Chapter Text
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Bonvis, Yohanna, Malvino, Laukki/Blaze, Vibbi, and the kingdom of Reimagia, as well as any other OCs that show up.
A/N: Hi, everyone! I'm back with another mission-like story, and you'll get to meet a new and rather unique enemy here. We'll also get to see a bit more of the dynamic between Bonvis and Yohanna, as well as meet up with at least Malvino from Reimagia again. 😉
Note: Yohanna is from "Persisting Memories." Bonvis first appeared in "The Scepter of Darkness" with his twin Quilor. They both reappeared in "Malum In Se," in which Quilor died. Bonvis met Yohanna for the first time in "Persisting Memories." And Malvino is from "Reimagia." Hope that helps!
Chapter 1: Deeply Involved
It was late afternoon in the Mystic Isles, and the sky was already painted with a beautiful gradient of purple and orange. A flock of alicorns flew by, possibly heading to the Isle of Unicorns. The weather had been good and calm all week, and relatively cooler for August, and this Friday was no different.
Bonvis lay reclined against a tree near the water on the Isle of Mermaids. He had been in and out of consciousness the last hour, fighting off sleep but failing as the sheer peacefulness of the land practically sang him a silent lullaby. He loved listening to the waterfalls cascading into the water, the wind rustling the leaves of the trees, and the animals skittering around him. Nothing could lull him into a calm state quite like nature.
Well… Almost nothing.
The sorcerer had just about drifted off to sleep again when he felt a hand settle on his chest and another one playing with his ponytail. He blinked a few times, sighing and smiling toward the source of his current alertness. "Yohanna… How was your swim?"
Yohanna, now in her human form, returned his smile and shrugged as she ceased her previous motions and instead leaned up against her friend, her head reclined on his shoulder. "It was fine. It was good to clear my head…"
Bonvis frowned. Something about the way she was staring at the water, and the way her voice was trailing off, concerned him somewhat. "What's wrong?"
She looked toward him, contemplating his words. "I…" There wasn't any use hiding anything from him. He was rather perceptive, and she knew that he could drag information out of her, even if she didn't feel ready to divulge anything at the moment. "I…know I told you about an undercover mission that I was preparing for." Seeing him nod, she sighed. "It's been moved up."
Bonvis stared at her, perplexed. "To when?"
The Protector smiled sheepishly. "Tomorrow?"
His mouth dropped as he sat up, thus causing her to do the same. "Yohanna! Tomorrow? You couldn't have told me sooner?"
She blinked at his reaction, sitting back on her ankles. "What difference would that have made, Bonvis? I go on missions all the time."
"But…" He frowned, turning and folding his arms as she stared at him, perplexed by his sudden mood change. "You always give me at least a bit more of a heads up than that. And you've told me how much more complicated and even dangerous these types of missions could be. I barely have enough time to brace myself for your…possible entrance into hazardous conditions."
The Undercover Protector took in his words before laughing softly, causing her friend to glance back at her. "Bonvis… I appreciate your concern, but I've been doing this for a long time now. It's my job. And honestly, I'm used to danger and 'hazardous conditions,' as you call them."
"Yeah, but…" He turned to fully face her, his hands absently tracing the patterns of his tunic. "Can you at least tell me what this mission is about? I know a lot of the Protectors like to keep things hush-hush, especially from former delinquents like myself, but…" He glanced up at her, his imploring gray eyes gazing into her softening aquamarine ones. "For my own sanity and peace of mind, especially as someone who doesn't have much left, considering…"
Yohanna smiled in understanding, rolling her eyes as she moved to sit next to him, leaning her shoulder against his. "All right, if it will help…" She clasped her hands together. "Vega and Orion, as well as my former trainer Nerissa, informed me of a disturbance in a realm called Reimagia."
"It's been a long time since I've heard that name. It's a training ground for a lot of magic wielders."
She nodded. "It's been through a lot of changes in the last few years, too. Long story short, the leader and several others were struck down by an evil entity, which one of our own—Princess Sofia—apparently defeated." She winked at her friend as he glanced at her. "You did tell me yourself that she is rather powerful. To defeat an evil being like Kinoroh takes a lot of strength and power, so I'm inclined to believe you."
