Sorry about the less chapter updates! Life just is random, and this is one if the first times I've had WiFi this week. Anyway, I just wanted to write another one-shot while I was working on my other one-shot idea. Let's get on with this! (WARNING: You may have emotion overload)
You know the setting by now, but I'll describe it anyway. That stupid nuke. Much more trouble than it was worth. It had blown up, unfortunately, with Zoey trapped inside. Sounds familiar, right? Well, referring to a certain point, she's unstable. No one can survive a nuclear explosion, even in a land of magic and monsters. Rythian and Teep are waiting at The Crooked Caber when the nuke goes off, and Rythian immediately flies to the blast site, leaving Teep to swim. he begins to shift through what was once Blackrock Stronghold, looking for Zoey. Where does this Narrator going, you may be thinking? Well, everything comes with a cost...
Rythian dug frantically through the rubble. No, this wasn't it. She's alive, and he'll find her. The now destroyed chunks of volcanic stone bricks stain his hands a dark black, as he continues sifting through the piles of rubble. Each motion brought more worry, and more haste in his actions. Only pure denial of what seemed to be true, hard, cold facts kept him from collapsing in exhaustion. His one goal, his only mission, blocked out all of Their voices, their own noise adding to this symphony of destruction. He then heard a chorus of splashing noises, faint, but enough to signal the fall of a heavy object. It added to the cantata, and he rushed toward the sound, hoping with all the will in his being that what he dared hope was true.
He remembered the day he took Zoey on as his apprentice. A crazy action at the time, but it was essential to gather all the allies he could for his revenge. Revenge. What a crazy, hopeless endeavor. It had only blinded him from all he had been given at this chance at redemption. Deep down, he owed something to the two who destroyed his former life of shadow and darkness. He never spoke or dared think it, but he was grateful for his new life. However, he had to plague it with his own petty attempts to "settle the score." It almost cost him everything, and now it had finally caught up to him. He couldn't be selfish, and think only of his own dark desires, for they would only lead to destruction. He didn't need them anymore, because Zoey was his light now. That was all that mattered. She always wanted to prove to him that she was grateful. Now, she had to pay the price for being their for him. It was a curse, really. Everything he had or wanted was corrupted by Them. But not her. Never her.
That was where he saw her. She was on the brink on consciousness, and falling deep into the water. Water. He had a complicated relationship with the clear liquid. An enemy and an ally. Not so unusual anymore. Zoey was sinking fast, her rich, red hair fading into a dot under the pool, with a sickly green and red substance trailing her decent. It almost made him sick to think of the pain she must be under, and without a moment's hesitation, he dove into the pool. To save her, and to save himself, because she was a part of him now. The only good in him. The water clung to his skin and burned a deep red like acid against metal. It was eating away his energy and oxygen, but he didn't care. It was all or nothing at this point. He finally caught up to her continually falling figure, clouded in it's broken form with rips in her fragile flesh, tears, blood, and pure agony seeking to attack her at any moment, meanwhile bombarding her pain. Her eyes were closed, and she wasn't struggling to do anything. Was it all for nothing?
Ignoring the simmering heat and welding beginning to form and burst on his eroding skin, adrenaline forced Rythian to grab Zoey's arm. She reflexively silently screamed in pain that she could only physically feel, but he felt it emotionally as well. While doing this, she inhaled a lungful of water, and her system couldn't take the sheer amount of pain. She collapsed underwater, losing consciousness while allowing her to take a brief relaxation of the dark awaiting her. Rythian fought to bring her to the surface, and finally he saw the reflexion of the mountains that once protected their home. Now, they were covered with debris and rubble. With his last once of energy, he kicked the both of them to the surface, allowing himself gulps and gasps of precious air. Zoey however, did not taking in the life-saving air.
Quickly, he pull her unconscious and broken form to the shore of the inlet leading to the oceans beyond. He tried to start her breathing again, but without success. He realized her bruised lungs couldn't take the pressure of C.P.R., and he quickly remembered his Evertide amulet, and how it removed water. Without a second thought, he pressed the amulet against her cold, unresponsive skin. Zoey began to cough as the water left her lungs, but quickly returned to her safe dark haven. Rythian began to try everything to heal her, but it was too much. She was going to...NO! He had to keep trying, no matter what.
It was at this time that Rythian realized his other conscious trying to encase his thoughts. Seeing as he didn't have the strength to fight It off any longer, he set aside the mental barriers and focused solely on getting Zoey to be stable, if only for a split second.
"She isn't going to last. She'll die, and it will be only you to blame. See what you cause? And you call Us the monster. We are your allies, yet you decimate us. See where this gets you? This is what you deserve." The Ender side of him lashes out, taking full advantage of his weakness.
"No, no, it's not...she's alright. She will be soon." Even as he thought it, Rythian knew the horrible, deadly truth.
"Don't lie. After all...you are forgetting something. If you truly wish it with all of your, oh what do humans call it? Heart, than I may be able to... assist you." Rythian paused, but already knew the conditions of the creature's offer.
"I will never give into you. I can save her. I DO NOT need your "help"." Rythian tried more healing spells, muttering every incantation, every piece of knowledge he knew. It wasn't enough. He tried one more desperate thing. With every fiber of his existence, he called upon all the magic he had ever known, just to keep Zoey's pulse and breathing going, which were growing rapidly fainter and shorter, more weak and forced. All of the force of the magic drained him, and his black dots and blurred lined clouded his vision. He quickly pulled her hand to him, feeling for any improvement, the slightest notion that everything he had done was not in vain. Nothing, still the ever-dim thump. He cried out in frustration, and almost collapsed himself. He was almost in as bad of a condition as her.
"Interesting. You would rather let the one you "love" die in front of you when you have the power to save her. Really, very sinister. You are no more human than Us. This is proof." The creature hissed at him. Rythian, knowing it was his only option, knew what he had to do. It was worth it.
"Can...you...?" The Mage could almost feel the Ender laugh as It knew It had won.
"Of course. You know the price, though, of such powerful Ender magic. She will be completely normal, I assure you, or "as she was before the incident" but you..." The creature hungrily finished off. Rythian knew his answer, but he had only one condition.
"Yes, please. Just...just give me one year. After that allotted time, I swear under the oath of the Queen I will give you all of my power." The menace cackled, and suddenly, Rythian felt raw energy in the air around him.
"Deal. Don't forget, now, you promised..." It said as it slunk away into the deepest parts of Rythian's conscious. Zoey suddenly gasped as her heartbeat was boosted, and she managed to drag herself out of the abyss that was near-death. Rythian was so relieved and terrified at the same time, he didn't know what to do.
He heard the deep footprints of a huge lizard, and turned around to see Teep, bow ready. He must have swam, as his scales gleamed with water drizzling down.
"Tee," He said, addressing the dinosaur, "We need to go somewhere. Somewhere safe, where Zoey can heal." Without a word, of course, because he can't, Teep leads the way as Rythian picks up Zoey and begins to follow him to their new beginning. As he walked, he heard one last, faint sound that was almost overshadowed by the noise of the wind blowing through the scraps of their fortress.
"Remember your promise..."
How was that for a one-shot? By the way, if you want to read the continuation of the once one-shot, "Lost in a New World", you can find it by going to my profile and clicking the story! It's got more chapters now, so its more of an invigorating story. Anyway, please review and tell me what you thought of it, and thanks for reading!
Bye! :)
