Tales of a Dreamer: The Beads of Light

"My power is a natural gift, of course, as it is the case with most psychics such as myself," Melody explained. "As for Mia...well, I have no idea how she came upon her own powers because she's never told me. I say we're best pals, but I really don't know much about her." She looked down at the little girl sadly, but Mia was looking at Sekai. She didn't say anything in greeting.

Melody sighed. "Yeah, don't worry about that battle. We were all in danger right? Best if we worked together." She smiled.

"Megaera," Mia spoke up suddenly. "You dislike your father, correct? Is it because of this debt he owes to the goddess?"

"Mia, it's not nice to pry like that," Melody scolded, even though she was also curious about the situation.

Sekai's smile immediately changed into a scowl at the mention of Megaera and her father. "I'm not proud to call that man my father. But no, my grudge against him has nothing to do with that witch, Megaera." Sekai was sure to put every ounce of her hatred into Megaera's name, as if wishing that the woman could hear it herself.

"The grudge I have against my father is simply his own fault. As you can see, I'm not exactly the dress-loving, jewel-fingered woman you would expect of a princess. My father wants me to be that kind of princess," Sekai explained. "I refused, so he scolded me. Why should I care about what he wants when I have my own dreams? If he can't even respect his own daughter's wishes, then I might as well give up my title.

"As for Megaera, you shouldn't worry about the king's debt. It's no one's business but theirs. I actually don't know the story behind that myself." Sekai sighed, "Anything else?"

Mia was satisfied with the answer concerning the debt. Though it was interesting, it was indeed between the goddess and the king. So she would leave it be. "Hikari. Everyone seems so kind to her, and treats her so well. Even though she is a princess, why does she get so much attention? Is there something about her that we should be aware of?" Mia continued her questioning.

"So straightforward, Mia," Melody said, her voice exasperated. "Have you no tact, dear? That's not any of your business now...," she elaborated, though she was sure Sekai would wind up spilling the beans anyway. It was nice of her to put up with Mia's questions. Then again, the princess would probably not tell them such things if it wasn't important for them to know.

"I'm afraid that isn't up to me to tell you," Sekai said, her eyes narrowing slightly. "That's Hikari's business, and even though that much is true, I think we can trust you with this information." Sekai sighed, looking down at the hardwood floor for a moment, "You saw those purple beads Hikari wears around her neck? It isn't an ordinary necklace. That ring of beads is known as the Beads of Light, a very powerful object that has the power to banish the very existence of the shadows.

"I don't know if you're all into folk-tales and legends, but this is a long one, so we might as well get comfortable." Sekai looked up at the innkeeper, "Uncle Charlie! Is it alright if we book a room for tonight?"

"No problem Sekai, go on upstairs, the inn is empty tonight." The innkeeper replied, nodding once. He seemed rather depressed by the lack of customers, but days like this happen. Capital City was large, and had more than one inn, which made business very hard and very competitive. Sekai walked over to the desk and dropped a few gold coins onto the wood.

"I'd feel bad if you let us stay for free." Sekai explained, heading towards the first room, beckoning the others inside.

Mia took hold of Melody's kimono sleeve and led her to the room Sekai went into. She wasn't that into legends and the like, but it would be something to pass the time at least.

"You're not interested in hearing the story, Mia? It's sure to be great," Melody said happily, guessing Mia's thoughts from the expression upon her face.

Mia shrugged her shoulders, but didn't say anything in response. Now that they were in the room, it was time for a tale.

Sekai immediately sat herself upon a stool and faces the others. Once everyone was comfortable enough, Sekai began her terribly long monologue, "Now, like I said, this is just a legend. I don't know how much of it is false, but I do know some of it is true. The evidence of this is within Hikari's own magic, and the beads around her neck.

"A very long time ago, during an age where legends were passed down by word of mouth, an epic tragedy began to take place. It all started in the Capital City, known back then as just that, the Capital City. It soon earned the name, Fraifrem, in honor of the sage who banished the shadows from this world. This sage also was in possession of a necklace known as the Beads of Light. Now, the legend states that they were blue, not purple like Hikari's are. This means that the beads have begun to lose their power over time, and even now it continues to diminish. But back then, when the beads were at full power, they had the power to destroy any shadow creature in an instant.

"The legend states that this sage journeyed throughout the lands of Ermith, including the Grousbeck Islands, and purged every inch of darkness back into the realm from whence it came. Soon enough he met the ringleader, named Jakki, the God of Shadows. He locked the god up tight in the Shadow Realm, and ever since, Fraise has been hailed as a hero." Sekai stopped, letting her mind catch up with the rest of her body. She bit her lower lip slightly, then said, "Hikari does not wish to marry, because she must do exactly what Fraise did back then, and banish every inch of shadow from this world. But before that, we need to figure out how to restore the Beads of Light to their original glory. Marriage would simply interfere and stall her destiny."

