FOREVER DESTINY : Ancient Era Arc 1
Before the Beginning
Episode 13:
"Dreams of Glory"
Story Focus: T'myra
By Nekochan
Author's Note
Looks like T'myra's got herself into a bit of a rough spot, ne? Time to cheer on her companions, because they're the only ones who can help her now!
Arigatou Minasan! (Thanks everyone!)
Nekochan
(-)(-)(-)
2:00 AM Monday- Outskirts of Hell, G'gonstrm May 9th- 981 D.A.
"Must we really enter such a terrible place?" Acuashy pleaded. It was only her second time staring up at the mountains on the northern tip of G'gonstrm, but they still drove fear deep into her heart.
"Yes, I'm afraid we must," Shedosh answered. "T'myra's Artifact was clearly marked as being somewhere in this vicinity on The Map. In addition, we were planning on coming back here anyway. It would be the most logical place for her to go if she were in search of her Artifact all by herself."
"The 'darkest prison' is Hell."
The others turned their heads quickly to see Kokuen-oh staring intently ahead, but he kept speaking.
"Good being pressured by Evil is probably an internal struggle for T'myra, since she's a Half-Breed with a determination for revenge. However, she must choose her 'true self' over her sorrow." He blinked a couple of times and then said, "Okay, that was weird."
While everyone else continued to stare at him with mouths agape, Shedosh managed to speak. "Kokuen-oh . . . you just deciphered T'myra's part of The Prophecy!"
Kokuen-oh looked shocked and then a little embarrassed. "I know what I said . . . How did I do that?"
"It's probably just something you can do now that you have The Prophecy, just like before when you said her two verses without even having to try and remember them. I only wish T'myra had been around to hear it . . ." Shedosh sighed.
"I think it's time to go get her!" Hariel said with determination, "With or without her Artifact!"
"Then what are we waiting for?" Najyana called. "Come on, Friend Acua; we can at least handle the darkness - Bright Shadows-style!"
Aside from the three Book-hands, those present resumed their looks of confusion.
Acuashy explained, "Friend Najyana is referring to a technique than she and I have developed. While I cast a Light spell, she forces the shadows created by the spell away so that we are unencumbered when looking from the light into the darkness."
Sashyrary piped up, again seeming to address only Kokuen-oh, "Even I get confused when she explains it; I just know it works."
Najyana shook her head then took up the conversation, "Normally, when you cast a Light spell in a dark area, you can see out for a ways, but then you can't see hardly anything because our eyes can't see from light into darkness like that. In addition, the spell creates lots of shadows in its area of effect. What my abilities allow me to do is lessen the effect of the shadows in the Light spell's area and to 'push' - if you will - the shadows outside its area further away so that we can see even better."
"That's incredible!" Shedosh gasped. "I would have never thought such a thing could be accomplished!"
Saberstryke shrugged. "It doesn't really matter to me. I can see in the darkness, even if I have trouble distinguishing colors that way. What about you, Rafakoh? Kokuen-oh?"
Rafakoh answered, "I can see a short distance in the dark, but I'll be better off if they have that light source. I should be fine, then."
Kokuen-oh nodded. "I seem to have lost my ability to see in the dark except when I Rage. Otherwise, I need light to see just like the girls and Shedosh."
"I don't care how you do it or why it works, let's just get in there!" Hariel shouted.
"Okay, okay! Sorry!" Najyana retaliated, stomping off towards the nearest cave entrance.
"Wait!" Hariel caught her left arm as it swung back. "Najyana, I'm sorry. I'm just so worried . . . and we're all a mess being up at this hour . . . Can you forgive me?"
Najyana smiled at him and knelt in front of him. "I understand, Hariel, and I accept your apology. You have a right to be concerned about T'myra with an urgency greater than all of ours put together. We should all try harder to keep our heads together." She then stood up and looked at Acuashy. "Now how about that Light spell, Friend Acua?"
"Gladly, Friend Najyana." Acuashy then made a few quick gestures, and suddenly her right palm was illuminated by a bright light. "We should move quickly, though. While I am able to sustain the spell for a long duration, that duration is not without limit."
