W.I.T.C.H. Dreams of Lusteria
By Galistar07water
Disclaimer: W.I.T.C.H. is owned and copyrighted by the Walt Disney Company Italia and is in no way affiliated with the fictional works of Galistar07water.
Author's note: If you would like to see drawings of W.I.T.C.H. Dreams of Lusteria, please visit my page and click the "W.I.T.C.H. Dreams of Lusteria" folder in the gallery section.
Sorry for the delay. This chapter was supposed to be uploaded two months ago. Unfortunately, my life got extremely busy these past few months, leaving me with barely any free time to draw, let alone write. To make it worse, I suffered through several writer's block while working on this chapter.
Chapter 06: Reflection of Pain pt. I
"We have to go back!" Hay Lin cried. "Kimi risked her life to save us!"
"Be calm, Hay Lin," Ngọc Long said gently. "You are in no condition to face Xuan Wu so soon. Going back now would ensure your defeat."
"But there must be something we can do!" Hay Lin insisted. "We can't just sit here and do nothing!"
"We're not," Orube stated firmly. "We're retreating in order to win another day. For now, the best course of action is for us to rest and rethink our next plan."
"Orube's right, Hay Lin," Will nodded. "We'll go back as soon as we can. But for now, we need to recover our strength."
Hay Lin sighed as she collapsed onto the sofa. She spotted Kimi's Astral Drop sitting across from her. Hay Lin turned her head away in shame, unable to face the Astral Drop as if she was the real Kimi.
"It's not right," Hay Lin's voice quivered as she tried to fight back the tears. "We shouldn't have left her behind in the hands of that water witch!"
"Kimi made her choice, Hay Lin," Irma said sourly. "It's her fault for going back in the first place. If you asked me, I'd say she's gotten what she deserved! Maybe spending time with Xuan Wu would cool her head off a little bit!"
Hay Lin, Orube, Taranee, and Will stared at Irma in shock.
"How could you say that, Irma?" Hay Lin demanded. The softness of her tone subsided as it turned to anger. "Kimi saved my life more than once already, and regardless of your animosity towards her, I don't think anyone deserves such cruelty! Not even Kimi!"
"Wake up, Hay Lin!" Irma yelled. "Kimi is not the kind of person you think she is! Have you forgotten when we chased her down to help her, she shot daggers at us? Not to mention rammed us while we're on our snowmobiles! Oh, and did I mention that wall of hard light she made so that we'll crash into it?! Isn't that right, Cornelia?"
Hay Lin glanced at Cornelia who seemed conflicted.
"Cornelia, you're going to agree with Irma again?" Hay Lin asked.
Cornelia sighed. "Hay Lin, Kimi is erratic and dangerously unpredictable. She attacked us ruthlessly when we tried to help her. Her cousins showed up and one of them accused her of killing someone!"
"You can't be serious?" Hay Lin asked, shaking her head in disbelief. "You're actually going to believe those girls?"
"Regardless, I don't think Kimi will ever change no matter how much we try to help her, Hay Lin," Cornelia stated.
"Cornelia, have you forgotten that she also saved you from drowning?" Hay Lin pointed out angrily. "I thought that it would be enough to make you realize that she's not a terrible person!"
"Hay Lin, going back to save her this instant isn't going to change her opinion about us or make her forget her vendetta! She's worse than Nerissa! Maybe spending time on ice would cool her heads off a little bit—"
"Enough!" Orube interrupted them. "Irma. Cornelia. I've had about enough of your animosities for one day. If you had known Kimi as long as I did, I doubt that you would even think of her like that. And Hay Lin, you know very well that we don't have the strength to launch an instant rescue mission. I told you, we'll be back for her. But for now, we need rest."
"We need to go home and sleep, Hay Lin," Will reminded her. "Plus, we still have school tomorrow morning. Kimi's Astral Drop can fill in her place for now so the teachers won't get suspicion."
Irma rolled her eyes as she and the others got up to leave. "You don't think Kimi conjured up her Astral Drop to ditch another one of Knickerbocker's detentions on purpose, do you?"
"Oh, like you never did such a thing with your Astral Drop before, Irma?" Taranee rolled her eyes. "Back then, you tried to convince us to leave our Astral Drops at school so that we could go to a carnival. That plan really bit us in the behind!"
"Hey, you went along with it, too, so you're just as guilty!" Irma retorted.
Astral Kimi glared at them, but said nothing as she watched the Guardians slowly filing out of the house with Taranee giving Irma another lecture. Cornelia noticed that Hay Lin was furiously trying to avoid looking at her in the eyes.
Cornelia sighed heavily as Orube closed the front door behind her.
"Hay Lin, look I understand that you—"
"Kimi's not the only Guardian who can tell whether or not people are being truthful, you know," Hay Lin said, cutting her off.
Cornelia blinked, unsure where this was going.
"You forget that I can also tell when people are lying thanks to my power over air. Right now, the air around you is telling me that deep down, you don't really think that badly of Kimi, especially not after she saved both our lives."
