Finding What's Important
Chapter 6: A Deathly Silence

Wandering about the Ant Tunnel, I searched around for any clues to the person who set that bomb in the tunnel, endangering everyone's lives, including Tori's and Oreo's. Armed with my scythe, and the ability to fly because of my wings, I checked every place there was. Seiji had offered to come, but I strongly said no because of the injuries he sustained. Absent-mindedly, my grip on the scythe's handle tightened.

Thudthudthudthudthudthud…
I perked up, searching for whatever made that sound. I recalled that the sound was someone running across the bumpy floors. I turned my head around, and looked at all sides, but I could not spot the person in the darkness of the tunnel. Something in my head clicked. Taking two of my fingers, I touched them gently to my closed eyes.

"Night Vision," I whispered, not wanting anyone who would happen to be in the tunnel hear me and run for it. I felt a strange sensation at the back of my eyes, and opened them tentatively.

Yes! It worked, I thought triumphantly. I blinked a few times, getting used to my sudden ability to see in the dark. Everything was slightly illuminated, yet a little more than enough to be able to see. I heard a rustle at my right side, and I snapped to attention. I beat my wings and rose into the air, looking down at everything. Another rustle, and another. I was starting to get the feeling there was more than one person.

Fwish
Something whizzed past my head, and embedded itself into the tunnel ceiling. Flying up to it, I pulled it out and examined it.

A Tobi throwing star…? Confusing as it was, I knew what kind of person was here. Although why, I wasn't so sure.

Perhaps the people here are the one who set the bomb? Clenching my scythe, I flew down to investigate.

Fwishfwishfwish
Three more Tobi stars flashed by me, and I avoided them to the best of my ability.

"Come on out," I whispered.

"Come out where I can see you…" I trailed off, readying my scythe, and getting into a battle stance. I caught a flash of sudden movement, to my left.

With lightning-quick reflexes, I twirled my scythe with sudden speed, sending the star flying back with a sharp 'clang' against the stone floor of the cavern.

I saw a humanoid shape dart under me, tossing a star as it passed. I dodged, but a fraction too late. The star sank into my leg, and I hissed in pain. Preparing myself, I bent to my leg and yanked the star out forcefully. I bit my tongue to stop from screaming.

Panting, I tossed the star behind my back, letting it sink into the ground, where later a horned mushroom tried to eat it, choked, and died.

I dived at the figure below me in angry rage, my scythe ready to tear skin. Right before reaching the figure, I hissed at him.

"Boo." And with that single parting response, accompanied with a look of shock, I sliced off his torso from the rest of his body. Warm blood splattered onto my face, whereas I simply wiped it off and licked it off my finger.

Hmm… his blood was sweet… he would have had a better destiny had he not joined with the dark side.

Slightly rejuvenated from the small amount of blood, there was a renewed dangerous glint in my eyes. Slowly, I turned.

Before me was a band of seven assassins with dull, glazed-over eyes, in a battle stance. It fell into place, and I realized it immediately.

Mind control… these people are acting against their own will. Rather powerful control, too… perhaps I will try to break it. But first… a battle, if you will.

I hissed at them, egging them on to battle me as I fell into a position of which I could maneuver well in. I held my scythe in front of me protectively. There was a silence, then…

Whispers. Sudden whispers. Echoing, and echoing in and out of the cavern, mixing up with eachother, turning and twisting.

"Take the girl don't let her escape she will be mine obey me…" The words echoed again and again, and there was a sudden flash in each of the assassin's eyes. But as soon as they started, they stopped. One of the assassins jumped back to a ledge, and I watched each of them spread out to cover all sides of me. I didn't care.

I arranged myself once more, and then the battle began.

The group of assassins rushed at me with blinding speed, but I leapt into the air, beating my wings furiously. They paused and looked up, and then with another flicker, bounded back and flung stars at me with amazing accuracy. It was hard to avoid seven stars coming at you, and three of the stars found their way into my legs and stomach. I coughed up some blood, but wrenched the two stars from each of my legs and my stomach with force. I held in a scream of agony, but threw the stars down onto the floor.

It's time… to begin.

The Shadow Crest began to glow fiercely, a mixture of beautiful fiery red and calming purple swirling about it. The glow spread to the rest of my body, and I felt a surge of power. I held up a hand and conjured an orb of pure shadow. Tossing it like a star, two assassins were blown back into the cavern walls, silently fading into unconsciousness. I grinned maniacally. I saw several sparks of light come from my right and left direction, but I simply deflected them with an effortless spin of my scythe. My eyes turned pitch black, and I dove towards one assassin, sending him flying into the side of the cavern with a swing of my scythe. His eyes closed as blood trickled down his forehead. He was out cold. I turned to the last four assassins, but one of them caught my eye.

