The Resurrector
Author
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*ninjas in*
A delivery. =3
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha GuardianS
Transition, Part Two—Avenger
Spoiler for Transition, Part Two—Avenger:
[Unknown Location] [January 1st, MC 076] [0000 hours]
Darkness.
The Void was a vast, immeasurable plain of blankness, of creation’s nonexistence, thriving on the absence of life and order, death and chaos. Things float and vanish in its all-encompassing embrace, the birth of some tangible materials that lasted only for a few mere seconds before they were devoured by the endless hunger of the Void. Such was the magnificence of its insatiable gluttony, the sight present only in a universe men condemned as the unholy breeding ground of destruction and nightmares. Men shun it, deny it, believing that such a world would never exist in their logical minds.
Yet, here it was, all in its unbridled glory, and I revel in its majesty.
How I came to be here, I had long forgotten, the memories as vague mists.
How long had I been here, the minutes went uncounted, the passage of hours indeterminable.
Why was I here, the answers were patches of blankness, much like the horizons that stretched endlessly before me.
And so I had remained in the Void, savoring the eternal reincarnation of life and death that unfolded like ancient plays prevalent in theaters, the plots lost in the brutal and brief cycles. I watched stars came and go, the miniature sparks of life flickering and disappearing. The moons rose and fell, scattered illuminations that spread through the Void like the hues of aurora reflected off countless mirrors in the dimensionless space. There was a pithy flash of light, and then all returned to darkness.
I dreamed endlessly, yet no dreams were ever made manifest. I thought, yet the contemplations fled in crushed pieces. I turned, yet the universe did not reverse. Blackness, eternal darkness bound the Void, and it in turn bound me, shackling me to the plane where neither death nor life wanted to be part of. In this inert space, there was freedom and yet no freedom at the same time. Only those whose sanity was strong enough could live in this hellish heaven.
Or those who were insane.
I drifted along the nonexistent stream, curled up as if I were a newborn baby. The Void caressed me softly, a motherly affection that sent my mind into a frenzy of dark thoughts and images. Yet, as soon as it had done so, it stole everything away, leaving my mind unaffected. It was torture, but a pleasurable one. It was a wonder as to why the Void had not devoured me like all else in this desolate plane, but answers could be found only in the madness that was the Void.
I dared not venture into that realm, even if I was curious to know.
And I sighed as I continued to flow along the death-like river, wishing and had my wish destroyed, hoping only to have it shattered.
How long had I floated aimlessly, I had no idea. Rest and fatigue were intertwined so closely they were inseparable, and so I slept. In the timeless dimension, that was all that anyone could do.
And slept I did till I awaken again.
I opened my eyes, and there was a flash of glorious gold. I closed my eyes again, unsure that I had seen correctly. Had the Void changed after all the hours … no, months … maybe years that I had been asleep? I opened them again, and a burst of wondrous pink repelled the encompassing black momentarily before being consumed again.
At that moment, something stirred.
Not in the Void, for it was eternally content in its current world.
It stirred within me, a surge of images and memories of ages past, things that I had lost when I first stepped into the Void. It filled me as if food were to appease hunger, water were to quench thirst. The years returned in that singular moment.
I cried.
At that moment, I who was shapeless, faceless, and nameless was reborn. It was an exquisite feeling that could not be adequately described with words alone; it required the physical and mental faculties to meld into one single dimension, an unsurpassable barrier for those bound to the living world or the great beyond. I tasted the nectar of life even as I savored the nightshade of death, and the rapture was like fire weaving through ice, a discordant symphony that transcended both heaven and hell.
The Void sensed it, yet decided not to act. Perhaps it deigned my rebirth insignificant to its grander scheme.
Even so, I had caused a ripple in its domain, and the disruption swelled uncontrollably. In the farthest reaches of this realm, another ripple formed, a wave of blackness darker than the Void. And its whispers flowed sweetly into my ears, the call of angels, the tease of devils. I felt a peculiar resonance, a faint recollection of familiar sensations, and my yearning grew.
In the infinite distance, my progress was sluggish, as if I was swimming against a sea of sand and mud, a massive countercurrent in the oceans of darkness. So … the Void had started to move, and he moved against me. It was an imbalanced tussle of power, my small frame aligned in opposition to the plane itself, a mortal struggling against a god.
But … no, I was mortal.
Now, I am something more.
As waves of darkness descended upon me, a huge rush of pitch-black torrents threatening to smother me, I closed my eyes, and felt the tingle of something within me.
A lost glow reignited.
The power of my gift returned.
