Nissa awoke with a start, sweat gliding down her face from her brow. Her heart pounded against her chest as her vision reeled while her stomach lurched slightly. Her memories were foggy, even though she was trying to recall something that had happened moments before... or had they been? They seemed so distant and fuzzy she could hardly tell. She had somebody to save... but who? Something to do with nightmares lingered in her memory, a cruel smile... Maybe it had happened a long time ago after all. That still didn't explain why she had woken up so panicked.
From where she lay, Nissa could see the tops of trees, their branches practically overflowing with leaves, and she could hear... was it the sound of distant thunder or explosions? The air smelled of dirt and of sweat and something perturbing she didn't want to specify for herself. Beneath her, she could feel cloth that was crusty from overuse, and the rough sensation of gravel. Her entire body ached, but not terribly so. Slowly observing her senses one by one, she finally managed to make a sound- an exhausted groan that came out wavering and cracked from her dry throat.
And then, all at once, her vision of the intricately decorated ceiling and leafy trees were blocked out by a familiar visage, and all of Nissa's senses were focused on one, single thing: Emmara. She gazed back at her with relief and tears welling in her eyes through messy hair that fell in her face. Her pale face was moist and glistening with sweat, and her shoulders raised and fell with each ragged breath. Nissa could feel it caressing her skin warmly, along with the elven woman's silky hair and her long, draping robes. Her heart fluttered amid the confusion and the pain before Emmara threw herself onto her, wrapping her arms around her as she sobbed.
"Thank the gods!" She cried, burying her face against her neck. Nissa's body stiffened, unsure of whether or not she should embrace her companion back, or if she should just lie still and allow herself to be hugged. "You're alive, thank the gods!"
"E... Emmara..." Nissa muttered before a flurry of memories that were almost alien to her flashed before her eyes. Emmara in a wedding dress, looking forlorn, Emmara sitting in a room she had sworn she had seen before, crying, Emmara in a lab coat in an infirmary, drinking tea and laughing, Emmara lying unresponsive in a hospital bed, her eyes closed no matter how much Nissa called her name- Had it all been just a dream? Had it all just been in her head? Nissa's body felt exhausted and heavy just thinking about it as tears sprung from her own eyes. Finally finding the strength to move, she wrapped Emmara in an equally warm embrace, nuzzling her face against her bosom. "Emmara!"
"They found you on the battlefield, bloodied and broken! They told me that it wasn't any use, but I didn't want to hear it!" Emmara explained tearfully. "I'm so glad I didn't listen... I'm so glad you're alive, Nissa." Just hearing Emmara say her name sent a shiver through her body. It reminded her there was something she had to tell her... something important.
"E-Emmara..." Nissa groaned as she slowly, shakily sat up.
"Oh! Please, don't push yourself! You need to rest!" Emmara insisted, resting her hands on her shoulders.
"I know but... There's something I need to tell you..." Nissa muttered. There were a lot of things she wanted to say, and she hoped the thing she was looking for would stand out in her mind as she spoke, but her mind only swam. There had been something important, something very, very important... "Emmara, I-"
"Huh?" Emmara suddenly turned away from her as the sound of doors swinging open filled the room they were in. Nissa attempted to hide her annoyance as she, too, looked in the same direction- before her stomach felt like it dropped all the way to her toes and the sensation that the ground had vanished from below her made it feel as if she were falling. Panic set in once again, and her heart began to thud against her chest wildly.
There, at the doors to the inner garden, stood Jace Beleren, the Living Guildpact. And even though Emmara stood to greet him, all Nissa could think to do was run. But why- and why did all of this seem so familiar? The look in Jace's eyes, the way he held himself, the haunting aura that surrounded him- they were all unnerving and altogether... familiar.
I've seen this all before... haven't I?
"Jace!" Emmara greeted worryingly as she ran over to him. "Are you hurt? Please, let me help you!"
No... no this can't be happening! Emmara, please, run!
"J-Jace... Is everything alright?" Emmara stammered as she reached him, only getting a cold look from him in return.
Emmara, run! Get away from him, please...
"Emmara!" Nissa finally found the words to shout, although it hurt her body to do so. "Stop!"
"What?" Emmara looked back at Nissa in confusion before whirling back around to look at Jace. Time itself seemed to slow for Nissa as she watched as Emmara's eyes grew wide in terror, as if she experienced the single-most horrifying thing in her life in that one, split second. Despite her body aching, Nissa forced herself to scramble to her feel, each movement feeling like it took an eternity. However, just as she solidly stood to her feet, arm reached out in desperation towards Emmara, that split second of fear that washed over her had passed, and she watched helplessly as her body fell limply at Jace's feet.
No... No! Not again! Not this again!
Tears rolled down Nissa's cheeks as she began to charge, unable to summon up anything intelligible passed a shrill, almost feral yell. She was angry- full of rage that was projected completely at Jace... but also at herself.
I let her down again. I couldn't save Emmara again! Why can't I ever reach her in time!? Why can't I ever save her!?
