Chapter 15

All in Vain?

Ivan watched the others nervously, they'd all heard Mia screaming a few minutes ago, but they couldn't get through the doors. Felix, Garet, and Isaac had all rammed into the doors, and all of them had thrown a few powerful attacks against the barricade but they still refused to give.

"Hell's wrath within my palm, hear me now, your master's cry! BLAST!" Jenna chanted, funneling psynergy into the small broach she wore, red light lacing around it and up her arm as white hot blasts of flame flew from the end of her staff, filling the small space with crimson.

"Venus's glow, grant your brother's request. Unleash the rage within your heart, come! ERUPTION!" Garet said right after her, glowing with energy as the ground opened just before him, flames leaping out to lick at the walls of ice. Sheba, standing near Ivan, flashed the Special card she held, raising her class to a Pierrot.

"Smoke and mirrors, laughter and gin. Laugh for me, boys, watch the night fly; HEAT JUGGLE!" She cried, as four raging balls of fire circled her small form before rocketing forwards along side Jenna and Garet's attacks.

"Hear this you damn magical sage! This is nothing more than a WORTHLESS PIECE OF CRAP!" Jenna swore as each fiery blast rammed into the doors before fizzing out. Felix moved quickly to keep his sister from smashing the small broach they'd scaled blistering peaks to recover.

Ivan stood staring at the doors, racking his brain for an idea. Despite the massive firepower, the doors were coated with only the slightest sheen of water, even that quickly began freezing once more. Something tickled at the back of his mind, teasing his senses as Isaac and Felix tried another go with their own earth shattering abilities. Rubbing his temple, Ivan tried to get a grip on whatever it was, however difficult such a task may be with monstrous blades of solid energy blasting past his ears and shattering themselves uselessly.

"How does the sleep work?" He asked, more to himself than any of the others, Hydros though, heard him,

"What?" the King asked, Ivan looked up,

"We know it's supposed to test Piers, a sort or Worst-case-scenario kind of thing, but how does it do that?" Ivan looked at his boots, Sheba coming over to join them, slipping the Card back into her pocket,

"What do you mean, 'How does it do that'? What does that have to do with us getting in there?" She asked, Garet losing his patience behind her and taking his Fire-Brand to the double doors, Felix and Isaac started slashing as well. The power of a blistering meteor had done the trick before, maybe that or a pillar of flame would again.

"Well, remember how when you and I tried reading his mind back on the ship? And how we didn't get anything out of him?" Sheba tilted her head to the side,

"Yeah I remember, Mia he was in pain so we tried to reach him… tried to help him if we could, but when we reached out we…" Sheba's voice lowered to a bare murmur as she looked away,

"Got nothing; it was like he was empty. Even though Mia could feel him, we couldn't find his sub-conscious. We couldn't find what made him, HIM…" Ivan finished, Kraden was staring off at nothing, Ivan could almost hear the gears turning in the scholar's mind, looking at what he'd said from every angle.

"You couldn't find his Soul…" Lunpa said quietly, Ivan nodded; a placid expression was painted on Sheba's face.

"Well that makes sense," Hydros said, they were speaking loudly enough for the others to hear from where they stood glaring darkly at the Doors.

"Why else would he need a connection with someone else?" Sheba exclaimed, suddenly smacking herself on the side of her head, "He needed Mia or some one he trusted deeply too lead him back to his body!"

"That's still not helping us get in there." Felix called, bringing their attention back to the matter at hand. Kraden looked thoughtful for a moment, holding his chin in one hand.

"It would take a great deal of power to remove a Soul, even more to keep removing and replacing it. No wonder it had to be started in Lemuria and Mercury Lighthouse, you can't get more power devoted to Mercury anywhere but in these two places." The scholar's expression darkened considerably as he spoke. "I think it also explains why we can't get in there." Jenna was standing with them now; she gave Kraden a quizzing glance.

"What do you mean?" She asked; Kraden took on his Lecturing voice, though it was neither the proper time nor place for a lesson.

"Well, think about it this way; if it takes an extreme amount of power to accomplish what has been started here, then do you not think such a high concentration of said power would cause changes in the area around it?" Kraden started pacing back and forth, like he often did when going for an undetermined amount of time. "I believe that the reason the doors will not open now is a result of a high concentration of the Elemental power necessary for ending this all." Hydros worried his bottom lip, but remained silent.

