Ch.122: Souls Die Twice! Misery in Fear of the Unknown!

"They're going to kill us."

Indigo, laying down in bed, turned her head toward Ambrosine. "Huh?"

Ambrosine was sat up against the wall, hugging her legs as she gleamed down at the floor. "The shadows. Any moment now, they're going to deem us useless and kill us. It's fact. We all know this."

Indigo blinked, then turned back to the ceiling. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right."

Ambrosine sighed. "What was our captain thinking?"

"He was putting our safety first."

"You saw what he was like back at the casino. He's been around these guys for too long." Ambrosine glared. "What's stopping him from killing one of us?"

"Hey, hey, no need for that pessimistic talk. We're not going to die."

Ambrosine huffed. "I hope not. I can't stand the thought of it."

Indigo turned onto his side and faced the despondent Steenee. "Am, maybe you should get some rest. Sleep's good for the mind."

"How can I rest knowing those inky freaks are stalking our every move?" Ambrosine pressed her head against the wall. "Arid's not in his right mind. No matter his good intentions or whatever, we're disposable to that bastard Shadow King."

"Well, you won't be living for long if you keep saying stuff like that out loud. You know one of those witches can read our minds, right?" Indigo reminded.

Ambrosine scoffed and looked away. "Who cares? Stay quiet, protest; I'm going to die no matter what I do. Venting helps."

"Hmm." Indigo sat up on the edge of her bed. "You know, you've been with us for a long time and I still don't know much about you. You don't talk about yourself much."

"I wanted to forget my past for a long time. It's none of your concern."

Indigo frowned. "Still, with all the fuss over your heart condition, I'm curious." She leaned forward and asked, "Why bother coming onto the captain's ship if you knew who you'd wind up with? You got onto a pirate ship knowing the consequences, didn't you?"

Ambrosine sighed and waved it off. "Of course I did, I'm not an idiot."

"Then why?"

Ambrosine glared back at the floor. "Because I needed to keep a low profile. I figured staying in a pirate ship's storage room would do just that."

"You know we weren't exactly invisible to the public eye, right?"

Ambrosine shrugged. "I wanted to disappear for as long as I could. I wanted to live…" Ambrosine frowned and closed her eyes. "I…want to live."

Indigo frowned back and stood up. "Ambrosine…" She stopped as Ambrosine suddenly rose to her feet. "Huh?"

"Indigo, this is getting us nowhere." She stepped toward the Sneasel and grabbed her claws. "We need to do something about this. We can't keep living like this. Maybe a month, a week, or even tomorrow, they will get rid of us. The Shadow King only has respect for Arid, not us. We're disposable. We need to act now."

Indigo blinked, then glared. "Well, you're not wrong."

"If we plan our move just right, maybe there's a way we can sneak out of this freaky dimension and get back to our old lives. We can go back to being what we once were."

Indigo grinned. "I do like the sound of that. Yeesh, where's this confidence coming from all of a sudden?"

"There's some things I want to do before I finally throwaway my old life, namely see if Flint's okay…" Ambrosine mumbled.

Indigo blinked. "Flint? Flint Ravenfield? Why do you want to-?"

"Ah! Forget I said that!" Ambrosine immediately waved off. "That's not my point! I just want to put this all behind me, and I'm sure the rest of you do, too. You're with me, right? We're friends after all. We can help each other escape this nightmare and make something of ourselves. All of us can."

Indigo smiled. "You know what? Maybe you're right. I'm sure if we put our heads together, we can break of out of this crazy place."

Ambrosine smiled back. "Exactly! We'll succeed past this nightmare and go back to our old lives!"

"That's what I'm talking about! For a Steenee, you have a soul made of fire!"

"Heck yeah, sister!" Ambrosine pulled the bedroom door open. "Now come on! Let's round up the others and tell them we're abandoning our captain!" Ambrosine marched out.

"Hell yeah, let's abandon the…" Indigo's eyes widened. "Abandon the captain?!"

The Desert Beasts exited into the hallway after getting a rude wakeup call from the most recent member of their crew. She pounded on their doors until they finally came out mumbling curses under their breaths.

Banama stretched his arms and asked, "What's going on, Ambrosine?"

"This better be important," Cheshire grumbled, rubbing his eyes. "I was trying to take a nap."

"Don't worry, I won't be long," Ambrosine reassured. She faced the pirates and cleared her throat. "I think I can speak for all of us when I say we're sick and tired of the treatment we're given by the shadows."

"You're not wrong," Smith mumbled.

"They see us as worthless creatures. Our very own had sold their mortality away to become one with their darkness. We have no business accepting that power."

Jones rolled his eyes. "I mean, I wouldn't mind the immortality, just the other stuff…"

"My point is that we are merely ticking away at borrowed time until they don't need us anymore. I think it's time we did something about it. Do we really want to continue living in fear over what they may do to us? They'll slaughter us to pieces if get on their bad sides. The captain refuses to take action, so we'll take action ourselves."

Malcolm raised his brow. "Where is this all coming from?"