The waves struck viciously, but the mordant waters never touched me. They fell in a great splash, spreading around me in harmless eddies. And as the Void launched another impediment my way, I countered with my own. There was a blur of shapes, little of colors safe for hazes of gray and white, and the melodious hymns rose in volume. The song encompassed me lovingly, wrapping my verisimilitude in its phantasmal robes, soft and silken.
The distance had shrunk drastically, and the earlier distortion in the realm of the Void was now in front of me.
With open arms, I embrace it as I would embrace a lover.
I fell through unknown depths, plunging deeper into the layers that separate reality from illusion. Within the heart of darkness, a single point of light emerged, faint and wavering. I surged forth, eager for release, eager for freedom.
I entered through the portal of light …
… into another darkness.
Deception.
There was no freedom, no release. The darkness led into another, and I was still shackled to that which bound me previously. In the illusion of rebirth wove by the Void, I was still simply a being of the afterworld, the physical reincarnation I had a mere farce that was valid only in the realm from which I had come. When I left, the mirage was broken, and I was again who I was previously: faceless, nameless … but not shapeless.
Indeed. Perhaps this was yet another scheme of the Void, or perhaps the merciful intervention of the fickle godlings that govern destiny, but I no longer reside at the edges of imagination, no longer a restless, wandering spirit. A small, jet-black now housed my essence, my thoughts, my gift. And through the gem’s multifaceted planes I sight the world, and there was only darkness.
In the absence of a physical manifestation, I neither aged nor hungered, safe for the irresistible urge for release. The solace of darkness was no longer sufficient; I longed for the light, the feel of the sun, the sensations that were lost from years spent in apathy. In both prison and residence, I called out in frustration, my rage seething like the fury of magma imprisoned beneath the earth, my cries forlorn and desperate. In the darkness, my silent voice echoed like the beat of a heart, and for time immemorial, it resonated my appeals faithfully.
And the answer came.
The inexplicable magic that men called miracle happened.
The darkness that engulfed me parted, peeled back as if it were a curtain. And for the first time in my life, the radiance of the sun touched my glossy face, the ebony sparkling like a rare jewel. There was an exhilaration, an exultation as the hands that unearthed me continued to progress, scrubbing dirt and soil away from my worldly prison. With vivid clarity, I saw myself, set within an opulent armor that gleamed pristinely, unsullied and unblemished, as if just forged from the flames of the smith.
I marveled at the flawless craft of the armor, and even more of the person who found me. The handsome, roguish face with angular features that was almost elven. The long silky strands of black hair fitting of a noble. The proud hawk-like nose, curved perfectly. And most of all, the startling blue eyes that spoke volumes of intelligence and status. Without doubt, he was a person of power and import in this strange world, evident in his luxurious vestments: rich velvet of pure white, silks of midnight blue and deep purple, and a matching cloak of molten amber.
I beheld him even as he beheld me, curious blue eyes seeking answer to the mystery before him. There were calculative judgments and critical appraisals, a habit that had become so ingrained it was part of his nature. In the ancient hall wrought of gold and silver where nine ornate casks carved of marble stood and the tall windows opened to the sun-filled realm beyond, only he and I seemed to exist. Silence fell like the down of doves, wrapping the two of us softly.
The curious blue eyes that studied me dimmed, and a sadness overtook him, marring his beautiful features. I did not know what drove him to do what he did, but he lifted me up slowly, gently such that I was before his youthful face. And then, he touched me, not with his hands, but with his lips, kissing the embedded onyx—kissing me—softly.
Never did I expect it, nor of what happened thereafter. It was a peculiar sensation, a disembodied person being intimate with a living human. For one moment, everything was forgotten as a strange desire touched me, a pang of great loss that shot through my consciousness like a brand of fire. What thoughts I had at that time melted away like frost before fire as foreign visions flooded my metaphysical mind. Images of castles, of unrecognizable people and places, of strange magic and experiences inundated me, but that particular sensation of loss stood foremost amongst the emotions engendered by the inflow of memories.
I cried.
When we parted, there was a lingering sense of disorientation in him, and his face was drawn, seemingly exhausted. He knew not what happened, but I did.
I had seen into his mind.
The knowledge of it came surprisingly easy, a simple understanding for that complex occurrence. Though I did not know how I came to possess the power, I could use it effortlessly, surely; I simply could. Whether it was natural talent or acquired magic was irrelevant.