Cornelia's eyes widen in surprised. She shook her head furiously. "Hay Lin, I know you're upset, but you shouldn't make up any excuses to defend—"
"No, you shouldn't make up any excuses, Cornelia," Hay Lin pointed out. "Are you or are you not the sensible holder of the earth? I know you long enough that you would never leave a fellow Guardian behind. You didn't want to when Will told us to leave Taranee behind on Metamoor all those years ago, remember? You even blamed Will and called on her for it! Now the same thing is happening to Kimi and you're just following what Irma says? Let me asked you something, Cornelia: When have you forsaken a fellow Guardian?"
And with that, Hay Lin swung her backpack onto her other shoulder and brisk walked back to her family's restaurant, leaving Cornelia stunned by her words in the night. As the lights from the street lamps began to flicker on, a cold and harsh winter wind blew in, bringing in some dark clouds from the sea. Cornelia walked home in silent, unaware that a part of her is automatically trying to get back as fast as she could before the rain comes. The other part of her mind is too preoccupied with Hay Lin's biting words. It was really getting to her.
"You even blamed Will and called on her for it! Now the same thing is happening to another one of our members and you're just following what Irma says?"
Hay Lin's words echoed in Cornelia's head and it was all she could hear when she finally arrived at her penthouse. She barely remember sitting down to dinner with her family. Nor did she recall getting ready for bed.
"When have you forsaken a fellow Guardian?"
Was Hay Lin right? True, she never liked Kimi since they first met, but has Cornelia become blinded by her hatred that she has forsaken the Light Guardian's safety and wellbeing?
The thought plagued her all night as Cornelia tossed and turned in her sleep.
"When have you forsaken a fellow Guardian?"
It was cold and quiet in Xuan Wu's ice palace. The air was freezing and the dead atmosphere was eerie. Suddenly, a wicked laughter echoed throughout the halls, chilling the bones of even the most cold-hearted snow spirits amongst Xuan Wu's rank. Their master was basking in the glory of her latest victory in the dungeon where she's keeping her new favorite prisoner. After Orube and the other Guardians fled the battle scene, Xuan Wu had her new trophy moved into the deepest and coldest cell of her palace.
It was a huge prison chamber, with only one door leading out and it was surrounded by ten snow women. They held their graceful forms together with dignity as they watched their master pacing back and forth, admiring her work. In the back were several more victims frozen in solid blocks of ice, but none could compare to Xuan Wu's latest prize. The Celestial Warrior of Water paused as she looked into her prisoner's frozen expression.
"Fear not, for your fellow Guardians have not forsaken you, little girl," Xuan Wu smirked, tapping her fingernails on the ice's surface. Inside was her prisoner, the Guardian of Light.
Xuan Wu laughed when Kimi did not respond nor reacted in any way. Yet she could feel the burning rage in her prisoner's eyes. Faking a hurt expression, she sighed. "Why so hostile? You are a guest of honor in my palace. I even took the liberty of giving you this entire chamber all to yourself during your stay."
Silence.
"You're still not angry at me for disposing the world of your father, are you? Believe me, child," Xuan Wu said as she placed her manicured nails on the ice's surface and began to scratch it hard, creating an earsplitting sound that echoed throughout the prison chamber. Her snow women winced slightly at the painful reverberation, but dared not complain for fear of what their mistress would do to them.
"It's nothing personal when I killed him," she paused and then smiled. "Oh, what am I saying? Of course, it was! After all, one of you Guardians killed my brother. I was simply returning the favor. Believe me, this world is better off without him." Xuan Wu leaned in closer and whispered callously, "Be grateful that I haven't done the same to your twin."
Again, Kimi couldn't answer, but Xuan Wu knew better. Being encased in ice doesn't mean her prisoners are not aware of their surroundings. Out of curiosity, Xuan Wu tapped into her special power. Whenever Xuan Wu does her charm-speaking to manipulate or brainwash her victims, she found that some are still resistant to her influences. Therefore, she had to dig deeper by going into their minds to see what they're thinking. However, diving into another psyche takes a great deal of chi, not enough for Xuan Wu to twist and manipulate their inner thoughts. But at least she could hear what Kimi has to say via telepathy, and what she heard were anger and frustration.
You're a monster! Kimi cried. My father and brother will be avenged once I escape from this blasted prison of yours!
Xuan Wu laughed, finding Kimi's threat amusing as ever.
"Escape? No one has ever escaped from my ice coffin before, Guardian, and do you know why?" Xuan Wu smiled lazily. "This is no ordinary penitentiary to keep my prisoners incapacitated."
She paused for a bit.
"You should already know that we Celestial Warriors fuse our dark elemental magic and our Deadly Sins into our attacks. Perhaps you haven't noticed, but the reason you're feeling weak right now isn't because of the cold: it's because your prison is slowly draining you of your vital energy."
If Kimi was surprised, she didn't show it.
"Yes, little girl," Xuan Wu mused lazily, "With every passing hour, my ice coffin is absorbing your chi, eating it away and leaving you weak and vulnerable. Soon, you won't have any strength to resist our might. You'll be powerless to stop me, just like your twin brother," Xuan Wu chuckled as she remembered the moment in battle when Kimi jumped into the raging water to save Cornelia and Hay Lin. "You shouldn't have tried to save them, Light Guardian. Do you now understand where sentiment has gotten you? For all your spouts of revenge, you still harbor some form of human emotions to save them. That, my dear, is what makes you weak."
