It was dark.

It was gloomy.

It was raining.

Thunder roared across the heavens, crying a deep rumble. The tiny drops of water fell from the gray skies, falling down like little tiny rocks of translucent matter, pounding on those below.

A creaking cart unsteadily along the muddy road, swerved threateningly from left to right. Water creeps through the tiny spaces between the boards of wood, soaking it wet. On the driver's seat, a bearded old man nonchalantly slaps his horse with his coiled leather whip, forcing an irritated whinny from the steed. On the cart were his goods covered for safe keeping. But there were eight cloaked figures on the cart as well. Their heads were bent down, hiding away their faces. They had a monkey and a cat as companions as well.

"We're close to Neapoli. If it doesn't rain any harder than it is, we might get there in an hour," said the old man, lashing his whip at the horse's behind.

"We're sorry for the trouble, old man," one of the hooded figures told the man. "We would like to pay you for your troubles."

"It's fine, kid," the old man patiently replied. "It isn't unusual for me to give people free rides."

"Do people frequently ask for rides around here?" a feminine voice asks amongst the group.

The old man shrugs. "Perhaps. But I only give rides when it's only convenient for me. It'll be a pain if I just go back and forth for nothing, especially if I earn nothing from it. But not that I'm asking for you folks to pay for it. Telling by how you are dressed, you're not from here. Including your accents."

His companions say nothing more, disappointing the old man. But he just shrugs it off and continued to guide his horse along the muddy road. 

As the rain continued to pour, the old man came up with a tune and he whistled for his own entertainment. In time, they reached their destination, an active town known for its purpose as the rendezvous point for transportation and trade. But thanks to the rain, it cooled down a bit. The group could see people crowded under the roof while waiting for the rain to stop. However, while they were waiting, the people found themselves chatting and laughing at stories together. Some though continued to conduct their business as they interact with the others.

The hooded figures could hear their muffled voices through the pounding rain, but the pain in their hearts was something that they found audible. 

The guilt.

The anger.

And the last scene their eyes saw: Angelica's demise.

It was still clear and vivid in their heads like it only happened. They couldn't forget about it at all, especially those who were right there when it happened: Pietro and Alfieri. They were the most silent in the group, and they bore the heaviest glum. It was quite unsettling for everyone else.

It wasn't long until they stopped by an inn where the old man dropped them off. As a gift of thanks, they gave him a fancy piece of jewelry for his troubles. It left the old man with much glee in his eyes, so much that he couldn't even hide the grin on his face. But he fights to hide his little joy by placing it inside his coat and then lowers the brim of his hat to cast a shadow on his face. Nodding to the strange party, he goes on his way without much of a goodbye.

"Was it wise to give the old man a valuable piece of jewelry for a three-hour ride?" the girl cynically asks, stroking the cat in her arms with a disgusted look on her face. "He might go gossiping with the rest of the old farts about some rich travelers staying at an inn."

"You think too much about this, Cel," retorted the prince as he follows his older companions inside. 

A ting of a bell rings as the wooden door was pushed back, revealing a candle-lit room with a lobby at front. It was a simple set up, with a few customers to occupy its rooms. Notes from a piano even filled the cold, moist air. Drunken laughter erupted from the nearby dining tables from the cafeteria by the next hall. Chaos in other words from the mixture of excitement.

"You don't need to suspect every living soul of a horrendous ulterior motive," muttered Jahan.

"Why should I not?" the girl asks, flipping her hair at him. "After all we've been through I see no reason why not."

"Even so, it's bad omen to think evil of others."

Celestine glares. "Oh, so I'm the bad guy now?"

"Where did you get such ridiculous ideas?" snarled Jahan.

"Ridiculous?? That's what you're thinking in your head!" snapped Celestine, violently poking the boy in the chest.

"I am not!"

Without warning, two strong hands grab the two youngsters behind their heads and then just throws their heads together without a second of hesitation. But right before they could get their skulls cracked like two eggs, their lives were saved.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Azad yelled at the masked redhead.

Connor glares. "Showing some discipline. I'm getting sick of their love quarrels."

"That doesn't mean you should resort to violence," said Azad.

"You know violence more than the spoiled, naive kid, Azad."

"Enough," Luciano barked at them as he glanced over his shoulder. He quickly apologized to the clerk at the desk, a bespectacled blonde man  with a nonchalant look in his eyes. The man paid him no attention and kept his eyes on the newspapers in his hands, simply waving off the guests. Turning back to his companions, Luciano gave them a warning glare. "I'd appreciate it if you people would lend a hand to keep ourselves covered. The least that you could do is avoid arguing over the littlest things."

