Don't be fazed, this story is in fact another multi-chapter(3 actually) story. I've been thinking about it for a while now, and finally decided to explore it a bit. I hope you'll like it! 83
Thankies to Luckster(elemente on dA) for beta-ing my stuff all the time. 8D
Against fate...
So many times mortals are unable to grasp just what kind of life-governing force fate is. They think of it as a little constant that would of course, in time change a few things, but never substantially. They keep ignoring it, up to the point when they never even fear it anymore. How wrong they are...
If there's one thing I've learned...is that fate does indeed exist...and that once it chooses someone, it never forgives, never forgets, merely pushing everything towards the inevitable end. Before all that happened, I was amongst the non-believers, even going as far as thinking fate would side with me...I soon had to find out that for every cry for help, it helps without a word...but would come for a suitable payment soon enough as well...
Loud panting filled the chamber so few had seen before, let alone lived to tell the tale. Darkness seemed ever-present inside, sprawling around as though it was alive. The faintest of lights glimmered though from the torches around, and the beautifully crafted glass mosaics on the walls, but even those couldn't drive away the dark mass.
Silence sat upon the chamber, only to be broken by quick gasps of air. The owner, a figure no taller than the torches' height seemed to kneel on the ground, trying to recoup. What made the entire gesture strange, was that the creature didn't seem to have the needed body part, only the air visible to anyone's eyes.
A pair of blonde flops of hair fell into his deep-blue eyes onto his large nose, messy and ruffled from the rapid movements he had executed the past few minutes. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead and onto his gloved hands, already aching from the non-stop fighting. The while circle on his otherwise purple shirt still seemed to glint just a tiny but, overworked from his energy usage. Even his feet seemed to be quivering a tiny bit, his fatigue obvious. He seemed almost like a parody of true life, his hands, feet and head all separated from his torso.
He slowly seemed to collect himself though, getting up from the ground once again. Even with his body tired out, his spirit still kept going, not giving him more than just a few moments to rest. He didn't need more...he first had his duty to attend to. That thought had governed him throughout his long journey through treacherous routes and great friends.
A low sound hand smacking together reached him, coming from the other end of the chamber. There in all of his unholy glory stood the one person whom half the world dreaded to no end...the cause of all the pain and sadness he had experience so far in his young life...the one who was the beginning of his journey...and inevitably, one way or the other, but the end as well.
He stood not much taller than the recovering limbless, though almost at the same height as he was, suggesting they were of the same race. This was backed up as he kept clapping with his hands, but without arms to carry those parts. His long, dark-blue cloak reached to just about to his feet, covering almost every inch of him. To help with that cause was his a large hat, though as to what cause the dangling, yellow spheres served on it, would go without an answer. He left nothing of him for people to see, apart from those two meaning orbs, forever glowing in a yellow that could only belong to someone who shares the name of the eternal counterpart of light.
"I must admit..." he spoke up, his voice raspy and cold, almost biting into the other limbless' skin. "I truly admire your determination. I didn't expect you to defeat any of my mutants." he mused, continuing to clap for a little bit, which from him was like pure mockery.
"I have that charm of...being stronger than most think of me..." he muttered, having stood up finally. He sighed, before moving into a shaky fighting stance, knowing he'd have to fight the powerful mage soon enough. After all, that had been one of his objectives all along!
"Amusing..." he commented, his hands disappearing in his cloak once again. "...but entirely futile, at the same time." he added, making Rayman's blood boil again. "You cannot defeat me."
"I'd rather give it a try, first." he growled, raising his fists. Sure enough, he knew he would never admit defeat to mage. "Now hand over Betilla and the Protoon!" he shouted, advancing towards Mister Dark.
The mage merely laughed upon his order, suggesting he saw it as nothing more than the buzz of a fly. "And they say I want everything for myself..." he chuckled, gazing back at the limbless. Rayman flinched, feeling as though he could see right into the deepest parts of his heart.
"Have you ever seen a true hero?" he asked, smirking under his cloak as his tired opponent shook his head after a short while. "I'm sure you'll see it for yourself that heroes are the greediest people in the whole world..." he mused, resisting to laugh upon his confused expression. "Have you never thought about it? They always want to save everyone...not those who stand closest to them, but every single person, sometimes bringing more pain than if they had protected just one."
