Chapter 3: A Story Long Forgotten

[stardust]

LMAO!! AWWW XD Nahhh, this is Van!! She doesn't hold grudge from anyone but DotNA ^.^ Vash can be her rolemodel XD y'know, with all the love and peace thing HAHAH

*waves I-LOVE-YOU-SHO-EEEEE flaggie* HAHAH his thoughts are amusing XD!!
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Stardust scratched her forehead irritably. When are we going to move along? she thought exasperated. The only thing that was holding her back from rudely intervening with Vanesse's game was her nice attitude. She didn't know if she were for real or not, but then again, she didn't care.

"Yeah yeah..." Stardust said after Vanesse's sentence was finished. "The name's Stardust Infinity, this one is Jun Kuroki, and that..." She chucked Rayden a glance. His last name didn't register on her head. "...is Rayden."

Vanesse alerted herself and greeted them. "Now, can we move on?" Stardust said bluntly. "I'm starting to think you're just stalling us here."

[vanesse]

WOOO PAGE 4 XD And yay for the OOC comments on every start of the page LMAO!
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"No way, ma'am," Vanesse replied politely, too politely even. "We just really want to know your names." She strode towards the three statues. "Sorry for the hold-up, I'm going right on it." It was time to initiate her plan. If the entrance to this palace laid on a statue, there should be some hidden button somewhere within those three statues as well.

/You're going to grope them for it?/ Paridge interrupted. Vanesse tried not to cringe.

Grope...?! You're awful. I'm just going to feel around for some buttons...Might be underneath their robes, or on those things they're holding.

/Sounds like groping to me./

Paridge, these are STATUES! Vanesse scolded him and she heard him laugh. He always laughed at her. Yeah, laugh on. I'm the one who'll laugh at you later once this plan worked. She sure was confident.

Vanesse chucked a glance at Deo and Jaime. Her brows jerked and her lips tugged into a half-smile. Only the ones who had been working with Van for quite some time could recognize that kind of look plastered on her face right now. It had that assurance that told her teammates she had a plan.

As she took one last step to the statues, she glanced up to look at the glow the three goddesses were emitting. She never had a close-up look at them, and they were majestically beautiful, especially with that moonlike glow. It made her wonder why they were sculpted like this.

Wait... Vanesse blinked. They're glowing? Were they glowing like this a while ago? Before Vanesse could even execute anything, the faint glow of the three statues grew brighter. It was like a luminous being took over the three statues and gave radiance to it.

Vanesse's eyes widened at the three statues towering over her. She took a step back and heard something close behind them. The entrance to the great lobby was sealed shut.

Uh...what's going on? Vanesse turned back to the statues. The sound of a sad, eerie melody rising from the harp started to fill the room. The brunette didn't know if she was going to be amazed by the beauty or be scared of the fact that they were sealed shut here. The goddess statue bearing a baby shone the brightest red.

"Welcome O lost souls who seek the truth. The paths are at a still, but thy fate is not."

Vanesse's jaw dropped. Our fate is not? What does that mean? The statues remained immobile but the voice sure came from within them. What the heck did I just do? Technically, nothing, but she just had to whine about that.

"Tell us thy purpose for seeking our treasure?"

[Hadrian D'arcell]

Hadrian yawned. He was planning to take out his scanning device to check out this room but abstained from it. He would just let the Opps take care of it. They seemed like nice people. Besides, beyond here was an unexplored area. All he would just be getting were soundwaves, it sure wasn't relevant enough to approve safety.

Moments later, Vanesse surprisingly awoke something and he wasn't too sure if that was for a good thing or a bad thing seeing they had been trapped here. He walked closer in front, mesmerized by the goddesses' glow and the melody. This was a spectacle. Three statues radiating from an unknown heat source. He sure hadn't seen anything like it. It piqued his curiousity.

Red, green, and blue... Each statue had her own color. Why didn't he think of this before? "Of course," he mumbled. "Hyne's daughters." These three statues might be representing the Trinity gems. But what's up with those things they're holding?

[Polaris Lyn]

"Tell us thy purpose for seeking our treasure?"

