//------------------------------// // Without My Love, I am the End // Story: The Sun and the Clover // by BG9 //------------------------------// Coloratura finished her spell and what appeared to be clouds wrapped around their body, forming a space suit. As she finished, she looked visibly winded, sweating and panting, her face pale. "Are you going to be alright?" Skystinger asked "I'm going to be," she panted "just fine. I just need a minute. Trixie. Go ahead and cast your spell." Trixie lifted her wand and threaded her mana into it, using it as a dousing rod. Soon enough she found it. There was an incredible source of mana only twenty or so feet from where they stood. "I found it. You ready to go?" "Ready." Coloratura said "Ready." Skystinger said "Ready." Vapor Trail said They all hopped down from the cliff edge and into the mist. Sure enough, the suits prevented anything the mist from touching them. "So Vapor, Skystinger." Trixie asked "Yes?" Vapor answered "What's your relationship to each other? Siblings?" Trixie giggled "Maybe lovers?" The two of them looked at each other and smiled "Siblings." Skystinger explained "We've been close since we were born. Without vapor I probably wouldn't have been able to endure all that testing." "We gave each other strength and still do. One day we'll become human again. Whatever it takes." They both nuzzled up against each other compassionately. Coloratura smiled. "I'm glad you have each other. Once this is all over I'd be glad to join you to regain your human form." "I would mean the world to us both." Trixie stopped all of a sudden "Do you hear that?" she said "Hear what?" "A flute. It must be the mythic flute!" The three craned their necks to hear the flute but all they heard was silence. "Are you sure?" Coloratura asked "I don't hear anything." Trixie all of a sudden began to walk forward, as though she were in a trance "Trixie?" She gave no reply, instead she continued lumbering forward "Shit. Do you think she was hexed somehow?" "I don't know. But we better follow her." Vapor said They followed closely behind Trixie. No matter how much they tried to hear it, there was no such flute. The further they walked, the thicker the mist became, so much so they could hardly see more than a foot in any direction. Finally they reached their destination. It was a large stone statue depicting a woman with angel wings and a halo playing a flute. She wore a robe at her ankle was a book. This had to be it. Surrounding the statue were at least fifty or so cloaked stone men, all kneeled before the statue with their heads down. Trixie assumed the same position. Coloratura got a chill down her spine. "Trixie! Trixie wake up!" "I hear on obey. I shall stand guard till the end of time, till you are reunited with that which was stolen. None shall disturb this place." Trixie chanted In seconds Trixie was reduced to solid stone. "Shit! What the hell do we do?" "Don't panic." Vapor said "There has to be something we can do. She said 'I shall guard you till the end of time, till you are reunited with that which was stolen.' Whatever that is must be what will break the curse." Skystinger walked over to the statue. There was a plaque at its feet in a language long forgotten. Or it would be to current mages. Skystinger, however, could read it clear as day. "Come here. Look at this." he said "It reads 'till my heart is returned, none shall have refuge. I shall bring a curse upon the earth. Abandon hope, for without my love, I am the end.'" "Not especially comforting." Vapor said "Any ideas on what her heart could be?" "Oh I have just the perfect idea." The trio turned to see who spoke. It was Nightmare Moon and Valencia. Coloratura's eyes looked on in shock. "That's the daughter of the king!" "I suggest you think before raising your weapons against us." Nightmare warned "Not only are the two of us far stronger than both of you, our goals seem to be aligned. I know what the heart refers too. and if you want your friend to be turned back I'd suggest you listen closely." The three stood still. They couldn't really argue. Their hands were tied. "The heart Songbird covets so dearly is her music." Nightmare explained "So the legend goes, Songbirds closest friend and confidant made a deal with the devil. Her friend was madly in love with her, however she did not reciprocate. In exchange for his own soul, the devil would take what Songbird treasured most: her voice. Songbird, enraged by the loss, cast a hex meant to reduce the world to rot and decay, using the layline as a continual fuel and sealed herself in stone until her voice was returned." "The devil? I've never heard of such a being." "I'm not surprised. Many of the old world ways have been forgotten. But I'll tell you this much. Demons and devils do exist." "So say I believed you on all this," Coloratura said "How exactly do we return her voice?" "Simple really. We must take in back from the Devil. Though it will require a sacrifice and a heavy one at that. I, of course, can open a dialogue with the devil, however I'll need a sacrifice." Valencia clenched her fists, her eyes filled with a deep anger. Was all of what she said meaningless, just a lie to get her to sacrifice herself? She removed her wand from her robe. "You need a sacrifice do