Chapter 87: Bhavana
Cautiously, we approached the compound.
"Careful." Pranu warned.
Alex looked over at Alcyone and said, "Hey, can you do that trick with the rock again?" Alcyone nodded, then her arm disappeared and reappeared again, this time with a pile of rocks. Alex took it out of her hands and started tossing them around randomly, setting off a bunch of mines.
"Okay guys. We just have to walk in the places where the mines exploded and we'll be safe!" Alex grinned.
"Brilliant, Alex." I said sarcastically. "Pure genius. What if that's just a trap? What if there's a secondary mine that engages when we step onto it?"
"Well, if you try to think, usually, they WANT you to think like that, so we shouldn't. It's just the trick of the mind. I think Ruidi's paranoia is getting to you," Alex argued.
I knew if I argued, we would be wasting time. So we all followed her lead. Alcyone still looked really suspicious about all of this. Then, suddenly, everything stopped. I mean, before, time still flowed, but much slower. Now, it had screeched to a complete halt.
"Go... now." Alcyone gasped. "Over... mines- will not... engage."
"Wait, what?" Alex turned around.
"GO... just- GO!" Alcyone shouted.
We had no choice but to sprint away.
After the- I suppose the only word for it is- time-stop, time suddenly speeded up.
I saw the Scissors advancing quickly now, but only for a few moments until Alcyone got the time to slow down again. She seemed to have recovered her strength. "I'll stay here. You just go. Send a signal when you've broken the generator!" Alcyone yelled over to us, then suddenly her bow appeared and then shot a silvery blue arrow at the ground beneath our feet.
Chapter 88: Alex
The arrow flew over the various traps, setting off many but was, thankfully, unharmed. It stuck deeply into the ground a foot away from Bhavana's feet.
"What is this thing?" Bhavana asked, squinting at the small silver tube attached to the bottom of the arrow.
"Let me see." I said, snatching the tube away from Bhavana's hands. Turning it over in my palms, I suddenly recognized it. "A flare." I said in awe. "But its so tiny and lightweight..."
"Oh, stop gawking," Bhavana said, "and get a move on."
Nodding, I pocketed the small silver tube and 'got a move on'.
We entered the compound where we thought the generators were located.
The first hallway was filled with dozens of doors, and it looked as though they were made of titanium. I kicked the first door open, and immediately, something exploded, and I was sent flying backwards. I slammed into the wall, hitting my head hard. Ouch. My breath was squashed out from my lungs as I collapsed, curled up in a ball. I stayed like that for a while until my breath returned.
Then, I stood up, trying to shake the pain out of my head.
"Bhavana," I croaked. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, thanks for asking. And you?" Bhavana said, dusting herself off.
"The typical bruises and maybe a slight concussion. I've had worse. Come on, we have to get moving." I pulled her to her feet, and, ignoring the throbbing of my head, dragged her down the hallway to the second door. The second my hand touched the doorknob, a green vinelike thing grabbed my wrist and started pulling me toward it. I pulled back hard, trying to free my hand from its iron grasp.
"Aaaah! Gross!" Bhavana yelled as green slime oozed from the tentacle. Quickly, she grabbed from her pocket a lavishly decorated dagger and sliced the vine cleanly off.
"Where'd you get that?" I asked, frowning, rubbing my wrist.
"... Nowhere. Just... picked it up." Bhavana said, though I didn't entirely believe her story.
"Well then." I said, reaching for the third doorknob, "We'll have to try again, won't we?"
"Stop that!" Bhavana said, making a grab for my hand. Too late, my hand had already touched the doorknob.
We both waited with bated breaths. But nothing happened. Slowly, Alex turned the doorknob.
The room we had entered was definitely untouched for a LONG time. Everything in it was basically dust. Literally. I started have a coughing fit, while Bhavana was sneezing every minute. There was a stone smack dab in the middle, and we cautiously advanced. Then, there was a click below my feet. I froze. Bhavana ran into me and scowled.
"What are you...doing..." She trailed off when she saw my expression.
"Land mine," I hissed.
