Hello! Anya here with a new one-shot :3 It takes place During Tomb Raider 2, before going to the Great Wall.
I had this in mind for a while since TR2 Is one of my favorites and sometimes I have crazy cross-over ideas xD
I hope you'll enjoy :3 and Happy Birthday to me xD
Glimmers of an Unknown past
1997.
Before going to the Great Wall, to take the Dagger of Xian and collect it to her collection, Lara was curious to visit an unknown place in China, somewhere beyond the mountains, a secret place that no one knew.
It was thanks to some books that she knew the location of this place. It was an holy temple, a secret holy sanctum of a goddess. What artefacts could be in there? What ancient monsters could be there in that secret place in China?
Curiosity and thirst of adventure were killers for Lara Croft and so she asked to the pilot of the helicopter to go north, and wait for her signal before going to that place. The pilot was stubborn to her request, but he accepted, without asking any further questions to the Tomb Raider.
When she arrived to that place, It was in ruins and it was cold, so deathly cold. Lara almost regretted to have not taken a jacket with her and have some winter pants. She was in her usual green shirt and khaki shorts, with her dual pistols in each of her holsters.
The ruins of that place were gorgeous, even thought they were covered by greens and heavy snow. Lara noticed on the ground that there were ashes in there. She touched it and looked at it, while raising an eyebrow. She smelled it, it looked like some bombs that exploded on impact. « What does it mean? In ancient China there were already bombs? » It was an answer that lifted on her mouth softly.
Then, around here there was no more ruins and heavy snow. Lara looked around, yes they were still ruins but not like now. Everything was almost destroyed and it was snowing. Lara saw two women and an older man, it seems that they aren't noticing her.
« Here they come! I only need a minute! » it was the voice of the older man, that it was running towards a wooden bridge. His voice was like an echo in Lara's ears, it was like a wind chimes for her.
« Try not to fight like a farmer Dawn Star! » said a woman who was all in black and was taking her sword from her hip.
« Try not to break a nail princess! » said the woman named Dawn Star to the woman in black. Lara realized that the woman who wore all in black was not like the girl named Dawn Star.
She was more delicate and had an outstanding beauty, and why the girl in magenta called her "princess"?
The two ran towards Lara, but she didn't felt their bodies coming close to her. Lara was like a ghost in that moment.
Suddenly it was again heavy snow and very recent greens around the bridge. She saw that the bridge was broken in some parts, but it was rebuilt. Lara smiled only.
Could be that what she had before was a glimmer of the past? Images of an unknown past of a fascinating country to her.
She continued on her walk towards this ancient place, the cold was now struggling her. It was beginning to snow in that place but Lara didn't bother to go back to the Helicopter.
The curiosity took the best of her in this place, it was truly beautiful in her eyes. I have to tell Winston about this place… Winston was her only friend, everyone in her family thinks that she is crazy, that has refused the aristocracy just for adventures. It was a shame for her father and so he disowned her. Lara shook her head and continued to walk.
She stopped in what seemed a broken balcony that it showed a beautiful landscape of the mountains around this place. A snowflake dropped on her nose as she approached that balcony.
It happened again.
Only this time there was a twilight sky that it was about to be colored by the night and only two people, that were embracing themselves.
A charming man in blue and a young woman in plum colored armor. Lara looked at them, while raising an eyebrow. She was again like a ghost and they didn't notice her, they were looking in each other's eyes, before they sealed a tender, but passionate, kiss on their lips.
Lara felt some emotions dropping on her throat while watching at them, his hands on her long black hair, tied in a loose ponytail. Her hand on his arm, as her fingers slid down on his bicep.
They separated and she took his hand. There was a sad look on her face but somehow she was happy. Maybe it is the night before…? Lara asked to herself, while the two entered in a tent.
Suddenly the tent disappeared and the sky was again at morning. The sun rays welcomed Lara again into the present day.
What has just happened? Lara asked a million of questions on her mind, first it appeared for no reason a scene during a battle on the bridge, now it happened this.
