((Note from Tales of Order: This post is full of HTML Errors for some reason, so the formatting will be off until I can really squish them all.))

Original forum post by Litarath on November 28th, 2007

OOC: Okay... I saw so much good RP and writing I couldn't resist the opportunity to do my part... as well as shed a little light upon some things that Aika and Cupil went through before coming to Istaria.. I hope you find this an entertaining read... Note, this is taking place in a memory..

ic:

The pale, sickly, light of the tainted moon cast an eerie glow upon the Imperial City of Corel. Darkness perpetually filled the sky with its velvet cloak as it had started doing so since Nox's return to power and no stars would dare show themselves in the tainted airs; even the moon seemed to be too scared to shine in its true glory and had been lit with a dim and darkened glow as the poison of Nox's powers continued to spread over the lands, despite the Alliance's best efforts.

Only a day or so past, the Princesses Ai'ka'fi'na and Cu'pi'la had returned from Gargantua to recover from wounds they had suffered while fighting against Nox's forces beside their parents, Dra'ki'ne'shi'ne're'thi and Fi'aha'ra'on'iz, whom had not yet returned, but were still well per messengers relaying status reports to the two young Princesses who watched over Corel in their parents' absence.

The two brave Princesses had returned under full guard per their mother and father's orders. Their parents insisted that they return home to heal and recover before returning, much to Aika's dismay. Aika, of course, had argued against it the whole way and tried on a number of occasions to escape the guards to return to her parents' sides, but due to Cupil's interference, her plans had failed each time.

On this night, or day, (one could not ever be certain of the time flow now with the perpetual darkness clinging to Ralgol's lands) Aika rested in her library, immersed in books of study and transcripts of Nox's exploits in the past, she was certain there was a key of some sort that would enable her family to overcome Nox and her forces. Cupil, on the other hand, was tending to matters of court, much to her dismay, for Aika had insisted that she do so while she researched on topics about the Dark Arts that Nox practiced to see if she could find a loophole that the Imperial Alliance could exploit and perhaps use to their advantage.

Aika and Cupil had heard news of an impending attack somewhere within the influence of their kingdom and were scrabbling for any information they could find in hopes that they could turn it to their advantage, but alas, nothing they researched or sought revealed what they wished to know... Everyone seemed to be on edge and the guards of Corel seemed to press closer to the two Princesses in order to better to protect them from any threats, which, needless to say, Aika found quite annoying.

As it were, one of Aika's good friends, by the name of Sa'le'thi Darkshroud lingered near her, keenly alert for any signs of suspicious activity while Aika did her research. As much as Aika enjoyed the company of her friend, she found it irritating that she felt that she had to protect Aika so devoutly.

Finally, it became too much to bear for Aika and she looked up from her texts, "Veil, why don't you just go somewhere else for a time... I hate how everyone is clinging so closely! Nox would not dare to attack Corel, relax a bit and do something... I don't know... more productive! I am not a hatchling that needs its Sire or Dam to constantly look after her! Go check on Cupil or something, you are making even me edgy!"

"Princess, you are my friend, I can't just leave you unprotected... You know that Nox would dare to attack Corel. She attacked another settlement not too far from here the other day, while you and Princess Cu'pi'la were gone."

The Princess sighed irritably, "I know, but still, I can't stand all this tension! It is going to drive me insane and give me reason to jump into the hordes of Darklings just to distract myself from it all! Please, give me some space. We are safe enough within the halls of the castle, I am certain."

Veil, knowing how Aika could get when her temper got short, decided to oblige the Princess, "Very well, Lady Aika, I shall step out for a time, but I will be near should anything happen, the orders are to make certain that you and Lady Cupil are safe." The ebony-violet dragon then stepped out of the library to give Aika a sense of privacy while the emerald dragonelle perused her books.

Even though one could not easily tell it from Aika's disposition; she was worried about the possibility of an attack from the Darklings upon Corel. In a recent battle against a Darkling General, Aika had learned that Nox did indeed intend to sack Corel and kill the royal family in an attempt to remove the leadership from the Imperial Alliance.

The times were dark and all those capable were often called to battle, such was the threat of Nox's forces, of course, Ai'ka'fi'na and Cu'pi'la were often forced to stay behind. However, Aika often made daring escape plans and dragged her sister into them so they could be at the front lines with their parents.

