Chapter 36 – The path she chose to tread
WL: A HUNDRED!!!!! HOLY MACARONI THE REVIEWS HIT A HUNDRED! OMIGOSHMOIGOSHOMIGOSH!!!!
Celestine: Now calm down, you! Or I'll personally stuff a shoe down your mouth!
WL: (Shaking with ecstasy) B…but a hundred!
Celestine advances with a shoe in hand threateningly.
WL: Alright, I get the hint! Anyway… we would like to commemorate the occasion with a special prize for the most wonderful reader who was "responsible" for being the 100th one… presenting… SOUL OF FLAME! (Chants: Read her fic it's fantabulous.)
*Sound of horns blaring out a prize presentation ceremony type song while Celestine and Waterlily march around in time to the music.*
Ahem… and the prize would be:
An "exclusive" chance to name the next protagonist Waterlily will base her fic on, and the love interest as well! (Yeah… really fantastic {kindly note the over laced sarcasm} prize, that… :-/)
Celestine: On another note… this girl over here made a very huge boo-boo in her last chapter, among other countless ones due to HER.OWN.FAILURE. to save leading to a total loss of self control and cerebral matter when her data was wiped out.
WL: (Sticks out tongue) And I sincerely apologize for it.
Remember Celestine's mother asking her to make a choice between saving the lone child on the abandoned train track, or the group playing on the used one? Well, the paragraph should have read as thus (words in bold are the changed areas)….
Ariyah snapped a finger, and the entire scenario changed to an open one… or more accurately, they had been moved to a train track some ten kilometers to the north of the East Academy Train Station.
"Imagine this scenario.
You have a train track with a fork going in two separate directions.
There is a boy playing on one side of the train track, a side that has been abandoned for many years, due to irreparable faults on it.
On the other side, a group of children are playing on the track that is currently in use, which leads to the East Academy Train Station.
What happens if the train is approaching fast, and you have to save either one of the two groups?
1 – Leaving the train to run in its original direction, thereby saving the boy.
2 – Sacrifice the boy and save the group by changing the direction of the train to the other side of the track.
Take note… you cannot choose to save both, because I want to see what your choice would be in this situation.
Decide quickly, for the train is coming." Sure enough, the tooo-ttootting of the steam engines could be heard approaching, while the tracks shook with a great tremor.
These changes are crucial… or else it wouldn't have made any sense. Anyway, this question was not my idea, but from a chain email I picked up from a friend. I do not know who the original author was, but I thought that it would be rather appropriate to use it here… to test Celestine… I'm a bad apple, that I am.
Celestine: I would hardly be daunted by such questions.
WL: And your answer would be……?
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She leaped towards the group of children, gathered them in her arms and pushed them out of the way, almost getting hit by the train in the process.
She turned back to look at her mother, who rewarded her with a gentle smile.
"A good choice, Celestine. If you had chosen any of the ones I had given you, you would have failed the test.
You were not bound by the constraints that were set by other people, but chose to save all of them and at the same time, abiding by the conditions set.
However… it is also at the expense of your own safety… what would happen if the train driver had not applied his emergency brakes fast enough, or if the group of children were too big for you to handle? But I suppose I cannot blame you… for this self-sacrificing trait is one shared by too many Angels… for when we take an oath to become one, it had already ingrained the instinct to protect humans into our system.
Carry with you this instinct always, and you will go a long way in your elected path as an Angel.
You have passed the test, my beloved daughter. You may now go to the next door."
Celestine headed for the second door, but not before halting and turning to look back at her mother.
This was the first time she had seen Ariyah ever since the latter died… and she knew that she would not be able to see her again for a long time, if ever.
However, Ariyah's expression was stern what she saw her daughter's indecision.
"Celestine… let me remind you that this is no child's play.
You must not look back once you have passed the Room Guardian's task set out for you, or you will have wasted all the efforts you have previously put in to accomplish it.
I will not penalize you for that here, since it is your first test, and you had no prior knowledge to the rules, but the next time this happens, you will find yourself stuck in the middle of the maze, with more and more doors to go through. A costly mistake, for your friends are out there waiting for you to battle with them side by side. Now leave… if you have understood all that I have said."
Celestine knew that what her mother said was undoubtedly true. She had to compel her feet to pivot on their heels, and walk towards the second door… much as she wanted to catch another glimpse of Ariyah.
Farewell. She thought silently, for she could not trust her mouth to move, fearing that it would let out a whimper instead of the word.
~Door II~
Somehow, she had expected who it was waiting for her in the second room.
Maybe not the sequence in which he appeared, but she figured that he would definitely be in one of her trials, since he had notoriously held the top position in her most hated list of people.
