Writers Face Off: WINNER: ERA

[Ellie who has 0%]

WHAT LIES BEYOND


“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

~-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~

Her heart had always been untouchable by the Darkness. She had always been so strong. Fearless, stalwart, optimistic. Hope had always been her driving light: the shining star that led her on. She had always clung to the possibilities of a better future, living by the idea that life is about so much more than things that would only pacify herself. Rather, life was about giving to others. About encouragement, cheer, laughter, and the more beautiful things to be adored.


But this was no place for such ideals.


She was a fool for not leaving such things behind when she’d stepped foot into the Dark Portal. A fool for not turning back while she had the chance, and most definitely a fool for thinking that she could ever survive in a place this treacherous.

 
                                     Darkness: 
                                               Cold
                                                   Cruel 
                                                       Unforgiving 



Infection: 
    Corrosive.
          Contaminating. 
                       Painful. 



                                                                           Fear:
                                                                  Condeming. 
                                                             Remorseless
                                                       Destructive



                                    Hopelessness: 
                                 Morose.
                              Bleak. 
                    Detrimental
 

It was impossible to ignore.


It was as if someone were staring straight through her from every side... As if some omnipresent force were scrutinously piercing her core, and there was little she could do to keep the prying presence at bay.


Darkness resided in every inch of this place, trying desperately to grasp at her Heart and squelch the abhorrent Light within.


Frost blue eyes scanned the empty world between worlds, just waiting for something to jump out at her. She was walking a delicate balance, trying to put distance between herself and Elaeus’s canid minion, while at the same time, trying to go as far as she could under the security of the lackey. After all, she was still important to the Heartless Organization’s plans, wasn’t she? And that meant that normal Heartless weren’t allowed to touch her... Not as long as there was some emblem identifying her as important. This time, it was the lackey. For once she was glad about that, because it meant that there was a safeguard between her and the thirsty Darkness.


But the security would be short lived. Freedom came at the cost of a gamble, and she had little room to bargain for escape, which meant she’d have to act fast and take unhealthily large chances. Her first opportunity wasn’t long anticipated before it came to fruition.


Moments into their endeavor, they had come to an intersection within this labyrinth of shadow. Her mutt babysitter hadn’t bothered to see if she was following as he proceeded forward in sniffing out the correct path.


Without time to weigh the consequences of her actions, the impulsive female gave one look at the situation that had presented itself. With a sweeping gaze, she decided that this would be the best time make a break for it.


Within moments her feet had whisked her out of sight of her guardian, and she found herself wandering the blackening maze alone. The further in she trecked, the drearier this world between worlds became... It was like all the protection she’d had before had instantly vanished, and she was left to wander the hazardous shadows undefended.


An Ice blue gaze darted from one shadow to another as if trying to track down an unseen foe. That inescapable sense of something watching her was growing ever thicker. Already the cold feeling of abandonment had begun to churn her stomach in knots, and she was starting to wonder if this was a mistake.


But her Heart clung to the possibility of freedom, and Era cautiously stepped onward, into the thickening Shadows.


With every stride she was regretting ever stepping foot into the portal that led out of Radiant Garden. With every step, the presence of evil grew heavier. And eventually, the shadows in the Corridor began to stir, ochre eyes taking shape and bringing the first Neoshadow to life.


Era wasn’t surprised. The eerie shadows had told her she wasn’t alone since she’d been bold enough to tread inside. But worse yet, she was afraid. But not because of the lone foe. Rather, she was afraid because the brooding presence of evil had a way of tapping into an innate fear in every somebody. And it was that fear that propelled her to draw her weapons.


The crackle of splitting ice flickered into existence, forming glassy webs. From them, sharpened shadows took shape. And once formed, the Soul Reapers fell into the palms of their master, hungry for battle.


The dull warmth of the humming light within the Reapers’ hilts had caused her to realize just how cold it was here, within the Darkness. It had also reminded her of the warmth within her Heart, and the power Light could wield in such a place as this. Her mind jumped to the memory of victory over Erax in Traverse Town. They’d won because Rook had compelled her to use the Light. And it was the light in her Heart that would help her win now.


