September 30, 2024

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Dust II: Elysian Kingdom

Chapter 21 — No Light, No Light


"The only one who can save us is me, Reed!" Dust roared across the field over the searing flames that consumed the tree in the center. "Do I really have to beat some sense into you?!"

Ginger stepped forward to grab him by the arm before he could bolt into the fray. "Please, Dust," she pleaded, her eyes heavy. "Go easy on him…"

Not looking back at her, the hero grit his teeth tight before decompressing and shaking off some of the built-up frustration. "..I'll do what I can. Please just stay back." The girl sighed and released her grip, returning her hands to a praying position.

"C'mon, Dust! Let's teach this psycho a lesson!" Fidget hyped her partner back up.

"You got it. Better be quick to dodge that lightning."

"I can deflect it as well," Ahrah finally chimed in. "It's about time we saved my final sibling."

Reed remained unmoving under the tree as the trio began approaching, his free hand still clawed into his skull since his previous outburst. "Are you ready, Cyrah?" he whispered to his own Elysian Blade. "The Angel can't possibly ignore us.. after this!"

The deranged creature then suddenly dashed towards the heroes with his body low to the ground, sliding his weapon through the grass at his side with trails of electricity following its path. Both Dust and Fidget were startled by his heightened speed — no doubt a blessing from Cyrah's electricity — causing the duo to dart out of the way in opposite directions, successfully dodging the first strike. However, Reed pivoted his entire body to the left in a split second while slashing his sickle towards Dust, which the hero was able to parry just in time with his own blade's edge, knocking his foe backwards a good distance and releasing some corrupt energy from Cyrah.

"Oh, silly me," the hunched-over Reed said under his breath, "There's no way I can overpower Dust physically… I have to get creative!"

Just as Dust was about to move in for another clash, Reed's body began to jitter in place before he leaped back towards the center tree in an instant, rendering the attack useless. "Wha..?"

"Geez, he's fast!" Fidget exclaimed, both of them switching their collective gaze to their foe yet again.

"Indeed… I see the tremendous power of my brother Cyrah has not waned even after all these years."

Breathing heavily, Reed continued to shake as he could feel his entire body resonating with his Elysian Blade, small surges of electricity dancing across his fur at random intervals. "Alright.. I get it now…"

Quickly snapping out of his delusion, Reed glared back up to see the hero coming toward him, then suddenly swung Cyrah in response, sending a crackling lightning bolt across the field. Dust screeched to a halt immediately, using Ahrah's surface to redirect the projectile like a mirror up into the air, causing it to hit another tree in the surrounding area. However, without even pausing, Reed jolted over to another random spot in the clearing as if he had just teleported, launching yet another bolt towards Dust. Caught off guard by the sheer display of Cyrah's power, the attack connected with the hero's flank which sent a sizable shock throughout his whole body, knocking him right down.

Both Fidget and Ginger's voices bellowed through the forest. "Dust!"

The Nimbat bolted over to her companion while Ginger regrettably resisted the urge to join them, following Dust's orders in regards to her safety. Reed began talking to himself as he took a breather from his supercharged strike. "I actually h-hit him..? That means.. I really can do this!"

In the brief moment as their foe mumbled on, Fidget clasped her paws around Dust's arm while he achingly propped himself back up on one knee, using Ahrah as a crutch against the ground with both his hands. "I-I'm fine, Fidget. Nothing I can't handle…"

"Don't scare me like that! You need to keep your guard up!"

"I know.. urgh," Dust admitted, finally standing back up and refocusing to the arena's center. "Just didn't expect that speed. Keep him distracted if you can." Fidget slowly nodded in agreement, though with a hint of concern.

At that point, Reed's body started rumbling and coursing with lightning yet again. Dust held up Ahrah horizontally as he slowly began inching towards their foe, while Fidget took a bolder approach by flying high above him, shooting some magical bullets downwards. Reed responded by teleporting yet again to the other side of the tree to dodge the barrage, sending an electric bolt directly at Dust, which luckily bounced right off of Ahrah like before. However, he didn't give up, as he warped over to another random spot before Dust could change his stance, launching yet another bolt, then teleporting again to launch another, and another to repeatedly assault the hero, giving him no chance to fight back, nor give Fidget an opening to land any of her projectiles.