Xuan Wu's words seemed to have a biting effect on Kimi as she realized how ironic the situation was: ever since Kimi met the other Guardians, she had thought of them weak because they were Earthlingwith affectionate emotions. But now she is a prisoner of Xuan Wu due to harboring some form of sentiment for her…friends. The truth seemed clearer as Kimi continued to reflect on all of the emotional pain.
"You're weak, little girl," Xuan Wu continued to mock. "Just like your parents for sacrificing themselves to save you. Soon, the others will join you, too. I know you humans well enough to know your friends will come back. Once they make that mistake, I'll be ready to welcome them in my frozen embrace."
No…you won't win, Kimi thought coldly. Orube and the others will defeat you because they are stronger than you dare give them credits for!
Xuan Wu laughed. "Do you believe so because the Keeper of the Heart managed to awaken a new transformation? I recall that she was given a hard time in your last battle, correct?"
She's a Guardian of Kandrakar, you wretch! Vandom and her friends can endure anything you throw their way! They suffered Byakko's wrath and defeated him in the end. The same will happen to you if you do not release me! If I were you, I would reconsider the choice of submitting to defeat before it is too late. Forget your siege on Joseon and tell me where my brother is, or so help me that I will ensure your defeat!
Xuan Wu frowned. She did not like to be talked to that way by a human. Did this child honestly believe that she was in any position to give her, a demi-goddess, an ultimatum?
"Do you believe that I would tell you where we hid your brother? Much less take you to him?" Xuan Wu sneered coldly as she paced back and forth. Her snow women watched nervously from a safe distance.
"Do not think of me so plain that I wouldn't know what you were scheming, little Guardian. You must have thought it wise to be captured, hoping that I would be foolish enough to imprison you with your beloved twin. Well then…if keeping you away from your brother will bring you nothing but heartache, I would gladly continue to make you suffer."
Xuan Wu ordered her snow spirits to file out of the prison before turning her back against Kimi's ice block. "As for your friends, I think I should just kill a few of them off after I torture them. In reality, I only need a few of you alive to coerce your uncle for the siege of Nihon."
Placing a hand on the door's handle, Xuan Wu began to muse at the murderous thoughts playing in her mind. "Hm…Perhaps I should freeze the Keeper's new wings off before shattering her into a thousand ice shards like your father? Or I could impale the youngest one through the heart with my spear? Or better yet, drown the Earth Guardian in a sea of acid?"
I swear by the Light of Kandrakar that if you so much as hurt them, I will ensure your demise! Once I escape from this prison, I am coming after you!
Xuan Wu shrugged as she lazily ignored the girl's threat and closed the door. Turning to face two of her ice spirits, she ordered, "Make sure no one comes to her rescue."
They nodded and took their positions to guard the door.
Xuan Wu quickly returned to her throne room, not noticing the small change in it at first. Then she paused and quickly realized that the temperature is slightly warmer. She frowned before turning to face her snow women.
"Leave us be," she commanded coldly.
The spirits gave each other confused looked at first.
"Us?" one snow woman spoke up nervously. "My Lady, there's no one else here besides—"
Xuan Wu shot her a venomous glare, causing the poor thing to cut her sentence short. She quickly bowed her head and stepped back. "Yes, my Lady."
Once they were all gone, Xuan Wu stood alone in the center of her throne room. Without glancing behind her, Xuan Wu said in a cold, deadly tone.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded.
Remaining impassive, the Celestial Warrior of Fire stepped out of the shadows, looking quite magnificent in crimson red. "Wherefore so cold-hearted? Is that how thee greet thy brother, my Lady Xuan Wu?" Zhu Que asked.
"You dare show yourself before me after what you just did? The Northern Water Kingdom is my realm and mine alone! Therefore, the Guardians were mine to defeat, not yours!"
Zhu Que frowned but said nothing at first as he continued to observe his sister's reaction.
"If you think that you can interfere with my goal, you are sadly mistaken!"
"Art thou threatened by my presence?" Zhu Que asked. The question caused a slight reaction from Xuan Wu, which told Zhu Que all he needed to know.
"So what if I am?" Xuan Wu glared. "Wouldn't you be if I intruded into your personal affairs against them in the Southern Kingdom?"
"While it is truthful that I hardly gave thee any reason to trust me," Zhu Que said, "I hold no grand illusions about what our purposes are."
Xuan Wu was unsure how to respond. "What are you saying?"
"I understand the systematic destruction and reconstruction of our grand scheme of universal conquest is for your purposes, to set thyself up as a more powerful god in the universe. Tis not what tee toldeth me ere after Lord Byakko's demise?"
Xuan Wu's eyes widen as she realized her foolishness in sharing her desire for more power to Zhu Que. At that time, she imprudently thought of him trustworthy enough.
