Curseborn Saga - Fade to Black (17 page)

Sakura grinned and opened her palms, revealing something hidden within. Within each hand were two glowing golden stones with streaming veins; the illusion of rushing water churned beneath their edges. A deep aura that lit up like lightning began to seep outwards from the stones, wrapping around her forearms and up her shoulders until Sakura’s body was completely radiating, like a golden statue in the night.

Lady Enies shrieked in shock and horror. “
You dare bring Sacred into the End Sphere!? Is the honor you feel for the Force so easily cast away!?
” she screamed. “
You will not survive your trickery, Sakura, and you will die by my hand! This is unforgivable!”

But Sakura saw through her bravado. “
Lady Enies, I merely did what I had to in order to defeat you.”
The breaths in between her words grew heavy as she spoke
. “Here, in the End Sphere … no one can see or hear what is transpiring. All they will know outside is that by the time we are done … you will have no memory of your time here … and I will be victorious, the last one still conscious … if not the only one still alive. Say farewell to your Rank, Lady Enies … for even now it escapes you as if it has found its true master!”

“Well then, Sakura … I must just kill you here and now.”

“You will never kill me, Lady Enies. For I was born to become Vice Captain of the Force, and you were born to hand it to me.”

“You will die, Sakura! Such treachery as yours will never go unpunished!”

“I’m sorry, Lady Enies. You now know that the extra energy given to me from the souls of the Sacred is enough for me to outlive you by three times in the End Sphere. By the time I am done, you will be nothing but a withered and decayed wretch whose face would not be recognizable by even her closest of family members.”

Lady Enies forced herself to her feet. She struggled, as if weighed down by the entirety of the world, her legs shaking violently and her feet struggling to grasp the cold hard stone. The heel of one of her boots snapped, and she struggled for balance against the uncertainty of the ground. The energy around her grew chaotic, rushing towards and grasping her every limb. The shadow snakes slithered around her body faster and faster, around her arms, neck and across her bare chest.

Sakura did not speak; she merely focused her energy. It was draining fast, as if the plug to her aura had been pulled completely instead of just cracked like before.
This is it,
she thought
. I won’t last much longer. I must … maintain the illusion!

It seemed as if the swirling of energy rushing around them grew faster and faster, winding in and out, and from each one another was formed, creating a vortex of whirlwind energy siphoned from their bodies. The tidal wave of aura crashing around them grew closer and closer as Lady Enies forced herself to the brink of death in her attempt to stand. Shuffling towards Sakura one step at a time, her eyes glowered the evilest crimson glare Sakura had ever known. She shut her eyes, terrified of the sight … and still she could see them, glaring and piercing into her skull.

“
SAKURA!!!”
Lady Enies’s voice stabbed across the End Sphere; it sounded like she was being tortured in all aspects of the mind and body. Sakura could feel her moving closer, bridging the distance between them that must have felt like miles. Still Sakura remained sitting, completely still, breathing and focusing. The darkness threatened to swallow her whole, and the memories of her life flushed out of her until only one memory remained, a fragment of a memory, and the picture drew clear in her mind. A rainy day and a man she could no longer remember lay on darkened stone covered in blood … he was holding something up to her as she crawled towards him … something bright before the icy rain and darkness of the sky. She reached out and felt a rush of elation as her eyes fell on the vibrant pink flower in the man’s hands.

“Live, my dear Sakura,”
were the man’s last words.

Sakura’s eyes flashed open and there, standing before her, was Lady Enies, her fist high and her eyes piercing straight into her own with such a feeling of vengeance and contempt that Sakura stopped breathing. Her emotions twisted her very core into believing that she was staring at the God of Death. And the God of Death was disfigured, with open cuts bleeding from her body, gashed open from the excess strain of using energy to move in the End Sphere. Huge cuts ripped open on her body as she moved closer. The cuts seemed to grow as more blood fell to the floor by her feet and then, as she reeled backwards, a blood-curdling scream echoed from her mouth, and she launched all her final energy into one fatal attack.

Sakura closed her eyes.

“YOU WILL DIE HERE, SAKU –“ The voice ended in a high-pitched scream that ceased abruptly, and Sakura felt the weight of Lady Enies fall on top of her. The warmth of blood covered her body and soaked through her white cloak until her own skin was reminiscent of the same bloody visage.