Celestine Angelwing… He addressed her with his customary smirk… You do not appear surprised to see me here.
"Why should I be? You are one of the most narcissistic things I have ever known. Anyone would have guessed that you would want to play a part in my maze of shadows, or so you call it, you pretentious pain-in-the-a**! Now you had better get on with it, or I will trample all over you if I have to in order to get to the third door." Celestine growled with resentment, even though she had some inkling that this was probably just a prank played by her shadow.
"Very well then. Consider this dual choice question, like in the previous room:
If you had to choose between the following, which would you prefer?
1. To kill Redrumiel and make sure there is nothing left of him for a resurrection of any kind. (I'm not sure I like this question that much.)
2. To find out what makes him hate the humans, Hyne, and the whole wide world to such an extent, and try to resolve it on the basis of your understanding.
You hate me as well, don't you? I already know the answer you would select, but just to be fair, I will allow you to say it out officially."
Indeed… the loathing I harbour towards him knows no bounds… for it was he would had driven Waterlily to her death, and almost wiped out half of the human race with his simultaneous plans. And who could forget the anguish everyone suffered when he ordered the murders of Cid and his wife… or the distress everyone had gone under when Quis went missing for months?
But most of all… I hate him for taking the life of the only one I could look up to as a father… The only person who offered me comfort and a place to hide when I was lost… The only one who cared for me as only a parent would… He took that all away from me.
And yet… I do not wish to kill him now. Instead… I want to give him another chance… to leave him an exit through the back door…
I wish to understand his motive for wanting to inflict so much hurt unto all those around him… what kind of inner world he must live in to possess such intense darkness!
"My choice… is the second." She said.
The look on his face was priceless… to her at least.
"My, my… you look rather shocked… flabbergasted if I may say so." She remarked with a grin.
"What made you pick the second one? Don't you hate my guts?" He continued staring in disbelief, the smirk on his face a moment ago now a forgotten memory tucked in a dusty corner of his mind.
"I always believed in giving people a second chance, even if he appears to be incorrigible to the core. 'Everyone needs love….' shall be my motto from now on. Besides, hate begets hate… I'm sure your spirit or ghost will curse me forever if I were to kill you… and no that isn't one of my favorite things. Thank you, my man. You have increased my stakes in the enlightenment factor. Now… tell me… have I passed the test?"
"You know very well that you have." He grumbled. "Just make sure you remember what you have chosen in this room when you get out of the maze… remember EVERY choice you make here… it will be invaluable to you when you are out there, fighting in the real world."
"Will do." She proceeded to the next door, this time with a spring in her step… for a substantial burden had been lifted from her chest.
~Door III~
When she stepped into the room, she almost fainted.
"Why are you still here? I thought I had passed your test in the second room already?" She yelled at the one with magenta hair sitting in a throne in the middle of the room with a smug face.
"Oh… don't you know? It does not necessarily mean that there will be a different Guardian in every room. There could be ten of me if there were ten rooms… that's the way with my Maze of Shadows…. There are no fixed rules unless set by ME, the Maze Master."
"Did I mention that you are one of the most narcissistic things I have ever met?"
"Yes… and I have heard it many times in your head as well."
"Let's just get on with this!" She muttered, placing her hand on her forehead to ease the throbbing vein.
"Now you get to answer a triple-choice question… it gets harder and harder doesn't it?
Which one of the following is the most difficult foe you have ever faced, or will ever face?
1. Me (But of course…*sneer*)
2. Sorceress Ultimecia (Only she's dead, but this is a hypothetical question.)
3. Yourself. (I have NO idea why this was a choice in the first place.)
The figure started morphing into the three different personas, its laugh changing every now and then to reflect the one it represented.
The air had taken on an eerie feel with echoing of the rapidly changing voice in the empty room.
"Three. Myself." She replied without a moment's thought.
The figure stopped morphing, stopping at an identical version of herself.
"Very confident you are of your choice.
And what is the reason you give?"
"If I cannot even defeat my own
fears and insecurities, then how am I supposed to fight anyone else
convincingly? I will only become a burden for those on my side.
But on the other hand, as long as I am assured of complete control over myself, then I am invincible against any other foes that will come my way… for the grace of Hyne strengthens my defense, the unity I share with my friends increases my power, and my confidence shall sharpen my attacks against the enemy. Such is the source of my ever increasing energy and potential." She replied boldly, thinking that once again, she had passed the test with ease.
"…. Hmmph… Impudent girl. Do not get carried away just because you have passed three tests without a glitch. The next ones are much harder… I was being merciful on you."
"Oh, spare me the details!" She flicked her right hand up, and waved smoothly, gliding towards the fourth door.
~Door IV~
"Celestine… welcome to the fourth test. I trust you've had a relatively obstacle-less journey up to here."