"I've just reached my limit with this. I want to leave this stupid dark dimension and go back to the way things were. Isn't that what the rest of you want? Aren't you tired of feeling powerless?"

Pain Train glared. "Hmph. Yeah, I guess we are."

Ambrosine cracked her knuckles. "Then what do you say? Let's bust out of here and get back to reality where we belong. No more tyranny or threats. Today, we're starting over and taking to the streets-!"

"Hold it right there!"

"Huh?" Ambrosine turned around and saw Indigo marching up to her. "Indigo, what's wrong-?"

Indigo grabbed her by the jacket and lifted her. "What in Arceus' green world are you talking about?!"

Ambrosine blinked twice in confusion. "Um…I thought I was pretty clear with you."

"I know what you said, but-!" Indigo growled and dropped the Steenee. "What are you talking about? What do you mean we should abandon the captain?"

"What?!" the crew exclaimed.

Graham, however, smirked. "Ah, so someone on the crew does speak with sense."

Ambrosine stood up and dusted herself off. "Indigo, you know I'm right. The captain obviously doesn't care about us. You saw how he treated me back at the casino. He knew about my heart condition, but still treated me like dirt. He's not worth following."

Indigo bit her lip. "But Ambrosine-"

"I'm not having it anymore. If he's going to treat us like dirt, then we should just leave while we still can. No matter if we stay or not, they'll kill us. We might as well take our chances at getting out of here." Ambrosine pointed down the hall. "We should be able to leave this dimension if we're quiet. Hopefully that Dark Medium doesn't-"

"Ambrosine, I'm not abandoning the captain!"

Ambrosine's eyes widened. She whipped her head around and faced the trembling Sneasel. "W-What?!" Ambrosine returned Indigo's earlier actions by clutching her jacket. "What are you talking about?!"

Indigo gulped, then glared sternly. "Am, I refuse to abandon our captain while he's obviously not in the right mind."

"Not in the- Indigo, don't you remember the way he treated us weeks ago?! Why are you sticking up for him? He doesn't care what happens to us!"

"Yes, he does!" Indigo barked back. "I don't know what's going on with him, but he's not feeling well!"

"He's clearly desperate to save his own skin!"

"You don't know the captain like I do! He may've had to make a deal with these bastards, but he always keeps a level head in these situations. He wouldn't be panicking this badly unless something was really wrong with him!"

"You're blinded by loyalty!" Ambrosine shouted back. "You can't expect everyone to be some grand savior! You're better off not relying on anyone!"

"Oh, is this more of your fabulous wisdom from your darker years?!" Indigo growled. "Is it really that hard for you to see the captain has his best interests in us?!"

"Best interests?! You can't expect me to believe I can trust a man who used me like a tool! I'm not sticking my neck out for someone who almost let me die when I should be worrying about myself, something you should be doing!"

"Then what was that shit about going back to the old days?! I thought you wanted to be a pirate!"

"I literally snuck aboard your ship! I never cared about being a pirate! You're all better off living your own lives than wasting them getting yourselves killed. We were nearly taken out of the sky by those Devil Waker guys when I first joined. We've been roaming the skies hunting a group of treasure hunters when that's none of our business. Your captain has an obsession for power and he's driving all of us into his world just to get something."

Indigo clutched Ambrosine and sneered in her face. "The captain isn't crazy!"

"You could've fooled me!"

"He needs our help!"

"I only look after myself! I'm not putting my own life on the line for anyone else! He should mind his own business and look after himself, the same with the rest of you."

"Bravo, bravo!" The girls turned and watched Graham part through the crew, applauding Ambrosine. "I was right all along. Finally, someone actually competent on this Arceus forsaken crew."

Indigo scowled. "You stay out of this!"

"I wouldn't dare risk escaping knowing my own life was in jeopardy." Graham smirked. "But escaping together isn't entirely impossible. If we play our cards right, we can escape with all our limbs intact." He laughed and casted a mocking stare over his shoulder. "You all would be wise to take this young lady's advice. We're not long for this world if we keep sticking our necks out for a bunch of monsters."

Indigo pushed Ambrosine aside and pointed at Graham. "You don't get to speak for all of us. You're barely an official member of the crew."

Graham chuckled. "And what I say is any less valid? Ambrosine has the right idea. Why would anyone risk their life for another? If anything, we should concern ourselves with finally escaping this hellhole. The captain isn't in any rush to escape. All he cares for is that promised power. Let's take his word for it and leave him to die of his own greed."

Indigo bared her teeth. "You rotten, piece of shit…" She scowled at Ambrosine. "You're seriously going to kick Arid to the side like that?!"

Ambrosine glared back. "What choice do I have? Leave him to his doom. I don't care."

"Somehow, I doubt that."

Ambrosine scoffed. "Fine, stay here and die with the captain. We may be friends, but I'm not going to get myself killed for your sake." She waved to the crew. "Come on, let's get out of here." The Steenee marched down the hall to the sound of her own footsteps.

And only her footsteps.

She stopped a quarter of the way and turned back. While she marched with vigor and courage, the rest stayed with hesitance.

