The Phoenix King

by Turtlehaus

Chapter 47: Mira's Atonement

Within the Kingdom of Naught four great locations had been forged by the Eternal Master known as Zenith. There was the Ethereal Valley, an area in which the Eternal Masters would reside. The fields of Ouroboros was the place where Azimuth’s creations would reside, the Castle of Naught and the City of Cyclic were later built to by such creatures. The Planes of Chiaroscuro had been forged flat, an entire ocean of silver glass that was obscured by the darkness, and illuminated by starlight. Zenith constructed each foundation with the use of a great hammer that could flatten stars and shatter worlds, imbued by magic gifted by Nadir, the Eternal Master was seen as a builder and a protector.

When Nadir had murdered Azimuth from the jealousy he had over her ability to produce life, Zenith sought retribution seeking to end him. The battle began within the Ethereal Valley, Nadir’s magic had stained the land in shadow, and Zenith’s hammer had tempered the landscape and shattered the Planes of Chiaroscuro. Nadir’s magic proved overwhelming to Zenith, placing all of his might into one final attack he scored a soul crushing blow that utterly annihilated Nadir that scattered his remains across the valley. It was said that Zenith’s strength left him, causing him to drop his hammer that split that valley in two, severing it from the rest of the kingdom. The hammer fell into the abyss with Zenith never to be seen again.

All that was left were the Void Walkers, the Arcana, and the abominations Nadir had created. The Arcana had tasked themselves to scatter Nadir’s abominations into the Valley of Shadows, the ruined Ethereal Valley. The serpent Apep, the squid Kana, the raven Hoopoe, and several other vicious creatures had been banished from the kingdom. During this purge, the Arcana had discovered an almost familiar creature, one that resembled their fallen masters, but much smaller. It had been the final experiment Nadir had conducted, a being that many saw as an abomination, but none would call it a successor to the masters.

---

The Void Walkers had no love for the creature and the Arcana refused to see it as a potential master. They had called it Null, nothing, an invalid creature that wasn’t made by the hands of Azimuth. They forced it to wear heavy chains, shackles that impaired its ability to walk, and made it wear a helm to hide its face. It brought before the senate within the castle of Naught for the wisest Arcana and Void Walkers to have judgement be passed upon it.

The creature Null stood before senate with the masses of Void Walker and Arcana alike at its back, afraid for itself, unsure of what it was, and terrified by their reaction to it. Four stood before the creature Null, two Arcana, and two Void Walkers, the representatives of their kind. An Arcana of fuchsia starlight hair, markings of gold, floated forward raising its arms to bring the hearing into order.

“Before us stands the last of Nadir’s abominations, a creature forged out of malice and hatred he had for our creator, Azimuth.” The fuchsia Arcana declared. “It stands to reason that this creature would have given rise to countless others of his kind, twisted abominations that would rival us in not only magic, but strength.”

The Great Hall of castle Naught was shoulder to shoulder with Void Walkers quietly whispering their contempt for the creature. High above near the ceiling were hundreds of Arcana that floated around hissing their disdain for it. The creature Null flinched from the sharp hissing it received, feeling the weight of the chains shift with him.

“Your Master has devastated our lands, killed many of our friends, and has even experimented on them in the attempts, we believe, to create you. What have you to say in your defense?”

The creature Null raised its head, the gleam of his helm reflecting the multicolored Arcana that floated overhead.

“I didn’t… ask for this.” Null replied.

Null’s words silenced the Great Hall, few as they were his words were powerful and carried much with them. None of them had asked for life, none knew anything before awakening in the hands of Azimuth, and worst of all they all could relate to this creature. A Void Walker draped cloaked in gold trimmings stepped forward to speak.

“Your existence is a mockery of our masters. Your existence had purpose, we were all created for a purpose, and I will ask you, creature, what was yours?”

The creature Null lowered its head. “I was meant to rule.”

Uproar had started from the Void Walkers followed by the angry cries of the Arcana overhead over his words. The senators expressed their own contempt for the creature, mistaking his honesty for hubris.

“We have no need for another master!” Spoke up the other Arcana senator.

A great outpouring of support from the Void Walkers followed the Arcana’s words. The final senator, the second Void Walker stepped forward cloaked in silver trimmings to speak.

“Unlike the previous abominations, your power vastly exceeds your predecessors, and that alone makes you a viable threat to us. For the safety of our world, of its true creatures, I put forward the motion to have this abomination removed. Permanently.”

The creature Null recoiled in fear from the Void Walker's words, but more so from the loud approval it got from the rest of the congregation. The four senators spoke among each other, although from the reaction of the room it wasn't hard to figure out how the decision would turn out. With their conversing coming to a conclusion the fuchsia Arcana floated forward while raising its arms once more to bring silence to the Great Hall.

"Null, your very existence should never have come to pass, compounded with the knowledge that your creation was at the hands of our malicious master Nadir for the purpose of ruling our lands, we see just cause to have your life-"

“Let him live!”

From up above the last of the Arcana, the one Azimuth had called Mira, had spoken out on behalf of the creature. Mira floated down from the high ceiling, hovering between the senators and the creature Null. The silence of great anticipation had fallen into disbelief.

