WHOO! I think this is by far the longest chapter of this story yet! It took me 3 days to write!!
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Kana stepped through the darkness, struggling to keep her mind together. She had to act quickly before the Darkness consumed her entire body. She could feel Giygas and his influence already invader her mind and her heart.
"Lucas … It's not too late, I know that … You're in here, and I'm going to get you out …" Kana said to herself.
It was so dark that she could barely see her hand in front of her face. She chanted some words and summoned a fire ball in her hands, but even that wouldn't light the darkness. She at least could see herself now. Kana stepped forwards a bit, trying to focus on Lucas's presence, hoping to find him within this twisted form.
There! Among the twisted limbs of Darkness, Kana finally spotted Lucas, glowing dimly with what little power he had left, held up by ropes seemingly made out of darkness. Kana ran to him, hoping against all hope that he was still alive. When she approached, she scanned the child. He was unconscious, but somehow, he was protecting himself from behind consumed by the darkness even further.
She smiled. It was his mother protecting him.
"You are so lucky to have a mother who loves you dearly; she would put her own soul on the line for you." She let loose an ice attack on the limb that were holding Lucas up, and caught the boy as he fell.
Lucas twitched, and his eyes fluttered opened. He looked up at the woman who was holding him and smiling pleasantly down on him.
Lucas wanted to say something, but he felt weak and exhausted. All he could muster was a simple "Hi."
"We have to hurry and get out of here …" Kana said, holding Lucas up, "We may still be standing, but if we stay in here long enough, we will be consumed without hope of ever returning.
Lucas moaned and nodded. He was still groggy, but Kana could forgive that. All they needed to concentrate on now was getting out of here.
Kana felt a force knock the wind out of her lungs, sending her flying backward. Lucas let out a cry, distressed that he lost another protector. He turned around but saw no one. How could he fight against someone who had no form?
Kana managed to get up, but the pain she felt in her ribs disrupted her from her thoughts. She couldn't let out a chant that summoned her ice powers or light the darkness. All she could do was look as Lucas struggled with the darkness around him.
Lucas gave out another cry as the Monster proceeded to make nightmarish figures of his own brother's face, scaring him and distracting him from defending himself. He closed his eyes tightly. He did not want to see his brother like that, not again …
Lucas felt his neck being grasped tightly, forcing him to open his eyes. He tried to gasp; in front of Lucas was the form of the masked man, alive and well, his blaster glowing, ready to strike.
Lucas gave out a tiny whimper.
"Lucas!" Kana yelled out, clutching at her ribs, "This beast is trying to trick you! The image you see before you, he is not real!"
Lucas knew that all too well, it just felt too real. The poor child kept remembering all the horrible memories that had to do with the masked man, how he turned out to be his brother all along.
Lucas struggled, running out of air. His vision became blurry as the masked man gripped tighter, blocking his airway.
This was it. He was going to die. Even with Kana trying her best to loosen the man's grip, he was going to die …
Let Lucas be safe …
Lucas turned his head to the side, thinking he had heard something.
Please … let him be safe …
He thought he heard it – no, he KNEW he heard it again, he was sure of it.
If there is anything I can do …
The image of the masked man seemed to be distracted by this call, and loosened his grip on Lucas's neck.
Lucas coughed, hacked, and coughed again. He breathed deeply, letting the air fill his lungs. Kana ran to his side and touched his shoulders, helping any way she could.
"Lucas … something is happening. I'm not sure what, but …" Kana said, her voice trailing off.
"It's Kumatora." Lucas said, his gaze fixed on the wondering Masked Man. "I can hear her … It sounds like she's …"
Please, for the sake of Flint, Let Lucas and Kana get out of there alive.
"Duster?" Lucas asked, blinking.
"What is it?" Kana asked, oblivious to the sounds that Lucas was hearing.
All I want is to get Lucas and Claus and get home … So we can finally start our lives on this new world … All I want is to go home and … maybe even hang out with Kumatora … I'd like that …
Lucas Looked around, seeing no one other than Kana and the wondering masked man. He knew he heard the voices as plain as day, and he knew the masked man could hear them do. Just what were they doing?