Jace merely smirked at Nissa's furry as she stampeded in his direction, and she caught a look in his eyes that sent a shiver up her spine as the seconds, once again, began to slow.
Is this my punishment? Is this punishment because I abandoned my home? Because I loved her more?
Nissa's body shuddered as a pain as brief as a blink of an eye ran through her brain. She felt every cell within burst and die in one, cruel wave as blinding pain almost immediately faded into nothingness. Her body went limp and her thoughts became a mad scramble before slipping from her altogether. Her vision, as it grew dark, rested on Emmara who lay at Jace's feet. She seemed to look back at her with wide, but blank, eyes- almost seemed to mock her.
I wish I'd never loved at all...
Nissa awoke with a start, sweat gliding down her face from her brow. Her heart pounded against her chest as her vision reeled while her stomach lurched slightly. Her memories were foggy, even though she was trying to recall something that had happened moments before... or had they been? They seemed so distant and fuzzy she could hardly tell. She had somebody to save... but who? Something to do with nightmares lingered in her memory, a cruel smile... Maybe it had happened a long time ago after all. That still didn't explain why she had woken up so panicked.
Emmara!
With a gasp, Nissa threw herself into a sitting position- which she immediately regretted as her body was rocked with pain. She cringed and crumpled to her side, propping herself up on an arm as she clenched her teeth. That's right... she had to save Emmara. Emmara, who was...
With a gasp, she looked to the garden doors, but she came to find no one standing there. No ominous cloaked figure, no person lying at their feet. Aside from the dozens of wounded that lied along the ground, the room seemed peaceful and the battle outside sounded far off. Nissa panted, hanging her head as she heaved an exhausted sigh.
"Nissa!" A voice gasped in surprise, and she turned to see Emmara running to her side and dropping to the ground beside her, dirtying the already tarnished, white fabric of her clothes. "Nissa! You're... You're awake!" She seemed to relieved, to the point of tears as she reached out and wrapped her arms around her. "I thought I'd lost you! Thank the gods!"
"Emmara..." Nissa rested her head against the elven woman's shoulder as she looked back at the doors that led outside the garden. In her exhaustion and in her relief, there rose a will to act. She'd been given a second chance and she was going to take it. "Emmara, we need to get out of here!"
"E-Excuse me?" Emmara stammered as Nissa struggled from her embrace and shakily stood to her feet. "Nissa, I don't understand..."
"I'll explain everything later!" Nissa insisted, reaching out and taking Emmara's hand. "We need to go now, before-..." Nissa bit her lip.
"...Before what, Nissa?" Emmara inquired. "There's something not telling me... you're scaring me, Nissa!"
"You won't believe me if I tell you now! But please, you have to come with me!" Nissa practically begged. "Please... we need to go, now!"
Emmara wavered a bit, looking down at the ground in discomfort before standing to her feet. Nissa couldn't help but feel a little bad, but she had no time to explain herself further as she forcefully led Emmara to the doors and out of the room. She guided Emmara down the corridors of the conclave, darting this way and that, almost at random- anything to get as far away from him as possible. This time, she'd save Emmara! This time, she'd keep her from getting hurt. This time-!
As they rounded the corner, Nissa felt every last shred of hope that had built within her shrivel and die. There, standing before the both of them, was Jace Beleren, looking back at them coldly and victoriously. With a gasp, she attempted to turn back and flee, but in an instant, Emmara let go of her hand and fell limply to the floor like a rag doll. She heard her body flop against the marble floor before she looked down to see it. Once again she saw those eyes, still wide from fright but empty and dead. Once again, Nissa felt herself overcome by despair.
"No..." She squeaked before falling to her knees, her hands shakily hovering over her friend's lifeless body. "No... No, no, no, no, NO!" She reached out and grasped at Emmara's dirtied clothes, shaking her body as if she were trying to wake her up from the dead. "Why!? Why can't I... ever..." Tears blurred her vision and stung her eyes as she let out an ugly sob.
"This is your curse." Jace, who was now standing over her, spoke almost too plainly. "This is your punishment for abandoning Zendikar. Just as you were never able to save the place you claimed you loved, you'll never be able to save the person who stole your heart.
"I'm sorry..." Nissa sobbed, looking up to Jace and apologizing as if her were the physical amalgamation of the plane she had run from. "I'm sorry! I'm so... so... sorry!"
"Apologies are useless here." he smirked. "This is your nightmare, and it will never end."
Avacyn opened her eyes, feeling as if she had just woken from sleep even though she was standing- and in the living room of her home, no less. She looked around frantically, attempting to get her bearings. Hadn't she just been in the maze? Hadn't they been facing off against Ashiok? What was she doing back home, in the dead of night- judging by the open curtains anyway that were letting in pale moonlight. All of them had been drawn, strangely enough, filling the entire house with the white glow from outside. Even when she was home alone, Avacyn had always made certain to only open a few, as to not cause any trouble for Sorin when night dragged on into daytime. She had no memory of doing it herself, so who...?
