Lionheart

“Ok, easy now. That’s it, one step at a time. You got it, Love.” Mel guides Kana outside, supporting her side along the way. “Almost there Kana, just a little further. You got this.”

“Mhm…,” she groans. ‘I feel like my body has been tossed, tumbled, and hung to dry. How could Lenore do this? I always felt like I was inferior to her because she’s so beautiful, but that aside, she was always so nice to us. This doesn’t make any sense. Maybe if we can just talk to her a-.’

Her words are instantly pushed out by the more immediate thoughts that enter her mind at once. Both she and Mel come to a complete stop as they take their first steps outside of Lenore’s big estate. Although they are both petrified by the same sight, it’s Mel who speaks first. “What…?”

Suddenly finding her strength again, Kana runs down the path away from Lenore’s estate and to the town’s center. What she finds is nothing short of a bloodbath. The town’s residents are all scattered across the square or at the entryways of shops and homes, lifeless. Many of them she recognizes, even if she wasn’t acquainted with them. ‘My god, this is horrible! All these poor souls were lost in such a gruesome way. The Ongaku did this? It seems so, but this is unusual. They don’t usually attack so violently. They rarely leave any of their prey behind either….’

“Yeah, this isn’t normal. You’re thinking the same, aren’t you Love?” Mel scans the surrounding area for any threats. “Where are the Ongaku now? Even if we put aside the fact that they left behind the bodies, they don’t just retreat back to where they came. They claim territory like classic wolves do after a hunt. They’d still be roaming around, yet there’s none in sight.”

“Kana, hurry! I found survivors!” Alto shouts out from a distance, and the two women rush over at once. They follow his voice and soon arrive at a small farm. A calm pond sits nearby, and on the edge, two objects can be seen. As they get closer, they begin to take form, and soon two tiny figures come into view. A young girl with chestnut hair, a young boy with sandy-blonde hair; both sharing common brown eyes. They each have had huge chunks of flesh bitten out of them.

Kana’s face becomes horrified as she drops to her knees with outstretched hands. She takes one of each of their hands in hers and squeezes them tight, before breaking down with pained tears. “Kana?” A soft and sweet voice calls to her. “Are the monsters gone? Did you kill them all?”

“What monsters Kaiya?” Mel crouches down beside Kana. “Can you say what happened here?”

“They weren’t Ongaku. At least not any like the ones I’ve seen before. They looked similar, like huge wolves, but they were deformed and seemed way more feral. Also, they didn’t have cores.”

Kana and Mel share expressions of shock and glance at each other before returning their gazes to Kaiya. “They had no cores? Then they couldn’t have been Ongaku.” She thinks it over briefly. “I need you to try to remember, did you see any other human strangers arrive with them?” She asks.

“No, I didn’t. Kou and I were playing in the pond while Dad was tending the animals, and Mom was picking the crops. We heard them suddenly start screaming and ferocious animal sounds. Then it was silent. We listened for a while, and just as we thought the danger was gone, the huge monsters charged and tackled us. They took Kou down first, then me. I remember his screams, and maybe he remembers mine too. It was so much pain…but now I don’t feel it anymore….”

Her voice trails, and her eyes close. “Mhm!” Kana panics, tugging her hand gently to try to wake her again. However she doesn’t. Fresh tears start to fall from her eyes, as she fears the worst fate.

“Wait, Kana look!” Mel points to her chest. “It’s slow, but she’s still breathing. I checked Kou, he’s still breathing too, but even more weakly. They’re not dead yet, so maybe there’s hope.” She scoops up the boy into her arms. “Take Kaiya in your arms, and lets bring them to Harmony. We’ll need your help you two,” she says looking at Alto and Tenor. “Please bring us up there.”

Kana allows herself a reprieve of her tears as she realizes what Mel is suggesting. ‘There’s the hot springs…of course! They’re not dead, so they can be saved. Just like Mel that time!’ Kana quickly lifts Kaiya in her arms and turns to the others. She gives Alto a nod, and he understands.

Just as they are accustomed to doing when in battle, Alto and Tenor grip their shoulders firmly in their talons, and lift them towards the sky. They carry them to Harmony; to their precious home. Looking from above, the carnage is clear. No one was spared. Not even Lenore, who lies below.

~-~

“I’m sorry…but their injuries are beyond the power of this spring.” Endora looks at them sadly. Even though it’s already been 15 years since they met her, she still looks the same she did then.

“No way…there must be something it can do, right? They’re weak, but they’re still breathing!”