Rayman fell out of his makeshift fighting pose, thinking of the mage's words. Being as young as he was, he still wasn't completely sure of his place or purpose. He saw himself as a would-be hero, but he couldn't imagine he'd be greedy because of that. Quickly banishing all thoughts about that, he glared back upon Dark clenching his fists once more. He was definite now that he was merely trying to discourage and confuse him with his manipulative words.
"If I really am to turn greedy, I'll resign being a hero." he growled. "But for now, give back the Protoon and release Betilla! I'm warning you!!" he raised his fists, though he knew he wouldn't hold long. He only had physical strength, while the mage had formidable magic abilities to back him up.
"'Warning me?'" Dark found himself chuckling once more. "I can see you've been around her for far too long. You're beginning to turn out just like her...a never-faltering fighting spirit...but eventually damned to lose." his eyes flashed for a bit, a sinister flame burning in them. He decided it'd be time to show the limbless just how the world worked. "If you insist though..." he mused., suddenly pulling two objects out from under his cloak.
Rayman gasped as he realized he was holding the very objects he'd been trying to retrieve. In one hand he had a faintly glowing sphere with pure energy lazily circling around in it. The Protoon seemed to have weakened quite a lot, obviously drained continuously by the dark limbless.
In his other hand though, he held something that was perhaps even more precious to him than the Protoon. A misty crystal ball lied in his palm, a tiny figure tapping the glass with her little hands, gazing at the limbless with worry. Just by catching sight of the distinctive green-yellow robe and the crimson hair, Rayman knew all too well who was kept prisoner inside the object.
"If you've hurt her in any way..." he warned, his face quickly turning red with anger. The Protoon was one thing, but not a single person in the entire universe was allowed to hurt Betilla as long as he was alive and breathing.
"Why, it breaks my heart that you're so distrustful." the mage almost purred, amused to no limits. "Even if she's my prisoner, do you honestly believe I'd hurt her?" he queried, though the mischievous light of his eyes suggested otherwise. "For now though, I have something far more interesting on display." he mused, holding both spheres up. "Choose..."
Rayman blinked, quickly shaking his head. He was definite he had heard wrong. He couldn't have possibly asked him to actually choose between Betilla and the Protoon. He glared at the mage and advanced a bit once again, not intending to fall for such lowly tricks. Despite being not much older than a simple, he still had a determination which could not be compared even to fully-grown adults. He wouldn't let simple mind-games unsettle.
Dark seemed to have anticipated just the same and chuckled once again. He wasn't at all fazed by the limbless. "Like I said...greediest there is." he mused. "Though I truly wonder why you haven't been in the same situation before...having to choose between things that are precious to you. Choose Betilla and I'll take the Protoon, using it as an energy source for myself, or choose it and I shall take her instead...I can always use a new minion." he couldn't help but smirk upon noticing the furious look on Rayman's face. "Choose Rayman and choose quickly...your time is running out!"
The limbless' look was quickly fixated in shock, his mind working rapidly to try and find the best way. If he left the Protoon, then his whole journey was nearly for nothing, though at least Betilla would be safe. If he chose the artifact on the other hand, he'd leave the fairy at the mage's mercy. Maybe Dark was really right at some point...he was immensely greedy, but he couldn't help it. He didn't want to choose between them. Perhaps if he tried to attack, that mig-
"...time's up." Dark called, shattering his thoughts. With one swift motion, he tossed both spheres to the sides of the chamber, before he could do so much as whimper. "Catch..." he added, taking a step back. The darkness in the back of the hall enveloped their master, letting him mold into the shadows, flowing out of the entire lair, leaving Rayman with his choice.
Without a moment to spare, he shot both of his hands, acting mostly on instinct. His hands flew directly towards the two spheres, putting a lot of strain on him all of a sudden. Controlling one hands was enough of a workout as it was, but two were quite the challenge. The objects flew right towards the walls of the chamber, getting farther from each other with every moment.
Betilla screamed in horror in the crystal ball, though unheard to Rayman. With was much concentration as he was doing at that moment, it was debatable whether he'd actually hear the scream if it was right next to him. He just stood there, straining his mind to the limits so it'd give equal attention to both of his hands.