The faint noise of something moving about the house in the darkness caught her attention. Avacyn whipped around, eyes darting from side to side. Something wasn't right, and she knew it from the moment she had opened her eyes. She was supposed to be in the maze. She was supposed to be with her friends.
"I shouldn't be here..." She muttered to herself before something else moving about in the darkness alerted her, but as she turned around, there was nothing there. Avacyn stood her ground, remaining in the ray of moonlight that was cast across the floor, just a step and a half from the darkness that consumed the rest of the house.
"Who's there!?" She called into the shadows, eyes darting every which way. She heard them moving- their footsteps, their breathing. They were getting closer, erratically moving about, as it to elude her. "Show yourself!"
"You shouldn't be here." A familiar voice answered back before the speaker stepped into a seperate beam of light. Avacyn's mouth fell open slightly, feeling like she was looking into a mirror as she came face to face with... herself. The other Avacyn looked back at her coldly, tossing her silvery-white hair over her shoulder as she regarded Avacyn with a cruel glance. "You were gotten rid of a long time ago."
"A long time ago...?" Avacyn questioned, cocking an eyebrow as she felt her heart skip a beat. "... Gotted rid of?"
"Or maybe you're a specter of the one who came before me- a ghost holding on to something in this life, perhaps..." The other Avacyn sighed, as if it was all just one big bother as she looked outside. "You shouldn't be here. Your usefulness ended long ago." The way she spoke, the manner in which she held herself and the chilling look in her eyes reminded Avacyn of someone- like an old accomplice she hadn't seen in years. They reminded her so very much of... herself- the old her.
"What are you talking about- and who are you!?" Avacyn demanded. "And what are you doing in my home!?"
"My home." Her doppelganger responded sternly. "This place is no longer yours, and neither is your title. My name is Avacyn, guardian angel of Ravnica. I am everything you could have been and everything you couldn't be."
"But... that doesn't make any sense!" Avacyn shouted, feeling a lump grow in her throat. "Why...?"
"You were defective. Your job was to protect the people of this plane and you failed, time and again. You stayed from your former path." The other Avacyn elaborated. "So Sorin did away with you, and created me in your place, and I have done far beyond what you were ever capable of- the daughter to be truly proud of."
"No... no, this can't be happening!" Avacyn shook her head before approaching her double. "You're lying!" She reached out to grab the other Avacyn's shoulder, but her hand passed right through. With a gasp she stumbled back, looking down at her hand in fright. "This... can't be..."
"Your time has come and gone, Avacyn." The other spoke coldly. "You should be happy, though. I have done your job in your place magnificently. All is well here in Ravnica, even without you. You must be able to understand that, at least. It is a good thing that I was put in your place. There's no need to cling to this world as you do."
"No!" Avacyn cried. "You're lying!"
Just then, the front door just behind her opened, and the other Avacyn quickly disengaged, going to greet whoever had opened the door. Avacyn whirled around and froze in place as she came to find who it was.
"Father!" She gasped, rushing after the other Avacyn, but Sorin didn't seem to notice Avacyn was there. He only regarded her copy, greeting her warmly and running his fingers through her hair. Neither of them spoke, but their eyes spoke a thousand words in a language only they were fluent in. And all Avacyn could do was watch.
"Father... why?" Avacyn asked, although she was certain she'd get no answer in return. "Why would you do this? I thought... I was fine the way I was... so why...?" It was something the logical side of her brain had already predicted, but it was no less painful when Sorin didn't answer or even acknowledge she was there. She reached out, but her hands phased right through him as they had with the other Avacyn, who began to lead him away, starting up conversation with asking how his day had been. And as they parted, she looked over to Avacyn with an icy glare that didn't need any words for her to decipher it's meaning.
"You don't belong here anymore."
"No..." Avacyn muttered as she stumbled backwards into the shadows and sank to her knees. "This can't be... this just... can't..." Tears fell from her eyes and splashed against her hands as she balled them into fists and pressed them against the hardwood floor.
She could hear the two of them talking, but she couldn't bring herself to actually listen in. They reminded her of how she had been before- her blank stare, the conversation that didn't seem to boil to anything passed what had happened that day, the lingering look of pride in Sorin's eyes as he watched her poor him blood wine. Had those days really been so ideal? Had those days when she was nothing but an extension of his will really what he had wanted all along? Had Sorin been simply putting up with her?
He seemed to happy with her, though, so... content.
"I don't belong here any more..." Avacyn sobbed to herself, hanging her head. "I'm nothing but a phantom..."
Gideon jumped in surprise as a loud rumble shook him back into consciousness. With a gasp he threw his head back, accidentally slamming it against a wall he had been leaning against. Surprise quickly leading into pain left him feeling dizzy as he gripped his head and squeezed his eyes tightly shut. Another rumble from somewhere shook wherever he was, and for the life of him he couldn't remember how he'd gotten there, or what he'd been doing before. It had been something incredibly important- he felt that at least- but he couldn't quite come to grips with everything through the haze of confusion and the pain now radiating from the back of his skull.