That one… he looks familiar somehow. I feel like… like I know him somehow. But I just can't place it. My thoughts were interrupted with an unexpected slash to my arm, and I realized that one of the assassins had drawn a Shinkita, the blade dripping with blood. Eyes glowing, I was lost in remembrance.

That Shinkita looks familiar too… wait… impossible! It has that same marking… the one that -

I didn't get to finish. One of the assassins had me by the neck, pressing me against the wall, drawing a dagger to my throat. This scenario seemed recognizable somehow.

My dream… it's like the same as my dream, the one I had when all of this started. That suit of armor… it's happening again… no. No! Nononono…

I was panicking in my mind. I didn't know what to do. Nothing came to me. Nothing at all. I was completely clueless as to what to do.

But then, suddenly, out of the blue, I abruptly released a huge wave of psychic energy, propelling the assassin away from me, and I watched as he clutched his head in pain, eyes shimmering, as though there was a light in them that was flickering on and off. On and off… on and off…

I watched, tears in my eyes, as he fell to his knees. And then, he collapsed on the floor completely.

… did I… did I do that? Is that why he… he stopped from…

Two of the remaining assassins suddenly stopped moving, freezing as though they were broken robots. Then, they simply slumped to the floor, unmoving except for only their breathing. But the last one, the one wielding the Shinkita, was the only one standing.

With horror, I stared at him as he took off the black mask covering up most of his face.

"Mike," I whispered, tears cascading down my cheeks.

The remains of his once bright, lively blue eyes were only an overshadowed, dull shade of dim blue.

Not you too, I thought bitterly, more tears stinging my eyes.

"I guess… it's only you and me…" The empty shell of what had used to be my friend finally spoke. It had a flat, hollow tone to it, unlike the energetic and playful voice it had once contained.

I suppose I was suffering from denial, because I dumbly shook my head again and again. My brain just did not want accept this. I slid down against the wall of the cold tunnel numbly. I didn't hear his footsteps getting closer to me, nor did I feel him press his blade to my throat. He pressed more roughly against my throat, and I experience a slight trickle of blood run down from the small slit he had made.

Blindly, my hand felt around for his empty one, and when I found it, I grasped it tightly as I could. I sensed Mike tense up, but I only whispered to him then.

"Mike… if you're still in there… I want you to know you are my friend. And a true friend would not go through with this. But… if ever you do… I will not stop you. Kill me, take me away. I won't stop you. You still have my trust. And I know you can break this… this mind control. Because you are stronger than this. If you are truly are my friend… act like it." I said simply. And then I just waited to see what he would do.

Inside of the sauna, Seiji sat on a bed, constantly refusing assistance with his wounds.

"I can heal most of it myself," he tried to convince a lady, who looked at him skeptically, but then left his room without a word. Seiji laid back down on the bed hesitantly.

Seiji sighed. He had been notified Sora was back into the Ant Tunnel, searching for whoever started the bomb. He was left with absolutely no idea how she had recovered so fast, while he was still in bed tending to injuries.

"Hmm…" Seiji muttered to himself. He recalled there was something about healing in his Illumancy book. Leaning over the edge of the bed, he rummaged around in his pack until he found the Illumancy book. Opening it up, he searched for the entry, "Healing Yourself and Others". If he remembered correctly, Master Grendal had mentioned something about being able to heal any abrasions unless they caused death after the first hit. However, it was a good thing the detonation hadn't. Seiji found a page entitled, "Healer's Bless". Reading the description and the incantation in his head, he began to chant the magically endowed words under his breath.

"I call upon the foundations of healing to take care of my wounds, to heal every injury upon my body," he chanted slowly and clearly.

Seiji felt a warm sensation completely surround his body, and felt each one of his injuries stitch themselves back together, leaving no scars or marks whatsoever. The warmth sank into him, and he felt reinvigorated. Hopping off his bed, he walked out the sauna door whistling a happy tune, while the lady previously mentioned before stared at him in wonder.

I waited, my eyes closed tightly, waiting for him to kill me, or whatever. But the pain never came. I cracked open my eyes hesitantly, and was surprised to see Mike collapsed on the floor, and clutching his head tightly, as though he was being tortured.

"He is." My eyes widened, as I distinguished the voice as Lady Arianna.

"You know what you must do to save your friend. You already know he is being controlled by a powerful adversary. But you too are powerful, and I believe that you can free him."

I nodded in determination, gritting my teeth, as I slowly crawled up to Mike, while he was shaking slightly. Beads of cold sweat ran down his face, and I recognized that as trying to fight against the person holding his mind. Abruptly, he turned over onto his back, eyes clouded over, but unmoving. If I were to save him, I would have to act fast. But what would I do? Lady Arianna's voice whispered in my head.