"M…my Lord?" Her voice quivered at the sight of him… for the imprint of his end had not been dissipated from her mind as yet.
He merely smiled at her, giving no indication that he intended to answer the many questions circling her mind.
Instead, he threw a question of his own at her.
"The fourth test… also the most difficult one compared to those you have encountered so far…
If you had to choose to go back or forth in time to save lives, who would you save?
'1. To go back in time, and save your mother Ariyah from the clutches of the evil influence and thence her life.
2. To go back in time, and deflect the attack from Redrumiel which ended the life of Lord Shin, which is me
3. To go forth in time, to the future, and save your lover, Zell Dintch from an unknown yet life-threatening foe.
Your answer?"
As he had pointed out, it was indeed the most difficult test she had come across… for each one was dear and close to her heart… it was almost impossible to make her choose one without the feeling that she had abandoned the other...
"Do not rush to answer. Consider each one carefully, and recall what you have learnt throughout your life. And I cannot stress the importance of this: Follow what your soul feels right." The Guardian of this room was kind enough to give her advice, but it did little to help her in weighing her decision.
Pacing about in the room, she muttered incoherent sentence that only she could decipher. At the same time, the strain of the seconds ticking by kept her nerves working overtime.
Come on, Celestine… you've got to think hard! This should be a piece of cake! Choose Zell! You love him, don't you? You can't bear to see him sneeze… heck you've saved his life thrice already! What's there to consider about? Wait… wait… no your mother! She is the one who gave birth to you… you've got to repay that debt no matter what, or risk being labeled an ingrate… no… Lord Shin! He was the one who chased those horrible nightmares away… you know the ones where people trample all over you and shaved you bald, pluck the feathers from your wings one by one while pouring tar down your throat? Don't forget that Angel Land is now without a ruler. Without him there would be chaos all over, even after getting rid of Redrumiel!
"Some kind of help that was…" She said sarcastically, inducing the Lord to raise an eyebrow at her sudden utterance to no one in particular.
And then it struck her. The simplicity of the answer, the correct one to her at least, spread out so openly right before her eyes. She could not believe that she had missed it.
"Getting rid of Redrumiel… that's right…" She muttered, looked up at the Lord with a megawatt smile.
He knew right then that she had cleared the obstacle in her path, for the smile was full of the brightness of sun.
"Are you ready to answer now?" He enquired benevolently.
"My answer is none of the above.
I will not go back nor go forth in time, for it is in the current that matters the most. The Past cannot be changed, no matter what I do, even if it means going back to rectify what seemed to be wrong. But if one's life was taken, that means that Hyne has decided that he or she has to move on… that their time has run out. Hyne has it all under her control, and we should not meddle with the turning of the cycles by changing the history. A prime example would be Ultimecia… look where it got her when she tried to achieve Time Kompression… *snicker*
Next, the future. We cannot predict the future as accurately as we like. Even if we were to go forth, every different action that we do now will change what happens in the future. Can we safely say that we will definitely act in this way in the present, to generate a certain event, decision, feeling or even thought in the future? No… we can't.
Most importantly, my sole purpose for coming here is to prevent Redrumiel from dominating the three dimensions… or else there will be no past, present, or future to speak of… for he intends to destroy it all."
"I would have expected nothing less of you, Celestine." Lord Shin's gentle smile told her in no uncertain terms that she had indeed made the correct decision. "You may proceed."
This time, the urge to linger was so overpowering, it took all of her resolve not to give in to her weakness… for she wanted to etch the memory of how he looked like in her mind.
She knew how easily it was to forget. Even if his demeanor was fresh in her now, it would fade as the harsh passing of time eroded away the memories… an inevitable loss she knew she had to bear with.
Her hand shaking, she placed it on the handle of the door, and pushed it before her resolve could cave in.
~Door V~
She gave an audible gasp when she saw the guy in the middle of the room.
"Hey… Celestine." He turned his head to look at her. He didn't look too happy to her though.
"What's the matter, sweetheart?" She sat down next to him on the bed, giving his hand a squeeze.
He took out a letter from his pocket, and handed it wordlessly to her.
As she read, a silence settled over the room, making the air stagnant except for the punctuation of their breathing.
"The last letter Waterlily gave to me… it's just so depressing that she had to suffer so…"
She hung her head in dejection, thinking that the part she played in the suffering was not so little.
"What can we do to alleviate her anguish?" Zell turned to her, his eyes reflecting the same thing that hurt her to look at.
She only shook her head, for she did not know as well.
"Celestine… what would I do without you?" He suddenly shot out an unrelated question, and started enclosing her shoulders with his arms, while burying his head in the crook between her neck and right shoulder blade.