"Commander!" A voice seemed to call out from a distance, echoing and barely climbing over the thunderous noise that rocked where Gideon had found himself, but he soon found they hadn't been far away at all as a hand clamped down roughly on his shoulder. With a quick, sharp inhale, Gideon looked up to find Avacyn looking back at him. She wore torn and tattered army fatigues and slightly damaged body armor- a strange clash between modern and ancient design- and her once long, flowing hair had been cut messily shorter. Her face was smudged with girt and grime and she looked back at him with exhaustion in her eyes. Her presence seemed to only add to the feeling of confusion Gideon fought against, but he had to say something as she shook him urgently. "Commander! We need to retreat!"
"Wh-what!?" Gideon gasped as he looked from side to side. They seemed to be in a building- a hallway lined with doors, some hanging off their hinges. The entire hallway seemed to be in utter disrepair, but even still, Gideon could still recognize it: they were at the dorms. Another discovery that seemed to lead only to confusion. "What's... Avacyn, what's going on!?"
"We can't take this place back like you had hoped. The enemy's forces are too strong, we need to fall back, now!" She insisted, thrusting her hand under his arm and pulling him up, forcing him to stand. "The loss of life is too great already! It will do nothing for moral if we lose everyone- especially you, commander!"
Her words washed over him, dragging him deeper and deeper down into a state of panic. Enemy's forces? Loss of life? Why was she calling him commander? What was happening!? He had so many questions and no time to answer them as Avacyn grabbed him by the arm and began dragging him down the hall. He stumbled over rubble, looking back over his shoulder. What had happened to the once peaceful lace he had called home? What was happening at all!?
The entire dorm building was about in the same state as Avacyn led Gideon out. Collapsed stairs, the glass of broken windows crunching under their feet, entire sections of the building completely decimated- the place was almost unrecognizable. Gawking at everything while trying to find some sort of answer in all of the chaos, Gideon barely heard the sound of someone crying for help. He tugged against Avacyn's grip, attempting to run in the direction he heard the voice, but she pulled him back.
"Commander, no!" She shouted. "Please, it's too late for them!"
"What are you talking about!?" Gideon shot back, feeling more panicked than furious. "Somebody need's help, we can't just abandon them!"
"No, please!" Avacyn practically begged as she pulled at his arm a second time. "Trust me, we can't-" Gideon freed himself from her grip and cut her off, but something in her eyes made him regret his decision as he turned to find whoever it was who had been calling for help. It didn't take very long to find, under a freshly fallen pile of rubble, half of their body buried and one of their arms pinned beneath a steal beam. It took a split second for Gideon to recognize who it was, and another to cry out in anguish.
"Tajic!" Gideon shouted as he dropped to his knees. His friend, looking weak and pale, coughed in agony, a spray of blood exiting his lips. "Shit! Tajic! Don't worry, I'll get you out of here!"
"I-I can't... I can't feel anything..." Tajic stammered weakly before coughing again. "Am I... am I alright? Am I gonna..." Gideon grunted as he attempted to lift the rubble, but he couldn't seem to get enough of a grip with his sweaty palms and strength seemed to leave his body quickly as he slipped in a pool of his friend's own blood. And all the while, Tajic went on talking, his tone a terrifying combination of fright and exhaustion. "My arm... I can't move my arm... I'm sorry... I'm... I'm so..."
"I'm going to get you out of here!" Gideon practically screamed as he continued to attempt to move the rubble, eyes fixed forward. He refused to look down at the gore he was possibly uncovering- at the blood as his friend, weak and pale from blood loss. "I'm going to get you out of here, don't you worry!"
"Commander, stop!" He heard Avacyn shout, feeling her tug him back. With a pained shout, he pulled away from her, returning to trying to move the unmovable mountain of concrete and steal that was crushing his friend. "There's no saving him! Please, you'll only hurt yourself!"
"Shut up!" Gideon cried, eyes welling up with tears. "Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" As he shouted, every last ounce of strength seemed to drain out of his body as he sank to his knees, hands still pushing against the rubble.
"It's... It's fine, commander..." Tajic sputtered, blood pooling around his lips as he looked blankly forward. "I... I can finally see Lavinia again... I can... I..." His words became a hoarse whisper before fading out entirely, his coughing ceasing and his ragged breathing reduced to silence. Gideon stared down at him with wide eyes, reaching down and resting his hands on his body.
"Tajic... Tajic, buddy, hey!" He shook him, but he might as well have been shaking an inanimate object the way he moved. "Tajic! Tajic, please! Please don't leave me!" Tears poured from Gideon's eyes as he bowed his head and buried his face against Tajic's dirty, bloodied jacket. "Please... Tajic..."
