Nothing But Pain Remains Part II: I Dreamt of Fire in the Sky

Memory flow stopped as no more new workers were attached to workstations. Tomita’s efforts were working, but they did not change the tide of the battle raging above him. At the top of the stone tower, Izhari was screaming in hate.

With every shout, she grew stronger.

He would forget her.

Sorrow burned across her body like flame.

This was all she was ever meant to be.

Spires of pitch black void spun around her like a flurry of building-sized blades. Mathael let out a shout of release as white light struck from the heavens and surrounded him in protection. Black radiation poured out from Izhari in every direction as she screamed in frustration. None of her attacks were penetrating. Nothing was striking her target. He was able to move freely, but she was nearly stationary due to her blindness and her wretched, stupid, broken, worthless body.

He would move on.

This cursed form that had hindered her every move and breath. She hated it. No matter how strong she got, she was weak.

Smoke and ash ripped through the sky and slammed onto Mathael’s shield.

Hate.

Hate.

Hate.

Hate everything.

Except him.

Never him.

Scream.

Burn.

Burn everything.

“BURN!!!!!!!!!!” she cried as cyclones of abyss swirled around her and exploded outward in every direction.

Did it hit Him? She didn’t know. Where was he? She didn’t know. These cursed eyes kept her lost and vulnerable.

“YOU’VE NEVER WORKED WITH ME OR SUPPORTED ME! I CURSE THIS BODY!!” roared Izhari as flames of darkness consumed her and set the world around her ablaze.

Destroy.

Choke.

Annihilate.

Suffer! Suffer!! SUFFER!!!

Heat burned hotter than she had ever known as the very air they breathed ignited in wrath.

Was it enough?

No, He was still there.

Block what was coming! Feel the weight of it all come crashing down. What was He going to do next?!

“Fall forever into the darkness you so crave!!” Mathael screamed.

Then she was in free fall. Nothing was beneath her, as though the world itself had flipped.

Scream.

Burn.

Tomita, I’m sorry.

Izhari roared out in rage and clawed into the fabric of reality, then heaved upwards. Her fall stabilized, and her arms dislocated as she ripped the world back into place. Cold stone met her falling body with a slam, but she couldn’t stop.

BURN EVERYTHING!

I DREAMT OF FIRE IN THE SKY!!

I DREAMT OF FIRE CONSUMING EVERYTHING BUT TOMITA!!!!!!!

Shatters sounded all around her, and she knew Mathael’s barrier was shattered.

Guard.

Guard from what is coming!!

All of the shattered remnants from the barrier turned and flew towards her like arrows from unseen archers.

Cut

Cut

Cut

Cut

Cut

He’s better off never having known you

CUT

CUT

CUT

BLOOD SPLATTERING ON STONE

CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT

BLEED OUT AND DIE!!!!!!!!

“NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Izhari roared as her wrath exploded, and the tower cracked from its peak down to the foundation.

Tomita felt the sonic explosion and looked up to see Mathael's barrier gone. Now he could see the dark inferno spreading across the sky as more and more memory star falls broke through the veil and slammed into the buildings like bombs.

All around him, people were shaken from their slumberous walking. Screams sounded across the paths as the thousands of would-be workers looked up at the calamity above and fled in terror.

“Izhari…” Tomita whispered as he saw beams of light ripping across the sky like swords.

CUT

BLEED

DIE

CUT

BLEED

DIE

Mathael’s attack struck her and snapped her leg.

Bone shattered and blood sprayed across the stone floor as Izhari cried out in agony.

It wasn’t enough.

SHE WAS NEVER ENOUGH.

SHE WAS NEVER GOOD OR TALENTED OR WORTH ANY FORM OF MERCY OR AFFECTION.

DIE

DIE

DIE

DIE

DIE

DIE

TAKE HIM WITH YOU

KILLEVERYTHINGEXCEPTTOMITA

Silver tears crystallized and seared Izhari’s face like brands as she choked for air. Then the attack replayed in new pain. Then again. And again. And again. And again.