"What's wrong? Hurry up!" Ambrosine shouted. "Look, I know our odds are bad, but if we're careful enough-"

"Ambrosine," Banama interrupted. His head hanged low with his ears drooped over his eyes. "We're not following you."

Ambrosine's heart sank. "W…What?"

Leigh sighed. "Don't take it the wrong way. We want to leave, but…"

"We can't abandon the captain," Zerif finished, crossing his arms.

Ambrosine's lip quivered. "W…What do you…?"

Graham sighed and shook his head. "A petty sense of loyalty in all of them. I feared this would happen."

Julius scowled. "This isn't just some sense of loyalty, ye bastard!"

"Save your breath, Julius," Jones told the Crawdaunt. "Graham doesn't have an ounce of respect for the captain." He glared at Graham. "He's hardly a man. Just some bastard with money. Then again, I suppose it's only fitting for scum to revel in their treasures." For once, Graham glared with a bit of hostility.

"I…I don't understand." They turned back to Ambrosine, whose legs shook with weakness. "Why…Why are you standing up for Arid? Don't you want to leave the Desert Beasts?"

Malcolm scoffed. "Leave the Desert Beasts? We are the Desert Beasts. No matter how far we travel, we'll always be one."

"You want to live your lives as criminals?!"

Leigh glared. "Why not? We were already scum to society before. Why stop now?"

"You're all going to die if you keep following Arid!" Ambrosine screamed. "Stop being stubborn and listen to me! He's not worth it! None of this is worth it!" Now she was trembling.

Indigo glared. "Ambrosine, calm down."

"C-Calm down?! How can I calm down while the rest of you are being stupid? Why are all of you so determined to stick by Arid's side when he's just going to keep acting like a power hungry tyrant-?!" Ambrosine staggered away as Banama stomped into her personal space, glaring her down.

"Indigo's right," Banama growled. "The captain isn't himself. If anything, you should be ashamed of yourself."

"H-Huh?"

"You're gifted in healing magic, yet here you are taking every opportunity to get away from someone who's clearly sick."

Ambrosine bared her teeth. "There's only so far I'm willing to help someone, but not when it endangers my life!"

"Then why are you abandoning someone who needs our help?!"

"Because I don't want to die again!" Ambrosine screamed, shoving the Raichu onto his rear. Lyra gasped and quickly helped him up.

Leigh narrowed her eyes and stepped forward. "Ambrosine, you're not yourself right now-" She stopped as Ambrosine covered her head and trembled before them.

"You're all crazy! You're all daft in the head!" Tears streaked down Ambrosine's face. "What the hell is wrong with all of you?! Aren't you scared of being killed?! They'll kill us! Why isn't that getting into your heads?! What's so great about Arid that you would put your lives in danger?! You idiots are wasting your own lives!"

"That's enough, Ambrosine!" Malcolm shouted.

"I don't want to be the burden for someone else's life! That's my curse and it'll haunt me for the rest of my life! Why should I save someone when it'll get me killed?!"

"What are you talking about?" Rico asked. He reached out to her. "Ambrosine, maybe you should lay down for a bit-"

"Keep your hands off me!" she screamed, slapping his hand away. "That bastard of a captain doesn't deserve my sympathy! What's so great about him that you'll give up everything for his sake? Bonds destroy people, and that's why I can't stand the thought of giving myself up just to save another worthless life! My worthless life shouldn't have been spared!"

"Ambrosine, get a hold of yourself!" Pain Train shouted.

"Leave me alone!" Ambrosine turned and sprint down the hall, tears flying off her face. "I hate all of you! You're all idiots!"

"Ambrosine!" Indigo called out. She tried to run after her, but Lyra stopped her by the shoulder. "Let me go!" She faced Lyra's stern glare. The Zangoose shook her head and pressed her claw to her lips. Indigo panted for a moment, then sighed in defeat. "Right…sorry."

Julius crossed his arms. "What's with that chick?"

"We should give her time to cool off," Drake said. "She seemed distressed about something."

Graham narrowed his eyes. "…Did anyone else catch what she said a moment ago?"

Leigh sighed grumpily. "If this is more of your petty mockery, we don't want to-"

"She said she didn't want to die again."

The crew's eyes widened and stared down the hallway. The words were glossed over in Ambrosine's rage, not the meaning of them.

"What…does she mean by that?" Cheshire mumbled.

Indigo glared curiously. "Ambrosine, what happened to you?"

"What in thunderation is going on here?!" The crew were suddenly greeted by Jeffery and Ray, the former perched atop an annoyed Ray's head. "I could hear your incessant shouting from four corridors over."

Banama sighed. If the resident spy didn't make out what we were saying, we should be in the clear. Probably should've been more careful, though.

"Nothing," Zerif answered. "Just a dispute over which ale is better for partying."

Jeffery scoffed. "You people and your silly disputes, I swear. Vodka is clearly the best!"

Ray rolled his eyes and looked the crew over. "Where's Ambrosine? Could've sworn I heard her."

Indigo frowned and looked away. "She…had to step out for a moment. How's the captain?"