you?" her voice quivered "Well maybe this will help!" With a scream Valencia halted time. She knew she never should have trusted a word from that snakes mouth. All she could rely on was herself. She pulled a knife from her sleeve and went straight for her heart. She'd then steal her crest. Just as the knife was about to make contact, Nightmare Moon clutched her arm. "Y-you" Valencia's voice shook with rage "You betrayed me!" "I did no such thing. I was going to sacrifice myself." "You think I'd believe that!? It's all so clear to me now. I know why you brought me! You were going to use me as the exchange! I'll never forgive you!" "The Devil demands a bodily toll. One which fate, nor god can ever restore." Nightmare moon let go of Valencia's hand and opened her robe, revealing her body. Like her arm, it was blackened and dead. "I have no such quandary about giving my body. Be it my heart, my lungs, even my eyes. I am not what you'd call living." "Then why bring me at all? Why did you take me here? You think I can trust a word from your mouth!?" "Because," she said "You are as my daughter, just as the rest of those under me are my family. Truth be told, I am afraid. And if this were to go wrong, if it does go wrong... I wish to pass my crest onto you. Valencia, I claim you to be my successor and rightful heir." "Your... air?" "Correct. I can't say with certainty that this exchange won't be the thing that finally kills me. I am everlasting, but the devil can take even that if he so wishes. If that happens, you must take my crest. You must carry my will and rewrite this world. That is my wish." Valencia dropped the knife, her eyes red and teary. "Do you trust me?" "I don't know." "Can you trust me?" Valencia clenched her fists "Ok. Ok. But if you lie to me I swear." "Thank you Valencia. I'm truly happy." Time resumed and Nightmare Moon stepped to the statue. She took a deep breath and began to chant in a language not heard in thousands of years. And evil, twisted language, one not meant for human ears. As she spoke the ground shook beneath them and winds began to rage. The sky above them blackened and began to thunder. Then, silence. All of a sudden Nightmare fell to the ground and began writhing in pain. She endured it. She'd sacrifice her life for this. Finally it was over. Valencia stood by her side. "Are you ok? What did it take from you?" Nightmare Moon got up and rubbed her head. "It seems I'm down quite a few organs. No matter though. I can endure." The statue began to crack and shake, then exploded. The shockwave blew away all the mist and Trixie, along with the other men who were bowing before the statue, were returned to normal. A woman descended down slowly, the flute in one hand and the tome in the other. Her hair was a beautiful dirty blonde and she wore a purple flowing dress. "My voice," Songbird said "My voice has returned. Who returned my love to me?" Nightmare slowly go to her feet, shaking from the pain. "It was me. I did it." "I see. You made a pact with the devil to return my voice. What does such an evil and wicked woman such as yourself have to gain from freeing me?" "You two know each other?" Coloratura asked "Not formally. But I know of her." Songbird said, spite dripping from her voice "I know of how she nearly destroyed the mage world. The cursed Witch of the Moon." Both Vapor and Skystinger suddenly charged at Nightmare. Now was as good a chance as any. Valencia stepped in between them and her newfound master. With lightning speed she shot two magic blasts at each of them. "Come on." Valencia said, lifting Nightmare on her shoulder "Let's return home." Before any of them had a chance to react, Nightmare opened a portal and they vanished instantly. There was nothing more they could do. Songbird's feet touched the ground. Then, one by one, the hooded men began to drop like flies. "What's happening!?" Trixie cried "We're dying. I am dying. You see, my body was not meant to live this long, even if it was encased in stone. I'm rapidly aging." She looked at the group with desperation "I have a favor to ask." she said, her hair beginning to grey and her face becoming wrinkly "I need one of you to succeed me. I can't allow my crest, myself to die this way. I don't care which one of you it is. Just please take it before it's too late." The group looked at one another nervously. This was one of the, if not most, talented and famous illusionary mages in the entire history of the world. Coloratura turned to Trixie. "It's only right you receive it. You are the master of illusions after all." "You mean it?" "Of course. Just make sure I get the flute and we have a deal." "Gladly!" Songbird was withering like an old grape. Her skin was pale and her hair beginning to fall out. "Hold out your hand." she said in a tired voice Trixie held her out and Songbird grasped it gently. In a flash of light the crest was moved from one to the other, a beautiful sea green music note. Songbird smiled. "Thank you." She whispered before falling to her side "I can rest easy." Trixie stared at her hand with complete glee. She couldn't wait to dive into the memories. To learn Songbird's life and history. Coloratura picked up the flute and the tome. "Lets give her a burial. She deserves that much. Her suffering is finally over."