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In Light of Destiny Part V: Reine
Posted By: Jinkaiden-XI<Nolimits4csk@aol.com>
Date: 19 August 2003, 1:54 AM
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The breeze is rough. Reine's hair is lifted from her shoulders and blown to one side, strands of it crossing her face. She sits atop a large, grassy cliff, her favorite place to be when times are bad.
A waterfall roars nearby, sending mist in all directions. The water is soothing, for it takes her mind off everything else. Her eyes are closed.
Time draws short. She stands up and gazes out over the small lake one last time, taking in the tranquility of the moment. Then she turns.
A trail of smoke rockets towards the ground off in the distance, close to where the colonies are. A blinding flash of light, an angry fireball, and the deafening sound of an explosion.
The force rips past Reine and knocks her off the cliff. She falls, off balance, and strikes the water. She watches, just before hitting the surface, as the cliff she once sat on is blown apart. Rocks fall from the sky, pounding the surface of the lake.
Reine, however, manages to reach the shore. Without glancing backwards, she rushes back towards the city.
Another bomb lands in the middle of a skyscraper. In seconds, the center portion of the tower erupts in flames. The structure collapses on itself, resulting in a billowing cloud of smoke that consumes the streets.
Bursts of gunfire fill the air. Despite the best efforts to defend the city, torpedo after torpedo lands on the surface of the planet, destroying everything that stands. Screams of agony begin to replace the gunfire as buildings and living quarters are obliterated.
Reine reaches the city, just as a distant object falls from the sky. It disappears beyond the horizon for a split second.
Yes. The time has finally come. Destiny is at hand.
The explosion starts out small and grows to become something greater than any force known to exist. All remaining structures are ripped from the ground and instantly vaporized, disintegrating into dust. The ground is force downward, forming an enormous crater in place of the city. Whatever remains collapses into the expanding crater and is swallowed.
The light expands outward and soaks everything in white...
Silence now. The world is dark and cold. There is no sound, only the distant screams of the souls lost.
The wind begins to kick up. Sand and dirt rush past her, growing thinner as it drifts through the air. The fantasy is real.
There needs not be logic in everything. Some questions are better left unanswered. There is no vision anymore. Sight ceases to present itself.
Reine slowly rises to her knees. Her hair, once long and well kept, hangs over her dirty face. Her clothes are brutally shredded and torn. Her legs are scarred from rocks that have been tossed through the air. And then there is sound.
A sound...where are you?
The wind increases. Small pebbles are easily picked up and tossed away. Reine opens her eyes once more, but sees nothing. All is black around her. At first she gasps, confusion clouds her mind. And then there is a gentle warmth pressing against her back.
She turns and is instantly blinded by numerous lights. The white intensity fills her eyes; her mind screams in throbbing agony. From her knees she drops to the ground, desperately shielding her face. The wind grows stronger, her hair and clothes whipping against the air. The lights lower to the ground, as if a part of a larger craft of some kind. The lights come to a stop just above the landscape.
And then there are figures. They seem ominous at first, but as they move in and out of the light, their shadows seem more kind. All at once they grab hold of her and lift her away from the desolate grounds.
Her first instinct is to fight, to fight against them and free herself, but her lack of energy has greatly weakened her movements. She allows them to take her away, up a noisy ramp and within the craft. There, she is delivered to a chamber, a chamber just as dark as the world outside. They quickly lay her down on something soft, a bed of sorts, and quickly begin to attend to whatever needs she has. Bandages are supplied to protect her leg wounds and her clothes are replaced with new, clean garments.
Small mechanical arms, each wrapped in multi-colored wires, lower from the ceiling and open up to expose small lasers on the tips of each arm. The lasers activate and begin scanning her face and hair.
"What...what are you doing?"
One of the nurses turns and dismisses the other officers, who in turn rush out of the room and head out for more survivors. Then she replies in a soft voice, "The lasers are scanning your face for deeper, smaller scars that we can't find on our own. They're also destroying the fibers in your hair that are keeping it tangled."
