When he awoke, Lich found Ark, like many times Heratu's Syndrome took its toll, staring concernedly into his face.
"You okay?" he asked. "That was a pretty nasty fall; what was on your mind, Dy?"
"Ungh…lots of things, Ark, lots of things," he groaned. "Where am I, and what's the time?"
Time and place were always of utmost importance to Lich, and in his history, where passing out occurred frequently, he could usually expect a large difference in both.
"Um…where I found you, forty minutes after you fell out," Ark answered. "It's now night, I started a fire in case I couldn't move you."
"That makes a change," he muttered.
"You realise I had to pour a Cup of Wishes down your throat?"
Lich's eyes riveted their gaze on Ark's face, in shock.
"I nearly died?"
"Yes."
"Oh," he said, turning away.
"You have a near death experience and all you can say is 'Oh'?!"
"It happens to me a lot more than you'd care to think, Ark," he sighed. "I can almost count how many blemishes there are on Shade's back." He turned back to Ark and said, using the Guardian Proclamation, "I speak to the Guardian of the Ebony Lance as the Guardian of the Cyan Arc: you are a Guardian like myself, brother - we all have season passes for the Shade ride."
Lich smirked at his comment while Ark laughed. He propped himself up on his elbows, the shadows caused by the firelight becoming more pronounced.
"Seriously, though, with that pendant of yours…well, you may have to make a choice between keeping it and your Spear, otherwise you'll get twice the excitement."
Ark's smile faded. He unclasped the pendant from his neck and held it out at eye level, so that it dangled on its chain, catching the warm light of the fire and reflecting it onto its gold setting.
"I was tortured in the caves by this," he uttered. "Day after day, it reminded me of you and how I couldn't get back to you. I tried climbing the rocks at the falls, countless times, every time slipping back into the deep pool at the bottom."
Lich looked at the large scar that ran down the length of Ark's arm, shoulder to wrist. Ark noted his gaze and continued.
"It was just as well I was born with advanced intellect and sent to Luka College before you - they taught me a very weak form of Cure Water. It's what kept me alive, otherwise I would have bled to death. But, Cure Water doesn't heal the wounds of the heart. You sent my robots down, and I knew that you still believed I was alive. And when the letters started to arrive, I was sure of it. Apart from what you intended them to do, they only fueled the sadness. I had considered killing myself many, many times. I tried drowning myself, I started to make a robot that would kill me…I couldn't stand being near the falls anymore, so I went deeper into the system. And…well, afraid my sadness would overwhelm me and drive me into insanity, I threw this into that deep pool. It wasn't until a few years later when my wanderings brought me back there, that I found it again.
"Suddenly, all the emotions flooded back - I was basically senseless, living off what I could find for those years, just passing time by sleeping, eating or walking. And with the pendant was another being waiting for me."
"Dark?" Lich asked, to which Ark nodded.
"He was the one who convinced me you had betrayed me - sadness turned to anger and hatred. Gave me a castle, robotics laboratory, on one condition - I had to kill you. From there…well, it's all gone hazy. All I know was that at some stage I woke up on the surface, free from those feelings. You said something about meeting me on that planet, Zolott - I can't remember it at all."
"Only dribs and drabs for me. I had flashbacks during your Ordination. I guess, though, I had a reminder of it left from Tob."
There was a moment's silence, before Ark asked, "Well, you feeling better?"
Lich nodded.
"I suppose we'll head home then," Ark said, getting up and moving towards the fire. "Big day for both of us tomorrow - how are we getting there?"
"I don't know. I guess it's like the meetings of the Assembly - we'd use the cannons. Gaia's Navel to Matango to Kakkara to Pureland."
"Matango to Kakkara? That's a dangerous leg…"
"I know," Lich shrugged, then got up. "Besides, if we land in the desert, I always have Nessie."
Ark shuddered, and jerked a thumb over his shoulder, saying, "You put it out."