"Commander, we need to go!" Avacyn insisted. "There's nothing we can do for him now, please!" Another rumble shook the foundation of the crumbling dorm building, but Gideon lifted his head with very little urgency as he turned to Avacyn with tear-filled eyes.
"Avacyn... what happened to Lavinia?" He asked, unsure if he'd even like the answer.
"Sir, you were there, why are you-?"
"What happened to Lavinia!?" Gideon repeated, shouting his time as his hands that still clutched at Tajic's corpse quivered. "Tell me!" Avacyn stepped backward in surprise, cocking an eyebrow at him questioningly before turning away from him. The words that came out of her out were bitter sounding, like she blamed him somehow.
"She died a few weeks back in battle, sir- went out alone after we were forced to fall back."
Gideon felt his heart sink, but he continued to speak, as if he were asking for punishment.
"What about Jace?" He asked in a wavering tone. "What about Liliana, Nissa, and Ral!?" The look she gave him was hardly comforting- a twisted combination of regret and anger, but still, he continued. "Avacyn... what happened to Chandra?"
"These are all very unimportant questions." She replied dryly. "You must have hit your head back there if you're asking about all of them-"
"Tell me!" Gideon insisted harshly, causing Avacyn to flinch slightly.
"Commander... I'm sorry..." Avacyn muttered. "We've lost so much... this is war, after all. We were unprepared. We should have listened..."
"No..." Gideon's words were strangled by a lump growing hot and heavy in his throat.
"This... this is our punishment for standing against Nicol Bolas..." Avacyn continued on, balling her fists. "We won, but at what cost? We exposed Ravnica to so much danger... We did this to ourselves... We doomed this plane when we thought we were saving it."
"Why..." Gideon muttered. "Why did this happen?"
"Because we thought we were doing the right thing." Avacyn responded coldly. "This is where it's gotten us. This is what our good deeds have earned us. No matter how we struggle or fight or say we're doing the right thing... we are destined to suffer."
Chandra awoke to silence. The only sound that filled her ears was her own breathing as she looked down at her hands that were clasped neatly in her lap. The air smelled of dust and something floral hung in the air along with it. Her entire body felt heavy, coming to realized she was slouched in a chair- or rather a bench, as she came to realize as she raised her head, in the back row of a dozen other rows of benches. She looked about, her vision still a bit blurry. It didn't take long, judging by the layout, to figure she was in the old church building on the edge of campus- oddly set up as if some kind of event had been staged there.
"What...?" She sleepily mumbled as she rubbed at her eyes. "Why am I...?"
Her eyes finally focusing, she began to make out flower arrangements lined up long the walls of the place, as well as a large gathering of them near the front. The excess amount of white blossoms were probably what was causing the entire room to smell overwhelmingly of flowers, and among the huge arrangements of them at the front of the church, she could see a photograph nestled among them, and a large, black slab that the bunches of white petals neatly surrounded. Chandra hadn't been to many in her life- mostly for aging grandparents and in movies- but she knew it when she saw it: She was at a funeral.
"What the hell?" She muttered to herself as she rose to her feet and shuffled her way into the isle. She stood at a distance, feeling a nervous feeling building in her gut. Why was she attending a funeral? Whose funeral was it? From where she stood she couldn't see inside what she now identified as a clearly opened coffin or make out the face in the photograph that was just barely covered up by surrounding flowers. She contemplated simply turning around and leaving, but something compelled her to remain, and then to proceed forward.
"Poor girl..." Chandra gasped, hearing whispers, but not seeing any people. She whipped her head around, but saw no one- no groups of people whispering in the wings, lingering by the door, or hiding among the flowers. Not a soul sat on any of the benches, and yet she still heard voices. "Imagine how she must feel..."
"To lose someone she was so close to..." Another voice hissed. Chandra looked over her other shoulder but, once again, found nothing. "I simply can't imagine."
"She's so brave coming here." Yet another disembodied voice chimed in. "It must have been hard..."
"Who's there!?" She shouted. "If this is some kind of prank, it stopped being funny a while ago!" But no one answered, and the church became deathly quiet again. Chandra narrowed her eyes suspiciously as she turned back the the coffin. Something inside her begged her not to continue, but Chandra had never been one to follow anyone's orders. With a gulp, she pressed forward, making it all the way to the steps leading up to where the coffin was displayed. She could make out the photograph a little better, although who it was of was still just barely obscured. It looked like a school photo- whoever the funeral was for must not have been very old. And once again, Chandra was filled with the feeling that she should stop and turn around. Her conscience begged her not to continue- not to feed her curiosity any longer. However, once again, something urged Chandra forward.
And then, all at once, the feeling that she had to turn her tail and flee was replaced completely by regret and pain. The picture in the frame was now in plain view and the body in the coffin was now visible now that she was at the top of the steps. Chandra felt her legs grow weak as she reached out to support herself on the nearby railing. Despair hit her like a speeding truck, ripping the air right out of her lungs and robbing her of every ounce of strength she had. She gasped for breath as she struggled to stand, her mouth hanging open wide.