"So you're saying we can't get in, and that for the past week Piers has been dead?" Garet exclaimed, not having given up on the doors, but reluctant to continue dulling the blade and draining his energy. Kraden shook his head quickly,

"No, no, Garet; his Soul was still as active as ever, just not inside of his corporeal form, held somewhere where he has been tested for the past week. And because his Soul was still intact and not ready for death, Piers' body remained in a coma-like state." Kraden paused and removed his spectacles to polish them on his shirt, his mouth forming a grim line.

"Now I see why Mia expressed her hated of those times when he felt nothing." Leon muttered, standing away from them. Ivan looked over and saw the realization seeping into the Lemurian's eyes as he looked up. "She didn't know what it was, she was glad he felt no pain, but hated how he would fill with fear as soon as it let him go…. It was Death calling to him." He looked haunted as he spoke now, "I'm almost sure of it… Death showing him one way to bring a permanent end to the torment he was enduring..." Hydros seemed to resolve something within himself as he looked up,

"Kraden," He said simply, "You say that it would take an immense amount of power to remove a Soul from its body correct?" Kraden blinked and nodded, Hydros looked grim as he continued, "How much then, would it take to remove two Souls from their rightful, solid, bodies?" He asked, Kraden's eyes widening startlingly

"What are you saying?" Garet asked, stepping forward, "That we left Mia in there to have her Soul sucked out of her!? Why are you telling us this now when we can't do anything to help?" He shouted,

"Mia can't lead Piers out of there if she doesn't know where he is now can she?" Sheba muttered, not meaning for it to be a joke. She also said it in a way which made it seem more like she was trying to figure it out for herself instead of clarifying it for someone else.

Hydros looked Garet firmly in the eye "Master Garet, I assure you, this is all as new to me as it is to you." He commented, looking back at Kraden, "When we came here last, one blast from any of you shattered the doors instantly, whilst held behind them was enough energy to unsettle Piers' Soul so that it was able to be removed and returned on a whim. Now, we come back to the same doors, and find that we cannot make so much as dent them, that they are at least twice as strong as before. I take this as an ill omen for us all."

"So how come we could open them a few minutes ago?" Felix asked, getting edgy from the extended wait, eager to try and help his friends. "Do you think that scream from Mia was all this power taking effect?" He asked, eyebrows slipping down to form the scowl he often wore before a battle. Hydros nodded, his expression never lightening,

"I was standing near the column when this started, though I may be wrong, I'm most positive I saw him screaming. It's safe to say that having one's Soul taken is not a pleasant experience." Hydros scowled as they stood there, Ivan turned to glance at the massive doors once more.

"So when Mia and Piers, I dunno, get back from where ever their Souls have been taken, we'll be able to open the doors again and get in there?" He asked; Hydros looked over at him.

"If things decide to go our way, then, yes…"

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'Such a pretty couple they make.' He thought, chuckling bitterly as he heard the Adepts outside the door give up trying to force their way in. He stood there looking over the two Mercury-Adepts lying on the ground before him. The son of the man he'd killed over a hundred years ago looked much like his father had. He had one arm hanging loosely around the girl's waste where it had fallen after their Souls had been taken.

His eyes scanned the face of the girl, single strands of her teal hair resting on one soft pale cheek. Her tears had dried quickly, leaving stains on her face. She had her head resting on the man's chest, the two of them breathing in time with one another. Her eyes were closed in what he knew was not really a peaceful sleep.

'I remember her from Tolbi, hell I remember all Isaac's little group from Tolbi, and Collosso. But what was this one's name? May? Mindy? Marsha? By the Elements what was her name?' Babi felt his eye twitch in annoyance. Schooling his features to calm though, he smiled down at the two. Stroking the trident gently with one hand, he simply stood there, watching them both sleep.

'He's too weak now to wake up unless he's earned the power of Mercury, and she isn't about to leave him to die. The moment either one moves, they'll wish they'd taken their last chance at a quick and painless death.' He thought, a hint of madness seeping into his dark, lustful, eyes.

'At long last, unlimited power, rivaled only by the Golden Sun itself, will be mine. I will control the seas and the rivers, and thus I shall control all the people of Weyard. The world will at long last be under the control to its rightful, soon to beimmortal, ruler.'