"Agreed. Let's go!" Shedosh insisted and the eight began to walk into the caverns.
Soon, Najyana requested that they stop so that she could perform her ability. With a few elegant arm gestures, everyone aside from Saberstryke was instantly aware of an impressive distinction. Najyana then told them they could continue.
"But . . . we never really thought about how we're going to find Tamer," Kokuen-oh pointed out.
"I can find her," Hariel said quickly. "She used this spell before . . . and Acuashy had said she thought I might be able to still cast spells. The thing is, I feel like I already cast the spell."
Without another word, despite the amazed looks on his friends' faces, he raised his right hand up in front of him. At first, it glowed a faint red aura. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his memories of T'myra, especially the feelings he'd experienced when they'd kissed. His hand started glowing a bright teal color and his eyes shot open.
"She's not too far ahead . . . but . . ." Hariel trailed off, lowering his hand.
Kokuen-oh ran up beside him. "What, Hariel? What is it?"
"I don't think she's on the same level of ground as us . . . I think she's on a lower level . . ." Hariel whispered, looking to Kokuen-oh for some kind of comforting words.
Kokuen-oh gasped, "Then I was right . . ." He turned to the other six with a look of pure concern that made Sashyrary jealous. "T'myra's in Hell!"
"I thought we were in Hell?" Najyana questioned.
Saberstryke shook his head and began speaking with the air of a scholar. "We're in the caverns under the mountain range that supposedly rose up by the will of High Deku K'kmaj himself to hide Hell. We're actually standing on top of Hell- or what is considered to be Hell, anyway. This network of caves eventually will take you to the other side of G'gonstrm. However, if you delve below ground level, you are in what is thought of to be the true Hell, where the Gizmutan have been sealed."
"But that's only the legend, isn't it?" R'rafko demanded. However, she found no look in the Lord's eyes that told her he thought differently.
"We're living a Prophecy, R'rafko. I consider anything to be possible at this point," Saberstryke insisted.
Sashyrary started panicking. "We can't fight Gizmutan!" she squealed, "No matter what any Prophecy says, if we have to fight Gizmutan then we're in for one painful battle! I don't care how powerful you claim your Artifacts to be!"
"It doesn't matter who we have to face," Hariel said loudly. He turned to face them, determination written all over his face. "No matter what happens, we're here for a purpose and we have the power to make a difference. Yes, I would thank the Dekutan if we all made it through this unscathed. I could die happy if T'myra made it out of this alive and without her thirst for vengeance, but that just might not happen. We're not in a fairy-tale story; this is real - we have to face it that way."
His speech stunned everyone, but Shedosh was the first to recover. "Well said, Hariel. With T'myra's Artifact so close at hand, we have to be extremely cautious; our next few moves could be the determining factors in who wins this battle."
Kokuen-oh nodded in agreement. "We have to find her as soon as possible and get out of this place. We're just asking to get ambushed in here."
(-)
2:30 AM Monday- Hell, G'gonstrm May 9th- 981 D.A.
Tamer didn't know how long she had been out, but her first conscious realization was nothing about her own body; it was about the amount of power surrounding her and that scared her a little bit. At first she thought it might be her friends, because it was obvious that the power was coming from numerous beings - a small group, perhaps, but nothing close to an entire settlement. Then she noticed that the auras were all fairly malicious in nature, or at least extremely wary of her; could it be Badamon and his minions?
Once she began to ponder these things, she caught a couple of sounds from her immediate area: high-pitched giggling, low-pitched chuckling, soft-spoken whispering, and loud grunts of disdain.
" 'Oo- What are ya'?" T'myra managed to gasp out, still not entirely aware of her body. She couldn't tell if she was sitting or standing or where any of her body parts were; she only seemed to be able to move her mouth and eyes. However, right now she didn't want to see anything; the last time she did that she'd gone unconscious.
She heard what she thought was G'gonn at first, but then found that she couldn't comprehend any of the words that were said. It sounded like a command, though, and the voice was definitely male. Suddenly, she was aware of another aura surrounding her own body; it was a spell with a signature similar to Shedosh's Speak Language, though it was much more powerful.