"Tis would beest ashamed if it be true Lord Hwang-Ryong knoweth of thy deceitful plan. That gent might bethink that thou art trying to usurp him," Zhu Que whispered coldly into her ear.
Xuan Wu glared at him. "What is it that you desire, brother? To blackmail me by offering me a deal? Are you going to offer me quarter in exchange to let you have half of my realm when I succeed?"
Zhu Que scoffed and shook his head as if the idea was laughable. "No, me Lady. I merely intend to warn thee to best be more cautious. Thee doth not wish to infuriate Lord Hwang-Ryong more than needed be. Byakko hath already failed and we do not needeth to has't thee have a fruitless outcome here in Joseon."
"Are you implying that I will fail?! Look before you, brother, for I am near the zenith of my victory!" Xuan Wu spread her arms and the throne room got colder as frost engulfed the crystal ceilings.
"I have already incapacitated the Light Guardian and soon her little friends will return to attempt a rescue. Once they're in my palace, they will suffer for their foolishness and be dealt with! They will die at my hands, leaving the people of this kingdom no hope but to perish in an eternal winter. Queen Sŏndŏk will have no choice but to surrender her crown and her reign to me!"
Zhu Que frowned as he spoke in an even tone. "May I remind thee that we needeth the Guardian of Light alive to coerce the Chancellor of Nihon in the future? Thy little spy intentionally poisoned his bride's mind as well as her twin's into killing Kimi Watsuki. I merely intervened in the battle to cease their murderous intentions!"
"You knew about that Kenji boy?" she demanded. So it was true that Zhu Que was spying on her.
"Aye, for the sake of our grand plan of universal conquest, it hath been my business to know!"
Xuan Wu was silent for a moment, but after pondering what he just said and thinking back on the event of the last battle, she coldly asked, "Do you really have no intention of usurping me, brother?"
Zhu Que's expression changed back into his stoic state as he composed himself. "There is no desire in my heart to seize thy watery cold realm. Doeth as thou wisheth, Xuan Wu. You and thy intention barely hinders mine role in the Kingdom of Fire, and arguably 'tis all pointless for me to intervene. I only hast loyalty to our real goal to destroyeth Kandrakar."
"Hmph! Why warn me if that's really the case? There must be another motive otherwise you never would have come here!"
Zue Que leaned in closer to whisper into Xuan Wu's ears. "Perhaps I cannot standeth idly by and let thy minions murder one girl. If killing her wouldst jeopardize the siege in Nihon, I will doeth what wilt be done."
Xuan Wu brushed past him as she stormed off. "Very well, I will forgive you for your earlier intercession since you clearly wanted our missions of conquests to be a success. But do it again, and I will do more than smolder your inner fire. Now leave me be! I must prepare for the arrival of a few guests."
Zhu Que bowed elegantly and said, "As thou wisheth, mine lady."
A burst of flame engulfed him as he disappeared…only to reappear again in Kimi's lonely prison cell. Kimi was surprised to see him and would have attacked if she could. The Lord of Wrath gazed at her with little interest before turning his attention to the small hole in the ceiling that barely let in a little light in her dark and cold cell.
"I will doeth what wilt be done for mine fidelity for our brother and master. If he believes that thou wilt be put to death, then I wilt ensureth it by planting the seed of anxiety in thy heart 'here then," he said stoically.
If you're here to kill me, then be done with it, Kimi thought miserably.
As if hearing her mind, Zhu Que quickly returned his gaze upon Kimi and smiled mysteriously. His amber colored eyes suggested a hidden motive that chilled Kimi's spine. At the same time, Kimi cannot help how condescending it was. With her body incapacitated and vulnerable, Zhu Que had every right to look down upon her as if she was nothing more than an insect. Zhu Que must have been sent here in secret by Hwang-Ryong to finish her off behind Xuan Wu's back. After all, there were no better opportunities than this moment. To kill her off right now while she's miserable and weak would be all too delicious for their satisfaction.
To her surprise, he didn't.
"Do not be afraid, wretched child, for I assure thou that the Guardians will defeat the Lady of Sloth, for our Lord Hwang-Ryong hath commandeth it," he whispered.
Looking back up at the small hole in the ceiling, Zhu Que quietly made it larger by melting the ice around its rim. As he does so, a bigger trickle of light flooded in, focusing its ray straight down into Kimi's ice coffin.
Zhu Que smiled and merely replied, "Perhaps this might helepth thou."
Why? Why help me? Kimi thought, still puzzled at this revelation. It makes no sense: the Celestial Warriors are all trying to conquer Lusteria and make it the dominating world in the universe once they toppled Kandrakar. Why would Zue Que help her and want the Guardians to defeat a fellow Celestial Warrior?
"Do not think of me a godling whose heart has converted, little girl," Zhu Que stated coldly. "You and your wretched kinds are nothing more than insects to our causes, at the ready to be squashed. Yet ye lives shall be spared for the moment as it suits my brother's desire. Count thyselves fortunate today. Should we meet again, I wilt noth hesitate to incinerate you all."
And with that, he disappeared in a burst of fire and sparks.