Kana grabbed Lucas and ran to the side as the masked man landed on the ground hard with his sword, creating a crater in the floor. Lucas let out a small yelp, but Kana had let go of him, then lifted up her hands to create a psychic shield. She then proceeded to create a single column of fire which she held in her hand like a sword. Lucas gasped; Kana was actually thinking of fighting this thing?!
"Lucas, Your brother's heart was used to hold the seed of evil. If you wish to defeat the evil, then go to its heart and destroy it."
Lucas wasn't sure what to do, but his feet told him to get up and start moving. Lucas moved backwards for a few moments, but then stopped when Kana called out to Lucas again.
"Y-your brother …" Kana said, her eyes concentrated on the Masked man, "He held a part of darkness within his heart. If you destroy this monster's heart … then …"
"I-I understand, Kana …" Lucas said, trying to sound brave, "B-but … he was meant to be dead-." Lucas held his heart, trying in vain not to cry.
Lucas … please, come back …
Lucas shook his head as his father's voice rang. No, there will be time for tears later. The more tears he would shed, the more Giygas would corrupt his soul. He had to concentrate on getting to the monster's heart and destroying it.
Lucas's feet moved, moving him forward and towards what he hoped would be the heart. He doesn't know how, but he could feel it beating … he could hear it … the way it sounded … it was almost like his brother Claus.
Lucas's feet stopped moving. In front of him stood the vilest thing he would ever see in his lifetime – Giygas's heart.
It wretched, lumpy, tree that looked like it was made of various parts of human beings. Its outstretched arms and fingers acting as the limbs, the body of the humans acting as the trunk of the tree. Lucas was horrified by this very sight, but he would not let fear hinder his cause. He needed to destroy that tree.
But How?
Lucas paced around the tree. There should be some way he could destroy that tree. He tried letting out a PK Flash against it, but as far as he could tell, it had no effect. He let loose a barrage of his psychic abilities, but again, still no effect. He could practically here Giygas laughing as he made all these futile attempts to destroy Giygas.
Lucas was getting tired. His energy was being drained by the darkness around him, and soon he wouldn't be strong enough to stand up. He fell to his hands and knees, panting. Would this really be it? Would he die here?
Lucas! Please! We believe in you!!
Lucas looked up, hearing Kumatora's voice again.
"Kumatora …"
Flint needs you, Lucas, Kumatora and I need you … please, if there is any way we can help …
"Duster …"
Lucas's body went aglow. Somehow, he just didn't know how, he felt these prayers rest within his heart.
Lucas let out a psychic blast against the tree once more.
The Tree let out a horrible yell on anguish. The earth around it trembled, and the bloody corpses that made up the tree yelled.
'It's these prayers …' Lucas thought, 'Giygas … somehow these prayers are helping me …'
Without hesitation, Lucas used his powers to reach the minds of his friends and family …
---
Duster looked up suddenly. He felt something touch his mind, almost like a silent call for him. He looked at Flint and Kumatora, who also seemed to have their minds touched.
"Did … you guys just hear something just now …?"
Flint nodded and looked at the swirling vortex of darkness wither in front of him. It seemed his son finally found the Monster's weakness.
"Guys … Dad, Boney, Kumatora, Duster, and Kana … If you guys can hear me …"
"We hear you, Lucas! Are you okay?!" Kumatora yelled out, although Lucas was nowhere to be found.
"Guys … I need you to keep praying …"
The requested sounded more than farfetched.
"Excuse me?"
"Your prayers. I don't know why, but they're helping me … keep on praying, it seems Giygas is weak to these feelings."
Duster and Kumatora looked at each other, but then faced the Darkness again.
Flint nodded and bowed his head, thinking intently, pleading to anyone who could hear him …
Give my son strength …
---
Lucas felt the power move through his veins. He felt stronger than ever before, stronger than he ever was in his lifetime. He let the power move from his heart to his hands, letting out another psychic blast at the enemy, who wailed in pain as he did.
