PLUNGE
“An enemy?!” inquired another soldier.
“Impossible!” cried the cohort officer.
“He’s dangerous!” Naoki was too concerned to sound coherent. “Flying!” With that, she started to run back.
“Wha—? Hey! Wait!” Officer Abe shouted after her.
“Let her go!” his cohort grabbed him by the shoulder. “We need this shield to stay up!”
“Shouldn’t there be someone else over there protecting her?!”
Up at the tower, Haruna was staring up the stairwell at a solemn, levitating figure. It had positioned itself at just the right angle to see her down in the nest. She didn’t recognize the person, who wore a black cloak and hood that covered its eyes, but seeing how the person was floating, she knew immediately it was a mage.
Panicking, she collected together a small concentration of her energy and launched it at the person. It blasted the figure like a sudden breeze, but it was nothing more than that. The person stumbled a little, waving their arms and legs as if paddling in water, but regained balance without flipping over. The hood of the intruder’s cloak flew off, revealing a sly face.
“My…! What was that?! Pathetic!” spoke a girl’s voice with a thick accent.
To Haruna’s astonishment, the person was female. She had short, jet-black hair, and skin slightly darker than Haruna’s. The girl was still drifting back from the impact, but she eventually slowed to levitate still once again. Peering into the distance, she watched Haruna’s work with amusing amazement.
“I must say! You pretty good at defence!” she spoke in a broken language. “Tremendous!”
Haruna was surprised by the enthusiastic comment, but it only made her more nervous.
“We could lead an invincible force with this talent!” She waved out her hands as if she was reaching for something. “But you must know you cannot carry this on forever! I know! The quality of you magic is decreasing!”
Haruna glared back. She knew just as well that she was fatiguing. But she had no time to replenish herself. Sensing Naoki approaching their location, she concluded her best option was to distract this girl in the meantime. Haruna thought of something witty to say, but before she could, the foreign girl continued her jeering.
“What pity! For talent to be wasted by poor army!” She reached up to the collar of her cloak and lifted out a necklace by the lace. There was some sort of large, blue gem in the middle. “I, however, have this.”
Haruna looked at it with silent surprise. She wasn’t sure what it was, but something instinctively told her she was in a disadvantageous position.
The girl tilted her head down menacingly. “Mm? Shall I try it, perhaps?”
“A magic weapon?!” Haruna thought, panicking. She had to do something. Her efforts to stall the girl was not surfacing. Without much time to think, she simply exclaimed her same thoughts out loud.
The girl laughed hysterically. “Correct! Very rare! Advanced! I know, by you look! You do not have!”
“… Is that how you’ve been launching so many bombs?”
“Hm?” The girl had to comprehend for a bit. “Ah! Correct! You smart, child! This store chi to use!”
“Chi?”
The girl thought once more. “Power!” she exclaimed.
“Energy…” thought Haruna. She returned to her questioning. “How is that possible?!”
“Simple!” Her voice rose to a shrill. “You will not understand! I do not try to explain with you complicated language!”
Haruna tried to simplify her speech to keep the girl’s interest. “But, no. Storing ener— chi is not as simple as putting in can!”
“This no container.” The girl lifted the necklace higher and pointed at it with her free hand. She had a frustrated expression. “You no understand! Absolutely cannot! This gem pulses with the chi! Only we royals can read it! Guide it! A peasant like you could never—!”
The girl suddenly stopped her rambling, as if noticing something. Haruna tensed, thinking she had realized her bluff. She then grew confused as the girl silently levitated there, as if she had forgotten Haruna. The foreign girl rolled her eyes up to the sky.
“I know, I know, dear,” she seemingly said to herself in a language similar but different to Haruna’s. She whimsically waved her hands out and shrugged. She closed her eyes and smiled as if admitting defeat to someone. “I finish this quickly, no worry. A little bit of teasing fun, as you boys would say.”
Confused as to who she was talking to, Haruna had a realization. “You are…!”
Opening an eye, she peered down at Haruna. She then smiled and shouted, with wide open, lunatic eyes, “Yes, child! I am a Yin Yang, just like you!”
