Chapter XVI - The Calm After the Storm ~Rainstorm

The train went along at a steady pace, every now and then humming or bumping but normal otherwise. Lich looked out the window looking rather bored.

"I wonder how many people we'll actually find."

Just then it began to rain, and Lich watched the tiny droplets fall onto the window. For a moment, the rain reminded him of something, but he thought nothing of it. Finally it came to him what he was thinking of.

Leaning over towards Prism, he said, "Hey, do you remember a guy from the Aurorium? What was his name..." Lich thought for a moment and then snapped his fingers, "that's it; his name was Rainstorm wasn't it?"

"Yeah I remember him. He was some special kind of wizard...a precipiwizard I believe. I wonder if he's been put on the list," she said with a shrug.

Lich got up and walked through the train to the front.

"Now I wonder where CR got off to..."

Lich walked around a bit until he found CR, looking out of a window just as he had been doing a moment before.

"Hey, CR, I have a question for you."

At first CR didn't seem to notice him, then he looked up, "Yes?"

"I had a friend back at the Aurorium, his name was Rainstorm. I haven't seen him in a while though. Last time I saw him, he was ranting on about someone named Stratusta, and someone else named Precipita," he said with a shrug.

CR nodded, "I've heard of him. We were actually going to pick him up soon. Gotta find him."

At that moment the rain changed to sleet. Lich smiled and made his way back to where he was when he noticed it was now hailing out. Large pieces of hail were littering the ground, and banging on the Spectrum.

"What the hell?"

Five minutes later as Lich continued to walk it began to snow.

"Alright, what the hell is going on here?" Lich said with a puzzled look on his face.

And then as there was a blizzard, the Spectrum stopped. Looked like they weren't going anywhere for a while in this storm. An hour later the storm had cleared, and another had begun. A large lightning storm was brewing. Lich looked out the window and shrugged.

------------------

Standing in the middle of the weather-beaten field was a Yoshi. Blue in color, wearing what looked like a large brown cloak that was hooded. The amulet around his neck glinted every now and then when lightning flashed. There in front of him stood a giant beast, twice his height and width it seemed, and very quick for its size. There seemed to be a large battle going on between the two.

"Precipita lend me your power, smote this vile creature with lightning!" shouted Rainstorm above the gusts of wind. "May you be consumed by the holy lightning of Precipita herself!"

At that moment it began to pour, and lightning streaks stained the gray sky. Out of the corner of his eye, Rainstorm noticed a long shape, and it seemed to be stopped. It was still covered in snow from his previous blizzard spell. He thought he saw faces in the window, but before he had time to think of whether or not there really were, a large claw crashed down on his head. He groaned and fell onto his back realizing his mistake. The large beast stood over him ready for the killing blow, but right before he brought down his claw, Rainstorm rolled to his right and onto his feet.

"You can't get me that easy," he said calmly with a wink.

The beast howled in rage and took a flying leap towards him. Rainstorm sidestepped it and turned; he was beginning to feel tired.

"Not this again," he thought with a sigh, "Looks like I won't be casting spells for a bit."

With this thought, he reached behind him. Beneath his cloak, two steel scabbards were hidden. With a smile and a prayer to Precipita, he drew his double scimitars, Defender and Avenger. He faced the beast with a cold stare now. It began to run at him, and misjudging its speed, Rainstorm didn't have time to aim a blow. Instead he decided to roll out towards his left swinging Avenger in a wide arc as it came around. Avenger caught the monster on its side, and it didn't seem to appreciate it, for at that moment it swung out its arm and connected. Rainstorm was knocked down, but by instinct he raised up Defender, which blocked the second stroke. The force of the blow sent a chill through his arm, but he rolled up all the same. He was beginning to feel weary. Rainstorm decided he had to end this quickly. He went at the monster with full force, cutting deep into the flesh with both Defender and Avenger in a quick spinning slice. The demon doubled over in pain. He saw his chance,

"Return to your abyss, cursèd beast!" he yelled, as he plunged Avenger and Defender deep into the monsters back.

The monster howled once more, and then crumpled into a dead heap of flesh. Rainstorm pulled his scimitars out of the monsters back and wiped them clean.

"Stratusta, clear the gale I have created with your divine winds," he said, feeling a slight breeze.

The sun began to shine, and the clouds cleared away. Rainstorm sheathed his swords.

"Man I'm tired," he said with a sigh.

After two years of wandering, he still hadn't succeeded in clearing his head. His mind was a constant storm of anguish. Wandering with no purpose depressed him. By now he was 750 years old in actual years, though he was only 18 when others saw him. His ever-lasting life-span and age changing abilities, curse and blessing all in one. He watched the clouds as he remembered all of his friends, long since passed away.

Then he remembered the train. It had started to move towards him, and he stood up. The train stopped, and a door slid open, and there was someone standing in the doorway. He stepped out.

"We've traveled far to find you Rainstorm Yoshi. We have an adventure to go on, and though I don't like to say it this way, you're going if you want to, and even if you don't."

Rainstorm gave him a weird look. "And you would be?"

"I'm CR, that's all you need to know for now. Are you comin' or not?"

"Doesn't look like I have much choice, does it? Oh well, I was looking for something to do anyway."

Rainstorm walked onto the train, and looked around.

"Hey Lich!" he said.

Lich recognized him right away.

"Well you certainly haven't changed, have you?" he said with a smile.

Rainstorm took a walk through the train to where he found the sleeping quarters, and in the car before that he found everyone sitting around. They all greeted him with, "Hello Rainstorm," or "Welcome aboard Rainstorm."

Just as he was about to go in for much-needed sleep he turned around and said, "Do me a favor would ya? Call me Rainy. Oh yeah, and sorry for the weather," he said with a nervous laugh. "I got kind of carried away, with the hail and sleet and lightning storm and all."

Then he smiled and lay down on a bed, and was asleep before his head even fell onto the pillow.