As it were, Aika hated for others to fight for her when she was well capable of fighting as well, though the Darkling forces often proved to be far more of a challenge than she would ever anticipate and more than once, she had gotten herself wounded too badly to fight. Time and again, their parents would force them to return to their bases to rest and recuperate. Most recently, Aika and Cupil had faced against a Darkling General, the very one that had told Ai'ka'fi'na that Nox intended to attack Corel, though a set in stone day had not yet been determined.

Dra'ki'ne'shi'ne're'thi and Fi'aha'ra'on'iz, in an attempt to catch Nox off-guard, had chosen to press an attack, hoping to draw Nox's attention away from Corel, where their two young and wounded daughters were trying to heal from that battle in Gargantua. Aika and Cupil could not be certain what exactly it was that her parents hoped to accomplish, but in truth, they did not know the reasons behind their parents' bold move.

The Darkling forces were growing stronger every day, and it didn't help that Renee, a family friend, and her friends had found evidence of the Gigas revival...
In fact, Renee's own aunt was actually the re-incarnation of Shii, a black dragon, Giga of Destruction... Not too long ago, the spirit of Shii had resurfaced and possessed Tanis, morphing her into Shii's true form and sparking a terrible fight between Renee and her friends against the engine of destruction.

In fact, even their father had been the reincarnation of Recumen, a crimson dragon with powers that far surpassed even Shii's. It was only through a concerted effort on Aika, Cupil, Mystia (Dra'ki'ne'shi'ne're'thi), Renee, Esprit (a special wolf) and a couple of Gigas Knights that they had been able to set Fie (their father) free of the possession from Recumen.

Aika herself had fought against Shii some time ago, but had been nearly killed and barely managed to make it back alive...

Aika broke from her reverie suddenly as she looked out the window at something in the distance, nothing tangible, but a sort of power that reeked of death and shadow powers.

She sighed as she set her paws upon a book entitled: Gigas: Engines of Destruction
"How can we end this? It doesn't help that almost all of the Gigas have been re-incarnated... I couldn't even hurt Shii... how can we fight against all of them and Nox? Cupil and I just aren't strong enough... there must be some way that we can do something to help Sire and Dam..." The emerald Princess looked to the skies as if an answer could dawn upon her...

"Great Grandsire... Morkeleb... what would you do? Sire, Dam, Cupil and I have done all we can to try to stop Nox's forces... but still... she grows stronger every day... with every battle and every victory... The Imperial Alliance grows weaker with every stronghold we lose.. Nox spreads over these lands like a plague... unchecked despite our best efforts... Your seals and spells weaken as she grows stronger..."

There was a timid knock at the door to Aika's study and she snorted irritably as she looked to it, "Who is it? I asked not to be disturbed!!! Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"Sister, it is me, Cupil." The small voice came from beyond the door.

In a moment, Aika's disposition changed and she jumped off the soft chair she was lounging upon to answer the door, "Oh!! Cupil!!! I didn't expect to see you up here, especially since court has been so busy..." Aika fondly nuzzled her sister, "I didn't mean to snap at you...I thought perhaps it was Sa'le'thi or someone else trying to bug me, but you don't have to knock... Why don't you come in?" Aika used her snout to pull open the door to let her sister in completely and then bounded over to her chair, upon which she had left the book she had been studying.

She jumped up and landed next to the book, but set it aside to make room for her sister, who jumped up with her and lie down, but had noticed the particular book.

"Aika... you don't plan on fighting Shii again... do you?"

"I do Cupil, I owe it to her to teach her a lesson for humbling me... I am a Princess! I do not lose!! I will fight and kill her... just you watch."

"Aika, you nearly got yourself killed last time! Do you really want to die that badly?"

Aika snorted disdainfully at the mention of that fiasco, "Look, it made her spare that city... I gave her a good enough fight so that she saw it fit to let that city live."

"Aika, she only didn't kill you or that city because she knew something about us that we didn't... don't you remember?"

Aika's tempered flared at the mention of the words that Shii had spoken to them, "Don't do it Cupil... don't say those words to me again... they aren't true! They can't be! NO!! THEY ARE NOT!! I am not evil, we are not evil!! It is Nox who is the evil one!"

Cupil set her paws against Aika's forehead, "You need to see... they don't want us dead... they want us... Nox needs us...this is why!"

Cupil set her pearl white claws upon Aika's forehead, to unlock memories that Aika had tried to seal away...

****Memory Flash*****

Recumen chuckles and snakes his head into the cave, looking directly at Sor'celia with his ageless, unfathomable eyes, his gigantic head barely fitting into the cavern...

