Seikou is knocked to the floor -again-, this time a little damaged, at least in comparison with what the Air Blast did. "Better..."

Variance stands his ground, doing a bit of panting from the sudden mental exertion caused mainly by casting things out of his innate elemental alignment, not bothering to brush a few stray platinum locks from his vision. /Come on, snap out of it...!/

Seikou sighs and shakes his head. "You're still hoping, aren't you...? There's something you don't understand... He deleted the antivirus program. There is no hope."

"...Deleted...?" Variance echoes to himself, once determined scowl turning to a stare of disbelief. If... if that's true, then... He expels the thought from his mind, previous experiences leading to much more favorable hopes...

You say 'But there's still a chance, as slim as it may be! They aren't called DNA -Souls- for nothing! He can still fight you off!'

Seikou smirks and climbs to his feet. "You were talking to him just a few minutes ago... But I took over again with ease... I have control now..."

Variance keeps his gaze locked firmly on Seikou's clouded pools of crimson, a forceful wind rising as he prepares another mana-based assault. "Then I'll just have to give it back to him, won't I?"

Seikou raises an eyebrow, but chrages and attempts to slash before the spell is complete...

Variance again throws himself to one side(...we'll say his left), mildly cursing as the black blade bites at his arm just before he can fully escape its grasp. Normally, this wouldn't be so bad, if not for his losing his focus and dropping a good amount of his gathered power.

Seikou grins and stabs again while Vari is unfocused...

A startled, half-choked cry of pain rips through the air in Variance's immediate vicinity, followed by a grunt of effort as he attempts to shove Seikou back and hopefully release the beam of energy from his lacerated shoulder.

Seikou is pushed back, but skids to an easy stop... He pauses for a moment, then girns. "Tell you what, Variance... I'll give you one straight shot with whatever attack you choose.. but if you're not strong enough to kill me, you die. Sound good enough to you?"

Variance pauses for a moment, gripping his newly-wounded shoulder in a sadly vain effort to slow the river of scarlet flowing from it(which says nothing for the exit wound).

You say '...Fine.'

Seikou smirks and extends his arms wide...

Variance straightens, seeming to ignore his injury for the moment. Again, a dim aura of light surrounds him, this time joined by a somewhat brighter outline of a lavender hue. His hands raise in a time-perfected motion, synchronized exactly with his quiet, arcane chanting...

The area around him seems to darken momentarily, but is quickly banished as his arms lock before him and two distinctive words pierce the once deafening silence. At Variance's command, a stream of silver-white light forms and heads for its intended target, the heat of such intense light immediately dash away any lingering tears. /Forgive me.../

Seikou is struck directly in the chest and Seikou falls to the ground. "Thank... you... Vari-sama..." he whispers, and his eyes close, Seikou once -again- unconcious...

Variance lets his arms fall to the will of gravity, taking a few steps before allowing himself to collapse to the same will. He stares intently at the fallen Hunter, almost subconsciously barking orders to the remaining medics to help...

[[ BREAK TIME ]]

A pair of tiny hands suddenly seem to pat at your cheek, an invisible entity accompanying them that remains oddly undetectable.

...

...

The invisible hands remove themselves from your cheek, but not before a tiny, female voice whispers in your ear, in an equally-tiny voice. "Reploid-man... you okay? No hurt?"

Variance whips around himself, eyes wide and alert, then suddenly grips his still-healing shoulder again.

Variance says 'What.. Who's there?!'

The tiny voice gasps, a tiny body felt pressing itself against the side of your face. "No yell, scream.. no want hurt. Only concern, okay?"

A sudden green pulse flickers near Variance's shoulder.

Variance looks to his shoulder, still quite startled, but even moreso now. /That light... It's the same one.../

Variance says '...Who... what are you?'

The tiny voice giggles softly, still planted firmly against the side of your face. "We only see good, friend of Aura.. want talk, if can. Trust? Come out city, so no have hide."

The green light pulses once more, slightly brighter than before.

The constant sound of running water from the fountain seems a little more amplified as Variance pauses, then nods and starts walking almost subconsciously southbound...