The twitching beast before her had remained at bay, and Era took an ambitious lunge at the creature, striking for its throat. The Heartless screeched and withered into coal colored wisps, dissipating into the shadows it was born from.


But it wasn’t long before two more had taken its place.


Her right weapon slashed at one, and she used her left blade to dodge the other, who had taken a clawing leap at her. The demons shared a growl, and slid back into the Darkness, skittering through their black playground. It seemed as though they were going for a surprise assault. But from which direction would they strike?


She’d tried to lock onto their location by listening to their skirring as they fidgeted through the black, but pinpointing the origins of their presence had been difficult. Their sounds echoed off of the gloomy walls, almost as if they had merged with the core of the Darkness they were camouflaging themselves within. How was she to pinpoint two beasts within an entire hive? She wasn’t sure, but she had to try.


Her eyes bolted here and there, following the path her ears had traced. And, all of a sudden, the skittering had stopped, allowing a breath of quietness to ensue. There was only the dull hum of her blades to break the stillness.


In the sudden deadness, she’d lost the opponents’ location. The Neoshadows definitely had the upper hand.
Drawing in a full lung of air, Era held her breath to further heighten her senses, and waited for the attack. The seconds counted in her head:


1: Nothing. 2: Nothing. 3: Nothing. On 4, the shadows in front of her liquified, and one of the enemies burst forth. She greeted the inky black rocket with a slice across the chest, embracing its momentum with her blade and sending it flying in the opposite direction.


At that same moment, the second opponent had fastened itself to her back, frigid onyx claws grasping into her flesh. It sent a wave of adrenaline through her core as it struggled for her Heart, and in a knee-jerk reaction, both blades came over her shoulders to stab the attacker.


The creature hissed and backed off, holding its wounds as it dissolved, diminishing its threat along with it.


But the calm would be short-lived, as the commotion had brought attention to the Light wandering within the Darkness, and several more black beasts had spawned. The evil within the shadows was growing denser with every presence, weighing her down with fear until the sense was overwhelming. Red flags indicated serious danger in her mind. Her conscience was telling her that if she wanted to live, she’d run.


She half-wittedly obliged, plunging deeper into the foreboding Darkness. She had yet to reach the half-way point. Usually the middle of the evil was where it was the darkest, and from there it got easier... Or so she’d presumed.


Someone who’d never been into the heart of Darkness would likely tell you that Black is black. That Darkness doesn’t get any darker. But they’d be wrong. The further in she treaded, the more dismal it became. It grew harder to see, until she had become dependent on the dim lights on the hilts of her weapons to lead her on.


Her mind just kept telling her to run.


/Run! Get out of here! If you want to live, you won’t stop until you’re safe!/


And she did, until she thought she could run no longer. Then, she ran some more. But the red flags never went away. Danger was still all around her, screaming that she’d never make it out of here if she didn’t persevere. But she had been persevering, struggling onward despite how her lungs had convinced her that they were going to collapse if she kept going.


Finally, she stopped for a breather, collapsing on one knee. Sweat had accumulated on her forehead, and she temporarily released her grip on one of the Soul Reapers to wipe the salty liquid from her forehead. Before reclaiming her blade, she took the opportunity to wipe her perspiring palm on her skirt.


Her thoughts whispered for her to lay down for awhile, but the ever-brooding, suffocating Darkness reminded her that she didn’t have the time. She’d have to keep --


--Something ran into her full-force, trying to take her down. Then several more joined the skirmish, ruthlessly piling on top of her... The shadows she was running from had caught up.


Panic struck her after being so easily brought to the ground. It only took a moment of her guard being dropped for the Heartless to launch an unexpected assault. And now, she was down a weapon. A half-gloved hand stretched out for the second Reaper, but the humming hilt remained out of reach.


She was beginning to realize that she was a fool for leaving her Heartless bodyguard back in the lighter Corridors, but she didn’t regret her impulsive decision for a stab at freedom.


