Apologies it took so long to update! I haven't been writing much lately, but I promise I'm still here :) Thank you Guest and Guest for the reviews! I am definitely still working on this story, and I will absolutely finish (I started this in 2012, I have to finish it lol). It's just going to be slow progress, but hopefully we'll get there! Ideally within this year; there's only about 10 more chapters to go, believe it or not. Chapter song this time is "A Blizzard is Storming" by Sirenia. Please let me know if you're still reading!
I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.
It took every ounce of strength she had to get out of bed the next day.
Madoka stared at the ceiling, lost and confused. She had been the one to lead the others on a wild goose chase. She had been the one to give them false hope. The only difference was now she wasn't the only one paying for it.
Finding the bus in the woods had been a huge blow. They had been so close to fleeing the campus, only to have that dream snatched away in an instant. Their mistake was letting their hopes get so high the moment they first encountered the bus. They should have known it wouldn't have been that easy. The bus was covered in decades of overgrowth from the forest. Getting it out would have been a miracle.
She clutched the covers tightly in her hand, squeezing her eyes shut, wishing it had all been a dream.
When she opened her eyes, nothing had changed. She was still trapped in her worst nightmare.
Mei Mei had practically been inconsolable last night. Chao Xin had taken her to his room in hopes of calming her down. Madoka had been left alone with nothing but her own thoughts to keep her company. Misery overtook her the second Gingka left to go to his own room and she had to face facts. He'd offered to spend the night, but Madoka had pushed him to go back to his room. She needed to be alone so that she could think. Sleep had not come easily to her in the slightest.
She didn't have a clue as to their next plan of attack. Before, she had been fully confident that if last night had been a bust, they could go out again tonight and search the grounds once more. Now, she didn't dare suggest taking another trip out there. If the others still had the heart to do it, then they would have to be the ones to bring it up. She certainly wasn't going to. Finding the bus had been hard enough. She didn't think anyone, herself included, could handle it if they located another dead end out there in the woods. It was too awful to consider.
She felt so agonizingly responsible for what had happened and it was killing her.
She also had to take into account what Gingka had told her when they still believed there was a chance of escape. He would never leave his friends behind.
She couldn't blame him. At the same time, she didn't know if it was possible to safely include others in their secret desires. That was another reason she'd needed the room to herself last night. To ponder whether or not it was even realistic to consider that proposition. Madoka knew that if she wanted to bring Gingka along, his friends would have to be involved. There was no other way to get him to agree to anything otherwise.
Still, the more people who knew the truth, the more danger they were in. Even if Celestia's name was kept out of it, sooner or later someone would mention Mei Mei or Madoka, and then it would be all over. Considering two people from their friend group had already gone missing under highly suspect circumstances, Madoka wouldn't have been surprised if Celestia was keeping a close eye on them already.
Celestia would stomp out any opposition the moment news of it reached her. She didn't waste time when Sophie was found in her office. Even Wales hadn't been spared, and from what she understood, he'd only been guarding the door. Sophie hadn't told him a thing.
She didn't know Gingka's friends as well as he did. Trusting them, at least for now, was out of the question.
Now was not exactly the time to go about making new friends, either. If they found another way out, and the situation was going in their favor, maybe they would have the opportunity to grab Gingka's friends and rescue them, too. Regardless, she wasn't counting on that outcome.
Leaving Gingka behind, if it came down to it, would be awful. Not being able to leave at all, though, would be worse. Only death would await them.
Maybe she should include Gingka's friends. Perhaps if they had more eyes-
Madoka sighed. She was fretting over nothing. They'd spent hours searching in the dark, only to come up with zero results. There weren't any other cars on campus. The bus was decades old. It was looking more and more plausible that the teachers had taken their own coach bus to the campus. Any source of transportation would have to come from far away. With the complete lack of cell reception, that wasn't going to be a viable option anytime soon.
Even if they had determined someone was definitely bringing in food from the outside, it wasn't as though they could hitch a ride back on the truck or whatever it was. First, they would have to find out when the food arrived. Madoka suspected it was sometime early in the morning before anyone was awake, but there was no way for her to figure out whether it was a daily or weekly delivery without first finding out when it arrived. Then, even if they figured out all the logistics, fitting several people, despite whether or not Gingka and his friends were with them, into the vehicle without being noticed would be an absolute nightmare. Besides, she doubted they even had the time to figure out the details of all the deliveries anyway, especially if they were operating on a weekly basis. There was no telling.
Madoka pulled the covers over her eyes. She was exhausted, but sleep refused to take her any longer.
After tossing for another half hour, she groaned and dragged herself out of bed.
Facing her friends scared her. She had no idea how they would react after last night's failure. She wouldn't have been surprised if they blamed her. If they did, she couldn't blame them.
