I've been working hard on my stories, and —guess what!— I finally finished the final chapter of the Solaria Chronicles. .........Now I just need to work on everything before that. *facedesk* I'm never going to finish all of it. Anyway... Eight pages and 3,852 words later.... The final [hopefully] chapter of SC:
~-x-~
The Solaria Chronicles - Episode Unknown; Solar Arc
Real or not? Lucis questions her existence!
Balance had been being particularly aggravating recently, and Lucis was beyond tired of it. She was no inexperienced, naïve, unknowing newly-created being anymore, and it was time she stood up for herself. "Balance, get down here." That was the first surprise of the day. Lucis was ordering Balance to come to her and not the other way around. It was time they talked on equal footing, and the only way that would occur would be to stay close enough to Solaria to keep in contact with the Eternus Crystal.
The grayish crystal was filled with blue, purple, silver, and gold threads of power and energy, all swirling around and through each other continuously. It was the power source of Solaria, and intricately tied to whomever the current ruler was. Right then, it was Lucis that was the queen of the palace on the sun.
It took several minutes for Balance to arrive, and Lucis was ready and waiting for her. "Balance, enough of this. I won't do your dirty work anymore. Either you need to STOP your drastic measures, or you need to do things yourself and expect that I'll be there to try and stop you. From now on, I stand on my own. I won't bow to you two anymore."
"Stupid creation, do you not remember why you have remained in my service so long?" The white-haired, pale woman stared straight at Lucis, whom instead of cringing, for once kept her back straight and simply reached one hand behind her, placing it flat on the Eternus Crystal's multifaceted surface.
"I remember. And now it's my turn to reverse the favor on you. Stop your senseless murders, or I'll stop them for you; right here, right now. And stay away from my family, bi***." A gold and purple strand of light floated from the Eternus Crystal and looped around itself a few times, creating a flowing and complex symbol.
"There is a large chance that trying that will destroy you, Light," Balance pointed out tonelessly, "Are you willing to accept that possibility?"
"If it will get rid of you and keep everyone I love safe, yes. I'll risk anything for them." Glaring, the brunette crossed her arms, "And my NAME is Lucis, Balance."
"Only real creatures and humans have names, Light. You are neither. Desist this game of having emotions."
"You're wrong. I'm real. I'm just as real as anyone else. I have emotions, I can bleed, I can breathe. I can even die. When I burn out, I become human. I'm real, Balance, and that's why I know you're wrong." She was sure of it, smiling confidently, even at the look on Balance's face that usually preceded her being beat to within an inch of her death and then expected to stay conscious through a four-hour lecture.
"Your impudence vexes me, Light."
"I'm not scared this time, Balance. I know I'm right, and I know I'll win I it comes down to a fight."
"You are WRONG. You are nothing reminiscent of real, or human. You were created by Existence and I for one single purpose, and that was to do as we bid you. You accepted that when you awoke, under the conditions that you would be immediately destroyed if you did not do as we bid you. You are not human, you are simple light given sentience; not emotions, not a personality, and most certainly not a NAME. All of those are intrinsically human, some thing you are not. We have been very lenient with you, Light. We have given you far too many chances already. I am willing to offer you this last one. Leave now, forget this temporary bout of rebelliousness, and go do as I bid; I will allow you to keep your so-called humanity if you do. But refuse again, and everyone you 'love' will suffer, Light."
For a few seconds, she almost believed Balance. ALMOST. And then an assurance by someone very dear to her, Kyou, replayed in her head. "I'm real enough for anyone who matters! And I refuse! I've given you enough chances, Balance, and I won't stand for one more threat you utter against my family!"
The light-elemental backed up three steps, moving her right hand in a slow circle, setting the glowing design she had called from the Eternus Crystal spinning languidly. "I call forth from the depths of time and space, that which has been preserved. Last ancient of the time before, I call your name through the winds of years long past. Trapped without due reason, I give you the ability to wreak your vengeance! D'Elaene! Please aid me!"
