"Fiore Sweetums! I'm here, just like you asked!" Pyra called out, happily, latching onto his arm. How exciting, she thought. A secret rendezvous with the love of her life! It had made her so happy when Fiore had asked her to meet him here, in this private little corner of the school rose garden. The sweet scent of the many-colored blooms filled the air. Such a romantic place!

     "Pyra... please, let go of my arm." Fiore said. There was a hint of sadness in his voice, which Pyra didn't notice. "This will be difficult enough, already. I... I just need to tell you..."

     "Tell me what, Fiore-poo?" Pyra interrupted, gleefully. Maybe this was finally it! In all of her seventeen years, she had waited for the moment when some handsome, dashing young 'prince charming' would sweep her off her feet. He would hold her close, tell her he loved her, and that he would protect her always. They would get married, and live happily ever after. Fiore was that prince! He had to be! Or at least that's what Pyra told herself.

     "I suppose I should have told you this much sooner," Fiore was saying.

     "It's okay, Fiore-honey! You're going to tell me you love me now, aren't you?" Just like him to be bashful, she thought. Now, at last, he would confess his true feelings for her!

     Fiore shook his head. "You don't understand. I didn't mean for this to get so out of control. I don't want to hurt you, Pyra, but I fear that I may have misled you somehow..."

     Pyra blinked. "Misled...? What ever do you mean, my dearest darling?"

     Fiore sighed. "Just listen to me for a minute. Your parents were generous enough to take my brother and I in after our own parents died. They treated me as if I were their own son. Being the oldest child in the household, I began to take on the responsibility of caring for and protecting not only my own brother, but you and your sisters as well. I felt it was the least I could do to repay your family for all of the kindness they gave us."

     "It's true..." Pyra agreed, looking back. "You always did seem to be looking out for us." Suddenly, she glomped onto his arm. "That's what I love about you the most, Fiore-kins!!"

     "Pyra... please. No more of this." He slipped out of her grasp. "You must understand something. I grew to love your family, Pyra. I grew to love your parents as if they were my own, and you and your sisters might as well be of the same blood as my brother and I."

     "But..." Pyra protested. A cold chill ran up her back. She was getting an eerie feeling that she didn't want to hear how this conversation was going.

     "No, listen," Fiore said, firmly, for once interrupting her. "I do love you Pyra... and your sisters as well. But that love is no more than what ordinary siblings would feel for each other. There could never be anything more between us. That time... that I saved your life, it was out of my desire as an older brother to protect his younger sister. I will always try to look after you in that way. But I have absolutely no romantic feelings for you. Do you understand?"

     There was a lump in Pyra's throat. "But... but..." she stammered. Then, she burst out crying. "WAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!! Why can't you love me?! As much as I love you, why can't you just love me!? After all of the things we've been through together... why?"

     Fiore looked at her, mournfully. "I... I'm sorry. I just can't. Not in that way."

     "Noooo!!! Pyra shrieked, covering her ears. She didn't want to hear this. Fiore was her 'prince charming', whether he knew it or not. She would win him back somehow! She would!!! "It isn't fair! It just isn't!" she sobbed, running out of the garden.

     "Pyra..." Fiore called after her. He was tempted to follow her, to comfort her. But then, she would probably get the wrong idea, as she always did. He sighed. "I'm sorry... my sister," he said softly.

...

     "Scarlet!!! Scarlet!!! You gotta help me! You just gotta!!" Pyra cried, bursting into the alchemy research lab. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

     A girl in a white labcoat and oversized goggles looked up from the twisted tubes and beakers of potions that she was studying. Her long red hair was twisted back in a severe bun, to keep it out of her way. Spell components were scattered about the table, some of them loose and others in jars with labels such as "wolfsbane- 100% potency" or "distilled essence of skunkweed".

     "There a problem, sugah?" She drawled, somewhat crossly. "The ruckus you're a-rasin' almost made me spill mah new formula. Ah've been workin' on it all week, too."

     "This is an emergency!!!" Pyra yelled, grabbing Scarlet by the shoulders and shaking her with urgency. "Fiore broke up with me!! I need one of your love potions! Please, please, please!!! Won't you help me?!"