"Damnit, this can't go on forever…"

The repetitive clash continued as Ginger looked on with a sense of hopelessness. She was eventually broken out of her trance when the sound of shuffling snuck up from behind. Turning around, none other than Elder Gray Eyes stood there in the forest path, accompanied by the ethereal Lady Tethys.

"Thank Elysium you made it," Ginger urgently spoke first. "Reed found Cyrah and he's trying to take down Dust!"

"What?! For a time I thought Toru had broken out of the dungeon.. but I didn't expect this," the Elder assessed, stricken by grief. "Cyrah.. is the most volatile of the five Blades, and belonged to the previous Moonblood leader before myself… Therefore, it is easily the most powerful of them all. Dust may not be able to win this one."

Ginger's demeanor became even more melancholy. "No… Surely there's a way to calm Reed down..?"

"Right now, his soul is in the worst state possible," Lady Tethys solemnly added. "It keeps flickering between pure and corrupted. One second I can sense it perfectly, and the next, it is completely shrouded."

"Then we really have to do something!"

Elder Gray Eyes hastily turned his gaze to the open field where Dust continued bearing the brunt of Reed's overwhelming attacks, while Fidget frantically flew about to try landing even one strike. It was in that moment of observation when it finally came to him. "I've got it! Lady Tethys, are you able to absorb Cyrah's lightning bolts? I know you are attuned to several natural elements."

Both Ginger and the Elder hopefully looked up at her. "Why, yes! I should've realized that myself! Leave everything to me."

Amid the volley of reflected electricity filling the air above, the Lady slowly levitated to Sen-Mithrarin from behind, speaking softly over the crackling bolts before laying a hand on his shoulder. "Fear not, Dust. I shall assist you."

"L-Lady Tethys? You came with the Elder..?"

"Correct. It's time I repay you for your deeds in the Cirromon Caverns."

"Wait, what are you.."

The hero cut himself off as Lady Tethys moved past his defensive stance, thrusting her right arm forward as one final lightning bolt zipped towards them. In a quick flash, the energy instantly disappeared into the Lady's hand, leaving no trace of the attack.

Reed noticed what had happened and ceased the onslaught as well as his teleportation tactic, standing there in disbelief. "Wha.. W-What did you do?!"

"I've absorbed the electricity into my soul, Reed. That blade's powers are useless to you now. Return it immediately."

"That's right! Give it up, weirdo!" Fidget taunted the culprit, who was now clutching his head with both hands.

At the same time, Dust began inching closer to the center of the clearing, but not enough that their foe would react unfavorably. "Please end this, Reed. We're running out of time; Lazarus could strike at any moment—"

"Everyone just be quiet!" Reed screamed, disturbing the vacant air around the group. "I NEED to defeat Dust or else I'll NEVER find the Angel!"

Following that line, Reed lowered his hands while keeping his head down to begin slashing Cyrah haphazardly several times in a row with no clear target, sending out a lightning bolt in a random direction with every swipe. A frustrated Dust reflexively held up Ahrah to block once again, while Fidget did some aerial maneuvers to dodge and Lady Tethys held out both of her hands to absorb whatever stray electricity she could. Both Elder Gray Eyes and Ginger felt powerless as they continued to watch the nerve-wracking display of Cyrah's power from afar.

"This is insanity… I have to help them!"

"Ginger, don't!" the Elder pleaded as the Warmblood girl leapt forward into the clearing, ignoring his demand.

"Reed! You have to calm down!"

"What are you doing, Ginger?!" Dust scolded while looking back as he kept his guard up, but she called out once more.

"Look at me, Reed!"