I had expected the man to discard me, a gnawing superstition warning him against the possession of a cursed armor. Yet, his eyes reflected none of those; instead, there was bewilderment, and then wonder. With a final strange gaze at me, he muttered a single word, and we vanished from the hall of gold and silver. We were brought into another room, bare and austere for a residence for nobility, but there was an undeniable presence of strong powers permeating the area. Of magic …
Ever since then, he had always donned me underneath his robes, never removed safe for whenever he entered the bath. Even so, he kept me close. Whether he was aware of the consciousness that was me, I never knew, but I watched the world as he watched it, listened to words as he listened to them, and worked magic as he worked them. He became my substitute of a physical body, all that he felt and experienced in turn became my own.
In this world, I learned of the Sacred Circle and the Grand Cathedrals, the Royals and the Peacemakers, the Mystics and the Conclave. I eventually came to understand that the man who found me was the leader of the Conclave and therefore the Mystics, and his influence was vast. Equally influential opposite him was the head of the Sacred Circle, who claimed to represent the populace; the Royals were the tiebreakers.
The intricacies of this world’s politics were as complicated as they were frustrating, and at times I felt the urge to speak out. Yet, every time I thought of doing so, he would say what I intended to say, as if he could hear my thoughts.
As if … he was a part of me.
I later realized that in having me close to him, his mind was becoming joined with mine, a consequence of the contact shared between us. It was not invasive by nature, but the sensation was peculiar and uncomfortable. It was as if we were wide open to each other, all our thoughts and feelings accessible and unprotected. Perhaps that was the price to pay to having him as my physical body … wait, another thought struck me: perhaps the access was for me alone, he never had any idea that I was there.
My conjecture was sound, in the sense that he had never once admitted to my presence or addressed another ‘person’ in the solitude of his tower room, even when I sought to speak. More astonishingly, it seemed that my thoughts were free to intermingle with his, override his decisions even, and he accepted them as if they were his own. It was as if I was his inner heart, speaking my mind that became his inspirations.
Without realizing it, I had become him, taking over his conscience as my own.
If I denied that I wanted to have his body, I would be lying. For so long I had yearned for one, and though not voluntarily, I had possessed the body of the person who could be considered my benefactor. Was I regretful? I did not know; there barely was a fitting expression when I realized it, safe for a temporary surprise that vanished as soon as it appeared. After that? I felt nothing.
I lived as him even as he lived as himself, unaware of the changes brought by his fateful meeting with me. And the invisible cord that connected him to me seemed unbreakable as the time grew or distance increased. I could call him from far away, and still he would answer, obeying the mental command obediently. I felt no joy in doing so, for it was like a master puppeteer unto his marionettes, controlling his life as I pleased. It became more as a means to an end than feeling truly alive in a substitute body.
It was later revealed that the connection between him and me was called a Nexus Link.
And so had I perused his body to attend to the artificial life, entering the court, marshalling orders, manipulating treacherous waters in the world of politics. For as long as I did that, however, life never touched me, not even once. The life that I wielded now felt dead, stiff, alien. I struggled to keep the initial fascination of his features as vivid and lively as possible, but it failed, for the once brilliant-blue eyes had dimmed.
I felt that I was missing something all along in the peaceful if heavily politicized world, a lost motivation that had driven me to this place before. What would I give to regain them, even just temporarily …
As if the stars had read my thoughts, they granted my wish.
In the gloom of one sultry day, things descended from the heavens.
Birds with cold-gray bodies and dire wings of steel.
When I first sighted them from the window of my tower room, something seized hold of me, an invisible hand that sifted impatiently through the dregs of my memories. And then, I remembered … a burst of gold followed by a flash of pink …
Immediately, life returned in blazing fire, igniting the feelings that had lain dormant since the day I met him …
Revenge.
Remembrance came unbidden, a flood of images unlocked from the vaults of my mind. I remembered everything, my past life, my past experiences, as if I had just lived through them yesterday. I remember the experiments forbidden by rules and regulations; the Lost Logia that were supposed to grant my wish; the taste of near success before the untimely intervention by the bastards from the accursed organization; the thwart to the finality of the plans, two mages whose destinies were once enemies but now comrades. Yes, those two …
My vengeful thoughts surged through into the mind of he who carried me, and they twisted him. Gone was the noble aura, replaced by one of dread; gone was the intelligent gleam of his eyes, which now reflected hollowness and death; and the magic that surrounded him flared alive as mine joined with his. His thoughts, his voice, his sight, they were now mine.
Completely mine.
And so I was truly reborn.
I did not know why I failed to notice this before, but the reincarnation revealed a more remarkable effect that I could ever imagine. My burning thoughts pulled others as they pulled my benefactor before, and my voice, now with a mystifying quality, rallied others to me. The invisible cord that was one split apart, spreading to eight others who found themselves a new god to worship.
Me.
