It seemed like eternity before she felt anything. Her legs were against her chest, with her arms wrapped around them. Her head rested against them, and no matter how hard she tried, she could not raise her head. She felt a floating sensation; like the blackness was truly a sea, and she trapped within it's watery mass. Maybe she didn't want to get up... Maybe she just wanted to remain here, to never get up again...
She remembered the faces of her friend, Misora, and the way she had looked at her. Misora had looked at her as if she had done something wrong, something so wrong as to ruin their friendship for good. She had seen hate there, along with a sadness so deep that made tears come to her eyes. Perhaps she was truly responsible for whatever happened. She could think of nothing, but who knows... Perhaps what the Magister had blamed her of was true... Maybe she was as weak as they thought she was, and that she deserved to be trapped in the sea of darkness.
As her senses slowly came to, she realized that something was missing... Something of dire importance was missing, and she had no idea what. With uncaring interest, she searched through her mind, wandering what was missing. She felt empty, as if a part of her soul had been taken away from her. But that was impossible, nothing could do this...
It suddenly hit her. Her magic had been taken from her! Not necessarily taken, but being used by someone else, or another force. She could not touch upon her magic, could no longer feel what it was like to become one with the Ether. She was no longer who she really was, she was someone else. She had changed without her knowing, and she no longer knew who she was.
Tears, silent and cold, came to her eyes. They slowly coursed down her cheeks, falling without much sound. She desired to waste away, let the darkness around take the pain away. Fall away and never return... Despair wretched her heart and she felt that at any moment it would break, and she would no longer be whole. There was nothing left, nothing in this world left for her to hold onto, nothing for to keep her back.
She slowly began to sink, and she did not move out of the position she was in. She felt herself sinking slowly but surely into the dark mass, into the oblivion that she welcomed. Perhaps in the darkness she could find the peace that she desired, the peace that her heart ached for. She could forget everything that tortured her mind, everything...
Maybe she could sink into the world of dreams. She could sink into an eternal dream, dream eternally of love and laughter. Within a dream she could dream of all the things she could not and had not found in real life. Yes, she could fade away and dream, dream forever of all fantasies, which used to keep her awake. Now they would be a way to the end, a wonderful way to fade away...
But then the darkness around her began to lighten. Her eyes were closed, but she felt the darkness lighten. She opened her despair filled eyes, and looked around her, wondering what this could be. She looked upwards, or what she thought was up, and saw a sight that made her throat constrict.
They were Ihen's eyes, the same blue ones she had seen for the first time her dream so long ago. They shined blue, the only color in the world of gray and silence. His mouth moved in silent words, and his arms were outstretched, vainly trying to bring her towards him. She outstretched her arms, but knew that nothing would happen. She would continue to sink into the darkness, fall into oblivion.
She watched his eyes, happy to know that his eyes would be the last vision she saw. But instead of the calm and quiet happiness that usually filled his eyes, something reigned in his beautiful eyes. First was wave of anger, causing his eyes to flare in the unnatural darkness. Following that was a wave of sadness and despair, followed by a mixture of all three. It saddened him that his precious eyes were so wrecked, and she felt more tears come to her eyes. He did not deserve to have his eyes so ruined in those emotions... She remembered him with eyes that shined with a quiet happiness, reflecting the light of the morning sun...
But wait... She squinted, still sinking and still looking deeply into his eyes. Ihen was now standing, and she saw his all of him, his tall and lithe frame shrouded in a blanket of sadness that matched that of the darkness. And as she watched, he threw himself off of the unseen cliff and fell towards her.
Insei tried to scream, but no sound came through her parted lips. Ihen was falling into the darkness after her, surely meaning the ending of his life alongside hers. He could not do this! His life was not ready to end, his spirit still had a vitality which knew not what death was. But he continued to fall, towards her unerringly. He fell faster than she did, and after an eternity of watching him come towards her, she found herself held in his embrace.
She looked straight into Ihen's eyes. They were now filled with sadness and content, as he flashed her a small smile, one that threatened to finish the process of the breaking of her heart. As Insei watched the emotions play in his eyes, a revelation like the breaking of a wave passed through her.
Ihen was content to die with her, die with her in his arms. He would give up his life, so that he would not lose her. Not even in the face of death would he lose her, but continue to follow. Ihen loved her, and did not want to see her go alone.
Love and anger, contrasting like the blue of Ihen's eyes and the darkness, arose in her. The ones who had put her into the darkness had also doomed the fate upon Ihen. They had doomed Ihen to die among the rolling blackness, to fall into oblivion. He did not deserve this, he did not deserve to die, but live a happy life among the stars and sun.
The people who had put this wretched look into his eyes would pay. They would pay dearly for Ihen's grief, and the horrible look in his eyes.
Her eyes began to glow with a bright unnatural light that seemed to come from within. She pulled Ihen tight to her, as the glow soon ensconced both of them.
***
"A stunning victory, Magister," Trine was saying as the Magister watched the scene play out before him.
"Yes, I agree. And as long as everything goes well, it will remain stunning," Magister replied in return, a note of happiness ringing through his words. The victory was truly stunning, he could still taste the sweetness upon his lips. And best of all, the girl had played so innocently into their trap.
In the massive chamber before him, four mages stood in an irregular square. Once he took his place at the head, they would form the Star, the symbol of the Ether. The four mages were keeping the girl trapped in a stasis, making it easy enough for him use the girl's power to his own benefit. Soon the world would fear his name, and he would be content at last.
He could not see the Insei at all, for the light from the mages power hid her from view. But he knew that she was somewhere in there, ready to be used for his own ends. Once he had taken control of her magic, the power behind all five of the orbs would be his, leaving him unstoppable. He allowed himself a small laugh, one that seemed to echo through the round room.
But his laughter was cut short, as the light that held Insei grew in intensity. The four Mages that were holding the girl in stasis fell back, the words of power unable to escape their throats. Soon the light began to coalesce and become something different. Soon, the girl Insei was visible, with the light of the Ether behind her, and her eyes were no longer hers. The Ether had taken on the form of wings, and they now stretched fully out. In her right arm, the body of a young man hung, apparently unconscious. Insei�s wings beat, and soon she was floating in the air.
The Magister began to call upon his power of Fire, hoping to stop the girl before she was entirely out of his grasp. But before he could fully immerse himself in his power, the girl had raised her free arm and held it with palm up towards the Magister. White light began to form about her and expand, encasing the room with the cold white. The Magister tried to scream, but could not find a voice as the Ether washed over him, and slowly began to turn his power against him�
***
�Insei, wake,� the voice was gentle and soothing, and sounded familiar. She fought back the natural darkness, hoping to find the person who spoke the simple words. Her eyes open, and she found Ihen smiling down at her with soft-spoken eyes. Insei sat up and looked about her.
Debris lay everywhere, all except for a clear circle about them. The Tower was destroyed, and she could only vaguely remember as to the cause. She blinked away the dust in her eyes and looked to Ihen.
�What now,� she asked in a whispered voice. Ihen took Insei in her arms, holding her tightly. He loosened his embrace a just enough so he could look directly in her eyes. She found her hand coming to his face, caressing his cheek.
�As long as I am with you, we shall go where the future takes us��
Our bishel dragon has come from Bishen Realm, no stealy!
Images for this dragon home were made by me,
do not use unless you ask.
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