"No..." She gasped breathlessly, covering her mouth with hand in shock and to try and keep herself from possibly vomiting. "... Gideon."
She staggered over to the coffin, catching herself on the wooden frame as she looked down into the fabric-lined box. There lay Gideon, looking so peaceful it seemed as if he were only sleeping. But Chandra knew that wasn't true, her surroundings were enough to convince her he wasn't simply taking a nap. The color in his cheeks was all the work of makeup, the coffin his final resting place.
"How could this have happened?" She sobbed, tears streaking down her cheeks as she clutched the edge of the coffin so hard that it hurt. "Why... Why did this happen?"
"I warned you about this, you know?" A shockingly familiar voice chuckled. Chandra's head snapped up as she came to find Baltrice, of all people, standing on the other side of the coffin with a smirk on her lips and strangely not burned to a crisp as Chandra so clearly remembered her.
"What are you doing here!?" She shrieked as she backed up into the pulpet in surprise. "You... you died..."
"Oh... I did, didn't I?" Baltrice sighed, shockingly cal as she looked down at her hand as if she, too, were a little surprised she had appeared. "Maybe I'm a ghost. Or maybe I dug my way right out of hell so I could rub all of this in your face." She sneered as she walked around the coffin, running her hands along the wood that caught fire as she touched it.
"No!" Chandra shouted as she ran forward, only to be stopped as Baltrice grabbed at her wrists. She struggled against her grip, but could do nothing to free herself as Gideon's coffin began to burn. "Let me go! Gideon!" She cried desperately.
"I warned you about this, you stupid bitch, but did you listen?" Baltrice snarled. "I told you there were horrors in the multiverse that would descend upon your plane if you stopped Nicol Bolas and went ahead with your own, noble plans! And your pure-hearted, brave boyfriend couldn't help but charge into the fray to protect his home. You did this! You have no one to blame but yourself!"
"No!" Chandra cried, her attempts to free herself growing weaker. "No..."
"I may be burning in hell, but you've trapped yourself in your own, personal hell!" Baltrice mocked. "And now you get the pleasure of sitting back and watching everything you ever loved burn!"
"No..." Chandra muttered once again, her struggling suddenly stoping. A thought passed through her mind, like a whisper, or a gentle breeze. But even so, above the crackling fire, above Baltrice's harsh words, she heard it loud and clear, and it dragged her back to reality. It cooled the fire, dulled the sensation that she was being grabbed, muddied the scenery around her, and twisted the phantom of Baltrice before her into what she- or rather what they really, truly were.
"Tell Tezzeret I'm sorry."
She could feel the words as if they were laced with flame- a spell that would guarantee that Chandra would deliver her message. It burned her body but cooled her head, reducing everything around her to blackness, and her captor to who they really were: Ashiok, who was looking none too pleased things had begin to unravel around them.
"No! You little bitch- but how!?" They shouted furiously as Chandra finally ripped herself away from them, her body encased in light and fire.
"This is nothing but a nightmare!" Chandra shot back, feeling nothing but a comforting heat even when surrounded by flame. It seemed to soother her, and slowly drag her from the horrors she had seen. "You can't fool me, and you can't keep me here! I have someone I need to find- I have a promise I have to keep! And not even you are going to stand in my way!"
"You think you can win, even now!? You've seen how hopeless victory is! I've shown you the truth!" Ashiok snapped. "No matter what happens, in the end you will fail!"
"We'll see about that." Chandra growled. "The future is what we'll make of it! We're going to rise above all of this... because everything we've seen here is nothing but a dream!"
Gideon gasped, still hunched over Tajic's lifeless body, feeling a warmth at his back and something seem to pull him. He sat up and turned around, looking passed Avacyn. Something from outside of the dilapidated building seemed to glow, like a brilliant sunset, and it warmed him to his core. It chased away his despair and dried his tears, and beckoned him to venture towards it.
"Commander?" Avacyn asked confusedly as Gideon stood, still looking toward the light. "Commander, what is it?"
"Something... Familiar..." Gideon muttered to himself as he began to pass her by. "I've felt this warmth before."
Roughly, Avacyn grasped at Gideon's wrist, however as Gideon turned back, he was no longer looking back at his old friend, weathered and shaped by a war. He, instead, came to find Ashiok gripping at his wrist, snarling in anger.
"You can't outrun fate, Gidon!" The growled. "This will be your reality! You will lose everyone you love! You stand to lose everyone and everything if you take another step! Do you hear me- EVERYTHING!"
"No... That's..." Gideon muttered, shaking his head before looking out to the light that had begun to grow brighter and brighter, lighting the entire building in a warm, comforting orange glow. "None of this is for certain. And I will fight to see a future brighter than this..."
"And you will lose!" Ashiok snarled. "You always have, you always will!"
"That isn't for you to say." Gideon spoke strongly as he easily broke free of Ashioks grasp, the nightmare that had formed around them being enveloped in light, until it all faded away. He turned away from his tormentor and turned to see Chandra, her hair now a mighty flame, a warm smile on her face as she silently beckoned him to come to her. "I'm the maker of my own destiny- we all are. How things turn out in the end... well, it's not for you to say."