Sakura opened her eyes and stared into Lady Enies’s bloodied and tattered body. She didn’t dare move, for any movement at all could cause her own body to collapse. Everything seemed to move slower, and the roaring sound of the tidal aura surrounding her had faded to a distant purr. Even her eyes grew blurry as she embraced Lady Enies in her arms. With a soft grin, her eyes stared down at the two dull rocks that no longer glowed in her palms. In that instant, the End Sphere shattered as if it were made of glass, and a bright white light rushed toward her from every angle.

XV – A Victor Emerges

R
emi had been sitting with her arms wrapped around her legs in a low crouch while she waited for the End Sphere to conclude. The energy emanating from within seemed to zap her and leave her feeling numb. All around the End Sphere, the Force Corps stood with their arms held out and their eyes closed. Strange black shadows had grown from their hands and seeped into the massive sapphire sphere, and Remi thought that the feelings she was having might have been coming from them. She questioned the strength of her Shield Ward and if it could really protect her.

It was then, that without any warning at all, the End Sphere shattered with a loud clash as if a sword had struck a massive glass window. The shards split into jagged fragments of glittering energy that levitated in the air before dissipating into streaming rivers of flying energy. The energy raced around the room in a mirage of vibrant colors before returning to each individual member of the Force Corps from whence it came. The morbid feeling surrounding Remi and her two sisters seemed to lift like a morning fog and their senses cleared at once. Maile remained unconscious. The room sparkled as if it were raining liquid diamonds all about the cold white stone.

A charred black ring had formed around the two figures that slumped against each other where the End Sphere had once stood. For a second Remi didn’t understand, because neither figure was recognizable. They looked like mangled corpses. Blood was everywhere. The most blood she had ever seen. She gasped, realizing that the bloodied figure of Lady Enies was motionless against Lady Sakura. The Vice Captain’s body was covered in deep, thick gashes. It looked as if she had been tortured by a butcher’s knife. Lady Sakura’s silver hair was matted with blood and her eyes were open, if only for a second, until her eyes rolled backwards and closed.

“Are they dead?” whispered Remi.

Baelie didn’t answer. She couldn’t. The longest minutes of her life went by as the Force Corps rushed into the center, separated the two, and began healing them. Aquas kneeled over Lady Sakura and an emerald aura cloaked her body. Baelie could faintly see two dark stones fall to the ground, one out of each of Sakura’s hands.

Remi saw them too.
Why was she holding rocks?
She was even more puzzled as she watched the Force Corps care for the two soldiers. They treated Lady Sakura with a cautious type of respect. Yet, the opposite had occurred with Lady Enies, who had been lifted far away from Sakura and was being tended to by a healer in black armor that Remi didn’t recognize.

It was then that Lady Sakura sat up, blinked once or twice, and looked into the eyes of the Force Corps surrounding her.

“Well fought … Vice Captain,” said Lady Arya, kneeling down on one knee and bowing her head. The other members of the Force Corps, in a state of awe, followed her lead.

Remi was completely confused. Had she heard Lady Arya correctly? Could it be true? Could the Ninth Seat have accomplished what none in the Valyti believed possible? No. Some mistake must have been made. From afar, Lady Sakura spoke in a whisper that evaded Remi’s ears.

Aquas nodded twice to Lady Sakura, bowed deeply onto one knee, then stood and walked over to the three sisters. With a snap of her fingers, Maile regained consciousness and sat straight up, her eyes wide as ever and her fingers instantly grasping the latches of her helmet.

“Lady Sakura would like a word with you three,” Aquas said in a clear voice full of pride. As she turned her billowing white robes stretched out behind her and fluttered before Remi’s nose, leaving the scent of wild berries.

The three girls looked at each other before nodding, and side by side they walked past the Force Corps. They passed Lady Theresa whose eyes were diverted to the ground. They walked past Lady Zeila, the black mage who had been training with the Tree Spirits, past Lady Aquas, who nodded toward them reassuringly, and finally, past Lady Arya, who smiled gently at them.

They came to a stop in front of Lady Sakura, who had been given a new elegant white cloak that hung from her shoulders and fell to the floor; the back was adorned with the royal symbol of the Empress and laced with gold trim. Her arms were folded inside the sleeves, which hung empty to her sides. Remi stared into the eyes of Lady Sakura, the one who had stood up to Lady Enies, and a deep respect formed in her heart. In that moment, Lady Sakura became one of Remi’s heroes, although she might never admit it.