Jeffery huffed and rubbed his face. "He's been quiet for the last few weeks. I only ever see him come out to get food or some fresh air. He's been ignoring me, too."

"What else is new?" Malcolm snarked.

"Oh hush!"

Indigo looked back down the hallway, worried for her friend. Ambrosine, what happened to you?

Ambrosine stumbled across the hallway, face stained in tears and heart pounding painfully against her ribcage. She leaned against the wall for support, trembling with exhaustion. She wreathed with discomfort and fell on her knees, gasping for breath.

"Agh…ack…" She collapsed onto her side, tearing up as her heart acted up again. Darkness seeped over her vision with a fog rolling over in her mind. N-No…I can't…not now…

Her hands trembled toward her chest, sparking with her healing touch. They twitched closer to administer their healing power, but the fatigue shot through her arms and took away the last of her strength, falling limp to the floor.

N-No…not here. Not now.

Ambrosine hacked violently across the floor, spraying droplets of blood. She rolled onto her back and faced the ceiling as the lights dimmed from her vision. She tried to muster a cry for help, but her voice vanished with her strength. She was trapped within her own body, unable to move or cry, only observe her own demise.

I don't…want to die again. Please, someone…help me.

The fog rolled over her vision, blotting out the lights hanging above her. The last glimpse she caught before darkness completely eclipsed her mind was a shadow looming over the last speck of light.

Some people are born gifted. When someone is, they are treated differently than the rest. They're treated with honor and respect, sired as a prodigy. They are born with talent beyond those of their age.

Ambrosine was not one of these people, but another to feel trapped in the shadow of such talent.

Born into a clan of medical magicians, Ambrosine was destined to be stuck in the shadow of her older brother. Barry Lifeblood, the heralded prodigy of the Lifeblood clan. From just the age of two, he was born with an insane aptitude for healing magic, casting his first healing spell to fix his own bruises after a sliding accident.

Ambrosine looked up to her brother, but was secretly envious of his talent. She wasn't nearly as gifted as him. The Lifeblood clan paid attention to only the best. Even when she first started healing magic at age five, all the clan's attention was on Barry as he progressed farther into his talents.

Despite the difference in skill and appreciation, the two siblings were still close. Barry cared deeply for his younger sister and would do anything to help her get by. He worked day and night to help her improve her magic. She appreciated it from the bottom of her heart, and yet…

"My, my, what remarkable talent, my child!"

Ambrosine turned away from her books and frowned as she watched her mother, a Tsareena, once again praising the Snover for his stellar progression. Barry had just finished practicing a spell for magical surgery. Something to do with safely separating the body or whatever, she didn't care.

Barry chuckled sheepishly. "It's nothing special."

"Don't be so modest, dear! You're doing wonderful!" His mother patted his head.

Ambrosine whimpered, then waved her hands. "M-Mom! I learned a new spell, too!"

"That's nice, Ambrosine," Tsareena half-heartedly dismissed before returning to Barry. "To think, you're barely breaching eleven and you've got the makings of a medical magician. Oh, you are going to make the Lifeblood clan proud, my darling child!" She kissed her son on the cheek.

"Mom!" Barry whined. The Snover looked over at his dejected sister as she stuffed her face back in her books. "…Ambrosine's been trying really hard, Mom. Maybe you should see it."

"There's time for that later." Tsareena started pushing Barry out the room. "Come, come. I think you're ready for one of the more advance spells. It's a tricky one to learn, but there's nothing my baby can't do."

Ambrosine bit her lip. "Uh…Mom! I was able to heal a sick plant with my magic! I wasn't able to do that last-!" She flinched as the door slammed shut. "-week." The Steenee huffed, then slammed her book into her face. "Agh! Stupid, stupid Barry! Grr!" She threw the book across the room and tried to flip the table, but her weak arms wouldn't let her.

Her rage quickly subsided as tears breached her eyes. She sniffled, then collapsed her head into her arms, weeping into them. "I'm trying my hardest…"

"Hey sis!"

Ambrosine glared down at her books as her brother entered her bedroom. "What do you want?"

"Whoa. You've got some attitude there."

"Hmph. Haven't seen you in three weeks. Too busy learning that fancy new spell of yours?" she grumbled.

Barry looked away awkwardly. "O…kay." He chuckled and scratched behind his head. "Yeah, it's pretty tricky. It'll take me a whole year to get it down, at least according to Mom. She said with my talent, though, I might have it in half the time."

Ambrosine rolled her eyes. "Good for you," she grumbled bitterly.

"You're not upset, are you?"

"Upset?" Ambrosine repeated in a sickly sweet tone. "Whatever is there to be upset about? I should be thanking you!"

"Uh…thanking me?"

"Of course!" Ambrosine hopped from her chair and wrapped her arms around her brother. "It's a real burden off my shoulders. After all, without Mom hovering over my shoulder all the time, I have all the time in the world to myself. I don't need the endless praise for my budding talent while my super cool and super genius brother gets the attention of the WHOLE clan. My achievements shouldn't matter. It's ALL about Barry."