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Mia's world spun rapidly as she tried to discern up from down, she felt like she was lost in a blizzard in the wastelands north of Imil, but this time with no Lighthouse with which to keep her bearings with. Disoriented and confused, she felt fear seep into her system; the only solid thing remaining was her death-grip on the Bond.

With an electrifying jolt, Mia found herself standing in a hall underground. The walls of solid crystal pulsed with a dull violet light, the whole scene reminding Mia of the Caverns where Psycrystals grew. Shifting her feet a little, she took a startled step back as she heard a crunch, small crystals shattering under-foot; she was startled again as she felt more behind her.

Standing stiffly in one spot, she tried to breathe deeply and clam down. She noticed that the air tasted dull, not even the normal musk of the earth reaching her senses, and how the sound of the crystals shattering under-foot sounded almost hollow to her ears…

Mia felt an odd weight on her wrist, looking down, she saw a manacle around the lower half of her arm, lifting it up to look at it, she noticed that it glittered gold in the dim light.

"The Bond." She whispered, her voice like everything else sounding hollow to her, she noticed how her voice sounded far away, like she was speaking from one end of a tube. Shaking off the odd feeling, Mia remembered what had brought her here. Looking back at the manacle, she noticed silk-like strands of gold picked out by the un-even light of the crystal. These strands seemed to fade and grow brighter no matter where the light came from, not shining in time with one another. They led off down the passage from where she stood. Steeling her resolve, Mia ignored the audible tinkle of crystal as she followed the silk-like strands through the dim light. Mia kept telling herself that it was just like fresh snow, nothing that could cut through her thin, soft-soled boots.

As she walked down the passage, Mia noticed she couldn't feel the Bond in her head anymore, only the heavy weight of the manacle around her arm. Everything was eerily quiet except for the sound of the crystals crunching under-foot, but as she continued to walk, she thought she heard fleeting laughter. The source unknown as the shadows seemed to swallow the sound.

The sounds grew louder and more frequent as she continued down the seemingly endless halls, never seeing any adjoining passages. Mia paused as she heard a loud smack echoing through the small space, closely followed by a strangled cry and more laughter. Mia's heart jumped into her throat at the sounds, quickening her pace, she didn't care about the shards under her feet as they crashed loudly.

Following the Bond, Mia soon came up to a corner, the wall opposite the opening bathed in a pale blue light. The laughter was much louder; Mia paused as she heard voices talking amongst themselves.

'Hang on,' She thought, moving against the wall, her brow furrowing, 'Is that…. Isaac?' her eyes went wide as she listened to what he was saying,

"You really are the most pathetic sight you know that, right?" He jeered, Mia was startled at the harshness in his voice, and she flinched as she heard him punch some one, confusion and disbelief swamping her as she heard Piers try to say something, only to have her then feel Isaac's psynergy pulse through the crystal walls around her. Mia bit her lip, fighting tears as she heard Piers scream.

"No Isaac, now he's the most pathetic site." Mia gasped, 'Jenna?' She thought, remaining hidden, Mia quickly picked out Sheba, Ivan, Garet and Felix's voices as well. Then a new voice entered, Mia's eyes grew wide as it spoke.

"I should have just done away with him when he was born. Always wanting to see what was beyond the Sea of Time, never really content to stay in the city." Mia leaned against the wall and placed both hands over her mouth to stifle the sobs that threatened to come up and give her away. Sliding down in to the ground, she ignored the sharp crystals beneath her. "It's because of him his father was killed, Babi wanted the power of Mercury, but he wouldn't have known about it if Piers hadn't gone and told him about the Prophecy in the first place. Naïve brat, sharing something like that with a foreigner, you deserve everything you're getting now with the Bond." Mia clamped her hands over her ears shook her head from side to side. This wasn't real, it couldn't be, there was no way that that could be Piers' dead mother talking to him like that. It just couldn't be…

'What are you doing?' She shouted at herself, anger suddenly boiling up, 'You aren't here to just sit back and watch! You're here to help him! Get him out of there and away from them!' Mia gritted her teeth and stood, 'It's not them. Your friends would never say those things, it's not them.' Mia kept repeating those words over and over in her mind. Taking a deep breath, she walked right into the pale light, momentarily blinded by the brightness; she sucked in a sharp breath as she felt the iciness where she stood.