Among his volley of erratic slashes, Reed finally raised his head up to make eye contact with his supposed enemies. His hazy vision was immediately filled with the sight of Lady Tethys's form glowing brightly from the energy she had been siphoning from Cyrah's bolts, creating an ethereal image of just the heavenly savior he had been anticipating all this time.

The shaken creature raised his hands into the air in awe, dropping his Blade of Elysium as if it was never even a concern. "I-It's you… The Angel…"

Everyone present was stunned by Reed's sudden change in demeanor for a brief moment, before Dust seized the opportunity by dashing over to where their temporary foe had relinquished his weapon, snatching Cyrah up from the ground before Reed could react. The flames engulfing the central tree seemed to gradually subside as a result of the corrupted Blade wielder's surrender. Lady Tethys assumed the role she was perceived to play, carefully floating toward Reed while maintaining a sense of reverence, and Ginger ran over to embrace him tightly as they fell to their knees together.

"..That's better now, isn't it? I've got you," the girl spoke softly.

"I.. I was so scared," Reed admitted as he stared up at Lady Tethys, who reached out to take hold of his hands, "but now I know.. we'll all be safe with the Angel…"

The Lady simply nodded in response, releasing her gentle grasp so Reed could relax his arms to complete Ginger's hug, tears beginning to form in his eyes as he lay his head against her shoulder. Both Dust and Fidget smiled at the interaction, and the hero walked over to Lady Tethys with Cyrah in his possession.

"Phew.. I'm glad that didn't get any worse," the Nimbat commented with a sigh.

"Yeah, no kidding," Dust agreed before holding up the newest Blade of Elysium, which continued giving off a shadowy aura. "Although, there's still the matter of cleansing Cyrah."

"Let me assist you."

The hero looked towards Lady Tethys, who turned to accept the weapon with her hands open. Dust instantly understood what needed to be done, so he held Ahrah in a confident stance, just as the Lady did with the newly acquired Elysian Blade of Electricity. Both wielders then mutually swung their respective blades forward, clashing their edges against each other and holding them in place. Everyone in the area watched as bursts of corruption gradually flowed out of Cyrah and dissipated into the air over and over, until nothing remained. As with the other Blades of Elysium, the runes on the weapon's face did not reignite, signaling that its soul was still dormant.

"Finally.. it is done…" Ahrah whispered.

Relaxing their bodies, both Dust and Lady Tethys took a heavy breath after they knew their mission was complete. Fidget landed on Dust's shoulder and they smiled at each other while Elder Gray Eyes joined the group, patting Sen-Mithrarin on the back for a job well done.

"Excellent work, Sen-Mithrarin. You not only saved one of our own villagers from that vile corruption," he began, looking down at Cyrah with hopeful eyes, "but now all five Blades of Elysium are in our possession!"

"Thank you, Elder. I'm glad you two showed up, because I couldn't have done it without Lady Tethys.. or at the very least it would've taken days to land enough hits."

Both the Elder and the Lady chuckled in response. "Always happy to help, Dust. Now on that note," she concluded, then turned to where Ginger and their former foe sat embraced, "are you feeling better, Reed?"

"Y-Yeah," he stuttered as he shakily rose to his feet along with Ginger propping him up. "Guys.. I'm so sorry about everything… T-The sickle wouldn't stop screaming at me to do this and do that a-and—"

Dust put a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, Reed. Don't worry about it now. We can discuss more about what happened in the morning."

The whole group nodded, and Elder Gray Eyes cleared his throat in summation.

"Indeed. Let us take advantage of what hours remain before dawn. We have grand plans for the full moon tomorrow."


Before long, the eventful night was whisked away by Falana's rising sun shining through the myriad windows of Aurora Palace. Unfortunately, Dust did not end up sleeping too well after they returned to bed, no doubt due to the anticipation of the inevitable conflict with Lazarus now that every Blade of Elysium had been gathered. He knew he should be ecstatic about the fact they had finally recovered them all, and for sure a part of him was, but the overall pressure of the situation was definitely reaching its peak. Whatever plans Elder Gray Eyes had in mind for the upcoming battle, they needed to be foolproof; Dust may not have any chances left.