"+You may speak with us now, Demon-sister. We understand one another.+" It was the same voice that had given the command.
T'myra dared to open her eyes and found herself sitting on a rock floor, though she couldn't see more than three feet around herself. From the darkness, however, she met the gazes of seven glowing sets of eyes. It appeared that the bright blue eyes were the ones addressing her. To his left were salmon-colored eyes, dim pink ones, and the red-orange pair from before. On the speaker's right were eyes that glowed bright red, murky purple-brown, and a kind of dull blue-green. She could not see the bodies of any of the figures, but could tell from her general sense of their auras that even the one with the grayed teal eyes was twice as large as she - and that one was easily the smallest.
"+What did ya' call me+" T'myra rasped, still trying to find her voice. At least now I can feel m' body . . .
The one with the blue eyes continued to speak, but T'myra knew all of the eyes were still fixed on her and her alone. "+You are our Demon-sister. You can help us.+"
"+An' what makes ya' think I'm gonna' 'elp ya'+" T'myra chuckled dryly and coughed a little. It's so 'ard t' breathe down 'ere . . .
"+Why else would you enter the Domain of the Gizmutan, when you are obviously not a full Gizmata+" The voice asked calmly.
T'myra tried to laugh again, but ended up nearly choking herself. She drew in another concentrated breath before answering, "+The reason I came 'ere shouldn't be any o' your business.+" Could these really be Gizmutan? They 'ave enough powa' . . .
The blue eyes narrowed. "+Everything that occurs in Our Domain is our business-+"
"+R'nast, my Eldest Brother, allow me to handle this for you. Our Great Father would not want such a disturbance caused over such a small matter+" the one with the sunset eyes spoke, turning to look at the one with blue eyes. It also had a masculine-sounding voice, but it was just slightly higher pitched.
"+Very well, K'rant. You speak the truth; this is a matter for you to settle.+" The blue-eyed figure seemed to step back a short distance. Just as we rehearsed . . . good job, K'rant.
That didn't sound good . . . T'myra told herself. What if they really are Gizmutan? What do they want me fo'?
T'myra could hear and feel the one with reddish-orange eyes stepping closer, but she couldn't seem to focus on his form. She had another fit of coughing and had to keep her eyes shut as she hunched over a bit.
Her entire body seemed to be paralyzed again. She could barely breathe and couldn't see a thing except for that same pair of eyes that belonged to the being known as K'rant staring at her from out of nothingness.
'Demon-sister,' the voice belonging to K'rant sounded in T'myra's mind. 'Our Great Father could use someone of your nature to great advantage . . . I understand you wish to destroy this country called G'gonstrm? That will occur. Everything good and evil alike will be wiped clean and all will start anew if Our Great Father has his way. Is that so wrong? Say that you will help Our Great Father.'
It took every ounce of strength T'myra had to even answer him; she could tell her physical body was quaking with the effort. You're . . . one o' the . . . Gizmutan . . . aren't ya? Ya' 'ave . . . powa's ova' . . . the mind- K'rant, wasn't it? I . . . would ratha' die . . . than serve . . . the fuckin' Gizmutan!
'You must have misheard me, Demon-sister,' the voice said calmly, dripping with sarcasm.
T'myra felt as if her entire body had been electrified and began to scream in her mind, but heard no sound issue forth from her mouth. She felt tears spill forth from her eyes, but she couldn't stop them. Cotton- Another wave of pain shot through her and she collapsed to the ground, her world swirling into darkness again. But she heard K'rant's voice once more before she succumbed to the pain.
'You were not given an option.'
Tamer's shallow breathing was the only evidence that she was still alive from her place on the cavern floor.
"+"And what good is she to us like that?"+" R'nast demanded of K'rant in their native tongue, his anger evident in the tone of his voice.
The other five eyes looked on in interest, their owners listening intently.
