MEANWHILE…AT BLACK WATER BRIDGE'S FINAL FORTIFICATION
The battle between Ayumi and the Nightmare King raged on!
Ayumi had been fighting for hours on end now, yet it seemed as though the Nightmare king was only playing with her. When the battle began, Ayumi couldn't land a single strike on the Nightmare king. He kept evading her attacks and appearing in her blind spots, yet he hadn't injured her yet. As Ayumi began to get angrier and angrier, calling forth more flames in the process, the Nightmare king began to parry more but Ayumi was not ignorant of the fact that he was only trying to match her potential. At times, he'd even stand at one spot and dodge all of Ayumi's strikes, block others and deliver a slight smack to her head with the back of his hand when he found an opening.
Leave it to my dad to turn a flame into an inferno.
Those of you that know Ayumi's personality by now should know that she never takes a challenge lying down.
She began to notice that most of the openings the Nightmare King found in her fighting style had to do with the moment her blades ended their striking path and had to take another, the momentary break in the movement of her blades were the Nightmare King's greatest advantage. To make matters worse, her sigil was a twin bladed one that could interfere with its own path if not wielded with enough coordination and the fact that it was now in the form of twin chain blades wasn't helping much.
Enraged, Ayumi reversed her grip on one of the now 'Indignant Devourers', her so called minus zero upgrade to the Pyrogeysers. As she battled the Nightmare King ferociously, she kept repeating to herself!
"I must find new paths for my sigil to move effectively without breaking its motion!"
But the Nightmare king laughed at her.
"It's ironic Ayumi Kirisawa! You believe that your sigil is a manifestation of yourself…and this so called upgrade to your sigil…is a chain?! Ridiculous!" the Nightmare King roared with laughter.
Enraged, Ayumi swung wildly at him but he caught the twin chains in a single grip. When Ayumi tried to deliver two roundhouse kicks to the side of his head, he simply caught her leg on the second kick and held her upside down. Then he tied her legs together with her own chains.
Evil! Heerrh! Dad! Just how evil are you?! Isn't there any limit to your twisted nature?!
Ayumi struggled but nothing she did could break her free of the Nightmare King's hold.
"Back in Africa, this is how a fowl about to be slaughtered is held. Upside down and bound with a cord. All this fearlessness of yours; all this denial of your own feelings, of your own self, where has it gotten you Ayumi Kirisawa? If you truly fear nothing, let me show you how a chicken is turned into food for human beings. First of all, without completely beheading it, its neck is slit open enough for it to bleed itself dry. Then…" the Nightmare King said as he snapped his finger.
A boiling cauldron appeared before him. Ayumi screamed from being suddenly startled by its appearance.
"It is placed in a basin filled with hot water…where its feathers are made tender enough to be plucked. Then a long cut is made along its belly and its innards are removed" the Nightmare King said.
HEEEERRRHHHH!!!! NO ONE ASKED FOR A COOKING LESSON! DON'T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT COOKING MY FUTURE GF! AND BY THAT I MEAN GUARDIAN FORCE!
"And if you're lucky and it's thanksgiving, your innards are replaced with all sorts of edible goodies! So tell me Ayumi Kirisawa, beholding your stupidity has suddenly made me cannibalistic. You are so infuriating I can't think of any better way to kill you than to cook you slowly alive and consume your flesh. If you're willing to die this way for humans, for people you despise, then you have earned my utmost respect and condolences but that still will not change the fact that I'm going to eat you up and then in some few days, biology your remains down some loo. (When you see nouns being used as verbs, know that something is definitely afoot). Is there any honour in dying like this for people you despise? And you, being as naïve as you are actually believe all enemies you encounter on the battlefield would give you an honourable death by their sword? Well for me, your sword is nowhere near mine so I prefer to cook and eat you. If you love humans that much to die for them…well, heheheh (this laugh is usually preceded by a short phrase with a lot of dastardly implication especially when used mid-sentence)…good for you" the Nightmare King chuckled gleefully.
Told ya so.
And this, my friends was the moment I quit trying to measure just how twisted in nature my dad was. You agonizingly evil creature! You are spewing some really malefic things so casually! Don't you have any sense of decency?!
Ayumi began to tremble.
"N-No" she began to say silently.
"Well, let the cooking begin. While all the Dream Knights are fighting and probably dying gallantly, you had the most unfortunate fate of encountering me. Well then, let's have a meal while the war goes on…oops, I forgot, you're the main dish" the Nightmare King chuckled as he bound Ayumi with dark looking ropes from the darkness and tossed her roughly to the ground.
Then he summoned a lot of spices from thin air and began to pour them into the cauldron. He didn't really seem to care for the end result. Curry went in, chilli went in, rosemary went in, soy sauce went in. He even added a few cranberries just for show and a lot of salt. Shrimps went in. He inhaled the contents of the cauldron deeply and sighed,
"A symphony to my nostrils. This will be my masterpiece, a wonderful cooking adagio to commemorate my victory!"
Now I understand the root of Ayumi's cooking trauma. Dad…you're the devil.
"While I'm preparing the soup Ayumi, you've got two choices. One, call for help; One and a half, stay here and die, one and three quarters, find a way to escape…but for that to happen, a miracle even more grand than the universal inversion of all scientific laws will have to take place…and two, at least die serving someone by becoming their main dish!" the Nightmare king said.
Ayumi was shivering uncontrollably by then and struggling as much as she could to break free of the Nightmare King's bonds. She screamed as loudly as she could and summoned flames in an attempt to burn the bonds holding her but she was hurting herself in the process.
"Oh, I forgot, fifteen minutes past twelve, you could also finish yourself off" the Nightmare King said indifferently and shrugged his shoulders.
Riddle, riddle, so is the Nightmare King good or evil? I bet you've been wondering about this for a while now. Well, he's certainly no role model.
Ayumi struggled and struggled and when she couldn't any longer, she broke down into tears.
"So tell me Ayumi Kirisawa, the soup is almost done, I just need to let it simmer for a bit before adding the meat, you…oh but silly me, we've still got to make your flesh soft enough to be peeled, then take out your innards. But before then, there's no reason we can't have a civilized conversation" the Nightmare king said.
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING CIVILIZED IN THE WAY YOU'RE TREATING AYUMI DAMN YOU!!!
"As I was saying, would you be willing to die in this way for humanity? For the very people you've always despised and those that have ostracized you? If you are, I look forward to your canonization as one of the great saints but if not…then end this farce you call self-sacrifice because it's nothing more than an attempt to make light of your own life and throw it away in the name of heroics! Look at you Ayumi; you're only a child, probably not of age yet. You've not yet even began to think of marriage, neither have you began to give thought to the children you might have in the future…and you're already willing to throw your life away! For whom are you willing to go that far?! Your father and mother did it for my son and your sister, as well as yourself. The Dream Knights though absurdly stupid do not have half-baked ideals as a unit; to make the Dream World a beautiful place…but for whom, is what differentiates the rest of your comrades from yourself. They do it for their families and loved ones. You do it only to gain approval from those around you…hoping against hope to be acknowledged by your deeds, and if you do not come to be acknowledged in life…you wish to be…in death but I'm telling you. Your death isn't going to be as convenient. You are going to be known from now on as Ayumi Kirisawa of The Pyrogeysers, the only Dream Knight in all of existence to fall to the power of the Nightmare King's cooking pot!" the Nightmare king chuckled gleefully.
Tears streamed down Ayumi's face, the disgrace was more than she could bear.
As the Nightmare King leaned on the bubbling cauldron saying some really nasty things nonchalantly…someone was aiming for a fatal strike of his own.
"DAMN YOU NIGHTMARE KING!!!" a voice roared angrily as a sword made of light swooped down on the Nightmare King.
He evaded in time but had his cauldron sliced into two beautifully symmetrical halves. The abomination called his cooking scattered all around.
The figure before the Nightmare King stood defensively before Ayumi.
"I won't let you harm her!" the person called.
He seemed to be a child as well. Just as young as Ayumi, but his sigil seemed strong. It radiated with a fierce golden light and emitted a threatening heat which displayed his hatred for the Nightmare king and his evil machinations.
"Stranger! What are you doing here?!" Ayumi exclaimed in surprise.
"How many times have I told you not to call me that?!" he growled menacingly.
Ayumi winced in fear. He swung his sigil at her and it immediately broke the Nightmare king's bonds. The Nightmare King looked at the stranger and laughed.
"You've taken your twisted joke a little too far!" the stranger yelled.
"If you know about my joke dear stranger, could you tell me for just how long you've watched this play out?" the Nightmare King asked.
