Fan Fiction ❯ Trancending Death ❯ Return to Life ( Chapter 87 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Soulless Wanderer 
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Fantasy / Angst | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 09.23.2006 | Pages: 1 | Words: 2.4K | Visits: 124 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Fantasy / Angst | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 09.23.2006 | Pages: 1 | Words: 2.4K | Visits: 124 | Status: Completed
Alex opened his eyes after the burning sensation had left him. He took a deep breath and looked at his surroundings. He was once again laying in the cave where he had left from. No one was there with him, but he could sense that they weren’t that far away. He quickly extracted the knife out of his chest and placed it onto the ground beside him. He slowly started to rise. He felt bile rise in his throat as he did so, but he managed to push it back down. He looked down at his hands, which were trembling uncontrollably. He clenched his hands into a fist and closed his eyes.
Get a grip! I’ve come this far, I’m not going to back down now. An hour. That’s how long I have to wait before I can use my Devil Armor.... I don’t sense anyone else’s presence but my friends. I’d better hurry.
Just as Alex started to turn around he could already hear his friends calling out to him. “Alex! He’s back!” Aurora yelled as she ran toward him.
Alex watched as Shadow, Aurora, and Raion hurried toward him. “You’re back safe,” Shadow said as he patted Alex on the shoulders.
“You could say something like that,” Alex replied softly. He couldn’t quite meet anyone in the eyes as he spoke. “Is Raza here?”
“No, he’s been gone ever since you left,” Raion told him.
“That’s okay. I didn’t expect that he would be here,” Alex told them. That means that he’s still in the Celestial Realm. I hope for his sake that he succeeds. Otherwise when I get through with this Devil I’ll have to start on him next.
“Alex?” Aurora asked in a timid tone after Alex remained silent for several minutes.
Alex blinked away the images and looked at her. “What is it?”
“What did you...I mean...did you see anything?”
Alex looked away as he spoke. “I was able to speak with Brittany while I was there in the Celestial Realm, if that is what you mean.”
“Really! Is she okay? How’s she doing? What did she say?” Aurora asked in a torrent of questions.
“He’ll talk about it if he wants to,” Shadow said as he put his arm around her.
“She’s doing...well,” Alex told her. “You were right in the end. We all were. The Brittany we saw, the Brittany we spoke to, she was nothing more than a cheap imitation.”
“What do you mean?” Aurora asked quickly before Alex could clam himself back up.
“The Brittany I spoke to, the Brittany you spoke to, in all reality it was the same being. The person who was controlling us all. We were nothing more than pawns in this game. This Devil’s power is far greater than I could have ever imagined. It’s going to be here soon I’m afraid. At least, that is what Zemnas said.”
“Who’s Zemnas?” Shadow asked with increased curiosity.
“Zemnas is the ruler of the Celestial Realm,” Alex replied flatly. Seeing how everyone expected more from him he finally sighed and gave in. “Fine, I’ll tell you everything that happened. But let’s move while we do it. I don’t want to get caught in this cave if I have to fight.”
Everyone agreed and started for the exit of the cave. It was Shadow who finally broke the silence that had fallen over them. Shadow’s question was not one that anyone was really expecting of him. It was because of this, that Alex stopped momentarily to think it over.
“What did Brittany do when she saw you?” Were the words that momentarily broke Alex’s calm demeanor. When Alex failed to answer, Shadow added. “I can tell that it wasn’t the best of reactions. So you don’t have to worry about it.”
“She reacted about as well as could be expected. Before I could even see her, my soul had to be weighed and judged by the dead. I had to relieve myself of the pain over the fact that I had killed so many people. Basically, I was tortured by those I had killed until I finally realized that the best thing that I could do to atone for my sins is to continue to live. I made a vow to the dead that I would avenge them. After that, I was free to enter into the Celestial Realm. Once there, I found out that Brittany had lost all her memories and had entered into a doll like state. It was up to me to return her memories. I barely succeeded in doing that, but when I did she slapped me. She hated me for what I did, and I honestly couldn’t blame her.”
