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I just sat there, curled up in The Chosen One's room, carefully scanning over one of the few novels she actually had. In every world, it seemed, the literature just seemed to get more excruciating to read than the last world's novels. That's most likely why I just gave up on attempting to finish the very first chapter. No, I was worried about something.

        That's right, there's a tournament in a few days. The Chosen O- ... Tia. She's always telling me to call her that. She was entering it. She could get seriously injured, maimed, even killed! No, it was that...Something else...Was bothering me. This world itself. Every last mile of it. The people, the creatures, all the things crafted by the living...This world...Shouldn't be dying yet. There's just something horribly wrong about this timing. I know I wasn't the only one who felt it. Rempo, Meili, and Neaki did, too. I can't see them, but I can tell...that something's disturbing them. They all seemed to agree with me, if only for once in their lives.

         Well, I only assume that this world shouldn't be dying. Maybe...I just don't want it to perish. There's just a feeling I get from this world. I...I don't want to leave here yet. I'm not sure why, but...I've a feeling I've seen a world like this before... .... Oh! That's it! That may be the key that will finally free us! The very First World.

          My first instinct, which I usually never follow because I just have to think things through, was to bolt through the door and find Tia. And, like a complete and total idiot,...I did! "Tia! Tia, where are you?!", I screamed it to the heavens. I completely ignored every last ounce of rationality I had left in me, but I knew it was the right thing to do. I couldn't wait.

           I had to find her! She...She figured out the tablet at the Witch's house, she...She found us all! She may figure out this puzzle too! "TIAAAA!" I must've looked completely mad.  I ran everywhere like a madman to locate her. Finally, I found her in the market.  "Ch--ch-CHOSEN ONE!..." I didn't realize how out of breath I was until I collasped. I truly must have been a wreck. She just came running over in the panicked little run she always did. "Ur! Are- Are you Okay?!" Wow. Her voice really did get squeaky when she got upset. Damn it, now I owe Rempo a thousand Mystic Jewels. I really should know better than to bet with him. "UR!" Oh, whoops. "Y-Yes, Chosen One, I'm all right. There's no need to worry. I just need to rest a bit. "  And, even though I couldn't see her, I could tell she just had an adorable smile plastered on her face. "I told you, call me Tia. It's not that difficult." Eh heh heh.

            And then, she just sat there staring at me, not saying a word. It was a little weird. "Uhm, what are you doing?" she kinda tilted her head to the side and plainly asked, "Well, did you have something to tell me?" ...I absolutely cannot believe I forgot. "Y-Yes! Yes! Come with me back to your house! I have something I want to tell you!" And, without an answer yet, I grabbed her wrist and ran with her back to the house.

             "Ah! Here we are, Chosen...AH!" I didn't notice I must have been running a little fast. Now it looked like she was going to pass out! "T-Tia!" She didn't really respond. It was more like an "uhhh." "Oh, no. Oh, no!" And so, in an attempt to prevent further disaster, I scooped her up and carried her the rest of the way. Admittedly, the door was difficult to open, and it was awkward laying her down on her bed, what with the innumerable amount of innuendos, but after a short rest, The Chosen One was in good condition yet again.

            "Uhm, Chosen- ..Tia?"  She got up, apparently still groggy from sleep, "Yesh, Uhr?" I took a deep breath, and sighed. "Do you want to hear a story?" She got perky and happy all of a sudden. "Yes! I love Stories!" I smirked a little. She was quite unique, that was for sure. "Well, first, I'll need you to summon the other Spirits. They're better at some parts of the story than I am." And, shortly thereafter, I was reunited will my "less-than-pleasant-to hear-my-news" bretheren.

            "What the hell are we doing here?! We should be training for the damn tournament!" Rempo was going on a tirade until Mieli stopped him. "Rempo, you need to calm down! If Tia has summoned us, it must be for a good reason, right Tia?" Tia went quiet for a few moments, and then blatantly shouted, "I-I want to hear a story!" A very, very poor choice of words...