"Since you started spouting nonsense about how chicken soup is prepared in Africa! You malefic undefined entity! It's rare to see soy sauce and cranberries added to the same chicken soup! So rare in fact…I've never heard of such an abominable thing!" the stranger roared.
So in the end, that's the punchline? Your argument is totally subjective dear stranger. What the hell are you even doing in my story?! In the end, you are the undefined entity dear stranger!
Ayumi cleared her throat. She had regained her composure by then.
"Why didn't you aid Ayumi earlier? Are you really sadistic?" the Nightmare king asked.
"No! But it is quite a rare thing to witness the tears of a strong maiden! I wanted to finally witness the soft side of Ayumi instead of the usual iciness all the time!" the stranger said.
"You creep!" Ayumi yelled and landed a heavy knock to his head.
"Let's take him out together, Ayumi" the stranger said.
"I said don't act so familiar with me! I don't even know where you came from. (Hehe…I wonder about that myself). You just suddenly appeared on the battlefield and started fighting nightmares. So far, that's the only reason I haven't viewed you as an enemy!" Ayumi growled angrily.
"So cruel" the stranger said sorrowfully.
"I must admit though that I may need some help taking down the Nightmare king" Ayumi said.
"And after that can we get married?" the stranger asked.
"NO! Where did that suddenly come from?!" Ayumi screamed.
"Well then, arrivederci Ayumi Kirisawa. I'm not kind enough to risk my life for a girl I'm not going to marry in the future. Adios, and heheheh (there we go again)…bon voyage!" the stranger said as he suddenly ran away.
"You coward!" Ayumi screamed.
"I like that man, at least he is honest" the Nightmare King said.
"Funnily enough, the both of you are not so different" Ayumi muttered in disgust.
"Oh? Is your foul mouth acting up already?" the Nightmare King asked.
"I won't repeat the same mistake!" Ayumi roared as she charged to attack him once more.
A DAY LATER IN THE HUMAN REALM…
News was beginning to blow around town that a multitude of people were dying in their sleep. Many people had been rushed to the hospitals and the situation was getting desperate. There were no signs of illness in their bodies as per medical diagnosis. The situation was in fact dire because entire families were annihilated by this strange ailment in a single night. Many more had just fallen into coma…but as Cowardice had once told Ayumi, the most frightful part of all this was that no one knew what was going on.
Many wild assumptions and theories shook the human world and conspiracy theorists took to the front of the line. Nations were just one step away from martial law. Mistrust was breeding quickly for fear of the detonation of unidentified biological weapons and international threats were being broadcast everywhere. Deadlines were being issued already and the Christmas Season was already becoming a Nightmare.
Saito watched the events unfold on the News with a look of anxiety on her face.
"Ryuuji, Ayumi, Ai, you need to end this war quickly" she said weakly.
Her health had waned a bit more since the previous day and she was still unsure of the experience she had had the previous night. She couldn't tell whether it was a dream or real…but her spirit told her, it was too real to be unreal.
She got up and decided to walk to the gardens. She felt it would at least cheer her up to think of her daughters and husband there. She didn't want to imagine that they could end up as casualties of "The Ultimate Unconsciousness".
MEANWHILE…THE SECOND DAY OF THE BATTLE OF BLACK WATER BRIDGE WAS JUST CONCLUDING…
Ayumi was beginning to tire. She was strong, true…but she was still just a child. She was only about fifteen years then. But even then, that stubborn girl never knew when to quit. She was totally fatigued but she wasn't about to just give up and die. Her tenacity surprised the Nightmare King.
"I'm impressed Ayumi Kirisawa. You really are the Daughter Of Ryuuji Kirisawa. Even if you can control flames, it doesn't change the fact that flames are hot, and you're not some sort of overgrown lizard that lives in the volcano are you? Your muscles should already be fatigued by now and sore. You should be hungry and thirsty…yes indeed Ayumi Kirisawa, you cannot deceive my eyes. I can tell. I can see that your body is in agony. And your mind is too, as you've began to realize that I have hardly lost any stamina. By now, this might seem like some sort of twisted RPG joke to you. You can't see the boss's HP and he doesn't show any signs of weakening. I wonder if you can even speak now" the Nightmare King taunted.
"Ha! You sure are talkative aren't you Nightmare King? Unfortunately, I'm not the kind of person that enjoys losing to the same opponent twice" Ayumi chuckled.
"Interesting, at least you admit you've already lost to me once. But I was slightly wrong about you. You haven't completely given up. Though Cowardice has caused you to forget how to express your feelings, your blades, though filled with misery do not clash like those of a person that has nothing to lose. You still love your family and comrades. You're just too stubborn and prideful to show it. But that doesn't change the fact that…you're one step from the path of no return, the Path Of The Inferno" the Nightmare King said.
Ayumi smirked and charged to attack the Nightmare King. He stood and watched her.
"What a pity. If circumstances had been slightly different…you'd have made a good match…for Ayzan" the Nightmare King said as he crouched and prepared to strike Ayumi.
As she approached, he charged towards her with incredible speed and initiated a lateral strike that could have torn Ayumi in two. But just before he struck…he recalled Ryuuji's pain and his. The day Zanfar took their loved ones away from them, and he hesitated. He didn't want to be used by Zanfar. He frowned at his weakness and reversed the edge of his blade striking Ayumi in the gut with the blunt edge thus rendering her immobile. As she fell to the ground, he struck her with a backhanded blow to her spine and his curse permeated her body. Ayumi fell down. She couldn't move anymore. She turned her head to look at the Nightmare King. The Nightmare King's back was turned to her.
"Why?! Why didn't you finish me off?!" Ayumi roared angrily.
"Hmmph! I know I said I am evil. That is indeed true. But my pride surpasses even my evil. Besides, think of it as me extending your judgement. You really think you got off easy? Think again!" the Nightmare King said as he sheathed the Black Bane.
Ayumi's bones began to stiffen and it felt as though she was being tied. She felt her own flames slowly eat at her from within. She screamed in pain.
"Much worse than me cooking you alive isn't it? At least you get to die an honourable death. I will tell you something though. This is nothing…compared to the curse your mother has endured for ten years. Your mother could only live that long because her kindness soothed the malice of Zanfar's curse. All I had to do was limit Zanfar's curse to a particular region in her body for a while. If your mother was just a bit stronger, she could have completely erased the curse…but she has to worry about you. Hmmph! Don't go thinking the only one suffering in this world is you. Some people are actually strong enough not to show their suffering to everyone…and they can still keep themselves from hating others. There are others that direct all the malice they feel for others unto themselves and have to be supported by others; and others yet comfort themselves by thinking of the greater suffering others have endured. You may have lost an eye, but you have both parents, you may lose both parents, and still have your health. You may have all these and be in poverty and there are some that have to think of every single day they see…as a miracle, because war is all they've ever known. Humanity's suffering is balanced that way so that there is always someone with greater suffering…yet somehow, no one can find the one who has suffered the most…so that no one is selfish enough to think that their suffering is the only thing that matters. You hardly know what your parents have been through. You don't know the scorn they've had to endure from the other Dream Knights…and you call their suffering an "insult!" I can only pray that you don't have to endure the same" the Nightmare King said scornfully.
Ayumi remained silent. She had neither the strength nor will to argue anymore. As she lay on the battlefield, unsure of whether those may be her final moments or not; as she shed tears of dread and sorrow, she just wished she were at home, with her parents and sister. She wished she could just forget everything and return to her life as though it was…funnily enough…it was all a dream. She at least wished it was a dream that wasn't 'real'.
And that was how…the third dawn of the Battle Of Black Water Bridge began, with Ayumi lying defeated on the battlefield, and the Nightmare King watching to see what would happen to her.
As Ayumi's vision began to fade…she began to hear a familiar voice…
THE HUMAN REALM…28th MAY, 2006, THE FINAL DAY…OF SAITO KUSANAGI'S LIFE…
Saito had finally received some news from the Battlefield. Her friend Arlene was kind enough to keep her informed. The battle was becoming desperate but her husband and daughters were still alive. Saito breathed a sigh of relief as tears flowed down her eyes. That was all she wanted to hear.
Arlene had talked with Saito a bit, returning to Saito a bit of her cheerfulness. The two ladies talked about their dreams for the future, though they both were unsure of whether they'd live to see those dreams accomplished. After Arlene left, Saito called some of her maids together and asked them to fetch the chauffeur. They obeyed without question.
When the chauffeur arrived, Saito suggested they all go shopping together. According to her, they'd been working very hard lately and she wanted to give them a treat. They were all excited of course. Eventually, it took about five different cars to move everyone out of the house. Saito and her servants, now renamed her friends, headed out into Dream City.