Barry raised his brow. "Uh…are you being sarcast-?"

"Of course I'm being sarcastic, you dolt!" Ambrosine screamed. She growled and pulled on her leaves. "Honestly, that's all Mom ever talks about! 'Oh sweetie, you'll never believe what Barry did.' 'Barry mastered another spell. Isn't that wonderful?' 'Oh Ambrosine, honestly, why can't you be as talented as your brother?'"

Barry laughed nervously. "Come on, sis, you know that stuff doesn't matter to me."

"Well, it's certainly getting under my skin!" Ambrosine stamped her foot down. "I can't get a word in without her bringing up how amazing you are. Whenever I get the chance to show her something, your name always mysteriously pops into existence."

Barry deflated. "Sis, you know I love you, right? I would never do anything to make you upset. Is there anything I can do?"

"Yeah! Go lock yourself in a rathskeller and stay out of my business!"

"Uh, what-?"

"Or better yet, go jump off a cliff for all I care! Doesn't matter what happens! With your amazing skills, you'll just regenerate from a speck of blood! UGH!" Ambrosine marched over to her desk.

Barry was taken aback, but didn't retreat. "Sis, maybe you should lay down for a moment-"

"I'm perfectly calm!" she screamed as she swiped her books off her desk. "Just get out of my room and…and…stop being so damn perfect!"

"Ambrosine, just let me-OW!" Ambrosine tossed books at him.

"Get out! Now!" she screamed.

"Okay, okay!" Barry swiftly fled into the hallway, but hid around the doorframe. "Look, I'm sorry. Just…please don't hate me." She listened to her brother's fleeting footsteps.

Ambrosine huffed. "Good riddance." She looked down at her floor and at the tossed books. She frowned and approached one of them. The spine had a speck of blood on the bottom. It must've cut Barry on the corner.

Teardrops fell onto the cover as Ambrosine collapsed onto her knees.

"What is wrong with me?"

The months passed. Both Lifeblood siblings extended their knowledge of medical magic, and yet Ambrosine always found herself trailing behind. While Barry improved each day, Ambrosine was ignored more and more for her 'lack of talent'. The spotlight was always on Barry. Nothing but Barry.

Ambrosine was worthless.

The dejected Steenee lay in her bed, staring off into space. She could hear her mother once again praising Barry through the floorboards. Why must the walls and floors be so thin? Was the universe rubbing in her worthlessness?

She exhaled through her nose and pressed her face into her pillow. "Ugh…"

"You're going places, my child." Ambrosine turned her head a bit as her mother started speaking with more enthusiasm. "We're planning on getting you officially licensed as a medical magician. It's an honor many kids your age could only dream of."

"I'm not sure all kids are training to use healing magic," Barry's soft voice responded. Ambrosine rolled her eyes and turned onto her side.

"Well, those kids don't know what they're missing out on. They could be setting themselves up for a bright future instead of wasting away with childish games."

"Mom, you know, Ambrosine has been studying really hard. She finally learned that spell to amplify strength. It would make her happy if you-"

"Barry, Ambrosine's teachers have already told me how she's doing. You're more important right now."

Ambrosine bared her teeth and clutched tightly at her chest.

"That seems a little harsh. Ambrosine's really talented-"

"Sweetheart, Ambrosine isn't a genius like you. I can't focus all my time into both of you. I should only focus on the true blessing of the family."

Ambrosine bit down hard on her lip, drawing blood.

"Mom, seriously, it would make Ambrosine's day if you just-"

"No time for that, sweetheart. I need to get you ready for this afternoon. Attend your studies while I contact the licensing committee."

"But-"

"Bye!"

Ambrosine clutched her pillow tightly, tearing it open by the seams.

Ambrosine truly was worthless.

"Hey Ambrosine!"

Ambrosine tilted her head as her brother entered her room without knocking. She sighed and pressed her face back into her pillow. "Go away. Shouldn't you be getting ready for the committee-?"

"Come on." Ambrosine's eyes widened as Barry pulled her out of bed. "Let's go outside."

"H-Huh?" Ambrosine blinked, then rubbed her eyes. "W-What?"

Barry chuckled. "Yeah, like when we were younger. We used to play near that cliffside, remember?"

Ambrosine frowned. "Barry, I'm not in the mood for this."

"It'll be fun. We haven't had time to hang out with each other. Plus, you look like you could use some fresh air."

Ambrosine looked away. "I don't know."

Barry narrowed his eyes gently and patted her arm. "Hey. Forget what Mom said. You're plenty talented in my eyes. You don't need to feel like you're not important."

"But I'm not," she mumbled.

"Don't talk like that. Come on." He took her by the arms and dragged her out of her room. Ambrosine put up no resistance as she was dragged along.

"Ah, smell that fresh air."

"Yeah, great…"

Barry led Ambrosine along through the field of grass. Ambrosine got tired of being dragged and followed along on foot. Flowers were in bloom, beautiful lavenders all around them. Ambrosine wasn't interested in them, still following with a dejected mood.