He nodded, opting to listen to her rather than respond.
"Anyway, while all had been relatively settled for the most part, there seems to be a new enemy terrorizing their land. From what I was told, there is a wicked merman, a Fire Starter, named Laukki, who is plotting to destroy Reimagia due to a run-in he had with one of the trainers there: a Hand Magic Expert named Malvino." She pulled her legs up to her chin. "Laukki can control underwater volcanoes and any source of fire, which is ironic for a water dweller. In any case, he and Malvino clashed when the latter discovered that the former was initially trying to destroy his kingdom with his fire powers. Malvino stopped him and ended up damaging Laukki's fin and injuring his tail with his own powers, and naturally Laukki vowed revenge. That all took place a few months ago…"
"I don't understand what he originally had against Reimagia and its people though," the sorcerer admitted, folding his arms. "Was he shunned? Ostracized? Embarrassed?"
"He is a bad guy, Bonvis. He doesn't have to have a reason to do what he does." She paused, seeing the somewhat perturbed look on his face. She grinned sheepishly. "No offense… I mean, some people learn from their mistakes, but others don't… And it's possible that he falls into that category, you know? After all, if he's talking about revenge, it's clear that he's not exactly seeking redemption at this moment, and he needs to be stopped."
"Hmm. So, he's looking to make good on his promise." Seeing his friend nod, Bonvis stood up and offered his hand to the young woman.
Yohanna blinked at his gesture before accepting his hand, pulling herself to her feet. She offered him a dubious look as she observed his expression. "Bonvis… What are you thinking?"
"I have a really bad feeling about this mission, Yohanna…"
"Bon—" She paused as he placed a finger over her lips.
"Just…let me finish." He lowered his hand after she nodded. "I know this is your thing. I know you've been on several undercover missions before and have come back perfectly fine. But…something about this just feels…bad. I can't explain it, but I know I'm right. And a mermaid—a being of the water—fighting a fire-wielding merman? You could get seriously hurt."
"It's a risk I'm willing to take," she told him, "if it keeps Reimagia and its inhabitants safe. It's my job, Bonvis. It's my passion and my purpose in life. I know very well what I'm getting into, and what I'm always getting into. And sure, there's a good chance that, someday, it might very well be my last mission…" She reached up and cupped his face as he frowned. "But…at least, if it is, I'll know that I went out giving it my all and standing up for what's right." She then smiled as he grasped her hand and lowered it, entwining their fingers together. "After all, water tends to douse fire anyway, right? Maybe I'll have an advantage."
"I guess…" He inhaled slowly as she was about to turn and leave, but he suddenly tightened his hold on her hand, stopping her from moving. "I'm going with you."
Yohanna blinked at him, her eyes wide. "Bonvis, no. You're not trained for missions like this."
"Maybe not, but I know how corrupted minds work. For a very long time, I was immersed in the darkest of magic and frames of mind, so I have a pretty good idea how villains tend to think." Seeing that she still seemed unconvinced, he grasped her other hand. "Come on, Yohanna, please. I could help you…just like you've helped me heal these last few months. I owe it to you."
"You don't owe me anything, Bonvis," she insisted, squeezing his hands. "It's what you do for people you care about." She smiled as he blushed a little bit. "But…" She sighed and nodded. "I guess you can come with me." She released his left hand and held up her right hand to him as he appeared to be rather relieved. "However, you must listen to everything I say. One wrong move, and you might get both of us captured…or worse." She narrowed her eyes at him as she lowered her hand. "You understand?"
He nodded seriously. "I do."
She then smiled, releasing his other hand and stepping back, eyeing him up and down.
Bonvis gulped nervously, folding his arms in a self-conscious way. "What…are you doing?"
Yohanna smirked. "Wondering what you're going to look like with a tail."
His eyes widened as she turned and walked along the water. "W-Wait, what?! A tail? Yohanna, get back here!" He hurried off after her.
To be continued…
Next Chapter: Coincidental