A silver thread formed in midair in front of the circling design, growing and stretching until a spirit-representation of a beautiful silver dragon stood proudly between Lucis and Balance. “I will grant your request for aid in my mate’s name, child.” The spirit rushed backwards into the design, which lit to near-blinding capacity.
“Saeheno lenae dotoeta nuroe doegomaenasentosiu!” The long burst of Solarian was accompanied by Lucis taking three steps forward and hesitating. ‘Oh Kal’drystz, I really don’t want to do this! But I’m afraid of her hurting someone I love. …I’m afraid of what I’ll become if I do, but can’t stand the thought of what will happen if I don’t. I don’t want to become to Kite and Serrie what Balance is to me. I would never want to hurt them, or order them to hurt those they care about, for the sake of getting my own way. I’m so scared… What do I do? Please, I don’t want to do this… Please, let there be another way to stop her… Please, please…. I can’t. She’s horrible, and she’s killed innocent people, but so have I. And she’s still my mother. I can’t kill her, I don’t want to, but I won’t let her kill the people I care about either. Please, please, can’t there be a happy medium? I don’t want to take over! I just want to stay how I am! I’m too afraid of losing myself! I’ve been lost for eons before this, and I don’t want to go back to that!’
The spirit-dragon’s summoning runes roared —as if to comfort and convince the elemental— and a flare of the dragon’s energy surrounded Lucis before forming a concentrated sphere of it around her right hand, which she swung in a partial circle in front of her, an arc following slowly. "Solaria Crisis Capacity!" Everything flared with silver-gold light in a soundless explosion that sent Balance to the floor, smoking a fair amount but otherwise not too damaged. 'Damn it. Barely a scratch. This is not going to end nicely.' Almost as proof of her statement's validity, a few white energy-strands burst behind Balance and whipped out at Lucis, slamming right through the split-second barrier the light-elemental had thrown up and slashing out at her, throwing her into the far wall and away from the Eternus Crystal, leaving her bleeding and severely bruised, if not with several broken bones and a minor concussion.
This wasn't going well. Even with D'Elaene's help, Balance hadn't been wounded nearly as much as Lucis has hoped. Thinking quickly, the brunette shifted around to the other side of the Eternus Crystal and put both hands down palm-flat on its surface. She almost jerked away in pain as power from the crystal immediately started flowing without regard for it's living conduit. The sheer force of the Eternus Crystal's anger hit Lucis like a tidal storm, forcing the remnant seal on Kal'drystz's Curse to shatter. For the first time in five eons, Lucis had full access to all of her powers, and reality started to warp around her. The semi-sentient Eternus Crystal awoke and began to hum and spark along with Lucis' words. "I speak as Solaria's voice. As Queen you were de-throned by my hand. As justice's scales, you will again be de-throned!" Glowing in the Crystal's shifting hues, Lucis raised a hand and flicked a finger, slamming Balance into the walls several times with bursts of light magic that the Primal Being still managed to get up from.
'You are yet young and naïve, believing in the good of others and your 'family', Light. It may yet temper with age if you give in now.' Balance's mind-speak was meant to show the dominance, power, and control that came with 'living' and aging along with her commands; all it served to do was prove to Lucis that Balance did not now, nor would she ever, understand.
"Not a chance, cohæl!" Balance would know that. She would know Lucis was calling her no better than a demon. No better than the least of the semi-mortals. Balance would know. And Balance would get angry. That was Lucis’ current plan. Get her as pissed as she could, and wait for her to slip up and make one fatal mistake. She just needed one little opening, and that was it.
The grayish crystal was filled with blue, purple, silver, and gold threads of power and energy, all swirling around and through each other continuously. It was the power source of Solaria, and intricately tied to whomever the current ruler was. Right then, it was Lucis that was the queen of the palace on the sun.
It took several minutes for Balance to arrive, and Lucis was ready and waiting for her. "Balance, enough of this. I won't do your dirty work anymore. Either you need to STOP your drastic measures, or you need to do things yourself and expect that I'll be there to try and stop you. From now on, I stand on my own. I won't bow to you two anymore."