"+"Relax, dear Eldest Brother. She is merely coming under my control. This will prove extremely useful to Our Great Father if all goes as we have planned,"+" K'rant replied calmly. "+Badamon+"
"+You summoned me, Great Gizmutan K'rant+" Badamon's form appeared from the shadows and he bowed low. "+What is it that you wish me to do+"
"+The Demon-sister is ready to do my bidding, Badamon. Be ready to make the offer when the time is right+" K'rant commanded. "+You must watch her and alert me if she shows any evidence of breaking my hold over her, though I don't see how she could.+"
"+And what about her Artifact+" Badamon inquired, pointing to the necklace that lay a few feet away from T'myra and a good distance away from where K'rant and Badamon were speaking. "+None of your Greatnesses have been able to approach it and I cannot touch it.+"
"+If the Demon-sister is incapable of using it, then it can cause no harm lying on the ground there+" K'rant insisted, his red-orange eyes narrowing sharply.
"+My apologies, Great Gizmutan," Badamon said as he bowed again. "+I will be vigilant, as you requested.+"
"+For your sake, Badamon, you'd better be+" K'rant commanded. With that, Badamon left the Children and T'myra's body was enveloped in darkness.
"+"You're sure that the First Conduit's armor is the key to the Merging Ceremony and thus the one that can remove our Runes, Eldest Brother?"+" N'denz inquired, his salmon eyes indicating his suspicion.
R'nast nodded. "+"It is the only rationale that makes sense now. With the Demon-sister under K'rant's control, we should have no trouble getting the First Conduit to help us willingly - just in case the Dekutan decide to enforce their precious Agreement at the last minute."+"
D'mri scoffed, her dull aquamarine eyes flaring with its aura, "+"Assuming that Badamon guy is telling us the truth, you mean, Eldest Brother R'nast. Somehow, no matter how much I analyze him, I can't seem to get a 100-accurate reading on him. That frustrates me."+"
"+"D'mri, you worry too much!"+" T'vda laughed, "+"No matter what, he's no match for the seven of us!"+"
"+"From the way you all talk, it might be eight before long,"+" a deeper voice than even R'nast's came from the depths of the darkness. Piercing eyes of the deepest blue looked out at the Children and they bowed in response. "+"Come to my Chambers - all of you. Your mother will want to be present to hear what schemes you seven have concocted."+"
"+"Daddy!"+" D'mri launched herself at the waist of the dark blue figure, "+"Does this mean Mommy's okay? I'm not the youngest anymore?"+"
The figure chuckled darkly as he looked down at the small Gizmata, "+"No, my Third Daughter, you are no longer the youngest of My Children."+" He lifted his head to look at the other six, "+"It is time that all of you met G'kret, my Fifth Son."+"
The seven Children nodded to their father and disappeared into the dark depths, leaving the Artifact of the Second Conduit behind them.
(-)
T'myra tossed and turned, her whole world blurry. She didn't know who she was running from, but they were out to get her and she couldn't let that happen.
"(T'myra? 'Oney, wake up . . .)" a female voice pleaded.
"(Come on, T'myra, lemme see m' lil girl's pretty eyes,)" a deep male voice urged.
It seemed like her eyes were extremely heavy. She tried to open them, but just couldn't. The voices were so familiar . . . but, she hadn't heard them in a long time. "(Is it really . . .)" she whispered, as if dreading the answer.
"(That's right, T'myra. We're right 'ere,)" the female voice replied gently.
T'myra furrowed her brow, trying desperately to open her eyes.
"(All right, Tayma; I'll 'elp ya' sit up, 'ow about that?)" the male voice chuckled slightly.
T'myra felt someone put a strong hand behind her back and force her to sit up while someone with delicate fingers held the back of her head. Tayma . . . Someone else calls me 'Tamer' . . . all the time . . .
Slightly confused emerald eyes looked out on a blurry world, trying to get a grasp of her situation. On her left was a dark, staue-esque figure with wings and on her right was a slimmer figure that looked entirely made up of the green spectrum. As her vision cleared, she realized that the figures were smiling at her. It was her parents.