Lich lazily pointed his finger and fired a small jet of water, extinguishing the flames.

Ark awoke in his old bed in the brothers' old room at the Navel Falls View. A teal sky through their window heralded the imminent arrival of the sun, giving a faint cyan glow to everything in the room. He stretched his arms and placed his hands behind his head as he stared at the ceiling.
"Big day today," he whispered. "All the Guardians…and the Elementals."
He reached out with his right arm and took the pendant from his bedside table. He held it up to the light, and turned it over and over in his fingers, its gold chain tinkling on the edge of hearing.
"Dad said last night that the jeweler thought of you as a fine emerald specimen when you were set," he whispered to the stone, "but nothing about any powers within. What secrets do you hold?"
Lich grumbled in his sleep, and turned over.
"Why do you reveal yourself now, and not before?" he continued. "Is it because I was threatened? But I have been threatened before, many times…why now? And what did you do to them?"
Lich turned over again and mumbled something incomprehensible.
"Why did you lay dormant? What powers lie within you? Why n-"
Ark jumped as Lich shot into a sitting position with a yell, his eyes wide and unblinking, his breaths shallow and quick, his body covered in cold perspiration.
"Scare me too, while you're at it," Ark sighed.
"It was the Tob nightmare," Lich exhaled quickly, clutching his blanket to his chest.
Ark nodded solemnly and said, "I suppose it's what you get for trying to find your memories. Nuclear explosion…glad I can't remember."
"Shut up," Lich glared at him. "Be thankful that you don't."
"Alright. Though, maybe I have a nightmare or two involving a Zerg battlefield, and meeting that red guy, Ulre-"
"Don't say his name," Lich snapped.
"-But at least I don't get worked up about it."
"Maybe you don't find people evaporating before your eyes to be horrifying. And, little brother, leave the sympathising to me in the future, okay?"
Ark raised his hands in front of his chest in surrender. The pendant caught Lich's eye. Ark followed his gaze to his right hand.
"It hasn't done anything else, has it?" Lich asked.
Ark shook his head. Lich nodded and removed his blankets, sat on the edge of the bed and stretched.
"Since I'm up, we may as well get going," he yawned. "By the time we get there, the meeting will nearly be started."
He stood and lifted the mattress, revealing his already laden belt and the Boomerang. He took a trusty pair of his shorts - blue with black bias binding around the legs and tail - and slipped them on while Ark clasped the pendant, opened the cupboard and dressed himself in some traveling clothes - simply, a pair of black shorts. Lich looked at his brother quizzically.
"No top today, eh?"
Ark shrugged. "It'd probably get dirty."
"You're only going to change into your Guardian robes at the other end."
With a sudden realisation, Ark spoke in a small voice: "Gulto."
"What? You didn't leave them on the Spectrum, did you?"
Ark shook his head.
"Then what is it?"
"Um…it's about yours…"
"You didn't leave mine on there, did you?"
Ark shook his head once more.
"For Undine's sake, Ark, what is it?"
"You vomited all over yours when you had a Heratu's attack. I changed you out of them and I…"
Expecting a negative reaction, Ark braced himself for a fit of rage from his older brother. He was surprised when Lich smiled and said, "I found the washing machine."
Lich patted his younger brother's shoulder.
"Don't worry so much - you'll end up like me."
Lich then sat on his bed, producing a stick of flourescent pink zinc cream and applying it to the region behind his nostrils.
"Six to one that Zulan picks a fight with Theutes," he muttered.
"Who's Zulan?" Ark asked, retrieving the Lance from under his own mattress.
With a sigh, Lich said, "When Theutes got sent to Zolott, the Assembly made Zulan take his place as the Guardian of the Fire Palace. They had to re-instate Theutes when he returned, so the Assembly made Zulan Guardian of the Desert. Of course, this meant that Zulan was no longer the direct assistant of an Elemental and was not the greatest Salamando caster - shunted 'down the ranks', so to speak."
