Curriculum 04: Calling

"It's happening..." said Arie quivering in place as she grabbed onto the rails, trying to support herself. "I have to help them, somehow..." she whispered. Her eyes shifted to blood red as she stood up and clenched her fist. Running to the door she slammed herself into the locking system, destroying the controls. As she moved on to attempt to pry the door open, she failed as her strength was becoming exhausted once more.

'No!' she thought to herself. 'I can't give up yet! I have to find him now!' and with that she used the remainder of her strength in a desperate attempt to call out to him. As she placed her hands over the heart-shaped pendant it glowed a radiant sapphire as it shift colors along with her hair. The air around her began to pick up speed. Opening her eyes, she sent her message into the consciousness of the one person closest to her.

"Don't hesitate, I'm here by your side... Find me..."

With that all energies around her subsided as she flowed to the floor, the battle raging around her.

Rusai was dashing from hall to hall, stopping at each door to pry it open. He was working on a door when he heard a voice

'Don't hesitate, I'm here by your side...Find me...'

Rusai froze in place. 'That voice...Arie!' Rusai thought. He was filled with even more determination than ever. He somehow felt as if he was being led somewhere. He dashed down the empty halls. He practically burst though the last door at the end of the hallway. There he found Arie, once again on the ground.

"Arie! I'm here! Don't worry!" Rusai yelled, trying to get his voice to go over the alarm. He quickly ran over to Arie to make sure she was okay. From within the darkness Arie heard his voice.

"Rusai..." she said softly as she saw his face again. "You're here..." she grabbed onto his hand and pulled it slowly towards her. The alarms were still blaring around them as the entire ship was sent into chaos. Finally the captain came over the intercom.

"Attention, attention all crew members, prepare to abandon ship! I repeat prepare to abandon ship! The Giseisha have us surrounded. Gather all personnel and retreat to the pods!" and with that, the struggle in the transporter began as the rush to the escape pods began.

"Where are the Goddess'!" people shouted at the crew who were ushering everyone from the main areas to the escape pods. They were never given an answer.

'There's no way... that they'll all make it safely to the nearest colony...' thought Arie as she watched the crowds disperse into the pods.

"We have to protect the ship... Help me... help me Rusai..." she said gripping onto his hand a little more firm. Though she did not want to suffer on the ship, she could not let her fellow candidates come in danger of single Giseisha strikes. Arie looked up at Rusai as she waited for his answer, this time even she was unsure of what was to become of them.

Rusai was being torn between helping the one dearest to him, or to just flee for his life like some coward. Struggling with himself and past memories Rusai was trying to push everything aside, but the thoughts were beginning to overwhelm him...

flashback

It was about eight years ago in an old run down apartment. Yelling could be heard from one of the rooms on the upper levels. A younger looking Rusai scrambled into his room and started stacking things up against the door to prevent his mother from getting in.

"Rusai! You open this door right now or else your 'punishment' will get even worse!" growled his mother through grit teeth. Rusai said nothing, but was cowering behind his bed, afraid that his little barricade wasn't gonna hold against his mother's wrath. With a loud boom, Rusai's enraged mother grabbed Rusai by his hair and proceeded to drag him out of the room.

"No...please mom...don't hurt me..." Rusai whimpered, trying to pry away from his mother's iron grip.

"You deserve this 'punishment', you've been 'bad'!" She screeched. Quickly glancing around, Rusai's heart sank when he saw what his mother was holding; it was a butcher knife, and it looked even more menacing when held by his mother. Sobs and cries could be heard as his mother delivered the sick and twisted treatment. Rusai had earned himself several gashes on his back, several more adorned his arms and legs and one gash right across the left side of his neck. "Go ahead, run you little coward...you little piece of filth!" she hollered. Rusai, although bleeding, took the chance and ran as far away as he could, his head hanging in shame the whole way with tears streaming down his eyes. No one heard his lonely cries throughout the night...

end flashback

Rusai just stood there, his eyes were starting to water again. 'I can't do it...I just can't...' he thought sadly while rubbing at the scarred area on his neck. Rusai felt Arie's grip tighten and he peered into her eyes. It seemed to erase all the doubt there was in his heart and he finally made his choice about the situation.

"A-Alright Arie, I'll help. J-Just tell me what to do..." Rusai stated, although his voice was quavering, he was sure that he wanted to help as best he could.

She smiled, a thing she had not done ever since the troubles had started. "Be strong, Rusai..." she said to him. She hold of his other hand and brought them together as she unchained her pendant and placed it in his now cupped together hands. Slowly she placed her hands over his and gave one last heartfelt look deep into his eyes as she whispered "You're not alone..."

Just as their hands made contact the sapphire pendant began to glow, brighter and brighter. The sapphire light began to stream from within the heart as it surrounded the two. Arie opened her eyes and looked at Rusai, as their colors began to shift once more. A powerful surge of energy was emitting from the pendant, it was now up to the two to come synchronized with this energy. It was time for them to experience the power of a new EX...