“I apologize for exposing you to such violence and to the effects of the End Sphere, which I am sure must have been most unsettling for you,” Lady Sakura said. Her voice was calm and serene as if she had not just faced her own annihilation moments before.

The three sisters nodded, unsure of what to say, and in turn, Lady Sakura smiled.

“You remind me of
her
, you three.” And with those words, smiles lifted on the faces of the three girls.

“As you know, you were brought here for a reason. I believe my Captain trusts that you can accomplish this mission. Why? I do not know. But she sees in ways we will never understand. That is why she is the Captain. The former Vice Captain, Lady Enies, did not see you fit for the task but I am different. I believe that some, even though they may seem inadequate or have a lack of strength, can overcome anything with the power of will. So I will grant you this chance to prove yourselves to the Force Corps—and to the Empress, who has undoubtedly had a say in this.”

A strident voice broke their concentration. Walking towards them was none other than Lady Enies, who had been healed of her grievous wounds. Remi nearly choked upon seeing her, and Baelie and Maile froze. A soft hand fell on her shoulder as Lady Sakura walked in front of them, as if she guarded them. The Force Corps flanked to her sides.

Enies spat at Lady Sakura’s feet. “You sabotaged the End Sphere by bringing in Sacred to help you and give you energy!” Whispering could be heard amongst the Force and Remi instantly felt uncomfortable. She looked at Lady Sakura, not taking her for one who would have cheated.

Lady Sakura grinned and walked away.

“Don’t you walk away from me, you coward!” growled Enies.

Lady Sakura came to a stop within the middle of the black ring that was the remnant of the End Sphere. On the ground were two dull rocks of the most ordinary kind. She picked them up and walked back, lifting them before her.

“I merely played your weakness against you, Enies,” said Lady Sakura. “As you can see, what you thought were Sacred was nothing but ordinary rocks, infused with my own energy to trick you and draw out your temper.”

Enies’s eyes were filled with a deep fury and her mouth opened but no words came out.

“If that is not proof enough, then think back to when the energy consumed my body. It was golden, was it not? You were so blinded by your own rage and the fear of losing your Seat that you couldn’t plainly see that the Sacred you thought I was holding were glowing gold. Everyone knows that Sacred glow only with the color of rubies. I knew that because of the effects of the End Sphere our senses would be weakened, and it was my only chance of beating you. Unfortunately, the most I could get out of ordinary rocks was to infuse my aura with them and the color that emitted was my own … a dangerous risk, but the only way.”

A look of pure rage rippled across Enies’s face but she held her tongue. Her fists were clenched and shaking violently. It was clear she had been outsmarted. “What trickery is this, Sakura,” she spit, “your aura grew in power! I could feel it and it illuminated the End Sphere!”

“Yes, that’s true,” said Lady Sakura. “Because I was draining all of my energy to feed you that illusion. I told you in the End Sphere that I had discovered your weakness. In most cases, one’s strength is also their greatest weakness and for you, that was the role of Vice Captain. You were so confident in your power that you thought your Rank could never be threatened. Thus, the only way to reveal your weakness was to make you
feel
like your Rank may be lost, and so I gave you the impression that I would triumph in the End Sphere, cheating or not. Yet you forget the true ending of the story you told me … memories return from the End Sphere unless one spends an inordinate amount of time within. The criminals who were first placed in the End Sphere were locked inside for many, many shades and thus grew withered. Your logic and clear thinking were clouded by your anger, which gave rise to your fears and your inevitable downfall. You are powerful, Enies, powerful indeed, but you have lost your ways, and now is the time to relinquish that which you cared for most. You should be happy enough to have come out of the End Sphere alive.”

Enies collapsed to her knees, finally understanding what she had lost. Her voice changed, and her confident demeanor vanished. Remi grasped her hand over her mouth as she saw tears falling from her cheeks. “I … lost,” she began, “you would have died had I noticed, but that was your risk to take. All this time I felt I had reached my peak strength. I felt I was capable of even overcoming the Captain. But I was wrong. I see my weakness now, so clearly. You risked everything, all of your memories. The power of your heart … it is beyond mine.” She clenched her teeth, tears falling harder. “No … I can’t be banished … I can’t, you can’t do this to me! I have nothing but this!” Tears flowed freely from her eyes when she looked up and for the first time, Remi felt a sense of pity for the fallen Vice Captain. She clawed at the cold stone with her fingernails, and Remi felt that she was staring at a completely different woman than before; that somehow, Lady Sakura had broken that which could not be broken.

