Two gentle eyes peered back into the world with great curiosity. Ali's first instinct was to reach out to Salem who she had been with only moments go. Shocked and confused, the doll began to search frantically for answers.
"Where am I?" Ali frowned as she took sight of a mechanical arm wrapped around her.
"Good morning Ali. Pardon my rudeness, but I must ensure Salem's will," Valor replied as he set Ali down in the most gentle manner he could.
Ali figured she had already been taken far away from her maker, yet was confused to find herself still in the Strand. If Valor was truly free to use transportation, she should have been halfway across the city already. Ali realized something was impeding her escape. And perhaps more alarmingly, there was not a soul to be seen around the Strand.
"Where are all the ladies? And why is it so much darker than before?" The doll inquired.
"Ah well, they know when to keep out of trouble," Valor explained, nervously checking behind him as a set of large shadows skirted around the edges of the poorly lit hallways. "It's nothing to worry about."
"Salem's will," the doll sighed as she realized her current predicament. "She's going to try and hurt Alia isn't she."
Deciding not to respond, Valor could only stare down at Ali in shame. He could almost see the doll's innocence leave her soul, her eyes becoming dimmer than ever. Ali had always spent her time denying reality and focusing on what little positives there were. But the time for honesty had come- and Ali would no longer pretend she was pleased.
"It's not up to you though is it," Ali continued with tears welling up in her eyes. "Are we all just slaves to someone?"
Grabbing her arm, Valor did his best to calm the doll, "I'm sorry, but there's nothing to be done. You would only put yourself in harm's way."
"But why?!"
"My mother's wish is clear and sound. This is for your own safety."
"Don't you understand! Alia made me!" Ali cried in frustration. "You wish to help your maker just the same as I. It's how we're made!"
"Ali you're mistress is deranged, you're not thinking for yourself!"
"You don't know her!" Ali frowned, trying to be as kind as possible. "None of you do!"
Valor sighed before taking a knee, bringing himself to the doll's height.
"Ali I understand your plight, but some part of you must desire a future for yourself."
"My future *is* her. Can you not relate?"
"Of course Ali. But I see a path of my own, equally as important."
Ali paused, her more hostile demeanor having already faded. She was not used to such tense arguments and attempted to reach for her bear to soothe her. Only then did the doll notice her bear had completely disappeared, as if the little thing scampered off all on its own.
"No," Ali whispered to herself.
But before Ali could ask for her friend to return, a bolt of red plasma whisked past her face. She hadn't even the time to scream before an entire barrage appeared at the end of the hallway with a deafening flash of light. Valor was quick to shield the doll with his back, a sheen of orange energy enveloping his body as the projectiles bounced off harmlessly.
"A talk for another time then," Valor exclaimed as he unsheathed his standard-issue blade.
Four robotic creatures emerged seemingly from nowhere, their masked faces glowing with a purple aura. Ali recognized these creatures as Alia's creations. She had tampered with them for months and appropriately named them Vornex. Their bodies were like blackened bones of a human corpse, crudely attached to a large white head. An assortment of horns and teeth lined their strange smiles - whereas their true face remained a mystery.
"You again," Ali gasped as she recalled her time spent near the ugly creatures.
A total of four guns were mounted on the Vornex, with two resting on the shoulders and the other two welded to their arms. Additionally, their long spindly hands provided a crude but effective melee option. At first glance, Valor could recognize his opponent was not only well-made but armed to the teeth.
"They must have been scampering about the tower all night," Valor scoffed. "The stealthy little fellows were no doubt waiting for this moment."
"What's wrong with them?" Ali asked.
"Are you familiar with their behavior?"
"They weren't ever this aggressive. Just helpers for my mistress."
"Well, they are clearly not here to rescue you."
Losing their fragile patience, the Vornex stepped toward their prey. With much greater speed, Valor sped down the hallway and cut at the legs of the first machine in his path. He was surprised to find the thin limbs of the Vornex frighteningly resilient. The unphased machine responded by grabbing Valor with its oversized hand, before attempting to press its claws through his eye. Valor may have been stoic, but he was no fool. He quickly pulled away and slashed with a backup knife that shattered against the Vornex's face, cutting through its mask and disabling the creature.