When he awoke at last, his eyes were greeted with sunshine flooding the room as they slowly creaked open. He took a deep breath before seating himself up in the bed, rubbing his eyes vigorously to clear his vision. Looking around, he noticed that neither Ginger nor Fidget were present, so they must've already been getting ready for the day, and he figured he probably should as well.

Dust flipped the blanket off the rest of his body and swung his legs to the side to leap out of bed. He then performed a few stretches in order to limber up; starting by bending his upper body straight down to touch his toes, squatting close to the floor on one bent leg while outstretching the other then leaning his torso in the same direction, and so on. When he finished, he exhaled and pulled on his long-sleeve undershirt, layered his tattered poncho over that, donned his Elysian scarf, and strapped on his golden sandals.

Sen-Mithrarin was as ready for tonight as he'd ever be.

Exiting their shared bedroom, he was greeted with the usual stagnant silence of the palace's foyer. He set his sights on the middle doors at the top of the back wall, since that's been their usual spot for meetings since he regenerated. As he started towards the stairs, Ginger came out of one of the other doors on the ground floor.

"Oh, Dust! You're awake!"

Seeing that she was back to her usual self after last night, he smiled as he greeted her. "Morning, Ginger. Feeling better today?"

"Yes, definitely! Reed said he didn't have that same nightmare when he went back to sleep, so that makes me quite relieved too."

"That's good, glad to hear it," Dust concluded. "Where are Fidget and the others?"

"She's been waiting patiently in Elder Gray Eyes's chambers; she wanted to give you enough time to rest and wake up on your own," the girl informed him.

"I appreciate it. Shall we join them?"

Ginger nodded warmly, then they both made their way up the spiral staircase and through the double doors at the top. When they entered the next room, Dust noticed Elder Gray Eyes sitting at the usual table in the company of the Moonblood army commander Sanjin, his field scout Corbin, the previous Elysian Blade wielder Reed, and of course Fidget, who was sprawled out aloof on one of the cushions.

"Oh, are we interrupting..?"

"Dust!" both Corbin and the Nimbat exclaimed together. The boy jumped up and ran over to him to give a big hug as Fidget flew over to sit on his shoulder and nuzzle his cheek as was customary. Ginger quietly giggled at their reactions.

"Woah! Good morning, guys," he responded playfully. "And great to see you again, Corbin! I'm so happy you're doing better."

"Aww.. thanks, Dust… I owe everything to you and Sanjin!"

"We just got back from the field," the Moonblood commander nodded, turning back to speak to the group from his seat. "Elder Gray Eyes was just recapping to us what happened last night. Good thing too, because we were having no luck finding any clues about the next Blade. Who knew it would show up right in the palace!" Reed looked to the side and rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Yeah, we were just as shocked as I'm sure you all were!" Corbin commented.

"It was definitely unexpected," Dust agreed, then turned to Reed. "Were you able to provide any new info?"

The Elder shook his head which conveyed the answer. "It's just as we thought; Reed cannot remember exactly where or how he came into possession of Cyrah, so unfortunately, the trail ends there."

"I-I'm sorry. Other than those nightmares, and waking up one night with the blade in my hand, it's just all a blur to me…"

"Do not burden yourself any longer, child," Elder Gray Eyes consoled him, "What matters is that you are safe, and all the Blades of Elysium have been recovered at last." Everyone turned to the tabletop in the center, where all five weapons lay in a circle.

"The question remains of how my siblings could be reawakened," Ahrah mused.

"That is precisely why I called this meeting, my old friend. Come and take a seat, everyone." They all accepted his offer and gathered to sit around the table, looking to Elder Gray Eyes for his next piece of guidance. "Now then… With our precious Blades of Elysium back where they belong, there is no better time to make our move against Lazarus."

"Wait wait, we don't even know where the heck he is!" Fidget spoke up worriedly.