“I’m sorry, Alex,” Aurora whispered as they stepped out into the bitter cold of the mountain top.
Alex shook his head and looked toward the edge of the mountain. “Don’t be. I’m the one who chose to walk down this path. I knew that when I saw her again, she would hate me. Even while I was delusional and followed that imposter, I still knew what I was doing. The fact is, is that he forgave me. Just as those that I had killed forgave me, she too did. After I was able to hold her in my arms, I never wanted to let her go.”
No one knew what quite to say to Alex’s words. All of them knew how hard it must have been to come back after being with the woman he had loved, and after having her back in his arms. They knew that it must’ve been like he had lost her once again. It was then that a new thought occurred to Aurora.
“What about your child? Were you able to see your child while you were there?” Aurora asked with a slight glimmer of hope. She then added in a softer tone. “I mean, after everything that’s happened. Surely they let you see your child.”
Alex stopped suddenly. It was as if Aurora’s words had frozen him to the spot. The tension in the air increased tenfold as a silence over took them.
Aurora started to feebly reach out toward Alex, but a sudden burst of demonic energy sent her stumbling backwards into Shadow’s arms.
Alex took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. His hands automatically clenched into fists so that he could better manage to control his anger. It wasn’t until he felt the slick wetness of blood on his hands, that he realized how hard he was clenching his fist. He could sense the other’s shock and confusion at his sudden burst of anger, and Alex realized that despite his unwillingness to talk about it, he had better shed some light on what had happened.
“I may never get to see my child,” Alex told them. Something about telling them made him feel as if a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. He still felt anxious about the battle ahead, and about Lucia’s news at to whether or not Alex would indeed be able to bring Brittany and his child back to life. But at least now his friends knew just a little bit as to what was going on with him.
“What?” Aurora whispered softly. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Neither could anyone else.
“What do you mean you may never be able to see your child? Surely someone who rules over the dead would not be so cruel as to forbid you to see your child!” Shadow stated in disbelief.
“It wasn’t that he wouldn’t let me see my child. It was that he couldn’t. I cannot see someone who never went to the Celestial Realm.”
“Wait, if your child isn’t in the Celestial Realm. Does that mean that your child is still alive?” Aurora asked. It was obvious that she was just as confused as everyone else as to what was going on.
“I cannot see my child, because my child was born without a soul. My child’s blood was tainted by one who had escaped death. Therefore the sins of the father have now become the sin’s of the child.”
If Alex had turned around to look at those behind him, he would have instantly seen a mixture of surprise and horror gradually make its way across their faces. Even Raion, who knew Alex only half as well as Shadow and Aurora, couldn’t believe what he had just heard.
“You can’t be serious. No one is born without a soul,” Raion said after he managed to grasp what Alex had just said.
Alex jumped down to the next small plateau beneath him. He stopped momentarily to allow the others to catch up to him as they made their way down the mountainside. Once they were near him Alex unclenched his fist, allowing his blood to drip onto the snow covered plateau turning the white snow a dark red color. “Take that up with Zemnas. He has no reason to lie to me about that. If anything he’s the kind of person that would’ve told me my child was alive and wouldn’t have let me see it until after I killed this Devil.”
Shadow hated what he was about to ask, but he wanted answers to these questions. “So, is there anyway that you can get your child back?”
Alex launched himself off of the small plateau. He dug his hand into the mountainside allowing his claws to keep him anchored to the wall as he began to slide down the side of the mountain. Everyone quickly followed suite, trying their best to keep up with Alex, much to his dismay.
I know that they’re just worried about me, but that still doesn’t make this any easier. The truth is, is that I’m not sure that I will ever be able to see my child again. I don’t want to admit it, but I’m scared. I’m actually petrified of the unknown. I’m used to being the one who holds all the cards. I’m used to being the one who controls everything. Now I’m being plunged into a situation where I have no idea what’s going on. All I can do is put my faith into someone who I barely even know. The lives of my mate and child lay not in my hands but in his. Lucia, please don’t let me down.