Reine tries to lift her arm, but seems entirely unable to do so. Her soul seems confined to deeper regions of her own body.
"My arm..."
"We injected a fluid into your bloodstream that will check for viruses and diseases and will let us know after a while. Once we know what is inside you, we can easily get rid of it."
Reine would have continued on, if the nurse insisted, "Please. Rest now. All answers will come in due time."
Reine stays silent now. But within her thoughts she senses a strange connection with someone else, someone closer than she could have known otherwise. It would seem that it would have been someone in the same area, maybe in the same room. But she is quick to dismiss this idea as she almost immediately drifts into sleep.
Sieg wakes. For some reason, an odd feeling inside him has grown larger and more intense. He recognizes this feeling as what he believed to be his inner spirit, the side of his soul that yearned to escape and be unleashed. It was this feeling, this force, that would lead to Sieg's full potential being unveiled.
Something, someone, has been brought close to Sieg, which has fueled his spirit to a new height. He feels more energized than earlier before, but still somewhat dazed and tired. It will now require more strength than ever before to contain his inner mystery.
Again, the window. It possesses a doorway to another world, a world of mysterious qualities while at the same time having features of a world too familiar. But the place is like nothing Sieg has seen before. Another strange connection, perhaps?
And this person, who might he or she be? What tie do they have with Sieg? It is another survivor, clearly, but they seem to be the answer to all his questions.
A sound...where are you?
There. A small sign of connection. This person has heard the words before, but obviously dismisses them without thought. So many words...how does one not ask of their meaning?
Sleep now. Tomorrow is another day. Sieg drops the subject and gently greets the night.
"You have been a fool, curious one."
A voice...where are you?
"I stand before you. You have done nothing to avoid this."
There is mere darkness, and a voice. One of a familiar sort, as if one he has heard before. Yes, he recognizes this voice. It is that of High Priestess Ilainos, her majestic grace. But there is someone else here too, another figure. Another ominous voice.
This new voice speaks, "You are of an ignorant race, human. What is it you seek?"
Sieg manages to reply after struggling with his own voice for a period of time. "I seek the truth. Who are you and what is it you want with me?"
High Priestess Ilainos responds, "You have spoken your will before the High Priest himself. Have you no respect?"
Sieg looks up and stares at the void that stretches beyond his reach. The High Priest of the Covenant, another mythical figure. He too was believed to have died with the entire race itself seven years before.
Now that Sieg is looking ahead rather than down, the High Priest is able to get a look at his face. A grunt of surprise echoes.
"This human...something about him isn't normal..."
After a few moments of silence, the High Priest states, "He is no ordinary human. There is an undeniable strength in his eyes, in his words themselves. He speaks with such confidence and power, and seems defiant to all who oppose him. Only once have I encountered something like him, for his spirit is that of the Ancient times, and his soul flows purely through his body. His veins run deep with the blood of knowledge, and he contains a strength like nothing else."
Sieg seems confused now, his befuddlement mounting. Surely this figure, thought to have been a lie for years, does not speak the truth. A spirit of the Ancient times? A human was not suited for such an honor.
Ilainos questions, "A spirit of the Ancient times? But a mere human could not have been gifted with such grace. Only a perfected being is worthy of a title as grand as that."
"I am sure of it. There is something about him that resembles an archaic soldier, one who is destined to come through to full victory in the end. I assure you, we must be careful. Someone like him could be the answer to all questions in the universe, and if I am correct, he will be the one who ends our dynasty."
Sieg persists. "What is it you want with me?"
The High Priest replies, "We want nothing with you. It is the combined prayers of the demon spirits and those of the Fates that have come to you. They seek your strength, for there is something about you that they are certain will set them free."
"Then why do you continue to come to me?"
"We desire to know if their prayers have been answered. If so, then your head will be wanted by many alike."
And with these words, they turn away.
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