LOCATION: [ Guardia - A Dirt Road ]


Variance stops again, both waiting for the voice to rise again and wonder if he's seeing things at the same time...

"Here good! Just as no have be 'round lots people, 'cause we scare easy. No like big hustle, bustle, big noise. Big people." The voice sounds pleased with herself, before finally pulling away from your cheek.

Variance nods slowly in complacent understanding, belying his look of utter confusion. "Why are you appearing to me so suddenly?"

Another green flash, and a tiny little figure in the shape of a palm-tree-like structure materializes upon your shoulder, wide green eyes looking up at you in a discerning manner. "We like you. You see us, but we no feel threat from you. Not feel same way for lots people. Trust rare, rare!"

The little tree-woman hops up and down as she speaks, her voice clearly audible despite her tiny stature, as if it were being relayed directly into your mind.

Variance watches the tiny figure do her hopping curiously to such an extent that hasn't been seen on him in literally years. He thought about mentioning the fact that his previous question wasn't answered, but simply seeing the being defied every attempt he made to speak.

The little tree-figure calms down after a moment, both tiny arms crossing over her chest as she continually peers up at your face, enormous green eyes never lessening in width. "No hurt dryads, right? Only want talk, 'cause see fight earlier. No business ours, but know good person when see one. You friend, Aura friend, so dryad friend, too! Yes?"

Variance begins another confirmatory nod, but pauses in the middle after realizing this 'dryad' had mentioned the fight. "You... you saw that?"

The little creature nods solemnly, lifting off your shoulder and simultaneously defying gravity itself as she rises into the air, only to stop near your cheek and give it, again, a gentle pat. "We see, we watch. Seikou, main reason.. Aura not listen to us, we say Seikou no can trust. Dryads no trust, but Aura silly, no listen. We not know how show her truth, so try get Vari-reploid, for talk. Dryads not know other option."

The previous curiosity fades from Variance's eyes, replaced with the troubled concern they had held earlier at Shrike. The same concern that failed to reach Seikou...

Variance says 'I wish I could argue with that... Seikou himself is one of the most trustworthy people I've met, it's just that cursed Virus that makes him seem otherwise.'

Variance looks at the ground, muttering quietly to himself, "It's not his fault..."

The dryad seems confused, moving back a few inches from your face, but remaining quite airborne. "'Fire-us'? We no understand. Reploids, lots about that dryads no understand, and not trust, same reason. We take chance, not know for sure, but try extend trust for Vari-reploid, maybe get talk like we want, maybe find answers. Aura not reploid, so not know same horizon for."

Variance again looks back up to the dryad, as startled as he had been when she first came to him. "She's not...? But.. is that even possible?"

The little woman Seems frustrated, herself, at the same notion, puffing out her miniature cheeks in a similar gesture thereof. "We not know, either! But we dryads, elementals of mana, wood. We know flow of mana, feel power in Aura. No can be reploid, no real, real mana power in reploid. All come from all, but Aura power special. Not same, not reploid. But we not know what happen, sad."

The tree-creature seems at once depressed, almost hanging limply in the air. "We feel, Aura not always reploid. Something happen to, change into what all see now. Not reploid since born, we feel."

"Converted..." Variance's brow furrows in contemplation, barely realizing he had said anything. /I've heard rumors, but never thought they were valid.../ "But who would do that?"

Variance suddenly straightens and coughs a little(another gesture acquired elsewhere), a slight rose tinge flushing across his nose in embarrassment. "Forgive me, I'm asking too many questions..."

The dryad does a little spin-around in the air, shaking her head (and the leaves her hair seems to be made of). "We wish know, too. Aura no have memory, or no tell us, at least. We ask Aura, not tell anyone 'bout us, big secret we exist. People no like what no can understand, get scared, no want scared of us. But we scared easy, too, so hide all time. No mind tell Vari-reploid, 'cause say before, feel different 'bout you, feel like.. trust-able. Not like take risks, but Aura maybe in trouble, so not have lots choice. No mind questions, though, but no promise know lots.. we sorry."

Variance nods again, dismissively this time. "It's alright, but you say Aura's in danger... Do you know what's threatening her?"