"Stupid creation, do you not remember why you have remained in my service so long?" The white-haired, pale woman stared straight at Lucis, whom instead of cringing, for once kept her back straight and simply reached one hand behind her, placing it flat on the Eternus Crystal's multifaceted surface.
"I remember. And now it's my turn to reverse the favor on you. Stop your senseless murders, or I'll stop them for you; right here, right now. And stay away from my family, bi***." A gold and purple strand of light floated from the Eternus Crystal and looped around itself a few times, creating a flowing and complex symbol.
"There is a large chance that trying that will destroy you, Light," Balance pointed out tonelessly, "Are you willing to accept that possibility?"
"If it will get rid of you and keep everyone I love safe, yes. I'll risk anything for them." Glaring, the brunette crossed her arms, "And my NAME is Lucis, Balance."
"Only real creatures and humans have names, Light. You are neither. Desist this game of having emotions."
"You're wrong. I'm real. I'm just as real as anyone else. I have emotions, I can bleed, I can breathe. I can even die. When I burn out, I become human. I'm real, Balance, and that's why I know you're wrong." She was sure of it, smiling confidently, even at the look on Balance's face that usually preceded her being beat to within an inch of her death and then expected to stay conscious through a four-hour lecture.
"Your impudence vexes me, Light."
"I'm not scared this time, Balance. I know I'm right, and I know I'll win I it comes down to a fight."
"You are WRONG. You are nothing reminiscent of real, or human. You were created by Existence and I for one single purpose, and that was to do as we bid you. You accepted that when you awoke, under the conditions that you would be immediately destroyed if you did not do as we bid you. You are not human, you are simple light given sentience; not emotions, not a personality, and most certainly not a NAME. All of those are intrinsically human, some thing you are not. We have been very lenient with you, Light. We have given you far too many chances already. I am willing to offer you this last one. Leave now, forget this temporary bout of rebelliousness, and go do as I bid; I will allow you to keep your so-called humanity if you do. But refuse again, and everyone you 'love' will suffer, Light."
For a few seconds, she almost believed Balance. ALMOST. And then an assurance by someone very dear to her, Kyou, replayed in her head. "I'm real enough for anyone who matters! And I refuse! I've given you enough chances, Balance, and I won't stand for one more threat you utter against my family!"
The light-elemental backed up three steps, moving her right hand in a slow circle, setting the glowing design she had called from the Eternus Crystal spinning languidly. "I call forth from the depths of time and space, that which has been preserved. Last ancient of the time before, I call your name through the winds of years long past. Trapped without due reason, I give you the ability to wreak your vengeance! D'Elaene! Please aid me!"
A silver thread formed in midair in front of the circling design, growing and stretching until a spirit-representation of a beautiful silver dragon stood proudly between Lucis and Balance. “I will grant your request for aid in my mate’s name, child.” The spirit rushed backwards into the design, which lit to near-blinding capacity.
“Saeheno lenae dotoeta nuroe doegomaenasentosiu!” The long burst of Solarian was accompanied by Lucis taking three steps forward and hesitating. ‘Oh Kal’drystz, I really don’t want to do this! But I’m afraid of her hurting someone I love. …I’m afraid of what I’ll become if I do, but can’t stand the thought of what will happen if I don’t. I don’t want to become to Kite and Serrie what Balance is to me. I would never want to hurt them, or order them to hurt those they care about, for the sake of getting my own way. I’m so scared… What do I do? Please, I don’t want to do this… Please, let there be another way to stop her… Please, please…. I can’t. She’s horrible, and she’s killed innocent people, but so have I. And she’s still my mother. I can’t kill her, I don’t want to, but I won’t let her kill the people I care about either. Please, please, can’t there be a happy medium? I don’t want to take over! I just want to stay how I am! I’m too afraid of losing myself! I’ve been lost for eons before this, and I don’t want to go back to that!’