The Darkness finally decided to retaliate. The tree sent roots of rotting corpses after Lucas, but he dodged swiftly with ease. He heard the people pray for his safety and for the destruction of this dark one, and used those prayers as power. It seems to be working!
But after a while, Giygas caught on. He sent a root of corpses and stuck him square in the back. Lucas let out a cry as he landed hard on the ground, the tree before him.
"Your friends may make you powerful, but it's but bother to mine" The evil said, "I will have this world yet, and you will soo-!"
Lucas heard the monster being cut off as he struggled to get off. Before his ears, he heard a cacophony of screams and yells of pain. Lucas looked up and gasped at the sight he saw.
He saw his mother before him.
"Y … You … Hinawa …" The evil sounded too winded to speak, "All of my power against yours, and I still can't sway your mind toward the darkness."
Lucas got up and reached out towards his mother, but paused. She gave off a slight blue glow and sparkle, so he assumed it useless to touch her. But at least he could come to her side.
Lucas crept up and looked at his mother, who smiled warmly down at him.
"Mom? Are you …?"
The mother gave no response, but instead, embraced her son. He felt a warm glow envelope him as he heard his mother speak to him …
"I am always with you, my son …" Hinawa spoke in his mind, "Your friends' prayers and my love, you will bring down the seed of evil."
Lucas nodded, somehow understanding. He clutched his heart and rested his feet in the ground. The Holy energy spawned from his mother spread from his body into the ground, reaching the tree. Again, the tree let out horrific cries of pain.
Lucas opened his eyes and smiled, but that smile quickly faded. The Tree was still alive!!
After all he let out, after all the power he used; the tree still hadn't been felled. Lucas was frustrated and tired, and he fell to his knees. No matter how much the prayers were reaching him, he had run out of power; those prayers fell on deaf ears.
"I'm sorry, Dad, Flint, Boney, Kumatora, Kana …" Lucas felt his heart slow a few beats, letting tears out of his eyes, "I'm sorry … Claus …"
Lucas …
Lucas lifted his head. No, it couldn't be, could it?
Lucas, I'm here!
Lucas shook his head. It was! It was Claus!
"Claus?" Lucas said softly, "Where are you?"
'Dummy!' Claus's voice rang out, 'I'm right in front of you!'
Lucas saw nothing but the tree
'I'm part of the tree, Lucas!' Claus said, as if stating the obvious, 'When Giygas took the seed out of my body, he took a part of my soul too. I know it doesn't make sense, but …'
Lucas shook his head, "What are you doing?"
'Lucas, I won't last long, neither in here … nor out there. Either way I'm going to die.'
Lucas felt tears fall out, "W-what do you mean?!"
'Anything that giygas can create, he can also destroy.' Claus said, 'I'm a part of Giygas now. I can destroy him from the inside. But if I do that, I'll also be destroying my soul in the process.'
Lucas couldn't stop the tears coming out. "B-But Claus!"
'Lucas, I'm supposed to be dead.' He said, sounding disappointed, 'It's sad but it's true …'
Claus appeared in front of Lucas, looking as happy as the 10 year old boy he was so many years ago.
'Giygas use me and my body for his evil deeds. But he doesn't expect me to fight against him, eh?'
Lucas cried. Claus sighed and smiled.
'Don't worry about me, Lucas. Mom's with you at least, I can see her right there.' Claus pointed to Lucas. 'You were right, she is alive.'
Lucas gasped as he saw Claus disappear right before his eyes. He let out a wail of despair, but Claus ignored all warnings that Lucas gave out.
'I'm doing this for you, Lucas.' Claus's voice rang out again. 'And for Dad.'
Before Lucas's eyes, the tree was being destroyed. All the corpses on the tree rotted away completely until they were nothing but dust. Around Lucas, the darkness twisted and churned, and then disappeared before him. Lucas's tears fell as if there was no tomorrow. He didn't even get to say goodbye …
A bright light shown and the tree fell, blinding him and all the people he cared about around him.
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*Sighs* well, I gotta go take an exam. See ya Peepes. (The next chapter MAY be the last!)
Don't forget to stay turned for further updates of "Betrothed and Betrayed"!