Once Alex’s feet hit solid ground he waited for the others to fall beside him before speaking. “Alcadan and a few others are speaking to Zemnas to see if something can’t be done. They’re trying to convince him that if I do in fact defeat this Devil, that at the very least I should be allowed to have my mate and my child brought back to life.”
“You were able to see Alcadan? What all did he have to say about this? I mean, seeing as how he was the one who brought you back after all,” Shadow asked.
“Alcadan wasn’t the one who brought me back,” Alex stated.
“What? But Scion said that he was!” Aurora exclaimed.
“The one who brought me back was a woman by the name of Rosalyn. She gave her life to bring me back to life. She gave up her soul to bring me back to life. She gave up her soul to become my armor,” Alex said softly. He looked at his hands and shook his head. “She became my armor to protect me. That woman, who gave her life for me, that was my mother.”
“Your mother? You mean...your Devil Armor...that is really...,” Aurora couldn’t finish the rest as the truth hit her. She covered her hands with her mouth. “It can’t be!”
“I’m afraid it’s true.”
“Okay, let me get this straight. The Celestial Realm is where the souls of the dead go to. You went there and spoke to the leader of the realm. Through events we can only guess at, you found out that your child was born without a soul because of you, and your mother’s soul resides within you as your Devil Armor. Am I correct so far?” Shadow asked after stopping for a moment to collect his thoughts.
“You’ve pretty much covered the high parts,” Alex told him as he continued walking toward the dense forest that now loomed before them.
“Then why fight?” With those words, Raion summed up what the other two were thinking. Each one could give various reasons as to why Alex would do it, but no one could really think of any logical reasons. “I mean, if you defeat this Devil, is there any real chance that you’ll be able to have your mate and child brought back to life? Even then, even if you kill this Devil, that still won’t make up for the lives that you’ve taken. People will still scream for your blood.”
Neither Shadow or Aurora wanted to admit what Raion said was true, but neither could they deny what he said. “I think what he means, is that you don’t have to do this alone,” Aurora said after a moment of uncomfortable silence had passed.
Author's Note: The final battle is soon to begin. So get ready! I won't start posting the final chapter until I have some reader participation though. I want to hear who you guys think the villain is. So, let me know and I'll post the final chapter ^_^. It's blackmail I know...but I'm evil like that!
Get a grip! I’ve come this far, I’m not going to back down now. An hour. That’s how long I have to wait before I can use my Devil Armor.... I don’t sense anyone else’s presence but my friends. I’d better hurry.
Just as Alex started to turn around he could already hear his friends calling out to him. “Alex! He’s back!” Aurora yelled as she ran toward him.
Alex watched as Shadow, Aurora, and Raion hurried toward him. “You’re back safe,” Shadow said as he patted Alex on the shoulders.
“You could say something like that,” Alex replied softly. He couldn’t quite meet anyone in the eyes as he spoke. “Is Raza here?”
“No, he’s been gone ever since you left,” Raion told him.
“That’s okay. I didn’t expect that he would be here,” Alex told them. That means that he’s still in the Celestial Realm. I hope for his sake that he succeeds. Otherwise when I get through with this Devil I’ll have to start on him next.
“Alex?” Aurora asked in a timid tone after Alex remained silent for several minutes.
Alex blinked away the images and looked at her. “What is it?”
“What did you...I mean...did you see anything?”
Alex looked away as he spoke. “I was able to speak with Brittany while I was there in the Celestial Realm, if that is what you mean.”
“Really! Is she okay? How’s she doing? What did she say?” Aurora asked in a torrent of questions.
“He’ll talk about it if he wants to,” Shadow said as he put his arm around her.
“She’s doing...well,” Alex told her. “You were right in the end. We all were. The Brittany we saw, the Brittany we spoke to, she was nothing more than a cheap imitation.”
“What do you mean?” Aurora asked quickly before Alex could clam himself back up.