They went shopping, went to the classiest of restaurants, watched movies together, and even had a picnic on the mountain Ryuuji had proposed to Saito at around sunset roughly about fifteen years ago. Saito felt much happier though she felt the last of her strength would probably leave her soon.
As night drew nearer, the servants begged permission to go prepare the evening meal for Saito and her family in case they were to return that night. The maid Saito had spoken to much earlier decided to remain by her side.
"Why don't we take a stroll through Lower East Side Dream City? I don't think I've been there in over ten years now" Saito said.
The maid nodded.
The two women were driven by the chauffeur to the outskirts of Central Dream City. There, the chauffeur dropped them in accordance with Saito's request. He waited patiently as Saito and the maid headed out of sight.
The two women walked on. As they trudged the dangerous streets alone, they slowly felt the air grow thicker. It was quite humid. The moon was not glowing as brilliantly as it normally did and gloomy clouds hid the stars. The most fearful thing at the time was the thick mist that seemed to envelope them.
As they walked on, Saito could hear her maid utter a string of words she could not hear. She assumed they were prayers.
"Sa-a-a-ai-i-i-ito" a sinister voice beckoned.
Saito and her maid held each other closely out of fear.
"S-a-i-to, Saito Kirisawa" the voice called, becoming clearer and clearer with each passing moment.
As the two women walked on, they gradually became aware of voices crying for help. There were two voices screaming desperately for help! The voices of children, and then…the feet of the two women touched the edge of a river.
"Your baptism begins now…Saito Kusanagi…" a kind voice whispered within Saito.
Her trembling slowly began to cease as a sad smile spread across Saito's face. She turned to her maid.
"Wait for me here. I'm going to find myself…and a hope for everyone. Tell my husband and daughters this…I WILL DEFINITELY RETURN!" Saito said as she ran ahead into the mist.
"Ma'am! Saito!!!" her maid called after her as Saito slowly faded into the mist.
There was utter silence as the water returned to its murkiness. The Grave Of Unforgiving Souls had finally claimed its final victim.
THE THIRD AND FINAL DAY…OF THE BATTLE OF BLACK WATER BRIDGE!
Ayumi was on the brink of unconsciousness.
"Have your flames been tamed already Ayumi? Did you lose all your fighting spirit in an instant?" the Nightmare king taunted.
Ayumi had a frightened look on her face.
"The more you try to suppress your feelings, the more your emotions become unstable. Do you know what Decay is Ayumi? "Everything decays", people might say. Humans decay too. Even forces can decay when they defy the natural laws imposed on them. Decay starts when you sacrifice your true beliefs, your feelings. When you compromise on your Conscience to please others, a feeling of dissatisfaction, anger, simply put…a grudge is born. It's the same the other way round; when you sacrifice others to please yourself. Once the deed has been committed, an unconscious barrier is lifted from your Conscience. Deeds become habits, habits become nature…and nature can become creative or destructive. Of course, there are ways to halt the process of Decay. Re-evaluate your life Ayumi. What is more important to you? Punishing everything because of your suffering? Why did you become strong in the first place?! Nightmares exist to be defeated but you can't defeat me. That makes you far lower than us. A person like you can be toyed with by forces into believing that they are undefeatable and all their wins and losses in battle are fate. If Nightmares exist to be defeated by humans for as long as humans have even a little courage, and you a full-fledged Dream Knight have not succeeded in hitting me even once…do I really need to tell you what you lack? You lack a 'dream' Ayumi. You do everything you do, not because you want to, but because you have to. You become strong for the sake of strength, yet know not what to use all that strength for. If you have no dreams Ayumi, you have no Courage to chase after them and you don't have to fear losing them. But fearlessness will only lead you to an overwhelming defeat from which you might never recover" the Nightmare king said.
Ayumi's senses were already starting to numb. She could barely hear his words now.
"I'm sorry Mom, Dad, Ai, I'm so sorry!" she kept repeating to herself.
She just wished she could relive all those moments starting from the day she'd burned her mates. Even if she had to undergo all that again, she wanted to erase the fact that she had forced her family to live through that hell as well.
Ayumi shut her eyes. Her ears were ringing loudly now. Her breath had slowed down and her temperature was rapidly dropping.
"Is this…the Ultimate Unconsciousness?" Ayumi wondered.
She didn't think she had the strength to care about it either way. She just wanted to say she was sorry. As she began to lose consciousness, she felt a sharp pain pierce through her heart. She saw herself standing at the shore of the sea. The waves were lashing out furiously but the sky was clear and bright and the stars glittered peacefully.
"Ayu, my dear darling daughter, Mom's about to leave on a really long trip okay? I need you to take care of Ai and your Pa. Your Pa is a bit…ummm, how do I put it…well he's just Ryuuji. Knowing him, he'd probably want to fire all the servants in the house. Take care of everyone. From this moment on, you are the Lady Of The Kirisawa House, so look after everyone for me…especially your dear sister Ai. Be a good girl Ayu…and don't forget to dream" the voice of her mother rang within her ears and slowly began to fade.
"YOU'RE NOT DYING HERE YOU HEAR ME?!" she heard her Mom yell at her.
"No wait! That's not mom's voice! It's…" Ayumi said as she opened her eyes.
"HANG ON AYU! I'LL RID YOU OF THIS CURSE IMMEDIATELY!!!" Ai was towering over her.
Ayumi felt warm and cool at the same time. She looked around. She was covered in water, enclosed by it, almost as though she were in a womb.
"Ai! What do you think you're doing?!" she yelled worriedly.
"She's taking upon herself the curse meant for you. She's exchanging her grace and warmth for your suffering. She wants to share the pain meant for you. If she succeeds, she might die. If not today…I can guarantee you she'll live no more than five years. This curse will slowly eat away at that girl's spirit. In two years, she will lose the ability to walk. In three years, she won't be able to move her hands. In four years, she will only be able to move her neck and she will die exactly five years from now. Knowing that your sister will be forced to die a painful death for your sake, can you still allow her to carry through with it?" the Nightmare king asked.
He was seated on a rock as though what was going on had nothing to do with him.
"Ai!" Ayumi screamed.
"I'm going to save you Ayu!" Ai declared.
"Don't do it!" Ayumi roared.
"I will save you Ayu!" Ai insisted.
"Why are you being so reckless?! Are you that eager to leave me all alone?!" Ayumi screamed as tears streamed down her eyes.
The Nightmare king stared at Ayumi in surprise.
"Sh-she…im…possible. She actually…cried!" he exclaimed. "Could it be…she actually suppresses Cowardice's influence? Now that I think of it, Ayumi's squad has never suffered a casualty resulting from abandonment or delayed response and she commands the respect of her subordinates, or rather I should say; their admiration. Her style is to scatter her enemies by disguising herself and fighting among her allies. Since none of her foes are able to tell who is taking down their forces so quickly, she shatters their morale while simultaneously boosting the morale of her own subordinates. Yes indeed, Ayumi is a coward….but she doesn't lack Courage, she is scared of it. She prefers to deal with a problem without having to think of it than to weigh it before solving it. She combines fearlessness with Courage almost seamlessly. That is why she's scared to lose those she cares about and at the same time, scared to show any concern for them. But that kind of psychological fortitude can break her in the future" the Nightmare king thought.
"Ai! Listen to me! Mom is…!" Ayumi yelled.
"I know…I felt it too. But she also said I had to take care of you and that…I am the Lady Of The Kirisawa House!" Ai yelled determinedly.
(As expected of Saito. Even in her last moments, she can still play practical jokes on her children).
"Don't do it Ai" Ayumi pleaded.
"Have faith in me sis" Ai said as she focused her water on Ayumi.
A bright light flowed through her hands into the water and into Ayumi. Darkness began to seep out of Ayumi's body. Ayumi stared at Ai in shock.
"Ai…that's mom's…." Ayumi exclaimed.
"The power to purify; mom's power huh? We used to think that it worked by breaking curses. That it could break any curse. Do you remember Ayu? So when Mom began to fall sick, we couldn't understand why she could not break the curse on herself. But to heal someone of a curse…you finally understand, don't you Ayu?" Ai said as she burst into tears.
Ayumi began to cry as well. She nodded.
"You don't break the curse…you share it…so that it becomes a blessing. So that the pain can become joy. But that's not what you're doing Ai! You're taking everything upon yourself!" Ayumi yelled and grabbed Ai's hand.
"What are you doing?!" Ai exclaimed.
"I can handle my own part of the curse Ai! I may be a coward…just like the Nightmare King said…but I'm still a coward with pride! I won't let my little sister endure the pain that is mine!" Ayumi roared and pushed Ai away from herself.
"Ayu!" Ai called as the water surrounding Ayumi seeped into the ground.
Ayumi stood up.
