The single candle-lit table flickered its light, grazing but the basic outlines of the four figures seated around the granite chunk.

"And who is to say that this isn't their intended destinies?" the unhooded one inquired flatly, "Who are we to judge the fate of others."

The head figure, a man cloaked in black patterned with silver runes, merely cast his eyes in the direction of his doubtful friend and gestured towards a large stone tablet, "We are the illuminati. That is the Sindar Tablet of Ages. Together we have the authority to decide who is upon their intended path... and who isn't."

Eyes narrowed as the two squinted at each other in the darkness. "It merely contains the names of those fated to form the Armies of Fate. We did not interfere three years ago and, as it has proved, it did not require our intervention."

A fist hit the table, not producing the desired effect but revealing long bony fingers twined around a palm of ancient flesh, "We may not be able to turn time backwards but we can spur it forward with our own hands."

"I will have no part in this meddling. It is not our place."

A thin smile. "On the contrary, brethren... it is your place."

"Wha-"

"You are assigned this mission of fate, it has been so decreed - it shall be so done."

On the final cresendo, the ancient leader of the Illuminati stood and walked away, the other two leaving in their directions. Leaving but the last of the four seated on the table, watching his brothers depart to their havens.

"It's always me," came the near inaudible mutter as the wind blew the candle out.

"Faster!" Millie yelped, beating Sasuke, now forced to pull the raft in the water, with a shoe, "HURRY!"

Sasuke couldn't believe his luck. It was just three hours ago when they had run out of wind and were being pulled back, by the water current, back to Radat town's sluice. To top that, Millie had ripped the sails and harnessed him with it, taking the liberty of throwing him into the cold river water and telling him to swim.

"Millie! Wait!"

And, as a recent turn of events, when he was finally allowed to rest on shore, some crazy Highland boy had to come along professing his love for Millie.

"Love! Don't leave me again!"

Sasuke wasn't sure which one of them he'd drown in the river first. Millie for making him swim, or this new guy for showing up.

"GO AWAY, NAPOLEON!" Millie screamed, kicking Sasuke harder, "And stop calling me 'love'!"

"But I love you!" the youth Sasuke now knew as Napoleon replied back, "My life is darkness without you!"

"BUY A TORCH!"

Ehhh... why couldn't he have at least joined the Unicorn Brigade... if only he was from Kyaro and not my villiage. He is such a pain, such a pest... so... Napoleon! Millie was frantic, she didn't want Napoleon around, not yet. She hadn't prepared Sasuke yet... He was supposed to be some brave ninja who swept me off my feet, Napoleon will never believe me now if I pass this paddle-dog off as my boyfriend...

She looked at Bonaparte and hugged him, "If only you could have been humanoid, then maybe... you'd be a better choice than that dimbulb."

Sasuke panted as he swam, "A better... choice... for... what...?"

She gave him a kick, "None of your business! Now swim!"

"It'd be faster if you actually helped me."

"And give you another chance to try your pervert moves on me?! I'd rather kiss him." She pointed hatefully at Napoleon who was now walking alongside the boat's position on the bank.

"I can arrange that," Sasuke murmured, receiving yet another kick in the head.

"If you dare, I'll tell everyone back in Rokkaku the things you've been muttering in your sleep about someone named 'Kasumi'."

Sasuke stopped swimming, "What?!"

Millie lied, "You've been muttering all these strange things about Kasumi in your sleep, I hear it when I take watch!"

The boy-ninja was dumbfounded, "But I wasn't even dreaming of her!"

"SO YOU ADMIT IT!" Millie yelled, infuriated. Idiot. Whispering my name and now admitting he likes 'Kasumi'.

"What did I admit?!"

"Nothing, you're just an idiot." Guh... what am I thinking... him?! Forget it.

A cry came from the bank, "LOVE!"

Millie kicked Sasuke again, "FASTER YOU STUPID SLUG! Bonaparte could swim better!"

"Why doesn't he?"

"Cause he's much more cute, now move!"

"My love! I can provide you with a good life, a home, a family! We could have many children together!" Napoleon cried from his side of the river.

Millie just looked at him pointedly through the darkness. Just ignore him... he's too much of a sissy to come swim across the river... Sasuke was busy snooring and whispering her name as usual, obviously worn out by the heavy amount of swimming he had to endure throughout the day. Poor thing... she thought, empathizing for her overworked companion, If only he knew...

She watched him snoore, the breathing slow then quick as the air in his lungs wheezed out to form 'Millie'. She moved over, scooped him up slowly and gave him a soft hug before setting him back down into his reviere.

"Sleep well," she smiled, continuing her vigil over the scrawny male on the other side of the river.

"But Millie, I do love you!"

"STOP SAYING THAT!!"

This was stupid. It was stupid, pointless, futile. He looked at the names he had copied from the Sindar tablet:

Millie

...

The second name remained blank. He had copied it but it was now fluxuating from existance. There were times when he would look and find a name there, then another. Each time, despite his attempts, he would forget the previous name but his mind kept on telling him that there were only two names that kept interchanging.

Even the Sindar had their faults, it seemed.

It was still an idiot's quest to mold fate into anything - his own dogma was that acceptance and absorbtion is better than denial and subjugation. All energy equates somewhere; one could either absorb the energy or expend it to be used against himself.

As he had said before, this was ridiculous.

"Go home, and quit saying that you love me!"

"But I do!"

Voices, noises, young people... If this was indeed the place then these must indeed be the people he was searching for. At least I can get this over with and wash my hands of the whole matter, he thought cynically, I should have been a sarcastic telegram operator...

The quiet figure approached a lad, thin and small in stature, continuously declaring his love for a girl, dressed in the garb of a Rokkaku ninja. Perfect! The tablets did mention something about there being a young Rokkaku ninja! ... He looked at the boy. His skin was light and he had the features of a Highlander. Again! My luck couldn't be better!

"Excuse me, lad," the illuminati intruded, "May I be so bold as to inquire who that is on the other side and your relation with her?"

The boy, no older than perhaps fourteen-fifteen, looked up startled but soon cracked a smile, something that made the ancient, yet preserved, man of four hundred and eight years make a face of aghastment.

Sindar were never good at making sure their prophesies were pleasing to the eye...

"I'm looking to get that girl there, her name's Millie, knew her from childhood... to be my wife!" the boy cracked, "My mum's said I'm the legal age and that I should marry and make plenty grandchildren for her to adore and I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else."

Or find anyone else to do it with you, came the cruel thought. The watcher looked up and studied the other person through the darkness. Not a bad pick, actually, but how this poor sod was going to pull it off was beyond him.

"What's your name, boy?" he inquired.

"Napoleon."

He looked to his paper again, this time surprised to find the name, 'Napoleon' printed below 'Millie'.

The illuminati detested what he was about to do but gave an assurance to the rat-faced teenager as a finger traced the runes on his staff: