Chapter Ten: His Pain
Hikari couldn't breathe; his invisible grip on her throat was too strong. She felt the force of his power ever so slowly squeeze the life from her limbs. Her body became heavy, her thoughts hazy, and her vision blurry. She was fading, and he knew it. The Harvest Goddess placed a hand on the Harvest King's arm. He turned blazing eyes on her, barely containing his fury. "Release her. Now." The Goddess said with steely calm. The Harvest King responded by tightening his grip, causing Hikari's body to spasm. "Will you kill the only human who believes in you?" Hikari's body dropped to the ground like a rock, so sudden was her release. She sucked in air desperately, coughing. The Goddess had struck his deepest and sorest wound, causing the pain to lance through him and cut him like a dull knife.
The Goddess rushed to Hikari's side, helping her up. Hikari stood on shaky legs, still rubbing her sore throat. She gently pushed away the Goddess's worried hands, and to the Goddess's absolute horror, rushed toward the Harvest King. The human planted her feet in front of him, put her hands on her hips and raised her head to meet his eyes. She was a surprised as he, although she masked his shock a lot easier than her. Her eyes were dark brown, like rich soil after a summer rain. They seemed to shine with the intensity of her defiance. He'd nearly killed her, and she was in his face as if he wasn't capable of doing it again.
"What is your problem?" Hikari screamed at him. The Harvest King was even more imposing up close; he towered over her, a good foot taller. But she didn't care, his sister was dying and he was too concerned with killing her to care. "The Goddess is dying! Can't you see that? Or are you still sleepy eyed from your extra-long nap?" "Hikari…" The Goddess cautioned. "Is it the tree?" He asked the goddess, never looking away from Hikari. "Yes." The Harvest Goddess said simply. The King nodded. "Follow me." The Harvest King reached forward and grabbed Hikari's arm in a painful grip. Before she could make a move to pull away she felt herself being torn. It was as if the world around her vanished into smoke and she was being spun through it. Then it was over. Hikari felt the world around her solidify once more. She looked around her; they were in the spring, in front of the dying tree. Hikari remembered his grip on her arm and she yanked it free just as he released her. They glared at each other for a moment, both infuriated.
She was a strange human. No one had ever spoken to him in such a way with so much venom. Her very body seemed to shake with her anger, which the Harvest King found amusing. The King was still angry, more than willing to kill her yet. But he'd seen his sister's failing light, and although he despised humans, he loved his sister. To add insult to injury this human knew it and used it against him as a weapon. The Harvest Goddess appeared slowly. Her sprites were gathered around her. She was transparent, barely able to maintain a physical body in this world. He examined the tree absently. "It's worse than I thought." He raised his arm and gathered his energy.
Hikari stood back as she felt the ground beneath her tremble. The King's aura blazed into a raging inferno, as red as a flame. It flowed over his arm and out of his outstretched hand. The energy engulfed the decayed husk called a tree. It seemed to be consumed with flames that danced and sparked. Slowly Hikari saw the dull brown turn into a vibrant hue. Leaves burst forth along its branches. With one more dramatic flash it was all over. The Goddess was hunched over on the ground, as if dead. Hikari moved to help her but the Harvest King grabbed her. He turned his back to the Goddess and captured Hikari in his arms. She pushed at him, trying to get free. Another wave of energy pulsed through the clearing, green in color. It slammed against them, shaking Hikari's very bones.
He released her then, and Hikari stepped around him to see the Goddess. This was what Hikari had always wanted to see. The goddess as her true self, how she was meant to be. Green tendrils of energy pulsed from her, an aura somewhat like the Harvest Kings. Her skin had lost the sickly shade of before, and her eyes were like emeralds in a clear pool. "Hikari…" The Goddess said, a smile of absolute joy graced her beautiful face. Hikari ran to her along with Finn. The Goddess embraced Hikari in a tight hug. "Thank you." She shook her head, wiping away tears that threatened to spill over. "I am just happy you are better now." Hikari pulled away and walked towards the Harvest King. He stood looking down at her, his arms crossed. She matched his pose, looking at him and silently debating in her mind.
"What?" The Harvest King said. The human was looking at him funny, sending an uneasy feeling down his spine. He didn't know humans ways very well but this one was just… weird. Her brown eyes softened, changing into a rich chocolate color. "Thank you Harvest King. You came when we… when I needed you. So thank you." The Harvest King stepped back from her sudden change in attitude. This human was like nothing he'd ever known. For the longest time all he wanted was at least one human to need him. She'd done more, she was grateful for his being here. He felt a despised joy from his deeply buried heart, a lifting of a deep burden. But then that familiar pain followed after, a dull throb reminding him of the betrayal he could never forget.
"Remember, restoring the Goddess Tree does not bring true peace. Nurture this tree so that its power grows, so that it may be shared with other lands." The human nodded, never loosing that soft glow in her eyes or the warmth in her smile. "Thank you." She said again, the words cutting deep. The sprites were suddenly upon her, dancing around her and jumping in the air. She turned to greet them. The Harvest King had to get away from this human, this creature who stirred him so easily. He departed, vanishing from the dwelling of the Harvest Goddess.
Hikari looked over her shoulder to see empty space. She looked around, but he was gone. "Thank you Hikari, thanks to you the life of the land has been restored, and so has my power." Hikari smiled and held the crying Edge in her arms. "Where is the Harvest King?" The Goddess frowned a bit. "Why do you ask?" Edge sniffled a bit and Hikari patted his head. "Because I want to know." The Goddess, reluctantly, gestured toward the mountain. "He is at the very top. It is his dwelling, kind of how the spring is mine." The Goddess said. "Only his is damn nigh impossible to reach." Hikari muttered. The mountain top huh? I wonder if I can make that climb again… Hikari thought.