"Since when were you team leader?" sneered Connor. "Last time I heard, you were just some rookie after Angelica's love."

Luciano angrily grabs Connor by the collar, gritting his teeth angrily. But in a moment his temper cools down and then he roughly pushes the man aside. The redhead calmly turns and leaves the party without saying another word.

"Was that necessary?" Pietro nervously asks.

"That was uncalled for, Connor," Abelle scolds the redhead.

Pietro peers at his friends. "So it was unnecessary?"

"That guy needed to get off his high horse. Ever since we left the train he's been nothing but a nag, dragging us along, telling us what to do, but he does nothing to explain of what's going to happen to us next," Connor calmly defended himself.

"We just need to trust him," Abelle replied, pushing back his glasses. It surprised his companions for such words; he was the one most skeptical of Angelica among all of them.

"Well, that's new."

"I know it's ridiculous for me to say this, but I am sure that Angelica would not be happy to see us arguing like this after all we've been through. I would expect less to those we've encountered along the way, which includes you, Celestina, and the deceased Ekundayo. But we're a team now, as ridiculous as it sounds. So we've gotta stick together just as Angelica would have wanted," said Abelle.

Azad nods. "Wise words, my friend."

"Abelle's right. We've got to stick together because we're a team now. No, we were a team ever since we joined Angelica's quest," Pietro adds in determination. "We were good-for-nothings with no hope or goals while living. But that changed when we met Ann. She turned us into somebodies, with at least something to look forward to, no matter how irrational it could be. She gave us an opportunity to meet new people; turned us into a team with a goal to protect something."

"Since when were we even a team? And a goal to protect something? Don't joke with me!" Alfieri spites angrily. "The only reason why we were even here in the first place was because of Ann. She somehow tricked us into becoming Arcana users, we fell in love with her, then maybe because she couldn't answer to any of us she decided that she should just disappear from our lives instead of breaking our petty little hearts!"

In an instant Enzo sends the green-eyed man crashing to the floor. His red eyes burned angrily at the fallen man, his fists shaking at his sides. "Get out. No one needs a pathetic man like you. Not Ann, not anyone."

With this words, he turns at his heels, and leaves the room just as Luciano did before. Alfieri didn't hesitate to leave either. Gritting his teeth, the man gets back up on his feet and swings his bag of belongings over his shoulder and stomped towards the exit. Shandor actually scurries to stop him, clinging onto the man's leg for dear life. But he was not moved by it. Maybe a little, but not enough to make him hesitate in leaving. "I'm sorry, bud," said Alfieri, stroking the anima's fur. "But things aren't the same without her."

Alfieri pats Shandor on the head fondly and says nothing to the others for a final goodbye; walking into the rain to mourn for his loss.

* * * * * * * *

Dinner was as quiet as the eeriness of the cold night where the owl hoots his tales of ole. Into the night where mysteries lay, glowing eyes of beasts eye the souls of those of the living, especially those who name themselves voyagers, conquerers; rulers of the world. These beasts prowl into the dark of the night where no human dare to travel alone where they are most vulnerable without the protection of fire or arms. The only light that shone in the night was the moon's gentle beams and the light that escaped the town's edifices and lampposts. 

The recruited branch of the Arcana famiglia continued to stay tense amongst themselves as they ate their meal. The food at the table may be savory and full of aroma, but the party didn't appear satisfied with the meal before them. They didn't have the appetite to eat a spoonful. And they haven't spoken to one another at all, except telling each other that they should share their meal together and so on.

Only Celestina seemed to enjoy her meal. She often told them to eat up quickly before their meal would grow cold. They would sometimes just touch their food with the spoon and fork they have in their hands, but sometimes some food gets into their mouths. But no part of the weight in their hearts lightened even the slightest. 

Celestina couldn't stand it.

"U-Um, when do you guys think Alfieri would be back?" the girl asks, clearing her throat.

Her comrades stiffened at the sound of her question, unable to answer her question. But at the same time, it ignited fury inside of them.

"He's not gonna come back, Celestina," Azad replied calmly, staring at his plate. "He probably hates the fact that Angelica. . is no longer with us."

Everyone tensed at his words.

Abelle sighs a long, stressed sigh and then furiously consumes his soup set before him. He then whirls his head around towards the silent Luciano who was busy just staring at his meal. Angrily, he points his shaking finger at the man.

"You! I've been wanting to ask you for quite a while now: what is it between you and Angelica? I know that you met at Regalo, but to think you would ask her to marry you behind our backs!" sneered Abelle.

"What the hell, how did it all boil down to this?" asks Celestina, refusing to believe what she was hearing.