It was quiet and dark and Cornelia didn't like it one bit. As the Guardian of Earth, she knew that plants cannot survive in complete darkness. Without sunlight, nothing could bloom.
Cornelia looked down and to her surprise, she could see her entire body very clearly, despite any sources of sunlight.
Cornelia shivered and tried to warm herself, even though it really wasn't that cold. She couldn't put a finger on it, but it felt as if she wasn't alone in this place. The thought of a stranger nearby without know who he or she is frightened her a bit.
"Maybe I should just start walking," Cornelia said to herself. The farther the distance she put between herself and whoever else is here, the better.
Cornelia didn't know how long she has been walking but it felt like three minutes…or was it thirty? Any sense of time she had before doesn't seem to exist in this dark place.
Suddenly, she heard a gentle rustling sound of leaves in front of her and froze.
"W-who's there?" she hesitated.
No answer.
"Hm…I must be imagining—"
The sound of rustling leaves and branches twitching started again, causing Cornelia to jump. Suddenly, there was another sound coming from behind her.
Cornelia turned around, and to her surprise, found herself in a Japanese-styled garden filled with rocks, moss, and water features that were carefully composed around raked gravels that represent ripples in water. In the center was a cherry blossom tree with petals made out of pastel aura lights. There was a house, too, and sitting on the elevated wooden porch was a figure in black robes. His back was turned towards her so she couldn't see his face.
Cornelia gulped and decided to inch closer. As she does so, she could hear the sound of scissors snipping at something.
What am I worried about? Cornelia thought nervously to herself. It's just a guy cutting at something, right? I'm Cornelia Hale, the Guardian of Earth! If anything happens, I'll just transform and knock him out—
Cornelia stepped on a twig and it snapped, attracting the figure's attention. Cornelia held her breath as he raised his head and turned around to face his visitor. To her astonishment, his face was hidden by a mask with two small slits for the eyes. In his hand was a pair of gardening scissors.
At first they said nothing. Cornelia couldn't find her voice. The masked man was starting to intimidate her because she couldn't tell if there was a friendly face behind it.
The figure tilted his head as if in surprised and then tilted his head down as if he was bowing.
"Konbanwa, Guardian," he said. The tone in his voice sounded surprisingly young but also gentle and sweet. Cornelia sighed in relief, thankful that this stranger wasn't hostile even though he hid behind a mask. "I wasn't expecting any visitors other than Will-san."
Cornelia froze at the mention of her friend's name.
"You know Will?" she asked cautiously.
The masked figure nodded gently before giving a small chuckle. "Based from your reaction, I would assume that you are one of her friends? She stumbled upon this place not long ago and we became acquainted. Tell me, how is she?"
Cornelia suddenly remembered what Will told everyone before about the mysterious masked figure in her dream. Wait…if this is him, then that means…
"Wait…you're Yami?"
Again, he nodded.
Still in disbelief, Cornelia quickly glanced at her surroundings. "If you're Will's friend, then this place…all of this… is a dream, isn't it?"
How could she not realize it before? There was a magic tree with glowing see-through, pastel-colored petals in front of her! If anything, THAT should have been an indication that she's not awake, right?
"I see that you are quite surprised by this revelation," Yami noted. "And no, the tree that you see before you also exists on Lusteria, not just in dreams."
Cornelia glanced back at him, but he didn't seem to notice her annoyance. "You can read my mind? Don't you know that's rude?"
Yami shook his head. "Not at all, Guardian. You were simply staring at it as if you have never seen its kind before."
Cornelia didn't know what to say, but she did felt a little bit embarrassed for accusing him like that. Then again, his reply does seem to put a smile back on her face.
"Well, it's not every night that you ended up in a beautiful garden like this," Cornelia smiled.
"Arigato gozaimasu, Cornelia Hale-san," Yami replied.
"Wait, you know my name?" Cornelia blinked.
He nodded before going back to snipping at something. His body was obscuring his activity, causing Cornelia to become slightly curious. "Hai, I know of all of you since you've arrived on Lusteria. Another reason of how I came to know your names is that Will-san told me during her previous visit."
Cornelia frowned. After all, there's a guy in a mask who seems to imply that he knows more than he should.
"Who are you anyway?" Cornelia demanded, pointing at his white mask accusingly. "And why are you wearing a mask? Are you hiding something?"
Yami stopped cutting at something and turned around to glance at her. His expression was unreadable and Cornelia hated it because of that silly mask. A part of her really wanted to rip that thing off in spite, but another part of her conscious is telling her not to.
"You seemed agitated, Earth Guardian," Yami concluded. He shifted to the side to reveal what he was cutting at and Cornelia realized that it was a tiny tree in a tray. "Please sit down and join me in trimming these bonsai trees. It would help calm your mind."
Before Cornelia could protest, she suddenly found herself sitting down with her own pair of scissors and a tray of bonsai in front of her. She didn't remember taking a seat or where she got the scissors. Apparently, strange things happen in the land of dreams.