"Of course we wouldn't blindly rush into something we are not prepared for, Fidget," the Elder dissuaded her. "The first step will be to conduct a full moon ceremony with the Way of the Flameless Light, just as was done to originally create the Blades of Elysium centuries ago. This should reawaken their dormant spirits and their elemental powers once again."

Remembering what the Elder had explained when he retold the history of the Cynthak, Dust spoke up, "Wasn't there a stardust shower the night of their creation though?"

"That is true, Mithrarin; we have no indication an event as rare as that will occur again, but the circumstances are a bit different this time… It is possible Lazarus has been waiting for this exact night, since it will be the first full moon after the fifth anniversary of General Gaius's defeat.. and your premature death. We simply cannot wait until around for a stardust shower to grace us; we must act before he does. To accomplish this task, I must ask that several of you link your souls with one of the Blades."

The group was immediately taken aback by his suggestion.

"Elder… Are you suggesting that we are all capable of fighting against Lazarus's abilities?" Ginger asked, concerned.

"Yeah, what?! I can't even lift one of those things!" Fidget admitted.

"Now, now.. I understand how that came across, so let me clarify. The linking of your souls is only part of the reawakening process, and to ensure the Blades do not vanish on us again. Dust's soul is already linked with Ahrah, so that leaves the other four. I suggest that Sanjin take Baelrah, Reed take Cyrah, Corbin take Delvah, and Ginger take Evah. When the ceremony is a success, Dust will be the one who confronts Lazarus, using whichever Blades of Elysium he desires. The rest of you will only use your remaining Blades if absolutely necessary."

"After linking our souls, Dust can still use any of them?" Corbin wondered.

"Correct. Dust is our Sen-Mithrarin — our savior from whatever threatens the Moonblood race — so he is able to wield any of the Blades at will."

It's not as if they had many options, but Dust's feelings on this plan wavered. "Elder, I don't mean to be blunt, but you didn't see for yourself just what this corruption can do. No matter which Blade I wield, I don't see how that alone will make a difference."

"You're not wrong," he acknowledged, "but there is one hope. Our foe may have total control of the corruption, but as you've seen in your many battles, the Blades are able to cleanse it through repeated contact when it is tethered in place, which is made possible by you and Ahrah's linked souls. Furthermore, since each Blade channels their own unique element which corresponds to a force of nature, Lady Tethys and I have theorized that if all their souls are reawakened and linked at the same time under the full moon, especially if a Life Thread-attuned being such as herself is present, their elemental powers will converge and become one singular element of purity for the duration of the night, which Dust can harness as the perfect contrast to cut through the corruption and subdue Lazarus."

"Alright. It's the best route we can take," Dust summarized, "and if it comes down to it, I will sacrifice myself to make sure I end this once and for all."

"There's no way it'll come to that!" Ginger objected as she kneeled up from her seat.

"Yeah, no way!" Fidget echoed, holding onto Dust's face from the side. "One time was enough.. so we're not gonna let it happen again!"

"That's right! Everything will work out," Corbin added, with Reed nodding his head in agreement.

Sanjin closed his eyes with his arms crossed, as if mimicking the Elder. "Indeed, if this plan succeeds, our victory is all but assured. Heh, we'll be right there with you, Dust."

"Thank you, everyone… I'm not expecting to leave you all, so please don't worry."

"Just the response I was hoping for," Elder Gray Eyes concluded. "Now, take hold of your respective Blade of Elysium to have your souls become acquainted before the ceremony tonight. In the meantime, I'll have Sanjin and Corbin gather our soldiers at the edge of the village as backup. We make our move at first sight of the full moon after sunset."

Understanding the course of action, they all picked up each of their designated weapons from the center table. Ginger slowly lifted the water-aspected dagger Evah, Corbin grabbed the earth-tethered katana Delvah, Reed overcame his reluctance and grasped the lighting-infused sickle Cyrah, Sanjin put both hands around the fire-channeling spear Baelrah, then as always, Dust confidently took up his unwavering wind-wielding partner, Ahrah.

