Chapter Eight: A Vision of Darkness
It was bright, warm autumn day in Mille Seseau and the orange-gold leaves were beginning to fall slowly to the ground as the people of the Crystal City Deningrad rushed about along the cobblestone streets consumed by daily life. Indeed, the sun cast a glitter on the various crystal fixations all along the street. But perhaps more breathing-taking was the gleaming white snow on the on the many peaks of Deningrad's mountainous backdrop. Or so Remona Nightlark thought. Remona, a young girl in her late teens, just shook her head as she glanced around herself. People never stopped to see the beauty around them. It was a shame, because sometimes beauty was a person's only comfort.
Remona, of all people, held that ideal close to her heart. She of all the people on the busy street she walked knew what it felt like to be forsaken and alone. Her mother had fallen ill and died when Remona was only eight and her father, though alive, might as well have been invisible, and was already dead in Remona's eyes. Her father, Henry Nightlark, was the Archbishop of the Church of Soa and the Divine Tree in Deningrad and was never home at all. Even when Remona had gone to the church to see her father, he had merely turned her away with the reason always being that he was too busy. This led to another problem in Remona's life; her father spent all his time at the church and never had any income. Therefore, Remona's grandmother Aggie Cloudseeker, had to work three jobs nearly round the clock to keep the family afloat. Remona herself had wanted to work in her grandmother's stead, but Aggie wouldn't allow it mainly because Remona had been too young at the time. But now, seeing as Remona was significantly older, she did the best she could finding little odd jobs to help out her grandmother.
Remona in fact, had just been returning from one of her common jobs, sharpening, cleaning, and fixing swords for the local blacksmith. That was one job Remona didn't particularly mind doing, she loved swords and she loved to fight with them. Sometimes, even when she was not supposed to, Remona would practice with some of the swords she was given to attend to. She had actually, over the years, gotten quite good. Sword fighting was one of the very few things that brought her even a remote amount of joy anymore.
Walking home, Remona sighed. For all the time that she and her grandmother worked, they only had a house, or part of one so to speak, in Deningrad's 'slums' as it was called. Here, for all the beauty in the city, there were no crystals, they had all been broken away and sold by some of the poorer residents of the area. There was never any snow here, or flowers and greenery, they had all since died from lack of attention.
As Remona passed behind the crystalline streets and entered her own neighborhood, she could hear snickering around the corner of a nearby alleyway. As she walked around that corner, a band of scraggly, deplorable young men, no older than Remona herself stepped in front of her and barred her path. These ruffians, known as the KnightDodger Gang, so named because they always seemed to elude the knight guards, were the most feared criminals in the neighborhood.
"Hey there Remony, where you going?" a tall, muscular, and blonde-headed young man asked as he played with the edge of a dagger he held in his hand. His name was Donavan, and he was the ringleader of this little group.
Remona had experienced many run-ins with the KnightDodgers before now, all of which were mainly just talk. She knew this time wouldn't be any different. Remona stopped walking and stood on the spot calmly.
"Watch it, or you might cut yourself," she mocked, eyeing Donavan's dagger. "What do you want Donavan?" Remona asked icily.
Donavan's assorted, armed cronies laughed behind him. "Nothing you can't give me, Remony," he said in a falsely sweet tone.
"I don't know why you keep stopping me, I never have any money," Remona snapped coldly. This was not entirely true, due to the fact that she did keep some money down her shoes on the rare occasion.
"Oh Remony, you don't get it do you? It's not the money I want, it's the honey. And it's time for you to pay up for us letting you go all those times," the gang leader replied lustfully.
Remona was not intimidated or amused. "And since when did a public street require a toll to pass?" she growled.
"Baby, haven't you even wondered why I let you by? Come on darlin where's my payment?"
Remona actually grinned this time."Not if you were the last man on Endiness, you odorous troll. I've got your payment right here," she spat and dispatched her gloved hand into Donavan's face so quickly he didn't even have time to react. He hit the ground in stunned amazement, and pain. She had dislocated his jaw. "Anyone else?" she asked coldly, looking around.