"I'll ask Ruidi," Bhavana said quickly. She quickly activated the radioactive tracker. Static filled my ear, and then there was an explosion on the other end.
"What?" Ruidi said, sounding rather irritated.
"Alex, sh-sh-she..."
"Calm down," Ruidi said.
"She stepped on a land mine!" Bhavana yelled. "She's currently stepping on it to stop it from exploding."
"WHAT?!" Ruidi exclaimed. "It's false that land mines only explode if you lift your feet! The fact that it hasn't exploded yet probably means it got corroded, but it'll probably explode soon!"
"WHAT?!" Bhavana yelled back. She turned to me. "RUN! RUN!"
I tried, but it was too late. There was an explosion, and then pain shot through every cell in my body. I was flung into the wall, and I arched my back as my nerves were set on fire as I slammed into the wall once again. Something cracked, and another wave of pain ripped through my body. Then, the blackness took over, and my last sensation was falling, forever falling, falling, falling, down a deep and bottomless chasm.
Chapter 89: Alcyone
My head snapped up. Alex! She was in danger. Mortal danger. I wanted to save Alex, to break free of the cursed bonds I shared with her... but the moment that thought passed my head, I felt a sharp pain in the back of my mind. You will not be disloyal to me. A voice cold as ice told her. You will play your part, and nothing more. Perhaps I have given you too much freedom? The pain in her mind constricted around her, enveloping her in icy blue...
I broke free of it with much effort, gasping. You owe them something. I thought hard, trying to reply. You always finish what you start. Help them. Help me.
And what if I refuse? the voice said, mildly amused.
Take my place. Take my position... I never truly existed anyway. Help them just once, please... I pleaded.
You have nothing to bargain with, child. How do you know that I will listen to your pleas?
Because since I'm a shadow of you, then it means that you are like me. You will see how they accept you. You'll know... and then you'll be all too willing to help them. Hurry!
Hmmm... She sounded like she was considering. As I currently am not... occupied at the moment, I shall see into it. Mark my words.
I know, Mistress. I believe you. I thought, then turned myself back into her shadow.
Chapter 90: "Mistress"
This entire affair is quite intriguing. Never before had I personally went to... conclude any matters. Of course, shadows had their uses but, being merely a shadow, possessed but a fraction of the original's power.
She had told me to hurry, to save one of her friends. I really should not have chosen to input emotional behavior into her code strands, but then again emotion had its uses sometimes and one chooses more obedient paths when one has the emotion of fear.
I hastily took my sword, Chronos, which my slightly insane titan of a father had given me, off of the wall. I would need it. My bow and arrows appeared as I chose, so I did not bother packing them up. I exited the comforting quiet of the Void and into the so-called 'real' world, where sounds were everywhere.
I found myself in a bustling city. How did I get here? I wondered. Wasn't there a tunnel here to the Forged Canyon? A sudden realization entered my mind. You fool. That was decades ago. I really should get out more often. I once again entered the Void, this time trying to walk into the correct place. Yet... something was blocking me. I drove a mental spear at it, but it refused to budge.
Gritting my teeth, I hurled all of my pent-up anger, confusion, and frustration from times of the old at it. Finally it collapsed and I was able to walk into the canyon, right at the place where there were various bones scattered pieces of scarred and burned flesh lying around, created by what appeared to have been an explosion.
Someone else was kneeled next to it, sobbing, holding what looked like a finger.
Strange. Why would a person be holding a finger? "Excuse me, but is that a..." I was surprised at how my voice sounded as it echoed across the chamber. I hadn't used it for a long time.
"Alcyone?" the person (it turned out to be yet another girl) who was kneeled next to the body pieces cried. "It's you! You broke the barrier!"
If she meant that irate thing that was blocking me from getting in here, then yes. "Yes, I did..." but I didn't know her name. Bhavana, my shadow whispered, her name's Bhavana... "Yes, yes I did, Bhavana."
Chapter 91: Bhavana
"Are you ok? You sound a bit strange." I asked Alcyone, wiping a tear from my eye.
Alcyone cleared her throat, "I am quite alright... Bhavana."