The only way to get the bus running for sure was to get gas for it. Of course, the only way to get gas was to find another vehicle, one from this decade that was, and siphon it out. That was more trouble than it was worth and they didn't have the necessary materials. At that point, it would be better just to take the other car. Maybe one of them could figure out how to jump it.
By now, she was fairly certain everyone else was down at breakfast. Madoka got dressed and headed that way.
Instinctively, she pressed up against the wall when she heard footsteps echoing from the opposite direction. The hallway was empty. Madoka squeezed into a small alcove, praying she wouldn't be noticed.
Celestia was with a hooded figure several inches taller than her decked out in all black. Madoka squinted, trying to make out a face. She was amazed Celestia was conducting business like this in broad daylight, but then, everyone was supposed to be in the dining hall.
"The solstice fast approaches," Celestia said in a hushed tone. "I am satisfied with two of the three special sacrifices. The third one will have to do, unless you can find someone else satisfactory."
"We shall do our best, goddess," the hooded figure responded in a gravelly voice.
"Good. Once the comet arrives, it will be too late. We must have everything prepared when the day is here. After that, Starlight Academy will no longer be of use to us and we must find a new base of operations. By the time anyone realizes what has transpired here, it will be too late for them to do anything about it. We shall be long gone."
The two turned a corner and disappeared from sight. Madoka longed to follow them, but knew it was too risky. She'd already heard plenty. Telling the others was most important. If something were to happen to her before she reached them, they would still be working blind. She didn't dare let that happen. She'd already let her friends down once, and she'd be damned if she did it a second time.
From the moment she translated the book and the connection was found between the deaths and stars, Madoka had known their time was limited. At the same time, she didn't know how short the time frame was. They could have had a month left or whatever Celestia's plot was could have taken until May when the school year was set to end to reach its completion. There had been no way to be sure.
Now, the deadline was staring right at her. The winter solstice was already upon them.
Less than two weeks separated them from what was to come. Her eyes widened in absolute horror as sinking terror chilled in her veins. They had to get out now.
Mei Mei stared at the yogurt parfait she had selected for breakfast. She couldn't bring herself to eat it.
Chao Xin took her hand, gazing at her in concern.
Looking back into his eyes, Mei Mei wanted to believe everything would be okay. She couldn't delude herself though.
Last night had been the worst in a while, and that was saying something. She hadn't felt that terrible since Sophie had gone missing a few weeks back. Having their hopes dashed so quickly was a heartbreakingly crushing blow. Outside, it was now snowing heavily. If it kept up, there was no chance of being able to go out again tonight.
Mei Mei wasn't so sure she wanted to go searching again anyway, but having the weather be the determining factor in what they did or didn't do wasn't very encouraging. It only further served to prove they had no control over what was happening to them.
She picked up her spoon. No matter how much it hurt, dwelling on things she couldn't change was not going to help.
"Do you think we'll be able to get away?" She asked, daring to speak the words that had been haunting her since they returned to the castle late last night.
Chao Xin stiffened, choosing his words carefully before relaxing. There was no doubt the same thought had kept him up all night, too.
"I don't think it's going to be easy," he said slowly. "But I do still think we have a chance. We can't give up when it gets hard. Last night was a reality check. Getting out is not going to be easy. We let our guard down and didn't consider the possibility of the situation not going our way."
"Do you think Madoka is wrong?"
"No, I don't," he decided, optimism coloring his voice. "I think the conclusion she came to is definitely solid. The grounds are much bigger than we realized; we need to compensate for that and look harder next time."
"Yeah." Mei Mei glanced back out the window at the snow piling up. "I guess that's all we can do."
Her appetite had started to return, knowing someone else still felt like they had a chance.
Madoka had yet to make an appearance this morning, but Mei Mei wasn't all that surprised. If she'd had her way, Mei Mei would definitely still be in bed. Chao Xin had other plans, though, and he'd literally pulled her off the bed onto the floor. That had been a rude awakening.
She was grateful for it, but she wouldn't tell him that. The last thing she wanted was to give him a reason to do it again. A small smile crossed her face at the thought.
Gingka was a few tables over from them. Mei Mei had to wonder what he would do if they did find a way out. To her, staying behind was unthinkable. From his declaration last night, it seemed he was more than willing to remain back if it meant he would be with his friends.
Kyoya, Hyoma, and Masamune were oblivious, laughing at something Masamune had just done. Only Gingka held back a little, his laughter coming across as forced. He caught her looking at him and shrugged. Exhaustion was etched out on his features. Mei Mei realized she probably looked the same.
The lights flickered suddenly. Mei Mei glanced up at them nervously.
"Great," Chao Xin murmured. "The last thing we need is to lose power in this old place."