"Use your spells, my child. If you use the spell correctly, you will be able to expel him from the mind control."

It came to me then. Placing one of my fingers against his pale forehead, I whispered two words.

"Darkness Dispel."

It was prompt. Waves of energy ran down the length of my arm, and flowed into Mike, allowing him more power to fight the control of the evil entity. I heard him grunt in pain, but also felt myself weakening from draining away my energy. Rolls of fatigue washed over me, threatening to send me into unconsciousness.

If I am able to hold this long enough, Mike will be free.

That single thought was enough to keep me awake, just long enough to…

"Sora!"

I awoke inside the sauna once more, blinking my eyes repeatedly to get used to the sudden light. I felt considerably more comfortable, and looked down to see I was wearing a simple, black gown.

Sitting up, and rubbing my eyes, I looked about. No one else was around.

A wave of pain shot through my heart suddenly, and I cried out, holding the place where my heart was.

I feel as though I just lost something… someone important to me…

Realization flashed through me.

… Mike…

Tears spilled from my eyes, cascading down my cheeks, leaving only a glistening trail of what once was there.

I couldn't save him. He is still under the control, isn't he… and it's my fault that I couldn't help him.

Seiji entered the room. I looked down, trying to conceal the trails of tears. But he saw them, and sat near the bed I was resting on.

"What… what happened?" I mumbled, attempting to not let my voice break. It failed miserably.

"I found you in the Ant Tunnel, collapsed on the floor."

"W… was there anyone else with me?"

"Well… no. I didn't see anyone else with you." Seiji's words verified it. I had let Mike down, and there wasn't anything I could do.

I choked out a sob, though not wanting Seiji to see me now in my moment of weakness.

Mike… I'm sorry…

And then… I felt the one thing holding me together suddenly… snap.

Rage coursed through my veins, and I felt a fearsome growl erupt from my throat. I began to glow. Angry red and furious purple swirled around me heatedly, threatening to explode with fury. I closed my eyes, and whispered a word.

"Clairvoyance."

In my mind's eye, I saw an image of Mike begin to form.

He's unconscious… but what is that? That shadow… could it be…?

"Yes, my child. It is… Demtatrin Rizhet. He is the one behind all of this. And he wants you, my child…" Lady Arianna's soft voice trickled through my mind. Anger pumped through me once more at the mention of his name, but a chill ran down my spine.

"Although… you may not remember him… he was the one… who killed me, long, long ago." My eyes flickered. Killed… Lady Arianna? Impossible. Lady Arianna couldn't have…

"It is true. He killed me; what's more he's going after you and your friends now. It seems as though he has taken one, though." Mike. Of course. Demtatrin was trying to get to me by using my friends.

That… that bastard…

I watched on in my vision. Demtatrin's red eyes glowed threateningly, as though he could see me.

"Oh, but I can, dear Sora." I felt myself growing cold, and soon, everything around me faded to black. I sat heavily on the floor on my bottom, as though something pushed me down.

Appearing before me… was Demtatrin Rizhet himself. I froze. Seeing this, Demtatrin simply chuckled. But there was no humor in it.

"My dear Sora… you look so cold… what's the matter with you?" he said softly, voice tinged with hatred and sorrow. He kneeled down and enveloped me in his even colder arms.

W-what's going on?! My panic meter was out of control. I sensed something bad going to happen, but I was rendered completely immobile, like a statue. I tried to struggle out of his grip, but again, I could not move. I felt his cold hand brush against the back of my neck, and then I felt utterly numb.

What… what's he… doing…? I thought weakly. It felt like he was sapping away all of my energy, leaving me powerless. I slumped over, as if I were a wet rope. His arms gripped me tighter, and he whispered into my ear.

"You don't know how much I love you, dear Sora." Ice cold chills rippled down my spine.

"And yet," he continued, "I must kill you." Then, everything seemed to happen in slow motion.

I let out a weak gasp as he drew a knife, and then cut multiple incisions into the section between my shoulder blades, slicing through the weak fabric of my clothes and into the skin rather easily. Blood dripped down slightly, and soaked into the material of the gown, running into more places to make these sudden trails of liquid longer.

"But don't worry. I save the best… for last." Demtatrin dropped me onto the floor and stood, watching me bleed. He began to whisper and chant ancient words under his breath. There was a sudden agonizing, burning pain in the cuts in my back, and I could not help but scream.

Demtatrin chuckled once more.

"Now… I can visit you in your dreams… and I'll make them nightmares…" And with that, he disappeared, leaving only an echo of icy laughter behind, while I lay on the floor, numb.

This can't be… happening…

And then…

There was silence within my mind once more.

Yes, people, chapter 6 is over! So dramatic, isn't it o.O;;