And she wouldn’t stop trying for it now.


By now, Era’s Heartbeat was flying off the charts at an unbelievable rate, filling her with the strength of panicked energy. Multiple claws were scratching at her core, trying desperately to destroy the Light that had trespassed here. Terror forced her blade into motion, slicing and dicing at the monsters that had taken her down.


One after another they began to fly off her blade until she could wriggle her way out of the oppressive horde and stagger to her feet again. As she squirmed out from the dog pile, her free hand wrapped firmly around the neck of the oppressor on her back, peeling it off. She leaned forward and gave it a hefty toss, giving some distance between herself and the attacker.


It was a dangerous move, but a few adrenaline-charged footsteps allowed her a single swoop for her second Soul Reaper. In a mad dash past the Heartless, she bolted back into the fray. Her feet took her closer, closer, and finally she landed a few fingers on the smooth grip of her weapon, fiddling for a good hold.


The weapon teetered in her lousy grasp, almost falling to the ground before she pulled it upward and released it. The maneuver was tricky, but the concept was to intersect the weapon in the air by slamming her hand into the hilt for a better grasp. And it worked.


Both blades now secured, the girl had chosen her next move: Liberty via further escape.


As her feet hastily shuffled through the blackness, more Shadows stirred, bringing Heartless to life along the walls at her sides. She must have been brushing past hundreds of them, narrowly dodging claws, feet, and lunges while trying to see two feet ahead.


The minutes were dragging on, exasperating every second that she had dodged, rolled, or otherwise narrowly escaped the attacks that intended to claim her Heart. With every evasion, the weight of looming exhaustion became a little heavier. She wouldn’t be able to keep this up forever. She wasn’t even sure she could keep it up for another five minutes.


After one minute, her arms were growing heavy from constant parrying and slashing. After two, her legs were beginning to protest all the running by turning into jelly. After three, she was slowing down, panting for the breath she’d so heavily been exerting.


Three and a half would mark her takedown.


She was now deep enough within the Corridors of Darkness that armies of Heartless were forming from every recess to claim her life. Hundreds of black, twitching bodies had her surrounded. Hundreds more golden eyes stared right back at her, dead set on snuffing out the Light.


The odds were stacking up against her, clearly detailing the fact that she was already defeated. But it wasn’t in Era’s blood to give into defeat. She would not go down without taking as many of them with her as possible.


One right after the other, her blades twisted in a full reverse loop, waiting idly for their chance to claim the Darkness. All was quiet as the Heartless awaited her final move.


The only comfort came from the gently humming hilts of her blades, which perpetually circled around her fists.


The price of freedom was steep. But liberty was a worth very breath she had, and she’d make sure she’d do everything in her power to get it -- even if she would fall short of living to see that goal in the end.


The girl filled her lungs to the brim, and let out a courageous battle cry, hacking and slashing as she flung toward the legion of foes.


Heartless fell left and right, bursting into clouds of onyx dust one by one. But the more she slaughtered, the more claws scraped at her, and the more bodies she found clinging to her legs, her stomach, her sides. Despite her desperate attempts to slice herself free of the suffocating enemies, she knew she was being outnumbered.


More Heartless meant more claws, and more burning, more stinging, more pain. She squirmed uncomfortably with every added gash, slapping her blade across one clingy opponent after another.


Four more Heartless leapt for her, fastening themselves to her arm, each one pitching in to disarm their prey. And eventually, it worked. Much to Era’s dismay, they’d pried her fingers from one of the Soul Reapers, allowing the blade to tumble to the ground with a metallic clatter. Another Neoshadow kicked the blade away and joined the fray. Its weight had tipped the scales, bringing the persistent Human to the floor.


The series of small injuries were growing more severe the more she obtained, and her vision began to waver like a boat at sea. She was losing too much blood. Everything in her was screaming to fight, but Era had brought her body to over-exertion. Her mind screamed for her arms to move, but in spite of her stern efforts, they would not budge. She was losing control of her body, and there was nothing she could do about it.


