.part of me.
Part 11
She had failed… she couldn't protect him…
The steel sword hit the ground as Usagi's body was lifted up into the column of light. Thunderous sounds encircled them. The four colored columns of light also began to lift their occupants from the ground.
Sensei struggled to his feet; the tremendous power that was emitted from the explosion of light had sent him tumbling to the ground. His robe clung taut to his body as the tail ends of it wiped around wildly in the wind. In his hands he still held the book of the Profit Saints… it was time.
Usagi's form was limp, chin cocked upwards bringing her face to the heavens. The white light that engulfed her blocked out all that was around her and began to invade her mind.
~@~@~@~
A small girl with short pigtails peered over the edge of the table. She was just the right height standing on her tippy toes to see over the top. She didn't say a word, she didn't want to be a bother. The taller man that sat at the table looked over at her, casting her a smile he went back to his work.
"What are you thinking about Usagi?" The man asked as he manipulated a few wires between his fingers into an intricate design.
The small girl jumped slightly having been spoken to directly. "N-nothing… I was just watching."
A slight chuckle escaped the man's lips. "Come now, I know you much better than that. There's always a plan or scheme forming in your head." His concern grew within him when he didn't see her usual smile follow his statement. "Usagi?"
With her eyes down cast and only the shadow of her lashes to be seen, she looked down to the floor. "Why can't we see angels?"
"What?" The man put down his work he had been toiling with to turn and face Usagi completely. "Usagi, what are you asking?"
"Angels Haku, why can't we see them?" She looked up inquisitively.
Haku's eyes searched her face for any sign of what had brought this on. "I don't know Usagi." He saw small tears forming in her eyes as she looked at him having had expected an answer greater than the one he had given. "I just don't know."
"I'm never going to see my momma, am I?"
"Oh Usagi." Haku reached his arms out and took her into his embrace. "I'm sure you'll see her again."
Usagi cried softly into his chest. "Are you sure?"
"Yes." Haku said reassuringly although it was beyond him if he spoke the truth or not. "I believe that when you love some one so much and so purely, that nothing can keep you apart… not even death."
Usagi looked up to see Haku staring off into the distance. "Haku is some one that you love up there too?" She tried to wipe away her tears, his words had brought her comfort but she could tell that they had brought him pain.
Snapping from his daydream, he focused his attention back on the small girl. "Yes Usagi, there is."
"Don't worry Haku, my momma will take care of your special person until we can see them again." She smiled childishly up at his face and caused a smile of his own to appear.
"Let's hope so…"
~@~@~@~
A sharp pain surged through her body as though it was ripping every ounce of her soul from her being. The screams swam around her as she became aware of the other's presence. Yaten's voice stood out amongst everyone's mainly due to its high pitch. They too were in pain…
In the end she couldn't save him… Seiya…
The rest of the world would be fine, it would go on living as though nothing happened. Knowing nothing of this day. Her own death was upon her and all Usagi could think of was him…
She knew she wasn't going to survive, she had been caught in the middle of this. No amount of doll parts could repair her from this. A deeper cry of pain reached her ears and she knew immediately that it was Seiya's. She didn't want to survive after this, she deserved to die for not saving him… not saying something when she had the chance.
The chanting of words she didn't understand caught her attention. The voice and words felt as though they were wrapping around her, coating her in a power. As the words climbed up the column of light she could make out Seiya's Sensei's voice, he was continuing the ritual.
The light around her began to glow brighter once again as she struggled to remain in control of her mind… not to slip back into unconsciousness again…
With her senses besieged by the elements around her, Usagi forced her eyes open. There, just past the bright red column of light that held Seiya, stood Sensei. His arms were out stretched as the book he had been reading the chants from floated effortlessly in the air in front of him.
"No!" Usagi screamed but she couldn't even hear her own voice, let alone hope that Sensei had heard it. Her muscles burned and her mind ached, but she continued to push them to their limits as she drew her arms up from her sides. Then off in the distance she spotted him. "Haku!" Her eyes had caught sight of his form looming up behind Sensei's.
Usagi looked around to see if anyone else had noticed their new observer, but it didn't seem as though anyone had. Taiki stood straight and proud with his eyes closed and his hands at his sides. Mamoru was in much the same position, but his presence spoke with less haughtiness. Yaten's actions mirrored her own as his hands tried desperately to break free of their prison. Lastly she looked to Seiya, he stood there, taking all of the pain with a straight face, his eyes lingering on her form. Was he crying?
Before she could focus more clearly on his face she felt herself falling back towards the Earth only to be suddenly suspended once again. Sensei was on the ground with Haku standing above him. Every kick, every punch Haku cast upon Sensei weakened the field around her.
"Haku!" She called out this time her own voice reaching her ears. "Haku!!" She tried again desperately. Haku's face picked up from what he was doing to take in Usagi. "Haku look out!" She cried as she saw Sensei getting up behind him.
By now Taiki and Mamoru had realized what was going on and they too were fighting against the light in a fruitless struggle. Haku was soon taken down to his knees, he was a great deal younger than Sensei but you would have never known by the way Sensei was tossing him about.
A blast landed on the ground right beside Haku's head in an explosion of yellow brilliance. Usagi looked towards Taiki who was taking aim once again. The force fields were weak enough that he could attack now but not too weak where he had very good control of his power.
