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Part 70: Lifeline

Info

Writer

Dougurasu

Character Introductions

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Character Deaths

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Arcs

Hikari Crystals Arc

Chounin Loves Hitori Arc

Timeline Entries

The Story

Endless Rain

Part 70: Lifeline

© Dougurasu

The Sendo throne room was completely deserted, except for two people. Mistress Lana was sitting on her throne smiling upon the poor merchant. His left leg was tied to a huge iron ball, and despite the fact that he already was a rather poor runner, he wouldn't be able to outrun any Sendo guard, even when they would not be riding a horse. Between both of them on a small plateau was the Light of the Soul, it's undefined shape being masked by its vividly shining light.

“Hikari Crystal,” Lana spoke, “you are mine.” She reached out to grab it. “I am Lana, daughter of Afrain. Therefore I am not pure evil, and therefore I should be able to pick up this Light without tainting it.”

As Chounin watched silently, not knowing if there was anything he should or could do, the tops of Lana's fingers were slowly engulfing in the pure white light.

A Chi girl with a broken arm guarded by a Tiko man, a once thought to be an evil Lady of the Sendo Tribe, two-thirds of a Mikomi triplet, and one Hikari Guardian, were walking through the vast landscape of the Southern Plains, lead by the son of a God. Towering behind them was the massive cliff that Mariko had jumped off to get the Diamond of the Angel. The group was slowly moving East, walking through big puddles of rainwater. The Southern Plains were slowly turning into a gigantic swamp.

“It's not far,” Baku said, “In fact, it's right up that hill.”

Moyasu looked up in confusion. “These are plains, how can there be a hi-” But before she could finish her sentence a hill had appeared. Without a move from Baku, without a change in the wind or light, without even a sound the hill had just simply appeared. It was as if it had been there forever. It did not seem magic, the change was so subtle, that it just seemed like it was supposed to be there, and had been forever.

“What...” “...the...” Wevlum and Wevli started, expecting Wevles to finish, but the final word didn't come.

The group ascended to the top of the hill and could see that there was a small stream of water and worn down cottage. The cottage itself would've looked sad alone, but it was surrounded by a field of beautiful roses in six different shades of red, ranging from pink to burgundy.

“Well, people,” Baku said, “We're here.”

Two knocks.

“Yeah, come in.” Hitori said. She was still greatly confused by her dream.

Pyro Phoenixtruth opened the door and floated in. “Hey.” From his demeanor Hitori could tell that he was bringing bad news.

“Is this about Mariko's test of courage?” Hitori asked.

“Partly. That's the good news. Mariko made it and they're already headed for that meeting with the woman Baku wanted Mariko to meet.”

“That's absolutely great... What's the bad news?”

“Lana has found Siren's Hikari Crystal, the Light of the Soul.”

“What? How?”

“The merchant Chounin... he had a map to the final one.”

Hitori rose to her feet. “Chounin? Is he still alive?”

“Yes, he is. In fact Lana is keeping him alive so she can trade him for the remainder of the Hikari Crystals.” Pyro's face was now completely serious. “Or at least, that's what she said to Lord Tebok, anyway.”

“No, how could she...”

“Hitori, you cannot make this one man stand in your way of finding all the Hikari Crystals. We have no choice but to let Chounin die.” The seriousness marked on his face remained unchanged.

“No... this cannot be happening,” Hitori cried, “I am leader of this tribe, and you said a few days ago that I am also the leader of the Hikari Crystals, the one who gets them all together, that I am the Chosen Ones' leader. And now, now you're asking me to condemn a... I can't believe I'm calling him this – a friend to death.”

Pyro's face now showed guilt and compassion, but his tone of voice continued. “I also have to inform you... that Lana can actually touch the Hikari Crystals for she is not completely evil.”

“I can touch it!” Lana exclaimed. “The Light remains shining!” Her mouth had turned into an evil grin. “Tebok!” she called out.

Lord Tebok entered the room and kneeled. “You called for me, your highness?”

“Assemble the troops. We shall ride to Mikomi village and we shall trade Chounin's life for the remaining four Hikari Crystals!” Lana ordered.

“What? You're going to trade me?! I'm a merchant! You don't trade merchants! The irony alone is unbearable!” Chounin exclaimed in shock.

With one strike from the back of his sword Tebok knocked the merchant out and he fell on the ground.

Baku opened the door. “Quickly come in everybody. The rain is starting once again.”

The group entered a small room which appeared to be a hallway of sorts. Baku walked to the other side of the room and put his hand on the doorknob. “What I and the person inside are going to tell you is going to be very very important. In fact, it might be the turning point of all of your lives. Also, be careful, she's pretty old. And I don't mean that she's 80 or something like that. She is in fact over half a millennium old.” He opened the door.

Inside was a much bigger room, lit by candle lights on almost every surface in the house. The carpet looked old, but not worn out yet. Surprisingly the whole room was completely moist free and every potted plant looked beautiful.

“Come on, come in, my friends,” an elderly lady sitting on a rocking chair said. She pointed them to sit on a few pillows which were probably knit by herself.

The whole group reluctantly sat down on the pillows except for Baku who walked over to the woman's left.

“Let me introduce myself,” the woman said, “I am Mikomi.”

Wevlum and Wevli's eyes widened. They were the first ever of their tribe that were face to face with the founder of their tribe. She was in fact a daughter of the god they worshiped.

Moyasu, Sasaeru and Mariko could also not believe they're eyes and ears.