"Finally, a worthy opponent," Valor laughed as he took note of his opponent's weakness.
Despite his gleeful attitude, Valor was aware of the increasing danger. Alia's creations weren't particularly bright but seemed intelligent enough to slowly surround the knight from three sides. Picking the Vornex to his left, Valor feigned an attack at the Vornex's thin wrist before switching his focus to its mouth. His speed and skill with the blade confused the machine, who foolishly grasped the air before receiving a quick death.
Realizing they were likely outmatched at closer range, the last two Vornex put their wrist-mounted guns in gear with a loud click, before releasing a stream of small metal bolts. Valor was quick enough to dive into cover alongside the cowering doll; but with no clear sign of escape, he began to fear the worst.
Just then a stoic voice bellowed from the top of the building, "Valor! Catch!"
The brave knight looked above to see a pistol soaring towards him, its regal design alluding to his savior's identity. Catching the pistol with ease, Valor turned towards the Vornex and pulled the trigger. He was surprised to see a ring of energy exit the muzzle and expand in size greatly, before pushing the Vornex back with some force.
"Korus you crazed maniac! what's the occasion?" Valor cheered, realizing his savior was in fact the same white knight he had been so enamored by earlier in the night.
"With you, it seems every occasion," Korus replied as he fired off his second sidearm.
"What can I say, danger follows the brave."
"Hah! I like you!" Korus beamed as he realized how similar Valor was to himself.
Amidst the banter, Ali watched in a mix of confusion and terror as the Valekry brethren fought back to back. More Vornex would arrive through the cramped hallways, but any fear they might have imposed was gone thanks to Korus's aid. But just as the battle seemed too easy, a new danger arrived, crashing through the glass ceiling above.
"Look out!" Ali nudged Valor while pointing her frail black-jointed fingers in the air.
From the sky came a more advanced Vornex capable of flight. Their backs seemed larger, dotted with flaming propulsion jets that carried them across the air with little grace. But compared to their brethren, the new Vornex appeared more orderly and skilled, preferring a hand-held beam cannon over the more brutish wrist-mounted repeaters.
"Good heavens, what might that be?" Valor exclaimed as he narrowly deflected a stream of plasma aimed directly at his face.
"Another testament to Alia's creativity. She's outdone herself again," Korus replied, clearly having seen Alia's work before.
"You've met her in the past?" Valor reacted with annoyance in his tone.
"Yes, she's been nothing but trouble for my princess."
"Forgive me for asking so crudely, but why not deal with the threat."
"A discussion for another time," Korus sighed as if disappointed with Ina.
Respecting their opponent's advantage, the pair of Valekry then began a fast retreat towards any possible exit from the Strand.
"Follow me!" Korus ordered as he smashed a nearby window before leaping out of the building with confidence.
"Careful now," Valor whispered to Ali as he lifted her petite body away from all the shrapnel on the floor.
What little beauty could be said of the Strand was no more, with plasma burns and shattered furniture littering the surrounding environment.
"Ah!" The doll shut her eyes as she became nauseated by her rapid escape.
Ali soon found herself being carried all throughout the wrecked exterior of the Strand and towards the landing pad Salem had arrived at. She had no understanding of the battle and was more confused than anything. It was at times like this that she wished she still had her bear.
"Where could she have gone to?" Ali thought to herself.
The Vornex continued to pursue the Valekry toward the silver landing pad, destroying everything in their path. Eventually, Korus came to a halt as he reached his objective, only to find Ina's vessel had been preemptively dealt with as it lay in ruin.
"Go now Valor, descend the building any way you can," Korus commanded as he pointed towards a small door leading to the building's emergency staircase. "We must adapt to the situation at hand!"
Korus then dropped his blade and transformed his free hand into a roped hook, with which he used to pull down an ariel opponent. Using his other arm as a cannon, he continued to repel the enemy with unmatched skill. Valor watched on in amazement before rushing Ali toward the exit.
"Best of luck brother!" Valor yelled as he disappeared past the door. "You must show me how to do that someday!"
Korus simply nodded in reply.