He could feel the Protoon's emanation and the crystal ball very close and extended his hands even more trying to grab them before it was too late. Every moments seemed like an eternity as he got closer and closer to the two spheres, beads of sweat trickling down his head from the way he was focusing all of his power as a limbless.
A twinge of hope exploded in his heart as he felt his fingertips brush against the Protoon's surface. Quickly adding even more power, he managed to get his hand under the artifact, pulling it back to safety right at that moment. He almost smiled as his other hand brushed against the cool surface of the crystal ball. All hope in him vanished though as the sphere slid out of his palm, continuing its death-route.
"Betilla!!" he found himself screaming, just as the Protoon got to him, secure in his hold. The fairy closed her eyes as the wall closed rapidly, a teardrop glimmering down her face. She never thought her life would take such a sinister turn.
That one moment as the sphere touched the wall, felt like an eternity for Rayman, frozen in terror. The next second, the crystal ball nearly exploded as it impacted, glass fragments showering the floor...most of them already stained with a substance the limbless could never bear to see.
He felt as though he had left his body from the shock. He barely registered that he was screaming the fairy's name as he dashed towards her, leaving the Protoon where he caught it, not caring the least about it right now. All that mattered to him was the fairy he'd loved so much, the very one who took the time to teach him everything, who eventually became his would-be caretaker...and unintentionally his first love as well.
The explosion seemed to have turned her back to normal, but from her motionless state, the limbless couldn't expect anything good. He only stopped once he was right next to her, gently lifting her a tiny bit. He could feel some of the glass scar him as well, but he be bothered about that.
Betilla lied still in his arms, her beautifully sewn robe stained with her own blood. Though she grew into her normal size again right after impact, the millions of shards that had punctured her even while she was small for a moment, didn't disappear and nor did the wounds. Her slender arms were limply resting on the ground, her crimson life-fluid steadily trickling down to the tip of her fingers. She seemed to have been cut at nearly every point, bleeding from so many wounds Rayman couldn't even count.
He whimpered, wanting to call the Protoon and try to heal her, but the rational part of his mind informed him that it was impossible at this point. The power source was almost completely drained of energy thanks to Dark, glowing just a tiny bit. Even if it was full though, it would do no good now. The large puddle that formed under the fairy proved that even if her wounds were healed, nothing could restore her lost blood.
The limbless could feel tears running down his face, even if he wasn't yet crying. He was unable to believe what had just happened, and that it wasn't just some terrible nightmare. Betilla the fairy was dying in his arms...and all because he was unable to grab her enchanted prison. It was almost too much to bear with a sane mind.
He repeatedly called the fairy's name, whimpering and promptly sobbing by now, pleading for her not to pass away. Her robe was almost completely crimson now, only patches reminding him of the once vivid green-yellow mixture that dominated her appearance. He knew he was probably covered in blood himself, the fairy's fluids staining his shirt, his shoes, everything. He couldn't care though, continuing to hold onto her as her face paled more and more.
He could only stop for a moment as she suddenly opened her eyes a tiny bit. Her eyes seemed bloody as well, making it debatable whether she could actually see him or not. Rayman kept sobbing on her chest, gazing into her lambent eyes as they lost their usual glimmer. She winced but soon managed to smile a tiny bit, knowing well the limbless was already mourning him. With pain that exceeded anything she had experienced so far, she raised her hand, placing it on Rayman's head.
He picked his head up just enough to gaze at her, even his face stained by her blood by now. She just continued to smile in a way only those who were about to pass on could, tenderly stroking the limbless' hair like she always did, unintentionally painting it crimson. Just by looking into her eyes, he knew that it was pointless of him to keep his feelings hiding all this long. Being his almost-mother, she had always known of the love he had harbored for her.
Strength soon left her and she stopped stroking, eventually her eyes closing as well. Rayman felt a icy touch in his stomach, which only got worse as he suddenly felt her hand growing cold, the slow beating of her heart unable to keep up anymore and becoming silent forever. He felt tears literally flooding down his face now, his face growing pale as well.
He let out an a roar of agony, fueled much more by is own heart that the cuts on him. The cry traveled along the halls of Dark's lair, before exploding into the open, echoing around Candy Chateau, letting every single creature know of his loss; one that couldn't possibly compare to any other.
For as the spirit of a fairy flowed towards the spirit realm, another soul plummeted towards the deepest abyss, its innocence lost for all eternity...