"Hey sis, like I said, don't listen to Mom. You're plenty important."

Ambrosine huffed. "I don't believe you."

Barry looked over his shoulder. "You've got a lot of potential in you, I know it. Mom doesn't know what she's talking about."

"Coming from the prodigy," she grumbled.

Barry chuckled. "Believe me, I would trade places with you in a heartbeat." He sighed. "She's always breathing down my neck and making me study. I barely have time to rest anymore."

"I don't envy you for that." Ambrosine sighed. "I just…I just want someone to appreciate me for once in my life, you know?"

"I appreciate you."

"You don't count."

"Ouch." Barry laughed. "Someone out there will show you you're important. You just need to reach out to people more."

Ambrosine looked away. "I…I don't know."

"Hmm…" Barry looked ahead at the cliff and beamed. "Hey Ambrosine! Let's play!"

"H-Huh?"

"Come on, like when we younger." He shoved her down, then ran off laughing. "Tag, you're it!"

"Barry, I'm not-"

"Can't catch me, slowpoke!" Barry taunted as he raced over to the cliff.

Ambrosine wasn't sure what compelled her to follow, but a fire burned deep in her chest. She huffed, then darted after him with a smirk. "Okay!"

Barry laughed and stopped as she came racing at him. He spun and dodged her first attempt. "Too slow!"

"Get back here!" Ambrosine dug her feet in and lunged after him.

"Whoa!" Barry hopped back and barely avoided her second strike. "Ha, try better next time!"

"Oh, just you wait, I'll give you-!" Ambrosine stopped and looked at how close Barry was toward the edge. She flinched as thoughts of danger raced through her mind, especially with how close he was spinning near the edge. "B-Be careful, Barry! That looks dangerous!"

"I haven't felt this free in a long time!" he exclaimed, ignoring her pleas. "Haha!" He stamped down at the edge and raised his arms. "I'm king of the world!"

"Big brother! Please!" Ambrosine pleaded as she sprinted over to him. "We haven't been over here in years. What if the ground's unstable?"

"Oh, it's fine, see?" He jumped and stomped his feet down, which scared Ambrosine. However, the ground didn't shake in response. "Told you."

"S-Still, maybe we should head back to the house. I'm not comfortable around here."

"You've played around here before and we're still kicking." He grabbed her hands. "Come on, Ambrosine, dance with me!"

"But-WAH!" Barry wasted no time swinging her around. "O-Okay…" she gave in nervously.

They spun around on the cliff, daring the line between safety and plummeting. Ambrosine dared not look over the edge in fear of what rested below. She closed her eyes and tried to push away those dreaded thoughts.

"See, isn't this fun?" She faced her brother and saw the relaxed composure in his face. He chuckled freely, like a burdened has been lifted from him.

Ambrosine blinked, then grinned back awkwardly. "I guess so."

"This is just what we needed. Who cares what Mom wants? Let's just spend the rest of our lives being happy. What do you say?"

"Um…y-yeah, alright!" she squeaked, trying to sound genuine.

"Haha! That's the spirit! Wee!" Barry swung her around. Ambrosine laughed along and spun with him.

How long has it been since she had the time to relax? Ambrosine hasn't felt this good in ages. She definitely needed this. She needed something to take her mind off the trouble. Why couldn't everyday be like this?

As Ambrosine laughed, she barely noticed the slight tremble at her feet. She stumbled and shot a look at the ground, eyes wide with panic. Barry caught onto her sudden mood swing and stopped, looking at her in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

Ambrosine panted heavily, crying, "What was that shaking?!"

Barry blinked. "What shaking-?" His eyes widened as the ground audibly cracked below them.

They turned their eyes down and gasped as the ground split open at their feet, cascading over the entire cliff. Before either of them could think of running, the ground gave out. Gravity suddenly pushed down on them as they lost their footing.

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"

The siblings screamed and flung their limbs, trying to catch onto anything. Barry managed to catch a protrusion on the cliffside. He bit back the pain of his shoulder nearly popping out of socket.

"BARRY!" Barry looked down and saw his sister flailing her arms, unable to catch herself. The look of fear was prevalent in her face. "HELP ME! BAAAAAARRY!"

"Sis!" Barry screamed. His eyes widened as something cracked beside him. He looked up and noticed the protrusion was breaking off. "Nononononononon-!"

CRACK!

Everything was a deep haze. Ambrosine couldn't feel anything. White noise buzzed in her head as she stared up at the sky, unbothered by the blood spilling out from her mouth. Her eyes were glazed over, barely able to see past the dark fog in her mind.

"S-Sis…" She couldn't turn her head. Only stare at the sky. She heard something dragging itself up to her. "No…no, no, no. Ambrosine…"

Ambrosine, encouraged by the voice, moved her eyes a bit and got a good look at herself. If her head was clearer, she would've worried about the huge rock spire impaled through her chest. So much blood coated that spire.

"Sis…sis, no!" Ambrosine moved her eyes again. The voice belonged to her brother, Barry. He wasn't in better shape. Blood ran down his body, his right eye swelled shut, and his left arm dangled limply by his side. "Sis, don't fall asleep! Don't close your eyes! Don't go!"