“…?!” Haruna had to think for a moment before silently confirming to herself. “Their name for a Treasured Pair?!”
”But I am not peasant like you!” She pointed a finger down at Haruna. “I kill you easily!”
“…!”
The mage wound back her left arm above her right shoulder and began to glow brilliantly blue. With each passing second, she was getting brighter and brighter. Haruna forced herself to keep her eyes on the enemy. She saw, through her squinted eyes, the necklace on the girl’s chest begin to wildly wave up and down. The gem in the middle was glowing just as bright, drawing in glowing particles from the air.
“…! She’s stealing my energy?!” Haruna silently speculated. She brought together another small pack of energy and thrusted it at the girl. It did not blow her back, but instead swirled into the gem. The girl smiled wickedly and cackled.
“Tch…!” Haruna stood up slightly. If she ran, the girl would just immediately strike. She had to stand her ground. “With her this close, she couldn’t possibly be crazy enough to produce something too big…”
Haruna desperately focused as much energy as she could between them. Bits of her invisible barricade were being stripped by the gem, but it remained far enough away to maintain its structure. On the south side, a few rounds of cannon fire now made it past her watch and landed on the camp. Naoki took notice as she ran, but Haruna was not aware as she braced for impact.
The intruder was brimming with energy. It crackled loudly as it buzzed around her. She wound back her arm a little more and shone a big, mad smile, shouting above the noise. “Futile!”
She whipped her hand in front of her, pointing at Haruna with her two primary fingers. In a flash, a bolt arced from her fingers and collided with the invisible barricade. Rather than stop immediately, it swiftly streamed around it and split into multiple tendrils of light. Each bolt struck the stone structure of the nest the very same instant it had struck her barricade.
Haruna’s hair rose. She began to gather what remained of her aura to shield herself, but it was far too late to bring them together in time. The bolts exploded, blasting away the tower and its foundation below. Her tiny shield scattered and detonated from the violent collision. Her body was fiercely flung through the rubble and towards the Earth, her scream lost in the roar. She crashed into the ground before the building crumbled. The impact snapped her fragile body like a twig before she was buried alive.
Naoki was not too far away. She briefly stumbled as the flash and shockwave stunned her. Once she recovered, she caught a glimpse of the tower collapsing behind a frightening plume of smoke. As the shards of stone crashed down, the plume quickly swelled and engulfed the surrounding area. Her heart sank. She could tell Haruna was not able to escape, and she was not okay. Screaming her name at the top of her lungs, Naoki brashly ran into the smog. Up above, the mage girl cackled wildly to herself, admiring her work one last time before she sailed upwards and flew away. “My job here is done! You have my regards, peasant!”
Cannonfire now showered the camp. The men at the wall began to take casualties as they realized their ultimate shield was now gone. The flash of lightning behind their defenses told them all they needed to know, and they began to fire back frantically. However, their firepower was greatly outnumbered by the enemy’s. In the mountains, they began to brandish banners with their royal emblem. A line of royal blue began to stretch across the mountains, showing the extent of their position and numbers. Seeing this, some of the soldiers in the camp began to have second thoughts. “We need to retreat!” one would cry out. “Dumbass! Where would we go?!” shouted another. “If we stay here, we’ll be overrun!” And the front erupted into chaos.
Beneath the rubble, the world was dark and silent. Haruna was losing consciousness. She could not feel anything. She had forgotten what she was doing. It was as if she had just woken up, but then discovered she couldn’t. She wanted to go back to sleep.
The darkness crumbled, and rays of musty light broke through. She aimlessly gazed up and saw a shadow engulf her. A familiar voice cried out to her. It jolted her alive, and her memories rushed back.
“Stay with me! Haruna!” Naoki was inspecting the damage. Her sister was bruised all over. Her head was bleeding and she had a giant gash on her right side that ran from her ribs to her pelvis. Naoki stared at this in horror. She was sure this was a dream, and was waiting to wake up in a cold sweat.