Lord S'soz H'htonre was wearing pale green pants with a sash, both of which shimmered in the moonlight. His black hair fell over his shoulders and down his back while his deep brown eyes showed the gentleness he always had when dealing with his daughter. Lady Vynefycua Orysy-H'htonre had on an ankle-length robe of the same material and color with sleeves that extended to her wrists and a sash around her waist, though it was thinner and tied off in a small bow. Her green hair fell down her back, but small strips fell over her shoulders as she bent down to speak to her daughter; they shared the same, vibrant, emerald-green eyes.
T'myra looked around her room - everything was just as she expected it to be. Her four-poster bed had its headboard to the wall opposite the large oak door into her room and the navy blue, semitransparent sheets hung down all around her from the posts of her bed - they sparkled like they held the stars of the night sky. On her bed were the layers of silken sheets in the green spectrum with the darkest on top and her family's symbol embroidered on it - it was the same one from her favorite outfit. Rugs of ornate design were spread all around the wooden floor of her room and a single bear's skin lay in front of her crackling fireplace off to the left from where she sat in her bed. Above the fireplace was a life-size painting of the happy H'htonre family from when T'myra was fifteen. The four walls were made of pale gray stone, but they were decorated with artwork from her parents' personal collection that she had come to love. On the right side of her room was a large wardrobe and changing area with three large mirrors. Just inside the door, on the right side, hung her faithful whip over a desk with various scrolls and potion-bottles used in her magical studies, though it also had a fixture next to the whip where three candles could be put to provide light. It was the wall to T'myra's right that had the large window she had spent so many nights looking out of - she had a perfect view of Mysecuamaja and the moon from that window.
Her mother suddenly brought T'myra away from reexamining her room.
"(We're sorry, 'oney. We didn't know ya' were that upset-)" Vynefycua spoke softly.
"(Upset? About what?)" T'myra asked, still a little frightened; it didn't feel right here. Her parents . . . they shouldn't have been there . . . though she had no idea why; she was in their castle - their family's castle - why shouldn't they have been there?
S'soz chuckled - T'myra got her hearty laugh from him, "(Don't ya' rememba', Tayma? Ya' jus' came from our room not an 'oua' ago cryin' abou' 'ow Ch'tsu-)"
"(-said the Demidons were gonna' kill the 'Alf-Breeds . . . an' their families . . .)" T'myra finished, still bewildered by his nickname for her. He had come up with it - she knew that - but she no longer associated it with him . . .
"(That's right. Did ya' 'ave a nightmare, 'oney? S'soz, da'lin', ya' shouldn'ta' told 'er that story . . .)" Vynefycua sighed.
T'myra's eyes went wide. "(Story . . . The Legend o' the Gizmutan!)"
S'soz frowned. "(I'm sorry fo' frightenin' ya', Tayma . . . I really thought it woulda' set yo' mind at ease . . .)"
T'myra looked down at her hands, gripping her sheets tightly. "(The Gizmutan . . .)" she whispered. Had she been running from the Gizmutan in her dream?
"(Come 'ere, T'myra,)" Vynefycua said gently as she scooted over to T'myra's side and embraced her. "(Can ya' go back t' sleep now, 'oney?)"
S'soz moved over and hugged both his wife and daughter, wrapping them both in his wings for a big hug.
T'myra looked up into the kind faces of her parents. It had all been one big nightmare. She smiled and leaned against her parents. "(Indeed, Mom . . . Dad . . . I could sleep fo'eva' like this . . .)"
(-)
2:40 AM Monday- Hell, G'gonstrm May 9th- 981 D.A.
Hariel stopped walking and Shedosh, who was right behind him, nearly walked into him. "What's wrong, Hariel?" he asked.
"I- I-" he stuttered. Now, all eyes were on him. He pulled out the power-orb that summoned his armor and looked at it pitifully. Tears began to flow from his eyes as he spoke, "I can feel . . . so much pain . . . and anguish . . . It's T'myra . . . I just know it!"
An instant later, as Shedosh, Saberstryke, and Kokuen-oh gripped their own Artifacts, they too felt a short wave of pain.
"Something's happening to her-" Hariel whimpered, then cried, "We have to DO something!"