I look at her questioningly but decided drop the subject, anyways, we had serious matters on our hands. "So can you heal her? Do you know anything like that? You could do it, can't you? Can you... fix her?" I asked frantically.
"Heal..." Alcyone had a glazed look in her eyes, and now I was seriously beginning to worry that there was something wrong, but she snapped out of it. "Yes, I am sure that I can heal..." then after a strange pause, she finished, "Alex."
Was it just me or did Alcyone seem... strange? It was like it was a big effort to remember our names. Her words were also a bit different than what she would normally say. More... formal.
Alcyone bent over Alex's remains and murmured something under her breath. Then, it seemed like Time was reversing for Alex. Pieces of bone fused together with a molten hiss, and muscle and flesh grew and twined around the bones. Wherever a... piece was missing, a new one grew. The wings were the last to be... fixed, as they were facing downward when Alex had fallen. Bones protruded from her back, and feathers and muscle grew on them. Soon you could recognize her, but she was burnt everywhere... but one by one the scars and burns marring her arms, legs, and face disappeared, and slowly, Alex opened her eyes.
"Alex!" I exclaimed.
"Yes? What happened?" Alex said, confused. "I feel like I broke apart and came together again." She shuddered. "It was dark... and cold..."
I almost squished Alex between my arms, "Missed you."
"Was I gone that long?" Alex half heartedly joked, but she still looked a bit shaky.
I just smiled.
Alcyone seemed, extraordinarily, whatsoever about this. It was as if we were strangers to her. Secretly, I thought, It's almost as if she was switched... but I shook those thoughts aside. Stop thinking like that. I scolded myself. It's just Ruidi's paranoia catching.
Chapter 91: Ruidi
"We should wait for the others." Eshana said.
"No, we should move on. We've wasted enough time already!" Caiyi said.
"Guys... if you haven't noticed, the Scissors just moved really fast toward our general direction." Pranu said, pointing out of the window.
I looked up. She was right. The Scissors were moving at a remarkable speed toward us. Just as suddenly as they had speeded up, they slowed down again. Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.
What are Alcyone and her lot doing? I wondered. Shouldn't take them this long...
Suddenly, the Scissors and Heartlesses speeded back to normal time. They spotted us through the window and quickly advanced toward us.
"Aurgh! Everyone to fighting position! Caiyi, Ruidi, Tim, get ready for your ultimate attack!" Pranu's trident was out, and she was waving it around. "We have at most five minutes!"
Everyone nodded. Shirley was twisting her bracelet nervously. Eshana unsheathed her dagger. Tim, Caiyi, and I held out our swords and looked at each other, preparing for attack.
"Hey, guys." Bhavana's voice came from behind me.
Startled, I jumped like 4 feet into the air. I really should stop doing that. Senses in hyperdrive might be a good thing but it's terrible if I had to jump at the teeniest bit of sound.
Alcyone and Bhavana had entered the room soundlessly. Between them Alex was propped up on their shoulders, as she seemed to be really tired.
"I... I think..." she gulped.
"What is it, Alex?" Pranu asked, alarmed.
"I think... I died... "
"You WHAT?" Everyone screamed, except for Alcyone and Bhavana, Alcyone who seemed particularly odd at the point, Bhavana who had known this already..
"But then... I was... snatched back..."
Was it just me or was this... sounding unbelievable? But of course, people don't just lie about dying.
"We need to move on." said Alcyone, the only one completely undisturbed about this. "They are getting closer."
Alcyone ushered us into a gaping black hole in the middle of the air. The Void. But this time it was a little bit... different. Instead of completely nothing, there were entire forests. We were standing in a little forest clearing.
"As long as you reside here, you shall be safe from anything that contrives to injure, hurt, kill, or otherwise harm you." Alcyone said.
This was new. Alcyone never brought us to anywhere this... decorated... before.
"You will be safe within these walls, and when you return to reality, no time will have passed." she continued.
I had no idea this stuff was possible, or Alcyone had never bothered to show us... but we were in tough times before. Everything was changing.