Lady Sakura held out her hand, and a twisting vine of aura appeared, connecting the two women until the symbols on their shoulders seemed to vanish without a trace. Then like the etching of a dark invisible pencil, the symbols drew themselves again; leaving Lady Sakura with the Number
2
symbol tattooed on her shoulder. Enies looked down at her shoulder and felt the Number
9
etch its way into her skin. A sudden gasp escaped her mouth as she realized Lady Sakura’s act of mercy. She turned to face her new Vice Captain with a face full of sorrow, anger and many other emotions that Remi couldn’t possibly begin to understand.

“What … are you doing?” whispered Enies.

“I will not banish you, Enies, for I feel you are much too powerful to merely throw away,” said Lady Sakura. “You have become lost in your ways, and through your training you may regain your former position, but only after defeating all those who lie before you. You will now be forced to learn respect the hard way. With this task, I offer you all the help and trust of the Force Corps. And if you succeed in returning, you will have me to face again. Learn from your weakness, and make it your strength!”

Enies bowed her eyes in respect then looked up, “One day, you will fall by my hand. Remember these words, Lady Sakura, for this is my only vow.” Looks of surprise could be seen on the faces of the Force Corps soldiers.

“I would expect nothing less,” Lady Sakura answered.

A few of the Force Corps walked forward to help Enies to her feet. Once standing, she stared hard into Lady Sakura’s eyes one last time before turning and walking away. “Don’t get too comfortable, Lady Sakura,” were her last words. Remi felt her eyes glaring in her direction but didn’t dare meet her gaze. Remi’s intuition warned her that the three of them had made more than one enemy in their adventure so far.

Lady Sakura turned to them. “Well, that went better than expected. Now, I ask you, three sisters – Remi, Baelie and Maile. Do you accept the task of guarding the Relic Door during the 250
th
Annual Soldier Games?”

Three instant responses of vastly different natures erupted from the mouths of the sisters.

“I’m going to miss the Soldier Games!?” cried Remi.

“Yes ma’am, Lady Sakura, Defeater of the Evil Enies!” saluted Baelie.

“We’re going to be in the Soldier Games!?” squeaked Maile.

Lady Sakura grinned. She informed them that they would be notified of the exact purpose of their mission and that it was of extreme importance. She also noted – in response to Maile’s fear – that the walls of Aurora’s Light were always guarded and that in all of the cycles they had been standing, they had never been breached even once. There was no danger in this task.

After Lady Sakura had excused them, Arya walked the girls to the side of the Valyti where a glassy container about the size of a small house was standing at the base of the wall. It seemed to have a living mist floating within its core, and along its outer edges were dozens of bright emerald stones separated about a foot apart from one another.

“Isn’t there one of these in the base of the tower?” asked Remi, eyeing it suspiciously.

“Perceptive, aren’t we,” replied Arya. “This particular creation was built and designed by the Alchemist Lord Galileo and nick-named the Teleport Chamber.” Arya pointed at one pristine emerald gem, half the size of Remi’s palm with perfectly cut facets and a strange rushing motion within that reminded her of something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

“Of Galileo’s creations, the seven great Space Tear Stones were probably the most useful,” said Lady Arya, “for most of his creations were veiled with some kind of alternate purpose and difficult to understand. Luckily, we have found six of the seven stones and positioned one of them here, and one of them in the tower above.”

“What … does it do?” asked Maile warily.

“Where are the other stones?” asked Remi.

“What it does, you will soon see,” said Arya. “As to the whereabouts of the other four stones, I cannot reveal such information. The seventh stone was lost long ago and no one knows where it is.”

“Is this … what gives you special powers?” asked Baelie quietly, weaving her fingers together. She seemed to have less confidence in herself after the incident with Enies.

Arya smiled. “All of our powers come from hard work, little one.” She placed her hand on Baelie’s shoulder. “If you train hard, even you can enter the Force Corps one day.” A grand smile curved across Baelie’s face and she nodded, her eyes gleaming.