The spirit-dragon’s summoning runes roared —as if to comfort and convince the elemental— and a flare of the dragon’s energy surrounded Lucis before forming a concentrated sphere of it around her right hand, which she swung in a partial circle in front of her, an arc following slowly. "Solaria Crisis Capacity!" Everything flared with silver-gold light in a soundless explosion that sent Balance to the floor, smoking a fair amount but otherwise not too damaged. 'Damn it. Barely a scratch. This is not going to end nicely.' Almost as proof of her statement's validity, a few white energy-strands burst behind Balance and whipped out at Lucis, slamming right through the split-second barrier the light-elemental had thrown up and slashing out at her, throwing her into the far wall and away from the Eternus Crystal, leaving her bleeding and severely bruised, if not with several broken bones and a minor concussion.
This wasn't going well. Even with D'Elaene's help, Balance hadn't been wounded nearly as much as Lucis has hoped. Thinking quickly, the brunette shifted around to the other side of the Eternus Crystal and put both hands down palm-flat on its surface. She almost jerked away in pain as power from the crystal immediately started flowing without regard for it's living conduit. The sheer force of the Eternus Crystal's anger hit Lucis like a tidal storm, forcing the remnant seal on Kal'drystz's Curse to shatter. For the first time in five eons, Lucis had full access to all of her powers, and reality started to warp around her. The semi-sentient Eternus Crystal awoke and began to hum and spark along with Lucis' words. "I speak as Solaria's voice. As Queen you were de-throned by my hand. As justice's scales, you will again be de-throned!" Glowing in the Crystal's shifting hues, Lucis raised a hand and flicked a finger, slamming Balance into the walls several times with bursts of light magic that the Primal Being still managed to get up from.
'You are yet young and naïve, believing in the good of others and your 'family', Light. It may yet temper with age if you give in now.' Balance's mind-speak was meant to show the dominance, power, and control that came with 'living' and aging along with her commands; all it served to do was prove to Lucis that Balance did not now, nor would she ever, understand.
"Not a chance, cohæl!" Balance would know that. She would know Lucis was calling her no better than a demon. No better than the least of the semi-mortals. Balance would know. And Balance would get angry. That was Lucis’ current plan. Get her as pissed as she could, and wait for her to slip up and make one fatal mistake. She just needed one little opening, and that was it.
~-x-~
Pain. The first thing to come back was the sensation of agonizing pain that nearly sent her spiraling back into unconsciousness. Next was fire, still hesitantly burning her right side; consuming her hip and calf. Then blood― still trickling from her wounds as she breathed shallowly with the attempt to conserve ..... Something.
She had burned herself out and been knocked to her human form not a full ten minutes previous, and she could already tell it was going to make all the difference in the way this battle turned. That's why she was in so much pain then. Her human form had been so damaged previously, that even when lying still, everything hurt. And now with her injuries... She knew she didn't have much time left. She was already markedly slower, with no light-control to use, and her only weapon was all the way across the cavern and there was no way she would be able to reach it before Balance caught and killed her. She was already as good as dead.
Yet she still struggled to her feet, gasping for breath and nearly tumbling back to her hands and knees. She was fighting for a reason, and that gave her the strength to stand and at least try to stop .... Who was it again?
The parts lacking from her memories might have been the most frightening part of the whole ordeal, if the steadily-darkening tunnel-vision and issues remembering that breathing shouldn't have involved a pain akin to severe electrical burns weren't present. She was slowly losing herself. Balance was stripping her mind of any memories that she had, any humanity, any.... Everything. If it continued, there was no doubt in her mind that she'd be reduced to nothing but a mindless pawn within minutes, if she didn't die for her crimes first.
Knowing her advantages, the Primal Being simply shook her head. 'You have had enough chances, Light. I have tired of your resistant folly. You have accomplished your purpose, however. Your creations live another day.'
Lucis had seen the future that would occur if Kite took up her role as Balance's Pawn, and she had made herself a promise to never let that happen. "Like I said, Balance, slag off!"