     Scarlet managed to disengage herself from Pyra's grip. "Love potions can be dangerous, sugah," she warned. "Besides, Ah haven't perfected mine yet."

     "I don't care, I don't care, I'll do anything to get him baaaaaackkk!!!" Pyra cried, pounding her fists on the table, violently. Scarlet winced, as the glass beakers containing her potions shook, some nearly tipping over.

     "Stop your poundin' hon," She sighed. If this was the only way to get Pyra to leave before she broke something, then so be it. "Ah'll help ya."

     "Yay!!! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!!" Pyra rejoiced, jumping up and down.

     "This way," Scarlet said. Pyra followed her across the room to a large, well-secured safe. There were handmade signs all over it, warning people of the terrible things that would happen to them if they broke in. Scarlet was especially proud of the one with the skull and crossbones that read: 'Keep out, or Ah'll sick the killer fuzzballs from the depths of the Neatherealm on y'all! That means you, sugah!'

     "Are you sure you want to go through with this, hon?" Scarlet asked. "This here formula's not quite perfected yet. The recipe's based on mah great-great-great-grandma-ma's original formula, love potion numbah one. Hers was very weak, Ah'm afraid. Whole bottleful of the stuff would barely make a fieldmouse blush. Over the generations, the women in mah family have refined it, adding their own little touches. Ah call mah version 'love potion numbah nine', b'cause it's the ninth attempt mah family has made. Ah haven't really tested it much on people yet, though..."

     "It doesn't matter!!" Pyra insisted. "Gimmiegimmiegimmie!!!"

     Scarlet sighed. "All right, sugah. Don't say Ah didn't try to warn ya." She pulled a silver key out of her labcoat pocket, and opened the first lock on the safe. "No peekin' now," she said, dialing the combination of the second lock as Pyra covered her eyes. The third lock was a handprint scanner, and Scarlet placed her palm on it.

     "Palm print scan recognized," A computerized, female voice said. "User identification: Scarlet Amore. Initializing voice recognition program. Please state your voice recognition code after the tone." There was a mechanical beep.

     "Love conquers all, sugah," Scarlet drawled.

     "Voice code accepted," The computer stated. "Have a nice day." There was a metallic click, and the safe swung open.

     Scarlet reached inside the safe, carefully removing a blue bottle with the number nine printed on it.

     "Now, all you need to do is get him to drink a few drops of this. That small amount only lasts a few hours, but since Ah've only tested it at that dosage, it may be dangerous to give him more. Ah'll just transfer a 'lil bit into a smaller bottle for ya, so you can..."

     "No thanks, I'll just take the whole thing!" Pyra interrupted, grabbing the bottle out of Scarlet's hand and running for the door.

     "No!!!" Scarlet protested, chasing after her. "Not the whole bottle!! That's all ah have!!!"

     "Sorry Scarlet, but 'a few hours' just won't cut it," Pyra called, as she continue to run. "I want Fiore-poo to love me forever and ever!!"

     "Yah got cobwebs where your brains should be, sugah?! Ah said that too much could be dangerous!" They had reached the outer hallway, which was mostly empty because it was a Sunday. Not even any teachers around to tell her to stop running in the building, Pyra noted, thankfully.

     Now, just how will I get him to drink it, Pyra though, ignoring Scarlet's angry yells as she continued to run. I know, I'll just change the label, and say it's a new soda pop!

     She was so excited about her brilliant plan, that she didn't even notice the dark figure ahead of her until it was too late. There was a collision, and the potion Pyra was carrying flew into the air. Somehow, almost impossibly, the cork flew off, and the open bottle tilted as it fell. Most of the contents spilled to the floor. Unfortunately, Jacob Whitewind was laying on that floor, having been knocked down in the collision just an instant before, and a great deal splashed into his mouth.

     Jacob sputtered, and sat up. His eyes blazed with anger. "Just what the HELL are you doing?!" He growled at Pyra. "What was that stuff?! Bleah!! It tasted awful!!

     "Oh mah stars..." Scarlet said, worriedly.

     "Wahhh!!! I... I spilled it!!!" Pyra lamented. "And it doesn't even seem to work."

     "Just wait a bit, it'll kick in." Scarlet said. "Although at this dosage, no telling what the effects will be."