Polaris's eyes narrowed, and she moved forward, catching the handle of her axe as she strode towards Vanesse and the statues. Blue robes on the left, red robes in the middle and green robes on the right. Harp, baby and gold. <Music, youth, and wealth?> Polaris frowned, then shot Vanesse a look. "From the look on your face, I don't think you were expecting this." The surprise of having statues talk to them had washed away Polaris's exasperation and annoyance. Her voice was soft, logical.

The music continued, a soft swell of strings that echoed throughout the room. Polaris studied the statues.

<Blue, red, green.> "Suthieal, Rhirawen, and Ediendelle," she said softly. "I can't believe we didn't notice before...sapphire, ruby and emerald." She sheathed her axe and crossed her arms thoughtfully.

"Care to answer the nice statues, Vanesse?"

[vanesse]

Vanesse baffled feelings washed away when Polaris walked up to her and blabbered that she wasn't expecting this. She sure was pissing this girl off. "Whoa, a wrinkle almost grew on your face there, miss Polaris." She smirked and held her confidence in place. She was the most uptight of them all for some reason. "Hold your horses." She put her hands up and looked back at the statue.

Hearing the SeeDs, these statues were the symbolic representations of the legendary gems. She heard this news from one of those surprised meetings Signe liked to hold often. Apparently, these three were needed to slay Adel. It was just logical that Governor Arland wanted them to snatch the ruby.

"Care to answer the nice statues, Vanesse?" Polaris told her.

"I'm getting to that, ok?" she replied, heaving a deep breath. What was the worst thing that could happen to her seriously? Get shot by one of the statue's laser eyes if she answered the wrong thing? It probably couldn't be that worse.

Facing the statues, she started. "Uhm...we all have our own reason for coming here...but all in all, lending us your treasure--the ruby--would certainly bring about the good of this planet and our lives---and even personal affairs." That probably sounded cliched.

"The good of the planet?"

The harp stopped playing. Did Vanesse say something she shouldn't have? The goddess shining in blue glowed brighter this time.

"Surely, you mortals do not know what you are going to unleash in this task. The truth is hidden, the lie is in the open. The order is at peace. Must you promise to bear the agony once the events have been reversed?"

[Polaris Lyn]

Polaris blinked. "Agony?" She wasn't expecting that, that was for sure. She turned to Vanesse. "I don't think we should answer that." Weird or not, these Opps had no idea of the dangers of getting the Ruby. And Polaris had no intention of shoving them in great danger's way, no matter what she thought of Little Miss Brightside Vanesse.

Then a voice cut in. "What is the agony you're talking about?" Polaris turned her head. Sho was staring up at the statues, a questioning look on his face.

He continued, "A tyrant is trying to take over the world. The order is not at peace, and we seek the Ruby to establish order. Do you mean to tell us that by wanting peace, we must endure the agony of Hyne? That's not justified."

[ST]

The statue on the right glowed pale green. Her mystical voice was more flippant than the previous two.

"Oh innocence, how I long for thee...Shall we tell them? I hate to see them crawl in darkness before their time of death."

By hearing this, Stardust walked closer to the statues as well. Tell them what? The three statues were not making that much sense. If this was a trick to twist their mind then it was just natural not to trust these "pieces of cement".

"What is it?" Stardust demanded in her usual tone.

"The truth. Give us the truth and your path shall be shown, your will we shall honor."

The blue statue said, followed by the red statue.

"Give us a lie and your souls shall be trapped here, in this frozen time, together with us.....in death."

Vanesse stood before the statues. She thought she felt herself gulp. There was no way in Ifrit's lair was she going to spend eternity here. "Are you serious?" she blurted out.

"The story is better off forgotten than be known by fools who understand nothing."

Hadrian faked a laugh. "The truth?" He was going to die if he didn't tell them the truth? Screw that. Everything about what they were saying was a big bull. "We don't even know what the truth is?" His brows met. "How can we tell you the truth if we don't even know what is going on? Or hell, what is up with you three."

"The story."

The statue glowing blue continued, ignoring Hadrian's words.

"Do you wish to hear our story?"

Stardust narrowed her eyes. These statues didn't look like they were kidding. If they heard their story and gave the statues an answer they didn't want, they were done for.

