Pain. The burning pain started on her left shoulder blade, and then washed down her the rest of her back. She didn't dare open her eyes. The sounds of war and death still wailed around her. People screamed; explosions sounded. Suddenly a single voice cut through the chaos; one that she will never forget.
"You're ok blackberry, it's going to be ok."
She felt two small metal objects slip into her hand; they were still warm. Suddenly waves of refined chaos energy flowed over her; the sensation was something that she had known all her life, but this time it was different. A quick gust of wind blasted in her face and she finally opened her eyes.
A destroyed valley stretched out before her. Small fires freckled the scorched earth. She shifted her body making another jolt of pain shoot through her back like a lightning bolt. She heard a jingle from the objects in her hand. Her gaze quickly shot to her hand, there resting in her palm were two identical golden rings.
"No…" she whispered.
A loud explosion suddenly sounded from above. She quickly looked up, in the sky were two figures; one a sandy gold that radiated a powerful aura, the other a sinister green that seemed to be made of fire. The two figures clashed, causing a bright explosion of green and gold light. Soon the stormy sky was lit with these explosions, as the two figures dueled.
"Please not again…please not again," she quietly begged.
Suddenly the green figure managed to confuse the gold, as green explosions erupted around the gold figure. The gold was too busy, trying not to get blown out of the sky, to notice the green figure flouting just a few meters away, its blazing red eyes, burning with glee at the thought of what it was about to do. A large flaming sword grew from his hand and lunged toward the gold figure.
The gold figure saw his opponent lunging towards him, but in a split second the gold figure vanished in a flash of light blue light. The gold figure appeared in the sky a little to her left. He turned back towards her, and although she could barely see it, he flashed her a calm reassuring smile. He then turned back towards his opponent, stood still for a few moments before charging forward. He was going to end this battle; one way or another.
Warm tears began to flood her eyes, and pour down her cheeks. She knew how this was going to end but she still begged for this time to be different. She watched as the gold figure knocked the flaming sword out of the green figure's hand and strike him across his face, but the final blow was landed. A small dagger emerged and sliced in to his abdomen, causing a wound that was clearly fatal. The green figure flashed a sinister crooked smile; he had won.
The gold Figure felt the power and life slowly drain out of him, and made one last effort to stop his enemy. He summoned all the power he had left and with two words, "Chaos Blast," all of his energy rushed out of his body in one final explosion.
She stared in disbelief, as a golden explosion lit the sky like a second sun. Shaking her head, she leaped to her feet and started running toward the explosion, not caring about the searing pain that was still bleeding down her back. She watched as single dark figure fell from the sky.
"NO!"
Mari's eyes snapped opened and she shot up, gasping for air. She was shaking, sweaty, and her heart pounded against her chest. She clutched the golden ring that hung around her neck, on a simple brown string. She looked around, instantly recognizing her bedroom.
She gridded her teeth, "That stupid, stupid nightmare."
She got up out of her loft bed, and walked out of her room. She didn't need any sort of torch or light to see in the dark hallways of her home, as the white markings on her body, glowed a tranquil blue on clear nights. Down the stairs, and through the halls, she went until she reached a large indoor training room on the other side of the mansion.
She walked up to one of the punching bags and began to train. Bang! Bang! As the blows hit the bag, the memory of the nightmare came back, the memory of her parents came back, and memory her greatest pains came back. Soon, she had hot tears of anger and pain welling up in her eyes, but she desperately tried to stop herself from crying. However, she then suddenly collapsed on to the bag. She turned around leaning her back against the bag and then slowly slid down to the ground. She sat there in pure agony.
"Mari?" an innocent voice, called her name from the entrance of the room.
Mari quickly looked up to see her younger brother Damian standing at the entrance. His markings glowing the same tranquil blue and his bright blue eye stood out against the darkness of the room. Worry painted on his face, and fear pulsing in his mixed-matched eyes.
"Oh, Dami, what you are doing up?" Mari asked
"Are you ok?" he squeaked.