Cornelia watched Yami silently as he snipped and trimmed the pine-liked leaves of his bonsai. Cornelia could have just used her earth power to mold and trim her bonsai into any shapes she wants, but there was something more harmonious in the way Yami does it by hand. Cornelia decided to give it a try and started to trim. After awhile, she looked at her work and saw that it wasn't as good as Yami's, leaving her in disbelief. Apparently, it wasn't as simple as she thought.
Perhaps she should have used magic. Cornelia placed her scissors on the floor and raised a hand, wanting the bonsai to grow bigger and prettier like the ones in the zen garden a few meters away. At first, it seemed to be working, but then to her amazement, the bonsai decided to rebel against her willpower and grew wildly. There was a cracking sound in the ceramic tray as its roots broke through, creating a mess.
Yami looked up and noticed her slight irritation and laughed. "Forgive me, but the bonsai of Lusteria are quite different from the ones you're accustomed to on Earth. They're more…spiritual. They thrive on chi."
"Energy?" Cornelia blinked.
"Hai, chi is the energy that exists in all living things," Yami nodded. "By using your Earth magic and your willpower, you're feeding your bonsai more energy than needed, causing it to grow wildly."
Cornelia thought for a moment before picking up her scissors again. "You're saying that I should do it the old fashion way without magic?"
"Magic can be helpful and necessary in many cases during our lives, but you should not become dependent on it, Cornelia-san," Yami said, as he continued to trim his bonsai.
Cornelia didn't realize it but her hands started to move again. After a while, she got into the rhythm of trimming and soon realized that it was much nicer to do it this way. She began to remember a few years ago to a time when she would plant and make her flowers grow herself. Before her magic started to manifest, she would care for her flowers the traditional way. Cornelia realized that all these years, she's been using her magic to make her plants and flowers grow with ease! Cornelia looked up at Yami and was about to ask him something. Instead, he stopped and looked up at her as if sensing what was on her mind.
"I do not believe it is my place to judge you as you are now, but I sense that there are many things troubling your mind…like vines fighting each other for the light in a dense rainforest," Yami said, putting his scissors down. Raising a hand, a tray carrying a pot of tea and two cups appeared. He poured Cornelia one cup and offered it to her. "However, I can lend you a thought or two if you wish to share me your distress…"
Cornelia smiled weakly. She thanked him before taking the cup.
"Gee, I don't know where to start," she said.
Yami chuckled, and suggested, "Perhaps at the beginning?"
Cornelia raised an eyebrow and gave him a funny glance, smirking, "Didn't Will already told you everything from the beginning?"
Yami nodded, and merely replied, "I wished to hear it from your point of view, Cornelia-san, if you so desire."
Cornelia sighed and told her tales (not at the beginning, of course). She told him about their final battle against Byakko, and how Kohaku's death had an effect on all of them, especially Kimi, as it drove her to go to the near extreme.
"I guess I understand what she's going through and all, but Kimi attacked us, Yami!" Cornelia seethed angrily. "She attacked us and snuck back to Joseon to get her revenge on her father's murderer. And when my friends and I tried to go after her so that we can help her, she attacked us again! I have never seen such cold-heartedness!"
Yami said nothing as he observed Cornelia's reactions. Cornelia continued, not noticing how much anger she's showing as she recounted the details of the battle from the twin sisters showing up to the part where they battled Xuan Wu. She told him about how Xuan Wu sadistically played around with them as if they were mere insects to her. She told him about nearly drowning when she tried to save Hay Lin from the whirlpool and how surprised she was when Kimi saved them both but was captured by Xuan Wu. Finally, she told him about their retreat and her argument with Hay Lin.
Cornelia sighed deeply once she was done. She didn't realized how exhausting it was to let it all out. Looking down at her cup of tea, Cornelia saw a murky reflection of her face on the water's surface.
"I…I can't agree with Hay Lin," she said finally. "I know that she's right about not leaving a fellow Guardian behind, but I still can't see Kimi the way Hay Lin sees her."
"Why?" Yami asked simply. "You told me yourself that this girl saved you and Hay Lin-san from the Celestial Warrior's wrath. Yet, you still have doubts that she is worth saving. Why is that?"
"Because!" Cornelia snapped. "Kimi is always condescending us and telling us how weak and pathetic we are! Surely, she's just trying to be the hero?"
"Yet you told me Kimi was blinded by her desire for revenge against the woman who killed her father," Yami pointed out gently. "Do you believe that any person under that psychological condition would have the luxury to beret you?"
"Well, no! Look, maybe—" Cornelia stuttered. Unbeknownst to her, her hand was shaking.
"After listening to your tale and observing your body language, I must ask you one question: Do you believe anything in which you've said?"
Cornelia was at a loss for words. Here she thought that this guy was supposed to be listening to her story and understand what she's going through. Instead, it seems as if he's trying to make her feel bad and that she was the one in the wrong!
"Wait, what are you trying to say here?" Cornelia snapped, throwing her tea cup to the ground.
"Hm…your anger and vocal tone indicate that you are furious with me. Perhaps what I've asked is too close to the truth, but you don't wish to admit it," Yami simply noted without a hint of annoyance in his expression. "Could it be that you're protecting yourself by denying it?"
"Oh, so now you're judging me?" she glared.