It was at that point they knew the final confrontation was imminent.


The remainder of the day after the meeting was quite uneventful, yet silently plagued by an unwelcome shroud of anticipation that overcame the palace's inhabitants. This upcoming full moon was their last and probably only chance to prevent Lazarus from carrying out the plans he had been setting in motion for the past five years, so there was no choice but to put their faith in Elder Gray Eyes and Lady Tethys's reawakening theory, and furthermore pray that the Blades of Elysium would indeed be imbued with a power pure enough to conquer the corruption.

Like anyone could've expected, Dust spent the majority of their downtime training techniques and stances in the small courtyard just outside the palace walls. As Sanjin and Corbin waited for every Moonblood soldier to return from the field, they joined Dust at random intervals to practice sparring, while Ginger and Reed sat outside to accompany them, occasionally tending to the flowers and foliage in the garden nearby for their own form of relative therapy. Meanwhile, Fidget used the duration of their break to get in as much rest as possible to reinvigorate both her dexterity and magical abilities.

Just before evening, the group said farewell to Cordera and Dangodo, who both felt rested well enough to return back to the Kojose clan camp to begin rebuilding their Grand Pagoda. Similar to when they arrived at the palace the day before, Elder Gray Eyes and Dangodo shared an emotional embrace, with the Elder mentioning how gratifying it was to be able to see his old friend in person after so long and prayed it would be a shorter delay that they see each other again, sentiments which the Kojose clan leader shared. Cordera even invited everyone to their camp to tour the new pagoda when it was completed.

After waving goodbye to the father & daughter, Sanjin and Corbin split off from the group to greet the gathering Moonblood army at the edge of Aurora Village. Dust, Ginger, and Fidget stayed back with Elder Gray Eyes in his chambers to await the signal that all their soldiers had been accounted for before meeting up once more. By then, the full moon was en route to position itself in the center of the darkening sky, signaling that the time to set the stage for the reawakening ceremony had come…

"Is this everyone?"

"I believe so, sir," one of the veteran Moonblood soldiers responded to Sanjin's first question.

"Good. Did any of you encounter trouble out on the field? Any clues regarding Lazarus's whereabouts?"

The warrior shook his head. "Nothing, sir. No trace of a hideout or stray enemy."

"I see, so we're in the clear for now. Let me get a headcount."

The soldiers all lined up in rows of five so Sanjin could get an accurate assessment of their number, and Corbin recounted after him to confirm. There were a total of thirty-five soldiers assembled, exactly the amount in the current army. Everything was in order.

"A perfect tally," Sanjin concluded. "Alright, Corbin, run back and let everyone else know we're ready."

"Of course!"

The boy turned back to the palace, but as soon as he lifted his foot into the air to take his first step, it was suddenly held in place, nearly causing him to fall face-first to the ground, but his entire body quickly followed suit, suspended like a statue.

"Corbin?!"

"S-Sanjin! Help me..!"

Suddenly, a group of mysterious figures rose up from out of sight just beyond the riverbank, clad in twisted armor that covered their entire bodies. The figures divided to each side of the Moonblood army in perfectly straight lines, until they increased to well outnumber Sanjin's soldiers, who all kept their guard up the whole time.

"What is the meaning of this?! Who are you all?!" Sanjin demanded.

"Surprised, are we?"

"It can't…"

The shady voice that pierced from behind the line of soldiers was instantly recognized. The figures created an opening so the riverbank was in view, where a throne with a winged creature seated upon it lifted into the air from below, surrounded by swirling clouds of corruption.

"Make way.. for my coronation."


[Finally finished this one haha I originally meant for it to be done by June 30th, but then it just kept slipping to the next month, then the next month, and now here we are haha. Don't worry though, the next chapter is THE CLIMAX, and then the epilogue will be out by the end of the year. Hope everyone is still reading and excited to see how this all concludes; I know I am :D The penultimate chapter will be out November 30th, so enjoy for now~]