“I…”
As Haruna croaked, blood splurged out of her mouth. Naoki woke up. She quickly stripped off her beige uniform and pressed it to her sister’s wound. Haruna did not wince a bit.
“It’s gonna be okay…” she told herself. “You’re gonna be okay…!”
Haruna was silent. Her eyes ambled around her crater and looked up into the dusty sky.
“I… wasn’t able to… stop…” she began to cry.
“Hush, hush. Don’t blame yourself.” Naoki was tearing up as well.
“… Bolt… Not bomb…”
A shell landed nearby, blasting away the side of a building and raining down pieces onto the two girls. Ducking her head under her shoulders and shutting her eyes tight, Naoki lunged over her sib, shielding her from the small fragments of rock that pelted them. She pressed her forehead to Haruna’s as they turtled. Now face to face, Haruna could see her sister’s teary face. As Naoki got back up, Haruna saw traces of blood pressed onto Naoki’s forehead. She tried to lift her hand up, but her body did not respond. Looking down, she saw the wreckage she was in and her eyes widened.
“…! Don’t…!” Naoki pleaded. “Don’t look down there… You’re going to be fine…”
“I’m… dying.”
“No… Please don’t—”
“I’m… dying.” Haruna’s voice squeaked with fright. “I’m… going to…”
“Please… Don’t say that…” Naoki pressed down harder, trying to get her to stop bleeding. Her beige uniform was turning crimson red. More blood spilled out over Haruna’s lips. Afraid she was making things worse, Naoki’s hands flinched away. She did not know what else she could do. She felt useless. Clenching her fists, she began to scream for Ken. Her terrified cries were lost in the explosions that now rocked the camp.
“I… going to die… aren’t I?”
“No, hang in there! Someone will come eventually!”
“I… can’t feel my body…”
“Ken will fix it…! I’m sure he will!”
Closing her eyes, Haruna tried to take deep breaths. Her chest felt heavy as she heaved. Naoki noticed, and unbuttoned her sister’s jacket to try and help her breathe. Opening her eyes again, Haruna silently watched her sister as she fumbled, her hands shaking. She saw the distraught in her face as she tried whatever she could to help her dying sib. Seeing this brought a sense of peace to Haruna, taking her mind away from just herself. Another shell landed nearby. Naoki turtled again, but stopped short once she realized it landed behind a building.
“Run…”
She looked down in surprise. Almost in anger. “Don’t act like a hero! I’m not going to abandon you!”
“With me…”
“…” Her expression softened. Naoki wrapped her arms under her sister’s little body, but stopped short of lifting her a few inches off the ground. “But… I… No, I’m afraid to move you…” She looked back at her sister’s wound. “It won’t stop…”
“We’ll both… die if we stay…” Haruna whispered. “If… run… at least one may live…”
“No… I’ll make sure we both live…”
Haruna tried to smile one last time. Naoki was taken aback. She didn’t understand why, in her lowest moments, Haruna was smiling.
“I’m… glad… you’re here…”
Naoki held her closely. “Of course,” she whispered, and pleaded to her, “Please don’t die.” Haruna’s breathing was growing heavy.
“If I… Then… Please don’t… hate…”
“No, I will never hate you,” she sobbed. “I will never forgive them for what they’ve done to you!”
“No… Don’t… hate… them… either.”
Naoki was astonished. “… Why?!”
“No… more…” Haruna coughed out blood.
Naoki moved to wipe her face. “Stop. Don’t strain yourself.”
“I’m… not asking… you… to forgive them,” she gasped through the pain in her head. “But… please… No more… hate…” She paused for a moment. “Promise…”
Her sister stared at her helplessly. Naoki knew this was not a promise she could keep.
“Your love… will turn…” Haruna struggled, taking big gulps. “… into hate.”
Her eyes widening, Naoki almost dropped her sister. Their conversation in the mountains rushed back to her.
“They… want that… Don’t… let them win…”
“…”
Haruna was losing her ability to focus. She knew there wasn’t much time left. “My final… wish…”
“Please…” she sobbed. “Don’t talk like that.”