Haku and Sensei struggled desperately on the ground, every punch drew them nearer to the lights. Once Haku had spotted the sword that lay beneath Usagi's feet that became his main objective. It seemed as though Sensei had noted that plan too and was doing everything in his power to stop him.
Usagi wished that she had the same powers as the others, but even if she did, she had no idea how to use them. "Seiya!!" Usagi called over to him before realizing that he was already facing her. "Blast him! End this!"
Seiya shook his head and looked down at his hands. "I can't!" He said just loud enough for her to hear him.
"Yes you can, the shields are weak enough now!" Usagi called back pleading with him.
Seiya looked back up and into her eyes. "I can't control it, they're not weak enough!"
"SO?! If you don't do something he might die!" Usagi didn't see the point, anything would get them somewhere, but doing nothing was getting them absolutely nowhere fast.
"I might hit you!"
Usagi stopped for a second, she hadn't thought about that one. Realizing that this was a chance she had to take, her life before everyone's… before Haku's… before Seiya's… "I don't care!! Just do it!! You have to!!"
"No!" Seiya called back standing still.
Usagi growled feeling helpless in the situation, then turned to Yaten. "Yaten!"
"They're right below you!" Yaten called back bringing her attention to the ground below. Haku had just about made it to the sword.
"Help him please!" She begged as they slipped down another few feet.
Yaten saw the determination in her eyes but before he could react Sensei was suddenly pulled back away from Haku. Haku's hand wrapped around the sword without question as he tried to stand and face Sensei.
Sensei looked down to find a thick green vine wrapped around his leg. "Mamoru!" He called up to the columns, facing the green one specifically.
Usagi's eyes shot over to Mamoru who was maneuvering his hands to hold his powers the best he could. He had done this? He was trying to help her save Haku? Maybe she had him all wrong?
A blast that looked like a blue laser shot out from Yaten's column of light and headed straight towards Sensei. It didn't look as though it was holding steady though, its path curved many times, almost getting sucked to the other lights as though they were magnets. All of that work, only to miss. "Try again!" Usagi cried seeing Sensei getting back up.
Yaten once again summoned his powers but before they were released a yellow streak passed a little too closely to his face. Taiki stood staring determinedly at Yaten's surprised features. "Don't make me your opponent Yaten!" Taiki called over but was knocked backwards from a blow to the shoulder.
Seiya stood with a burning ball of fire ready to launch again in his hand. As his eyes fixed on Taiki's form that was getting ready to attack him, the energy of the force field shot back up and sent electrical pain surging through their bodies. The pain started all over again as they were being hoisted back up into the sky.
Usagi was almost afraid to look down, if this was happening that meant that Haku had…
~@~@~@~
"Haku?"
"Yes Usagi?" The crowds of people swarmed around them as though they were all heading towards the same destination.
"Why is that pretty woman over there getting all greasy working on that car?" Usagi had been staring and wondering. A woman with long brown hair was leaned over a sporty convertible, toiling with a wrench, after a moment she stood up wiping sweat from her brow.
Haku looked down at Usagi seeing her face come just below his waist. She was still just a child and didn't understand the ways of man yet. "What is wrong with a pretty woman working on an engine?" He asked holding her hand tighter as not to lose her in the sea of people.
Usagi's brow furrowed and then her lovely face produced a frown. "She's pretty, she's not supposed to do that."
Laughter erupted from Haku above as he took yet another glance over at the woman beside the street. "Usagi, just because people look a certain way, doesn't mean that they can't do other things."
"What do ya mean?" Usagi asked innocently taking her attention from the woman.
Haku sighed and picked Usagi up into his arms. The crowd was thickening and there was even more of a threat of becoming separated. "People cannot help the way they are born, or even what they are born into. A person should be allowed to follow whatever dream they want to, and become who ever they want."
"So I can be princess of the world some day?" Usagi asked with a childish grin.
Chuckles escaped Haku's lips once again as he shook his head in agreement. "Yes Usagi, you are free to be whoever or whatever you want. No one can dictate your destiny."
~@~@~@~
The fogginess of her mind cleared and she regained control of her body, well somewhat control. The chanting voice had enveloped her and the others once again. Her fears were realized when her eyes scanned the grounds below and she saw Haku… motionless. The sword she had used to slay Kakyuu lay not too far away from his limp form.
Usagi looked to Sensei with hate in her eyes. His hands were rising from his sides, heading up towards the heavens above. As his voice grew louder, she felt terror creeping up on her from inside. Desperately turning, she tried to see the others around her, only to find they were still unconscious. She felt as though she was going to die alone.
The column of light that surrounded her began to expand and surge nearer to the four columns that surrounded her. This was the end. "Good bye Haku…" She couldn't hold the tears back any longer, she had been so strong up to this point. "Good bye Seiya…" She felt her mind slipping back into unconsciousness again. "I… love… you…"
A feeling of serenity and peace washed over her along with the warmth of love. All anxiety left her body. Any doubt, regret, or pain she felt was wiped from her soul as she basked in the warmth of the light.
Shockwaves were sent out in all directions, rippling the space they passed throw and blanketing the Earth with their energy. The sonic boom alone shook every molecule that structured life as the Earth and all of its people became subjected to its wrath.
The world held still…
It became quiet for the first time since its creation…
~@~@~@~
The purification… a cleansing purge of all that was supposedly wrong in the world. It was said that at the time of the Misogi, God's children would come together to emanate their power. All that held man back would be resolved and only by this cleansing would man be able to progress into the future…