AWAKENING

They breathed heavily at the top of the floating stair case. Another lighted platform had been their destination; the same size and shape of their previous cage. The girls tried to ignore that the staircase they had just taken, disappeared after seconds of them traveling over it, but it obviously ground on their nerves.

"Fuck, seriously?" half whined the spade as she walked to the edge and found another new wall in place. She had just broken through one a minute ago. Did they want to kill her? She heard a small snicker behind her. If anyone was going to get killed it wasn't going to be her, she thought before rolling her eyes.

"Come take a look." Came the nonchalant voice of the other girl from behind her. She took in a deep breath before letting it out in a sigh and turning around.

"What?" she asked tired of hiding her displeasure with her situation. Rio bent over in front of her, leaning against one of three pedestals. Each one held a different item. A staff, a sword, and a shield.

Choose.

The girls looked around in the dark. No one was there so where could it have come from? Did she also hear that or am I going crazier? Thought one or both of the girls.

Choose.

Rio frowned and shook her head and gave the invisible ceiling a look that said fine you win before walking up to the middle pedestal. Above it floated a sword with a golden handle and three black circles for a pummel stone. She stared back to Soku as more words filled her head. Was she sure of her choice? She smiled a crooked grin and walked back to her associate.

"Your turn." She said in a singsong voice, twirling the sword around in her hands. Soku scowled. Seconds ago, she was having a moral dilemma inside her brain. She wanted to take the sword. She had used a rapier before, a broad sword, a long sword, but somehow she couldn't get herself to move towards it. Something was pulling her, just not towards that all familiar sword. It was pulling her to the shield. She took a step and felt the pressure dissipate, the closer she got to it. It was large and red with the same black circles as the design on the front. Her hand wrapped around the cool metal and it felt weightless under her hands.

The power to protect your friends.

She thought back. To her brigade, her brothers, even this girl that stood before her now, twirling around a sword with easy precision. Was she sure she wanted to protect what was slowly becoming important to her again? Yes. Yes she was.

With that, a light shone bright and the room was dark again. The weight was gone from her hands and the sword gone from Rio's. A new stained-glass stair was open to them now. What would await them at the top? The redhead frowned at her now empty hands and jumped onto the first step, releasing the second and third. She turned back to Soku and smiled, holding her hand out to the girl in front of her. Soku hesitated. She didn't know this girl. Somehow though, she felt she needed to have someone with her right now. It didn't matter if this girl was crazy, sarcastic, and all around a stranger. All that mattered was that she had someone to lean on. She took the girl's hand and they ran together up the vast staircase appearing before them. It didn't take them long, running at the speed that they were, to reach the top. Both of them turned to watch as the stairs faded behind them and they sighed as they knew there was no way out now.

A light shone in the middle of the room. It had no origin, just a blade of light cutting through the black. The girls stood on it and their shadows reappeared for the first time in that absent space. They grew longer and taller until they were three times their combined size. They melted together forming a two headed beastly thing, dripping with black and two large heart shaped holes in their chests. A voice in their heads rang out, do not be afraid, and a light flashed again. In their hands they held all new weapons. The spade wielded a giant, silver and ebony hammer whereas the red head held two long, steel daggers in her hands. Both of the separate weapons embellished in their own way.

A giant hand swooped down from above them and jolted the floor. It melted into the stained-glass and a puddle of shadow enveloped a large portion of the ground. Out of it sprouted five or six singular shadows that bobbed and weaved back and forth. They jumped on the girl but when they came in contact with either of the two weapons they hissed and melted in the spot. The giant beast howled, keying them in for the attack. They sprinted up its extended arm and both did damage to a head before being swatted down, into the black. Do not be afraid. They heard the voice again as they began to sink in the darkness. Their weapons blinked out of existence again and the monster melted out of sight. The spade's eyes opened in darkness and even though she could feel the pressure around her, there was nothing. She blinked but nothing was in her line of sight.

Then she heard it. A faint beeping in the corner of the voided space. Something familiar wrapped around her body and pinned her down onto a soft but firm surface. It hadn't occurred to her until now but she couldn't feel her feet or hands. She opened her eyes again and bright florescent light hit her eyes. She inhaled deeply through her now open mouth but found her breathing inhibited by something large and plastic shoved over her mouth. Her eyes darted back and forth around her. There was a man in a white coat to her right, fiddling with some tubing connected to the bed next to her. Lying in the bed was a girl with red hair who wore the same blue patterned gown that she did. She looked so familiar. What was her name?

"Rio?" she tried to ask, but it came out as a cracked whisper. She didn't notice until then but her mouth was so dried out and she still couldn't feel her feet. There was a fast shuffling from her left and the man in a white coat turned quickly. At first he seemed surprised and then relieved. He smiled down at her and then to her left. She followed his gaze to a boy standing at her bed side. Did she know him? No, she didn't know who he was. She didn't know where or who she was for that matter


I feel so conceited for saying something like this but this scene gives me chills to read over again. Wow I'm a horrible person. ANYWAY. Tell me what you think! I'd be glad to hear criticisms along with compliments, or even just suggestions. Thanks for reading!