Chapter 10: Rowen's Struggle with Chaos
Slowly, Rowen continued making his way down the tunnel, not even noticing Sage's cry for help as two demons ambushed him from behind. And as he made his way into the cavern where Clara was held he gasped in horror and surprise. For nothing could have prepared him for what he saw and nothing could have prepared him for the event that would change his life forever.
At the right of the cavern, Chaos stood solemnly with Kayla standing just behind him. Above them and to the left was Clara, her stone-like body was bound to the wall by vines that wrapped and worked themselves around her lifeless body.
"Clara…" Rowen whispered softly as he felt the tears slowly trickle down his cheeks. Then he heard a soft moan behind him. Wiping his tears away with his arm, he turned around to see his friends who were chained to a huge boulder. They were bloody, beaten, and bruised, but they were still alive.
"Go…"
"Leave this place…"
"Save yourself…"
"Forget about us…"
"I could never do that…you're the only family I have now. And I will not sacrifice your lives for hers, or hers for yours. No matter what happens today, we are all leaving together and nothing you say can change my mind." Rowen said as he felt the tears flow down his cheeks once more and didn't bother to wipe them away this time. He no longer cared if anyone saw his tears or heard him cry, in fact he wanted them to see. He wanted them to see how much he cared for them all, even Clara. Slowly Rowen reached behind his shoulder, grabbed an arrow, fit it to his bow, drew it back, began charging it with his energy, and let it fly at Chaos who merely deflected it with a wave of his hand. Rowen watched in shock and horror as the arrow struck Clara in the chest. But instead of crumbling into a pile of rubble, Clara's body began pulsing with a silver light.
Everything is going as I'd hoped it would Chaos thought with a sad smile on his face as he watched Rowen and waited for his next move. I've done everything you've asked me to Anubis, now all we can do is watch, wait, and hope
Meanwhile, Clara woke up to find herself in a strange place that was covered with green grass and beautiful flowers. Slowly she looked down to see her body was no longer stone.
"Where am I? Am I dead?" she wondered aloud as she stared at her hands in disbelief.
"Not quite Chiclaria." Instantly, Clara spun around to face a man dressed in an old fashioned monkish-like outfit who smiled at her warmly.
"Who are you? How do you know that name?" she asked as her voice quivered.
"I am Anubis, the man who raised and trained you since your birth. It is good to see you again…but not like this." Anubis said with wisdom and sadness in his voice.
"You mean you know of my life before all this happened?"
"Yes, before you were reborn in the 20th century, you were a priestess of the Rising Phoenix Temple. But as you spent time with your protectors, the Guardian Samurai, you began to feel badly about them risking their lives to protect you. At the same time you fell in love with Touma Hideyoshi, who would later become known as Rowen Hashiba. Unable to bear the thought of losing your only love, you willingly sacrificed your life so that your friends would be free to live their own lives." Anubis said with great emotion as tears welled in his eyes. "Then I revived you and sent you to the future with no memory of your former life, so that you could be free…but they wanted to be with you and couldn't bear to separated so I gave them all new names and sent them to the future to protect you and fight alongside you."
"I'm no warrior and I can't even control the powers I already have. What good am I to them now?" Clara wailed as she looked at her hands in despair.
Anubis made no response but merely waved his hand and a crystal ball appeared before them in a puff of smoke. "Watch…" he said in an even tone as figures appeared inside.
As Clara watched her friends capture, tears slowly welled in her eyes as she looked at Anubis and asked, "Why are they sacrificing themselves just to save my body? I don't understand…"
"They are taking these risks to try to bring you back."
"Bring me back, but how?"
"Because you selflessly sacrificed yourself to save your friends, it was decided that you would be given a second chance. But the only way for the revival to work requires that they express their truest feelings to you. For we cannot allow you to return unless you hear it for yourself that you are loved and missed back on earth." Anubis said as he watched Rowen fighting desperately against Chaos. Then turned back to Clara as heard her scream in pain and saw her fall to her hands and knees.
"What's happening to me?" Clara cried out in fear as she struggled to stand up. "I feel so strange…"
"Clara the time has come for you to make your decision." Anubis said gently as he bent down, put his hand on her shoulder, and looked into her eyes with a warm and caring smile. "Will you return to help your friends? Or will you stay here with me for all time?"