[Message from Kingdom Come]: Okay so we have four chapters and the epilogue left before volume one is done! Okay so PLEASE read this message before you read the chapter. Okay so warning…this chapter, for lack of a better word, is absolutely f*cked! It's pretty much a villain development chapter, and uhm…well it's just really, really deranged, some of the things that go on in this chapter might be a little…intense…so you know, just warning you…Let's just say Cypress is loosing her grip on reality and totally looses her f*king mind (I know…I have to use censors now…just don't ask…)
Chapter XXVIII.
Mother
"And so the world spins onward," Cypress sighed, staring down at Atmosia from upon the large balcony that extended fourth from her throne room. She could barely see the citizens from where she stood, but she was certain that they could see her. It would be hard to ignore the visage of the one who held your fate in their hands, even if the view of her was so high up.
"Meno has arrested Advent," Anaxagoras stated darkly, walking up to his master from within the throne room, "Although I'm sure you figured that out by now…"
"Advent will find a way around this," Cypress stated calmly, continuing to look out into the distance, "She always does."
"You're not…" Anaxagoras began, turning to look at Cypress, "…angry with Meno…are you?"
"You're not jealous of Meno?" Cypress then replied coldly, "Are you? Oh Anaxagoras you are trite little thing aren't you?" She sighed, turning away from him and heading back into the throne room.
"You say so," Anaxagoras replied, looking over Cypress lecherously, "But the way you act is contrary to that…" He began gently placing his hands on her shoulders. He pulled back the clothes around her neck, and began gliding his lips over her pale skin. His lips crept up to her ear, and he gently began to nibble on her soft skin.
"mmm…" Cypress moaned, reaching up for Anaxagoras' neck, "Oh Anaxagoras…my sweet little fool…" She sighed as he ran his pale hand gently down her shoulders, then to her chest, across her torso, and in between her legs, "You never seem to fail to know exactly what it is that I want from you…"
"Of course," Anaxagoras replied quietly, pressing his face against her soft white hair and taking in a long and deep breath as he did so, staring down at her with bedroom eyes, "You aren't so hard to figure out Master…"
"Am I?" She asked quietly, gently pushing him away, "Am I so easy to read? So easy to decipher…"
"No…" Anaxagoras replied, shaking his head, and thoroughly irritated by her dismissal of him, "I am simply putting that you are easy to please Master…"
"Is that so?" Cypress asked, turning back to him, "I wasn't aware…"
"Is something the matter Master?" Anaxagoras inquired, noting her odd behavior.
"…Be in my bedchamber in twenty minuets…" Cypress stated coldly and flatly, I want you to be ready by the time I get there…"
"Of course Master," Anaxagoras replied with a pleased smile across his lips, "As you wish." He concluded before turning around and leaving the throne room.
"If your sister isn't allowed to have a lover," A voice asked curiously, echoing off of the walls, "Then why is it that you do?" Cypress turned in a frenzy to see that Jevanni was standing in her midst.
"What do you want!" Cypress hissed, looking hatefully at the brood mother of all valkyries. Jevanni looked towards her daughter with sad eyes and shook her head, "Leave here! NOW!"
"You poor thing…" Jevanni sighed, looking to her child, "You were such a sweet thing…what happened to you my little flower?"
"I am not your flower!" Cypress hissed, looking wild with fury at the Valkyrie's presence, "You hate me! You always have and you always will! You always preferred Advent to me!"
"That's not true…" Jevanni smiled sweetly, taking a few steps towards Cypress, "I love you Cypress, just as a mother should love her little girl."
"Liar," Cypress whispered, looking away from her, "…you think I am a monster…I know you do…"
"My little girl," Jevanni whispered, wrapping her arms around Cypress, "A monster? No…never…I just wonder where I went wrong? I raised you and all of your sisters right, gave you all equal love…I just don't understand Cypress…" She sighed, turning Cypress around to look at her, "I suppose some souls are just born corrupted…and that there is nothing that anyone can do…"
"Mother…" Cypress began quietly, choking on her words, "No…y-you…you love me…don't you?"
