The black of the Void.
Thought maybe that wasn't the right way to put it. Now that he really studied it, it wasn't really black. No, a color was something. Black was something. The Void... the Void was Nothing…
And Everything.
How many times had he been here? It was so hard to tell. The line between this world and the next seemed to blend seamlessly. It didn't seem possible, yet it felt so natural.
Still…
Still he could never fully get used to the pure emptiness of it all. A hollow, eternal darkness that made up nothing and everything that had ever been or could ever be. A small smile drifted to his face as his hand came up to caress the emptiness.
So much contained in so little.
So much to know.
So much to have.
His head began to ache and his hand dropped back down. He closed his eyes and allowed his mind to go blank, simply enjoying the weightless feeling as long as it would last. He knew well how fast the Void could change, but for now he felt it wouldn't.
At least not yet.
It was the silence. The perfect silence that was uninhibited by even the smallest of sounds. Even Cross was silent, his breathing still and his mind at rest.
The Void never changed when it was silent.
Silence could be trusted.
Silence was the truth.
"I'm so glad you didn't die." Kosu sighed in his ear. "Though I knew you wouldn't."
Cross glanced left, then right, forgetting for the moment that in this world directions often had no meaning.
Kosu giggled before suddenly appearing before him, her nose tickling against his. He pulled back, but not too far. In this ethereal void, she was the only thing he could see. The only thing he knew was real.
At least, he hoped she was real.
Kosu laughed softly as she took his hand in hers, pulling him closer until she was flush against his body. She rested her head against his chest, the white bow tied neatly on the top of her head tickling against his nose. He turned his head away from the annoying sensation.
"Did you know?" Cross's voice came out like en echo from a far away place. Something that sounded like crashing waves began to sound off in the emptiness. He felt his stomach lurch then settle as the world began to spin. He shook his head, but failed to dispel the discomfort.
The wave was suddenly very close and Cross tensed up as the uproar to consume his entire being.
Kosu took pity on him and silenced the void with a wave of her hand. Cross let out a sigh and relaxed his body, falling against Kosu for support despite himself.
"Of course I knew. Don't I always know?" Kosu chided gently, sliding away from him and running a cold finger along the laceration he had suffered from the axe. "I was still worried though. I could feel you trying to reach me, but…"
"I couldn't get through." Cross watched as his wounded skin slowly began to knit itself back together under Kosu's guidance.
"But you managed when it mattered most." Kosu sighed with content. She trailed her hand down his body until she reached the puncture wound in his leg. She gave it a single tap with her pointer finger and the injury closed, leaving only the faintest of scars.
"Aren't you going to thank me?" Kosu pouted as Cross gingerly poked at his, now healed, injuries.
"You could have told me, you know. About the Gods."
"That isn't as much fun."
Kosu held out her hand. Cross hesitated for a moment before extending his broken arm. She lifted it up carefully, opening his hand and resting her cheek against his palm. Though he knew it should hurt, Cross felt no pain as his bones slowly aligned themselves back into the proper place.
"You could have said something."
"You know the rules Cross. Even I must follow them."
"Rules stronger than the thickest iron. Rules that even Gods can not break." Cross' mouth twisted into a weak scowl, but his heart wasn't in it.
"Don't you go forgetting that." Kosu slipped free from his hand. Falling onto her back she rose a few feet above him.
"You still could have given me some more warning. I would have kept the others from going."
"But where is the fun in that? Besides, I helped when you truly needed it, did I not?"
Cross stared at her for a moment before finally nodded, his eyes looking anywhere but her. "You did."
"You see. You should be more grateful. Though I must admit, I do find it so very entertaining, watching you. So exciting, seeing you fight so hard to keep that wonderfully delicate flame of your life from going out." Kosu ran a hand gently down her chest. "Though I do get a little jealous, watching you protect the others so valiantly. I wish you would fight for me, just once." She pouted for a moment before her lips turned up into a smirk. She began to lazily float around him, circling like a shark. "You know, everything is going to change now."
Cross sighed. "I had an idea. Care to enlighten?"
"Oh, I won't spoil it for you, not yet. Life is no fun without the tension," Kosu said, stopping in front of him and leveling her face to his. She blinked and the mismatched colors of her eyes swapped places. "But I will tell you this, Cross. It's going to be very, very exciting."
"That last time you told me that, I almost died."
"Hmmm, I suppose you did." Kosu laughed as she tilted her head. "I have faith you won't die, but know that the bridge between the worlds has been rebuilt. The Void will be calling you, and even I can't always be there to protect you. Not every time. Take care not to get lost in it. There are few who wander the Void without a guide that come back. Even with one, there is no guarantee of return."
"I will do my best to avoid it, then." Cross assured her with a frown that she returned with an amused smile.
She reached out and pressed her delicate fingers against the corners of his mouth, forcing his lips into a smile. "There, that is so much better. I miss seeing you smile. Always so serous now. You need to learn to relax."
Cross caught her by the wrists and pulled her hands from his face. "Kosu."
"Fine, fine, fine, I see I've kept you long enough, from your precious friends. Do try to stay out of trouble. While watching you struggle is fun, I do hate when my helpless little clairvoyant actually gets hurt. If you were to die… Well I don't know what I would do. It may just break my heart."
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind."
"Such a romantic, you are." Kosu smiled as she easily broke free of his grasp. Reaching out she gently pressed a single finger against his forehead. With a wink, she pushed her arm out Cross was sent tumbling away into nothingness, spinning end over end as Kosu slowly faded from view.
xXx
Cross fell back into the world with a gasp. He was relieved to find the pressure in his head was blessedly reduced, though it still remained, pulsing in time with the waves of magic still emanating from the circle of Spirit Gods.
Through the light, he could see Makina. Her eyes were shining and a bright smile lit up her face as she joined hands with her sister. He felt a tightness form in his chest.
Beside him, Lexi suddenly dropped to her knees. He watched as she stared forward, eyelids heavy and her eyes glazing over
"Lex?" Cross reached out for her, but a sudden burst of magical energy from the young girl made him pause.
Another flood of energy made Cross's hairs stand on end as Lexi's head suddenly snapped back and she thrust her arms backwards. She held the rigid position as a scream tore from her throat. Her ever-present scarf slowly slipped from her face as the tendons in her neck flexed and her entire body went still as stone. Cross hastily rolled away as the area around her began to shimmer and ripple like turbulent water.
Massive spikes of shadow burst from the ground and surrounded Lexi. They continued to grow, climbing higher and higher until they crashed into the ceiling and shattered like glass. The shards formed into a dense veil that gently dropped around Lexi, sliding against her skin as she gradually regained control of her body.
With a small cry she fell forwards onto her hands. Sucking in large gulps of air, she pushed herself back into her knees and held out her hand.
The shadows reacted to her command, quickly converging onto her palm into a small, condensed ball. Lexi held it for a moment before letting out a choked laugh and tossing it up in the air. The shadows exploded into a thousand tendrils that elegantly swirled around her as she began to sob, a radiant smile on her face.
As the fresh power flowed through her veins, the Shadow Mage slowly turned to face the Clairvoyant.
In that moment, with tears staining her cheeks and shadows dancing gracefully around her, she was the most beautiful thing Cross had ever seen