“Is… don’t… find… vengeance…”
“…………”
“… Promise…”
“… Fine…” Naoki reluctantly whispered. She didn’t want her sister to suffer anymore.
Haruna smiled again. “Thank… you…” She closed her eyes and relaxed. Naoki desperately brought her closer.
“Don’t!” her voice hopelessly pleading. “Don’t leave me!”
“I… won’t…” Haruna’s voice fainted. “I… will stay… within you… Forever.” Her sister did not appeal anymore, and Haruna finally fell silent.
Naoki was in denial, but she knew she could no longer reach her. She could no longer sense her sister’s energy. Their magical connection was severed. Haruna was dead.
Her eyes widened and began to flood. Lowering her sister’s body, Naoki slowly brought her head to Haruna’s chest and began to holler. They were lengthy, drawn-out screams of pure anguish. Misery. Suffering.
“What am I…?” she thought as she cried miserably. “Without my pair…?” Not only were her advantages as a Treasured Pair drastically reduced without Haruna, but her emptiness had returned. The void that Haruna filled after they were brought together four years ago. Haruna was gone, and with her, Naoki’s home. Taken away by someone who had no sense for who they were; who didn’t even try to get to know them; who could have never understood how much they meant to each other.
The more she thought about it, the stronger her muscles tensed. She wanted to punch something. No, she wanted to destroy something. Decimate something; anything. The enemy. The military. The world.
She felt her vengeance rising, despite her sister’s final wish. “Why…?” Naoki thought. “Why did she make this harder to bear?!” No longer screaming, she continued to whimper. “How selfish of her. To put her final wish upon me like chains! This grudge, for the rest of my life! With no way to get rid of it!”
Naoki knelt there with the lifeless body in her arms for what felt like an eternity, rapidly swimming in a whirlpool of thoughts and emotions. She then realized what her sister was on to and opened her eyes. They returned to Haruna’s smiling face, and then aimlessly lowered.
“If this world… wants us to suffer…” Naoki thought. “Then, I won’t let them win.” Lowering Haruna’s limp body onto the stained dirt, she drew out her arming knife and looked into the fray. Around her, the camp was collapsing. Fires were lighting up now that the explosives were allowed to breach into the wooden interiors. She did not see anyone else, but she could hear their shouts and screams in between the thunderclaps. They were a mixture of order and chaos; desperation and fear. Hell had certainly reached the two girls.
However, Naoki faced it fearlessly. She pointed her knife out at the fire, as if she was ready to charge into battle. Then she raised it towards the stars. She glared at them defiantly, through the gaps in the rolling thick smoke, and silently cursed them. Her arm slumped and fell to her side, the knife still in hand. She continued to stare at the sky, seemingly oblivious to the cannon fire slowly approaching her. The enemy was intent on blanketing the entire camp with destruction before they’ve even stepped foot into it.
Naoki dropped her head, raising her hand to inspect the knife that was in it. Her stare lingered on it. Eventually, she slowly turned it around in her hand, brought it to her stomach…
… Then stabbed herself.
She did it quickly. Its long blade allowed it to puncture through her lean body. She undoubtedly winced from the act, but her sanity had already left her. Collapsing onto the ground, it was now her turn to cough out blood. With great effort, Naoki pulled the knife back out and released it, flinging it away from them. It clattered against a nearby wall. She instinctively gripped her gut and curled up on the ground next to her sib, bleeding out. Her body was on full alert, telling her to take dire measures to save herself.
Naoki’s mind did not care about the pain. She cared about nothing else anymore. It was her turn to make a final wish, and that was to stay with her adopted sister for eternity.
“We win,” Naoki croaked, stroking her bloody hand across Haruna’s cheek. Her pale face was still stiffly smiling, frozen in place once she had given up control. Naoki sorely smiled back and closed her eyes, bringing her forehead to touch Haruna’s. “We cannot… suffer anymore.”
The two girls laid there. In their crimson pool. Motionless. Both smiling in peace as the world drew away from them.
A cannon shell finally landed onto their resting ground. With a final flash and imperceivable bang, their bodies were obliterated. Liberated from their duties.
End.