"Simply an observation, Cornelia-san," Yami replied gently. "You're trying to convince me of what you want to be true, based on your recent perspective. Yet, I sense a part of your heart unable to believe it. Do you deny it?"
"Give me a break!" Cornelia scowled as she got up to pace back and forth angrily. "Don't you see? Kimi is an erratic and irrational girl! I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt after what Will told us of her last encounter with you, but it turns out, Kimi's still insane! She attacked us brutally! What kind of person does that, especially when we were trying to help her?!"
Yami said nothing, allowing Cornelia to vent out her frustration.
"If anything, she deserved to frozen!" Cornelia seethed. "After all we've done to try to help her, perhaps a few days on ice would cool her head off!"
"When have you forsaken a Guardian?" said a familiar voice behind her.
Startled, Cornelia turned around, but didn't see anyone else. The only people in the garden were Yami and herself.
Glancing at Yami, who hadn't moved from his position, Cornelia asked, "Did you just hear something? Because it sounded like—"
"You forget that I can also tell whether or not people are lying…and right now, the air around you is telling me that deep down, you don't really think that badly of Kimi, especially not after she saved both our lives."
Hay Lin's voice rang again from behind her, startling Cornelia as she turned around to see the cherry blossom tree. Cornelia came closer, and sure enough, she could hear Hay Lin's voice as clear as day.
"No, you shouldn't make up any excuses, Cornelia," Hay Lin pointed out. "Are you or are you not the sensible holder of the earth? I know you long enough that you would never leave a fellow Guardian behind."
The sakura tree illuminated spectacularly with its ethereal pastel-colored petals. Images of the past began to play in front of her, but it wasn't of the recent argument she had with Hay Lin. Instead, it was showing her own memories.
O
The first was several years ago, on a bus from school where Cornelia was telling Irma off for trying to be funny.
"C'mon, Cornelia! This isn't the time to fight!" Will said back then.
The younger Cornelia shot Will an annoyed glance. "Will, you aren't the best person to make me be quiet!"
Will seemed confused at first. "What do you mean?" she asked.
Gripping the handle bar of the bus harder, Cornelia replied, "If it weren't for you, at this time..."
Cornelia stopped herself, but Will frowned, knowing exactly what she meant now.
"Yes? Go on!" Will dared. "If it weren't for me, Taranee would still be here with us! Right? Right?!"
Cornelia glanced away. "No…I didn't say that!"
Hurt, Will turned around and buried her face in her hands, wanting nothing more but to break down and sob on the spot. "But you thought it! And that's even worse!" she accused.
O
"You didn't want to when Will told us to leave Taranee behind on Metamoor all those years ago, remember? You even blamed Will and called on her for it!" said Hay Lin's voice again.
O
The tree then showed another memory. This time, it was a scene of the four Guardians in a cave trying to find a portal into Meridian to save Taranee. Will placed her hand on the drawing of four embers, but...
"Nothing happened!" Will blinked surprisingly. She was so sure that her fainting spell was telling her that this was where the portal was. Was she wrong this time?
Annoyed, Cornelia said, "We're still in the world of the graffiti-loving people!"
Not wanting her friend to feel bad, Irma added, "Don't worry, Will. I faint sometimes, too."
The younger Conerlia scoffed. Typical of Will! She couldn't concentrate properly to make a proper Astral Drop and now she couldn't concentrate enough to find a portal to Meridian? Doesn't Will care enough about going back to save Taranee from Elyon's clutches? Obviously not! "Never mind, Will! We should be thinking of somebody else, right now…"
Will glared at her. "Do you want to go there again, Cornelia?"
Cornelia doesn't get it! She thought that Will would abandon Taranee just like that and not feel any remorse about it? "You know as well as I do that she told me to leave her in Meridian! She did it to save us!" Will spat angrily.
"I'm not questioning it! I'm just saying that I would have liked to hear her, too!" Cornelia said, defending herself.
Will shook her head angrily, unable to fight back the tears coming out of her eyes. No! Cornelia still doesn't get it! She doesn't understand the burden of being the leader, especially when it comes to making difficult choices. To make it worse, Taranee's last known words were haunting her mind, making her feel guilty for failing her friends. How could she live with it? How could Cornelia even think of wanting it?
"Don't you get it? You're lucky!" Will cried. "Her desperate cry doesn't echo in your head every hour! Every minute…" Will sank to her knees, her head down as she continued to sob, "…every second…"
O
Cornelia watched the memory as Hay Lin's voice echoed again in her mind.
"Now the same thing is happening to Kimi and you're just following what Irma says? Let me asked you something, Cornelia: When have you forsaken a fellow Guardian?"
Cornelia shook her head. "No, that's not true? Is it?"