           "WHAT?!" I think my eardrums nearly broke at the sound of the other spirits screaming in unison. "No way! You wanna hear a story, go get your Gramma Helen or somethin'!" "What? You want a STORY?! Why would you summon us for something like that?" "(Stories are stupid...Don't waste our time...With something like that...)" It seems like I had to clear things up. I crossed my arms across my chest and sighed. "Now guys, this isn't any story this world would know. Only we would."

           Now I could feel the pangs of almost a thousand glares digging into my soul. And I could automatically tell Rempo was..Well, he was pissed. "What story, Ur? It had better not be THAT one, if you value what you've got now." "For the record, it is, and to be truthful, I really don't." Rempo just glared like hell at me. Neaki made another one of those awful moans, that only years of decifering can interpret. "(So, why are you dragging us into this?)" "Because I'm not going to suffer alone." Neaki started glaring, too. I'm making enemies here at an extremely fast rate.

           "Guys..." Mieli. That was the first time I've ever heard you sound...depressed. "We..Should just get this over with."  I agreed. "Yes, let's get started." I sat down in a rather uncomfortable chair, but the situation was much worse. I felt as if there was a weight over my head, ready to fall at the drop of a pin. The sound of a whisper could end us all. Yet, I was still fool enough to speak.

            "A long time ago, in the very First World, there were four grand Kingdoms, each led by the most powerful leaders of the four corners of that World. The Fiery King to the South, the Free-Spirited Queen of the West, The Coldhearted Queen to the North, and the Thunderous King of the East. The four rulers were greedy for more land, and there was a great War.  The South King used his warriors' brutality, The West Queen used her warriors' speed,  the North Queen used her warriors' sneakiness, but, the King of the East had the strongest weapons and his intelligence. He won by a landslide. The Eastern King ruled all the land and its people now. But, he wasn't too cruel to the other King and Queens. He saw they were great strategists. He knew he wouldn't have won without his weapons, so they were worthy adversaries, but even better allies. He appointed them as his closest advisors."

            Mieli jumped in afterwards, in a voice so calm and quiet, that it was creepy for the situation. "You see, the Great King was a good ruler at first; the people liked him, the land prospered, and there was no war. But, then he got greedy. He wanted more and more power. He took away the people's land, freedom, and hope. His own people called him the 'Bastard King.' The Advisor from the West hated seeing the people in pain, so she decided to overthrow the Great King. She seduced him as a distraction, and drugged his drink. But, the Advisor of the West couldn't bring herself to kill him. He didn't kill her, after all. He was thrown in the Dungeon while he was stll unconscious. When the king woke up, in the eternal darkness, his howls could be heard throughout all of the castle, 'Help! Let me...Let me OUT OF HERE! Please! HELP! Someone...Help...me!....Please.' "

           It was chilling how Mieli could remember those words exactly for whoever knows how long it's been. The images flooded back. The lonely, forsaken King, crying alone in the darkness, actually wishing for his death. Meili grew quiet. She could obviously see them the discomfort on my face. So Rempo joined in. "Well, the Western Queen was no better of a ruler. She was flimsy, foolish, and a total ditz. She didn't know how to run a country. The people grew angry, especially those from the South. The Advisor of the South saw this as an opportunity for power. He used the rage of his peasants to take over the castle. And he himself threw the Queen into the same dungeon as the Bastard King. He was cruel to her. 'Hope you enjoy Hell with the man who probably wants to kill you now. Betcha' regret that now, huh?' The Bastard King was seething with anger. 'Well, you're getting what you deserve, you little tramp. Enjoy Hell.' "

          The memories hurt more and more. I  felt like I was being torn apart. Neaki had pity, though. In her cold voice, I saw a bit of freedom from the Hell. "(The Southern King... was even worse of a ruler. He used his people.... He worked them men to death,... and gathered beautiful women to be in his......harem. The people wanted him dead...So, the Advisor of the North took advantage of this.... She turned the entire Kingdom against him... with powerful words...She threw him in the dungeon with the rest. 'You all get what you deserve. Especially you, Great King. You should have known we were going to betray you from the start.' The words stung at the King,... but he said nothing,... as he felt he couldn't say anything anymore.)"