"Yeah, baby I'm alright. I just got something on my mind."
"Was it fudge pops?" he tilted his head to the side, with a little smile on his face.
Mari chuckled at her brother and shook her head, "Fudge pops, huh? You know what? That's exactly what I need right now."
She picked herself up and walked over to her brother. She scooped him up into her arms and started toward the kitchen.
Mari sat on Damian's bed as she and her brother finished up their fudge pops. "Ok, you done little mister?"
Damian nodded, and handed her his left-over pop stick. "Thank you, now you need to get to sleep. Its way too late for a little cross-breed to be up." She tucked him back under the blankets and walked towards the door.
"Mari?" Damian Asked as she was about to walk out. Mari turned around and saw the longing look in her brother's eyes; she knew right way what he wanted.
"No, Damian." She turned away from him.
"Please." he begged.
"You know I don't sing anymore."
"Just this once?"
She turned back around and looked at her little brother's pleading eyes. It had been so long since she sang her mother's lullaby, since she heard it. She hated it; it was a beautiful song but she hated it. However, she couldn't break her brother's heart.
She sighed, "Ok, you win."
She walked over to her brother's bed and sat down. Damian leaped in to Mari's arms, and snuggled into her warm embrace.
She took a deep breath, and the words that had once sung her to sleep every night began to pour out of her heart,
"Don't worry child, in the sun or rain, elder sister earth will heal all your pain,
Don't worry child, there's no need to weep, elder sister moon watch while you sleep,
Don't worry child, no need to hide away, elder brother sun guards you while you play,
Don't worry child, there's no need to fear, all who love you will always be right here…"
Her brother laid in her arms, breathing softly and dreaming peacefully. She placed him back under his covers and quietly left the room.
Her dark quills, whipped around her face, in the night wind. She stood in front of two pillars on the right side of the round stone platform. A mix of fury and sorrow on her face.
"Are you happy now?" She said coldly, "I'm the one singing him to sleep now! IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE YOU DOING THAT FOR HIM! IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE YOU TO COMFORT HIM! TO HOLD HIM! TO TEACH HIM! WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST RUN FROM THAT FIGHT?! WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST HAVE TURNED AROUND AND WALKED AWAY!? I KNOW THAT WE'RE BEING HUNTED! I KNOW THAT WE'RE AT WAR! BUT YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO FACE HIM!"
Agony bled from her heart and soul. She was furious at them, she was so furious at them, but at the same time she longed for them, she longed to see them, to hear them, to embrace them.
"Why?! Why didn't you stay?! If not for me or yourselves, then WHY COULDN'T YOU STAY FOR DAMIAN!? I HATE TO HAVE TO ANSWER HIS QUESTIONS ABOUT YOU! SOME OF THEM I DON'T EVEN HAVE ANSWERS TO! Why? why couldn't you just have stayed…" she was breathing hard and desperately fighting back her tears.
"Marisol?"
Mari whipped around and saw Aunt Maria, her eyes glittering with tears, in a face full of sorrow. She stepped forward, wrapped Mari in a maroon scarf that once belonged to her mother, and pulled her in to a warm loving embrace.
"Shh...It's alright, child, I miss them too." She rubbed Mari's back, as her niece hit her breaking point and started sobbing.
After a few moments, Aunt Maria let her niece go and sent he back to her bed. She began to leave the platform, but she suddenly turned around, and faced the two pillars on the right.
"I know that at the time you thought you had no choice little brother. But sometimes I wish you thought about what kinds of affects your choice would have. I know you didn't mean to, but you're torturing this girl. I can only hope that she'll recover and that Damian doesn't suffer the same. Good night little brother." She turned away, and walked back towards the mansion, wondering how much time she, herself, had left.
Author's note:
For those who are confused, please check out My series "A Second Wind" for context. This a spin off to explore a little more of the characters and their experiences. I'm sorry about any confusion I caused.