I'm so sorry, you guys ;_; I haven't updated for SUCH a long time, and I
don't even have a good excuse. . .except that I was being lazy and I
couldn't decide what else to write. Anyway, here's a new chapter. Finally.
-
Minutes passed by agonizingly slowly, but then they could have been hours, or even days. In the pitch black and blanketing silence, broken only by the faint rhythm of breathing, time seemed to hang indefinitely suspended in the humid air. At first they were afraid, holding each other tightly, minds darting from one thought to another swiftly. But slowly, they settled down into a subconscious sluggishness, breathing minimalized, all thought reduced to nothing.
Then the creaking of a bolt being slid back cut through their silence, taking precious moments to register as being real and not a wishful hallucination. Blinding light spilled through the open door, and as her mind slowly gathered together what was happening, strong hands pinioned Ayame's arms and hauled her out of the cell and down the long corridor. When her eyes stopped watering, she could vaguely make out the shapes of a human figure in front of her, a room walled in solid titanium, and a faintly glowing object on a pedestal. The human figure turned out to be Madi, and the glowing object: the crystal.
Gradually another fact became aware to her to: the dull roar of activity, which had become familiar background noise in this hellhole, was gone. The silence was so absolute that it left a ringing noise in her ears. "Where are they?" she demanded, her voice sounding distant even to her own ears. "Your army-what happened to them?"
A cruel smirk twisted the pale thin lips, the same arrogant sneer that she had come to so hate. "Waging war on my family and their pathetic army. Robotic creatures are no match for flesh and blood, wit and intelligence; we've already taken the castle under siege. But that is no concern of yours. Right now, the only thing that you need worry about is how to destroy that crystal."
Ayame turned and got a good look at the final remaining crystal for the first time. It was small and pale, glowing with a faint light reminiscent of one of those old-fashioned forms of illumination called light bulbs. One could easily mistake it for a common power gem, used to bolster magical abilities in battle; but then it seemed to retain some mysterious quality that pulled her towards it. As she stared at it, all else seemed to fall away. She could no longer hear Madi's voice speaking from over her shoulder, no longer see the pedestal or the small room. All that existed for her now was the incandescent glow that expanded to fill her vision, pulling her towards it one slow but sure step at a time. Nothing else mattered now. . .nothing mattered except that she get that crystal into her hands. . .
"Ayame!" The harsh call and the hand on her shoulder pulled her out of her illusion. The same metal walls gleamed dully all around her, the small pillar still occupied the room's center, the same crystal sat gleaming weakly, and that same prince's hateful face was still in front of her own. "What's wrong with you? I told you to destroy it. Now do it!"
She shook her head, not understanding. What was she supposed to do? Throw it on the floor and smash it? Hesitantly she stepped towards it and put her hand out. As it hovered hesitantly over the crystal's surface, the glow intensified to a bright blue, pulsing with a surprising urgency. Disconcerted, she drew her hand back, and the crystal returned to its original unimpressive state. She turned to see Madi staring at her with eyebrows raised. Silently she exhaled, then laid her hands firmly on either side of the smooth glassy surface. Even with her eyes closed, the strong pulse still shone in her vision.
A faint breeze whispered across her skin--but from where? They were in a windowless room, and underground at that. "Liam," it whispered to her. "Liam. . ."
And she understood. Once the crystal was gone, what use would Madi have for her anymore? He'd kill them both and not lose a night's sleep over it. So she removed her hands, and turned to face him, and spoke: "I can't do it."
Instantly his face darkened, lightning flashing in the prince's eyes. He understood perfectly well. "Don't be silly, of course you can do it."
But Ayame stood firm and looked him straight in the eye and refused. For several moments that seemed to last an eternity they were locked in a silent battle of wills; but she won, and Madi spat at the guard standing outside the door to take her away. She went without protest, letting herself go limp with relief as she was hurled back into the dank, dark cell. Even as Liam's arms tightened around her, holding in a relieved embrace, she couldn't bring herself to move, falling away into unconscious oblivion.