Endora shakes her head apologetically. “When they brought you here that day, also on the verge of death’s door, these springs could save you because your will was still strong and your body still sturdy. However, these children are in far worse condition, and their spirits are weak too. They don’t have the same determination to live as you did, and together with the state of their bodies, the springs are ineffective. All the springs can do for them now is let them go in peace.”

‘No! That can’t be true! Please, Endora, tell me it’s not true!’ Kana grips Endora’s coat and stares directly into her large eyes. ‘There’s nothing we can do? They can’t have a future too?’

Able to hear her clearly as ever, Endora says, “These bodies are no longer fit to carry their souls Kana. There’s nothing I can do to change that.” She watches Kana’s expression fall to despair. “However, there may be a way for them to live on; in a sense, but I doubt you two will like it.”

“You’re suggesting the sacrifice, aren’t you?” Mel stares sharply at Endora now. “Immortality.”

Endora smiles, impressed by her inference. “Perceptive and wise as ever, Mel. Indeed, if they are willing, they can offer up their souls to welcoming hosts, and through those bodies, they will live on. They of course will have no consciousness, but their essence will become intertwined with the soul of their host, such that their lights can still shine through. This will typically manifest in their host taking on certain personality traits, or even developing similar tastes as them. Most importantly, because their souls are no longer tied to the material world, they can exist eternally in spirit, and this indefinite essence is what gives their host immortality. It’s a symbiotic bond.”

Kana shakes her head in objection. ‘No, we can’t take their souls for something like that. That makes it seem as though we’re only using them to prolong our own lives. That’s not fair at all.’

Mel watches the intensity at which she moves her hands, indicating she’s genuinely angry at any consideration of the thought. “I understand how you feel, Kana. I said it back then, I don’t want to live forever. At least…that’s what I believed. However, I guess I was looking at the world and life with the wisdom of a child. A lot has changed in these 15 years. I’ve changed. We both have changed. What once was scary, now feels like an opportunity. I don’t want these kids to die and be forgotten by all but us here. I also don’t think it’s fair that they die without getting justice. We can carry on their memories and their will, and eliminate the threats in this world. We may not know who’s behind this yet, but I’m ready to spend an eternity to find out and destroy them too.” The conviction in her eyes in infective, and Kana is ready to follow her to war, and into eternity.

She now signs calmly. ‘Ok, I see what you’re saying and I’m inclined to agree, but…can we ask them to allow us to use their lives for our gain, even with the promise of a metaphorical eternal life? Because while their souls may become intertwined with ours, they won’t be able to actively enjoy our lives alongside us. They won’t be conscious of it at all. Is this really a plus for them?’

“That’s-.” Mel begins to reply with words, but glances at the kids. She notices that Kaiya is a bit more aware of things and is awake, though she’s still very weak. So she signs her reply. ‘That’s a fair question, it is…but we have to consider that we most likely won’t have another opportunity like this again. I hope we don’t actually. No one has to sacrifice themselves, because they’re already…. There’s no way we can save them. But we could save millions more in an eternity.’

Kana sighs. ‘I don’t know what we should do here Mel. If I think only practically, it’s an easy choice. But these aren’t some strangers we found. These are our friends. They’re just kids….’

“Kids who are dying.” The pair are startled by Kaiya’s unexpected interjection. “It’s still an easy choice Kana.” Their faces drop, realizing she must have been watching their sign. “Don’t look so surprised, I told you I’d been practicing you know?” She smiles weakly. “Please, use us Kana.”

Kana begins crying once again, and she steps into the water in order to hold Kaiya’s hands. She places them against her heart, and stares into her eyes with an expression of grief. ‘It’s not fair.’

“Me…too….” Kou manages to squeak out a broken reply. “Mel…I’m…ok. Use…me…too….”

Mel joins them in the water, and following Kana’s actions, takes Kou’s hands too. “You’re so brave kiddo. Both of you are. The bravest kids I’ve ever met. We’ll get your justice. I swear it!” She finally succumbs to her emotions, and also begins to cry. Kaiya and Kou soon join them too.

“The courage of humanity in the face of conflict continues to awe me.” Endora speaks softly. “I shall honor your resolve, and ensure a safe passage of your souls. Harmony will remember you.” She spreads her wings as if to cover them, and then begins to say an incantation. At first nothing much happens, but all at once the water begins to shimmer and they all sink below the surface, as if they’ve been pulled by an unseen force. After several seconds, Kana and Mel are able to rise, but Kaiya and Kou are nowhere to be found. “It has been done. Their souls rest with you now.”

The women look at each other, and their eyes become filled with determination. They join hands, but it’s Mel who says, “I promise it’ll always be you and me Kana. Together, we’ll rise and fall.”