"Oh, and..." Alcyone paused, appearing to be searching for a name, "Shirley, this is for you."
Alcyone handed Shirley a blue-black bow and four metallic arrows.
Shirley accepted the bow in awe, "Thank you!"
"You may leave at any time. And whatever you choose to do, do not come and try to find me."and with those words she disappeared.
"Well." I said. "How are we supposed to leave?" The instant my words were said, a patch of light appeared before me and a phantom Heartless smiled at us with gaping jaws.
Chapter 92: Bhavana
I immediately drew out my dagger, but before anyone could do anything Alcyone appeared in front of us, holding a sword we'd never seen before. It looked wispy and fragile, hardly anything that could defeat a monster.
Alcyone ducked the Heartless' claws and slashed upward with her blade, tearing the Heartless in half.
"Hey!" Ruidi exclaimed. "Didn't you tell us that physical weapons couldn't kill a heartless?"
"Did I say that?" Alcyone asked, looking blankly at him.
"Yes, you did." I said impatiently to her. "Don't you remember? It was you who taught us how to deal with heartlesses."
"Did I..." she mused, glancing at her shadow. Then, without another word to us, she disappeared again.
"Alcyone's acting weird." Ruidi stated. "It's like she has amnesia or something."
"Yes, I've noticed that too." I told him.
Cutscene- Alcyone
"Do you possess any reason as to why-" my mistress said to me, her voice calm as always, but with a hint of steel- "you are revealing sacred secrets to outsiders?"
I apologized, "I'm sorry, Mistress. But I thought 'twas necessary. I could not have fought them off myself."
"Indeed you could not." she replied, then asked, "So exactly how much did you reveal to them?"
"If your intention is true things, my name, the Void, and how to kill Heartlesses." I replied. "If you intend false, then it would be my age, history, family... the more personal things."
"I suppose," she murmured, "you did well. If you had not so obediently performed my commands before, I would not have spared you-" here an unfamiliar cold glint entered her multicolored eyes- "but seeing your previous behavior, I shall 'let you off the hook' as they say these days-" her voice took on the tone of a recently sharpened steel blade "but only this once, and never again."
I nodded fervently to show that I understood.
"Now, one more task- will you kindly demonstrate for, what was her name? Shirley? how to utilize her bow and arrows."
I did not know that my mistress had given Shirley something. But whatever Mistress did, it had a reason, so I faithfully changed myself into my mistress's appearance and sought out Shirley to teach her the way of the bow.
Ruidi and I talked it over and decided it would be less weird if he played paranoid and asked everyone whether or not Alcyone had been switch- ahem, changed.
"So. Of everyone here does anyone think that Alcyone is a little bit... different?" he asked the flock.
"Not really." Tim said, popping a chunk of electrically burnt rabbit that Shirley had shot with her arrows(she was a natural and Alcyone was giving her lessons) in his mouth.
"It's great that she's offering us a place to stay." Alex said, chewing.
"She made a point with that Heartless." Caiyi said, swallowing and reaching out for more.
"Why isn't there a mall out here? Doesn't she know that a girl without her mall is like a bird without wings?" Eshana complained.
"I think you mean a girl without her sister is like a bird without wings." Ruidi corrected.
"I think her power over time got stronger." said Bhavana, trying to help along the conversation. "Before she could barely manage a time-stop and here she's bringing the dead back to life."
At that moment everyone got quiet and looked at Alex. Alex, noticing, cleared her throat, and then said, "Well, I not really sure. I can't remember..." and then turned away.
"Well, do you-" Ruidi started to say. He immediately cut off when I gave him the evil eye.
"We should start training before trying to break in again. I found a hidden cave somewhere around here," Ruidi hastily changed the topic to avoid becoming my sword target.
"Fine," I sighed.
"Ok," The others said in unison, all except for Alex.
Chapter 93: code name: Sparrow
I could hear them. I had trained them myself, and yet they still were so loud. I sighed, the sound echoing in the chamber. My pocket buzzed lightly.
Message incoming from BOSS. the small display of the handheld communicator read. I clicked Open. The Boss was online, her icon was blinking green.