The assembled gang members looked stupidly at Donavan, whom in turn gazed up at Remona, who began walking through the gang as they parted when she drew near. She kept walking, without even so much as a second glance back.
"Dis, idn't ovar!" Donavan yelled to her in broken syllables.
Remona openly laughed."Well, for now it is! Bye, then!" she called back cheerfully and walked the rest of the way home. She'd been wanting to do that for so long; and here she thought her birthday would be completely rotten.
Remona unlocked the rusty door of the four room apartment that she called home; at least they had the ground floor so her grandmother didn't have to walk up many flights of stairs. Remona walked into her own small bedroom to put her things away, not bothering to announce her presence. She was, like usual, the only one home. The young lady sighed as she caught sight of herself in her small wall mirror. Her grandmother had often commented on why all the young men of the area found her attractive. She took great pride in the fact that her granddaughter was beautiful . . . A fact that she liked to remind Remona of constantly; Remona believed her. She was beautiful, as was evident by the reflection that gazed back out of the mirror at her.
Remona stood at about five feet, seven inches tall and the whole of her body was very lean and had a gentle, but well defined muscle tone. She had an hourglass body shape and a rather sharp featured face, right up to her sapphire blue eyes. She had dark, chestnut colored hair, tied back into two braided buns on the top of her head, each of which sprouted a mid-back length ponytail behind them. Remona's usual outfit consisted of loose, blue pants that were slightly too big for her on the waist, giving them a baggy look. She had a dull yellow sash tied at the back of her waist, that had two trails, almost like a bow. On her upper body she wore a slightly small midnight blue tank top, however it didn't give too much away and on her feet, old, worn black hiking boots. To complete her ensemble, she wore fingerless black leather gloves, as worn, if not more so, than her boots.
"Remona, angel, what are you doing?" came a sweet, aged voice from her doorframe. Remona gave a smile when she turned around to face a frizzy-headed old woman in maroon maid's attire standing there.
"Grandma, what are you doing home so early? I thought you had to work until late?" the teenager exclaimed in surprise and joy.
"Oh sweetie, how could I miss your birthday? My employers are kind, they said I should come home and spend the rest of the day with you. My how you've grown up so fast! Can you believe it, you're nineteen today!"
" Time really does fly. . . So how was your day, grandma?" Remona asked, managing a small grin.
"Well, it was about as usual, except I did get to see your father today . . ." the kind old woman replied.
Remona's smiled faded."Oh? And how is he?" she asked with venom.
Aggie frowned too."Oh Remona, please try to think better of your father. I know he's not around much, but he does care for you.," she said softly.
"Like devildom he does! If he cared anything at all for me, or us, for that matter, he would be here! He would have helped us earn a living and we wouldn't have to live in such a lowly place and work ourselves to death to avoid starvation! Where is my father when you and I need him? Where was he when mom fell ill and died?!? He was always, and still is away! He practically never even knew mom was ill! Where was dad on every one of my birthdays, and yours? Including today! I mean, for God's sake, what kind of a man turns his daughter away when she comes to visit!?! I've tried with every ounce of my heart to love him grandma, I really have . . .but I can't! I can't forgive him! I can't forgive him for forsaking us! I HATE him!" she growled in utter rage, shouting the last part, with her fists clenched at her sides.
Aggie Cloudseeker fell silent."And you don't cry anymore . . . Every year we go through this and every year you cried because you loved him and he let you down. And now you hate him?" she asked quietly.
"I'm done crying! I'm done waiting when I know he'll never come!" she spat in anger.
"Well, maybe if you started to share his interest in the Divine Tree or Soa," the old lady suggested sadly, which didn't help Remona at all.
"No! I have just as much interest in Soa and the Divine Tree as I have in slime! I will not change myself because my father cannot love me for who I am!" she shouted.
Sensing her granddaughter's rage, Aggie then said the only thing in the world that had ever meant anything to Remona, and the only thing that could ever seem to calm her down when she got like this.
