<Ⅳ>
Standing before the mighty shield, emerald ablaze, this figure blocking the darkness like a knight.
Like the figure in Yuri's vague memories, shielding her from all darkness.
" Yuri ! Bring them to the ship, quickly !" Reina cried through microphone.
But many chaotic demon mosquitoes attacked from all sides, interupting the connections.
" I'll lead you there."
Proposed this emerald StarBreaker and raised his shield high, dust and debris blown off with an invisible wind force emitted out of the shield.
Soon Yuri and this sharp bird headed emerald StarBreaker pushed the children in the Air Pod to safety.
Meanwhile, the Yellow StarBreaker and Firren can't fight the Archdemon without mocking each other. Their differences differ greatly in the tactics of battle and their attacks come into each others' way and no crtical attack is achieved.
The Arch demon was too mighty, too ferocious, Seito and Firren can't !
The Beeg snake Archdemon thrashed Firren and Seitoaway and cometh to eat the children in the pod !!
Yuri watched as the King Demon swirled up towards them, a horrifying Beast to behold.
" Yuri ! Retreat !! That Archdemon is too powerful !"
Reina cried as she escorted the frightened children to the Airship.
But Yuri backed not.
" ......"
Even Firren her commander Starbreaker had lost the upper hand, and the Yellow StarBreaker's Sword was stuck into the Archdemon's hide.
The children, they looked up to her,
Just like she once looked up to the StarBreakers.
" .....I'll do what I must!"
Yuri, with the determination and StarBreaker powah newly realized in her leapt down from the Air Pod, zooming down face to face with the Arch Demon coming straight at her !
It opened its horrendous mouth wide to swallow ! Yuri prepared to face her doom and drag down the Demon with her !
But Lo a gust of wind, a strong gale swept Yuri up as she felt stepping on invisible ground and soon she saw the opportunity, and leapt away from doom at the last moment and Stabbed her energy rifle into Death's one eye.The Rifle sank deep, the Mighty Arch demon struggled hard and as Yuri fired into the socket and dark ooze burst around her. Many demonic mosquitoes charged at Yuri, but the Emerald StarBreaker came to swat them off.
" Hang on there !!" He cried to Yuri.
For the children, Yuri thought,
For her commander Firren , for her older sister Reina, for Papa Bradson !
Yuri pushed in all her weapon and a mighty explosion of light erupted the eye of King Demon.
She felt braver, she felt closer, closer to the one figure, shielding her like she for the children now.
And there Yuri saw, in the erupting blaze, the familiar figure of her dreams and memories standing at the entrance of light, the Core of Light.
Yuri reached out her hand.
But ! At that same moment !!
Yuri's rifle broke apart and the Arch Demon broke free though losing an eye, swiping Yuri away with violent beastly force, sending Yuri flying full speed towards destruction.
No...!Yuri cried out as her world spinned faster than thought, down she plunged.
Her Dreams, Her wishes,
so close yet unreachable.
Yuri closed her eyes accepting defeat.
Darkness looming upon her, ready to devour her from existence.
" Look !"
Rio ship pointed to all the saddened children, at the horizon a new Dawn ripped the dark clouds apart, a force shaped like an arrow shooting out through the the skies, drawing a hot golden line across the blue.The Children awed, Firren and The Yellow StarBreaker watched in relief as the Arch Demon turned away in frenzy, and followed the speeding Dawn Arrow instead and swam away to the beyond.
Lima was silent, unlike the cheering children around her.
Yuri felt the short warmth from the Dawn, but her strength all diminished, her fall continued,
Until something broke her fall to a slowed halt, soft blowing breeze, carried Yuri in the Emerald StarBreaker's arms as large metallic wings escorted them to safety.
Firren returned to the ship, injured and feeling like a loser.
The Yellow StarBreaker on there other hand, free loaded in the Betelgeuse and requested a fine meal party which the children agreed.
" Excuse me, StarBreaker, but which ship do your serve ??"
Reina secretary had askedThe Yellow StarBreake, who shoved the question away with a Humph and said
" I am Seito the most Awesome of Starbreakers, and I need no ship ! I ship myself !"