Sparrow, has the target been acquired?
Yes, I texted back, and hit Send.
A minute later, she replied, Continue monitoring them. Do not attempt to make contact. Avoid exposure.
I understand. I sent back. The Boss's icon blinked, then went grey.
I continued monitoring them, and then Ruidi looked at me and his jaw dropped to the ground.
Excerpt: Ruidi
I couldn't believe it. It just wasn't possible. And yet there she was, just standing there, her hair blowing in the light breeze. It was so unbelievable that I stood there like an idiot, my jaw gaping open and my eyes bugged out, incapable of speech. I felt an almost immediate rush of guilt, and a urgent need to apologize to her.
"M-m-maria?" Tim stammered. "H-h-how..."
Maria looked down at us, her expression turning into one of absolute horror, and ran.
Excerpt: "Mistress" & Alcyone
Alcyone
My mistress found out something was wrong. She was pacing the room, muttering to herself.
"Mistress? What is it?" I asked her.
She massaged her temples. "Nothing... I just feel as if somehow, somewhere... Time has ruptured." my mistress paused. "It's causing me a massive headache."
I nodded, sensing that she wasn't telling me everything. But my mistress had her ways, and she would tell me everything I needed to know, and nothing more.
"Mistress"
It was impossible. Sparrow could not have returned. She was supposed to have died, along with the cave-in. She had been lucky once before to live, when she was mortally wounded by an uncontrolled Darklecovia. Obviously, her superiors had wanted the three children of the legends alive, and had cautioned her to protect them with her life.
But there she was, her aura a fiery orange tinged with purplish-black, her sparrow wings folded neatly against her sides, sitting on a tree. How did she get in here?
I watched as the drama unfolded. That boy with the maniacal laugh and a most paranoid nature caught sight of Sparrow. He looked... overly surprised. Then, Sparrow turned tail and fled.
No, do not attempt to pursue her! I wanted to shout at all of them. But alas, thinking this led to no avail for they followed her, and as they followed, they formed a half-circle, determined to corner her on the mountainous rocks ahead...
This cannot go on. Sparrow would be hysterical, and presumably attack one of them, trying to flee. This was exactly how she got caved in on. Running in irregular directions and screaming your head off is not the most... efficient solution to getting out of a cave-in.
Silently, I glanced at Alcyone. She nodded, understanding, then wings colored brownish grey appeared on her back, ones that looked radically different from mine, and flew away.
I myself unfolded my wings, their white parts reflecting the glow of the moon. I had decided to put a moon here, and the sun and stars also, merely because I had an affinity for them. I sat in a tree for a while, gazing at the shimmering moon, then hoisted myself up and took flight, to find Sparrow.
Excerpt: Eshana
"Who are we chasing? Why are we chasing her?" I asked Caiyi, who ignored me.
I repeated the question to Ruidi and Tim, of whom both ignored me, too, flapping their wings quickly in order to fly faster. It was hard just to keep up with them. The rest of the flock looked confused also. Then, time became funny.
It slowed, making trying to stay in the air a struggle. I couldn't flap my wings fast enough to get enough lift to fly. Little by little, I was descending... until time lurched violently and chucked me toward the floor.
"WINGS! PARACHUTE!" Pranu yelled to us.
Frantically, I tried to spread my wings so that they would make parachutes. I felt a sharp pain and tried not to cry when my left wing and shoulder blade was snapped upwards by the air at an unnatural angle.
With a broken wing, I spiraled toward the ground, and managed to land on my stomach. I let out a OOMPH as the breath was knocked out of me.
Everybody rushed over to me to see if I was OK.
"Aaah! Your wing is broken!" Shirley cried.
"We can all see that." Ruidi said.
"What should we do? Maria..." Tim said. "Should we leave Eshana behind?"
"Well... maybe if we split up..." Pranu said thoughtfully, glancing over my shoulder, then uttered a glass-shattering shriek.
Excerpt: Alcyone
Oh bother. They still refused to give up. Mistress wanted me to distract them... occupy them for a while... but mind magic and illusion magic is tricky, I could never get them right no matter how many times Mistress patiently taught me. The bent wing was beginning to slightly shimmer, and I didn't know how long I could keep the pain signals going to Eshana's brain..