"Jealous and highly ambitious," Ark commented.
"Precisely," Lich added, starting to inspect the Boomerang and cleaning it with a cloth he had taken from Storage. "The Assembly gets divided between the two of them as soon as Zulan speaks the first word. He tries to shame Theutes in front of the entire Assembly - twist everything so it turns against him. Theutes tries to defend himself. So, as I don't share Zulan's opinions and since Theutes is simply…Theutes," he saw Ark smirk, "I try to get the two to calm down, or I just sit out. Six to one, Ark."
"It sounds like fun," Ark muttered with a sideways glance.
"Oh, believe me," his older brother said, exasperated, "it is."

The two breakfasted and left long before their parents had woken up. They caught what was the first train of the day to Gaia's Navel, before launching themselves by cannon to Matango. They fought with the crowds of mushrooms as they went to the next Cannon Travel Agent, who propelled them (successfully), across the Desert to Kakkara, landing in the main square of the sandy citadel. They brushed themselves off, located the next Cannon Travel Agent, and walked towards it. Already gathered were a few Guardians - apparent by the fact that they recognised them.
"It's Cyan Arc and Ebony Lance!" a woman pointed.
"I speak to the Guardians of the Cyan Arc and the Ebony Lance - where have you been?" a Matangese asked.
"There are ears here that should not hear where and what, Great Forest," Lich answered him.
He lifted a foot to let the already accumulated sand trickle out from between his foot and his thong as a loud boom filled the area as a Guardian was fired off.
"Will you divulge it at the meeting?" the Guardian of the Great Forest continued.
"I intend to."
"One more!" the Travel Agent called.
"That would be me!" the mushroom called back, nodded to the two brothers and departed.
"I trust you know him," Ark whispered to Lich, who nodded.
"I don't know his real name - I think it's Myko - but he always stands up for Theutes," he answered in a hushed tone as the cannon boomed. "You heard how I addressed him, by their title. Remember to call them that, and call me Cyan Arc, Ebony Lance. Remember to use the Guardian proclamation if you're going to speak directly to someone during the meeting - 'I speak as the Guardian of blah blah blah'. Hate it."
Ark nodded with a slight smirk as another boom punched the air, and said so his brother could hear, "I want to talk to them about my pendant, though. Including the Elementals." He paused a moment before saying, "How do I address them?"
"Your Eminences," a third voice added.
"Drepio," Lich muttered, and turned to find Theutes standing just behind them, at an easy eavesdropping range.
"You know, D'krim, you should tell your brother not to speak so loud if your discussing secret-secret things," he smiled.
"Eh, heh…thanks for the advice," Lich said with his top lip curled back, hoping he picked up the acute sarcasm.
"You're very welcome," he replied, with no sign of having done so. "What is this about your pendant, Rac?"
"My name is Ark, thank you," he replied.
"That is secret business," Lich added.
"Oh, come now, surely you can share it with your old friend Theutes Whalki."
"Next!" the agent shouted.
"I believe that is us two," Lich brushed the Guardian of the Fire Palace off. "Excuse me."

They flew over the vast expanse of ocean that lay between Kakkara and the Pureland, the clouds zipping past them at good speed. A few boats could be seen below them occasionally, ploughing sluggishly through the water towards their destinations. As they began to descend, a line of mountains grew on the horizon, and passing over them, a glorious sight filled their eyes that took Ark's breath away.
A mist-filled forest pocked with clearings stretched across the floor of the basin formed by the circular mountain range. In the middle of it stood a giant tree, towering over its much smaller siblings, its branches spreading out over them and its crown caressing the sky.
"The Mana Tree," Ark muttered in awe.
Looking up from the Tree, he could see the air distort as a packet of Mana entered the cosmos, its wavy trail shimmering as it journeyed and dissipated.