[miyavi]

"Tell us your story, and we shall answer you honestly," Sho replied behind Stardust, his gaze never wavering from the statues'. "Aa, truth in exchange for truth sounds like a fair exchange, doesn't it?"

[ST]

The sound of the harp started playing once again, the statues didn't waste any moment and carried on. One would speak after the other.

"Our story...takes place a long time ago, way back before the time where every establishments earned their rights to a city. Before everything, there laid a great city--an ancient race--far superior in nature and in knowledge than the people that now trudge this planet. But this race, is a proud race, with no hint of malice, its people living in the light, obeying He who blesses, Hyne.

"This ancient race was led by an honorable chief. He had three daughters whom everyone was very fond of--even Hyne himself. They had surpassed everyone in the city with their extraordinary beauty and power.

"Until one day, these three daughters decided they would please Hyne. So--born with great talent and magic--they managed to create three gems that bore the spirits of their great race. They thought that if they offer Hyne their civilization, he would be honored and grant them the ultimate blessing---Immortality.

"Hyne was pleased, but instead of granting them immortality, he gave the three gems the power to grant wishes--any wish--in exchange for a price of equal value. The people of the race were pleased by the news and the three ladies were hailed by them. Before the daughters knew it, they were being revered to as Hyne's Angels and were soon known to be Hyne's daughters--the bringers of wealth, fertility, and harmony."

The statues came to a long pause.

"Things would not have been so should the people remembered to wish for an everlasting happiness...Noone could have foreseen the evil that was yet to be born."

The sound of the harp slowly surrendered to silence. From then on, the SeeDs and Opps knew story time was over.

"Now, we bring you the question? Did you listen?"

The green statue asked.

"The daughters of Hyne still reside with the ancient race. Where are the ancients now?"

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Mind-boggling enough? XD Or nah? LOL

[Hadrian D'arcell]

Hadrian stood there stupefied. Ironic how the statues last sentence was the first question that popped inside his mind. The story surely was a well-told bullcrap. It certainly didn't have anything to do with the question!

/Or is it?/ CQ intervened.

Hey, if you know something, freakin' tell me. This question is bound to get me riled up. Hadrian warned but there was no response.

Hadrian looked down at the ground. The statues didn't even mention what happened to the daughters, what more of the race? Was any of this even true in the first place? He smirked. He didn't have a good grasp of the story either. Oh, this is just wonderful. What a great way to die.

"Tsk...Hell, should I know..." he muttered to himself, touching his forehead. He must think. But now, he was just pissed.

[Polaris Lyn]

Polaris lowered her gaze to the floor. <An ancient people...still alive?> She frowned. "That could mean a multitude of things," she said softly. "Still alive...it could mean they asked for immortality, or even..."

Her head shot up, her eyes focusing on the statues. "A bloodline?" she asked in a whisper. "Maybe...multiple bloodlines..."

<...they don't mean...?>

"Descendants," she said out loud to her teammates, turning to look back at them. "It could be that the descendants of Hyne's daughter still...they might still be alive." She glanced back at the statues.

"Of course," she said softly, "their magic would be diluted...but they would most likely retain some aspect of their ancient bloodline..."

<But where would we find people like that?> she thought earnestly. <Surely...>

She blinked. <Surely not the Shumi!>

---

This sure is one crazy riddle!

[Blaze Sanaku]

Blaze stood with her arms crossed, looking at everyone else for the answer. Where are they now? Blaze didn't even know where they were to begin with.

Strike, do you remember this race?

/I do not know of this ancient race/ Deathstrike replied. /for I was created only 200 years ago./

"Still alive...it could mean they asked for immortality," Polaris was onto something.

"I bet they did ask for immortality. It's what they wanted in the first place," Blaze agreed.

She stared at the statues again. So Hyne's daughters were not 'literally' Hyne's daughters. The story said that they were actually daughters of a chief, but hailed as Hyne's daughters. Time passed... and things must have blown out of proportion for everyone nowadays believed that the daughters were blood related to Hyne.

When Blaze had first heard Hadrian say that the statues were Hyne's daughters, she had thought they were just replicas made in honor of the women. But judging from the way they glowed and talked, it was pretty safe to assume that they actually were the daughters.