Looking back one last time, the apprentice caught a glimpse of his idol heroically battling against all odds, never showing fear or hesitation.
_______________________________________________
A brilliant flash of colors lit up the night sky as the two girls continued to battle. Their powers had only intensified over time, soon reaching a state of uncontrollable chaos. Salem continued to struggle with the power that kept her alive, her own sanity beginning to wane as the battle raged on.
"What kind of game is this?" Salem hissed with great frustration in her voice, not understanding why her opponent would intentionally grant her a boon of strength.
But the more Salem began to reflect on her surroundings, the more she noticed her own transformation. The crimson power that once took the appearance of a red rose had been degraded into a swarm of machines smaller than the eye could perceive. Unbeknownst to her, she had been wielding a technology far beyond anything seen in Lacuna or the planet below. After realizing her imagination was the only limit to her new power, Salem raised her arm and formed a large red diamond above her head, its glimmering surface unleashing several beams of crimson energy. As long as she could play along with her new gift, perhaps she stood a chance.
Alia was delighted to see her foe had learned a thing or two and began to twirl in circles before summoning an array of mirrors around her slim body. Salem's attack was reflected in a chaotic onslaught of energy that bounced about the room with dangerous inaccuracy. Alia then stepped into one of her mirrors before disappearing entirely, leaving Salem to deal with the mindless barrage.
"You think that's bad?" Alia whispered into Salem's mind, so as to not interrupt the song her double continued to perform.
Reappearing beside her pale counterpart, Alia unveiled what appeared to be a crystal bow. She winked in Salem's direction before releasing a purple arrow toward the ceiling. Just as the arrow seemed to reach the stars, an invisible barrier appeared in its path, reflecting and multiplying the arrow. Salem looked up in awe as a rain of projectiles bounced around the room in an unpredictable torrent of death. Alia laughed and smiled as the randomness of her own attack pierced her arm just as Salem began to suffer as well.
"Have it your own way then!" Salem screamed.
After coming to grips with the dire situation, Salem finally surrendered herself to her opponent's desire; she would have to exploit the power granted to her at the cost of her own sanity, regardless of the pain that would ensue. After raising her glowing fist in the air, Alia's volley shattered and splintered into a red shard, warping and glimmering with new light. Salem then directed the fragmented shards toward Alia with whatever strength she had left.
*Just like a battle long ago.*
"There you go," Alia whispered. "That's the red flower I remember."
Back and forth, the girls would trade blows. Alia had her endless barrage while Salem could shatter and redirect any attack. All the while the pale figure would continue to sing, her tempo shifting as the fight raged on. The exchange was long and tiresome, with Alia enjoying every second of it. Eventually, the song reached its conclusion as Alia increased the intensity of her attack. Salem could feel both the chilling finale of the song and the searing pain of her effort as her body began to reach its limit. Soon enough her own right arm started to disappear, the energy around it disintegrating her flesh. Salem closed her eyes and whispered her goodbyes to her children as she put one last effort into the crimson aura.
"Do take care of yourselves for me dearest children," Salem smiled. "Be better than me."
The next time she opened her eyes, Salem expected to see the vast emptiness of death. But instead, she found Alia's illusion gone, and her damaged body now kneeling in the real world. She almost felt relief until she saw Alia standing in the distance with a disappointed look on her face.
"I put on quite a show for you, and all I get in return is a pitiful sacrifice!?" Alia groaned while placing a palm against her face. "Your not supposed to go down like a dainty lady for crying out loud! You're supposed to be an evil witch! Fight! Hold on to dear life! Not for your love or your children, but for yourself!"
"I can't," Salem panted.
"Be the red flower," Alia continued. "You are malice, the blood-lusting swarm of parasites that brings fear to the feeble. Own it, girl! You can't be a disappointment. Not like your mother."
"My what?"
"Oh, that's right. Family. Really going to make me pull out the trump card are you?" Alia sighed like a bored child. "Fine. How utterly lame of you."
Before Salem could respond, she heard a familiar voice by her side. She hadn't yet realized the consequences of her trip into Alia's nightmare. Not only was her body truly ruined, but her child had been abandoned.
"Mother," Anger spoke, with a smidge of worry in his voice as he stepped closer to Salem from behind.