When they landed in the large clearing surrounding its trunk, the Elementals were already waiting for them: the motherly Undine of water, the bumbling, womanising Gnome of ground, the impatient, fun-seeking Salamando of flame, the capricious and judgmental Sylphid of air, the mysterious yet amiable Luna of the moons, the egotistical gossip, Lumina of light, the insecure and shy Dryad of life and Mana, and Shade: the cold and devoted introvert.
"Ark," Shade acknowledged the younger von Kippo with a shake of its wings.
Ark replied with a deep bow.
"Ahhh, Dyluck, glad to see you again!" Lumina called with an agitation of its white flame and the bouncing of its yellow balls that hovered above it.
Dy bowed and replied, "You too, Your Eminence. How goes things on the Golden Isle?"
"Well, well, except that there's talk of forcing me to churn out gold again, the city's starting to look a bit tarnished, they say. They won't admit it to anyone though, but I know. You coming to the tower sometime soon?"
"Maybe, depends what's going with other things…"
Ark stepped beside Lich.
"If you come, you won't believe what Shero's been doing…"
"Oh?"
"I hear that he's…"
"Ladies, gentlemen, and korogren," Undine announced, "the Assembly will now gather. Please dress in your robes and take a seat."
"You'd better do that, Dyluck and Ark." Lumina told them. "You wouldn't believe what Sylphid's like on these things…"
The two brothers put on their attire (Lich noticed some discolouration on his stole) and sat, where plush seats had been erected, in the middle yet towards the left edge of the main area. Instead of their usual positions out the front (which were taken by the Elementals), the Palace Guardians sat in the front row. Theutes sat on the right, at the end. Undine stood in the middle, swishing her mermaid tail and flicking her gills on the side of her head. She held her staff with her right hand as the sunlight reflected off her aqua-coloured hair.
"This Assembly has been abruptly called due to the large Mana fluctuation that you would have all felt yesterday," she said, her eyes filled with concern. "Guardians, the Mana Sword has been stolen and is no longer on Fa'diel."
Uproar filled the Assembly as people murmured to each other and others jumped up and shouted questions in their native tongues. Only Lich, Ark and Nase remained calm. Undine begged with the crowd for them to be silent - they were a few moments later.
"I cannot answer your question, Sea Mare Island," Luna floated forward, her teardrop face set in the middle of her slender, yellow body bobbing up and down. "We do not know where the Sword has been taken."
There was more murmuring followed by hushing from Undine once again.
"By now, the whole of Fa'diel would know of the situation, thanks to the Pandoran news services," the Water Elemental continued. "There are some reports of a being known as a Protoss being seen in the area, as well as a human and a lizardine robot," her eyes fell on the two Yoshies, "similar to Dyluck and Ark Yoshi von Kippo. They were also seen in the area, and perhaps it should be them who stand up and speak."
The whole Assembly turned and stared at them. Lich got up and moved out, and began walking down the aisle, followed soon after by Ark. Approaching all of the Elementals was very daunting.
"I speak to Your Eminences and all Guardians as the Guardian of the Cyan Arc," Lich proclaimed as he came to the centre, in front of them all.
Everyone's eyes were riveted on him, and this made him feel uncomfortable, even more so than he had been before delivering the homily at Ark's Ordination, especially the eyes glaring into the back of his skull. He had spoken at the Assembly about two or three times before, but this time was more unnerving than those other times.
"I ask the Guardian of the Water Palace if he would be able to assist me in telling the Assembly what happened," he said to Nase.
Nase got up shakily - the air became unsettled as everyone noted his peculiar unease.
"I'm here for you - tell them," he whispered in his ear.
Nase took a deep breath.
"I speak to Your Eminences and all Guardians as the Guardian of the Water Palace," he spoke quietly. "I was attacked yesterday by two demons while in the Water Palace - they sought the location of the Sword. One was definitely a demon - called a Twilighter, as Cyan Arc told me. It understood Pandoran. The other one was a robot, I think, it had the ability to raise the dead."
"How can a robot raise the dead?!" a man stood up and shouted.