Blaze turned away from the statues to talk to her team. "These aren't just statues of Hyne's daughters. I think these actually are Hyne's daughters. If they had wished for immortality... it would make sense. A wish in exchange for a price of equal value. When they wished for immortality, they got what they wished for, but they paid the price of being turned into statues."

That's probably why my Pain spell didn't affect them at all. They are immortal.

"Where the rest of the race is though, I have no clue." Blaze looked at the Opps trio, "Well you said you knew how to get to the ruby and we obviously have to answer the statues to get to it. So what's the answer?"

[Polaris Lyn]

Polaris blinked at Blaze's sudden answer.

<Oh crap! She THINKS?!> Obsidian's tone was less than impressed. Actually, he was downright bewildered. <I thought all she did was kill things and grunt!!>

Polaris frowned inwardly. <Blaze,> she remarked to her GF, <is not an idiot. She just...ah, chooses to sharpen skills other than problem-solving.> She was impressed at Blaze's sharp intuition. Her best friend was probably more spot-on than Polaris was.

[vanesse]

Vanesse turned her head from the group to look at Deo and Jaime. Her face seemed to plead, 'say something!!'

/Just do it./ Paridge solemnly told her. But what would she say? She certainly wasn't ready to lead this team to their death--including theirs.

"The answer is something we need to figure out," Vanesse said, turning to look at Blaze. "So we need more time to think." She nodded. "Aaand...We're going to have to work together to pull this off."

"I thought I'll never say this, but unfortunately, Polaris and Blaze's speculations do make sense." Stardust barged in. She shot Vanesse a doubtful look. "Work together huh..." Stardust rolled her eyes. "If these were the actual daughters." The pinkhead paused, sliding her gaze up to the three statues. A glint of an idea flashed in her head. "Then the ancient race must be somewhere close to us as well. They did say that they're residing with the ancient race."

"That can't be," Vanesse intervened, her forehead creasing slightly. "Look at this whole palace. It's dead empty. If you're saying that the race should be here with us, then wouldn't we have seen any signs of them? We're not talking about a hundred people here, we're talking about an entire population frozen over--" Vanesse swallowed. She just remembered the few last sentences that the statues left them. "Something evil..." She looked to her side, thinking. The evil that was yet to be born... She repeated what she remembered in her head.

Snapping her eyes back to the group, she snapped her fingers. "Something must have happened to the race. Something...bad."

Hadrian's attention was caught by Vanesse. The statues never told them if the ancient race was of the living or of the dead. So...that was something to think about. "You don't think they got annihilated?" he said to noone in particular, his tone void of interest.

[miyavi]

Sho scratched his brilliant, sky-blue head. "Well, the statues never said for sure if the race was alive or dead, and that whole mention of evil and everything would point in the direction of a cultural annihilation," he remarked, nodding at Hadrian's comment. "But then again, if Blaze is right about these sisters being transformed into statues, then shouldn't their entire race have gotten the same treatment if all of them asked for immortality? Immortality could come in different ways."

The blue-haired martial artist gestured to the glowing statues. "Say...if these statues are the sisters...then perhaps their entire race became immortalized as stone..which could mean that..." he blinked, shrugged, and glanced around, "there are other statues inside this building, or even in the labyrinth outside. We didn't see much on the way in, you know."

"Or," Polaris reasoned, "they could've been transformed into something that would never die, fulfilling their wish for immortality but in a different way. They don't have to be statues..."

Sho raised an aristocratic eyebrow. "What, you mean Hyne transformed an entire civilization into...this place??"

Polaris frowned thoughtfully. "I didn't mean that, exactly," she murmured. "But..you have something there." She crossed her arms in her typical manner, "And the evil the statues are talking about..." She looked up. "Could it be that perhaps the civilization was transformed into a secret Garden, and the sisters into these statues, to safeguard not only the Ruby...but the evil they're talking about?"

Sho blinked. "Aa," he said in assention, "which would mean---"

"---that if we find the Ruby, we might unleash that evil. Which would be the agony they're asking to bear if we want to get the gem," Polaris concluded. She shook her head. "But this is all speculation. We don't have any evidence."