"You know I love you, Remona. I know, you shouldn't have to change for your father's love. You are a strong young lady, and I am proud of you. I don't care if your father walks away for good tomorrow, but I will love you always, even if you decide to walk away too," she said in sincerity.
Remona's rage immediately subsided and her eyes went momentarily misty. She didn't say anything at first, she merely walked over to her grandmother and hugged her tight. "Thank you grandma . . .I love you too," she whispered.
When they broke their embrace, Aggie smiled gently at her granddaughter."Let's not worry about this. After all, today is a happy day!"
Remona nodded."You're right. What shall we do?" she asked.
"Well first close your eyes," Aggie instructed and Remona did so. Seconds later, Remona felt a small box being pressed against her hand. "Okay, open your eyes. Happy birthday, Remona," Aggie said with a tone of joy.
Opening her eyes, Remona found a long, brown box in her hand, tied neatly with a silver ribbon. Remona slowly untied the ribbon and removed the box lid to reveal a beautiful choker. The fastenings were made of a beautiful midnight velvet that could be tied around the neck, and simply, but elegantly, there was a large round stone fastened in the middle so deep blue that it was almost black. It appeared to Remona that the rich color was actually swirling within the stone, giving it an almost endless depth. She was awed, she'd never seen anything like it.
"Oh Grandma! It's beautiful!" Remona gasped breathlessly. She also momentarily felt a pang of guilt. Such a stone was undoubtedly expensive and she hoped her grandma hadn't been cutting out meals again to pay for it.
"I know it isn't a sword, but I hoped you'd like it anyway," Aggie replied with a smile on her old face.
"Oh Gran! This is wonderful! Thank you so much!" she beamed.
"Well, come now, let's see how it looks on you," Aggie insisted and placed the necklace gently around Remona's neck.
Remona smiled as she walked into her room and over to her mirror. However, she didn't actually get to see her new accessory, because she was soon after blinded by a flash of dark blue light around her neck and suddenly a flash of what appeared to be a dragon flew by her eyes. The creature was about as big as a small fortress, but was surprisingly graceful for something so large. The beast circled back at Remona in all its terrifying beauty. This dragon was blackish-blue in color and was beating its mighty wings fiercely as he opened his mouth and issued forth a cloud of black haze onto something behind her. Then, she felt herself call out, only the voice she called out in was not her own.
"MICHEAL, HURRY! WE MUST GET TO DAMIA! QUICKLY!" she called out authoritatively.
"Who's Damia? Remona, are you okay? You look pale," Aggie asked softly.
Remona blinked, and looked around herself, she was standing in her room facing her grey-haired grandmother, and there was no dragon in sight.
"Wha--?" The girl asked forcibly. Remona was relieved that this time, her voice was her own.
"You were saying something about somebody named Michael and needing to get to Damia, whoever that is," Aggie explained.
Remona shook her head. That was definitely an odd experience . . . ."I think . . .I've had a little too much excitement grandma, let's go back to the kitchen," Remona suggested shakily.
"Well, okay . . . Is something wrong, Remona?" she asked in concern.
"Nothing. It's just odd, that's all. . . Say grandma, what would you think about me entering a sword tournament?" Remona asked randomly.
Aggie stared at her for a moment before answering,"A sword tournament? Why on Endiness would you want to? You don't even know how to fence."
"Yes, I do. Actually, I'm quite good at it . . . And I want to because there is a prize of 3,000 crystal coins. If I win, we could buy a decent house and afford more food," Remona explained.
"Since when did you learn to fence? And though you may know how to, you don't have a sword. As much as I'd like to give you one, I'm afraid our money is already tight as is," the old woman answered sadly.
"Grandma, you work hard, and I thank you for it. We have all that we need, I don't mean to reflect on what we don't have . . .I was just asking what you thought about the idea anyway," Remona added sincerely and humbly upon seeing the regretful look on her grandmother's face.
The elderly woman sighed in despair." But you're right, Remona, angel, we deserve better and I wish I could give it to you. But no matter how hard I try it never seems to be enough . . . " Aggie sniffled and began to cry.