"How could anyone love such a mistake…" Jevanni smiled, looking down at Cypress as she collapsed to the floor, "How could anyone love such a horrible creature. You hate your own sister so much…and you didn't even love your daughter enough to protect her…you're a failure Cypress. A failure as a mother, as a sister, and as a daughter…"
"SHUT UP!" Cypress screamed, reaching to seize Jevanni's neck to strangle her, but the moment she was about to wrap her fingers around her neck, Jevanni's image disappeared. Cypress took a step back, and looked around the room, her hands trembling and her legs shaking.
Am I loosing my mind… Cypress thought quietly, gripping the roots of her white hair. She moved to leave the throne room, her eyes affixed on the floor, when something caught her eye. She turned around violently to observe her throne. Sitting upon it, was Advent. Sitting at her side, was Cyclonis, who was gently resting her head on her mother's knee. Cypress was sure this time that she was delusional, but wasn't sure why everyone was beginning to appear before him now.
"Cypress…" Advent sighed, running her fingers through her daughter's hair, "What happened to you indeed…you and I used to be friends if you recall. But I suppose that you were just a bad seed."
"Silence Advent!" Cypress hissed, "You're no better than me-"
"To the contrary," Advent replied contemptuously, "My children have all lived long and healthy lives, and some," She continued, lifting Cyclonis' head up to look at her by the chin, "Are still alive…where's your's?"
"Shut up!" Cypress screamed, her shouts echoing through the hall, "How dare you all blame me for what happened to my daughter!"
"But you're just as responsible as I am," Advent sighed, looking at her sister with sad eyes, "Did you not trap her in that awful place to keep her safe? You left her there, and never once went back for her. My killing her was practically a mercy killing…it's a pity that you don't see it that way…"
"Just leave me alone Advent…" Cypress hissed, looking away from both of the visions.
"You are such a disappointment Cypress," She then heard Advent sigh. Cypress let out a growl and turned back around to look at her, but she and Cyclonis were gone. Cypress let out a cry as she slid down to the ground.
"WHY!" She cried, looking around the dark chamber, "Why this torment! Why now! What have I done to warrant it! Someone tell me!"
"You're a murderer…" A different voice began. Cypress took a deep breath as she rose to her feet, turning to look at the specter's face. The vision she saw now was that of Anteres Caylo, or the Dark Ace. Standing at his side, was a small child she knew very well. It was Farrah, "Does the one life that Advent took from you make up for the hundreds of lives that you took? The families that you usurped? You will never be able to recall half of the faces of your victims, but the families and loved ones of those victims will remember you, and they will not know peace until you are dead."
"Another hypocrite…" Cypress hissed, looking towards his image, "You're a filthy murderer yourself! How dare you come here and act so holier than thou!"
"Cypress," Ace began, shaking his head, "You are to blame for every life I took…after all, wasn't I under the command of the young woman who was under your control. Your niece that is…it's safe to say that you have made the murderer of me…"
"Shut up!" Cypress hissed, "Shut up!"
"You were in control of Cyclonis the knight I was killed," Ace added, "Weren't you? Had I not died in the first place…Farrah would still be alive."
"No!" Cypress wailed, "It's not true!"
"Do not be so modest mother…" Farrah began softly taking a few steps away from Ace and towards Cypress, "Wasn't this what you wanted? Respect, rule, and loyalty. Well you have it now mother…although it was obtained through fear, the point is that it was obtained. And even though you lost your family in the process of doing so, your mother, your sister, and your daughter, you still have it. Was it worth it mother? You're one genocide away from having all of your dreams come true."
"Oh Farrah…" Cypress cried, falling to her knees as she looked to her fallen daughter, "I never meant for any harm to come to you…I loved you!"
"No mother," Farrah replied sadly, "You loved the idea of me…you didn't love me like you should have." she concluded, walking back towards Ace, "He and I…" The child began, looking up to him, "We are one in the same…both innocent lives that you have destroyed with your blind ambition…be proud of what you have created mother! This debacle that you will soon call your reign is something that should be celebrated."
"No!" Cypress shouted, turning to the pair, only to find that their images were now both gone. She trembled as she collapsed to the ground. Her quivering hand reached for the glowing reliquary at her side, "You!" She screamed, holding tightly to the object, "All of this! This is your fault! Fix it! Fix everything!" It was then when a thin greenish mist seeped from the artifact and eventually swelled into a thick greenish smoke, clouding and enveloping Cypress. She let out a scream that echoed through the sanctum as the haze consumed her.