           The headache I had was now throbbing, and my throat felt swollen, but I had to finish what I started. "The Northern Queen was cold and manipulating of her people. She used them for what she wanted, but if anything ever happened to them, she would just turn the other cheek. And, the peasants, after all the years of war, finally got fed up. They sent out to overthrow the Queen, and kill her and the others.  The world was chaos. The ground was filled with fire, the water with plague, and the sky with blood. The First World was ending. The Cold Queen of the North heard of the revolt, and went to the prison where her former allies were. She begged for forgiveness, but they refused to listen. The Kindhearted Chosen One swayed their minds. The Chosen One of that world had searched for the Kings and Queens. She told them they had a duty to fufill, one that would grant them immortality. And, the power-hungry fools they were, took it. The last thing they knew, they were sucked into the Book of Prophecy, never to be truly free again."

              Tia just gave a blank stare. She was almost as bad as Neaki at times. "Tia, do you know why we told you this story?" She got very queit, and replied, "...No." "Tia, this is our story. It's how the Spirits of the Book came to be. Meili was the queen of the West, Rempo was the King of the South, Neaki was the Queen of the North..." I attempted to swallow the huge lump in my throat. "And I...Was the Bastard King of the East." A grimace creeped up on my face as I uttered those words. Tia was ever silent. It was..unnerving. I covered my mouth with my hand to hide my shame. I felt something trickle down my face. Water? No. Tears. I..I was so embarassed. I hadn't cried since I've been trapped in that dungeon! No, I've always been trapped in that dark dungeon. The shackles on my eyes prove I deserve this fate. "I just want to be free, Tia. I thought that you could help."

              I felt something pull away my hand, and something else brush up against my lips. Was this...A kiss? F-From the Chosen One? "Don't cry, Ur. I'll free you and the others. You don't have to worry." I started crying even more, but it wasn't out of sadness. It was out of relief.

Now, being here, trapped and alone inside Perkele, I think only those memories keep me sane. All I can do is wait for her. For the shining ray of light. For My Chosen One, Tia.

Description
I just sat there, curled up in The Chosen One's room, carefully scanning over one of the few novels she actually had. In every world, it seemed, the literature just seemed to get more excruciating to read than the last world's novels. That's most likely why I just gave up on attempting to finish the very first chapter. No, I was worried about something.

        That's right, there's a tournament in a few days. The Chosen O- ... Tia. She's always telling me to call her that. She was entering it. She could get seriously injured, maimed, even killed! No, it was that...Something else...Was bothering me. This world itself. Every last mile of it. The people, the creatures, all the things crafted by the living...This world...Shouldn't be dying yet. There's just something horribly wrong about this timing. I know I wasn't the only one who felt it. Rempo, Meili, and Neaki did, too. I can't see them, but I can tell...that something's disturbing them. They all seemed to agree with me, if only for once in their lives.

         Well, I only assume that this world shouldn't be dying. Maybe...I just don't want it to perish. There's just a feeling I get from this world. I...I don't want to leave here yet. I'm not sure why, but...I've a feeling I've seen a world like this before... .... Oh! That's it! That may be the key that will finally free us! The very First World.

          My first instinct, which I usually never follow because I just have to think things through, was to bolt through the door and find Tia. And, like a complete and total idiot,...I did! "Tia! Tia, where are you?!", I screamed it to the heavens. I completely ignored every last ounce of rationality I had left in me, but I knew it was the right thing to do. I couldn't wait.

           I had to find her! She...She figured out the tablet at the Witch's house, she...She found us all! She may figure out this puzzle too! "TIAAAA!" I must've looked completely mad.  I ran everywhere like a madman to locate her. Finally, I found her in the market.  "Ch--ch-CHOSEN ONE!..." I didn't realize how out of breath I was until I collasped. I truly must have been a wreck. She just came running over in the panicked little run she always did. "Ur! Are- Are you Okay?!" Wow. Her voice really did get squeaky when she got upset. Damn it, now I owe Rempo a thousand Mystic Jewels. I really should know better than to bet with him. "UR!" Oh, whoops. "Y-Yes, Chosen One, I'm all right. There's no need to worry. I just need to rest a bit. "  And, even though I couldn't see her, I could tell she just had an adorable smile plastered on her face. "I told you, call me Tia. It's not that difficult." Eh heh heh.

