As he stepped up to the structure, a thrill of shock rushed over him.
“It felt more real in my dreams…” TsuYa murmured as the door to the chamber fell open to Zazo’s command.
There, stretching before him was the room of his nightmares, which was, much to his surprised a place that was locked deep within the lower vaults of the School itself. How TsuYa had known where to find it, he did not know. But a presence had drawn him there. It was the same presence that haunted his dreams.
And now, the room spread before him, no longer a dream. And the strange, humming mechanisms stood in the center of it all, just as it had always did. The same tubes and globes… the switchboard of lights and buttons and readings.
The scent of decay and clinging death struck his senses, seeming more surreal now than they had in the haze of sleep. The floor crunched under his boots, sticky with dried dark liquid. The air was stale and almost too heavy to breathe. A familiar dread and tingling burn itched at the dark patch of skin on his chest.
It was only when Father peered into the room from over his shoulder that Tsu remembered that it wasn’t his dream… and he wasn’t alone this time. A visible revulsion was written on the winged warrior’s face. Father had a very difficult time getting through the streets and chambers of Nefol… especially whenever they were forced to take on a group of the Marked. Watching his father’s reaction had left TsuYa puzzling at how little these things seemed to bother himself.
Maybe it’s just because I’ve seen this dream so many times. The first time I dreamt of it, I probably felt the same way.
Zazo nudged him into the chamber from behind. -What’s the holdup? This is what we’ve been looking for.-
Biting his tongue against the protest that formed in his throat, TsuYa stumbled forward, one slow step at a time. His eyes fixed upon the globe, a tightness gripping his chest in apprehension.
There’s no telling what’s inside that thing…
“Inside?” Father echoed, obviously picking up the apprehension in his thoughts.
“Father…” TsuYa shot him a disapproving look. If there was one thing he didn’t like, it was people prying into his thoughts… even if it was his own father.
The winged man gave a sheepish look and rubbed the back of his head. “Sorry… Couldn’t help but catch that.”
-So the Sygnus-thing is inside the globe?- Zazo snuffed sharply at the strange mechanism in the center of the room.
“I think so,” TsuYa nodded slowly.
-Then we should break it open!- the she-wolf loped forward with an impending step.
“Wait, no…!” Father reached a hand up. “We don’t know if that might set off something. Or even kill whatever is inside!?”
-The point in finding the Sygnus is to kill it, is it not?- her ears perked forward, gaze deep and penetrating.
“Well…” his words were uncertain.
-This creature will bring the destruction of all that you know, ZenToYa. Don’t forget that.-
Father shook his head slowly. “I know you’re probably right, but Zemi hasn’t told us what we should do once we’ve found it. I don’t want to jump into something I don’t know about.”
-Bah!- Zazo shook her head out in disapproval. -You’re no fun.-
“Forgive me, Lady Zazo…” the winged man grimaced, walking closer to the mechanism.
-Yeah, yeah… Whatever.- she shook out the ruff of fur on the nape of her neck.
For a long moment, Father studied the control board with all of its switches and buttons and lights. A perplexed expression rose on his face, growing more and more uncertain the longer he looked. It was obvious that he had never seen anything quite like it.
Father glanced over at Zazo, “Do you know how to get it to open?”
-We could break it?-
“Aside from breaking it?”
-Nope.-
The winged man gave a long suffering sigh with an appealing look to his son.
Some good she is…
The she-wolf turned with a snuff at the Apprentice. -I heard that.-
“Well if you’d keep your nose where it belongs, you wouldn’t have,” TsuYa grimaced at her. Why he suddenly found himself gutsy enough to back-talk an Arweinydd, he didn’t know. It was just as surprising that she retorted right back.
-My nose is right where it belongs; on my face. Where else would it be?- Zazo’s tail swung back and forth, something akin to teasing.
“Nevermind…”
Father glanced over at them with a frown, “So what do you think we should do?”
Zazo paced around a few steps and finally stated, -Hit the red button.-
“Red button?” the winged man squinted at the board, then back at the she-wolf. “Are you sure?”
-Do you want to stand around all day?-
“No?”
-Then hit the red button.-
“Alright…” Father grimaced, moving his finger to carefully hover over the button on the panel. Then with a quick jab, he clicked it, yanking back again as if afraid of being bitten.
A whooshing hiss suddenly rose around them, the silvery mists churning throughout the chamber as a stream of racing bubbles traced down the long tubes that fed into the globe. A cloud of froth began to pour from the surface of the globe and the clear capsule began retract and folding back upon itself, slowly melting away from the top down.
“It’s opening?” TsuYa gaped, taking a step back.
Father glanced over at Zazo, “The red button… how did you know?”