The dryad freezes in midair, only to drop out completely and land with a tiny little *Whump!* in a sitting position on your shoulder, looking up at you almost expectantly. "Aura not threatened, not physical. Aura heart threatened, emotional. Not know? Aura love Seikou, pour heart out, all for. Aura know Seikou attack again, try kill, what? Know what heartbreak do when no have anything else in world?"

She fidgets slightly. "We not want tell Aura what we see, for sake of happy.. but no want lie, either. Dryads in trouble, not know what do."

Variance becomes silent again, more from the first comment than anything else. He knew quite well about Seikou and Aura's relationship, but not much more than that. Heartbreak, with nothing else... 'Devastation' doesn't quite cut it.

Variance says 'I'm... not sure what to do, either. I'm sorry...'

She seems to think it over for a moment, before standing up again. "We understand.. not know, first, what happen. See Aura's rose, black? Gift from Goddess, Aura's wish. Long time ago, feel empty, no have friends. Aura feel like burden on world, wonder why exist. At time, we find Aura, realize she not actual reploid, follow rose scent. Black rose, symbol of Aura's faith, not death! We know, not have anything to do with problem. We hope not bother Vari-reploid when want talk, but just want tell what happen, that we know. Not have promise anything, sometimes just need ear speak into when friends in trouble. We thank, for time, least."

"Now, we just scared. Aura find love, but if lose love, break heart.." The little dryad trails off, leaving the thought to hang there.

Variance lets the thought linger for several more pained moments before taking at least part of it for his own. "To be honest, I've been worried about that myself. Not nearly to your extent, considering I don't know her as well, but.."

Variance says 'I know how much she adores Seikou and how much he depends on her... But he's so close to being lost now, and... I'm... I'm not sure if I can bring him back.'

The dryad leaps up off your shoulder and rises into the air, only to land almost gracefully upon your head, looking down over the side of your face with her huge green eyes. "We not know what happen.. If left up to us, we try convince Aura not trust Seikou, but we feel too late now. We not like Seikou, but we want Aura happy, too. She have big mana power inside, bind self to elementals. We feel bad, drag Vari-reploid into mess, but try do all can for Seikou? We know, no can promise, and not expect lots. We only here, do Goddess bidding. Goddess watching Aura, see all pain, hurt, misery. All!"

Variance lets a soft, exasperated sigh leave him as he shakes his head(gently, for the sake of throwing off the little Dryad), averting his gaze again. "You're better off protecting Aura, as you have been..."

"I've heard what the..." Variance pauses, trying to find a more appropriate term for the Maverick Virus, "...what the evil afflicting Seikou can do to nature. You'd only be putting yourselves in more danger."

She snorts minutely, sliding over the side of your head to glide more or less where your gaze had been diverted to, practically forcing you to look at her, hands on her hips in a nigh-comical attempt to be intimidating. "We know. We seen what do. We seen lots fights, see Vaisu, see Seikou first attack Vari-reploid. You help us already, just by talk. We know more now, know more than did before. All actually want is talk. Knowledge help all, for future. Maybe we find way to prevent? Maybe not? Maybe leave for Goddess to decide. Dryads grateful, no matter what outcome. Vari-reploid prove can lend trust, open way for more, in future."

Variance just stares at the dryad, as she had insisted, more or less stunned. Trust... He'd gained the trust of the very beings from whom he took his power time and time again. Being as awestruck as he is, he can only manage to rouse a rather lame phrase, "You're welcome?"

The dryad gives her leafy head a stiff shake, before hovering close to your cheek again, give it once more a light pat. "Vari-reploid no worry about us. Lots, lots, more than you know. If no can do lots, no strain self. Goddess wish, all run through course already been set. We try protect Aura, do best we can. Aura sleep now, so we rest for night, too. We make sure see Vari-reploid again, okay? We always here, even if no can see."

Variance simply nods his reply, words escaping him again.

She giggles silently, leaning up to place a tiny little kiss upon your cheek before suddenly vanishing in a small burst of grass blades, which flutter to the ground about and around.

Variance remains standing for a few more minutes after the Dryad's departure, during which the only movement on his behalf is a slight, disbelieving caress of the kissed area...