     "What in the name of the Abyss are you talking about?! If you don't tell me what that junk I just drank was, I'll... I'll..." He stopped, and clutched his chest. "Hey... I feel... funny," he hiccuped.

     "Here it comes..." Scarlet said, apprehensively.

     Jacob looked up at Pyra, as if he had just seen her for the first time. There was a weird glint in his eyes, as though he were feverish. And he continued to hiccup.

     "Pyra... *hic* I never noticed before how truly beautiful you are!" He leapt to his feet. "I love you!!! *hic* Love love love love you!!! From the bottom of my heart, to the depths of my soul!!! *hic*"

     "Ummm... that's uh... that's really nice, Jacob," Pyra said, backing away from him, slowly. "Help, you gotta do something!" She whispered to Scarlet.

     "Ah can't!" Scarlet whispered back. "Ah haven't developed a counterpotion for it yet! At least he's still breathin'! And it should wear off, eventually..."

     "Eventually?! How long is eventually?!"

     "Well, let's see... a few hours for three drops, that's about an hour per drop... And that was about a twenty-eight ounce bottle, but it wasn't quite full, and some of it spilled on the floor instead of in his mouth. Ah'd say roughly, about... a week or so?

     Pyra looked at Jacob, who was gazing at her with a dopey look on his face. Every so often, he would mumble something about having found his true love, followed by a fit of hiccups.

     "A week or so?! How am I supposed to put up with this for that long?!" She complained.

     Scarlet shrugged. "Ah'll try to come up with an antidote, but with that much at once, the effects may possibly be permanent."

     "P... Permanent?!" Pyra stammered, turning pale.

     Jacob continued to mumble and hiccup. Scarlet went over to examine him.

     "Now, Jacob, sugah, hold still a minute while ah take your temperature..." She pulled a thermometer out of her labcoat pocket.

     Jacob pouted. "M' o'kay. *hic* I don't wanna have my temp'rature taken," He slurred. Then, he gave her an odd look. "Say Scarlet... *hic* I never noticed... how beautiful you are... *hic*"

     "Hogwarts and hellfire..." Scarlet swore. "Ah hadn't expected this 'lil development..." She started backing away from Jacob.

     "I LOVE YOU BOTH!!!!" Jacob yelled, wildly, moving forward as if to hug them.

     Pyra screamed, and started running away. Scarlet followed quickly behind her.

     "WAIT FOR MEEEEEE!!!" Jacob cried, joyfully chasing after them.

...

     About ten minutes later, on the other side of campus, Alaska and Chanse were just finishing their lunch. It had been such a nice day, that they decided to make a picnic out of it, finding a clearing in one of the school's woodsy areas. Now they were chatting, mostly about Chanse's visit to the city yesterday. Chanse was careful to omit the part in the funhouse where Fiore had kissed her, but she left almost everything else in.

     "I'm glad you had fun," Alaska was saying. " Next time, I may even be able to go! Headmaster Dragonflight says he may reduce the punishment, if Pyra and I continue to behave!"

     Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a loud, oddly familiar shriek.

     "Speaking of Pyra, isn't that..." Chanse asked, looking in the direction of the noise.

     "It's her all right. I'd recognize that sound anywhere," Alaska muttered.

     Pyra and Scarlet burst out of the trees in front of them.

     "Alaska! Chanse! You gotta hide us!" Pyra cried, desperately.

     "Shh, not so loud, sugah, or he'll hear us," Scarlet whispered.

     "Say.. aren't you in my 'Alchemy is fun' class?" Chanse asked, thinking the girl with Pyra looked familiar. "Scarlet Amore, isn't it? Who are you hiding from?"

     "No time for details now, sugah," Scarlet drawled. "We're bein' chased by a love-crazed madman! Ya'll gotta help us find somewhere to hide."

     "How about up that tree?" Alaska suggested, pointing at a large oak.

     "Good idea! Let's go, Scarlet!" Pyra cried. They both climbed up as fast as they could.

     "I wonder what that was all about?" Chanse said, staring after them.

     "Who knows?" Alaska shrugged.

     "Yoooo-hooo!!!" A male voice cried

     "Now what?" Alaska wondered.

     "I think it's..." Chanse began, sensing a familiar presence. The normally clear power signature was strangely a bit blurry, however.

