Pavo launched herself into the air, steadily flapping her wings to gain altitude. Her mind felt frozen, emotions overriding coherent thought as she traveled closer to her brother.
She hovered in front of Aquila's still form, her eyes darting between him and the constricting crystal. Numerous pillars of various sizes harshly ground into his body, mercilessly pinning him to the wall. Aquila's mouth was set in a thin, grim line, while his brow was furrowed slightly in an expression of discomfort.
"Aquila?" Pavo called out. He didn't respond, his eyes remaining firmly shut. After a few silent moments, she said his name again, sounding increasingly more insistent and worried. Another deafening silence followed.
She hesitantly reached out and warily touched his cheek. She nearly drew back in surprise, feeling his ice cold skin. Her fingers carefully traveled down the underside of his jaw, only to find that he had no pulse. Pavo pulled her hand back, unsure of what to think.
Her gaze strayed back to the crystals. She grazed one of the smooth, sleek surfaces with her fingertips, astonished to find that it seemed to radiate warmth.
Cold realization washed over her. The crystal was draining the very life out of Aquila.
Pavo grabbed the javelin strapped to her back and faced the pillar pinning down his right shoulder. She shifted her grip on the wood uncertainly for a moment before clenching it tightly in her fist. With a swift jab, the sharp tip pierced the crystal. Cracks immediately spread all throughout the pillar before shattering into millions of pieces. The shards glinted like broken glass as they rained onto the ground, dimming into dull fragments when they settled onto the unforgiving stone ground.
Pavo watched, mesmerized by the glimmering spectacle, when a sudden wave of a crushing mental weight slammed into her mind. Barely managing to keep a hold on her weapon, she held her pounding head in her hands. The pain relentless resounded, breaking any instinctual thought except for the need to relieve the immense stress.
She sank to the ground, her large wingspan slowing her descent slightly as they hung limply from her back. She collapsed onto her knees once her feet touched the ground.
Finally, the pain subsided somewhat, allowing her to regain her breath and concentration. Now that she could focus, she realized that the mental strain happened due to an overload of various emotions, some of which were still painfully apparent.
Pavo could sense the sadness of losing someone close, the protectiveness of a Guardian, the anger and confusion of betrayal, a mentor's pride in his student, the guilt of harming someone close, and countless other emotions, all at the same time.
She looked up at Aquila, who appeared undisturbed. She stood up and, ignoring the ache in her ankles that had formed due to her rough landing, flew back up to observe Aquila. The area where the crystal had been looked unblemished, as if nothing had happened. However, when she laid her hand on his shoulder, a trickle of warmth had seeped into the chilled skin.
All of these extreme sensations and unforgettable sentiments must belong to Aquila. He was trapped in this small, lifeless world as he was slowly drained until he was nothing but a living corpse. A body without a soul.
Pavo wasn't exactly sure how she knew—she decided that it was most likely because of her connection to Yggdrasil—but this seemed like a punishment. For what, she wasn't sure, but Aquila must have committed a terrible crime to earn such a fate.
She felt a pang of guilt settled around her heart. If she hadn't disappeared all those years ago, then she might have been able to stop him. Maybe she could have protected him, kept him from making such a dire mistake.
Pavo shook his head to clear her thoughts. She needed to focus on the present, and how she could save him now. The past was done and over with, and there was nothing she could do about it now.
She looked over the pillars once again. An idea forming, she slipped into her spirit sense. The confusing jumble of writhing auras churning inside the crystals slowly shifted into more distinct swirls in her mind's eye, easing the pressure. Then, bracing herself, she plunged her javelin into another pillar.
It cracked and shattered similarly to the first, but instead of releasing a burden weight onto her being, she only felt a dull ache.
Pavo began to smash the pillars one by one, easily able to ignore the distant throb. However, the extensive use of her spirit sense sapped her energy with each attack.
Panting, she set her sight on the last one. It seemed to be the most complex, located on the left side of Aquila's chest, directly over his heart.
She hovered for a moment to catch her breath. The ache in her head had turned into a harsh pounding, but she determinedly kept herself focused on the task. She took a deep breath and, with all of the force she could muster, stabbed the crystalline depths.
The effect was immediate. The moment the sharpened metal tip buried itself inches into the crystal, cracks instantly branched out from the point of impact. A tinkling sound filled the air as the fissures deepened and spread until the entire surface was covered. Then the crystal simply fell apart, the fragments showering onto the ground below.
The last release of agonizing emotions viciously struck her mind. She cringed as she did everything she could to stay in the air, her head pulsing with the intense strain. After a few, excruciating seconds, all of the pain suddenly vanished. She numbly looked up at Aquila, the loss of pain almost disorienting. Her eyes widened when she realized that he wasn't there. She glanced downward to see his limp, now unrestrained body falling to the earth.
Pavo swiftly dove down after him, barely managing to catch him before he struck the ground. She then made a hasty landing, abruptly spreading her wings as far as they would stretch to slow her descent. She settled down onto the ground and sat on her knees, not once letting go of Aquila. Breathless, she looked at her brother, whose skin had returned to its normal temperature.
A smile broke out on her face as Aquila's eyes slowly opened. His black pupils looked unfocused, and he didn't seem to notice the Celestrian holding him. A gentle glow rose from his body as his solid form began to fade.
"Aquila…?" her voice was hushed in confusion. He didn't respond, the contours of his body blurring. He didn't seem to be in trouble or pain, which relieved her greatly, but she continued to watch him.
Once he had vanished completely, exhaustion pulled at her limbs. Unconsciousness pressed down and suffocated her mind. As her vision hazed over, she gave in to the blackness.
I hope you enjoyed and please review!