"But what? We don't even know where exactly she is!" Rafakoh insisted.
Hariel fell to his knees. "She's below us somewhere getting tortured! I can't let that go on!" He yelled. In actuality, he knew that his first comment might not be true anymore . . . the terror and pain that he had felt a moment ago was gone now, but he dreaded the thought of what that could mean. WHY? Why did you have to leave me, Tamer? I can't protect you if you're not with me . . .
"This is more of T'myra's part of The Prophecy- She must be being 'pressured by Evil' as we speak!" Kokuen-oh burst out, "She has to stand against it!"
"That doesn't mean we can't help her!" Hariel protested, pounding a fist on the ground.
The three Book-hands weren't sure what to say. Najyana had just been making her standard lookout sweep when she caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye. It was moving very fast, but she was almost positive . . .
She spoke softly, but loud enough so that everyone could hear, "Everyone . . . I think we have problems of our own . . ." It then occurred to her that they were in an immensely large opening compared to the narrow passages they'd been walking through this whole time. They must have just entered this area when Hariel had started panicking; it had six other possible passageways and a rather high ceiling. Maybe we're right underneath of the mountain-tops now? "We're not the only ones here . . ."
Just as she said this, Rafakoh and Saberstryke ran in front of the three girls. Kokuen-oh and Shedosh covered the rear as Hariel tried to stand up, brushing away his tears.
"Look at that!" Rafakoh gasped as everyone's attention turned to a few feet ahead of Saberstryke and Rafakoh.
A swirling mass of - it seemed to them - pure darkness appeared in-between two of the exits out of the large cavern they were in. It burned like a torch for a few moments and then gradually widened, growing shorter in height as it did so.
Hariel's eyes went wide as the black fire dimmed. Lying on the ground, her back towards them, was T'myra - at least unconscious and perhaps worse.
"T'MYRA!" He ran past Saberstryke and Rafakoh, barely acknowledging their cries of protest.
"Hariel, wait!"
"It could be a trap!"
Hariel knelt beside T'myra and turned her onto her back, cupping her warm face with hands. She looked like she was sleeping.
Thank Kohmah, she's not- I thought for sure- Hariel began to cry a little as he spoke to her, "T'myra . . . T'myra, please wake up . . . Come on, T'myra . . ."
Much to Hariel's surprise, T'myra furrowed her brow and moaned a little - it seemed like she could only move her head. "(Is it really . . .)"
"Wha-" Hariel gasped, but his thoughts were voiced by another.
"Why is she using Mycuajan?" Shedosh wondered. The Conduits and Captains had come up behind Hariel, though Rafakoh and Saberstryke were still actively looking around, expecting to be ambushed. They also felt it was better than standing around listening to T'myra when they couldn't understand what she was saying.
Hariel tried to ignore it and just concentrate on waking her up. "(I'm right here, Tamer. I'll help you sit up . . . Please . . . open your eyes!)" he said as he lifted her head and back up with his left arm, still holding her face with his right hand.
She only moaned again, her head rolling off to the left. She muttered something else that Hariel didn't catch and noticed her body temperature begin to drop.
"Shedosh, what is happening to Tamer?" Hariel demanded frantically, tears in his eyes.
Acuashy pushed past Shedosh and knelt on T'myra's other side just as they heard T'myra speak softly, "(-an' their families . . .)"
The golden-haired Angel placed her hand on T'myra's forehead, then closed her eyes in concentration.
T'myra said, barely above a whisper, "(The Legend o' the Gizmutan . . .)"
Not a second later, Acuashy recoiled in pain. A surge of dark purple lightning had engulfed her palm and caused her to scuttle back along the ground into Shedosh's arms, who'd bent down to see what the problem was. Acuashy hissed through the pain, "It is some kind of mental control . . . that was all I could determine before the pain came to me."
Hariel looked down at T'myra. What can I do? WHAT CAN I DO? Then, he felt her body tense and he noticed her hands coiling into tight fists.
"(The Gizmutan . . .)"