"Certainly you have all heard of the distant continent known as Sar'tu, correct?" Sekai asked. She paused for a moment, then said, "Sar'tu is a nation of war, located in the south-easternmost corner of the world, and has declared their wars against every one of the four continents at least once. Although Sar'tu is an extremely powerful nation, they could not defeat Ermith. We sent an offer of peace to Sar'tu, which they accepted a little reluctantly. This was only 10 years ago, and the terms for surrender was pretty much Sar'tu's complete dependency on Ermith. We control their trade markets, their supplies, and their weapons, armor and all of that in exchange for a promise to keep them safe from neighbouring lands and civil wars. Sar'tu has recently asked for a greater bond between the two nations, which will ensure that Ermith will protect them. And that is marriage between the Prince of Sar'tu, and a Princess of Ermith. Since I have renounced my title, Hikari is the only suitable option."

Sekai narrowed her eyes towards the ground. She didn't quite like the fact that Hikari may be forced to marry someone, even if it meant a greater peace. It wasn't right to force two people together like that. Sekai looked back up, "It's getting late, why don't you all get some rest?" Sekai stood up from her seat, walking over to the door, "I have a few things I need to take care of, I'll be back in the morning." With that, Sekai left the others alone.

Mia ignored the question causing Melody to sigh.

"We're staying here for the night," Melody explained. "Remember, we were headed in the opposite direction of this place. We already took care of any business we had to a while ago. As for the future..." her voice trailed off.

Mia spoke up. "I know you want to search for them for my sake, but let it be. You know what we must do," she said coldly.

The awestruck Melody's eyes were wide, her mouth open slightly in shock. "H-how did you know what my true goal was, Mia, dear," she said nervously.

Mia shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Hikari cannot make her journey alone, am I correct?" she directed at the other two girls, ignoring Melody now.

Morning came, an the entire city was filled with noise, the hustle and bustle of daily life came from dawn to dusk in this huge city. Sekai came back to the inn, as she had previously promised them, and waited patiently for them in the lobby, talking to her uncle.

"...Yes, that's what she said." Sekai was saying, "We talked all last night about it, and there's no doubt in my mind she doesn't want to marry. Hikari is simply trying to find a way out of it in a more peaceful manner. If the worst comes, she'll be forced to marry. I will not allow that."

"Then your only choice, Sekai, is to steal her away." Charlie replied. His tone made it sound like stealing Hikari would be an easy thing to do.

"I know that." Sekai sighed, "But she's guarded and watched at all times, even at night. There's no opportunity for me to snatch her away. Besides, Hikari hates violence, she would never agree to this."

"If she ends up having to marry, then you might be able to pull it off, think about it."

There was a long pause in which Sekai looked down at her gloved fists. Clenching them tightly, she said, "The guards would no suspect a coup d'etat during the marriage, would they? Plus, there will be so many people there, the commotion it would cause would stir a panic, and we might succeed with a few injuries. But how am I supposed to go about doing it? As Hikari's sister, she would never forgive me if I didn't show my face for the wedding."

"Ah, but it depends on when you show your face," Charlie said, wagging his finger, "Here's an example situation: Hikari is walking down the aisle with the king, the Prince of Sar'tu waiting for her. She'll be looking for you, of course, and you'll be in the front row, waiting. When the king gives Hikari more space, you jump up and grab Hikari. Now, the guards are stunned for a few seconds, but they soon start forward." Charlie paused for a second in order to hand over a sheathed blade to Sekai, who stared at it like it was poison. "If you use this properly, no one will get hurt."

"I can't use this! Hikari would go ballistic!"

"Exactly. With the princess in such a state of panic, the guards and the king will hesitate."

"They know I won't kill her."

"They also know that you are insane, and you are extremely dangerous and hot-headed. You will do anything to ensure things go your way." Charlie explained.

"I am NOT insane!" Sekai protested, glaring at him.

"The king thinks otherwise. Remember it was you who shouted at him for being...what was it? An 'unworthy pig'?"

"Well...I...I- He had it coming to him! I didn't have much of a choice. I hate that pig."

"And he fears you because of it."

There was another pause.

"Why are you helping me?"

"It's the godfather's duty to watch over his brother's children in their time of need, especially when their father cannot help them."

The previous night, after Mia had fallen asleep, Melody had crawled into bed with the young girl. Even though Mia treated her so badly, Melody couldn't help but to feel protective of the girl. She was like a daughter to her, but deep inside, Melody knew she was no replacement for Mia's real mother, just like Mia had said before.

Melody made sure she woke up first so she could sit on her own bed and meditate. That's when she picked up something interesting from below. It was Sekai and the innkeeper. She focused her thoughts and cleared her mind of anything else so she could concentrate solely on what was being said by those two. After hearing some of the words being exchanged, she nearly came out of her meditative state; she couldn't believe what she was hearing. That's when she felt someone tugging on her kimono sleeve. It was Mia.