"Thanks Ai. I might not have been able to handle him alone…but now you're here…I'm not going to lose!" Ayumi declared.
Fire then was filled with great fury.
Ayumi gasped.
"What was that just now?" she wondered.
Water and Fire, elements two;
Born from both they are elements true;
Trapped in Darkness…
Voices sang in Ayumi's mind.
"Canst thou findeth within thineself…the power to save the soul of Light?" a voice asked Ayumi.
"What…? Who…are you?" Ayumi wondered.
"The reason thou hath not fallen to depravity. Thou art indeed a coward…but thou truly loveth flames and the strength that cometh forth from them. However…if thou canst only perceiveth the truth that stormeth out of the Omega Gate…thou wilt come only to value…destruction. If within thineself, there remaineth, a fraction of desire to serve others…then seeketh out thineself…to find me" the voice said in Japanese.
"You're speaking to me…in Japanese? Could you be…?" Ayumi wondered.
"Hath thou finally discovered thine roots? Wherefore dwelleth the reason for which thine House Of Kirisawa was founded?" the voice asked.
Ayumi gasped in surprise. It had been a long time since she'd asked herself that question. She had always had the pride of a Kirisawa but only then did she realize for what reason she had always carried that pride.
"In ages past…a great disaster fell on thine homeland from the heavens, a disaster abominable enough to wipe off entire cities from existence. That disaster was born out of flame…yet abandoned the ideals of the life-giving flame. It became one of the great fires of Hell. That flame is what you accepted years ago…when though clinging to the name of Kirisawa…thou forsooketh the ideals of the House" the voice said.
"I forsook…the House Of Kirisawa?" Ayumi exclaimed in shock.
"If thou findeth doubt in mine words…lower thine eyes to behold thine sigil" the voice said.
Ayumi lowered her eyes and saw the Indignant Devourer in her hands. It was only now she could see just how sinister its nature was.
"Wherefore dwelleth the one with whom you wish to devour with this armament? Wherefore dwelleth the one you desire to bind in those chains. Wherefrom do those chains findeth the limits of their extension, their voracity. Within thine own heart, the flame of destruction dwelleth. From thine heart, it protrudeth outwards like a plague. Through thine hands do those flames become manifest in this world as a blade made out of chains; the one you call the 'Indignant Devourer'" the voice said.
Ayumi hung her head in shame as her fists slowly relaxed and let go of the Indignant Devourer. The bladed chains fell to the ground and shattered.
"However…within thee also liveth the love of thine parents and thine sister; thine feelings of affection and thine desire to protect them. If thou recalleth the purpose for which thine House was established…speaketh now the name of the Guardian Of Thine House…but know also that if thou accepteth the ideals of thine House…the pain that calls forth thine fear…wilt also return" the voice warned.
Ayumi chuckled slightly.
"After coming this far...turning back is not an option. The Kirisawa House was established to be the Blade that severs the chains binding Light. It's Guardian is…The Spirit Of Courage, the embodiment of flame…Ryuuenjinn!" Ayumi declared as a huge amount of flame burst forth from her body.
The Nightmare King stared in awe.
"Amazing, at her age…she can summon…a Living Sigil? If she is capable of this much…then humanity indeed has hope" the Nightmare King said.
The flames materialized to form a huge dragon covered in bright orange flames. The flames raged furiously, yet they were warm. Though frightening to the eyes, they were kind in nature. Ayumi collapsed shortly after. Ai run to her sister's side and immediately started tending to her wounds.
"At your age…you two sisters have already witnessed many of this world's hidden realities. I find no reason to add to your burden. You've won this battle. I'm withdrawing Ai Kirisawa. You are very kind but…your kindness will indeed come to be known by all…as your greatest sin" the Nightmare King said as he spread forth his cape. They became black feathery wings with great span and with these…he flew away.
The Battle Of Black Water Bridge finally ended with Ai taking care of her sister's wounds. When reinforcements arrived…the grotesque landscape and the wounded Ayumi told it all. Flame Knight Ayumi Kirisawa, stand-in knight for The Seventh Great Knight Of The Valiant One…at the age of fifteen, Commander of the third battalion of the Dream King's special forces had held the Nightmare King at bay for three whole days till he decided to retreat.
Ayumi was immediately treated by Aileen and when she began to recover, to her amazement…she was hailed as the Heroine Of The Battle Of Black Water Bridge. She was happy…but deep within herself…she wondered if she was worthy of the title given her by everyone.
Though in the Dream World…a great victory was being celebrated…reality wasn't so kind. The Kirisawas arrived home to discover that Saito was in critical condition in Second Chance Hospital. She appeared to be one of the many people whose case could not be explained but the Kirisawas knew the truth right away. Their beloved Saito Kirisawa…had finally fallen to the Ultimate Unconsciousness.
Ryuuji tried his best to comfort his daughters and he knew it wasn't Saito's wish that he take it out on the servants.
"I won't accept this!" he roared once the extended family had gathered in his home to talk to him.
He charged into the Dream World and headed straight for the Nightmare King's castle.
"You can restore her consciousness, can't you San?" he asked.
"You seem to be mistaking me for someone else. I share your grief…but I'm not God" the Nightmare King said…almost coldly.
"You understand my pain Sanziri Nightbane! Why won't you help me?!" Ryuuji roared.
"I can probably restore your wife's consciousness…but it is not my place to decide. Her life was harmed by Zanfar…true; but she died very naturally. There is nothing I can do" the Nightmare King said.
"What do you mean?" Ryuuji asked.
"The usual Ultimate Unconsciousness is triggered by immense spiritual fear and results in the death of the mind. It is caused by Despair. There are those that give in to it…and those that accept it on their own terms. Saito was cursed by Zanfar to experience a far more intense form of that Despair…but though she feared…she bent the curse to suit her own terms. Firstly, she saw her daughters become strong women capable of fending for themselves, secondly…though it might sound strange to the point of being sadistic, I must say she might have felt a bit happy to see the worry she was causing you" the Nightmare King said.
"Yeah, no kidding" Ryuuji muttered.
(That's Saito for you!).
"But Saito wasn't destroyed by Despair like many others. She held on hoping to save you as well. She accepted the curse finally but chose to use that curse to bring hope to others…and that was what purged the evil in the Grave Of Unforgiving Souls" the Nightmare King said.
"Rotten River?! Do you mean Saito drowned?!" Ryuuji roared in anger.
"Yes…and no. She drowned in water, true…but at the same time it was not water. She broke the surface; the still fearful calm of the surface of that Grave" the Nightmare King said.
"TEMAE! I DID NOT COME HERE FOR A LESSON IN THEOLOGY OR PHILOSOPHY!!! CAN YOU SAVE MY WIFE OR NOT?!" Ryuuji roared.
"I won't" the Nightmare King said calmly. "It's about time you grew up Ryuuji…you're becoming an eyesore" the Nightmare King said and disappeared before Ryuuji could cook him alive.
(Aaah?! That how you are?! So you can try cooking his daughter but you don't want to be cooked! Fool! Why don't you come and try it on someone your own size!)
"You're not dead Saito! I won't let you die!" Ryuuji roared.
Ai wept as she witnessed the desperation her father endured many years ago.
PRESENTLY…
Ai stood before Decay.
"I had forgotten most of this" she wept.
"Wouldst thou keep pushing those memories away from thineself? If thine sister and thineself hath been strong enough…thine mother wouldst not have had to face the anxiety…of saving five lives that day" Decay said.
"Five lives?! What do you mean?!" Ai exclaimed.
"The first two lives…two children about to be consumed by the Grave Of Unforgiving Souls; those two lives…allegorical representations of the pain about to consume thine sister and thineself…and one other life everyone else hath forgotten for over ten years. The life of the woman that faced Zanfar to protect her son; the life of the Princess Of Dreams…who still lives…within Zanfar" Decay said. "Two children were pulled out from my malice, Rotten River. Two girls were pulled from my Decay…into Conscience which is one of the Souls Of Virtue…and one woman…hidden within the Omega Gate…was pulled from within its pages and hidden in the Alpha Gate. The Mirror Gate is not one…but two Gates…and from the Omega Gate…my final brother…Sloth…is shortly about to burst forth. You should be able to feel the presence of the one you've feared the most now. His presence dwelleth within this very space; right here where we stand. Pay homage to the True King And Origin Of All Nightmares…Great Demon King, Zanfar…Himself!" Decay exclaimed in awe.
As Ai watched, a dark shadow appeared a distance away from Decay.
It raised its head slowly and opened its eyes. Ai could see sinister red eyes and two lines, glowing red lines…almost like tears of blood streaming down the eyes of the shadow.