No one cared to ask on.
" Hey, did you see that light ?!" Lucky asked the others excitedly.
" It's.... Some kind of Unearthly power..... I guess."
Squeaked Neliya.
" No." Neo the oldest spake
" It's a weapon. And it came from the Sun !"
While the children and crew of the Betelgeuse feasted, Lima the quiet loli brought her plate to find Yuri.
Yuri was sitting at the glass corridor balcony, resting and being with herself.
" Here."
Lima handed Yuri some chocolate cookies Reina prepared for everyone.
Yuri took the plate of chocolate cookies
" Thank you.... You must be... Lina, right ?"
" Lima."
" Oh.. sorry...."
Yuri didn't touch the chicken, for she wasn't feeling Hungry.
" Can I sit beside you, Yuri?"
Lima asked after a short silence.
" Of course. Have a seat."
Yuri moved aside for Lima and the loli hopped in close to Yuri, shoulder touching shoulder.
Yuri smiled, a quiet loli that just wants some company, Yuri thought.
She wasn't wrong.
" Yuri..."
" Hmm ?"
" Why is the Sky still dark, while the Stars are shining ?"
Lima asked, out of the blue.
Yuri looked at Lima, and she looked back.
" I don't know."
Yuri replied, apologetically
" But perhaps, the books back in the cabin has the answer."
Lima, after a short pause, shook her head, and buried herself close into Yuri's embrace.
" Lima, you alright ?"
" I'm sleepy."
Lima hugged Yuri's arm tightly, rubbing her face on Yuri's shoulder slowly.
" .....there there..." Yuri caressed the light purple hair, and hummed a simple tune to help Lima sleep tight.
Lima froze at the start of Yuri's lullaby, but kept still so as to keep the lullaby going.
Eventually Lima fell asleep, with a tear rolling down her cheek.
Yuri chuckled, seeing Lima like a younger sister. She must have had a hard time out there, in the canyon, out there living and hiding from demons of all kind.
Yuri gently wiped the tear away and saw, around Lima's neck, a golden necklace, shimmering gold from the reflection of the Stars from the night sky outside the glass corridor.
Yuri touched the necklace with great curiosity and Lo, a golden marble popped out of a gimmick Yuri accidentally pressed on, and the Golden marble rolled down the glass corridor.
Yuri rushed to get it back before it fall down the small gap.
Fortunately, someone reached out before Yuri, and saved the Golden marble.
The person handed the marble back as he walked out of the shadows to where the stars shine above, brightening this fare young man's face, yellow hay colored hair with dark blue eyes, eyes that can soothe any unease in the heart.
"... Thank you... Again.."
Yuri thanked the fare young dude, whose as old as she, awkwardly, taking the Golden marble quickly and putting her arms behind her back, looking away to hide her blushed cheeks.
" It's nothing. You must be... Yuri, am I right ?"
Yuri nodded quickly
" And you are...?"
" I am Vitas."
This young man smiled, and then saw Lima sleeping nearby.
" Is she alright ?"
He asked caringly.
" Mm, she's just tired. Here !"
Yuri handed the plate of chocolate cookies to this surprised fellow
" Wanna try some...?"
" Why...Thank you."
This Young man ate silently, admiring the stars.
Yuri tried to find words to form a sentence to make decent conversation.
" Well...umm"
He turned to Yuri, who seemed nervous and curious at the same time
" How long... Have you been, a StarBreaker..?"
Yuri asked him.
The Vitas man chuckled
" Not long. About a week, suppose."
" A week ?!?!"
Yuri was surprised
" But... How....?"
She thought , through the battle against the Arch Demon, he must be a experienced Starbreaker just like Firren.
" Then it seems that we are quite the same."
the young man spake, putting down the plate.
" How come...?"
Yuri asked.
" What is your 「First Memory」, Yuri ?"
Asked Vitas, out of the blue as well.
" First Memory....?"
" Like, the first thing you saw of this World, the first thing you can remember. What is it ?"
" ..... The first thing I remember... is Snow."
Yuri answered slowly.
" Snow ? How was it like ?"
