Chapter 20 Frontier
Broken World
I sneezed.
It was cold, there was an itch in my sock, I was wet, and this damn gun is freaking heavy (no offence Kalani, but you are!)
If there was an expulsion of air that was perfect to describe my mood, it would have to have been the sigh.
I sneeze again, someone was probably talking about me, hah, doubt it.
An explosion rocks the foundations of the road, metal stilts giving into insane pressure as a sinkhole appears right in front of me. Out of the black hole that formed a figure stood, brilliant eyes flashing in the twilight, a twisted grin on a twisted face.
Carmun, the emerald bane, I sneeze again.
"Pale daughter, I come before you to take you from this place, by force if necessary"
But a hint of her former cruelty was shown on her face, but it still twinkled in her eyes, if not for the sheer force of her will it would run rampant.
Caster, of all the servants that could have met Inanna in this barren world, this was the worst. Of course, Inanna didn't know this, and thus acted accordingly.
"And what are you going to do, I'm no fruit you old hag!"
Somewhere in the back of Inanna's head a voice spoke to her, Inanna you idiot, Inanna herself couldn't help but agree as the witch's face turned red and lightning flashed in the sky.
Now would be the time to run chided the voice in her head.
"No shit"
The voice that escapes my lips is high pitched; a bolt of lightning blackens a hole in the ground as the witch comes at me like a bat out of hell. A maelstrom growing behind her, lightning flashing, her crazed face shining like a beacon, if not for the giant thunderstorm Inanna would comment on how she got even uglier than before.
Before the thought could fully form, bolts of lightning rain from the sky, and the time for random thoughts was over, running would be good.
"I'm running, I'm running"
Screamed Inanna, desperately trying not to get hit by what looked like a violet beam, vaguely resembling death lasers in science-fiction.
"Damn it Kalani your heavy!"
***
Empty World
In the depths of this jewel I find peace. Just looking into its depths, I feel the entire world fall away, and I'm at peace.
Still I pull away from the sparkling depths, bringing my consciousness back to reality. The young woman in front of me gives me an odd look, but I ignore her.
"Miss…Tohsaka?"
She asks quietly, gesturing towards the depths of the bank vault and the safety deposit box. With slow deliberate movements I place the jewel in the box, in my peripheral vision I can see her eyes widen as she spots it, as it's the biggest jewel she has ever seen in her entire life.
I seal the box with my key, gesturing her to do the same. She nods, still dazed by what she has just seen and slowly stumbles out of the vault, closing the door behind her and thanking me for choosing her bank.
With a sigh I walk past the bustling crowd of people swarming at the bank desks, a man was raising his voice, a child was crying, and then suddenly everything went quiet.
No, that's wrong.
Everything got louder.
Three men stand in the entrance of the bank, the bank security guard lying dead on the floor, a pool of blood spreading across the linoleum floor. The leader of the group raised his gun and fired into the ceiling, calling for quiet.
But that wasn't the source of the noise.
A gale of wind struck the face of the building, glass shattering and slicing into the unguarded backs of the three-would-be bank robbers. As the leader turned around, his cry was cut short by the servant's sword.
A silver hand shown clearly through the spray of blood, a blade of light held in the other.
***
Kohaku's World
The fire consumed everything, wrapping around the mansion like a mother's tender embrace, taking it into her bosom and holding on for dear life.
A single tear falls down my face, unbidden; it streaks down my cheek and falls to the ground.
I raise my hand to wipe it away, but stop as sudden movement freezes me to the spot. A figure stands in the burning mansion, unlike the one from before; the benevolent atmosphere has turned cold.
Out of the fire walked a man clothed in fabulous riches, but a frivolous thing, as they did nothing to mask the look on his face, one of utter disgust.
"You have ruined such a grand home; I wished to take it for myself."
The man scrunches up his face as if he had just tasted something sour.
"Nevertheless, I will take your lives now, off with your head."
And with that a silver plated axe appeared in his long fingered hands, a crazed look on his face as the axe was hefted high above his head.
***
Sakura's World
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"
I flinch at the intensity of the raven haired woman's voice. Despite myself, I can't voice my own opinion, my voice seemingly won't work. With a struggled gasp blood bursts from my throat and stains the carpeted floor.
I stare at that spot where the red meets carpet in the silence. I can feel the raven haired woman staring at me, but I can't move from this spot.
What the hell is going on?
A loud bang breaks the silence as the raven haired woman opens her mouth to speak. The sound resembled the unholy union of a car backfiring and the breaks of an eighteen-wheeler failing, a truly unpleasant sound.
I feel like laughing, even in another world they won't leave me alone. All these people deciding what I should and shouldn't do…
Shiki…
When I see your face, all these points and lines fade away, and I become myself, this world fades away, and everything is just background noise.