A love scene between two lovers.
Lara shrugged her shoulders, for the cold and for the weird feeling of this place. She didn't mind and continued to walk towards the place.
While she was climbing some sort of stairs, It happened again. The skies were almost dark and it wasn't snowing. At the top of the stairs she saw the woman in purple, and it seemed that they were looking at each other.
Now that Lara was seeing her closely, she saw that she was truly beautiful, with her black hair in a loose ponytail, she had a tanned skin, she wasn't plum or skinny. Her eyes were brown, of a very deep brown.
Lara raised an hand towards her face but Lara's hand pierced the woman's face. The archeologist was a ghost in that moment and lowered her hand « She's so… Young… »
said Lara to her, but she didn't listen to her phrases, they were like wind whispers to her. Suddenly the woman in purple "broke" their eye contact and descended the stairs.
Lara looked at her and she disappeared again. Heavy snow around her and she felt cold to the bone.
Lara continued to walk. She was in a courtyard, and a majestic building with torturous stairs. Lara approached her hand to her elbow, trying to warm herself alone. The snow was beginning to fell hard and her feet were completely on the snow, feeling the chill of the cold on her bones. But she didn't stop walking and began to climb the torturous stairs, in the meanwhile she hugged herself from the cold.
She arrived at the top of the stairs and looked around… and it happened again Why I can see these glimmers? She asked to herself, Lara did not had an answer to that question, neither why these glimmers are continuing to show off on her eyes.
She saw again that young woman in purple while she got out from the building and she looked up at the sky, closing her eyes, like she was… grateful to feel cold. But… Why?
The question was on Lara's mind, why she should be grateful to feel cold? In this moment Lara is not feeling that exact to feel the cold air on her skin. The Tomb Raider was ungrateful for the cold.
And the glimmer disappeared again. What the hell was just happening to her? Lara had no answer and decided to enter in that building, at least the snow didn't reached inside.
There was an heavy door in front of her, it was large, with some gold on it. She moved her hands to open it and what she saw was outstanding: It was a temple.
A temple with a fountain of a dragon on the center of the room, beautiful statues of monks and of a creature that seemed an hybrid of a lion and of an ox. Lara kneeled on the floor and touched it, it seems intact through the time… It seems that this temple was not abandoned, unlike all the different courtyards of the place.
Curiosity kills the cat Croft, and you did get killed… by this beauty said Lara to herself while she stood up and continued to walk towards the fountain.
It was entirely of stone and the water exited from the dragon's mouth. Lara smiled at seeing the fountain. It seemed intact and still beautiful, even if the place looked centuries years old.
Lara felt that inside this temple she was in that century, in that exact moment.
The Tomb Raider had another glimmer; some stones were on the floor, like it exploded a bomb, some people were under the stones, dead. And the blood was coloring the floor.
She heard the sounds of swords behind her, she turned and saw again that woman in purple but she was fighting against a man, with a black and fearsome armor. The woman had a punch on her face and she was on the floor, blood spilling out of her mouth and off her nose.
Lara had the instinct to take her pistols from her holsters and kill the man with the armor, then she remembered that she was only a ghost in that moment… Maybe that woman died in here, in this beautiful temple.
The man approached his sword to her neck but she turned her legs and made him fell on the floor, she jumped again and took her swords to finish him off.
The armored man raised to his knees but she hit him with a single blow of her swords. Lara saw that the girl was amazing in combat, she had grace with her swords and she had the light of a fearless woman, but Lara knew that she wasn't so fearless in that moment.
Lara saw that in her eyes, there was anger… determination… even fear. Maybe because he did try to corrupt or kill her companion, the man in blue that Lara saw before, maybe…
The woman in purple approached him once again and gave a kick to his face, anger in her eyes… fiery anger there was in that moment.
But before Lara could see the end of that fight, it disappeared.
The floor shook, the Tomb Raider looked around and saw different lights around the room. Lara raised an eyebrow, confused on what is going on here.