The young teenager instantly regretted ever saying anything at all. To see her grandmother cry broke Remona's heart. A breaking heart . . . . A man, tall and with golden blonde hair in red plate mail stood before her eyes. He stared at her lovingly with his piercing blue eyes, and Remona felt her heart ache. It was definitely as odd as before. She had never seen this man before in her life, and she didn't even know his name. Who was this man, Remona thought to herself, bringing her mind back to reality. Remona blinked. What in Endiness was going on? That made for two of these visions within half an hour.
Gazing back over to her upset grandparent everything else in Remona's confused mind faded away except the urge and desire to comfort Aggie."Grandma, please don't cry. What you do is enough. We are here, and we are alive. I have you, and as long as I do, that will always be enough for me, no matter where I am," Remona coaxed softly, drying her grandmother's tears. "And speaking of which, I've earned some money today," Remona said brightly and pulled off her right boot, turning it over. Coins, made of crystal, spilled out onto the table, twelve in all, gleaming like the gems they were in the kitchen lantern light. "I washed dishes for Mrs. Smith's restaurant, filed books for Librarian Ute, and worked on swords today," she explained.
Aggie simply smiled regrettably."You should keep them, you earned them, and today is your birthday after all," she said.
"Are you sure? I mean, every little bit helps," Remona replied uncertainly.
"Yes, I'm sure. We'll manage," the old woman assured.
Remona felt slightly guilty, so she purposely left two coins on the table, under the lantern. Her grandmother would find them later.
The evening passed by rather quickly, with Aggie and Remona talking cheerfully about happy memories and drinking fresh, hot tea. It was almost midnight before the two said goodnight and went to their rooms. Remona yawned, as she took the ties out of her cocoa-brown hair, making the ponytails fall from her mid-back to her thighs. She sighed as she got into bed, she wished she had a sword, then she could at least try for the prize money.
"Today was definitely an odd day . . . ." Remona grumbled to herself and united her new choker. She surveyed the gem again as she held it in the palm of her hand mistrusting. She eyed the stone for quite some time, expecting it to do something strange, until finally, satisfied, she put the necklace on her nightstand and went to sleep.
Almost as immediately as Remona passed into the curtained realm of sleep, she began to dream. . . . .
A large man stood before her eyes, almost as tall as the small room he now stood in. He had well-tanned, bronzy skin and a large bandana wrapped around his head. His warm grey eyes glanced her over and then he spoke surprisingly gently for a man so large.
"Ah, there you are Rose. I've been looking for you. The Emperor wishes me to tell you that our assault on Flanvel Tower will begin soon. He's having the army ready the spear-shooters," he informed.
His statement was odd to Remona, her name wasn't Rose. In her dream-state, Remona opened her mouth to ask this man what he was talking about, but, as before, the voice that answered him was not her own and she appeared to have no control over it.
"Very well, thank you Belzac. When do we leave?" this woman, Rose, asked.
"At the top of the next hour. By the way, Damia wants to see you, and do you know where Shirley is?" the gargantuan man, Belzac, asked.
This too was odd to Remona, she'd heard the name Damia somewhere before . . . . Remona as Rose shook her head."No, I don't, why?"
Belzac sighed."Because Kanzas is getting all rallied up again and Shirley's the only one who can calm him down," he answered.
Remona/Rose shook her head again."How appropriate. Let me guess, he's upset because he can't find any more fabric to make more of those creepy dolls?" she said in distain, making Belzac shrug. "Anyway, where's Damia now?" she continued.
"She's in the fountain room, in her tower," Belzac replied, and with a nod, Remona/ Rose left and started walking through a strange city made of brown stone, packed with people. After a few people hailed her in greeting, she had made her way to the base of a grand stair that spiraled upwards and supported a ring of towers right in the middle of the city. Remona had now given into the fact that she had no control whatsoever over her body or voice, so she stayed in the corner of her own mind, along for the ride.
Walking along the catwalk that connected the towers, Remona/ Rose could see Damia's tower to the far back of the ring. Voices echoed out loudly as she passed by some of the other towers along the way.