Mathael was repeating her suffering over and over so that her body would finally snap.

HATE

HATE

HATE

HATE

USE WHAT YOU KNOW

HATE AND SORROW

“DROWN IN SULFUR!!!” Izhari roared as a cascade of rage cracked above and below.

Torrents of pain snapped and were expelled from The Void. Darkness flooded up and down towards Mathael, who flinched and shielded himself. It was enough to survive, but the suffering ensnared him and engulfed him. Everything around him began to vanish as blackness and sorrow threatened to devour him.

HATE

HATE

HATE

HATEHATEHATEHATEHATEHATE

HATEEVERYTHINGTHATISN’TTOMITA

“Mrrrugh! Rahhhhh! GROOOOONNNNN! DRAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!” Izhari roared as she poured every drop of despair into her summon.

But she knew it wasn’t enough.

Down below, Tomita saw a cloud of darkness consuming the tower. It wasn’t The Void. It was Izhari’s rage.

Pure, unrefined, all-encompassing despair.

Tomita’s chest felt as though it was about to crack in two, and he knew Izhari was abandoning every aspect of her spirit into whatever she was summoning. Yet it wasn’t enough. Beams of light were still cutting through the cloud like blades in paper.

She was overwhelmed and overmatched.

“Izhari, let me help you!!” Tomita begged.

Then the tower lurched and began to rise into the air. Tomita didn’t know if it was Izhari or Mathael, but the entire colossal structure was rising from its setting stones and lifting into the darkness above.

It was Mathael. Izhari could feel the air rushing by, and knew she was moving. Mathael was taking her further from Tomtia. The burden sharing weakened.

Her spell broke and cracked.

She wasn’t enough.

Please. Please. Please.

Die.

“Wretched creature,” said the voice.

ABANDONED.

He would abandon her.

Maybe that was best. Maybe she deserved to be abandoned.

CUTS

CUTS

MORE CUTS

She was bleeding everywhere but she didn’t know how. She could not see the attacks. She could not dodge. She was never meant to make it this far.

Shards impaled her and slammed her body to the ground.

Screams echoed out across the sky that was alight with fire and star falls.

ABANONED ONE.

“Izhari, let me help you!!”

One.

“Please, I need you!”

Two.

“Please! Let me help you!!!!!!”

One last chance to stop all of this.

Two lost souls bound by tragedy.

Three pink memory orbs were all she ever created.

Four months trying to succeed, all about to be lost.

Five laughs she could recall that were maybe the only ones she’d ever known.

Six wounds bleeding her out on the stone.

Seven failed attacks that amounted to nothing.

Eight times she felt his hand holding hers.

Nine years on the run, culminating in failure and death and spiraling despair.

Let it all be over.

Let it all be over.

“I’m sorry, Tomita.”

Then, ten words broke through the noise and reached her heart.

Ten words: “Izhari! I am still here! Please, let me help you!!!”

It was him. She knew that voice. It was faint, but it was her familiar.

“Tomita?” she whispered.

Something was charging in front of her. Heat was dissipating. Her attacks were failing. Maybe it would finally all be over soon.

“Tomita, I need you. I’ve always needed you,” she cried.

Then there was a snap, and he was there, shielding her. Gentle, kind, nurturing hands pulled her close as his body shielded her from whatever was coming.

“Izhari! Barrier!!” Tomita shouted just in time.

Izhari heeded her partner and threw her hands into the air, casting a thin white barrier around them just before Mathael’s attacks struck in full force. Impact shocks threatened to throw them from the tower to the abyss down below, but her barrier held. Mathael screamed and poured more of himself into the attack, but Izhari’s barrier held.

Tomita’s hands kept her close against his chest until the explosion stopped.

ABANDONED BY ALL EXCEPT HIM

NOT ABANDONED ANYMORE

“Izhari, I’m here. I’m here,” said Tomita.