Then a strong light in front of her appeared, Lara took a few steps back from it, feeling a bit of fear down on her throat.
The floor stopped to shake and from the lights appeared different figures, Lara saw the woman in purple and the man in blue together, with their hands held, and saw also the woman in magenta and the woman in black from the bridge. And in front of Lara appeared a figure that she didn't saw in the glimmers; it was the spirit of a woman, it had a white and gentle face and hair flowing like water.
Now that Lara was thinking of it… this isn't a glimmer, these are spirits.. and they are in front of her, right now.
In this exact moment.
« Don't be afraid Tomb Raider, we mean you no harm » said the woman with hair flowing like water « There was already too much sufferance in this world, even in our century.. and your century Tomb Raider. » Lara couldn't help but be confused by her words.
There was a question that was biting on her tongue, were they residents of this place? Were they monks of this temple? « Who are you? » asked Lara and looked at the other spirits.
They all bowed to her; a simple bow, with their hands united « I am the Water Dragon and this is my temple, my holy sanctum. I am the immortal guardian of the Underworld, I shepherd the dead to the gate of afterlife. » said the gentle spirit with the hair like the flowing waters. Lara could not help but be amazed, she was talking to a goddess… in front of her very eyes. The Water Dragon mentioned to the woman in magenta and the woman in black « They are dead Empresses of the Jade Empire, they are the cousins, both of noble blood and both of them have noble hearts. They are Dawn Star and Lian. The Silver Empress and the Golden Empress that lead the empire to a Golden Age. »
Dawn Star and Lian didn't do anything, only watched at Lara with respect. The Tomb Raider didn't say anything either, she remained silent in both amazement and respect.
And then, the Water Dragon mentioned to the couple, the woman bowed to the goddess « She is the reason of why my temple is still intact for all over the centuries, she is the reason that the Great Wheel of Life is in function again, she was the last of my Spirit Monks, until she became a mother with her husband. » the woman and the man mentioned a bow « I am Wu the Lotus Blossom, Tomb Raider. » she said in a solemn voice, her voice was powerful, but somewhat soft.
« I am Sky the Rogue, and… I bet that you have a lot of questions about this place, correct » Lara was surprised, she nodded only at the affirmation of Sky.
« Goddess… This is… amazing, the whole place is beautiful… » said Lara, she was stammering a bit but she was amazed by the beauty of this place.
« Of course she is Sky, she is marveled by this beautiful temple, I was sure of it… » said Dawn Star while indicating to Lara, the Tomb Raider had a smile on her face, again she was marveled by the place… this place of great mystery and outstanding beauty.
« This is Dirge, my Holy Sanctum, it exists both in the Spirit Realm and here on the mortal realm, it is a place of passage for us, Dirge is the gate of the afterlife on the spirit realm » explained the spirit of the Water Dragon, Lara looked around, still marveled by the beauty of this place, a smile wide open on her face.
Lara's and Wu's gates met, the Lotus Blossom only smiled at her « Finally I could met you Lara Croft » she said only, the tomb raider raised an eyebrow « What do you mean? »
Wu blinked twice before answering, she removed her hand from Sky's grip and began to talk.
« I could feel your presence here…Well.. When I was alive for the second time, when I came back from the Spirit Realm, lots of ghosts of the Imperial Army that fell during the First Battle of Dirge attacked me, but… I could feel your presence.
« You weren't hostile and I knew you weren't of my time. I loved seeing your intrigued look of Dirge… It was… » Sky interrupted her by placing an hand on her shoulder, he noticed that she was about to get emotional.
The Lotus Blossom when she was alive was a very emotional girl, and even the little things, like love or meeting a person who is from another time or even being pregnant for the first time, made her cry with joy.
Sky took the word, in the meanwhile Wu's vision was clouded by tears of emotion « What my love is trying to say is… that she's very pleased to meet you, even after all this time Tomb Raider.