-Easy,- she told him. -It says “release” underneath it.-
“Oh..?” the winged man turned back to the control panel, eyes brushing over the strange runes that were scripted onto its surface. No doubt they didn’t make any more sense to him than they did to TsuYa.
-Be ready. The Sygnus is released.- Zazo’s warning brought their attention back to the globe.
TsuYa’s throat tightened to match the gripping feeling in his chest.
What’s going to happen now? If this really is a Sygnus, are we doomed? Or do the Arweinydd know something that we don’t?
The silver mists were now pouring out of the center of the globe as it folded away to its furthest extent. Silence filled the room, only the haunting fingers chilling his skin as the mist brushed past him, swirling across his vision in eerie patterns.
Father slowly crept forward, his wings folded back and hand hovering over his sheathed weapon. Carefully, his eyes probed the mists, searching to find what secret peril the globe held. As he stepped up to the structure, a thrill of shock rushed over him.
“Father… what is it?” TsuYa found his voice nothing more than a rasping whisper.
The winged man said nothing. Instead, he reached up and unclasped the cloak that hung around his shoulders. Then stooping down, cloak within his hands, he gave a soft, uncertain murmur. “Tsu…”
TsuYa drew closer, peering around his father’s side into the bottom half of the globe. His eyes widened as his eyes fell upon what looked to be…
A child…?
A young boy, who looked to be no more than four or five years old, lay cupped in the misty crescent of the globe. His skin was pale to the point of near radiance, his hair wispy and long, the color of molten silver. He did not stir even as Father wrapped the soft blue cloak around his thin body.
-This is the big, terrible Sygnus-thing?- Zazo looked somewhat disappointed. -It figures… leave it to Zemi to overreact.-
A shiver still rippled over TsuYa’s body as he peered down upon the child. The flicker of sound rose to him. A name. And he found himself speaking, “LuShi.”
“What?” Father turned with a quizzical look.
“That’s… his… name…” the Apprentice said quietly. Then he added, “I heard it in my dream.”
-”The Bane”? Oh, how pleasant.- Zazo gave a wolfish grimace. -I say do away with it. Save us all the grief that it’s going to cause.-
TsuYa’s eyes instantly flicked up to his father’s face. There was uncertainty there. And reluctance. It was easy to understand why.
If this kid really will destroy everything… then maybe Zazo is right… we should stop this before it starts.
LuShi made a quiet little sound, peaceful as he curled up within Father’s blue cloak. The mists alighted around him, giving him an air of illumination, the tiny face full of unknowing innocence.
But he’s just a little… kid…
Even TsuYa felt himself choke as he gazed down at the sleeping child. A pang of struggle rippled through his body, the same uncertainty that was mirrored in his father’s stance. And he knew that there would be no death in that room that day.
Face awash with ambivalence, Father reached down and lifted the little boy from the shifting mists. His eyes were heavy with indecision, a choice that he would be unable to make. But there was one thing that was certain.
“We can’t leave this child here… Sygnus or not. As long as Zerom has this boy in his grasp, he will be used against us,” the winged man spoke as he wrapped the child deeper within his cloak, away from the biting cold that would greet them in the outside world. Then clasping LuShi to his chest, he turned and nodded.
Just as TsuYa began to grimace, a shiver ran over the entire chamber. Something deep under his feet began to moan, shifting the ground where he stood and nearly dragging him to his knees. With a startled exclamation, he found himself knocked against the side of the mechanism.
Zazo’s ears flattened back. -That’s not good.-
“What is it?” Father’s eyes rose, peering up in concern.
-The boys are going at it.- she informed them.
As the whole Spire began to shake, trembles of stone and cloth breaking free from above, TsuYa didn’t need a definition on who “the boys” might be.
Zemi… and Zerom are fighting?
-We must move. We can’t stay here. This place might come down on our heads.-
“Let’s go!” Father was already moving towards the exit, double time. He held the boy tightly to his chest as he ran, eyes sharp on the ground ahead of him.
TsuYa followed, clutching the weight of his scythe over one shoulder. He could feel a heavy weariness falling over his body — the result of the battles earlier in the day. His footsteps seemed leaden as he struggled to keep up with the pace of the winged man ahead. And something in his chest had begun to burn…
“Aurhg…!” the Apprentice suddenly choked, doubling over as pain spiked through every limb.
“Tsu!” Father turned on his heel.
But Zazo would have nothing of it. -Fly, ZenToYa! Fly and do not turn back! You must not remain here!-
“Father!” TsuYa croaked, his voice cracking.
The feeling. He knew it. It was the mind of Zerom closing in on him.
He’s found me!
“I can’t! I’m not leaving Tsu!” the winged man protested sharply.