"Good God, Kanzas! Calm Down! Be reasonable, one wingly escaped is not a big deal!" came a logical, reasoning, and pleading voice.
"ABSOLUTELY IT IS! ONE WINGLY ESCAPED IS ONE THAT DEFEATS ME! I AM THE THUNDER DRAGOON! I HAVE NEVER BEEN DEFEATED! EVER!" a harsh, gruff voice shouted back.
"Well, that's an odd way to see it, you should really---"
"---GET OUT, YOU BOOKWORM, OR I'LL MAKE YOU A DOLL INSTEAD!" came the enraged roar that was his reply. Kanzas and Syveil were arguing again.
"Why don't both of you calm down," a calm, beautiful voice interjected. As usual, Shirley had come to break up the fight.
Remona/Rose ignored them and continued up to Damia's tower. The whole interior, once Remona/Rose entered, was revealed to be entirely sky blue in color, except aqua blue pool tiles making up the floor. The floor, Remona/Rose noted, also contained three feet of clear water, rippling out gently from a marble spray fountain in the center of the room shaped like a bed. A young girl, with wavy turquoise hair down to her shoulders dressed in a short, blue dress sat in the middle of the watery mattress. The glistening blue scales around the outsides of her eye sockets framed her bright eyes with a watery glow.
"Rose, you came," she said in a childlike voice as she turned to face Remona/Rose.
"Yes, I did. Belzac said you were looking for me," she replied in her own, dark, but beautiful voice.
The girl nodded and kicked her legs nervously from where they dangled off the edge of the bed, revealing her bare shins to be armored up to the knee with the same teal scales that adorned her face.
"Yes, I was. I wanted to ask you something. I mean, Shirley sugarcoats things for me and you tell me everything as it is. Rose, why did Emperor Diaz ask me to stay here? Does he think I'm weak too, like Kanzas does?" she asked quietly.
Remona/Rose shook her head."No. The Emperor Diaz doesn't see you as weak, and Kanzas is too frail to admit someone is just as good, if not better than him. The Emperor asks you to stay because he fears for your safety. Sometimes even the most powerful of people need protection," she explained.
Damia looked away and closed her eyes."Emperor Diaz can see into the future. I'm supposed to die in this battle, aren't I?" she asked dramatically.
Remona/Rose said nothing, she knew it was the truth."Please Damia, stay here," Remona/Rose pleaded gravely.
"I will not. I do not fear death. I would rather die defending those whom I love, than stay here and be ashamed. Forgive me, Rose. I don't want to worry you," she resolved deeply.
Rose/Remona sighed deeply and turned away."Damia, you're so young . . .only fifteen, and yet you've become so much stronger since we rescued you. You have your own will and stand up for yourself now. If I cannot dissuade you from accompanying us, I will personally defend you while you are with us. People, and especially dragoons, make their own fate," Remona/Rose vowed, bringing a new sense of comfort to Damia's expression.
"Thank you Rose. You are always kind to me."
Suddenly, it was like someone had skipped several chapters in a book. Instead being in Damia's room, Remona/Rose now found herself in the middle of the air, a huge battle raging all around her under a blackened sky. A wingly with a scythe charged at her as she quickly dodged to the side and deprived her enemy of his head with one clean swipe of her rapier.
All around herself she saw them . . .dragoons, her friends and allies, with their vibrantly-colored dragon wings. They were all fighting fiercely from what she could tell, and it seemed to be paying off. The winglies suddenly zoomed by all around them in a full retreat, the tower had fallen. Victory seemed to be close at hand, and Remona/Rose watched as a blackish-blue dragon zipped past her and snapped up a wingly in its massive jaws.
Remona/Rose kicked out to the side at a wingly charging her in desperation and stabbed him through the gut. As she turned around she saw a girl in sky blue plate mail with huge blue dragon wings, wielding an enormous hourglass-shaped hammer smash a wingly in the stomach. As her victim fell out of the sky, Remona/Rose aw another wingly appear behind her, ready to strike. In a lightning fast motion, Remona/Rose flung herself through the air and skewered the attacking wingly from behind.