"Thank you, Ancient City," Undine called, watching the man sit down.
"I did not tell them. They left the Water Palace and went to Kippo. From here, it is best Cyan Arc tells you."
Nase sat down with a pat on the back from Lich.
"The robot and demon terrorised Kippo a little," Lich said again, clenching his rod tighter. "As you may know, our parents run the inn in the town. I can only tell you what they told me - they basically scared a few people, demanded a cask from my father - two travelers chased them off. They went to Potos next. It is why the Guardian of Potos is not here today, as he is healing from yesterday's attack on it - they destroyed the village."
Another uproar happened - Undine asked them to calm down.
"We arrived at Potos too late, to answer Great Forest's question, the Guardian of Potos was incapacitated by the demons to protect the Sword, to answer Lofty Mountain's, and as for Moon Palace's question, the news will have the death toll, if there were any."
"Cyan A…" Ark started, but was cut off by him speaking again.
"Ebony Lance and I went to the Sword, however we were halfway there from Potos when the Mana fluctuation hit. Being so close, we fell over. The demon and robot were gone when we arrived at the stream. This human was also in pursuit of the Sword, but he also arrived too late. This Protoss being - I will need to clarify. Our disappearance immediately after the Ordination was due to us being called by a being known as CR, who controls the Rip which allows people to teleport from one place to another - some of you may have heard of him through your studies in the Left Path. We have gathered with a group of heroes in pursuit of a council of demons who seek weapons throughout the Multiverse like the Mana Sword. They hold the belief that the weapons will revive a much more powerful demon who can control time - I battled with him on Zolott about three ye-"
"Ah, another one who's caught the Zolott bug, I see," a voice rang throughout the auditorium.
A man stood up, dressed in tan coloured robes, Kakkaran in appearance, well into balding.
"I speak to the Guardian of the Cyan Arc…as well as all Guardians, I suppose, as the Guardian of the Desert," Zulan continued, beginning to pace towards the front. "Well, well, well. It seems that our famed Guardian of alien bloodline has something in common with the Honorary Guardian of the Fire Palace."
"I am the real Guardian of the Fire Palace, Desert!" Theutes stood up, shaking his fist at Zulan.
The Palace Guardians stood up and forced Theutes back onto the seat. The Elementals also looked agitated, but Undine turned to all of them and muttered, "Let him speak - I want him to prove his worthiness as a Guardian."
"I am not speaking to you, foreigner, so do be quiet like a good Northtown boy," Zulan spoke condescendingly to him, before turning his attention back to Lich, reaching him. "I do wonder whether or not this 'Zolott' of which you speak is true. Ebony Lance, are you also involved in this Zolott plot?"
Ark nodded, clenching the Spear tightly.
"Of course you are - it is only natural seeing both of you are supposed to have been on this 'planet' with Fire Palace. I know nothing of this Protoss creature, this band of heroes, this human and robot. I wonder if it is all actually the truth? I wonder if all the Guardians," he swept his hand behind him to everyone and paused, "believe it is the truth or not?"
"Do you doubt my words, Desert?" Undine asked him.
"Of course not, Your Eminence," Zulan bowed to her. "I just wonder if the reports are true. We all know that these two aliens disappeared after the Ordination. Cyan Arc claims to have joined up with a 'band of heroes'. I suppose they journey across the Multiverse in a magical train?"
"To tell the truth, yes," Lich answered him. "How did you know?"
A few of Zulan's loyal supporters laughed at the absurdity.
"Cyan A…" Ark looked nervously at his pendant.
"Lies, Your Eminences," Zulan bowed to them, a slimy grin on his face. "For all I know, if Cyan Arc and Ebony Lance…and I suppose Water Palace is in this as well - hah, there it is. A threesome. We all know what the most famous threesome is in history - Randi, Purim and Popoie. And they disappear just before the Sword disappears, and re-appear when it's gone. And, he has the Boomerang and he has the Spear. Why stop there when you can have the big one? And with Fire Palace acting as back-up, as Watts the Blacksmith did…well, it seems that our little friends want to journey like the Mana Knight and Party, but with the warp to their homeworld of Yamauchi - who knows what they could sell the Sword for there. Two demons attack Water Palace? The two demons stand before you."