The light faded instantly and Mia found herself on a ledge, looking down about ten feet to where all the others were standing. The crystal here was all blue instead of the odd violet of the rest of the caverns. A cylindrical shaft with the ceiling naught but a foot over her head, the blue floor was covered in violet designs, dizzying to the eye as a long, dark blue velvet curtain covered a section of the room, steps of the pale crystal leading up to it.

Looking down, Mia spotted her friends standing in a loose circle, in the center, ankle deep water covering the floor before the steps. Piers was down on his knees. In front of him standing out of the water, was a woman with blue hair pulled back loosely, and plain white clothing like what most of the people in Lemuria wore. Her face looked about middle-aged, but her Golden eyes were testament to her ancient life.

The woman glanced up and spotted her, she smiled warmly and Mia stepped back. With a slight flick of her wrist, Mia watched her friends turn to shadows and slowly fade into the Crystal walls.

"I see you came at last." The woman lightly, the way her lips curved still forming a nurturing smile. Oddly, Mia saw no malice or deceit in her eyes, nothing to hint at a hidden attack. Fisting her hands at her side, Mia still wasn't about to let her guard down.

"What are you and what have you been doing to him?" She asked; her voice as forceful as she could make it. The woman, Mia refused to think of her as Piers' mother, chuckled slightly, Piers still kneeling on the ground, oblivious to what was taking place.

"Why, I've been having a bit of fun while I test him of course." The woman said, stepping forward to place a hand on Piers' head. A gesture all too much like what one would use with a dog. Piers flinched at the contact, but he made no move to get away. "I cannot allow for the Master of your world's waters to be weak. But I also need to have a bit of fun, ne? He must prove himself strong and smart enough to escape from this place, and I'm here to help make it hell for him."

She didn't look at all sorry for the pain she had apparently been causing, no more than a farmer regrets putting an old dog down; it was nothing that should be dwelt on… That was horrid enough to think on, but the idea that she was enjoying this and having fun with his pain made Mia's blood boil.

"I'm almost done testing him, in fact." The woman continued cheerfully, "He's stood up remarkably well I must say, seeing as how many doubts he's held in his heart, yes, very well indeed." The woman held her hand out towards Mia, "But I need your help to finish this last test." She said, "Why don't you come down, dear? And then I can let the two of you go home…"

Mia's breath caught in her throat as she felt an odd tingle along her skin. Glancing behind her, her eyes met only the smooth surface of the crystal wall; the way she had come was blocked. Something shifted in the corner of her eye and she turned again to see a spiraling staircase leading down from the ledge she was perched on. Mia glanced back down at the woman, who tilted her head the way a mother dose to a stubborn child.

"I assure you, Child, you'd do better to help me at the moment; in the end it's all helping him. You see, I have to be most harsh at this time, attack him with some of his deepest fears and what-not. Drag up a few foul memories that he's locked away, things like that. But this is not half as enjoyable as watching his friends take chunks out of him." She said, "Besides, if he fails, I think he'd be comforted knowing you'd be staying with him. If one of you stays, you both do, but I'd hate to think of the guilt you'd feel if you just walked away." Mia blinked as the other woman seemed to shimmer slightly, returning to normal instantly,

Mia looked cautiously between the woman and the staircase. Taking a calming breath, she stepped down. There was a whoosh and the world spun, Mia stumbled slightly and found herself standing in front of the other woman, water sloshing around her ankles. Glancing back at where she had been, Mia swallowed un-easily as she found no hint of stairs or platform. The woman looked especially proud as Mia turned back to face her, again her expression reminding her of a mother who's child had caught their first fish for supper.

"Very good, Child." She praised. "I see this young man indeed had good sense in choose you. Those pesky Fates always seem to make things difficult when it comes to these things. Thankfully for him, you overcame those set-backs and made it here. If he fails now, I'll have so much fun with the both of you."

She clasped her hands together in a very Lady-like way. Mia gasped as the woman began to shimmer with an ethereal light, her body shifting like water forming to a new container. A water Deity.

Mia brought one hand up to shield her eyes from the brightness. As the light faded slowly, she blinked a few times to clear the small dots from her vision. Looking straight ahead, Mia stumbled back in surprise at the figure before her.

In the place of Piers' dead mother, Mia was shocked to see a mirror image of herself standing beside him. Everything the same between them down to the imitation of the Bond around her wrist. The other Mia smiled slightly, still with that same warmth from before, as she examined her knew self.