Clarity returned to Ambrosine's mind. She couldn't express it outwardly, but inside, terror chimed through her very soul. Am I…dying? Her lip trembled faintly. I…I don't want to die…

"Sis! Ambrosine! No!" She watched Barry beating on the spire furiously. "This is my fault! I should've listened to you! Why didn't I listen?!"

Big brother…no…

"I can't let my little sister die. I won't allow it!" She felt him touch her cheek. "You're going to be alright, Ambrosine! I-I'll think of something!"

B-Barry…everything's so cold. I…I don't want to go into the dark. Tears leaked from her eyes. B-Barry…I'm s-scared. I-It's so d-dark…

The dark haze filled her vision. She was losing herself.

"What do I do? What do I do?" His voice was a distance echo in her fleeting mind. "…I have to do it. Your life is far more important than mine. Ambrosine…I'll sa…promise me you…don't die…"

The darkness dragged Ambrosine down. Existence itself vanished from her mind. Her mind went dormant, laying into an endless sleep. A single thought remained.

I…want…to…live.

Nothing.

Still nothing.

There was nothing.

An endless sea of nothing.

In that sea of nothingness, a teal light burst through, splashing down like water.

Ambrosine gasped and shot up, panting heavily and gripping her chest. Water dripped down her body while a bunch of ice slid from her lap. Her entire being shivered to the bone.

"Yeesh. I thought you were actually dead."

Ambrosine blinked and turned her head up. A face she wasn't expecting to come to her rescue.

"Edwin?"

The Simisage tossed the bucket he used aside. "Good, you didn't hit your head too hard."

Ambrosine held her head, calming her breathing. "What…happened?"

"I heard some shouting from down the hall and went to investigate. Instead, I found you collapsed on the ground. You looked like you were having a seizure or something."

"How…How am I alive?" she breathed. She didn't remember healing herself in time.

"I took a gamble and used Damage Transfero on your heart." He knelt down and poked her in the chest. "I stopped your heart by transferring that thumping into the ground, then restarted it with a second shock. I'll be honest, I didn't think that would work, but you were going to die either way."

"I…guess that makes sense." Ambrosine closed her eyes for a moment of composure, then gasped. "Wait, you can stop someone's heart with that spell?!"

Edwin shook his head. "Don't overthink it. The only reason I could was because your aura was weak, and I had to concentrate on it. I can't normally do that to internal organs."

"I…see." Ambrosine covered her face and sighed. "Th-Thank you, Edwin. I really appreciate it."

He waved it off. "It's whatever." He helped her up. "That condition of yours looks really inconvenient."

Ambrosine frowned. "It's been that way for most of my life."

"How'd you wind up with it? Did it just…develop or something?"

Ambrosine closed her eyes. "…My brother gave it to me."

"Huh?" Edwin suddenly went red-faced as Ambrosine pulled down on her shirt collar. "Whoa, hang on a second, what are you-?!" He stopped and got a good look at her. "What the hell is with that scar?"

A huge, twisted scar could be partially seen at the top of her chest. "That's where I was impaled." She let go of her shirt. "A huge rock impaled me through the chest. It completely destroyed my heart."

"Destroyed your heart?" Edwin glared. "How are you alive?"

"I come from a family of medical magicians. My brother was one of the best." Ambrosine sighed. "He knew some of the best spells around, including the taboo ones. He brought me back to life with the Life for a Life spell."

"That forbidden spell? I've heard of it." Edwin pointed at her. "He used it on you?"

"It can only be used on the dead. As far as I could tell, I was dead for thirty seconds. He didn't hesitate to use it on me." She frowned. "He brought me back to life by giving his life to me. I took everything from him. His life…and his immense magic."

"His magic?" Edwin watched Ambrosine as she extended her arm and ignited her hand in teal magic.

"I never had this much power before. When you use the Life for a Life spell, you take their power with you." Ambrosine sighed and closed her fist, extinguishing the magic. "His great talent was given to me."

"That so?" Edwin crossed his arms. "So, that spell obviously restored your heart, but why do you have those heart attacks?"

Ambrosine leaned against the wall and sighed. "There's a couple conditions that need to be met before using that spell. It has to be used within the first twenty-four hours after the victim's death. The second is critical. The user has to be in healthy condition before using it."

"Define healthy."

"The spell focuses on the body and soul in general. Disabilities and such are forgiven, but things like chronic heart attacks, curses, and injury are considered. My brother was on the brink of death himself. He could've lived if saved in time. I was dead the moment I fell onto the spire. My brother must've known the risks, yet used it in confidence."

Edwin frowned. "So, all that pain he felt transformed into your heart attacks?"

"Pretty much."

"That's rough."

Ambrosine closed her eyes. "My brother was an idiot."

"Huh?"

"He had a future ahead of himself, and he chose to save my worthless life." She shook her head. "I've seen death up close. It was horrible. It may have been thirty seconds, but it was an eternity of torment for me."

"That so?"