"I was wondering if you were coming Master Cypress," Anaxagoras then began, looking to her as she stormed into her bedchamber, a cold, dark, and seemingly lonely room. Anaxagoras was unclothed, the lower half of his body covered by the dark sheets of Cypress' bed. She said nothing. She just stared at him as she slowly stepped into the room. With every step she took, she lost an article of her clothing until she was completely naked as well. She climbed on to the bed leaned forward, and began kissing him.
"Open your mouth…" She demanded, as Anaxagoras would not do so, "I said open your mouth." She commanded again. He obliged, and Cypress thrust her tongue inside as she closed her eyes, "My sweet little fool…" She whispered as she pulled away from him for a moment. She then opened her eyes, and saw that Anaxagoras was not before her, but rather, the Dark Ace. She gasped as his image laid back, smiling at her darkly. She closed her eyes and shook her head, opening them again to reveal Anaxagoras, who was looking at her in confusion.
"Are you alright my Master?" He asked, placing a pale hand on her face.
"I'm fine!" Cypress snapped, throwing his hand off of her. She them violently pushed him back down against the bed, crawling on top of him. He smiled at her lecherously once more, as he seized her body, and threw her back down against the bed as he climbed on top of her, his arms and legs straddling over her body. She closed her eyes as he buried his face in the crook of her neck, biting at every inch of skin he could get a hold of, as he initiated the act. However, within seconds, it was almost as though Anaxagoras had vanished. She opened her eyes to reveal that he was now gone. She opened her mouth as though to speak, but no words came out. She went to lift her body up from the bed, but found she could not do so either. Her eyes darted about the room in a panic as she felt paralyzed. It was then when she saw someone lean over the bed to look at her face. She watched in some horror and confusion as she noted that the figure looming over her, was herself.
"Lets do the world a favor shall we?" her mirror image smiled, as she took one of the pillows from Cypress' bed, and held it tightly down over the face of the laying Cypress.
"NO!" Cypress screamed, shooting up from her bed, and looking around the room in a panic. She was alone, quivering and trembling as she broke out in a cold sweat. She took deep and heavy breaths as she ran her trembling hands through her white hair. He heart was pounding, and it felt as though it was going to burst fourth from her chest. She looked to the glowing green reliquary that was sitting on a marble pedestal across from her bed. The item had brought her nothing but trouble since she had obtained it, and yet she couldn't find it within herself to rid herself of the accursed artifact. She then heard the doors of her room creak open, as the red-haired Anaximenes cautiously entered the room.
"Is everything alright in here Master?" He asked cautiously, "I heard a scream."
"W-where is Anaxagoras!" She commanded, still trembling, looking to Anaximenes as though she was crazed.
"He is overseeing Meno at the Sky Knight Council," He responded, uneasily, sensing something was terribly wrong with Cypress, "As you had commanded…Master Cypress are you sure you're-"
"I'm fine!" She screamed, "Now get out!" She commanded. Anaximenes stood still, looking at her with fear and confusion, "I said GET OUT!" She screamed, pointing in the direction of the door, as he quickly rushed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
"I-It was just a dream…" Cypress said quietly to herself, her eyes darting about the room, as she gripped her chest in a hope of calming her rapid heart palpitations, "All of it…just a dream…"
Get a hold of yourself you useless twat! A voice hissed within her head, I will not stand for your foolish mortal weakness!
"Of course…" Cypress whispered to herself, rising from the bed, and moving to put on her gown, "I mustn't be so weak…" She whispered, hanging the glowing green reliquary gently on her hips, "I mustn't be so weak…"
[End Chapter Notes]: So as we can see...Cypress has a bit of inner turmoil going on in her sick little head and she is just really f*king crazy. I think it is safe to say that she is a schizophrenic, or some variation on that. And to clarify, no the Dark Ace, Advent, Farrah, and the Goddess Jevanni did not all sporadically just appear before Cypress, she was just having paranoid delusions about some people, and they were all basically telling her things that Cypress is either A. Too much of a coward to admit to or B. shedding some light on some of the things she has inadvertantly done. Also, sorry about the random and kind of creepy sex/smothering sequence...just a little something I threw in to prove how crazy Cypress is becoming. I will update soon...less crazy pyscho-ness and more action/plot to come!