Shear panic had reached its height. She’d never been so horrified in her life. For the first time that she could remember, she was facing Death... The most frightful face-off of any person’s existence. And despite her best efforts, it was a battle she was losing. She knew these next few breaths would be her last... But she had to strive to win. Somehow, she just had to fight.


But without control of her body and further, her weapons, there was little else she could do.


Part of her mind began preparing her for the next life, opening up to the idea of giving in, preparing to die. Everything inside her was utterly opposed to letting it end like this... But she had lost the ability to function any longer. She’d struggled as long as she could, and there was little she could do to combat the Darkness now.


The forces of Evil were overpowering her, the all-encompassing Darkness drowning out her Light.


Her breaths were coming more stubbornly now, and the world began to grow darker as images of the friends she’d made along her journey began to flood into her mind. Still arguing with the idea of giving up, she began to compose her goodbyes:


“Shiro, I’m glad you found a gummi ship! You were a good friend. I hope you find everything you’re looking for in life.”


Her vision grew darker.


“Renzo, I’m sorry I didn’t get to teach you more about friendship. Trust in the power of your Heart. It will never let you down.”


Another shade of black ensued.


“Hero, thanks for the Breakfast. I wish I could’ve finished helping you pay off the debt to Tifa. I wish you the best things that life has to offer.”


It grew a little blacker.


“Vapor, don’t take life for granted. Most importantly, stay true to your Light. It will lead you through the Darkness.”


Darker.


Darker.


“Rook. . .

. . . I never found you.”

Her Heart churned, pierced with the spike of despair as she lay there, unable to strive for her life, but unwilling to give into the Darkness. Their voices replayed so loudly now, and glimpses of each memory flashed through her mind’s eye:




"and... how do I... make friends.... with you?"


"Umm... We pray for Era to find her friend Rook... Umm... Also for her friend to be safe... And..."

                                      "My heart. . ." 

                      "Let's do it then, Renzo and Era." . . . "Let's be friends."
 

      "Need a hand?"
 

“I'll fight for you, I promise. But only if you fight for me!" 
 

"The Light... will guard us,"
 

           "It... c-can save us... but you need... to be the one to wield it..."

That was it!


She’d been wrong about the Light this whole time. She’d given into the illusion that the Darkness could overwhelm it: that it could surround it, suffocate it and drown it out... when in all reality, it was just the opposite. Even the smallest Light, when used, forced the shadows to subside.


No matter how small, the Light was always stronger. She just had to use it.


Her breaths were growing steadily harder to take as the oxygen fought through a body torn and tattered from the losing battle. A sharp inhale, and she opened her eyes, forcing them to pull into focus.


“The Light.... Will prevail!”


She forced what energy she could into a weakened, unresponsive hand, and a flash of white shot forth, vanquishing the Darkness. The overpowering illumination shattered everything in its path.


As it faded, Era found herself in a darkened alleyway. Battling through her blurring gaze, she analyzed her location. It had all changed in an instant. Instead of lying dead in the Corridors of Darkness, she was in a place she’d recognized fairly well: Traverse town. She lay now in the darkened walkway behind the Hotel. Civilization was close by, which meant help and recuperation were now in reach as well.


A cool wind drifted across the world, stinging her open wounds. And, she perseveringly pulled her weakened body into a sitting position, resting her back against a forgotten wooden crate. Despite all possible odds, she’d made it. She wasn’t even sure how, but the Light had prevailed, and she would live to enjoy another day.


Her head leaned back, laying gently on the tip of the wooden crate. After battling tooth and nail for her life, she deserved a few moments to rest in the silence.


Sweat still leaked down her forehead, cooled significantly by the occasional breeze. Compared to the fire of war, this chilly atmosphere was welcomed. Frost colored eyes drifted shut as she reflected on the gruesome victory. While in a decent amount of pain and shock, she was happy to be alive. A small smirk had somehow decorated her lips, and she made sure to leave one quiet, simple remark:

       “Thank you, Rook.”