            And then, she just sat there staring at me, not saying a word. It was a little weird. "Uhm, what are you doing?" she kinda tilted her head to the side and plainly asked, "Well, did you have something to tell me?" ...I absolutely cannot believe I forgot. "Y-Yes! Yes! Come with me back to your house! I have something I want to tell you!" And, without an answer yet, I grabbed her wrist and ran with her back to the house.

             "Ah! Here we are, Chosen...AH!" I didn't notice I must have been running a little fast. Now it looked like she was going to pass out! "T-Tia!" She didn't really respond. It was more like an "uhhh." "Oh, no. Oh, no!" And so, in an attempt to prevent further disaster, I scooped her up and carried her the rest of the way. Admittedly, the door was difficult to open, and it was awkward laying her down on her bed, what with the innumerable amount of innuendos, but after a short rest, The Chosen One was in good condition yet again.

            "Uhm, Chosen- ..Tia?"  She got up, apparently still groggy from sleep, "Yesh, Uhr?" I took a deep breath, and sighed. "Do you want to hear a story?" She got perky and happy all of a sudden. "Yes! I love Stories!" I smirked a little. She was quite unique, that was for sure. "Well, first, I'll need you to summon the other Spirits. They're better at some parts of the story than I am." And, shortly thereafter, I was reunited will my "less-than-pleasant-to hear-my-news" bretheren.

            "What the hell are we doing here?! We should be training for the damn tournament!" Rempo was going on a tirade until Mieli stopped him. "Rempo, you need to calm down! If Tia has summoned us, it must be for a good reason, right Tia?" Tia went quiet for a few moments, and then blatantly shouted, "I-I want to hear a story!" A very, very poor choice of words...

           "WHAT?!" I think my eardrums nearly broke at the sound of the other spirits screaming in unison. "No way! You wanna hear a story, go get your Gramma Helen or somethin'!" "What? You want a STORY?! Why would you summon us for something like that?" "(Stories are stupid...Don't waste our time...With something like that...)" It seems like I had to clear things up. I crossed my arms across my chest and sighed. "Now guys, this isn't any story this world would know. Only we would."

           Now I could feel the pangs of almost a thousand glares digging into my soul. And I could automatically tell Rempo was..Well, he was pissed. "What story, Ur? It had better not be THAT one, if you value what you've got now." "For the record, it is, and to be truthful, I really don't." Rempo just glared like hell at me. Neaki made another one of those awful moans, that only years of decifering can interpret. "(So, why are you dragging us into this?)" "Because I'm not going to suffer alone." Neaki started glaring, too. I'm making enemies here at an extremely fast rate.

           "Guys..." Mieli. That was the first time I've ever heard you sound...depressed. "We..Should just get this over with."  I agreed. "Yes, let's get started." I sat down in a rather uncomfortable chair, but the situation was much worse. I felt as if there was a weight over my head, ready to fall at the drop of a pin. The sound of a whisper could end us all. Yet, I was still fool enough to speak.

            "A long time ago, in the very First World, there were four grand Kingdoms, each led by the most powerful leaders of the four corners of that World. The Fiery King to the South, the Free-Spirited Queen of the West, The Coldhearted Queen to the North, and the Thunderous King of the East. The four rulers were greedy for more land, and there was a great War.  The South King used his warriors' brutality, The West Queen used her warriors' speed,  the North Queen used her warriors' sneakiness, but, the King of the East had the strongest weapons and his intelligence. He won by a landslide. The Eastern King ruled all the land and its people now. But, he wasn't too cruel to the other King and Queens. He saw they were great strategists. He knew he wouldn't have won without his weapons, so they were worthy adversaries, but even better allies. He appointed them as his closest advisors."