     A bedraggled and wild-looking Jacob Whitewind emerged from the trees.

     "Oh... *hic* H'lo girls. Have you seen Pyra and Scarlet around? 'Cause I wanna give them both a great big hug! *hic* I loooovee them!!! *hic*"

     Alaska and Chanse exchanged confused glances.

     "Too much sake, maybe?" Alaska whispered. This didn't seem like Jacob at all.

     "Too much something definitely," Chanse replied, noting the feverish gleam in Jacob's eyes.

     "Umm... no, sorry Jacob, we haven't seen them," Alaska lied.

     "Yeah," Chanse agreed. "So take your alcohol-or-whatever ridden self away from here. You may act like a jerk sometimes, Jacob, but I thought you were too smart to get involved with mind-altering substances."

     Jacob gave Chanse a funny look, a look that made her shiver. "Say Chanse... *hic* I never noticed this before... *hic* But, you really are kinda pretty... And you too 'Laska... *hic* Beee-yoo-tee-ful."

     "I... I really don't like the way he's looking at us, Chanse," Alaska whispered, nervously.

     "Me either, but I think I can take him on if he tries anything funny. Especially considering the condition he's in."

     "I looove you!!! *hic* I love Pyra and Scarlet, and Chanse, and 'Laska from the bottom of my heart!!! *hic*" He ran forward, as if to give them a big hug. Chanse stopped him by punching him in the face, knocking him out cold.

     "All right, you can come out now! He's unconscious!" Chanse called up the oak tree.

     "That's quite an arm ya got there, sugah," Scarlet commented, as they climbed down.

     "Why do I get the feeling that the two of you are somehow responsible for this?" Alaska asked them, suspiciously.

     "Ummm... well..." Pyra said. "You see... it kinda was..."

     "Numbah nine." Scarlet finished.

     "Number nine?" Chanse blinked.

     "One of mah 'lil old love potions, that's all," Scarlet explained. "Only, the wrong person got too large of a dosage by some unfortunate accident." She glared at Pyra. "Ah did warn you it was dangerous. Ah don't even have an antidote for it yet."

     "I see... and just who were you originally planning to give the potion to, Pyra?" Alaska glared.

     "Hee hee," Pyra giggled, innocently. "Why be concerned with such a trifle now? We need to start thinking of some way to get him back to normal." She pointed to the unconscious Jacob.

     Chanse felt a pang of anger, as she realized the truth. Pyra had intended to use the potion on Fiore! Which meant he had probably talked to her about his feelings. How much had he told her, though?

     "A trifle?!" Chanse snapped. "If you hadn't tried to mess with someone else's feelings, none of this would have happened to begin with! How could you be so selfish as to try to control his heart?! If you truly loved him, you would let him decide for himself!!! Fiore does have a mind of his own, you know!! And what about poor Jacob?! I just socked him in the jaw, and he really isn't to blame for his actions! You are, Pyra!" Then she pointed an accusing finger at Scarlet. "And you are just as guilty as she is!!"

     "Why you..." Pyra fumed, getting a fireball ready.

     Chanse pulled out her flute, in preparation for a water spell of her own. "Go ahead and try! I dare you!" She threatened, boldly.

     "No, sugah, she's right," Scarlet said, catching Pyra's arm before she could throw the fiery ball. "We are to blame for this mess, there's no denyin' it."

     Pyra let the flame fizzle out, but she continued to glare at Chanse. "You're just lucky I'm not in the mood to fight right now," She said, hotly.

     "Soooo... What are we going to do about him?" Alaska asked, pointing to Jacob. He was starting to stir, and was mumbling gibberish about love between hiccups.

     Chanse thought for a minute. "First, we should tie him up. That will keep him from getting into trouble. Secondly, Scarlet, you need to march your Southern butt back to the alchemy lab and work on an antidote. In the meantime, The rest of us can take him to Ren. Maybe one of her healing spells can help him."

...

     "Oh my..." Serenity said, looking at the bound and babbling Jacob Whitewind.

     "He's acting really weird!" Candy giggled.

     Jinx burst out laughing. "That's about the funniest thing I've ever seen! Hang on, I just gotta go get my camera!!" He sped away.