"Did she just say what I think she said?" Saberstryke wondered loudly, "Do you think she could mean the Gizmutan? They're alive and they're the ones who put this spell on her?"
"I pray not-" Shedosh began.
"Sssh! She's saying something else!" Hariel cried, then turned back to T'myra, holding her close to him. "(Tamer-)"
T'myra turned into Hariel's embrace and nuzzled his chest, sighing contentedly, "(Indeed, Mom . . . Dad . . . I could sleep fo'eva' like this . . .)"
"Hariel," Acuashy demanded sharply, "T'myra's parents - they're both dead, aren't they?"
Shedosh looked down at Acuashy, extremely concerned. She didn't speak in a formal manner . . . Why would she stop caring about her speech? Unless . . . she's more worried about something else
Hariel nodded mutely, not understanding what she could mean by that question.
Acuashy spun around to face Shedosh. "She's trapped in her dreams! It's a very powerful form of mind-control! She could be anyone's puppet like this - anyone with enough power over the mind to manipulate her body!"
Suddenly, they heard T'myra gasp loudly and Hariel saw her eyes open wide, but he could tell something was wrong. The teal aura that he sometimes saw in her eyes was there, but her eyes were very dim, like she couldn't focus her vision.
T'myra gripped Hariel tightly and spoke as if someone was choking her, "R- Run!"
"Ta-" Hariel began, but simultaneously saw the aura in T'myra's eyes change to dark blue and then felt himself being thrown backwards by some invisible force. He collided with Saberstryke, who managed to keep his balance, but it seriously hurt Hariel's back to hit the Lord's armor.
Acuashy and Shedosh slowly backed away from T'myra as she struggled to get to her feet.
" 'Good is pressured by Evil, standing strong with all its might; the darkest prison shall shed the light'," Kokuen-oh recited, " 'Second; seek the true self, though the soul may seem dark; if sorrow engulfs you, you'll miss your mark.' That was T'myra's part of The Prophecy; someone has taken control of her and, if we can't snap her out of it, then we have no hope of completing The Prophecy!"
"We- we can't fight her!" Hariel sputtered from the ground. Oh Kohmah, what is going on? This- this can't be happening! Not Tamer-
"I seek the Chosen of the Dekutan," came a voice from T'myra's lips. It sounded like her voice with an oddly deeper voice resonating in the foreground . . . it didn't speak with T'myra's Accent. "Show me the power granted to the Chosen by their precious gods!"
"The Chosen of the Dekutan? Is that another name for us?" Kokuen-oh demanded of T'myra's controller.
T'myra grinned menacingly. "I shall fight you and see." She slowly brought her arms above her head.
It was then that the Conduits and Captains realized that they had never seen T'myra summon all of her magical power at once - they'd seen her Rage, but this was not a Rage. The aura she was exuding was terrifyingly powerful compared to the relatively complacent T'myra they were used to traveling with - was it possible it was even stronger than her Raged form?
"Now . . ." The dark blue aura in her eyes erupted throughout the room and they heard the new voice roar, "FIGHT ME!"
(-)(-)(-)
Continued in: The Lesser of Two Evils
4/14/2005
Starting with this chapter, the whole rest of the arc is completely new stuff, not that I'm complaining; I'm quite happy with this 'detour' in my original plotline replacing what used to have been summed up in all of 2 long chapters. The only changes this half of the original "Souls of the Light and Dark" received was a further emphasis on Acuashy's panic and a great deal of wordsmithing. Thank-you's go out to MorganRay and TahnGoldenmane for giving me such valuable input and critiques!
I thought the Dreamscape was also a very nice way to reintroduce T'myra's parents as her parents and not as they were first presented in the prologue, but this also gave me a chance to describe her room back in her family's castle. Please tell me you saw the parallel between her dream and what was going on with her physical body? I hope so. Anyway, one last comment; my absolute most favorite quote in this whole chapter was given to K'rant: "You must have misheard me, Demon-sister . . . You were not given an option." I just went, "Ooooh! Points for the Demons!" Not like I'm rooting for them or anything. (grin) Well, it's not they need that much help being evil!
Nekochan