She could only hug his head to her tighter, again unable to answer his question.
"What would you say if I asked you to run away with me… to settle down in some quiet town with just you, and me, without a care in the world? Where we could live happily ever after? Would you agree? Would you fulfill my request?"
Her entire body went still.
"What's wrong?" He gazed up to meet her eyes when he felt the stiffening of her body against his face, as well as the retracting of the hand that had touched his head a moment ago.
"You're not Zell." She spoke coldly, only then waking from her daydream.
"What are you talking about? It's me… all me! Touch this hair… it's Zell's unique 'do. This face… which you have cradled in your palm countless times… and these lips…" He did not continue the sentence, for the lips in particular were preoccupied with the act of pressing against Celestine's mouth.
She did not respond to the kiss, instead she pushed him away from her.
"You do not have half his skill, okay? Stop imitating Zell. I have little time and patience to waste with you. Get out of my way." Not waiting for him to yield to her "request", she nudged him out of her path and started out for the door.
"Wait! What made you so sure that I wasn't him?" The imitator called out.
"He would never ask me to run away with him when the lives of so many are at stake. Please be more knowledgeable about your subject before you try to fool me with your pitiable impression of him. If I were not in such a hurry, I would have beaten you to a pulp for daring to attempt such a thing. In fact, I want to slap you for trying to steal a kiss from me. Goodbye. Hinder me further, and you DIE!"
She proceeded to open the fifth… and unknown to her, final door.
~THE FINAL DOOR~
"I am the Final Room Guardian. I guess you would have deduced it will be me who awaits for you here."
"You are the final version of my shadow… all the Room Guardians were your apparitions… am I right to say that?"
"You are intelligent, and very perceptive. That I have no doubt.
Now you will face your hardest decision.
It will not affect your chances of getting out of this door, since this is already the final one. But it will affect the path you take when you step out of this room, into the real world. So choose carefully."
Celestine nodded, waiting for the last question.
The shadow beckoned her close, and whispered the question into her ear.
Celestine stared at her in incredulity.
"HOW CAN YOU EXPECT ME TO MAKE THIS KIND OF DECISION? This is an unreasonable one… I refuse to take this test as I do not see any purpose in answering it."
"You will take it, or you will not leave this place. And believe me, every test you take is meaningful, even though it does not seem that way now" Her shadow refused to budge, standing with her legs astride and arms crossed at the chest, barring all possible entry to the door.
Celestine knew that herself to be pretty obstinate when she chose to be… and the same trait would be inherent in her shadow, as she could very well imagine.
And the longer she thought about it, the harder the choice was.
Next change….
Celestine gets out of the maze of shadows… but can she really stop Redrumiel like Waterlily hopes so fervently? If so, how does she achieve such a feat? Or will the final blow be dealt by the HUMAN-MORTALS that he looks so lowly on?
Stay tuned for the newest updates.
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Hiya people…
I cannot tell you what the final question is, or it will spoil my ending. So… wait patiently, alright? It shall be revealed in due time.
Meanwhile… the obligatory "I-must-thank-reviewers-or-else-I-think-I-am-a-scum" time.
Anyway… picture this, people… in the short two to three months that you have been following my fic, you have read up to … get this… *drumroll* EIGHTY THOUSAND WORDS AND MORE OF THIS FIC!!!! You people have amazing resilience, the most astonishing of all is Soul of Flame who spent all of one day and less reading more than twenty chappies (my presumption is correct, I gather?)… Truly… this deserves the highest honor among readers. You people have my respect… man…. *wipes away a tear with white hanky* Exclusive thanks to the following:
Quistis88 – Don't worry, I LIKE to stay up late for writing. Even if I'm not writing, I would be surfing, reading, playing FF8/10 and whatever… cos I think it's a waste of time to sleep so early especially on weekends. Thanks for your concern and reviews! I appreciate it!!
CelesteSpring – Oh… I misunderstood… but still I am thankful that you are reading the story despite your lack of sleep hehehe thanks.
Quisty Almasy – YOU.AMAZING. (Fujin speech heh)
Jengab057 – I'm trying my best! I will continue because of you pple reviews!
And last but certainly not least,
Soul of Flame (That's the third time!) – What can I say? I am truly astounded and awed by your endurance… now I believe you have broken the record of continuous fic reading without going insane… and you stayed up for it? *teary eyed* Thanks pal, you're the best… *choke choke sniff* Oops… making a fool of myself over there. I will read your fic just as soon as I finish uploading this chappy.
Anyone who has reviewed and I didn't mention, my sincerest apologies…. just that I am not thinking straight cos it's early in the morning again. So tata…. See you next time have a good rest good day good everything. Bless your tired eyes.
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