"Anger?" Salem groaned as she began to cough up blood.
Her child seemed to be alive and well, with a circle of corpses surrounding him. He had a slight chink on the side of his face, alongside a soaked mace gripped tightly in his hand. His battle against the Vornex seemed to be a long one, only recently come to a conclusion.
"I honestly thought they'd kill him by now. She didn't make any pushovers you know. I mean that girl excels at everything she does. Makes the best murderers, as well as the prettiest dolls," Alia grinned. "But I suppose I could always just kill him myself."
"You wouldn't dare," Salem glared.
"Or what honey? I clapped your damn cheeks while making it fair. Show me who you really are, as I had asked before, and maybe your children will live."
A circular well of energy then formed beneath Alia, giving birth to an erratic abomination. Six furry legs then crawled out of the dark summoning pit with a grueling crunch. The new terror had several bright yellow eyes dotted above its gaping maw, surprising Salem as she believed her opponent's strength had been at least somewhat expended. But upon further inspection, Salem noticed a slight change in her opponent's body. Alia, or whatever was left of her, was standing a bit wrong.
In truth, Alia's bones were bent and shattered, leaving one to imagine what her insides were like. Whatever controlled her could keep her powers intact forever, but the same could not be said for the feeble body. She was still a little girl as far as Salem knew, immortal zombie or not.
"Do not worry about the beast. Focus on your own battle," Anger calmly replied as she strolled up to Alia's creature. "You can still win this."
"Wait Anger!" Salem groaned. "It's dangerous!"
"Is it? This is why we were made," Anger explained as if understanding some truth Salem knew nothing about.
The beast leaped into the air, intent on crushing its adversary with all six legs. In response Anger poised himself for the attack before flipping a small switch under the mace's handle, transforming it into something far deadlier. Anger then slammed his weapon into the ground, creating a shockwave of stone and metal. His mace, now open-faced and pulsating with electricity, could apparently control gravity and force. By the time the beast came down, he was ready with a devastating swing.
"Now. One last time. Show me," Alia smiled while watching her beast reel back after Anger's attack.
"I will kill you," Salem growled as she rose to her feet. "Whatever you are. Nothing threatens my children and lives."
"And now you understand," Alia smiled before preparing a final attack.
Opening the flesh above her chest, Alia released the full energy of her purple flower in a fatal blast. She knew full well that her mortal body would likely perish in the process alongside her foe. Salem responded by raising her charred hand and releasing her own beam of energy. The clash was so fierce that both Anger and the beast lost their footing, sliding against the ground as if the earth had flipped on them. And yet despite their warped surroundings, the two girls fought on as if nothing had changed.
After what felt like an eternity of fighting, Salem could already feel her body failing. She knew a sacrifice would be required to win. If Alia was to offer up her own corpse in exchange for victory, then Salem most certainly needed to return the favor.
"So this is it then," Salem muttered as she imagined her own body crumbling into ash. "What I am."
Salem did not scream at that moment, instead choosing to silently glare into the eyes of her enemy with seething hatred. At that moment she was malice incarnate. And Alia was pleased. But just before she could make her final act, a soothing sensation washed over Salem as a second flower appeared behind her.
"I gave you that flower, remember?" A soft feminine voice spoke into Salem's ear as it began to erase her searing pain.
"Ina?!" Salem gasped, realizing the gift she had received back in Ina's garden was in fact not some memento, but instead, a phantom of her flower designed to aid her.
"Go now, use it just this once. I know you deserve it," Ina gently whispered as her voice began to disappear. "It's fitting for my power to aid you like this. After all, the red one always does push themselves a little too far. All it needs is a bit of love to carry on."
Clutching the second flower in her other arm, Salem gained the second wind she needed before continuing her attack. Unlike before, she could no longer feel her life at risk, allowing her to fully let loose. Alia smiled in response as if somehow expecting the sudden change of events.
"I won't forget this," Salem thought to herself as focused her power. "Ina."
But even with the blue flower, Salem was still at a disadvantage. Alia would get the sacrifice she wanted. And as the powers of malice and insanity clashed one last time, she seemed content.
"There you go. You two never disappoint."