I raise myself up from the bloodstained floor, cutting a shallow cut in my finger with my thumbnail. The blood trickles down my hand, dripping to the floor in large goblets of crimson.
I've been scared, I've been defiled, I've been hated, I've been pitied, I've been loved…and now I'm just angry.
Eyes flashing, reflecting off the invading light, I break free of this place, tearing a hole in the wall, ignoring the gasp of the raven haired woman.
In the center of the street he stands, and the entire world fades away except the man in front of me.
He turns to face me, a gun in his raised hand; I watch the bullet as it passes by my face in slow motion. I raise my blooded hand, ready to rend his heart from his body, only to meet the flesh of his own hand. With a graceful ease my hand is pulled behind me and I'm pinned to the ground. His gun planted on the back of my head, his finger on the trigger, so I'm going to die?
I stare at the cracked pavement, a single shoot struggles for light, and breaking out of the ground to reach for the sky. I'm already dead, why do I care anymore…
His finger on the trigger, my head on the floor, bam, it would all be over in an instant, my brains on the pavement, and my body in some strange place.
Why do I still care? I search my mind for that answer, but cannot find it, yet still something lingers in my mind…Shiki?
I don't want to die; I don't want this, stop deciding things without my permission!
All the anger, all the pain, that unbearable hurt, it starts to rise up in my chest, I see his face once more and it recedes, only to redouble.
Full of pain, full of disgust, full of anger, I manifest my soul onto this world, tearing a part of my soul and making it tangible for a moment.
The world turns to rot, trees falling to ash, the ground black and dead, the sky is a red hazy iron colour.
"Stop it"
A voice rings out in my mind, a girl stands there in front of me shaking her head, telling me no, this is not the way.
Who are you to tell me what to do?
I am you, as such you should listen.
How can you be me, and yet not me?
I am you that was before, why do you still not listen?
Listen to what?
To your own tears…
The voice fades and I find myself crying, my soul is screaming around me, draining the world of its colour, but cannot prevent its own pain. With a sigh it breaks apart under the pressure of the world, and I lay on the pavement crying, crying for the loss I had not yet wept for, myself.
Unasked for, tender arms hold me tight, and I cry into that persons warm chest, while soothing words try to deceive me that I would be alright.
How the hell can anything to be alright, I'm dead!
A flash of light, a person stands in the opening, the raven haired woman who held me tensed. The man with the gun turns his head, a small smiled played on his strained face.
***
Satsuki's World
The crumbling sky turned pale pink, glorious dead sun rises in the east. Shining rays of light on a city best left in the twilight, where it could shine forever unbidden.
"Shiki, who is this person"
The young man with glasses raises his head, staring at her as if she is crazy, which is actually quite probable, though naiveté is a large factor.
"Arcueid, can't you fix me first and then ask questions!"
The youth can't help but scream, crushed under rubble, the adrenaline was beginning to drain away and by conventional terms he was already a lost cause.
Visibly flustered, the woman known as Arcueid jumps and then rushes to his aid, a faint blush on her alabaster skin.
"Don't worry Shiki; I can get you patched up right away!"
And with that a roll of packing tap was produced from somewhere in her skirt. Shiki blacked out as soon as he saw it, the shock of it all was too much for him.
With a deft whack the red haired woman hits her over the head,
"Tape won't fix everything."
Arcueid looks up at the woman, her face serious, eyes flashing yellow.
"You got a better idea?"
The red haired woman pauses, and then looks right into the other woman's eyes.
"Arcueid Brunestud, White princess of the true ancestors, I do have an idea, and your not going to like it."
The blonde woman's eyes dull, she pushes her tongue in her check, and then with a faint smile.
"I already don't like you; I don't think anything can be worse."
"We are going to make him a dead apostle"
Arcueid's eyes widen then narrow, she peruses her lips and then stares back at the passed out youth.
"Your right, I don't like this, but as much as I do not, Shiki would hate it more, and how can you call yourself a teacher?"
***
Nyx World
It was cold, Altrouge sneezed, and ordinarily this would be accompanied by some poor soul getting blasted into white hot oblivion. But on this day, all that was produced was another box of Kleenex.
The dark mistress, the lord of blood and contract, Altrouge Brunestud, had caught a cold. The irony was not lost on her servants, least of all the begrudging archer who sat tending to her every need and whimsy.
"I want butterscotch pudding"
"Right away mast-"
"With real butterscotch…"
"Right away mast-"
"From Europe…"
"Right away-"
"Made from scratch"
"Do you want me to just enslave a town to make you pudding?"
"That would definitely be helpful, now be off to do so already!"
The archer sighed, unable to disobey do to unforeseen events; blasted girl understands her binding contracts like a dirty lawyer.
Her sneeze echoed through the entire hall.
"Uwwwaaa~"