“The Brittany I spoke to, the Brittany you spoke to, in all reality it was the same being. The person who was controlling us all. We were nothing more than pawns in this game. This Devil’s power is far greater than I could have ever imagined. It’s going to be here soon I’m afraid. At least, that is what Zemnas said.”
“Who’s Zemnas?” Shadow asked with increased curiosity.
“Zemnas is the ruler of the Celestial Realm,” Alex replied flatly. Seeing how everyone expected more from him he finally sighed and gave in. “Fine, I’ll tell you everything that happened. But let’s move while we do it. I don’t want to get caught in this cave if I have to fight.”
Everyone agreed and started for the exit of the cave. It was Shadow who finally broke the silence that had fallen over them. Shadow’s question was not one that anyone was really expecting of him. It was because of this, that Alex stopped momentarily to think it over.
“What did Brittany do when she saw you?” Were the words that momentarily broke Alex’s calm demeanor. When Alex failed to answer, Shadow added. “I can tell that it wasn’t the best of reactions. So you don’t have to worry about it.”
“She reacted about as well as could be expected. Before I could even see her, my soul had to be weighed and judged by the dead. I had to relieve myself of the pain over the fact that I had killed so many people. Basically, I was tortured by those I had killed until I finally realized that the best thing that I could do to atone for my sins is to continue to live. I made a vow to the dead that I would avenge them. After that, I was free to enter into the Celestial Realm. Once there, I found out that Brittany had lost all her memories and had entered into a doll like state. It was up to me to return her memories. I barely succeeded in doing that, but when I did she slapped me. She hated me for what I did, and I honestly couldn’t blame her.”
“I’m sorry, Alex,” Aurora whispered as they stepped out into the bitter cold of the mountain top.
Alex shook his head and looked toward the edge of the mountain. “Don’t be. I’m the one who chose to walk down this path. I knew that when I saw her again, she would hate me. Even while I was delusional and followed that imposter, I still knew what I was doing. The fact is, is that he forgave me. Just as those that I had killed forgave me, she too did. After I was able to hold her in my arms, I never wanted to let her go.”
No one knew what quite to say to Alex’s words. All of them knew how hard it must have been to come back after being with the woman he had loved, and after having her back in his arms. They knew that it must’ve been like he had lost her once again. It was then that a new thought occurred to Aurora.
“What about your child? Were you able to see your child while you were there?” Aurora asked with a slight glimmer of hope. She then added in a softer tone. “I mean, after everything that’s happened. Surely they let you see your child.”
Alex stopped suddenly. It was as if Aurora’s words had frozen him to the spot. The tension in the air increased tenfold as a silence over took them.
Aurora started to feebly reach out toward Alex, but a sudden burst of demonic energy sent her stumbling backwards into Shadow’s arms.
Alex took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. His hands automatically clenched into fists so that he could better manage to control his anger. It wasn’t until he felt the slick wetness of blood on his hands, that he realized how hard he was clenching his fist. He could sense the other’s shock and confusion at his sudden burst of anger, and Alex realized that despite his unwillingness to talk about it, he had better shed some light on what had happened.
“I may never get to see my child,” Alex told them. Something about telling them made him feel as if a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. He still felt anxious about the battle ahead, and about Lucia’s news at to whether or not Alex would indeed be able to bring Brittany and his child back to life. But at least now his friends knew just a little bit as to what was going on with him.
“What?” Aurora whispered softly. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Neither could anyone else.
“What do you mean you may never be able to see your child? Surely someone who rules over the dead would not be so cruel as to forbid you to see your child!” Shadow stated in disbelief.
“It wasn’t that he wouldn’t let me see my child. It was that he couldn’t. I cannot see someone who never went to the Celestial Realm.”
“Wait, if your child isn’t in the Celestial Realm. Does that mean that your child is still alive?” Aurora asked. It was obvious that she was just as confused as everyone else as to what was going on.