Mei Mei stayed silent. If the school plunged into darkness, losing power would be the least of her worries. She was much more concerned about what she wouldn't be able to see lurking around than not being able to use the shower.
Outside, the wind began howling ominously. Snow swirled around the window wildly, making it impossible to see beyond a few feet as the bright white specks obscured her vision. Several inches had already piled up on the ground.
Getting out tonight was no longer an option.
It took moments for Madoka to realize she was no longer alone in the corridor. The deserted girls' wing had seemed completely normal at first. Everyone should be at breakfast, then going to class. For her to be alone at this hour wasn't out of the ordinary. In fact, it was to be expected.
Still, when she first heard the footsteps, she didn't pay them much attention. Chances were another student was merely running late or had decided to take some extra time get ready. When they persisted, she turned around, just to be certain, and saw that nobody was there. That was when anxiety set in.
Adrenaline shot through her as panic raced in her body. Another student wouldn't have hidden. Whoever it was did not want to be seen.
Was it the goon Celestia had been with? Did they see her when she'd overheard their conversation? Admittedly, her hiding spot had not been very good. She should've just kept walking past them. That was far less suspicious than squeezing out of sight the way she had. But then, Celestia and her companion certainly wouldn't have wanted anyone to see them. Why else would they have been in an empty hallway? It was probably a lose-lose situation regardless of what she did.
Eavesdropping on that conversation had proven to be one hundred percent necessary, though. The more knowledge they had, the better. This had come directly from the source, too. Undoubtedly, it had been worth the risk. Now she just had to make sure she lived through that risk.
With her nerves shaking, she found it difficult to fully focus on getting to the dining hall. The dining hall was no longer her destination anyway. Madoka's only goal now was to shake the person stalking her. She didn't care where she had to go to do it.
She reached the end of the hall. Going right down the adjoining walkway was the only option, but it was pitch-black. There weren't any lights to be seen, electric or lantern or even candlelight. She knew most of the ancient castle had been rewired to support modern appliances, but in areas that weren't being used she supposed they hadn't gotten around to it yet. It had probably cost a small fortune to get the castle outfitted with features from this century. With hardly any light seeping through the windows, she wasn't sure if she could justify going down the corridor alone.
A set of stairs to the left caught her attention. At the very least, they were dimly lit by some light source enough to see. Combined with her phone's flashlight, she could make it work. By the time she reached the second floor of the castle, she no longer had any idea as to where she was.
Going back the way she had come was no longer an option, assuming it had ever been before. She could only go forward.
Madoka was fairly certain she was not in a restricted area of the castle, but at the same time she knew it was a section she had never been to before.
As she peeked down the hall, she noticed a few teachers walking around.
Madoka nearly jumped back onto the stairs. She barely caught herself before stumbling backwards and falling.
A wave of nausea hit her as she looked down. If she'd fallen, it certainly wouldn't have ended well.
She'd reached the floor with the teachers' quarters. There was no way she could let herself be seen wandering around up there. She didn't have a good explanation; who would believe she was being followed? Besides, she wasn't confident about whether or not any of them were on Celestia's side. She could be walking right into a trap. But, she couldn't stay frozen where she was either.
The stairs continued upward. Madoka decided she had to take the risk. In her heart, she felt she was still being followed. The wilder her route became, the better chance she would have of shaking the person and getting away. Of course, that might make it more difficult for her to get back, but she'd cross that bridge when she came to it.
The stairs seemed to stretch up forever. When she finally reached the top, Madoka bumped her head on the ceiling. It… shifted slightly.
She took a few steps down and looked up. A faint square outline was visible in the low light, the grain of the wood going against that which surrounded it.
That hadn't been a ceiling- it was a trapdoor!
Anxiously, Madoka pushed it open with her hands. A gust of cold air came to meet her.
As Madoka struggled to lift herself through the small opening, she realized she was no longer inside the castle.
She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering, and stood up. The wind whipped at her face. Her teeth chattered.
Somehow, she was now on top of the castle, standing on one of the parapets. Ice wrapped her heart. She'd truly reached a dead end. There was nowhere else to go.
She could hardly see in front of her. Madoka freed one of her hands to hold it directly above her eyes in an attempt to shield herself from the elements as best as possible. She walked closer to the edge of the parapet. The snow made it difficult to see, but not impossible. From where she stood, she had an almost perfect view of the immediate school grounds.
She gazed out, walking in a circle as she took in the surrounding areas. She noted the woods they gone into last night, trying to find the bus through the trees. Maybe she'd see something else that could help them.
With the sudden shock of finding herself exposed to the cold in only her uniform, Madoka had all but forgotten she was being followed.
Something else had stolen her attention.
In the distance, she could faintly make out two figures headed in the direction of the lake. They paused.