Without another word, Gideon departed from Ashiok's side and ran to Chandra, throwing his arms around her. She laughed affectionately, embracing him back. Her entire body felt warm, enveloping him in a comforting heat.
"Do I always have to come and wake you up, you goof?" She chuckled.
"This will be the last time." Gideon smiled. "I promise."
Avacyn perked up, feeling as though someone was calling her name. She looked around, seeing only darkness at first through her tears. But before she descended back into despair, she heard it again. Avacyn looked around again, wiping at her eyes. The voice sounded familiar, warm and welcoming, and it seemed to calm her a bit.
"Hello... is anyone there?" She called into the darkness.
"No one is there!" The other Avacyn suddenly appeared before her, her very image becoming warped somehow, like an illusion that was beginning to lose it's effectiveness. "Nothing, just like you are! Defective! Inferior!" With each word, her appearance seemed to fizzle out, revealing something much more sinister underneath.
"Don't listen to them." Avacyn gasped as she felt someone lean against her back, a familiar voice getting her attention as a warmth surrounded her, even in the cold, black void. "Your father loves you, anyone with eyes can see that. You'll always be that beacon of light- something for him to return to. Seriously, after all this time, is there even any reasons for you to doubt?"
"He'll cast you aside eventually, you know!" The illusion spat back, revealing themselves to be Ashiok who looked absolutely furious. "You're nothing but a copy! You're not even a good copy! Once he leaves this place, he'll have no use for you! This plane will have no use for you!"
"Hush..." Chandra spoke, her words calm, yet strong somehow, rising above Ashiok's angry shouts. "Even if there is a shred of truth to any of that, I made a promise to you, didn't I?"
"A... promise?" Avacyn asked, a heat growing in her chest and radiating throughout her entire body. A light within her seemed to light up the darkness and drove Ashiok back despite their struggles.
"Yeah, that even if Sorin and everyone else leaves, I'll always be here." Chandra chuckled. Avacyn finally turned her her, her heart fluttering at such a pace she feared it would fly right out of her chest. Chandra smiled warmly back at her, holding out her hand. "We're friends, and that isn't ever going to change. Plus, I think I like you this way, you big crybaby."
Tears sprung from Avacyn's eyes as she took Chandra's hand, all of her doubt and sadness washed away by warmth and light.
"Now, let's get out of here. People still need us... they still need you."
"What's the point?" Nissa sobbed as she stopped her frantic run and let go of Emmara's hand. The fairer elf rubbed at her wrist as she watched her companion sink to her knees. "Any second now, he'll come, and he'll take you from me again. I'll... I've never been able to protect you... and I never will..."
"Nissa, please, what's going on!?" Emmara asked. "Where are you taking me!? What are you talking about!?"
"The truth." A cruel voice answered, and Nissa flinched as Jace rounded the corner, his cloak billowing behind him as he approached. "That from the very start, she was nothing but a failure- a traitor to her own land, now cursed to lose everything she ever loved again and again."
"What... Jace, what are you saying!?" Emmara gasped, looking down at Nissa who was hanging her head in defeat. "Nissa... what is he saying?"
"You'll only get hurt because of me- you always have!" Nissa cried. "You'll only get hurt staying by my side... I don't deserve someone like you... someone like me doesn't..."
"Well, you certainly know the drill." Jace smirked as he lifted his hand toward Emmara. "Once again, you've failed- and you always will."
"Please, take my life instead, I beg you!" Nissa begged frantically. "Just once... Please let me die so I don't have to see any of this! Please! Kill me instead!"
"N-Nissa!" Emmara looked down at her in utter shock before looking to Jace, who merely smirked.
"Oh, Nissa, you know how this goes." He chuckled. "This is your curse- you'll never be given any sort of mercy. That's the nature of a curse. And someone like you, well... you don't deserve mercy in the first place."
"That's where you're wrong!" A new voice chimed in before a wall of flame separated Nissa and Emmara from Jace. They both gasped in shock, turning around to find Chandra standing behind them, brow furrowed and eyes aglow.
"Ch...Chandra..." Nissa stammered as she practically stomped over to her before grabbing her by the collar of her cloak and lifting her just high enough so that she could strike her across the face. Her head flew to the side and remained pulled against her shoulder, having accepted the blow.
"Don't ever say those sorts of things!" She scolded. "Don't ever say you don't deserve someone like Emmara! And especially don't ask for someone to kill you right in front of her- I mean what in the world is wrong with you!?"
"It's true, though..." Nissa muttered, a single tear drifting down her cheek. "I don't deserve someone like Emmara. A coward who abandoned her own plane, who forgot her true purpose. Emmara has always been getting hurt because of me so... what's the point?"
"It's as she says." Jace smirked from beyond the flames, though Chandra could see passed the illusion, and see Ashiok's cruel smirk beneath the hood of Jace's cloak.