'You continue to speak to me in such a manner? Foolish. Where has your sense gone?' The white-haired falsehood held a hand out palm-first, a tendril of energy shooting from it and impaling Lucis, caging in her starseed, bringing the light-elemental to her knees in front of Balance.
The brunette gasped weakly and tried to pull away, in too much agony to make anything resembling an attempt to even get up. The tendril had stabbed right through her. It would be down to whomever was faster to determine what happened, and Lucis knew she would die either way. ‘I’m sorry, Kyou… I love you.’
Somehow on her feet once more, gasping harshly and painfully for air, the shattered light-elemental glared at the primal being with her last dredges of defiance. If she was going to fall ―and she had no doubts that she was― then she was taking Balance down with her. Pulling her locket from its shredded chain, she smiled mirthlessly and held it up, laughing faintly between gasps. "Take-- ... This-- ... Bitch--." She smirked coldly, then hurled the metal and crystal piece at the ground with all her remaining strength. "....Supernova.... S-suicide."
It shattered with amazing force, sending shards of metal and crystal everywhere, along with a blast of power likely strong enough to be felt on Earth. Even as she watched, the shockwaves slammed Balance and wrapped around her, strangling tighter and tighter with no regard to the lashes of white energy being thrown at them. Nothing could stop a supernova, after all. Not even a black hole could particularly stop it, only attempt to control it. With a final, soundless flash, Balance disappeared, leaving nothing behind.
Lucis again laughed once to herself, half-choked as it was. "Th-at wa-was-n't so ba--" Her voice and consciousness cut out before she completed her comment, her eyes rolling back as she collapsed face-down on the rock floor ―still smiling in a faraway manner. Through the haze that was quickly becoming her mind, she idly noted something appearing a few yards away. 'Is that...? ...TARDIS? Damn. If.... Only.........' Her thought never finished, and she quickly dissolved into particles of light that floated away.
She had done what she intended. She protected her family from Balance's tyrannical reign of deaths and control. And honestly, deep in her heart, she had known it would come to this. She had known... The only way to destroy Balance... Was to destroy herself first.
~*~*~*~
Astonishment. Surprise. Euphoria. Worry. Panic. Those were the emotions to go through her in quick succession when she found herself facedown on the same stone floor she had collapsed on. "What in Kal'drystz's name....?" She winced at the sound of her own voice; it was both deafening and horrifying, a jingling of bells under-toning her words, which had turned into harmony it's own. It wasn't near as worrisome as Existence's, or Balance's, but it was still WRONG in it's own way. In fact, it sounded a lot like what her voice had sounded like before her powers had been sealed, before she had left for earth to avoid a wedding to Kyrios, before she had lost her twin, before she had met Ryuu, before she had been killed, before she turned semi-human, before she had become Sailor Sun, before she learned about emotions and love, before she had lost her soul-brother, before she had Kikite and Seraphina, before she had met Kyou and fallen in love with him, before .... Everything. It couldn't have all been a dream, could it? She didn't want it to be! She wanted that life! She had never wanted it more, even as filled with heartbreak and sadness as it was!
‘No, please no, please Kal'drystz, let that have been real! Please! Don't let me have just dreamt all of that!’ She nearly broke down in tears from the feeling of her heart breaking with the loss. And then she remembered. That Lucis ―the one she HAD BEEN; the one she was afraid she was again― didn't have emotions. She wouldn't feel this pain. But she did feel it, and that assured her more than anything that she hadn't simply dreamt everything up.
And finally, finally... She snapped herself out of her panic and sat up, looking confused. In the moment it took for her vision to clear, she was still blessedly in the dark. But it did clear, and she was immediately horrified and horrendously guilty. Adrian was her FRIEND, and practically Kyou's brother, for Kal'drystz's sake! "Oh Kal'drystz, no. Please no... Nobody else was supposed to get involved, this was my mistake, mine! Kal'drystz damn it; Adrian!"
She startled at the sound of another's voice, looking up and choking back tears. "It shouldn't have been him. I could have done just as well.... Luci, are you alright?" It was the Doctor. She would have wondered how the slag he had gotten through the Eternus Crystal maze, but she could see the TARDIS not far away. That explained things....