Damia turned around sharply to find a dead wingly impaled on a dark blue blade."Oh Soa . . .I would have . . .you've saved me again Rose," she whispered.
"I swore I would," Remona/Rose stated simply.
It was then that things started to go awry. The retreating winglies suddenly simultaneously reverted their paths, lining up to form an enormous wall of bodies. Remona/Rose felt her eyes widen as she shouted,"IT'S A TRAP!"
An echoing, eerie, and evil laughter filled the air."You are perceptive Rose Isire, darkness dragoon, but you are a little slow!" said a large wingly dressed in silvery armor as he materialized in the middle of the air. He had ugly green-gray skin, red eyes, and red wings. In one hand he wielded a glowing fairy broadsword, and in the other, he held a shimmering blue crystal ball that emanated energy.
"MELBU FRAHMA!" Belzac spat loudly like a curse.
There was more maniacal laughter."Dragoons, you have interfered with my supremacy for the last time. EMBRACE YOUR DESTRUCTION!" he yelled, and began blasting large energy balls all around, scattering the dragoons as they struggled to dodge.
A moment later, Remona/Rose felt much lighter as she was wrapped tight in what seemed to be an impermeable cyclone air, laden with rose petals.
"ROSE STORM!" the scholar Syveil yelled aloud holding his spear on high to channel his magic. He had cast his wind shield on all of his fellow dragoons.
Seeing Melbu Frahma there, before his eyes, the humongous orange dragoon Belzac seemed to be at a loss for words. It was then, Remona/Rose noticed another man, the red dragoon, and realized it was the same man she'd seen before in her earlier vision. This man, in Belzac's silence, took command.
Ignoring Melbu Frahma, he turned to the charging wall of winglies.
"FIREBRIGHT!" he yelled, calling an enormous red dragon to his side that came without question. "Firebright! Break that wall of winglies! Make sure they come nowhere near us!" he ordered. Hearing his orders, the dragon plunged past him in a torpedo-dive at the wall of wingly warriors.
Remona/Rose caught on."MICHAEL!" she shouted, and the blackish-blue dragon entered swiftly into her sight. "Help Firebright bring down that wall!" The dragon turned to obey and flew swiftly towards the wall.
Soon the rest of the dragoons had caught on, and managed to summon their dragons to them while avoiding energy missiles; only Melbu Frahma and the dragoons remained in one spot, facing each other as world and the battle seemed to rage all around them. Without some much as a word or cue, all seven dragoons then raced towards Melbu Frahma.
Shirley fired a volley of arrows, practically gleaming with light, which the wingly tyrant easily eluded. Next came Syveil, twirling his spear; he hit some type of invisible energy shield around Melbu Frahma and was thrown harshly backwards. Belzac soared towards his enemy and managed to get closer than any of his previous comrades before the tip of Melbu Fharma's sword lanced his shoulder. Blood began to profusely pour forth from the wound, causing the massive dragoon to falter, just momentarily. Even that mere second was more than the wingly tyrant needed and as he swung again, Shirley arrived just in time to tackle Belzac mid-air out of Melbu Frahma's striking range. The fiery Kanzas boomed toward the wingly emperor without fear, his bloody fist crackling with lightning. Melbu merely hurled his flaming sword at him, catching him in the shin and thus making his own lightning conduct back into Kanzas' own body. Recalling his sword with a wave of his hand, Frahma turned just in time to lock blades with the blonde man, who's sword had also burst into flame. In a cowardly attack, Frahma shot an energy blast into the man's gut, sending him flying backwards into his comrades.
"ZIEG!" Remona/Rose cried and blindly flung herself at Melbu Frahma in furry. She only had time to blink before she realized a deadly bolt of power was about to collide with her.
"FREEZING RING!" a sturdy, but child-like voice thundered and before Remona/Rose's eyes a large chunk of ice intercepted the bolt and exploded into a million or more sparkles. Damia had just saved her life.