When the Shadow gazed at her, fear gripped her as images of terror, disease, war, death engulfed her mind. Its malice was unimaginable and immeasurable. Ai's mind could hardly contain all the evil and she felt like she was about to die.
She watched the Shadow as it opened its mouth. A high pitched sound permeated everything around. Ai's memories slowly began to decay. Her good memories began to turn bad. As the figure's lips moved…so fast in fact they appeared to move in slow motion, Ai noticed that on its tongue, there was something resembling the tattoo of a two-pronged fork.
As Ai listened to the terrifying high pitched sound that sounded like a continuous shattering of many glasses or swords…she began to comprehend its words almost as though her mind was beginning to adapt.
"Thank you Ai Kirisawa. You have served my purposes splendidly. My true plans could not have come to completion without your participation. Your love for your sister gave her the gift to endure pain and you taught her to love. The hatred Ayumi had before would not have acted in my favour. What she truly needed…was for someone she adored…to despise her. Your kindness saved Ayumi's life. Your kindness made her heart grow cold; that coldness allowed me to introduce a random variable into her life that would advance my plans more perfectly. Indeed…it was the fraction of myself you refused to see for what it truly was; the fraction called Zan. Zan became the only one aside from yourself that Ayumi could truly open up to. Zan became the one she could depend on more than anyone else but that Zan was the same one I spread my lies about long before his birth. I have been waiting patiently. The word 'Dreamweaver' was a term I originally invented to give my fragment a name through which he could come to be despised by everyone…like a brand of darkness…just like the one…on my forehead" the Shadow said as a dark red omega symbol appeared above its eyes…on its forehead.
"Don't tell me…it was…you all along?!" Ai screamed in horror.
"Do you finally understand? I am the one…that turned Zan into a force to be despised by everyone. That fool only wishes to see the accomplishment of the dreams of those he loves. He takes the term 'Dreamweaver' a little too seriously. I turned him into a force you Dream Knights would plague…and simultaneously brought him into Ayumi's life while using Ayumi to slaughter his mortal guardian" the Shadow said.
Ai gasped in horror.
"Throughout all of history…is it not strange that there was almost no gap between the ideas of 'religion' and 'superstition', 'spirit' and 'mythology'? You humans are so slow. I took that time to study all of you closely. There are many things you believe you fear…but only one thing…you truly fear. Do you fear God? No, you don't understand his workings so he does not exist. Do you fear the Devil? No, humans are the ones that cause suffering…so we are our own Devil. Do you fear Heaven or Hell? No, they can't possibly exist. They're mere ideals. The only thing you humans…do fear…even more than the bottomless pit…is your own ignorance. To know and understand everything is your greatest goal…and I must say…one of your most commendable traits. He who has knowledge of another is master of the other is a Law that applies even spiritually. But with all of this…the one thing that confounds my senses is how you can be so ingeniously proficient in seeking out knowledge and so stupidly naive in penetrating to its depths. You seek out Love as though it's an object and at the same time keep telling yourselves Love does not exist. You say Love…who is a person; God, does not exist yet are angered most by the mention of anything related to Him while blaming Him for suffering. Blaming…a non-existent entity…for your suffering is something even I in all my conceit admit…confounds my understanding completely. You proclaim "ignorance is bliss" foolishly without considering your words and the one thing that opposes ignorance, "knowledge", is what you call "Power". How can two contradictory ideals all bring about "a positive outcome" I'd be interested to know. If knowledge is indeed power; then I surpass you all for I know you all…personally and can predict your every move. That is why history will never change but remain a loop. Fortunately however…I will turn this loop into a terror confounding any evil you've ever conceived. The loop of 'History' always contains an antagonistic individual, organization or force oppressing the weaker pacifistic forces until an individual often called "a hero", "an avatar" or "a Christ-One" appears to save the day. You humans are the envy of us Forces for you possess all three Godly Attributes; the body…soul and the Spirit…yet above all creation…you are to be pitied the most, you rely on just two…the body and the soul while abandoning the Spirit. If evil has always lost to mankind…its simply because we possess only One of the Godly attributes, the one you've denounced…Spirit…and that is why we appear to be more terrifying than you are. The two things we lack…are about to be remedied…by the boy you call Zan. He will become the new Zanböngfar and lead evil to unimaginable heights…as the Anti-Christ One of your world! If Knowledge is indeed power…then my power is unsurpassable and if Knowledge is indeed Power like you humans proclaim…ignorance…is fear and what you proclaim as bliss is My Gospel! The one thing you fear above all else…ignorance! Well then…it's about time…for the Herald Of The Deplorable Dream to appear. Awaken…Sloth, the Herald Of The Deplorable Dream! Your time has come to proclaim the Gospel Of False-Sense Of Security! Proclaim Blessings! Proclaim A Time Of Glory! Proclaim Plenty To Eat, Money and all the desires of the Flesh! But most importantly…proclaim the Spirit that opposes the one thing that can hinder my purpose…proclaim…UNFORGIVENESS!" Zanfar said as he faded away.
IN THE KIRISAWA MANSION…
"There is one more thing you should know as well Ryuuji. I may have mentioned it before…but the True Mirror Gate…are Two Gates…not one. The Gate we've been passing through to enter the Dream World is the Gate Of Alpha, the gate of beginnings, the Gate Of Hope, the Gate Of Light, Love and all virtues. It is the gate that houses the true core of humanity's dreams, the Dreams Zanviel sought to protect. Then there is the Omega Gate, the Gate within which the dissatisfaction of those whose dreams appear as illusions lie nested. This Gate contains the built up resentment and hatred of those whose dreams could not be accomplished, those as well who forsook their dreams and took out their bitterness on others. The two gates are positioned a distance away from one another but are not parallel. They have a perpendicular binding that holds them together at one edge. The other edges extend infinitely. It could be likened to a book. In fact…its very structure is like a book opened halfway and made to stand erect. The binding between; that narrow space, is what humans often call "Reality"; the irony of the fact.
The True Mirror Gate is almost like a book. The Alpha and Omega Gates can be described physically as the mid-point splitting the book into perfect halves yet containing the ability to keep the book standing upright. The Alpha and Omega Gates aren't exactly physical structures…but the Physical Mirror Gate we pass through to enter the Dream World is probably a literal expression of the Mirror Gate's Nature. The Alpha and Omega Gates are actually perspectives…or it would be more right to say…ideals. An ideal of "Good" and an ideal of "Evil". The way the Mirror Gate is constructed ensures that while it does not slander the truth concerning the alternate possible realities, it reveals to the one it passes through…exactly his nature" the Nightmare King said.
"So say I pass through the Mirror Gate…what would I see?" Ryuuji asked.
"The first thing I suppose you'd see is something probably like 'Saito still lives'" the Nightmare King said.
Ryuuji suddenly became serious.
"And if I passed through…I might be seeing things like…'weigh yourself before weighing others', 'all life is precious'" things like that I suppose. "Most of the time, people that attempt to pass through it tend to be destroyed by the power of its images. Though it shows you everything you could ever ask for…it would not hesitate to show you the things you despise the most about yourself. It could instantly attack your prejudices and at the same time it could make light of your dreams. Sometimes attempting to pass through it again with a different perspective might make things look a little better…or harsher. In that way it's almost as though the Mirror Gate is alive" the Nightmare King said.
"There is only one thing I can think of in this world almost similar in nature to it" Ryuuji said.
"Darou?" the Nightmare King said with a smirk on his face.
"Hmmph, you don't say" Ryuuji muttered with a look on his face I haven't seen in a while.
Yeah…let me look through my gallery. Oh…here it is…
"To get down to the matter, the Mirror Gate has two ideals it operates upon; An Alpha ideal of Ultimate Good and no real end to everything but a cycle of ages and eternity…and an Omega ideal…everything will come to an end and no one can stop it. Unfortunately…Diablo has ensured that…only few dreams remain hidden in the Alpha Gate by using his Ultimate Living Sigil, Zanfar…to steal and hide many Dreams in the Omega Gate. One thing remains between now and Zanfar's reawakening…his herald" the Nightmare King said.
"Zanfar's herald? Who might that be?" Ryuuji asked.
"The one who diverts everyone's attention from the real battle and directs them all to fight false battles; there is only one person I can think of and I have no doubt he's been pulling some strings from behind the shadows. The Dream King's Chancellor…Tyrannes!"
(Aaaaah…so that's his name. Wait what? Could you please repeat that? I didn't quite catch that the first time. Rewind!)
SFX: REVVVVVVVVVVV
"The one who diverts everyone's attention from the real battle and directs them all to fight false battles; there is only one person I can think of and I have no doubt he's been pulling some strings from behind the shadows. The Dream King's Chancellor…Tyrannes!"