I felt a pang of guilt at having to do this to my friends, but Mistress had asked me to. And... well, at least the pain and the injury wasn't real.
Alcyone, I need a little bit more time here. Occupy them for at least another fifteen minutes, understood? my mistress said.
I'll try. Already, I felt myself weakening, but I didn't want to complain to my mistress and have her think that I'm a weakling.
I cast around my head for the most scary thing I could think of, then imagined it solid... masses of it gathering around the flock. I sent this illusion to their minds.
Again, I felt a guilty pang as I watched my friends terrified by the vision I had sent them. But the closest person to me is my mistress, and I will not disobey her.
Excerpt: Mistress
I silently appeared behind Sparrow, trailing her to the rocks. Her back was to me and she was breathing hard, clutching a hand held communicator. I walked up to her, and gently tapped her on the shoulder.
She started, then slowly turned her head around. When she saw me, she let out a sigh of relief. "It's you, isn't it? Raven?"
"Sparrow, may you be ever so kind as to answer me how the heck did you get into here?" I asked.
"Remember this?" she asked, holding up a triangular piece of plastic.
"My portkeys." I recognized them, from when Hawkes had given some to the members so that they could meet secretly in the Void. "I thought I had ordered them all destroyed."
"Well, this one saved me from the cave-in." Sparrow said. "Raven-"
At that moment we heard shouts, and a flutter of wings. "They're after me," Sparrow said, her eyes wide with fear, then begged, "Raven, you are a part of the Higher Order, you've got to help me, my boss is going to be mad..."
"I am no longer part of that anymore." I said coldly, "I will not aid your side. I stand by myself, and it's about time you learned how to do that too. If your boss gives you any mission-" I gave her a slight glance, "then I will not reveal that you are, in fact, a traitor, to those naive little birdies over there." I gestured in the general direction of the flock. "But once you leave here, you may not come back again, unaccompanied, on your life." Once I finished speaking, I waved my hand toward the portkey in her hand and it dissolved into a pool of liquid, which was immediately sucked up by the ground.
"At- at least... give me your memory of me as a traitor?" Sparrow asked hopefully. "'Cause you still might..."
I pretended to sigh, and complied to her wishes, giving her what she wanted. The part of me that was always plotting said- Well, now you can exploit her without breaking your promise.
Suddenly, I looked around me with a jolt. What was I doing here? I looked up at Sparrow- who was leaving, and looked at her suspiciously. I'd talked to her already... right? Confused, I contacted Alcyone and told her to withdraw the illusion that she'd placed. What was she doing, placing an illusion like that? Or maybe she'd done it so that I could talk to Sparrow privately. I would need to ask her later.
Excerpt: Shirley
One second we were standing there, and then the next fear ripped through my body. It gripped me- hard. Shivers went down my spine and I was frozen in fear. Then, the eyes appeared. Hundreds of them. Then, they seemed to morph into amber-eyed monsters that resembled a Heartless in every way except for the eyes.
What's more, they seemed to radiate... something. It made me chilled to the very bone, and I couldn't move... I was, essentially, paralyzed. I was afraid to move, afraid to speak. The eyes pierced me to the very deepest corners of my being, unearthing hidden fears that I had tried to forget about years and years before...
Excerpt: Alcyone
Alcyone, release contact. my mistress' voice sounded in my head. Wearily, I stopped imagining the Shrieks and allowed the flock to return to reality.
Mistress, I asked, When should the flock get out of here?
For a long time she didn't respond, but finally, she said, After you have recovered, Alcyone. Later, we will have to reveal to them a little piece of the truth- about who I am, and who you will be suspicion about us after that, but some forces are now growing great. Humankind is inventing things- terrible things- that will eventually lead to their downfall. Mistress paused. I've now decided that it will be the efforts of all of us that can save the world. Though, she added, with almost a mental smile, I will need to brush up upon my sword skills.
Mistress was going back into action, after decades of watching the world.