Ambrosine closed her eyes. "I was traumatized from that day. I can't stand the thought of dying. Being a medical magician, the lives of my patients were beyond mine." She clutched her shirt angrily. "My clan was corrupt, all because of my mother. All she cared about was making our name into something important."

Edwin slung his arm under hers. "I better take you to your room." He guided her down the hall. "What's this about becoming important?"

"The Lifeblood clan isn't exactly a well-known one in Mysto. We're rather unknown in the medical community." Ambrosine huffed. "My mother was ambitious, and the people she rubbed elbows with were just as bad. Doctors who cared more about their image rather than their patients. They're the ones treated with respect, even if their own life extinguishes. You're remembered for using such a taboo spell. The one brought back to life is…just some guy in the public eye.

"They don't even realize the horrors people like me witness. And do you know what my mother said when I was found?"

"I'm…afraid to ask."

Ambrosine clenched her teeth. "The second I was brought home, the first thing she said to me was 'It's a shame to lose such a beloved, gifted prodigy'."

Edwin flinched. "Ouch."

"She didn't even ask if I was okay. All she cared about was that her precious prodigy could no longer work to make the Lifeblood family recognizable."

"I remember something about you being a stowaway on the Desert Beasts' ship."

Ambrosine narrowed her eyes. "I stayed home until I turned eighteen. I learned enough to deal with my heart condition, then I ran away." Ambrosine sighed. "Well, not before telling my mother off. She was pretty pissed."

Edwin smirked. "Nice."

"I've been on the road for…six or seven months before I found the Desert Beasts." Ambrosine shook her head. "I figured I could put my medical skills to good use there, within reason."

"Why's that?"

Ambrosine glared. "I learned two things the day I was resurrected. One, the world's always going to respect talent and birthright over all else. And two, my life is far more important than the life of another, so there's no point in risking my life for some person. I'm never going to do what my brother did for anyone, and I'm never going to die."

Edwin frowned. "…That's a cynical way of looking at it."

"I wouldn't expect you to understand." She sighed. "I just want to get as far away from them as possible. I don't understand why they would stay so loyal to someone so corrupt? Arid's…not as great as I hoped." Ambrosine frowned gloomily and hung her head.

Edwin frowned at her, then looked ahead. "I don't blame you. That creep, Zaros, is getting under my skin." He bared his teeth. "When you join an organization like Count Aeternus', you have to keep up appearances, or you get kicked."

"Nothing ever goes right in life, does it?"

"Can't say it does?" Edwin shook his head. "What do you plan on doing if you escape?"

"Try and live for the rest of my life. I never want to die again."

"I'm sure the Shadow King's offering a special on immortality," Edwin joked.

Ambrosine bared her teeth. "Not what I had in mind."

Edwin shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you. The only other thing I can think of is…" Edwin stopped and looked around in the hallway. "Wait…" He groaned and slapped his face. "Shoot, I was so busy talking, I must've taken us down the wrong corridor."

Ambrosine shrugged and limped out of his arms. "It's fine. I'll just rest in this room before heading back to mine."

"Room?" Edwin turned and saw her opening up a pair of double doors. His eyes widened. "Wait, this is…hey, don't go in there! That's-!"

Ambrosine pulled the doors open just as he shouted. "What?" She looked inside, then froze. "W…What the-?"

Edwin grabbed her shoulder and tried to pull her away. "You can't go in there!"

"Is this…the Shadow King's room?"

Before them was a dark chamber, made up like a twisted version of a bedroom library. A king sized bed stood in the center with canopy curtains lined around it. Shelves filled with books lined the walls on all sides. They seemed to periodically fly off the shelves and float around the room.

Edwin sighed in defeat. "Right, so…I wasn't supposed to take you down this way. This is where the Shadow King rests most of the day. I was ordered never to come down here." Edwin looked to the side and mumbled, "Aeternus is going to kill me…"

"What's with these books?" Ambrosine asked, snatching one out of the air.

"They're from the Immensus Library. With it now trapped in his domain, the library's entire stash of books is at his disposal. He's been frequenting it a lot. Not sure why."

Ambrosine snatched another book and read the cover. Her eyes widened. "Wait…The Ravenfield Bloodline?"

Edwin glared. "He's as obsessed with them as your captain. I swear, if he wasn't able to kill me in one shot, I would recommend an intervention."

Ambrosine opened the book and flipped through the pages. "Why would he have singled out this book in particular then? Oh wait, there's a page bookmarked." She squinted at the text. "Hold on…what does this say?"

The page was smeared with highlighter, but a few words stood out.

Heritage.

Lost family.

Fate.

"Who the heck are these guys?" she mumbled.

"Uh…Ambrosine. You might want to look at this."

Ambrosine closed the book and tucked it under her jacket, wanting to read it later. "What?" She turned, then instantly struck dumb.

Edwin had apparently messed around with some books on the left wall. One book triggered a secret compartment to open right in front of him. Both Ambrosine and Edwin stared in awe at the three glowing objects hanging from the compartment wall.

The Keys of Fire, Water, and Storms.