"I saw you try handing her a gold ring in the train. We were just separating our ways, following as per instructions; yet, you grabbed the opportunity to ask her to be her wife. I'll bet that you asked her one more or twice after," said the bespectacled man.

Everyone became dead silent right afterwards, waiting for Luciano's answer. Beads of sweat rolled down their foreheads and the sides of their faces. They all wondered why it all had to just come down to this.

Wasn't their primary mission to return to Regalo as official Arcana users?

As members of the famous Arcana Famiglia?

Hence, bring aid to the force to help the dying Head?

But how did it just so happen that the guy members of the current group fall in love with one woman?

No one knew, and they would never understand why and how it happened.

It just did.

"I fell in love with her right when I first laid my eyes on her. I remember how it first happened: she had her welcoming ceremony on becoming the third woman member in the famiglia. It's not that I fell in love with her looks or anything, I just knew that there was something in her that. . that somehow got me attracted to her. She had a whole different aura to her. Then we introduced our names to each other when Shandor the naughty fella caused some ruckus at the mansion. I fell more deeply for her when I got to know her better.

"I was still a cocky bastard who thought that he had a shot at her love. Barely anything really happened between the two of us, but there was never a single moment I didn't think of her. I needed her in my life! I knew that if she were to stay at my side, I would find the real reason for living. I joined the famiglia in hopes of redeeming myself for my sins, and having Angelica by my side. . is a real treasure, a reason why I should keep on living. But now that she's gone," Luciano suddenly pulls out a gun from underneath his jacket and places the tip of the barrel underneath his jaw. His companions tense at this, and some even stood up from panic; their pupils trembling.

"Now that she's gone, there's no reason for me to continue living, is there?" he asks his comrades, cocking his gun.

"Don't be a fool, Luciano! You can't just take your life away!" yelled Pietro, gritting his teeth.

"If you kill yourself now, all of Angelica's efforts would be in vain," said Connor.

Luciano grits his teeth. "Does that even matter now?"

"Asshole! You can't kill yourself because of some woman you barely know!" Celestina yells at him, throwing her cup of water at him. "If Angelica were here she'd be disgusted to see the state you are in!"

"Tch! Didn't I tell you? I can't live without the woman I love."

"If you think you're the only one who loves her as a woman, you're wrong," said Jahan, placing his hand on his chest. "I could feel in my heart that Enzo has already tried asking for her hand in marriage, Abelle has confessed his love for her, and I'm sure that Alfieri is pretty much in love with her.

"I know that it's hard for you to take this all in, but I'm afraid you have start accepting facts," said Connor, calmly taking in his food. Suddenly he lets out a chuckle, later slapping his forehead with disbelief. "What am I saying? Man, I sound cheesy."

He turns away and playfully ruffles Shandor's head, while feeling embarrassed.

Luciano quieted at this. Shortly, a big lump in his throat formed and he began choking in his own tears. Sobs escaped from his lips, and he quickly hung his head in shame. Seeing him in this state broke the hearts of his comrades, and it moved them to tears. Before long they were all wet from tears. However, once their eyes were dry everyone realized that they all felt better. Like the weight in their hearts had just been lifted. Maybe they could even float.

Angelica may be gone now.

Ekundayo may have been lost in the fight.

But it only means that the ones remaining are the ones left to continue their legacy: to return to Regalo where the current King of Arcana Famiglia lives.

To fulfill the duties Angelica had left for them.

To fight for the Arcana.

To fight for the legacy for those who passed away, especially to defeat the evil that has already invaded Regalo.

End of Book Two

~~~

Number of words: 2827

This chapter is dedicated to Pretty-Scarlet for her charismatic support that it makes me cry ;v; I love you, and I love the words you gave me as inspiration.

I'm ending the second book here because I'm too lazy to make the book any more longer, lol. I wasn't planning to make the book end in this manner, but oh well. Down below is the third book's cover, and I hope you guys are excited about it :) 

Please comment about it! It would mean a lot, and would encourage me to actually make a third book.

To be honest, I had fun writing this book. I had fun thinking about the plot that would change the history of anime fanfic writing. It was hard, honestly. But as I said, I had a lot of fun thinking and writing about the story. I changed a lot about the original storyline, but that was what I loved about Damsel In Distress the most. The first book was a total mess-up, but I hope this thrill made it up even though there are a lot of plot holes and unanswered questions, like: what happened at Regalo since there was barely any 

I want to apologize the lousy way I wrote the book, I'm still growing in the field of story writing. I wanna apologize about the tragic ending as well ;v;

Anyways, I hope to see you guys at the next book. I hope to post the first book either next spring (March - May) or next summer (June - August) :)

- R <333