"You shut up!" Chandra snapped back. "Everyone deserves a second chance, and everyone deserves love! Even... even some big, racist elf who made a huge mistake. No one deserves to suffer... nobody."
Nissa cocked her head back, looking up at Chandra as big, salty tears began to well up in her eyes. She sobbed, unable to summon up words as easily as she was able to summon tears.
"Zendikar will forgive you, and so will Emmara. You just need to accept you made a mistake and tell the truth. No more secrets." Chandra continued. "You aren't the mistakes you've made in the past. You are what you decide for yourself now. You're only cursed because you believe it to be that way. It's time to move on- from all of that."
"I... I want to make up for the things I've done!" Nissa cried. "I want to be able to live! I want to know that what I'm doing now is right! I... I want to return home!"
"But Nissa, you're already home." Chandra smirked as she rested her hands on Nissa's shoulders, the darkened hallway around them melting into nothingness- just as it really was. "Here with Emmara, and with all of us... this is your home."
"My home...?" Nissa repeated with a sob.
"Yeah, of course it is. So let's get back to reality and protect it." Chandra grinned, taking a step back before offering her a hand to take. "Everyone is waiting."
"...Wait." Nissa mumbled as she drew back her hand she had begin to outstretch. "There's... something else."
"Well, hurry it up. Time's really a-waisting." Chandra sighed, resting her hands on her hips as Nissa picked herself up and turned to face Ashiok, who no longer hid behind their illusion.
"You really don't believe all those empty words of hers, do you?" They asked angrily. "This nightmare is your punishment! This is Zendikar's will!"
"No!" Nissa stood firm as she stared Ashiok down, her eyes glowing green. "Zendikar's will is that I find my place in my new home, and that I protect it. I am Zendikar's will. Your words have no power here!"
Nissa began to walk forward, towards Ashiok, who snarled furiously at her.
"You're a fool is what you are!" They spat back. "You'll see, you can't live on these pretty words forever! Your curse will catch up to you, time and again!"
"Then I'll just have to keep running ahead." Nissa spoke simply, but strongly as she passed them by, continuing to walk deeper and deeper into the darkness. She could feel it, somewhere in the shadows: something familiar- no, someone familiar. Someone she could still save, even then. Someone who had been waiting for her in the darkness. She held on to the warmth that still clung to her skin from Chandra's words, and took it into the darkness.
"Emmara." She spoke as she came to a stop. "I'm here."
A single light seemed to glow in the black expanse, growing until Emmara herself sat crumpled on the ground before Nissa, hiding her face as she sobbed.
"It's alright, Emmara, I'm here. Everything is fine." Nissa spoke comfortingly as she knelt down before her, wrapping her arms around her quivering form.
"What's going on, Nissa?" Emmara asked tearfully. "I've seen so many things I don't understand... so many terrible things..."
"I'll explain everything later. There's just something I have to do first." Nissa assured her as she brushed the hair from out of Emmara's face and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Until then I need you to do one thing for me."
"Wh-what is that?" Emmara hiccuped before Nissa leaned in and pressed her lips gently against hers. She shared the warmth she had been given as she tasted her lover's lips once again- sweet and soft, just as she had remembered.
"Wake up."
Emmara slowly opened her eyes, squinting against the harsh overhead lights. Her entire body felt heavy and stiff, and it seemed to take a lot out of her just to move her fingers. Her vision was foggy around the edges as she attempted to blink away the haze, and her ears could just barely pick up the sound of a steady beeping that seemed to grow sharper and crisper with each passing second. With a tired groan she lulled her head to the side, coming face to face with a young female nurse with sharp but beautiful features and long, black hair that fell slightly in her face. She stared back at Emmara in disbelief for a few seconds before jumping in surprise as if she had been shocked.
"Where... am I?" Emmara muttered, her jaw feeling stiff.
"M-Miss Tandris!" The nurse stammered, clutching her clipboard to her chest. "You're... You're awake!"
"Am I... In the hospital?" Emmara asked slowly, the fidgity movements of the young nurse making her feel dizzy.
"Yes- yes you are!" She nodded back over-enthusiastically. "I-I should go get the doctor! Please, wait here!"
"Wait..." Emmara interrupted, stopping the girl's retreat. "Nissa... where is... she?"
"O-Oh, you mean Miss Revane?" The nurse asked. "She was here much earlier this morning!"
"But... I could have sworn..." Emmara muttered, her brow furrowing a bit. "...I thought I heard... her voice..."
"No one but me has been here for quite some time!" The young nurse explained, hopping from foot to foot as if she were running in place. "I-I can bring her here, you know, once she comes back!" she offered before whispering under her breath, "it's strange, she's usually here a lot more during the day..."
"Could you?" Emmara asked with a smile. "There's... something I need to... talk to her about." Emmara relaxed against her pillow, giving her tired eyes a break and shutting them. "Something... very important."