"O-oh, good morning, dearest Mia," Melody said nervously, obviously startled. The dimensionalist was so quiet all the time; one could never quite get used to it.

"You were using your powers to eavesdrop, were you not?" Mia said bluntly. "It's unbecoming of a decent woman."

A bead of sweat appeared on Melody's brow. "My, now you sound like a parent, Mia, you insightful girl. If you must know, Sekai and the innkeeper are having an interesting conversation. So, if you wanna hear, just touch me, and focus. I'll convey what they're saying to you through telepathy." With that, Mia touched Melody's arm gently and closed her eyes to focus, just like Melody was doing. Both of them concentrated, and Mia was surprised to hear the conversation with little inhibition. A stray thought would block out a word here and there, but she was getting the gist of what was being said.

"Hikari isn't going to like this one bit." Sekai said bluntly, still holding onto the knife the innkeeper had given her.

"If you think that there's another way, then by all means, feel free to tell me." Charlie replied, just as bluntly. Sekai looked down at the knife with pure hatred.

"If I do this, then it means even Sigma will hate me. Out of my entire family, only you, my brother, Hikari, and...and my mother...did not hate me for who I am. Now that I've lost mother, losing Sigma would..." Sekai's voice trailed off, unwilling to finish her sentence.

"Aye, Claire's death was certainly a tragedy. But do not be so quick to judge Prince Sigma. He is much more kind-hearted than you think. He would understand your reasoning. You father, I cannot say the same of." Charlie placed his hand on Sekai's shoulder, "Just do what you think is right, Sekai."

A loud BANG echoed through the inn as the front door burst open, where an older woman with a maid's outfit on ran through, huffing and puffing, completely out of breath. "There...you...are!" The maid gasped, "I've been looking everywhere for you! Hikari has been attacked!"

"What-?!"

"Explain yourself!" Charlie roared, interrupting Sekai quite quickly. The maid jumped a bit out of shock.

"During the night, she was attacked by those terrible shadow creatures. It seems they know about her powers and are trying to get rid of her! However, His Lordship, Sigma, was there and he managed to save her. But that was just tonight, there might be more powerful creatures tomorrow night!" The maid quickly explained, occasionally stumbling over her words.

"Hikari's still safe then?" Sekai asked, to which the maid simply nodded. "Thank goodness..." Sekai sighed with relief, "Uncle, I'm going up to the castle now. It's time Hikari and I...had a little walk." Sekai eyed the maid for a moment before giving Charlie a look.

"I understand," Charlie nodded, "Do what you think is right Sekai, but be careful."

"What? What's going on?" The maid asked.

"Don't you fret your little head about it," Charlie said, "Here, have a drink."

"I really can't, I have to get back to my duties."

The maid soon left, leaving Sekai and Charlie alone again for the moment. Sekai paused, "If the four upstairs want to know where I am, tell them I got held up for a bit, and I'll be back for them later. If they want to roam the streets, that's fine, but keep an eye on them. I don't want anyone to interfere, and I don't want them to be hated by the king if they decide to help." The door soon closed, almost silently, signalling Sekai's departure.

Melody opened her eyes and rubbed her forehead. "I hate doing that sometimes," she groaned, fighting off a headache. She looked at Mia. "Well, there you go. Seems like the royal family is having some troubles."

Mia shook her head. "I'm not liking this talk of shadow creatures. Something is wrong," she said, her tone filled with a calm dread. "I have a feeling we are going to get caught up in this somehow," she added, her tone a bit lighter now.

With a shrug of her shoulders, Melody stood up. "We'll just have to see how things turn out," she said and yawned. "I do need to strengthen my psychic powers though; it would be great to add clairvoyance to my list of abilities." A look of whimsy settled upon her face as she thought about being able to see the future. It was quite the thrilling idea.

She knew someone was following her. The moment she left the inn she could sense someone else's footsteps following her own. Sekai was a master in the arts of close-combat, there was no way she wouldn't be able to hear anything following her. For someone like her, such a trait would save her life countless times.