            Mieli jumped in afterwards, in a voice so calm and quiet, that it was creepy for the situation. "You see, the Great King was a good ruler at first; the people liked him, the land prospered, and there was no war. But, then he got greedy. He wanted more and more power. He took away the people's land, freedom, and hope. His own people called him the 'Bastard King.' The Advisor from the West hated seeing the people in pain, so she decided to overthrow the Great King. She seduced him as a distraction, and drugged his drink. But, the Advisor of the West couldn't bring herself to kill him. He didn't kill her, after all. He was thrown in the Dungeon while he was stll unconscious. When the king woke up, in the eternal darkness, his howls could be heard throughout all of the castle, 'Help! Let me...Let me OUT OF HERE! Please! HELP! Someone...Help...me!....Please.' "

           It was chilling how Mieli could remember those words exactly for whoever knows how long it's been. The images flooded back. The lonely, forsaken King, crying alone in the darkness, actually wishing for his death. Meili grew quiet. She could obviously see them the discomfort on my face. So Rempo joined in. "Well, the Western Queen was no better of a ruler. She was flimsy, foolish, and a total ditz. She didn't know how to run a country. The people grew angry, especially those from the South. The Advisor of the South saw this as an opportunity for power. He used the rage of his peasants to take over the castle. And he himself threw the Queen into the same dungeon as the Bastard King. He was cruel to her. 'Hope you enjoy Hell with the man who probably wants to kill you now. Betcha' regret that now, huh?' The Bastard King was seething with anger. 'Well, you're getting what you deserve, you little tramp. Enjoy Hell.' "

          The memories hurt more and more. I  felt like I was being torn apart. Neaki had pity, though. In her cold voice, I saw a bit of freedom from the Hell. "(The Southern King... was even worse of a ruler. He used his people.... He worked them men to death,... and gathered beautiful women to be in his......harem. The people wanted him dead...So, the Advisor of the North took advantage of this.... She turned the entire Kingdom against him... with powerful words...She threw him in the dungeon with the rest. 'You all get what you deserve. Especially you, Great King. You should have known we were going to betray you from the start.' The words stung at the King,... but he said nothing,... as he felt he couldn't say anything anymore.)"

           The headache I had was now throbbing, and my throat felt swollen, but I had to finish what I started. "The Northern Queen was cold and manipulating of her people. She used them for what she wanted, but if anything ever happened to them, she would just turn the other cheek. And, the peasants, after all the years of war, finally got fed up. They sent out to overthrow the Queen, and kill her and the others.  The world was chaos. The ground was filled with fire, the water with plague, and the sky with blood. The First World was ending. The Cold Queen of the North heard of the revolt, and went to the prison where her former allies were. She begged for forgiveness, but they refused to listen. The Kindhearted Chosen One swayed their minds. The Chosen One of that world had searched for the Kings and Queens. She told them they had a duty to fufill, one that would grant them immortality. And, the power-hungry fools they were, took it. The last thing they knew, they were sucked into the Book of Prophecy, never to be truly free again."

              Tia just gave a blank stare. She was almost as bad as Neaki at times. "Tia, do you know why we told you this story?" She got very queit, and replied, "...No." "Tia, this is our story. It's how the Spirits of the Book came to be. Meili was the queen of the West, Rempo was the King of the South, Neaki was the Queen of the North..." I attempted to swallow the huge lump in my throat. "And I...Was the Bastard King of the East." A grimace creeped up on my face as I uttered those words. Tia was ever silent. It was..unnerving. I covered my mouth with my hand to hide my shame. I felt something trickle down my face. Water? No. Tears. I..I was so embarassed. I hadn't cried since I've been trapped in that dungeon! No, I've always been trapped in that dark dungeon. The shackles on my eyes prove I deserve this fate. "I just want to be free, Tia. I thought that you could help."

              I felt something pull away my hand, and something else brush up against my lips. Was this...A kiss? F-From the Chosen One? "Don't cry, Ur. I'll free you and the others. You don't have to worry." I started crying even more, but it wasn't out of sadness. It was out of relief.

Now, being here, trapped and alone inside Perkele, I think only those memories keep me sane. All I can do is wait for her. For the shining ray of light. For My Chosen One, Tia.