And so I wove the grandest design that would lead to the ultimate fulfillment of my desire. Wrapped in an elusive cloak of mystery, I manipulated the court, sowing in secret the seeds of destruction. The Sacred Circle was an impediment to that achievement, and I crushed their resistance mercilessly. The Royals were neutral, creating ambiguity that would prove to be oppositional should they favor the Circle, and so I cast the current leader out, leaving them in disorientation. And the newcomers who decided to mingle with the populace, I let them be, for they would be useful pawns indeed. One single event, the Black Plague, and everything fell into place accordingly.
Unbeknownst to the locals, perhaps recognized by members of the organization who came, this world was a great repository of ancient knowledge and artifacts, yet no one knew well how these relics could be used. The locals revered these items, which they claimed to be symbols of divinity, but I knew better. I knew what they were and what manners of things they could be used for. And for the nine years that followed, my faithful servants combed the green lands searching for these relics of power.
The Mystics who were now Magi succeeded, the artifacts’ locations revealed, and I exulted.
At long last, my desire would be fulfilled …
… but for the whimsical Fates who decided to interfere.
And so war erupted.
A great cataclysmic war that tore the world asunder, incited by the Sacred Circle. I knew that they would prove to be a nuisance, but never did I think they would rebel against us. The local populations who were under their jurisdiction were whipped into fanatical frenzy, becoming crazed madmen that sought to destroy the nobles. More astonishing was the fact that they turned against their own who would stop their rampage, leaving allies and foes alike dead in their wake. There was not even a single moment for consideration, a moment of rational negotiations, only blood and death mattered.
It was as if they were possessed by demons, who took forms as hooded priests and bishops of the Grand Cathedrals.
As if they were under control of the Nexus Link that I also had.
I did not know how they got their hands to that power, but as the mobs surged through cities and villages in an unstoppable wave, the nobles and the rest of the Mystics took arms to stem their advance. In towers and castles, magic rained down on those below, mystical forces that ripped through the lands and shattered bodies mercilessly. Countless dead littered the battlefield, but against the people of the entire country, perhaps of the entire world, their magic was impotent. It even turned on them, for the Sacred Circle, too, had mages.
Even as I struggled together with the Magi on the field of battle, I made plans to retrieve the artifacts—the Lost Logia—which would grant me my dreams. Maneuvering through the hell-wrecked plains, we inched our way slowly to the reliquary that kept one of the Lost Logia. If we persevered in the same way, then the rest of the artifacts would be in my hands, and I would gladly leave this world and let them soak themselves in the blood of their kin.
Hiding in a mountain range, where a group of people were struggling against an impossible mass, we proceeded slowly, patiently. There was a multicolored flash of light, but it was not of consequence to us. A great cry fell deaf on our ears. The vault was near, just behind the rocks. For a moment, it seemed like the plan would come to fruition should we hold on a little longer …
… until the sky rained silver.
The judgment of the God.
The argent rays tore the world like giant sledgehammers, leveling castles and wiping away palaces with seeming ease. Mountains fell and forests vanished, and the hordes of people were burned to ashes by the sacred fires. One blinding spear of light struck the rear of the mass below the mountains, and a terrible echo rippled across the mountains in a song of death.
Another light came down directly on the reliquary, and a massive surge of energy could be felt even from our position. A white explosion shattered the crypt, bringing down part of the mountain upon which it was built. From within, a greater explosion swept outward, black and swift, engulfing the area in nothingness.
And we stood in the radius of that deadly explosion.
Perhaps it was reflex that saved us, but at that perilous moment, I invoked a spell. The magic took us into an unknown realm that twisted and shifted, a psychedelic world of multiple realities and illusions. It reminded me of the stagnant dimension of the Void, and frantically, I searched for an exit. Cursing the Fates, I made my way to one point that seemed to be less convoluted than the rest, wishing to be out somewhere than this realm of twisting nether. The portal opened up like the petals of a blooming flower, and …
Perhaps they who govern destiny were not as cruel as I thought them to be.
In the window of the artificial space where I was in, I could see a familiar sight.
And my plans may still come to fruition, yet.
I smiled.
It beckoned, and I gracefully accepted.
Welcome back.
I had returned home.
The Avenger had returned home to Mid-childa.
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Note: Thirteen pages in Word document, it's a bad sign. <_< The (rather short) transition chapters are supposed to reveal things in more depths that won't appear in the storyline until much later. This one has some ties to the previous transition, so it's connected in some way (quite easy to spot, also ). And I think someone might have a very good idea how the plot is going to be, because this spoils quite a bit. Well, if it doesn't create headaches first.
*ninjas out from rampaging mobs*
*deploys Anti-Harisen Field against FieryAeon for this cliffy (?)*
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