Madoka peered down at them. From where she stood, it was impossible to determine who they were. Students? Highly unlikely. It was far more realistic for those shapes to belong to Celestia and the hooded figure she had been with earlier. Madoka couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation for them to be out in this weather, unless they really didn't want to be seen. For all she knew, Celestia's office may not have been a safe place to discuss whatever they were plotting. Still, there were highly restricted areas of the castle that probably would've sufficed. She wished she could hear them but even without the screaming wind it would've been impossible from such a distance..
Madoka leaned over the edge as far as she dared. If only she could get a little closer, or had been on one of the other, closer parapets. She was too far away to hope for a clear picture or a chance of recognizing either character.
The people started moving again toward the lake. Soon they were at the very limits of her sight, further blurred by the swirling snow.
She wracked her brain, yet couldn't come up with any reason for what she was seeing. Why would anyone risk their lives to go to the lake now?
Two hands wrapped around her face and mouth. Madoka's eyes widened in terror. Her instinct was to cry out, but their grip was too tight.
They pulled her back, away from the precipice. She struggled against them, flailing her arms, breathing deep through her nose.
With a concerted effort, Madoka brought her elbow back, and jammed it into the face of her captor. The motion was enough to elicit a grunt from whoever it was holding her, forcing them to let go.
Madoka dashed away then whirled around to see who had attacked her.
They looked identical to the person she had seen with Celestia, but something told her the hooded creeps were two different people. She wondered how many of them Celestia had working for her. Looking them dead on, she could now see what was hidden beneath the hood. A black mask covered the top half of their face, leaving only the mouth, twitched upward in a twisted smile, visible. Her heart caught in her throat.
Barely giving her time to react, they lunged forward. Madoka shrieked and jumped to the left, narrowly avoiding being grabbed. She stumbled to the ground and rushed back up to her feet almost instantly, ignoring the throbbing pain in her knee. The cold snow covered her bare legs now, but she barely felt it.
The figure circled the parapet, toying with her like an animal on the verge of killing its prey.
She moved in time with their movements, trying to stay as far away as possible. Walking in a circle so high up was dizzying. Every so often, they would lunge, or at least make the motion to do so. Madoka didn't know how much longer she could hold on. Coming up here had been a major mistake.
Each time she tried to break for the trapdoor, her enemy beat her to it, standing beside it, taunting her. She didn't have a death wish; she knew she wouldn't be able to face them head on. They were too big for her to take on in a physical challenge. This was a battle of wills. In a battle of brains vs. brawn, Madoka was certain she would have the upper hand, but the odds definitely weren't in her favor. Madoka knew if she made it to the exit while they were standing there, it would mean her demise. She needed to distract them somehow, and then make a run for it. Once inside the castle walls, she would stand much more of a fighting chance.
Madoka feinted to the left, then dashed for the door.
Her tactic only worked momentarily. Almost instantly, the figure realized the deception and threw themselves back faster than she would have thought could be achieved by someone of their stature to block the only escape.
Stepping backwards, Madoka felt herself come up against the edge of the stone barrier that prevented her from falling to her death. She felt dangerously close to hyperventilating. Her vision blurred on the edges, but she wasn't sure if that was from shock of adrenaline or the snow.
Her hand brushed against the top of the structure, causing some of the old stone to crumble beneath the pressure and spiral down to the ground below. Madoka's eyes widened knowing it could have just as easily been her and not disintegrating pieces of the building.
The hooded figure wasn't playing games any longer. They came at her at a leisurely pace, bearing down upon her.
Madoka shut her eyes. Were they going to kill her now? Was she about to become one of the sacrifices, or did Celestia have to be the one who killed her? Would she be brought directly to Celestia?
A plethora of questions zoomed through her mind at an ungodly speed. She still had so many questions. Dying without finding the answers to any of them or being able to warn her friends seemed unfair.
Her eyes flew open. Her friends!
Madoka couldn't die here. She refused to let it happen.
As her attacker drew closer, picking up speed as they committed to their intended final blow, Madoka sidestepped as she had done before. This time, however, she had a plan.
When she stepped, she repositioned the figure between her and the wall, reaching her hands out to touch their back. She pushed as hard as she could, using every ounce of her strength to set their momentum against them. Her assailant toppled over the edge. A bloodcurdling scream cut through the icy morning air like a knife.
She forced herself to look down, to be certain that they hadn't grabbed on to a loose stone or found some other hold to catch themselves.
She saw nothing.
The snow swirled violently, hiding what could only be a ghastly scene below. She shuddered, once more holding tight to the ancient raised stone that ran the perimeter of the parapet.
Madoka could have crumpled on the spot. Instead, she made a beeline for the trapdoor, not looking back. Inside, she slammed it shut and ran back down the stairs.
She was safe for now, but Madoka had to wonder how much that move had just cost her.