"Does disgusted with my pathetic curse of a life count as alright?" she retorted back flatly, knowing it wasn't his fault and being unable to quite stop herself anyway.
Pain. The first thing to come back was the sensation of agonizing pain that nearly sent her spiraling back into unconsciousness. Next was fire, still hesitantly burning her right side; consuming her hip and calf. Then blood― still trickling from her wounds as she breathed shallowly with the attempt to conserve ..... Something.
She had burned herself out and been knocked to her human form not a full ten minutes previous, and she could already tell it was going to make all the difference in the way this battle turned. That's why she was in so much pain then. Her human form had been so damaged previously, that even when lying still, everything hurt. And now with her injuries... She knew she didn't have much time left. She was already markedly slower, with no light-control to use, and her only weapon was all the way across the cavern and there was no way she would be able to reach it before Balance caught and killed her. She was already as good as dead.
Yet she still struggled to her feet, gasping for breath and nearly tumbling back to her hands and knees. She was fighting for a reason, and that gave her the strength to stand and at least try to stop .... Who was it again?
The parts lacking from her memories might have been the most frightening part of the whole ordeal, if the steadily-darkening tunnel-vision and issues remembering that breathing shouldn't have involved a pain akin to severe electrical burns weren't present. She was slowly losing herself. Balance was stripping her mind of any memories that she had, any humanity, any.... Everything. If it continued, there was no doubt in her mind that she'd be reduced to nothing but a mindless pawn within minutes, if she didn't die for her crimes first.
Knowing her advantages, the Primal Being simply shook her head. 'You have had enough chances, Light. I have tired of your resistant folly. You have accomplished your purpose, however. Your creations live another day.'
Lucis had seen the future that would occur if Kite took up her role as Balance's Pawn, and she had made herself a promise to never let that happen. "Like I said, Balance, slag off!"
'You continue to speak to me in such a manner? Foolish. Where has your sense gone?' The white-haired falsehood held a hand out palm-first, a tendril of energy shooting from it and impaling Lucis, caging in her starseed, bringing the light-elemental to her knees in front of Balance.
The brunette gasped weakly and tried to pull away, in too much agony to make anything resembling an attempt to even get up. The tendril had stabbed right through her. It would be down to whomever was faster to determine what happened, and Lucis knew she would die either way. ‘I’m sorry, Kyou… I love you.’
Somehow on her feet once more, gasping harshly and painfully for air, the shattered light-elemental glared at the primal being with her last dredges of defiance. If she was going to fall ―and she had no doubts that she was― then she was taking Balance down with her. Pulling her locket from its shredded chain, she smiled mirthlessly and held it up, laughing faintly between gasps. "Take-- ... This-- ... Bitch--." She smirked coldly, then hurled the metal and crystal piece at the ground with all her remaining strength. "....Supernova.... S-suicide."
It shattered with amazing force, sending shards of metal and crystal everywhere, along with a blast of power likely strong enough to be felt on Earth. Even as she watched, the shockwaves slammed Balance and wrapped around her, strangling tighter and tighter with no regard to the lashes of white energy being thrown at them. Nothing could stop a supernova, after all. Not even a black hole could particularly stop it, only attempt to control it. With a final, soundless flash, Balance disappeared, leaving nothing behind.
Lucis again laughed once to herself, half-choked as it was. "Th-at wa-was-n't so ba--" Her voice and consciousness cut out before she completed her comment, her eyes rolling back as she collapsed face-down on the rock floor ―still smiling in a faraway manner. Through the haze that was quickly becoming her mind, she idly noted something appearing a few yards away. 'Is that...? ...TARDIS? Damn. If.... Only.........' Her thought never finished, and she quickly dissolved into particles of light that floated away.
She had done what she intended. She protected her family from Balance's tyrannical reign of deaths and control. And honestly, deep in her heart, she had known it would come to this. She had known... The only way to destroy Balance... Was to destroy herself first.