"You lie," Lich growled.
"Prove that you were on a magical train with a bunch of heroes then!" Zulan yelled, pointing at Ark. "Prove it!"
"That is more than enough, Desert, sit back down!" Salamando yelled, slithering forward, the flames on his anguine back roaring as he pointed his staff at Zulan.
"Lich, the stone is glowing!" Ark cried.
A green glow shot out from the emerald, bathing Zulan in its light. He froze in his position, and fell on his side, petrified.
Yet again, uproar filled the Assembly, Undine hushing them, then performing her Remedy spell on Zulan.
"Give me a look at that stone!" a voice squeaked, and soon Gnome bounded over towards Ark, his large brown feet slapping against the ground and his green hat bouncing with each step.
Ark bowed to the Earth Elemental as he approached.
"Excuse me, pretty lady," he said as he bounced past Undine and stopped at Ark's feet.
He was only half his height, so he had to stand on his toes to view the pendant, his hairy brown beard brushing against Ark's alb. Undine had cured Zulan of his petrification and was guiding him back to his seat.
"Hmm…this is interesting," Gnome said. "Has it done anything like this before?"
"The first time was yesterday, Your Eminence. It removed the human and the robot - I don't know what happened to them. This was while I was at the Sword's location, and being threatened. I did nothing except stand there."
"It needs a lot of Mana power - the Tree is the entry point, so there's a lot around here - I know what it is. Your stone is the Emerald of Loparo."
There were a few gasps.
"You dismiss this like that, Gnome?" Sylphid floated over, his black body bobbing in the air as he waved his yellow trouser wearing legs. "Loparo was a city of the Third Age where the Lofties now stand - they built the Mana Fortress. This jewel, along with seven others, powered the Fortress' engines, weapons, everything. It is very powerful - it probably fell out when the Knight smashed the Fortress."
"I found it in a rockpool north of Kippo when I was a Koyoshi - a child, Your Eminence," Lich bowed to the Wind Elemental.
"I know where the Ruby of Erisot is, too," Lumina called. "It's the power source for the Cyan Arc."
More gasps. Lich took the Cyan Arc from beneath his cape and viewed the ruby at its bend.
"You never told me that, Your Eminence," Lich told Lumina.
"You're right, I didn't," Lumina sighed. "I just said, 'This stone is very powerful - take great care with the Boomerang once you've refined it.'"
"That's it!" Dryad shouted, her leaves shaking. "We can get the Mana Sword back!"
The Guardians murmured.
"The Sword's off Fa'diel, it's not powerful enough to smash the Fortress," she explained. "Combine the Emerald, the Ruby, the Sapphire of Yart, the Diamond of Gokar, the Topaz of…um…Miltio, the Onyx of Are, the Citrine of Pogatsu and the Garnet of Oretiap, and you'd have more power than it could ever achieve while off Fa'diel."
"It seems we must find the other six," Lich said. "Where would they be, Your Eminence?"
Dryad looked sad as she said, "They're no longer on Fa'diel. The Emerald landed in the Lofties, and the Ruby in the Light Palace."
"It knocked right into me!" Lumina added.
"The others - they’re not in the ocean, so travelers must have picked them up and taken them."
"You must not delay with this Assembly," Lumina continued. "Come, I will take you to my Palace. Please, follow me."
"Don't telep-" Lich started, but it was too late.
Lumina had teleported the Yoshies to the Light Palace, leaving the other seven Elementals to manage the Assembly. And, yet again, Lich vomited on his Guardian Robes and passed out.
"Whoops," the Light Elemental said. "Ah well, it's a story to tell someone."