(Aaaaah…so…)
You can skip the comments! Now do you see why I've been so mad with this story from its prologue….?! RECAP!
Within this world…there are…
Don't even go there! It's okay when they pull that off in anime! They have camera angles to their advantage. What sort of recap are you trying to pull here?! I did not say narrate the prologue of book 1 again! Just highlight the main point.
1. Guess why I'm repeating the phrase guess what?!
2. Read the story and if you like it…well yippee for you but it pretty much pisses me off.
3. My life in the real world is a mess…but I'm happily painful and content…LIKE HELL I AM! I'M HAPPILY CONSIDERING DESTROYING THE WORLD SO START WRITING BOOK 7 ALREADY TEMAE!!!
NANDA HOOORRRRYYYYAAAAAA?!!! (For anime fans).
For the general public;
You dream knights turned my life into a living hell 'cos some crazy gramps of mine wasn't taking roll call of his court officials?! What the heck was that old man thinking letting a man called Tyrannes stand in as Chancellor! I mean seriously…the guy sounds like a dinosaur…or better yet Griffin from 'Dragonheart A New Beginning' or far better yet…an evil vampiric dragon dinosaur werewolf quaterbreed someone might consider creating as a tyrannical ruler of his/her story world in the near future if it hasn't been done yet!
I mean seriously! Who appoints a minister of defence called 'Coup D'etat'?!
(Haaahahahaha!!!! He just said cutlass the state!)
(Cut it out! I'm talking serious matters here! Cos some crazy ruler chose a Chancellor with the wrong name, an entire empire, no, an entire world was hell bent on causing post natal abortion?!!!!!!!!! I mean seriously?!!)
Calm down Zan, calm down. Don't take it personally man. It's all…
(Edwin! Dare you say it's for the sake of the story and I'll force you to live an experience from which when you finally pass through; your most traumatic experience will be a happy memory!)
Surprise surprise, I was just threatened by my own character so folks…watch out for Emma Colette Episode 3: See you around the Corner! (Title subject to change).
And remember, the morale of the story is..........................................................................................................................................…
"IF LITERARY CHARACTERS WERE REAL…THEN OUR ENTIRE HISTORY WOULD BE AN APOCALYPSE!"
(Moral Lesson Subject to change).
MEANWHILE…OUTSIDE THE KIRISAWA MANSION…
(I can assure you that an experience is about to occur for which all feminine readers of this book will despise me for).
Zan and Ayumi sat on the lawn. They had been silent for minutes now and the mood was as my best friend Spidey, ze Ultimate Version would say…
"Aw-kward".
"I need to say something. Ayu looks really depressed. I really need to lighten the mood…if only I didn't sign the wedding contract…stupid me!" I scolded myself.
Zan, a piece of friendly advice, at times like this…you should definitely just shut up and pretend you're taking a walk.
Yes Genie.
"Um-uh…Ayu…" I called to her nervously.
I'm saying it again ooooo. Keep quiet.
"What is it Zan?" Ayumi seemed hopeful.
Zan ooooo! Red alert! Go watch 20thCentury Fox's Anastasia before trying that out ooooo. The last guy that pulled this off received a slap and I'm pretty sure Anya's wrist was at an odd angle oooo. Friendly advice.
"Um…Ayu…there's something I've always wanted to ask you…" I said nervously.
Zan oooo! The writings are now in red oooo.
I beg, turn back now…while you still have the chance ooooo.
Unlike with Tom Sawyer, I don't think this will end with an 'Aw shucks' oooo.
I'm sure it will end with Becky Ayu mightily snobbing you ooooo.
For the sake of our friendship, I even wrote it in rhyme ooooo.
And if you wonder why your boyfriend hasn't confessed to you yet (and I'm pretty sure only a few people will get this joke), there's this voice in the head of every guy that only activates when he's speaking to the girl he likes so don't be surprised when one minute you're talking about flowers, the sky, marriage; then you see a couple passing by with a baby and you're talking of how it would be nice to have a child…and the next question he asks you is…
"So how was the exam Ayu (insert your name here). I never really got to see your scores. I wonder if you beat me this time" I asked.
"Hmmph! I aced the test thank you! There wasn't much of a challenge since you didn't even write!" Ayumi performed the angry girly ritual of…
NOSE UP! (YES SIR!)
HEAD AWAY! (SIR!)
FOLD YOUR ARMS! (RIGHT AWAY!).
CURVES AWAY! L
Sorry Zan…I warned you…but you would not listen. You're lucky you didn't get the diabolic bonus;
1. The vertical measure his height with your eyes stare or its kinder sis.
2. The shut her eyes for two minutes and then glare at you from the corner of her eyes…or the youngest sister who is the cruellest.
3. After dropping your smoothest piece of smooth-talking…(the condition for which the youngest sister would usually appear. In game design, this would be called 'a story event'.)…she says;
"Do you really mean that?" in her nicest cutest voice and you're like
"Of course I do," the single moment in the life of a player that he actually wonders, "Wow, I actually think I'm being sincere," then you hear the scratching sound of the DJ attempting to play the music in reverse and the next thing you hear is…
"Then scram!" followed by the monologue,
"Aaaaaah! So that's why I became a player in the first place. Look at me o! I actually forgot the reason for like two years.
And like my dear friend Sirach says…"never ask a rival about matters relating to love."
"Is that seriously all you wanted to ask?" Ayu asked.
Zan, don't answer ooo!
Keep quiet ooo!
You can turn back from the Dragon Queen's nest ooo!
Everything you've said is not in vain o to mu! (It's a part!)
If you turn back now, you don't have to whooom!
Don't be stubborn. From the way you're going, I can very well tell that the next thing you'll say will be an abomination so keep quiet.
"No. What I really wanted to ask is…"
Get the SFX ready ooo.
"Hasn't Ai been gone for too long?" I asked.
SFX: Fanfare…slow build up…then crown it with a Super Mario Bros Nes version "You just died" theme.
"What has Ai got to do with this?! It's not even six yet!" Ayumi yelled.
Impressive Zan, very impressive. This is a new impressive, even for you. After trying to win Ayumi's love since Book 1. You got so close to actually 'winning' something. After finally getting Ayu to show her soft side…you…managed to get her to perform a full "tsundere" equip in a single instant. Wow, I'm impressed…
"I'm sorry Ayu" I tried to apologize but…
"I'm going inside" Ayumi stood up but…
"I must find out her true feelings today…!" a statement made right before a massive flop. Usually a monologue so you girls might not actually hear it.
"STOP BETRAYING THE BOYS URAGIRI MONO!!!"
Unfortunately…I'm not that kind a guy (you better read it right), so I can't really comprehend what you're saying.
"LOOKIT!" I exclaimed as I threw a stikomik Ayu's way and when she opened it…this was what she saw…
BTW, shoddies in the stikomik is a slang term for 'girls'.
Ayumi read it and burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Wooow, I guess every otaku has his comeback method. I'm actually impressed. Forgive me dear readers if I'm suddenly sounding a tad bit more sarcastic than usual. It's probably cos I caught a cold.
LIKE WE CAAAAAAAAARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the concern, I'm very grateful. At least, now I'm sure with the fillers you can clear your head a bit now.
Everything from where Zan attempted to speak…was a scenario in his head.
TEMAAAAAAEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A comic relief…finally over. So…where was I…Oh yeah…
MEANWHILE…OUTSIDE THE KIRISAWA MANSION…
(I can assure you that an experience is about to happen for which all feminine readers of this book will despise me for).
Don't tell me…
The thing that's supposed to make the girls mad ain't happened yet. Indeed…it is as thou imagineth…
Man, you're walking a really thin line.
Well what can I say, this is a sorrow only authors can relate to…and readers...at times (Cos everyone just wants to see how Naruto will end!)
ZAN TAKES OVER NARRATION… (EXPECTED READER REACTION)
Ayumi and I sat on the lawn. We'd been silent for a while. (Read that).
And like my friend Spidey…(Oh, don't even try that again).
But perhaps you didn't read that I actually reached out for her hand. (Did you perchance receive a slap?)
No I did not. We drew closer to one another. (If this is another…)
Don't worry, it's not a side mission, it's a story event. (Then why the warning at the heading?).
That's just me considering the worst case scenario. I'm actually hoping it does not happen. (You think you're mighty funny aren't you?).
If you're asking that…chances are…I'm a hell of a lot funny.
"I'm sorry about this morning Ayu" I apologized.
"I might have overreacted a little bit" Ayumi laughed.
Haha…she calls that a little bit. A little more force and I'd have had a few fractured ribs. My future indeed is looking very bleak.
"I've been wondering Ayu" I said. (Aaaaah, here we go again! Quit with the wondering will you?!)