"Very nice." She commented, rolling her shoulders. The real Mia felt her throat clench as the voice was the same as hers, except, not with that same hollowness. "Yes, very nice," the copy repeated, "Shame I must use such an appealing form for such messy business. Are you ready to begin, Child?"

Flashing a smile at Mia, the other girl held her hand out, Mia's staff appearing in her hands. Looking over the polished metal, the Copy's expression darkened, turning into one that showed hatred and disgust. Turning to Piers, she took on an icy mask covering the distaste, but not hiding it completely.

"Get up." She snapped; Mia stumbled at the harshness of her own voice echoing through the vaulting space. Mia watched as her Double sucked in a sharp breath, eyes boring into Piers' bent head. "Are you deaf? I said get up!" she hissed, Mia stood in shock at the way this copy mimicked her mannerisms when angry, and how Piers flinched at her harsh words.

Striding towards him, the double grabbed his shoulder, digging her nails in as she roughly jerked him to his feet. "I didn't think you were the type to need to be told more than once to do something." She said in a cold voice, glaring at him when Piers purposely looked away from her. Mia found herself un-able to move as Piers muttered something in reply.

"You can't be Mia, this-this isn't real…" He muttered, the Double's lips pulled back into a sneer as she raised her staff to strike him.

"You've been telling yourself that for quiet some time now haven't you? This is as real as it gets, Piers! You're a true fool if you believe anything else! I pity your poor mother for have to of been the one to bring your ungrateful, useless hide into this—!" The Deity was cut off as Mia forced her legs to move, she tackled her mirror image and forced her to the ground.

"Bitch!" Mia screamed, surprised by her own words. Anger and hurt at the other woman wearing her face to spin such horrid lies spilling over, as tears ran down her cheeks. "That's not true! None of it!" She shouted; grappling with the other woman in the water. The Deity flashed a hidden smile as the water surged around Mia to force her off the other woman, throwing her across the floor and drenching her at the same time.

The small flash of contempt in the Double's face vanished as she got to her feet and bent down to retrieve her staff. Mia pushed a few strands of her soaking hair out of her eyes as she moved quickly to Piers who still stood un-moving. He was staring straight down forcing himself not to acknowledge what was going on. Mia ran up to him and tried to get him to face her.

"Piers, it's me," She said in a rush, grabbing his shoulders to try and look at his face "It's Mia, you have to listen, this isn't real, you're not alone. I'm here to help you now. This is all just some stupid test, Piers; it's all a lie, you've been right all along about the others. You have to believe me, Piers, it's not real." Mia glanced over her shoulder, dread seeping into the pit of her stomach as the Deity seemed to have vanished. Piers still didn't meet her eyes as she turned back to him, not giving any indication that he had heard anything she'd said.

Pain suddenly exploded in Mia's side, she shrieked and fell to her knees gasping for breath as she clasped her hands to the site of the pain. She felt her own warm blood coating her hands as she stared up to see the other her wiping the blood off of a slim dagger she held.

"Yes, Piers, listen to that imitation's lies. Listen to it so that when the others come back we can go over this all over again until you get the message." The Copy's tone seemed almost bored as she spoke, slipping the plain blade back into its case at her side. Looking back at him, her tone dripped with venom as she bored holes into his head with her eyes.

"How can you think for a moment that what this thing says is true? Its voice isn't even real, nothing more than some hollow echo. And besides, if all of us really do think you're worth keeping around, do you think that we were just kidding when we spoke earlier?" The Deity stuck her nose in the air, eyes burning, everything about how she held herself mimicking Mia.

"It's not true…" She whimpered, reaching up with one hand, regardless of the blood staining her fingers, Mia clasped Piers' hand and tried again to talk to him again. "That wasn't them; these are copies, just like this one of me... Felix and Isaac, they're your friends, you know that. Sheba looks up to you like an older brother and even Garet respects you." Mia swallowed the coppery taste in her mouth, trying to breathe past the pain as she felt her lungs began filling with blood. "You-you know how Kraden loves to talk to you, and how you're mother was never like that. It's all a lie, Piers, all of it, we're your friends and we're all worried about you." Mia blinked back the burning sensation in her eyes as he didn't seem to notice her at all.