“Wait a second,” Moyasu said, “You're supposed to be dead. A long time ago when my tribe was still alive someone told me a story. It's one of the only vivid memories I have of my tribe. In that story they told me that after Sendo was killed only Tiko, Baku, Chi and Mikomi were still alive. But Mikomi was later killed by the Sendo Tribe which wanted to avenge Sendo's death.”

The calm soothing voice of Mikomi continued. “You are forgetting, that a god like myself can only be killed by another god.”

“That's not true!” Moyasu exclaimed, “According to the story everyone in the valley, except Lana was poisoned by Layou. No one ever knew what happened to Lana, but what we do know is that Chi and the rest of the Gods were made mortal. Sure you could still become far more older than a normal person would, but you were still all mortal. As were you. Baku went to The Clouds Before The Sun and was healed by the Hikari Crystals, but Mikomi and Sendo died in battle and the rest died of old age.”

Still calm Mikomi began to speak again. “Let me tell you a story, my dear. Baku, my closest brother, loved me so much, that when war with Layou he stopped me from going. Because of that I was inadvertently trapped inside the valley, but I never ate any of the poisoned fruit.”

“Why didn't you escape from the valley together with Baku?” Wevli asked.

Mikomi looked through one of the windows. “When my brothers and sisters ate the fruit not only their bodies were poisoned, but their minds as well. They began to feel aggression towards one and other and soon there were wars. I have to admit that I was also involved in the wars. I set up a tribe to protect myself, because I could still be killed by any of my siblings.” Mikomi slowly turned her head to face Baku.

Baku knew it was his time to speak now. “I stayed by her side, my love for her being stronger than my anger. But I stayed in the shadows, where I was soon forgotten by my brothers and sisters.”

“After a while,” Mikomi continued, “I couldn't stand the wars. I couldn't stand watching my friends and children die at the hands of my siblings, so with no other choice I faked my death with the help of Baku. I helped him find the Hikari Crystals. At that time Baku was the Chosen Ones' leader and I and three others helped him to open The Passage of the Rainbow, but we were attacked by other tribes. Our three friends decided to sacrifice themselves for us. Just before we entered the Rainbow I decided that I didn't want to leave them. Because Baku was still mortal, I pushed him into the Rainbow. I was still unpoisoned. I could still make a difference in The Valley of Endless Rain. So I stayed.”

Baku's eyes started to tear. “I couldn't believe it. Therefore, after I was cured, I made a plan. I had to have people find the Hikari Crystals to bring my love to safety. In The Clouds Before the Sun I was able to predict all of your futures. When you would be born, where you would go, who you would marry...”

Moyasu stood up. “Are you saying that you knew everything that was going to happen to us? That you knew I was going to find out the secret of the Tiko Tribe and that Sasaeru would be assigned to me, and not did anything?”

Now Wevli and Wevlum stood up too. “You knew the Sendo would attack our village two weeks ago!” “Not to mention the war last year!”

“Calm down everybody,” Baku said, “I wasn't quite finished. I knew all of your future's except for one person... And that's you Mariko.”

“M-me?” Mariko stammered.

“Yes... you are the daughter of Lana and Layou. And Lana is the key. Lana wasn't part of my predictions at all! At the time I had no idea that she was in love with Layou and that she had even conceived a child. Therefore everything was changed. Because of your birth, Mariko, Moyasu found her Hikari Crystal years too soon. If it weren't for your birth you would have never lead the Sendo troops to kill the entire Chi Tribe, because they had killed, what you thought to be, your mother. And because of that Moyasu found her Crystal too early. Also Lana herself messed with everything I had predicted. Me interfering, the war, the destruction of the caves beneath Hiyou Lake, the time stop... none of it was supposed to happen. But the worst thing happened just after Lana had been exiled to the Valley. Lana actually had a piece of poisoned fruit, but not enough to make her completely evil, but enough to make her mortal. She would age and eventually die.”

“Until she found me,” Mikomi said with a stern voice. “With her magic she connected herself to me.”

“What do you mean, connected?” Sasaeru asked.

“It's a curse. She traded her mortal life for my immortal life and now we are forever linked. I know what she knows, she knows what I know. I feel what she feels, and she feels what I feel,” Mikomi answered.

“But doesn't that mean that if you die... she dies as well?” Wevlum asked.

“Indeed. And that's why I think there's only one option,” Mikomi started, but was interrupted by Baku.

“No! You are not going to say that. I will not let you commit suicide, Mikomi!”

“Suicide?” Wevlum and Welvi said in unison, “Your highness, you can't! We need you!”

“I need you!” Baku said.

“I'm already dieing as it is,” Mikomi said, “Look at me, I'm mortal. I'm slowly decaying until I wither away. When that happens she will die as well. You must allow me die now, before it's too late!”

“No! As long as I can transport instantly at your side when you about to commit suicide, I will stop you! I cannot live without you!” Baku exclaimed almost furious.

“That's right!” Wevlum said.

“We will find a way to reverse the curse!” Wevli said.

“It is possible. In The Clouds Before the Sun the curse can be lifted and you will be healed again. But to do that we must get you there with the Hikari Crystals. It's our only hope,” Baku explained, “If Lana gets the Crystals first, she will be able to release Layou and he will be able to make sure she lives forever!”

Empress Lana and her troops were already on their way to Mikomi Village. Chounin was trapped in the same cage that Baku was in a week earlier.

“If this chummy merchant won't do the trick,” Lana thought to herself, “Kyen Koh will be forced to give her Crystal to me...” Behind her there was another cage. A beaten up huge old man was sitting. His muscular skin destroyed and his beaded clothing torn up by the force of Sendo whips. This man was in fact, who found Mariko years and years ago. This man was the man who took care of Mariko all her life. This man was Mariko's Father...

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