"I've always told you what my dream is. What is…your dream?" I asked her.
Ayumi seemed surprised. It seemed almost like no one had ever asked her that question apart from her family.
"My…dream?" Ayumi muttered in surprise. "Hmm, well…I don't really know. I haven't actually thought about it. I always figured I was satisfied with being a Dream Knight" Ayumi said.
"You sure?" I asked her.
"Actually…I always considered being a Dream Knight a sacred duty. I wasn't really satisfied with it. Fighting seemed to matter to me more than protecting lives so I did not understand what motivated the other knights so much…but now I do" Ayumi whispered the last words.
I almost couldn't catch that last sentence.
"So what is your 'Dream'?" I asked, a little impatiently.
"It's a secret" Ayumi said with a smirk.
I frowned.
"Meanie!" I grumbled and poked out my tongue at her.
She laughed.
"But I'll give you a clue. My dream is… 'a dream'" Ayumi laughed.
"Haaaaaah?! What's that supposed to mean?" I asked her.
"I honestly thank God you're so oblivious" she added more fuel to the fire.
"Well…I guess it is kinda rude to pry. I'll just have to figure it out on my own" I said with a smile.
Ayumi returned a smile.
As we stood smiling at each other…I suddenly felt a chill pass through me. It was intense. I guess the only way to put it so that you could relate is…imagine you're watching the most frightening horror movie you've ever watched and suddenly, the object of your fears pulls a "ring" stunt and travels from the 2d space in your TV into the 3d space in your dark room and he's standing between you and your only means of escape. Perhaps you might be wearing 3d glasses so imagine he/she/it walks over to you and lays a comforting hand on your shoulder…except the comforting hand is not projected…and is definitely not comforting. That's somewhat what it felt like.
In that instant, my head began to burn as though a blaze had been set within my mind. I screamed in pain.
"Zan! Zan!" Ayumi called worriedly.
Indeed, it is as thou imagineth…Zanfar has pretty good timing, doesn't he?
All I could hear was a high pitched sound like an over amplified static wave. I could see a cloaked and hooded figure approaching me. It was surrounded in flames.
"… … hear ..?! … you comp..hend…?! ... … under…nd… me?!"
Within the frightful noise, I could make out these faint words.
"… words futile? … your… sens.s n.t… comprehend… me…yet?" the voice asked.
"What's that noise?! Whose voice is that?!" I screamed in panic.
Almost immediately after I had said that, the figure raised his head slightly and I could see his lips. They were moving so fast they almost seemed to be open and closed at the same time.
As I raised my eyes to stare at him, I could feel the power emanating from his body. It was tremendous and filled with pure malice! Beyond the malice, the only trace of humanity I could feel was perhaps an overwhelming conceitedness.
"Am I perhaps still too vast for your human senses to perceive? I have slowed down my speech as much as I believe is necessary but if you can only comprehend words spoken at a rate below one thousand words per minute…then I guess humans are much more pathetic than I originally thought. I compressed the waves of energy released by my psyche as much as possible; yet you seem to be in so much pain. I guess you might not be ready yet…after all" the figure said.
"Who…are you?" I muttered in pain as my surroundings slowly disappeared.
My consciousness was projected inwards and I found myself standing alone with the strange figure.
"What have you done?! Where is Ayumi?!" I roared in anger.
"You're still harping on about that pawn, are you? Hmmph, you are much more naïve than I perceived. And I thought Enslavement did a good job of explaining your current situation too. How did she put it? 'If you were a fraction of what you once were, you'd realize you're just being used and will soon be cast aside.' That 'soon' is almost upon you. The way I see things, you can either join me now…or cling to your love for Ayumi and suffer, before succumbing to me later. Either way…it's not my place to argue with you about what you choose to do. At least…not yet anyway...but I hope you're not callous enough to have forgotten to consider that the one that murdered Wanye might actually be quite close to you. Perhaps it could even be your dear little Ayu" the figure said.
"What are you implying?! And who are you?!" I yelled.
"Don't be so hasty. If you want answers, seek them out for yourself. I don't want to be accused of throwing false accusations about. It is after all…irrelevant to lie about something…when you very well intend to destroy without hesitation…EVERYTHING!" the figure said as a bright Omega symbol appeared over its forehead.
Red lines flowed down to its chin almost as though it was shedding tears of blood and its bloodthirsty eyes became even more sinister. I began to tremble uncontrollably. I could not understand why but I just couldn't stop shaking.
"Y-Y-You are Zanfar…aren't you?" I asked.
The figure raised its hand and snapped its fingers. Ai appeared in its hands. She wasn't moving.
"Ai!" I screamed in concern.
"I'll leave this little thing in your care for now" it said as it tossed Ai over to me.
I caught her instinctively.
"Ai! What have you done to her?!" I demanded an answer.
"I originally intended to curse her with the same curse I did her mother but the fatality of the curse could just be lengthened by that abomination you call your father so I thought up something much more interesting. I altered her memories slightly. It was quite painful but she had quite a bit of guilt within her. Yes…guilt even concerning the death of Wanye. I don't need to tell you that she knows the person that actually carried out that diabolic act. Ai Kirisawa is a very kind human; that…I must admit, but because of that kindness, she tries to take upon herself the weight of the sins of those she cares about however…tell me Zan; if there were five rats in a cage with five serpents and one pup and the rats and serpents attacked one another ferociously thus literally circulating their poison around; yet before they could suffer from the wounds of their sheer stupidity, the pup takes all the poison upon itself; would you call that justice? Wouldn't all that poison kill the pup?!" Zanfar roared.
"The rats and serpents are better off ridding themselves of one another!" I declared without hesitation.
"An honest answer…and the right one; but see Zan, the rats and serpents are not so different from the filthy humans you've come to adore. Amongst those…your parents, Ayumi's and Ai's are probably the only worthy adversaries I've found. When I cursed your mother and Ayumi's, I expected your fathers to wipe each other off the face of existence…but surprisingly your father extended Ayumi's mother's life and repaid the debt he owed Ayumi's father when he shielded and protected your mother from the Dream King…your grandfather. There is a lot of bad blood in your family Zan and I find the cursed blood of humanity to be not so different. It is justice to wipe out evil…irrespective of whether the one that carries out that action is good or evil" Zanfar declared. "…even you agree with me…after all, the serpents and rats should just rid themselves of one another" he said.
I opened my eyes in horror. I had just confessed without realizing it that Zanfar's ideals were just.
"See Zan? The reason you fear me so much is not because of my power. What you really fear is the fact that…" Zanfar began to say.
"SHUT UP!" I ordered.
"…that you and I…" Zanfar continued.
"Don't say it!" I roared.
"…are not…so different. Our ideals are compatible" Zanfar said.
"GET OUT OF MY MIND!" I screamed desperately as everything around me shattered.
I collapsed to the ground and lost consciousness.
"Zan! Ai! H-Hey! Wh-What is going on?! What happened to you two?!" I heard Ayumi's desperate voice calling to me.
A FEW MINUTES LATER…
Everything around me was dark. I could hear desperate screams.
"What's going on?" I wondered.
"Ai calm down! What's wrong Ai?!" Ayumi called desperately.
"I…I did it! It was me! I killed him! I…killed Zan's grandfather!" Ai screamed fearfully.
I opened my eyes suddenly. My heart was racing. Ayumi and Ai were speaking about the death of Wanye! I shut my eyes and pretended to remain unconscious.
"What are you saying Ai?! You know it's not true! You could never harm another person! Besides, you were still paralyzed then! You know the one that committed that terrible sin…was me" Ayumi confessed.
I felt fear pulsate through my heart.
"What is she saying?" I thought in shock.
"I was the one that killed Zan's gramdfather Ai. Don't try to take my sin upon yourself" Ayumi said firmly.
Ai burst into tears.
"What are you talking about Ayumi?" she suddenly heard my voice and panicked.
She turned slowly…to face me.
"Tell me the truth Ayumi. What do you mean by…you were the one that killed Wanye?" I asked trying to remain calm but my rage and sorrow were so mingled together the words almost came out like a growling whisper.
Ayumi opened her eyes in shock, and then she lowered her head in guilt.
"So…you finally found out huh?" she muttered.
"Finally?!" my thoughts screamed.
"It is exactly as you heard Zan. I was ordered to find out your location and kill you…as well as anyone that knew about your existence and wilfully decided to keep you concealed. I was the one that killed…your gramps" Ayumi said, perhaps a little too calmly.
So calmly in fact that I felt my rage build up even more.
"Those are the humans you love so dearly" a voice rang within my mind…but this time…I did not reprimand it.
In fact, I wished for it to consume me at that moment.