"Piers, we all want to help you, I told you that before. And the others did to, back on the ship, then-"

"What? When?" The Copy interrupted, blue eyes widening in surprise. Mia looked up and saw Piers' eyes focus for a brief moment, saw him listen to what she was saying.

'The Festival symbolizes the moon-cycle where the Spirits under the Goddess Luna have no site over the world.' Piers' voice echoed in her head, something she'd almost forgotten in the past week.

'The world is preparing for Winter; when Wind and Water will hold the most power, but Earth and Fire still have a decent grip in Autumn. Fall is when the Elements fight for sway on Weyard, so the Spirits are to busy with this Tug-of-war to notice what's going on in the world around them.'

'That's what I'm supposed to do.' Mia thought, it was such a hazy idea at first, but it stuck. 'She takes his past memories and uses them against him. But she doesn't know things that happened this month because of the Festival in Lemuria.' Glancing away from the confused Deity, Mia looked back up into Piers' eyes.

"Jenna told me," She said, hope seeping into her words, "when you tried to leave and Felix and Isaac stopped you, they told you they were worried about you, Kraden and Garet to. You told me your uncle hasn't stopped worrying, no one else has kept it a secret around you." Piers' eyes seemed to look inward, sifting through memories until his eyes widened slightly.

"I… I remember that…"

"That's not fair! She's lying!" The Copy screamed, her form seemed to shimmer again, this time without her control "You can't do that! Luna said that if he failed I could keep both of you here and do whatever I wanted!"

Mia ignored the other woman, blood still pouring from the gaping hole in her side; she couldn't feel her psynergy here to stop it. Piers blinked a few times, eyes focusing securely on her face,

"Mia…? Mia!" Recognition seeped into his eyes as he seemed to really wake up, looking over her, his eyes froze on the blood staining her side. Falling down to his knees instantly, he wrapped one arm around her and placed the other one over the wound. Mia let out a soft whimper and pressed her face into his neck, she felt him try to reach for his psynergy that wasn't there.

"You'll be alright, Mia," He said softly, mimicking the words she'd been pouring onto him for days now as he tried to keep as much pressure on the wound as he could. "We'll get out of this." A soft light seemed to wash over them both, and Mia felt something pulling at them both through the Bond.

"No! NO! NO! You're not supposed to free him, you little wench!" the Copy screeched, her voice changing, becoming more abrasive and scratchy. A brilliant flash blue light filled the room, fading away instantly, the Sprite screaming in outrage as her illusion vanished with it.

Mia's face faded, leaving dark blue skin and pristine white hair. She was dressed in a simpler version of the robes the Idols wore in sanctums, a cylindrical clasp with a large blue stone held the silky fabric up around her shoulders, a plain, black leather belt circling her thin waist. Her eyes were completely white, her ears pointed and pierced with gold loops and small gems. The Imp-like Deity stomped her feet in anger, like a child throwing a tantrum.

"You're not going anywhere!" She shrieked, turning on her heel, the small Sprite darted behind the sheer drapes around the pedestal. She returned in an instant, brandishing a swirling black and blue sphere the size of a melon in both hands, sneering in triumph. Raising the orb over her head, she looked at where Piers was still holding Mia,

"You may have out-lasted all that because you had you're little friend too talk to when you were strong enough." She shouted, glee painted all over her face, "But you don't have a flame's chance in a flood of surviving this!" Mia didn't have time to prepare as everything seemed to slow down as the Spirit threw the orb at them both.

Hitting the water just a few paces before the two Adepts, the glass ball shattered, small shards of what looked like black ice spewed from the center slowly. Everything was quiet but for the crash, but Piers' arms suddenly tightened around Mia as the cavern shook violently and the walls became riveted with cracks. The air filled with shards of crystal as the floor heaved and shattered like a pane of glass beneath them.

Mia screamed as they plummeted down through the shattered floor, her eyes finding nothing but un-ending darkness below. This was the kind of darkness that one feels they can fall through forever.

She reached out instinctively and grabbed Piers' arm as they were jarred apart, her eyes making out little but for the small shards of crystal and glass, and the bright blue of his clothing. She could hardly feel the pain in her side as the wind whipped past them and they fell into the Abyss. She wrapped her arms around him and hung on for dear life, he in turn holding her close to him.

The world seemed to have held it's breath as there was no sound but for their clothing flapping and the distant echo of the shattered glass. The two of them fell silently, unable to move for fear of being torn apart.

Trapped.