-
Minutes passed by agonizingly slowly, but then they could have been hours, or even days. In the pitch black and blanketing silence, broken only by the faint rhythm of breathing, time seemed to hang indefinitely suspended in the humid air. At first they were afraid, holding each other tightly, minds darting from one thought to another swiftly. But slowly, they settled down into a subconscious sluggishness, breathing minimalized, all thought reduced to nothing.
Then the creaking of a bolt being slid back cut through their silence, taking precious moments to register as being real and not a wishful hallucination. Blinding light spilled through the open door, and as her mind slowly gathered together what was happening, strong hands pinioned Ayame's arms and hauled her out of the cell and down the long corridor. When her eyes stopped watering, she could vaguely make out the shapes of a human figure in front of her, a room walled in solid titanium, and a faintly glowing object on a pedestal. The human figure turned out to be Madi, and the glowing object: the crystal.
Gradually another fact became aware to her to: the dull roar of activity, which had become familiar background noise in this hellhole, was gone. The silence was so absolute that it left a ringing noise in her ears. "Where are they?" she demanded, her voice sounding distant even to her own ears. "Your army-what happened to them?"
A cruel smirk twisted the pale thin lips, the same arrogant sneer that she had come to so hate. "Waging war on my family and their pathetic army. Robotic creatures are no match for flesh and blood, wit and intelligence; we've already taken the castle under siege. But that is no concern of yours. Right now, the only thing that you need worry about is how to destroy that crystal."
Ayame turned and got a good look at the final remaining crystal for the first time. It was small and pale, glowing with a faint light reminiscent of one of those old-fashioned forms of illumination called light bulbs. One could easily mistake it for a common power gem, used to bolster magical abilities in battle; but then it seemed to retain some mysterious quality that pulled her towards it. As she stared at it, all else seemed to fall away. She could no longer hear Madi's voice speaking from over her shoulder, no longer see the pedestal or the small room. All that existed for her now was the incandescent glow that expanded to fill her vision, pulling her towards it one slow but sure step at a time. Nothing else mattered now. . .nothing mattered except that she get that crystal into her hands. . .
"Ayame!" The harsh call and the hand on her shoulder pulled her out of her illusion. The same metal walls gleamed dully all around her, the small pillar still occupied the room's center, the same crystal sat gleaming weakly, and that same prince's hateful face was still in front of her own. "What's wrong with you? I told you to destroy it. Now do it!"
She shook her head, not understanding. What was she supposed to do? Throw it on the floor and smash it? Hesitantly she stepped towards it and put her hand out. As it hovered hesitantly over the crystal's surface, the glow intensified to a bright blue, pulsing with a surprising urgency. Disconcerted, she drew her hand back, and the crystal returned to its original unimpressive state. She turned to see Madi staring at her with eyebrows raised. Silently she exhaled, then laid her hands firmly on either side of the smooth glassy surface. Even with her eyes closed, the strong pulse still shone in her vision.
A faint breeze whispered across her skin--but from where? They were in a windowless room, and underground at that. "Liam," it whispered to her. "Liam. . ."
And she understood. Once the crystal was gone, what use would Madi have for her anymore? He'd kill them both and not lose a night's sleep over it. So she removed her hands, and turned to face him, and spoke: "I can't do it."
Instantly his face darkened, lightning flashing in the prince's eyes. He understood perfectly well. "Don't be silly, of course you can do it."
But Ayame stood firm and looked him straight in the eye and refused. For several moments that seemed to last an eternity they were locked in a silent battle of wills; but she won, and Madi spat at the guard standing outside the door to take her away. She went without protest, letting herself go limp with relief as she was hurled back into the dank, dark cell. Even as Liam's arms tightened around her, holding in a relieved embrace, she couldn't bring herself to move, falling away into unconscious oblivion.