     It hadn't taken Chanse, Alaska, and Pyra very long to find Serenity. She, Candy and Jinx had been on their way to the swimming pool, which wasn't far from where Chanse and Alaska's picnic had been.

     "How did this happen?" Ren asked.

     "Umm... well..." Pyra stammered.

     "Tell her! All of it!" Chanse yelled, holding up a fist.

     Pyra spilled out the whole story, starting with the part where Fiore 'broke up with' her, and ending with when they went to look for help.

     "Oh Pyra..." Serenity sighed, when her older sister had finished retelling the story. "It seems as though you've gotten yourself in over your head."

     "So can you help him?" Chanse asked. "We can't just leave him this way."

     "I'll see what I can do. But I'm not sure if my spells can cure him. Undoing the work of another magic user can be difficult, sometimes. I don't want to cause any more damage."

     Ren went over to examine Jacob, who was lying on his stomach with his hands and feet tied together behind his back. The hem of his black robes had gotten all torn, and he was covered with dirt. He was humming a sappy love song to himself between hiccups.

     "Jacob?" She asked, cautiously. "How do you feel?"

     "*hic* H'lo 'Renity. *hic* You're veeeeeerrry b'ootiful. *hic* I think I love you the most of all..."

     "Jacob... You're not well. You don't know what you're saying." Serenity said, patiently.

     "*hic* Yesh, I do... I love Pyra, and Scarlet and *hic* Chanse, and 'Laska, and you, 'Renity the most of all. *hic*"

     Candy was giggling at him.

     "And *hic* Candy's kinda cute, too, but *hic* a bit too young..." He continued.

     Candy stopped giggling, and stared at him, her blue eyes growing wide. "Hey!!!" She protested.

     "Hold that pose!" Jinx cried, snapping a picture. He had just returned with his camera.

     "I brought five rolls of film!" He said, snapping away with glee. "These will make perfect blackmail pictures!!! Or maybe I'll just print them in the school paper! I know!!! I'll sell them!! Extra large, double copies of each one! Everyone's gonna want one of these babies!"

     Alaska bopped him on the head with a giant mallet that she had formed out of ice. "Be serious, for once!! I don't like him much, either, but it wouldn't be right to take advantage of him like that!"

     "OWW!!! Aww, c'mon, Alaska! I'll even split the profits with you fifty-fifty."

     "Fifty-fifty, huh?" Alaska said. "Well, what are you waiting for?! Take some more!!"

     "Hey!!! I want a cut too!!!" Pyra protested. "After all, He wouldn't be like this, if it weren't for me!!"

     Alaska and Jinx exchanged glances. "Sounds fair," Jinx agreed.

     "Me too, me too!!! I want in, too!!!" Candy cried, bouncing up and down.

     "KNOCK IT OFF, WILL YA?!!!" Chanse yelled, at the top of her lungs. "Serenity's trying to concentrate here!!"

     Serenity was kneeling in front of Jacob, calmly. "First, I'll try a purification spell. It's usually used to get rid of poison, but it just might work."

     She clasped her hands in prayer, entering a trancelike state. "Oh great healing light," She prayed, "I ask that you purify this man. Eliminate the poison that runs through his veins. By all that is holy, please make him well again."

     A soft light surrounded Jacob Whitewind. It worked its way down from his head to his toes, until his whole body appeared to glow with it. Then, it faded.

     Serenity broke out of her trance. "Thank you, great light," she said, softly, before she fainted.

     "Ren!" Chanse cried, catching her.

     "Owwww..." Jacob was moaning. "My head... What... What happened? Why am I tied up like this?! Someone answer me!"

     "Aww, man! He's back to normal!" Jinx complained. Then he laughed, "But he's still tied up!!" He resumed taking pictures.

     "Why you...!" Jacob yelled, squinting at all of the flashes from Jinx's camera. "Someone had better explain this RIGHT NOW!!"

     "Tell him what happened, Pyra! You owe him that much, at the very least!" Chanse insisted, as she looked after the exhausted Serenity.

     "Do I have to?" Pyra asked.

     "Yes, you do," Chanse nodded, holding up a fist.

     "But... but..." Pyra stammered, wondering if she'd rather face Chanse's anger or Jacob's.

     "DO IT!!!" Chanse yelled.