« She continued to talk about you… And she knew that… after you'll go away… » Sky stopped by seeing the confused look on Lara's eyes « Wait… what do you mean by "came back from the Spirit Realm"? » she asked while moving her index and middle fingers, to quote the words of the Lotus Blossom.
Neither Wu or Sky or even the Water Dragon Answered that question, but it was Lian;
« When Wu defeated my… father, the one who stole the Water Dragon's powers for ending the Long Drought, she was killed by my uncle, Sun Li the Glorious Strategist and she fought to come back to the mortal realm… » Lian had a powerful voice, yet very feminine, just like an Empress.
« And then I had a vision… I couldn't believe that It was true… But Wu the Lotus Blossom came back from the death to save the Empire and restore the balance… And I'm glad she was my best friend » Dawn Star smiled at the explanation.
Lara nodded at their words, not interrupting their speeches « What the Gold Empress and the Silver Empress said it's true. My loyal Spirit Monk saved the Empire and restored the balance of the world… » Lara nodded once
« I wonder why in this century there's no talks about this » said Lara while taking a deep breath before talking. What she was hearing was breathtaking, wonderful.
This was the most beautiful and amazing story that she had ever learned « It is hidden, unknown… But only the ones with pure minds and hearts needed to know this, Tomb Raider. » said the Water Dragon, a smile appeared on her pale white face.
« I don't have a pure heart Goddess… » Lara was very blunt, she didn't have a pure heart… or at least, that was what she thought.
Lara is not sensible, but neither she is a black-hearted woman. Humility is not Lara's part of her personality… maybe because of what happened between her and her parents, but Lara was sure of it; She was neither a bad person… but neither a good person.
A person with a pure heart didn't killed lots of human beings for an artefact.
The Water Dragon shocked her head « Yes you have, we know what you did last year. You destroyed an artefact that was dangerous to our world… You saved the world Tomb Raider.
« But last year was only a test… In the years that may come you will face a battlefield, the world will lost again the balance just because some evil men act like they'll control the outcome. But men are only humans, not Gods. » Lara nodded, the Goddess's words were cryptic… she didn't understand them.
« To control the Outcome…Control the beginning Tomb Raider, it is an arrogant action. But this in the future will be done… » said Wu while trembling, Lara could see that she was shaken, afraid of what the world will become.
As if the evil men could take control of everything, even the end of the world.
Dawn Star and Lian looked at each other, and then they nodded, Dawn Star took the word, Lian couldn't speak because she couldn't find the words.
« We want to leave you a gift tomb raider, we know you love collecting artefacts of the past. We will not leave an artefact, but we give you our companions of battles. »
Wu and Sky smiled at the cousins, it was a wonderful idea to give a gift to Lara, and better gift than their weapons to them was an outstanding gift for Lara.
« We must fade now Lara Croft, their weapons will be on the floor on where they are now. My gift is that I'll give you the knowledge of the Sun Dynasty, of what happened here in Dirge… You may do whatever you want with this knowledge dear Tomb Raider… Look to yourself, fulfill your destiny… and we may meet again. » the Water Dragon fade with a strong light in front of her, Lara covered her eyes with her arm.
Everyone faded, neither Dawn Star or Lian or Sky or Wu where there, they faded along with the Water Dragon.
Lara couldn't help but smile at what happened right now. She had received the knowledge of an unknown past, maybe no one will believe in her, maybe she will be called "mad" but Lara didn't care.
It was something new… and maybe… after she'll take the Dagger of Xian, she will write a book about it.
Now I understand those glimmers that I had said Lara to herself. She saw the glimmers just because she had a pure heart… maybe not a golden one but indeed a pure one, and an ancient goddess saw that, deep inside her.
Lara looked at the floor; there were two swords and two pairs of sabers, she smiled. They were the "companion of battles" of those spirits, that were influential on Dirge and the Water Dragon.
Lara couldn't have a better gift from them.
I will tell to the world your stories… I'll fulfill my destiny, whatever it may be… and I'll be waiting for it, to meet you again.