After a final brilliant explosion, the battle had come to an end. Anger found himself grasping at thin air as the world became still, his savage enemy becoming nothing more than ashes. Alia was dead, and her painful journey had come to a close. But in her final moments, she was truly entertained.
"A-Anger?" Salem whispered before collapsing.
Looking up towards the sky, Anger noticed the ruin that surrounded them. The battle between the three flowers battle had shaken the nearby infrastructure of the Strand to its core, causing an unmistakable collapse. A great cascade of rubble then fell all around the pair as several explosions rocked the nearby city. But all that mattered to Anger was his mother, who appeared dead on the ground.
_____________________________________________________
Back atop the Strand, Valor was moments away from victory, having successfully evaded all the Vornex as he approached the bottom of the city. But even the gullible doll began to notice the distinct shutter beneath the ground. Detecting the imminent danger, the brave Valekry shielded Ali with as much as he could before the floor gave way.
Salem's duel had ended in a fiery explosion, causing the entire lower section of the Strand to evaporate. Valor was completely caught off guard as the floor beneath him became like liquid. But luckily for the pair, the first shockwave did little to damage Valor, his reinforced chassis proving far too resilient for some flame and shrapnel to do any harm.
"Valor! Are you alright?" Ali screamed as she held on to her knight.
"I am well," Valor chuckled, clutching the doll in his arms. "I doubt this destruction would be enough to dispatch any of us."
"I hope Alia is alright," Ali frowned as she escaped Valor's grasp to look at the gaping chasm below.
"Please do be careful," Valor sighed as she began to worry for his family.
The doll stared off into the broken horizon, a small platform supporting her weight. She could see the innards of the towering structure, alongside the flaming windows of the ruin below. She hated the destruction, yet felt attracted to its chaos. It was hard for her to believe Alia had begun such a conflict in the first place.
Just then, the floor began to rumble once more, a series of aftershocks rocking the building. Valor aimed to reach the doll but sensed a perilous danger behind him. A barrage of steel pipes then burst forth from the wall near the pair, hurtling toward them like javelins. Valor caught two of the dangerous objects with his hands, even kicking another away from the doll. But before he could turn around to verify his success, he heard an unsettling noise.
Valor stared in disbelief as he turned to face the doll. Her blood was black, seeping out from her mouth in a soft stream. A cold steel pipe protruded from her chest, evidence of her protector's failure. Ali then collapsed in silence, her fragile body too weak to withstand the pain.
Knowing he could not staunch the flow of blood, Valor began a desperate search for aid. His shock was quickly overtaken by a deep sense of guilt, and regret. Despite all his efforts, he was unable to protect the doll. But he could not resign himself to failure, his cold hands ripping out the pipe before cradling the doll once more.
"Just hold on little Ali," his voice trembled as he began to descend the ruins.
_________________________________________________________
Salem woke with a shriek, her body unable to fathom the pain. Against all odds, she appeared to be alive. But victory did not come without a cost.
"Salem your arm," Anger spoke in an unusual tone.
It was at that moment that Salem realized the state of her left appendage. Her limb was completely severed at the elbow, twitching on the ground as it lay detached from her body. She hardly even winced, as the shock had yet to wear off. As her mind began to fade, she caught a glimpse of several white masks peering into her soul.
It was the Vornex who had approached Salem silently from behind. Anger turned to fight them, only to realize they had no harmful intentions at all, their simple minds instead focusing on one last wish. Answering their creator's final song, the Vornex then knelt before Salem in unison, recognizing her as their new mistress. Anger watched in disgust as the machines began to worship who they saw to be a divine god. He knew this was the effect Salem had on the world. Even at her weakest, it would seem the scorned couldn't help but be swayed by her majesty.
"So you see her now do you?" Anger growled as he carefully lifted Salem's limp body off the ground. "About time. She was always our queen."
As Salem slipped into a state of slumber, her mind began to process one of her oldest memories.
"In the end, sweet daughter of mine, those who are certain of right and wrong cannot help but lie. They are terrified of the truth. And so they become a shadow on the wall. A lie you shall never speak. A futile resistance against the endless pain. You are my closure. My final mistake."