“I cannot see my child, because my child was born without a soul. My child’s blood was tainted by one who had escaped death. Therefore the sins of the father have now become the sin’s of the child.”
If Alex had turned around to look at those behind him, he would have instantly seen a mixture of surprise and horror gradually make its way across their faces. Even Raion, who knew Alex only half as well as Shadow and Aurora, couldn’t believe what he had just heard.
“You can’t be serious. No one is born without a soul,” Raion said after he managed to grasp what Alex had just said.
Alex jumped down to the next small plateau beneath him. He stopped momentarily to allow the others to catch up to him as they made their way down the mountainside. Once they were near him Alex unclenched his fist, allowing his blood to drip onto the snow covered plateau turning the white snow a dark red color. “Take that up with Zemnas. He has no reason to lie to me about that. If anything he’s the kind of person that would’ve told me my child was alive and wouldn’t have let me see it until after I killed this Devil.”
Shadow hated what he was about to ask, but he wanted answers to these questions. “So, is there anyway that you can get your child back?”
Alex launched himself off of the small plateau. He dug his hand into the mountainside allowing his claws to keep him anchored to the wall as he began to slide down the side of the mountain. Everyone quickly followed suite, trying their best to keep up with Alex, much to his dismay.
I know that they’re just worried about me, but that still doesn’t make this any easier. The truth is, is that I’m not sure that I will ever be able to see my child again. I don’t want to admit it, but I’m scared. I’m actually petrified of the unknown. I’m used to being the one who holds all the cards. I’m used to being the one who controls everything. Now I’m being plunged into a situation where I have no idea what’s going on. All I can do is put my faith into someone who I barely even know. The lives of my mate and child lay not in my hands but in his. Lucia, please don’t let me down.
Once Alex’s feet hit solid ground he waited for the others to fall beside him before speaking. “Alcadan and a few others are speaking to Zemnas to see if something can’t be done. They’re trying to convince him that if I do in fact defeat this Devil, that at the very least I should be allowed to have my mate and my child brought back to life.”
“You were able to see Alcadan? What all did he have to say about this? I mean, seeing as how he was the one who brought you back after all,” Shadow asked.
“Alcadan wasn’t the one who brought me back,” Alex stated.
“What? But Scion said that he was!” Aurora exclaimed.
“The one who brought me back was a woman by the name of Rosalyn. She gave her life to bring me back to life. She gave up her soul to bring me back to life. She gave up her soul to become my armor,” Alex said softly. He looked at his hands and shook his head. “She became my armor to protect me. That woman, who gave her life for me, that was my mother.”
“Your mother? You mean...your Devil Armor...that is really...,” Aurora couldn’t finish the rest as the truth hit her. She covered her hands with her mouth. “It can’t be!”
“I’m afraid it’s true.”
“Okay, let me get this straight. The Celestial Realm is where the souls of the dead go to. You went there and spoke to the leader of the realm. Through events we can only guess at, you found out that your child was born without a soul because of you, and your mother’s soul resides within you as your Devil Armor. Am I correct so far?” Shadow asked after stopping for a moment to collect his thoughts.
“You’ve pretty much covered the high parts,” Alex told him as he continued walking toward the dense forest that now loomed before them.
“Then why fight?” With those words, Raion summed up what the other two were thinking. Each one could give various reasons as to why Alex would do it, but no one could really think of any logical reasons. “I mean, if you defeat this Devil, is there any real chance that you’ll be able to have your mate and child brought back to life? Even then, even if you kill this Devil, that still won’t make up for the lives that you’ve taken. People will still scream for your blood.”
Neither Shadow or Aurora wanted to admit what Raion said was true, but neither could they deny what he said. “I think what he means, is that you don’t have to do this alone,” Aurora said after a moment of uncomfortable silence had passed.
Author's Note: The final battle is soon to begin. So get ready! I won't start posting the final chapter until I have some reader participation though. I want to hear who you guys think the villain is. So, let me know and I'll post the final chapter ^_^. It's blackmail I know...but I'm evil like that!