That is a good question. Sister Dear, why don't you shed some light?

He's not talking to any of the other Gigas this time, but to the dragon, Shii, herself.


"Why, we merely want the Silvanesti Crystal's essence." Shii said, smiling darkly at the twin Princesses, Ai'ka'fi'na and Cu'pi'la.

"I am sorry, but we do not have it." Renee said as she readied herself for battle.

"On the contrary, you do have it. You just never knew it. In fact, you have
both parts to it." Shii said arcanely.

"What on Ralgol are you talking about?" Renee shot back.

"Don't mean to tell me that you did not know that the essence of Bluecorea is contained within those two?" Shii asked, indicating the twins.

"W-what do you mean?" Renee asked, confused.

"Ha-ha-ha, you really are an idiot, Saingly." Shii said disparagingly.

"Tell me what you mean, I am not here to play your games!" Renee warned as she pointed her sword at Shii.

"Very well, since you do not know anything anyhow. Bluecorea was comprised of four essences, Light, Dark, Life, and Death. Did it not seem odd that those two are exactly that? There were two sides to Bluecorea, the darker more evil side, which Ai'ka'fi'na represents and his lighter, more good side, which Cu'pi'la represents. They are the reincarnation of him, in a sense. Did you not notice how connected they truly are? Have you failed to notice that they are never apart? Have you failed to notice that when they are with each other, they are stronger, but when they are apart, they are weaker? You can't possibly have overlooked that point could you?" Shii said darkly, smirking at the looks of shock on everyone's faces, even the twins'.

"I see, you are a bit dumbfounded...So you really did not know....He-he-he-he, how ignorant of all of you and the both of you, So'rc'elia and El'or'in'ethi." Shii smirked, amused at the Ancients' reactions.

"Now, turn them over to us, and we shall be on our way..." Shii said, "If you wish to stay alive for a bit longer, I highly recommend that you do as we ask." She suggested.

The party did not answer immediately, out of shock....

Sor'celia stared at the Gigas and the Princesses in shock and looks down.

"You wouldn't dare, brother! You wouldn't dare despoil these two, who are so innocent. I will not let you!"

Recumen laughed malevolently, "Sister, dear, you forget one thing. You rejected your Gigas heritage. You are powerless to stop us all. And your spawn is but a shadow of yourself."

Cupil had clung closer to Aika at that moment, trembling with fear, "What's going on?"

"So'rc'elia, you really have forgotten your place, your former glory and power and you seem to have forgotten's brother's mentality. Once he gets an idea, he will not back down. As I said before... all you have to do is let us take those two. Would you rather we take them by force and obliterate all of you in the process?" Shii said pointedly.

"I will not let you take Mystia's daughters... Mystia knows that I will protect them, even if it costs me my life." Renee said as she rushed at Shii, who merely looked at the girl and did not budge. A burst of energy cloaked Renee and blasted her through the cave wall and through several trees.

"How can you hope to protect them, when you have no strength compared to my own?" Shii asked as she then turned her attention back to the group.

"Now, give us the twins." Shii said as Esprit leapt at her, but the Giga sent her flying away with nothing more than a thought.

Aika said, getting upset at the Giga, who was hurting her friends so easily.

"Just what are you going to do about it?" Shii asked as the emerald dragon launched a beam of darkness at Shii, who merely batted it away with a single claw.

"Child, you cannot hope to stand against our power." Shii said, doing nothing to the small dragon who kept trying to hurt the Giga.

"This is the last time I will ask you, leave the children to us and no one else has to get hurt." Shii said calmly as Aika fired several more beams at Shii, which did nothing to the powerful Giga.

Aika told her sister, upset that she could not protect her friends, She asked Cu'pi'la, hoping that if they did, the mean creatures would leave Renee and the others alone...

Cupil shook her head in response to Aika's question, "No. They're scary and nasty, even if the big red one is made from daddy."

Aika said, worried for her friends' safety,

"Don't worry....about...anything..." Renee said as she staggered back to the party, with Esprit a short distance behind, limping as they returned.

Esprit growled as both she and Renee tried once again to attack Shii, who irritably blasted them away once more.

"It is your choice, Ai'ka'fi'na and Cu'pi'la, come with us... or they pay." She said as she psychically lifted up the wolf and girl and sent pulses of dark energy into them, hurting them very badly, "It would be a good idea to make your choice quickly, for if I allow Recumen to have his way, there will be nothing left of any of your friends." Shii sinisterly, grinning satanically as Renee and Esprit cried out in pain.