O
The tree played more recent memories. It showed her of their battle against the tengu spirit in the Dark Forest. Hay Lin was injured as Cornelia cradled her in her arms helplessly as Karaten was about to kill Will and others. Perhaps he would have succeeded until Kimi's Jewel of Life intervened. It was the first time they met…
The tree flashed forward to several more recent events. It showed Cornelia images of Kimi saving Elyon's life from Miranda...a vision of her trying to save Hay Lin's life after she was bitten by the White Snake Spirit…a memory of Kimi trying to protect the stone statue of her father from the Celestial Warriors and the anguish when she failed…
Finally, the most recent memory of Cornelia and Hay Lin caught in Xuan Wu's whirlpool. Kimi was the one who jumped in, despite the danger, and managed to get both Guardian to safety. As Cornelia watched the scene where she didn't make it out herself, Xuan Wu put her on ice and laughed wickedly.
O
A horrible feeling sank into her stomach.
Again, Hay Lin's voice ranged in her head, "I thought that it would be enough to make you realize that she's not a terrible person."
Cornelia's eyes widen as she stepped back. The feeling in her stomach was getting heavier and heavier. She felt sick.
"Yami, why are you showing me all of this?" she asked.
"Not I, Cornelia-san," Yami denied. "This tree is special, for it can reflect the emotions, the memories, and the turmoil you feel in your heart. It knows you're feeling conflicted and it's trying to help you reflect upon your pain."
Cornelia couldn't take it anymore. The heavy feeling was too much and it seemed to be making her dizzy as well. She sank back onto the porch, clutching her head as if in pain.
Concerned, Yami was about to place a hand on her should for comfort, but hesitated. In her confused state, Cornelia would most likely slap him…but then he decided that it doesn't matter. Cornelia felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Yami's concealed face. With the other hand, he offered her a cup of tea.
For a moment, nothing happened.
When Cornelia first arrived, she thought Yami was slightly annoying because he had the nerve to hide behind a mask. Then she thought him unbelievable because it seemed as if he wasn't going to side with her after spilling her guts out. Now…now he's offering her tea to help calm her mind. Cornelia sighed, wanting to kick herself.
Yami wasn't trying to be dark and mysterious (at least not on purpose)…he was trying to be helpful to her since she got here: By having her help him trim the bonsai, he wanted to help her feel relaxed. By rebutting her with questions, he was trying to help her see beyond her anger and frustration. And by offering her another cup of soothing tea, he was trying to help her feel calmer after what his tree showed her.
Cornelia sighed and took the cup gently from his hand. He may be hiding his expression behind a mask, but his intention speaks through acts of kindness.
"I'm sorry," Cornelia finally said, staring down at her tea. "I shouldn't have yelled at you earlier."
"I hold no grudge against you for your capricious action," Yami replied. "But now that you've seen what the tree has shown you, what will you do now?"
Cornelia was quiet for a moment, unsure what to answer. She gazed down at her reflection in the sea. At that moment, a single petal landed in it. It shimmered for a bit before the water dissolved it. While the image was beautiful, it was also sad for Cornelia. She realized that the ethereal petal that was made of light seemed so strong, but the extreme heat from the tea killed it. Could it not survive in extreme cold, too? Could Xuan Wu's power deliquesced Kimi's light?
It was then that Cornelia decided. "Hay Lin's right. I can't leave Kimi behind, even after what she did and said. Some of us were too blinded by our own anger and frustration to even notice some of the goods she has done for us."
Yami said nothing, but nodded.
"Hay Lin's right to question me," Cornelia huffed. "I am supposed to be the sensible Guardian of Earth. No one, not even Kimi, deserves Xuan Wu's wrath." She paused for a moment and stood up with determination. "We're going back for her first thing tomorrow after school. It's time to bring Kimi home."
Looking down at the reflection in her tea cup, Cornelia could have sworn she saw an image of Xuan Wu smiling lazily. Whether it was in her mind or not, Cornelia gripped the cup harder. "And we'll bring Kyochi home, too. It's already bad enough that Xuan Wu took Kohaku away from us. I don't plan on losing Kimi and Kyochi to her as well."
"I'm certain that Kyochi-san will be touched by your newfound determinate that's imbue with profound inner strength," Yami said. "I believe that you are a very powerful Guardian who has more strength than Xuan Wu dares to realize. Do not doubt yourself."
Cornelia smiled and turned around. "Thanks, Ya—"
To Cornelia's surprise, he was nowhere in sight and so was the garden!
"Yami?" Cornelia blinked. "Wait…what's going on?"
BBBBEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPP!
Cornelia opened her eyes and automatically turned off her alarm clock. She glanced at it to see that it has read seven in the morning.
To her surprise, a tray with a bonsai that she had worked on in her dream sat comfortably on her nightstand. It was as if her experience before was a strange and wonderful dream…
To be continued…
Cultural references:
Cornelia's conflicted feeling plays a key role here and in the later part of this chapter. If you could recall from the original comic issues, she really did blame Will for abandoning Taranee in Meridian. Here, she's feeling too much anger and her sympathies for Kimi is conflicted, especially after the latter saved her. Like Will, it takes the equivocal masked-Yami to help her understand.
Story Trivia: Xuan Wu's symbol, the Black Tortoise of the North, is actually two animals: the tortoise and a serpent. Not only is Xuan Wu the only Celestial Warriors with two talismans, but she has the ability to brainwash and manipulate people's thoughts and she has a little bit of telepathy.