"God! He's just too strong!" Syveil cried out loud.
"Where's he getting all this power from!?!" the injured Zieg called back.
"Are you ready for more!!?!" Melbu Frahma beamed as Michael zoomed by in Remona/Rose's line of vision, chasing a wingly. In his wake, Remona could clearly see the light outlined against Michael's darkness energy, the light coming from the glowing crystal sphere Frahma held in his left hand. Melbu Frahma was absorbing the glow it was giving off. The orb . . .that was the source of his power. . . .
It was then that Remona/Rose's dragon Michael doubled back towards her, breathing a thick, black mist at something behind her.
It was also in that moment that the wounded Kanzas, against all better judgment, decided to charge Frahma again, this time completely alone."I DON'T CARE HOW STRONG HE IS! HE'LL BE ONE OF MY DOLLS TOO!"
Remona/Rose stared at this knew occurrence in horror. Melbu Frahma was waiting for Kanzas, with sword and a fireball in hand. What was he thinking? If all of them together couldn't take him on, what made him think that he alone could? Kanzas was about to get himself killed . . .and almost like a nightmare, Damia was the closest one to Kanzas and began plummeting towards Kanzas to try and stop him. In a flash, Remona/Rose was reacting.
"MICHAEL! HURRY, WE MUST GET TO DAMIA! QUICKLY!" she called in desperation and a slight twinge of . . .fear.
Seconds seemed like hours as the darkness dragoon and dragon raced side by side against time and fate. Damia reached Kanzas just as Remona/Rose reached her. Damia pushed Kanzas aside, knocking him out of the way, barely missing Frahma's prepared blade herself. Much to Remona/Rose's relief, she and Michael were then able to dive in front of the two dragoons and shield them from the powerful fireball that ensued. The fiery projectile glanced harmlessly off of Michael's wing, but Frahma was intent on murder.
The wingly tyrant ducked under the darkness dragon's wing and thrust his sword zealously at Damia, whom was closest to his reach. Remona/Rose didn't think, only moved to dive in front of the blade.
However, fate was truly against her because Kanzas had once again regained himself and at the same time Remona/Rose was moving to shield Damia, the thunder dragoon, worked into a blind rage now, was charging on the offensive again. The two collided and darkness and thunder fell over each other, which conveniently dropped both of them beneath the sword. The latter then plunged directly through Damia's armor and into her heart.
Frahma yanked his sword from the water dragoon's body as she began to fall from the sky.
Completely ignoring Frahma, Remona/Rose hastily shoved Kanzas aside and dove after her falling friend. In an extremely difficult flight maneuver, Remona/Rose managed to catch hold of Damia just before she hit the cold, snowy field of the Kashiua Glacier, with blood raining down everywhere.
Remona/Rose stumbled from the uneven landing, dropping the water dragoon upon the crimson snow. A beaming, golden, and heavenly light rained down from the clouds above and landed on Damia's body, however her wounds would not heal. That was the first time Remona/Rose had ever seen Shirley's magic fail . . . .Remona/Rose staggered to Damia, knelt down and took her in her arms. She was quickly becoming as cold as the ice she commanded and equally as pale.
"I feel . . .so . . .cold . . .Soa . . .I . . I don't want . . .to . . . be alone. It's . . .so . . .cold . . .so . . .dark . . ." the young dragoon mumbled and Remona/Rose could see the darkness begin to cloud her eyes.
Remona/Rose grasped Damia's hand as the water dragoon began coughing up blood, struggling to speak.
"R . . .rose? Is . . . that . . .you?"
"Yes, Damia, it's Rose," Remona/Rose stated bluntly, trying not to let her mortifying horror show.
Ro . . .Rose . . .you, didn't . . . you didn't . . .fail," Damia choked.
"What? I-- Damia, Hold on!" Remona/Rose demanded
"Rose . . .it was . . .my choice . . .to . . . save . . . Kanzas . . .it. . . .wasn't . . .your . . .fault." The young dragoon replied, doing her best to comfort her comrade.