~*~*~*~
Astonishment. Surprise. Euphoria. Worry. Panic. Those were the emotions to go through her in quick succession when she found herself facedown on the same stone floor she had collapsed on. "What in Kal'drystz's name....?" She winced at the sound of her own voice; it was both deafening and horrifying, a jingling of bells under-toning her words, which had turned into harmony it's own. It wasn't near as worrisome as Existence's, or Balance's, but it was still WRONG in it's own way. In fact, it sounded a lot like what her voice had sounded like before her powers had been sealed, before she had left for earth to avoid a wedding to Kyrios, before she had lost her twin, before she had met Ryuu, before she had been killed, before she turned semi-human, before she had become Sailor Sun, before she learned about emotions and love, before she had lost her soul-brother, before she had Kikite and Seraphina, before she had met Kyou and fallen in love with him, before .... Everything. It couldn't have all been a dream, could it? She didn't want it to be! She wanted that life! She had never wanted it more, even as filled with heartbreak and sadness as it was!
‘No, please no, please Kal'drystz, let that have been real! Please! Don't let me have just dreamt all of that!’ She nearly broke down in tears from the feeling of her heart breaking with the loss. And then she remembered. That Lucis ―the one she HAD BEEN; the one she was afraid she was again― didn't have emotions. She wouldn't feel this pain. But she did feel it, and that assured her more than anything that she hadn't simply dreamt everything up.
And finally, finally... She snapped herself out of her panic and sat up, looking confused. In the moment it took for her vision to clear, she was still blessedly in the dark. But it did clear, and she was immediately horrified and horrendously guilty. Adrian was her FRIEND, and practically Kyou's brother, for Kal'drystz's sake! "Oh Kal'drystz, no. Please no... Nobody else was supposed to get involved, this was my mistake, mine! Kal'drystz damn it; Adrian!"
She startled at the sound of another's voice, looking up and choking back tears. "It shouldn't have been him. I could have done just as well.... Luci, are you alright?" It was the Doctor. She would have wondered how the slag he had gotten through the Eternus Crystal maze, but she could see the TARDIS not far away. That explained things....
"Does disgusted with my pathetic curse of a life count as alright?" she retorted back flatly, knowing it wasn't his fault and being unable to quite stop herself anyway.
“Listen, I know how you're feeling. I'm a Time Lord. I can travel all through time and space at a whim and even I was powerless to stop him. But he gave his life for you, so that you can live your life, and be with the one you love.” The Doctor was even a bit quieter due to sadness marring his tone.
The light-elemental caught herself only moments before a tear escaped her eyes, refusing to begin to cry in front of the Doctor. “Kyou... I.... And what about Makoto...” Of course, thinking along the trail of what Adrian’s wife would feel only made her give up on her attempt to keep from tears. “Please... Can you... Get me to Kyou?”
“Come on, then. We have to be quick. I'm sure he needs you right now.”
“A-alright.” Lucis felt the Doctor take her hand and lead her to the TARDIS, but other than that, she was working on at least blocking off enough of her emotions to be able to fight without being blinded by them. As soon as her feet touched the TARDIS floor, she found herself a corner out of the way and curled up in it with her face in her hands, cursing her lack of the mental focus she needed in order to create and use a portal, as well as how long the TARDIS seemed to take to get back.
“Come on, we're here. Kyou's fighting one of them. He may need your help.” The Doctor’s voice startled her out of her trance-like state once more, just in time for her to pick up on the taunts Existence was hurling at Kyou, and Kyou’s reply. That was enough to wake Lucis and get her to her feet in a blurringly-fast motion.
“Thank you.” She practically flung herself out of the TARDIS as the doors opened, a short cry announced her presence as she slid to a stop beside her fiancée. “Kyou!”
“Luci... You're.... You're alive?!” Kyou asked.
“Thanks to Adrian....”
Existence broke into the short reunion with his response to Kyou, as well as a slightly more subtle underhanded comment to Lucis, punctuated with a glare at the new Balance-incarnate. “Emotions and feeling are weaknesses; weaknesses I do not need.”