Sekai burst through the castle doors and stopped in the center of the entrance hall. She waited for the footsteps behind her to get a good hiding place before she turned around. "Come out! I know you're there!" Sekai growled.

~~~

I highly suggest that Mia and Melody find their way over to the castle and help Rai and Amaya subdue Sekai. =3

OOC: That would mean breaking character...unless I did this.

IC:

Melody was about to ask Mia what she wanted to do for now, but her headache started to get much worse. She fell to her knees and grasped her head, groaning in pain. In her mind, visions flashed through her head; they were visions of Sekai fighting against the other two girls, Rai and Amaya. The visions ended almost as soon as they had begun. She didn't know the nature of the fight, but they had to get over there.

"What is it?" Mia asked, tugging on Melody's kimono sleeve. "Are you all right?" She didn't really care; she just thought Melody had overexerted herself.

"We...need to go after Rai and Amaya," Melody managed to say while she shakily stood up.

"Fine. Get on my back; we'll get there a lot quicker this way," Mia commanded. When Melody was awkwardly situated on the young girl's back, Mia took off. Down the stairs, across the lobby, down the street. She ran with great speed, even though she had the burden of Melody upon her. It wouldn't be long before they caught up with the other two.

Sekai looked like murder. Her fists were clentched so tightly, the fabric of her gloves seemed to be ripping apart. Her mouth was sealed shut, her eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

To say that Sekai was angry was to say that the Forgotten Lake was...damp.

"No one will interfere." Sekai said slowly, her mouth straining to open and close as she spoke. "No one will get in my way, and that includes you! I don't care if you want to help, this does not concern you in the slightest! Leave here at once or face my wrath! I will not anyone to interfere, and I will not allow anyone else to shoulder this burden!"

Chapter I~I: Sekai's Determination
Battle Number: I
Battle Objectives: Defeat Sekai!
Special Requirements: None
Atmosphere: Determination is thick in the air, and all of it belongs to Sekai. (Sekai's Stats Are Boosted)
Soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF-7-9C53S8&feature=related


(s) (r) (w) (w) (D) (D) (w) (w) (r) (s) A
(s) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) (s) B
(s) (s) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) (s) (s) C
(s) (s) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) (s) (s) D
(s) (s) (s) (r) ( ) ( ) (r) (s) (s) (s) E
(w) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (S) ( ) ( ) ( ) (w) F
(w) ( ) (p) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (p) ( ) (w) G
(w) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (w) H
(w) ( ) (p) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (p) ( ) (w) I
(w) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (w) J
(w) ( ) (p) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (p) ( ) (w) K
(w) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (w) L
(w) (w) (w) (w) (D) (D) (w) (w) (w) (w) M

Sekai (Fighter)(Mini-Boss Status)(1/2 MP Cost)
HP: 30/30----40/40
MP: 15/15----25/25
Atk: 7----9
Def: 5----7
Int: 0----2
Spr: 4----6
Move: 4

(r) - Rail (Scenery: Cannot Be Occupied)

(s) - Stair (Scenery: Cannot Be Occupied)

(w) - Wall (Scenery: Cannot Be Occupied; Indestructible)

(D) - Large Double Doors (Scenery: Cannot be Occupied; Indestructible)

~Player Characters may start in rows L-M~

Chapter I~I: Sekai's Determination
Battle Number: I
Battle Objectives: Defeat Sekai!
Special Requirements: None
Atmosphere: Determination is thick in the air, and all of it belongs to Sekai. (Sekai's Stats Are Boosted)
Soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF-7-9C53S8&feature=related


(s) (r) (w) (w) (D) (D) (w) (w) (r) (s) A
(s) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) (s) B
(s) (s) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) (s) (s) C
(s) (s) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) (s) (s) D
(s) (s) (s) (r) ( ) ( ) (r) (s) (s) (s) E
(w) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (S) ( ) ( ) ( ) (w) F
(w) ( ) (p) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (p) ( ) (w) G
(w) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (w) H
(w) ( ) (p) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (p) ( ) (w) I
(w) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (w) J
(w) ( ) (p) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (p) ( ) (w) K
(w) ( ) (A) ( ) (R) (M) (I) ( ) ( ) (w) L
(w) (w) (w) (w) (D) (D) (w) (w) (w) (w) M

Melody (Psychic)
HP: 10/10
MP: 30/30
Atk: 1
Def: 4
Int: 7
Spr: 5
Movement: 2

Mia (Dimensionalist)
HP: 25/25
MP: 20/20
Atk: 7
Def: 4
Int: 2
Spr: 3
Movement: 3

Amaya (Snow Woman)
HP: 15/15
MP: 35/35
ATK: 5
DEF: 3
INT: 6
SPR: 4
Move: 3

Rai (Noble Knight)
HP: 30/30
MP: 15/15
ATK: 8
DEF: 4
INT: 1
SPR: 3
MOVE: 4

Sekai (Fighter)(Mini-Boss Status)(1/2 MP Cost)
HP: 30/30----40/40
MP: 15/15----25/25
Atk: 7----9
Def: 5----7
Int: 0----2
Spr: 4----6
Move: 4

(r) - Rail (Scenery: Cannot Be Occupied)

(s) - Stair (Scenery: Cannot Be Occupied)

(w) - Wall (Scenery: Cannot Be Occupied; Indestructible)

(p) - Pillar (Scenery: Cannot Be Occupied; Indestructible)

(D) - Large Double Doors (Scenery: Cannot be Occupied; Indestructible)

~Player Phase I~