"So what was I then, a means to keep sight of your enemy? A threat you could watch and dispose of whenever I became too dangerous, like some animal?! No…even worse….at least animals have rights nowadays. Apparently…I don't even have the right to live" I said sadly as tears flowed down my eyes.
I had always wished to destroy the person that had taken Wanye's life in the vilest way imaginable but after finding out…that that person was Ayumi…I just gave up. I didn't care anymore.
"That's not true Zan!" Ayumi roared.
"Really? How can I believe anything you say now…tell me?!" I roared.
"Though it doesn't change anything, when I carried out that order…I didn't know then that you were the Dreamweaver" Ayumi said as she turned away from me.
I felt infuriated.
"Look at me Ayumi Kirisawa!" I ordered.
She turned around but she still could not raise her eyes to meet mine.
"That does not change anything, you're right! In fact, it only makes it worse! And all this time…I've been oblivious of everything! Working for a cause I thought I believed in when that very cause was to find its accomplishment in my death! You can't possibly understand how I feel now Ayumi! Thinking back now…the fact that I never knew my parents…was because of you Dream Knights as well! I grew up thinking I was an orphan and was treated many times as such! What makes me even madder is the fact that Wanye warned me about this on his death bed…and his death bed was the back seat of a car I attempted to steal! You didn't see it! The fact that humans value their vehicles more than the lives of their own brethren! Wanye was thrown out! That was the last time I saw him. Next I knew, he had already been buried! We couldn't even afford morgue fees yet somehow, through it all…stupid me like all stupid guys, all I could think about was you! I despise myself and I despise you! I despise the Dream Knights. No…I despise all of humanity!" I roared in anger.
"Zan!" Ayumi exclaimed in horror.
I turned around.
"I'm sick of it all. I'm sick of being here! I'm leaving!" I roared and run up to the room I thought was mine.
Thinking about the fact that for the past few weeks, I had been surviving on the benevolence of my most hated enemies made me sick to the stomach. Thinking about it now, I could no longer feel the weight of my terror inspired by the truth concerning Zanfar and my origins. In fact, I welcomed that truth with open arms at that moment.
The golden glow in my eyes had taken on a slightly crimson glow now. I took nothing except for what I came with and walked past her. Ayumi stood in the hallway. Apparently, my dad and Mr Kirisawa were not around by then.
"Zan, it might be true that at first I might also have kept you at arm's length as a means to protect myself, but…that has not been true for a long time now. Since the day you summoned the Silver Dream…" Ayumi was saying but I cut her off.
"I have nothing to say to you, and I don't want to hear anything you have to say. I am quite shocked myself by the fact that…I haven't slain you yet but the fact that I despise you is a truth that cannot easily be changed" I said silently and walked out on Ayumi.
Ayumi remained standing right where she was as I walked out.
Ai tried to stop me as well.
"Zan, please listen to Ayumi! We might all have been deceived as well. Don't hate her so much Zan!" Ai pleaded.
She was speaking so fast and so hysterically that I had to pat her on the head to silence her.
"You don't need to explain yourself Ai. You are one of the reasons I can't bring myself to attack Ayumi. If I couldn't kill her after learning this…it's probably because you'd be most affected by it but don't ask me to forgive her. Wanye was the only family I ever felt I had…and I lost that. Remember how it felt to lose your Mom? Well to me…it felt like I lost both my dad and mom on the same day" I said while attempting to brave a smile.
"It's my fault that things are like this isn't it?" Ai burst into tears.
"No, it's not. It's mine…and Ayumi's. If this hadn't come out now…anything Ayumi and I could have ever had…would have been nothing but…a painful lie" I said and walked past Ai.
I couldn't show them my tears! No way was I going to break down in front of them, but it only made the feeling worse. Ayumi and I had our backs turned to each other so none of us could see the silent tears the other was shedding.
"Zan! You can't afford to leave us now! Zanfar might be freed soon and…I think…Prince was murdered!" Ai confessed.
I opened my eyes in horror.
"What are you talking about?!" I asked without turning back.
"The fifth soul of evil, Decay; he attacked Prince and I…and I think…he might have killed Prince!" Ai screamed.
I sighed.
"So Prince got taken out huh? It was only a matter of time I guess. Creation is so…so pointless and humans are their own devils. I don't care anymore. Destroy yourselves as much as you like. I'm sick of it all. I'm sick of creation and I'm sick of existence but above all else… I'm sick of you Dream Knights!" I muttered in disgust and walked on.
And a grudge was born in Zanviel's heart. In the heart of the beautiful dream, the deplorable dream found weakness…and trapped within darkness…light lost its way…
"Do not tell me that…after all you made me go through…you've finally decided to give up here Ayumi Kirisawa. Is love truly pointless? Well I did promise to aid you" a voice rang within Ayumi's mind.
As the distance between Ayumi and I increased, she dropped to her knees and began to weep.
"It's my fault. It's my fault for giving up on people too soon. So soon in fact that…I hurt the only man I've ever loved" she cried.
"If you truly feel that way…why don't you tell him yourself…CHAOTIC RESONANCE!!!" the voice of Chaos echoed through the halls of the Kirisawa mansion.
Ayumi screamed in pain as silver looking vein-like structures appeared on her neck and began to extend.
"My power…the power of Chaos reaches its zenith when forced upon a person suffering from severe internal turmoil. Decay leads to Chaos, Chaos leads to Sloth and Sloth leads to destruction. If you want to survive Ayumi Kirisawa…then you must find within yourself the spiritual strength to face the darkness within your own heart. You must discover Conscience and the worst enemy of Sloth…which is goodness. You must come to terms with your sin and find the courage to face it…or you will die…Ayumi Kirisawa" Chaos's voice rang within Ayumi's mind as she struggled for a while and eventually lost consciousness.
Ai remained screaming desperately for help.
"Ayumi! Ayumi! Ayumi! No…NOOOOO!!! What is going on?! Wh-What's happening?! Why is everything suddenly becoming a Nightmare?!" Ai screamed in horror.
MEANWHILE…AT THE ETERNAL MIRROR GATE IN THE DREAM WORLD…
The life surrounding the Eternal Mirror Gate turned into death as the plants and birds that flew around that area turned into stone and shrivelled away. Growls could be heard from within the Mirror Gate as a sudden explosion rocked more than half of the Dream World.
The usual brightness of the Mirror Gate turned into Darkness and an ominous stillness remained thereafter.
"It's because…the Deplorable Dream is about to be awakened. Indeed…it is as thou perceiveth. The Dream that devours all dreams of humanity; but before that dream awakens…do my bidding Sloth! Oh…it appears my memories are still slightly hazy. You go by a new name now don't you…Tyrannes?" a dark voice rang from within the Mirror Gate.
Standing before the Mirror Gate was the treacherous chancellor of the Dream king who had advanced Zanfar's plans.
"I understand…Lord Zanfar. It is finally time…to hunt the Dreamweaver" the Chancellor said as he opened his eyes.
The lazy look in his eyes appeared momentarily and faded away as the Chancellor's clothes turned into Sloth's tattered clothing.
"Yet I seem to have forgotten your true nature just as all of humanity has Sloth. Could you remind me of the name you were given…at the birth of time?" the voice within the Mirror Gate asked.
"You've been quite forgetful these past few days Lord Zanfar. My name…the name from which humanity has disassociated me and thus underestimated my true terror; my name is that which gives all the souls of evil their power…for how could humanity tremble before us…without 'Sin'?" the evil Chancellor said with a smirk.
Scattered across the worlds of Dreams and Reality, the forces had begun to align.
"It's been almost six years since we've shown our faces hasn't it…Aralpheisl? As usual, your prophecies are always inevitable…'Wise One Of The Unison Courts'" Darag-Arokna, the Mandragon of the Distant Lands said. The two stood just outside the borders to the world of Dreams.
"I think it's about time we also step out of the realm of mythology, don't you?" a third person asked.
"It seems that way. Even the Weavers have begun to move and I feel 'that man' might soon make an appearance" Aralpheisl said.
"That man? You can't mean…" Darag Arokna asked.
"Yes indeed, I can sense multiple strong presences within reality, dreams and mythology…but none so far seem to have surpassed him…probably except for Zanböngfar. It is said that no one knows his age and that he has lived throughout history however…his appearance defies man's concept of age; the one known only as the Old Living Everlasting Entity, aka Code Ageless. It also appears the Weavers are honour bound to never interfere in the destinies of one another. It seems this time…the fate of mankind will be entrusted into the hands of 'The Dreamweaver'. So what will you do now…Ayumi Kirisawa? Can you save the man you love…from falling to Depravity? Will fire become the flame that reveals to Light…his true identity?" Aralpheisl mused.