" It's cold. And dark. But then, there's Light ahead of this large crowd rushing here and there in front of me... And this figure.... who was there."
Vitas man listened silently, waiting for Yuri to go on.
" I am not sure, but when i stabbed the demon's eye, I saw parts of it. The figure, seemed to call herself, my mother. She and I, standing before the Light, this glowing something that's in her hand that shone brighter.... So Bright.... Then it exploded around me, and everyone's gone. They all disappeared... Even my mother.
" I keep asking myself... Why am I here ? What does that mean ? I... It must be the transposing operation, many memories aren't right, but...I feel like I have lost something...someone that should have something to me, but....but.... "
And before Yuri realized, her tears were already streaming down her cheeks. She too was surprised, but also, a sudden surge of sadness came to her, overwhelming her.
" Sorry.. I don't know what's gotten to me ...."
Yuri apologized, wiping the more and more tears.
" it's alright....It's alright."
Vitas comforted her
" That is the memory Before the Light, wasn't it ? We all have that, Yuri. It's alright."
He took out a bone shaped flute and blew it, with no decent sounds.
Yuri looked at him with tears and didn't understand what he was doing. But then suddenly lo ! A white Puppy jumped out of the darkness and sat on Vitas' lap, an energetic white pup!
Yuri was cheered up greatly by the puppy's appearance and Vitas handed her the puppy to hug.
" She is Elsa. A puppy I found in a valley full of Demons. I woke up there, and that's what I could remember, the Wind, strong wind brushing across the valley, and I am in this StarBreaker armor.
That is my first memory, and that I'm alone, with nothing but the Wind and the wild.
" First memories are where we Start, where we started to not forget. And to see ourselves moving on from our First Memory, to now, There are many memories to remember and cherish right before us.
Don't you think, Yuri ?"
Yuri caressed Elsa the puppy and nodded.
" Though we may not be able to reach the past,for now, But, don't you want to have more memories here ? To have some more beautiful experiences to later reminiscent, to remember ?
I think, there's still a lot of memories waiting for us to explore, Yuri, many things. Perhaps your Mother wanted you to see more in this World, discover more of it's secrets, and even make this World a better place, a better Memory..."
Vitas slowly stopped and just looked at the stars beyond
" Maybe, from finding the truth of the Light, the Core, we can eventually see what happened before."
Yuri agreed, and was calm now, scratching the puppy on her lap
" .... Maybe You are right. Perhaps,we are all here to find what is lost, find our purpose."
" We all are."
Vitas nodded
" We just don't know it yet. But we will."
Yuri smiled, wiping her tears away
" But what is left of this world, But Demons ?"
Yuri asked Vitas.
" There is one thing that's left of this World, from the Land of Light."
Vitas smiled at the Stars
" It's Love."
" .... Love ?"
Yuri couldn't fully explain the word's messaging meaning, but she knew, she knew that it meant something, something of great import. This word, his voice, it seemed to bring something deep in the dark out to her once again.
" Love comes from our Memories, Yuri. Your love for your Mother, is in that memory. Your memories with your Captain, there is love.
Those you love and love you care about you. And they are in your Memory, like you are in theirs.
That is Love.
A Memory that one will never forget...."
Yuri fell silent, facing down at the glass floor underneath her.
And through her gaze, Vitas thought something changed in Yuri, something so slightly.
" Then do You Still Love Me ?"
Yuri asked calmly, her voice, her attitude, so calm
Vitas froze, looking up at Yuri in sheer astonishment. in Shock.
" Yuri..do you...?"
Yuri gasped, as if snapping back to her senses, her reality, closing her mouth shut and blocking her lips.
She had no idea why she said it. She was as astonished as Vitas.
It's like someone else asked the question in her body.
" I am sorry...I didn't.... I...."
" It's okay..."
Vitas smiled and looked away at the other side of the glass corridor
" Let this be Our first memory then, shall we ?"
"....okay."
Standing in his office, looking outside the window where the glass corridor balcony is just a few yards away,
Bradson Captain watched, and stroked his beard in deep brood.
[ ....To be continued]