-I will take care of TsuYa. You have to keep going!- fangs snapped sharply, a no-nonsense snarl rising over the she-wolf’s body.
The pain increased, pulsing over the Apprentice’s entire body. And through the fog that rose in his head, he heard himself saying, “Father… go… you’ve got to go!”
-Trust me, ZenToYa!- Zazo prodded.
With a broken sound, Father staggered back a step. Then he turned on his heel and leapt into the streets. His wings unfurled as he took flight, the last glimmer of white in the dead lands.
Father….
TsuYa’s eyes misted over, the image blurring and fading away. The sound of the crumbling School rained down around him. The torture of Zerom’s Chaos ripped through him, scorching his skin like a cold flame.
As he slumped over in the darkness, his last thoughts questioned if he would ever see his father again.
NOOOOO~! ( <– Luke Skywalker style)
Tsu!! Zazo had better save him! Or Zemi or- someone?! Once Zerom knows that Tsu helped Zento kidnap LuShi (cute kid, btw. He’s gotta be the first bishie four year old! XD ) there’s no way he’s gonna be happy!
… But I loved the red button part. Hehe.
Four years old + Long hair = Peanut butter chaos.
A seriously powerful ending to this one… *cringes* Ahhhh, Tsu! It was brave of him to come… braver to tell his father to go and leave him… but somehow I can’t believe Zazo will be too concerned about bringing him safely back to his family.
Tsu’s early commentary, how it seemed realer in his dreams, adds a particularly nightmarish feel to it… I hope he can wake up from this one. >_<
The little bits of humor speckled through this one kind of deflected the anxiety until the end, although the tension remained. (If that makes any sense?) Particularly the bit about the red button. For some reason, Zazo calmly referring to the epic battle raging above as “The boys are going at it” struck me as the most funny… but also reinforced how Zazo is NOT like Zemi. To her, it’s not a matter of great concern, although it’s tearing apart the lives of the Earthians. It sets her apart from the warm, friendly Arweinydd we’re used to, and reminds us… that Zemi is the black sheep of his family. They’re not like him.
*huggles LuShi*
Wow! Thanks for your reply, everyone. I’m really sorry this one was late… and I had no idea it would get so much of a reaction for TsuYa!!
Peanut butter? Don’t you mean fudge (since LuShi is just little Luccious, of course!)??
“LuShi” and “Lucci” are pronounced the same… just spelled different. You’ll see in the future that those who are friendly to him will retain the “Lucci” spelling — it’s a humanization of his name. And those who consider him to be the Bane will call him “LuShi”… eventually becoming “Luccious”.
Name triva..! The “-ous” and “-us” suffixes on names translates to mean “one who was once”. So Zeromus means “One who was once Zerom” and Luccious means “One who was once Lucci”. ^_~
As for Zazo.. you hit the nail on the head. This is exactly the sort of contrast I was shooting for between Zemi and the other Arweinydd. You’ll see the contrast widen even more between Zemi and Zerom, as much as Zerom really wants to drag Zemi down into a pit of self doubt and make Zemi believe he’s just the same as the rest of the Arweinydd…
Hrm…
Of course LuShi is Luccious! I knew that… Though I’m confused why they would make a difference between LuShi and Lucci, if they’re pronounced the same… unless they have a different meaning?
The -ous and -us note is really interesting. Hmmm… Is Ben Golbezus, then? Or Cecil Dark Knightus?
Well “Lucci” is more of a child-like slip up.. you know how little kids misspell words to read the way they think it sounds. Er… did that give too much away? ^_~
Interesting note on the spelling of LuShi/Lucci. But I’m going to forever pronounce them differently I’m afraid…
LuShi come out, for me, as “Lu-she.” Where as Lucci comes out as “Lu-ch-ee”. Simply because I believe that “c” make a ch kinda sound in Italian. In fact I pronounce Lucci similar to “luce” in Italian. Which means “light” in English. Interesting how Lucci, in a round about way, means both “The Bane” and “Light.” Perhaps this is one of the reasons I am so fond of the child. Luccious, “the one who was once Light”, has a ring of truth to me.
But wait, there is more! Light is held as a positive thing in most cultures. Yet there is one rather interesting twist. Due to a bit of a translation error the word “morning star” or “bringer of light” was translated to “Phosphoros” in Greek and then to… “Lucifer” in Latin. It was then attributed, not to a Babylonian King who originally held the name but to the leader of the fallen angels as well.
I’ve mentioned the similarity to the characters of Lucifer and Luccious in an earlier comment in book 5. Heh, well, the notion of a “fall” does play a part for both. I’m not entirely sure how deliberate any of this was, but it works. It works very very well.