"But I swore to save you Damia!" Remona/Rose cried in exasperation, trying not to let the growing feeling in her heart choke out her words.
"You . . .already did. You . . .you Rose . . .you taught me . . .the meaning of friendship . . . the meaning . . .of strength. There was never . . . .anyone . . .stronger . . .to me . . .than you. It . . .was . . .you who . . .taught me . . . not to be . . . bullied by anyone . . .anymore . . . and I'm . . .not. Not even . . .by . . .Melbu Frahma. It's . . . so cold . . .Rose . . .Rose . .where are you? I . . . I can't see . . .please . . .don't . . . leave . . . me. I . . .don't . . .want to be . . .alone. Rose . . .I'm . . .scared."
Remona/Rose hung her head in sorrow, the inevitability of what was about to happen, sinking in. She still held onto Damia's hand firmly with one hand, but with the other she began to stroke her brow.
"I'm here, Damia, still here. Don't be afraid . . .you will never be alone again, do you hear me? Not now, not ever. You are a dragoon, a dragon knight. We'll all be here for you. You are one of us, Damia. You will never be alone," Remona/Rose answered strongly with more emotion in her voice than she had felt before.
"Ro . . .Rose . . .do . . .you think . . .I'm . . .weak?" Damia asked almost silently, her voice fading.
"No," Remona/Rose answered with a softer voice than she had ever used previously, "you never were".
Damia fell back against Remona/Rose's arms, clearly the last of her strength had been exhausted. However, there was a grateful look upon her other-wise pain-stricken face as she closed her eyes.
"Rose . . I'll be . . .waiting. And Rose . . .thank you," the young dragoon whispered in a barely audible tone. It was after this last sentence that her sky blue wings fell limply into the scarlet snow as life left Damia's body and she died in Remona/Rose's arms.
Remona/Rose spoke not a word, but laid Damia gently down completely on the snow. She then took her head in her hands and on her knees she wept, letting tears fall freely and mingle with the blood upon the snow. And then Remona knew, or rather realized that, whoever this Rose was, she hadn't cried in a very long time.
Remona lay in her bed, twitching ever so slightly, as fluid tears ran down her cheeks. Absorbed in sleep, the teenager could not see the illuminated choker blinking on her nightstand or the unfamiliar woman that stood by her bedside, watching her. The woman's long, black hair blew gently from the breeze coming in Remona's open window and the moonlight cast a pale, ghostly glow across her being.
She was just as tall as Remona, and wore a long-sleeved blue tunic that ended in blue gloves of the same hue. She wore a skirt/pant of the same color and two uneven shoes. The one on her left came up to mid-thigh, and the one on her right came up to her calf. The whole midnight-blue ensemble was embroidered with gold etchings, right up to her blue, jeweled headband that produced two ear-like pieces of metal on either side of her head.
"And so, she is the one chosen to be the new darkness dragoon? She's still just a girl . . . can she handle the power of the dragon of darkness? She's definitely connected to it . . . If she's seeing those memories . . . ." the woman's dark and beautiful voice mumbled to herself. "Fate is most definitely upon her . . .but perhaps she can handle herself . . ."
The girl before her twitched again, as she tossed roughly about in her sleep. She seemed tough enough, given the type of life she lived, but still the woman was not quite sure . . . A sword appeared, coming out of the beaming necklace. The blade was a deep blue, much like the woman's clothes, and donned a three foot, double-sided blade. The hilt was blue also and branched off into wisps of glistening blue metal like a complex swirl, giving protection to the wielder's hand upon the hilt.
The woman took the sword and placed it on the sleeping girl's dresser before silently grabbing a scrap piece of paper and a pen that had been conveniently left on the girl's nightstand. She quickly scribbled a brief and anonymous message and left the paper on the dresser with the sword. The girl . . .if she could wield the power of the dragon, then it was possible that she could wield the power of the black monster . . .and she would have to . . .
"One step at a time," the woman reminded herself. First she would place a sword in her hands before she placed the world. A ray a light was beginning to peak through the window. It would be morning soon.