively.
"M-Meg?" I began. She took several steps toward me and stopped, her face only a few inches away from my own. She raised a gloved finger and pressed it over my lips.
"Shhh. Don't say anything. You'll spoil the moment. And if you tell anybody about this, I'll never forgive you."
I was tempted to ask her what she meant, but she answered before I could. She stood up on her tiptoes and slung her arms around my neck. My eyes snapped wide open as her lips brushed against mine. As I put my hands around her slender waist and leaned over to deepen the kiss, I realized: The castle, the Army, the World, EVERYHING... had just gotten a lot better.
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From the pen of Lord Maximillian of Maximillian's Knights:
As I write these words, I am devastated, as one of the most loyal and energetic youths to be in my squad has fallen in the line of duty.
It was the final battle against the Highland Army, and we were to take L'Renouille. We had no trouble pressing through their perliminary forces, but once we reached the outer wall of the fortress, things began to go awry...
We reached the outer wall, and Davis, the most loyal and recently the most energetic of my knights was anxious to assist me in leading the charges.
However, he seemed distracted by the squad next to us, though I wasn't sure why.
After the third or fourth attack, we found we could not penetrate their defences, so we moved aside to allow the forces of Georg Prime to take our place. That was when it happened.
The Highland Archers, under the command of Captain Culgan, let a rain of arrows down on the other squad earlier mentioned, the one that had captured Davis's attention. His head jerked around as if he'd been struck by a fist, and his eyes widened in fear. I called out to him, but whatever he was doing, he could not be turned...
I saw one of the victims of the arrow barrage, the young girl Meg. A shaft had pierced her thigh and though she had removed the intruding weapon, she seemed to be in incredible pain. I knew at that point why Davis was so dead-set on reaching the squad...
He knelt down next to the injured girl and raised his hand. He appeared to have a Ressurrection Rune, which he used to heal her wound.
That's when the second volley of arrows rained down... Davis tackled Meg, lying on top of her as the arrows descended. Three of them punctured his armor and I could still see the look of pain on his face.
I heard him cry out, and before I could go to aid them, the squadrons of Han and Seed charged from the battlements, enveloping us.
Meg and I searched together when the battle was over, and neither of us could find Davis's body. Perhaps he was taken prisoner and executed by the desparate Highland army, or perhaps he was destroyed entirely by a magic attack... but one thing was for certain. He wouldn't survive long with the injuries he took...
I might not have noticed before, but after I returned to North Window and began to wander around the halls, I say one of the rooms was closed and locked. I don't think we had ever gotten around to refurnishing that room.
The robot fellow Gadget stood outside of it, looking quite concerned... or as concerned as a newfangled thing like him could look. I couldn't help but ask:
"What's the trouble, little one?"
"MEG... SHE HAS BEEN LOCKED IN THAT ROOM FOR SEVERAL HOURS NOW. SHE IS SAD."
I nodded and bowed my head. I was weary from all these years of battle, and the loss of two of my most trusted assistants. War is a horrible thing.
"So am I, little one... so am I..."
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Where am I? Who am I? All I know is I awoke in a place called L'Renouille... by back aches... my head hurts... but perhaps if I keep a journal and record my thoughts something will spark a memory...