“Yes... Thanks to him... Thanks to a human.....” Kyou begun by answering Lucis, then transitioned to speaking at Existence, also giving the primal being a pointed look, “Who was willing to give his life for another, because he cared about his friends. Because he knew nothing was impossible. Because he was strong enough to defy you, Existence. As I now defy you. Now, for the last time.... I call upon the ancient spirits... Cast thy purifying light down on this corrupt soul! Judgement!”
Existence went to dodge, only to find there were white ribbons wrapping him and keeping him there —forcing him to face his fate. The primal incarnate of existence fell to streaks of black tendrils that slid to the floor and sunk through it.
The next that Lucis had registered, she had sunk to her knees next to Kyou and thrown her arms around him, crying and blubbering something nonsensical. Before so much as half an hour had passed, Kyou had opened Heaven’s gate and brought Adrian back, leading to another round of apologies from Lucis, and comments about funerals and celebrations from Adrian.
~-x-~
After the events of the day had drawn to a close and begun to wind down, Lucis finally found the time to head back to her daughter’s home and warn her of what had happened, lest she see it in the Eternus Crystal and react badly before Lucis could explain. Sadly, what Lucis hadn’t realized was that she still looked too much like Balance for this visit to be taken in any way but badly.
As her portal cleared and Lucis found herself at her destination, the first thing that she was her own terrified granddaughter, staring wide-eyed at… her. “Suki…”
“MOMMY, THE SCARY LADY IS BACK!” The blonde five year old squealed in terror, backing away until she was scooped up by her mother when the black-haired princess ran into the room and drew her sword, pointing it at Lucis as a fire-shield formed around her and her daughter.
Lucis winced slightly and backed up, bringing her hands up, palm-out, in a placating gesture. “It’s me, it’s me! Serunoe, relax; don’t attack me.” The once-brunette already knew she looked like her own terror of a mother; she didn’t need her daughter and granddaughter rubbing it in. She had been working on getting her hair to go back to brown from it’s currently white coloration, and was having about as much success with it as she was with fixing her eye color back to gold.
“Oh no; you’re not fooling me, and you’re not touching my daughter, Balance!” The fire-shielded princess glared, only getting more defensive and closer to hitting her Valkyrie form as Suki whimpered nervously.
Realizing there was little way to prove what she was saying, the light-elemental forced herself to grab onto her normal mental connection to her daughter and force it back open. ‘Kite! Serunœ, it’s me.’ Thinking quickly as it didn’t seem to effect her much, Lucis began to sing the girl’s lullaby from when she was no older than Suki, knowing she would know it was something Balance never would have troubled herself to learn.
“M-mom?! What the fff—fudge?” Kikite fixed her mother with a shocked look, petting her daughter’s hair to reassure her.
Not wanting Suki to hear the short conversation that was about to ensue, Lucis switched back to her mental link with Kikite. ‘I killed Balance.’
Her response was fast in coming, and clearly relieved. ‘Thank Primus. That’s one less psycho for me to deal with… Can’t you change your appearance like you always have?’ Speaking aloud to her daughter, the black-haired princess held her daughter more closely as Suki buried her head into her mother’s shoulder and whimpered again. “Suki, sweetie, it’s alright. It’s your grammie. She just looks a little different…”
‘No.’ Hearing and seeing her granddaughter’s reaction to her, Lucis winced and bit down on her bottom lip, then turned silently and started walking away with her heart breaking. “I’ll go.” ‘I just wanted to let you know that I’m alive, serunœ.’
“Mom… I’m sorry. Balance really traumatized her. I’m sure Suki will get over it soon… Daisuro, Momma.” Kikite watched her mother vanish with a pop and a wince, slowly getting Suki to calm enough for her to stop shaking and whimpering.
SHE LIVES! SHE LIVES! AND POSTS!
ReplyDelete:P Oh, hush you. I haven't had the time to write. I've been .... Busy.
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