     "A-alright, but only if he stays tied up while I tell him."

     She told the story. Jacob yelled and cursed at her as she did so, struggling to get out of his bonds until he exhausted himself to the point where he could barely move. He would have used magic on them, but that required concentration, and his head was throbbing too much. He was still able to curse, however, and continued do so, even when his voice got hoarse. Candy held her ears, and Alaska whistled in awe. Even Jinx was stunned by the creativity and depth of the foul language.

...

     "I don't remember anything..." Jacob said, about an hour later, after he had finally calmed down.

     Pyra, Jinx, Candy, and Alaska had run off soon after the events of the past couple hours had been recounted. Chanse had stayed behind, to look after Serenity and Jacob. Not knowing what else to do, she had left him tied up, giving him time to calm down. Once Serenity was better, she had helped pacify him. When the two of them were sure he wouldn't go after Pyra and the others with murderous intentions, they had finally untied him.

     "And the worst thing is... I had absolutely no control over myself..." Jacob continued.

     "At least the spell's been broken, though." Chanse said, relieved.

     "I'm never going to live this down..." Jacob moaned. His head was still throbbing, painfully.

     "Don't worry too much, Jacob. I don't think very many people saw," Ren assured him. "Almost everyone went into the city today."

     "Ren... if... if I said anything that offended you, either when I was under the spell, or after, when I was so angry, well... I guess... I'm sorry."

     "Shh..." Serenity said, calmly. "It wasn't your fault. I don't hold it against you. Besides, it's not like I've never heard anyone cuss before," she smiled.

     Chanse looked at the two of them. Suddenly, she felt like a third wheel. "Now that you're both feeling better, I have some unfinished business to take care of. Please excuse me..."

     Jacob and Serenity barely noticed that she left.

...

     Later in the day, Chanse approached Jacob in the temple gardens. As usual, he was surrounded by a flock of crows.

     "I thought I would find you here," She said.

     "Oh, Chanse... it's you," he said, not even looking up.

     "Here," she said, handing him a small parcel.

     "What's this?" He asked, startled by the sudden gift.

     "Five rolls of film. I managed to get them away from Jinx, before he could develop them. I'm sure you know what's on them. I suggest you burn them or something."

     Jacob looked at her, stunned. "How...? Why..?"

     "How I got them is probably best left up to the imagination," She smiled, cryptically. Let him wonder, she thought. Actually, it had been almost embarrassingly easy. Jinx and the others had been so involved in working out the details of their money-making scheme, that they had left the undeveloped rolls unattended. She probably could have driven a tank into the photo lab to get them, and they wouldn't have noticed.

     "As for why..." She continued, "Well, I just couldn't stand to see someone taken advantage of like that. I don't expect a thank you or nothing. Just consider it to be my apology for punching you earlier. So, we're even, now. Well, See ya." She walked off, casually.

     Jacob stared after her, unable to think of anything to say. It wasn't often that someone did something nice for him. Except for Serenity, but she was kind to almost everybody, whether they derserved it or not. He smiled. "Abyss-mal, come forth!" He chanted, weaving a summoning spell.

     A small, dark grayish creature that looked like a puffball with batlike wings and tiny horns emerged from a shadowy portal. It had beady red eyes, and a disproportionately large mouth.

     "I have a little snack for you, Abyss-mal," Jacob said, holding up the parcel of film.

     The creature looked at the parcel, excitedly, and opened it's gaping mouth.

...

     "You knew all about this... so why didn't you do something to intervene?" Isis asked, after Magnus replayed the day's events to her in his magic mirror.

     "I would have, if it had gotten too out of control. But, they were able to solve the problem themselves. I thought it would be a good learning experience," Magnus explained.

     Isis looked into the mirror, thoughtfully. "That girl, Chanse. She's a bit brash sometimes, but also quite noble, isn't she?"

     "Yes, indeed. Her proud heritage really shines through... even though she's not aware of it, yet. I just hope..." He sighed. "I hope it's enough to outweigh the darkness they must face."

...

*Author's note- at one point, Alaska refers to "sake" (pronounced "sak-eh"), which is an alcoholic beverage made of fermented rice. Popular in Japan. =)

 

 

This story and its characters are © Chibi Ningyo (Cara V.), 2000.

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