"Your choice you two, make it quickly. If not, then I will kill these two without a further thought." Shii said as she increased the intensity of her energy pulses.

Aika and Cupil both went pale as they saw the torture that Shii was putting Renee and Esprit through.

Aika cried as she fired more beams of energy at the Giga.

"I will, just come with us." Shii answered.

"No....Aika, don't....ahhh!" Renee gasped as Shii silenced her with an even more intense burst.

"Make your choice now." Shii said.

Trembling, Aika huddled next to her sister.

She said

"No way! I'm not coming with you!" Cupil shouted and suddenly held a protective wing over Aika. Elli had glared up and blasted Shii once, making her let go of Renee and Esprit.

"Get away from this place, now, or so help me I'll make the Dark and Light Gigas attack you."

The surprise attack had, surprisingly, caught Shii off-guard...
Shii, however, had recovered quickly, with a snarl of her own, "You disgusting half-breed, you dare touch me? The Light and Dark Gigas pose no threat to us. We are invincible, we are the Gigas of yore, and you have pissed me off!" Shii roared as an evil black aura lanced from her body and darkened the entire forest. Aika trembled in fear, for she felt the taint of the Dark and Death's poison fill the forest.

Cupil squealed in pain and clung tightly to Aika, for she could feel the countless lives of the creatures in the forest go out one by one. Only their friends still stood and now the trees were dead, and barren as winter.

"Recumen, let's take them out and take Aika and Cupil by force." She growled as she powered up a huge surge of energy, which accented the black aura and made purple lightning flash from it.

Esprit's hackles stood on end and she growled fearsomely at Shii.
She growled as she leapt at Shii, who fired the beam at the wolf so quickly, that Renee could not act to stop it and protect her companion.

The beam collided with the wolf and a blood-chilling howl came from the cloud of darkness.A burst of light shone and revealed Esprit, rocketing towards Shii's throat.The Giga turned her head aside and Esprit missed by a long shot, but she latched onto Shii's shoulder and bit down viciously.

Shii roared in fury and smacked the wolf from her shoulder with one claw, sending Esprit hurtling to the ground, but the agile wolf landed perfectly and immediately sprang at Shii once more.

"Esprit, no don't!" Renee cried as the wolf continued to attack Shii, who connected many slashes with her claws to Esprit's body, but the wolf did not care, she only wanted to rip out Shii's throat.

"Esprit, what are you doing!" Renee cried as she leapt to try to intercept the wolf, who nimbly avoided the Saingly's arms and pressed her attack on Shii...

Much to everyone's surprise, Recumen had intervened and suddenly held out his claw, which suspended them in air and immobilized them.

"Shii, do not pursue this foolish fighting. She cannot beat us, but she has a point. The Dark Gigas is indeed powerful. Almost as powerful as me and if there is a Light Gigas, this will not be an easy fight. I suggest we return to the City and build a strength up, and look for a final few crystals."

It had been then when Shii snarled at each of the others present, but directly aimed an attack at Aika, who had been so foolishly bold as to attack her in the first place, "I may not be allowed to kill you, little one, but I can teach you a lesson that you won't forget! Do not dare to stand against the almighty Gigas of legend!" The Gigas used her power to envelope Aika in a terribly painful glowing light of purple and black energy and then blasted her through several trees, much to the horror of those present before the Gigas departed.

"We shall meet again, Princesses Ai'ka'fi'na and Cu'pi'la... don't forget who you are... the Giga, Bluecorea... and one of us..." Shii's malevolent laugh filled the air as she vanished in a burst of black energy, along with the others...

****Memory fade******

It took Ai'ka'fi'na a moment to recover her senses as Cu'pi'la withdrew her paw and stopped the flow of her powers.

Aika shook her head, trying to clear away the memories of that day, so recently ago, but to no avail, "No Cupil!!! I am not evil!!! I am not!!! Shii was lying!!!"

Cupil did not seem at all troubled, but more concerned for Aika, who was definitely not taking this well, "You see... it is because of us that Nox does this... she needs the two of us to restore all of the Gigas.... our souls are linked with Bluecorea's... Bluecorea is the only one whom Nox has yet been unable to get and revive... Nox doesn't want to kill us, because she wants the full power of the ancient engines of destruction..."