"Let him live?" Questioned the silver trimmed Void Walker.

"He's done nothing to us."

"He lives at the behest of our enemy's desire. Nadir murdered Master Azimuth and you want to protect his final creation?" The fuchsia Arcana asked.

"You've blamed him for existing and you're now condemning him for things he hasn't even done yet."

"The creature is-"

"I know you're scared. We all are." Mira cut in turning to the congregation. "For the first time we are alone, looking to ourselves for answers, and no longer have the guidance of our masters, but I ask you, is this what we are? Frightened, cowardly creatures that would kill an innocent just because he's different from us?"

There was sympathy in her voice and it grew within everyone who listened. The Last of the Arcana, Mira, had been created to be the most powerful of them to combat the abominations, but the gift Azimuth had given her was the love she felt for all living things. It may have been hard for many to come to terms with, but their anger for the creature stemmed from Nadir's betrayal and placing it upon Null by proxy.

The fuchsia Arcana returned to the other senators, once more in deliberation, taking into account Mira's plea for the life of the creature. This time the silver trimmed Void Walker stepped forth to speak.

"We cannot recognize any creation of Nadir to be our ruler, in that regard, we can accept that this creature does not deserve to die for the sins of its creator. Therefore, we shall spare Null, but will require it to be banished from our kingdom to avoid any problems that may arise in the future."

The congregation seemed to be at peace with this decision. Mira turned to the creature Null, she seemed worried for the him, her face reflecting from his helm, but she smiled hoping to give it some much needed comfort. Before words could be spoken between them the Void Walkers tugged on the chains that bound Null, forcing him to move from the Great Hall. Mira has watched the Void Walkers, escorted by many Arcana, lead Null from the castle to be brought the Valley of Shadows.

That was the last time anyone had seen the creature Null, walking into the shadows of the valley, thought to be lost in the darkness forever. None would imagine that it would return with a power unlike anything the realm had seen, devouring all light within the kingdom and the stars beyond. Yet, all those that remained blamed the Last of the Arcana for sparing it when she did.

---

Mira floated through the decrepit halls of Castle Naught, hearing the echoes of the Storm rage further up ahead. Claw marks and handprints detailed the ruined walls, mounds of black sand beneath them, Mira chose to ignore as she had in the past, but it was reminder of what was to come.

“Everywhere you look, there is black sand.”

Null’s voice echoed throughout the castle. It was deep, it growled, and it was cold. A sudden updraft of wind blew through the corridor, causing Mira to hold up her arms to shield her face from the flying sand that blasted past.

“Where did it all come from?”

Mira lowered her arms. Her face was screwed up in anger, looking at the sand that lightly peppered her.

“Then I realized that it’s all you are. Sand and starlight.”

Fear was beginning to course through Mira, Null was taunting her, like he had centuries ago. Wiping the sand from her limbs her eyes traced the ripples of sand carpeting the corridor. Azimuth had made each of them from the sand, a star she had plucked from the sky, and breathed life into each of them.

“The land is a graveyard.”

Floating out into the Great Hall, Mira witnessed the Storm swirling overhead awaiting her arrival. The Storm churned, pouring itself into the castle filling the Great Hall in its clouded darkness. Null stepped out of the Storm, his husk body still tearing like paper, but he stood upright and walked unhindered. He seemed renewed, if only partially, the fire of the Elder Dragon had proven most efficient in bringing Null back from the brink of starvation.

“Did you bring the Flame Pony?” The rasp of his voice sent a chill through Mira.

Mira did not respond. Her jaw was clenched, hands balled into fists, teeth bared, and glaring at him. Null took no notice of it, stepping forward, holding out his hand to her, as if expecting to be given something.

“You’ve taken everything from me.” Mira hissed.

“Yet you still have more to give.”

Null’s hand was still out reached, expecting her to surrender what power she had obtained to him. Mira raised her arms, shrieking at him, black flames erupting from her body, her eyes burning yellow, hair flourishing from her power, and her markings burning brilliantly.

“Will I have to take it from you?”

The black flames traveled to Mira’s arms, forming around her hands while she floated back from Null. With his hand slowly lowering, witnessing Mira’s defiance, Null was once more being engulfed by the Storm ready to battle the Arcana once again.

“You should be used to taking things from me.”

Dark aura trailed from Mira's fingertips, with a single slash of her hand the aura drew itself like ribbons from her fingers and cracked like whips against Null. Mira's shadow magic cut through the Storm, slicing through Null’s already shredded body, but causing him to become inflamed by black fire.

Mira slashed her arms again, the shadow magic slicing through Null watching him recoil in pain from each strike. Null's agony was reflected in the Storm’s groaning thunder and shrieking winds. Mira's shadow magic broke up the floor, the slashes cutting deep into the castle, leaving gashes in the walls and trenches in the ground.

Null threw out his arms causing the Storm to expand out from him. The force shattered Mira's shadow magic, throwing her back while she shielded herself from the winds with her arms. Mira's blue star dust like hair was caught in the prevailing winds, the intensity increasing, funneling around Null, and slowly drawing Mira closer in. Struggling to keep herself stationary from the increasing winds, Mira clutched her arms, causing her markings to bring with neon green light. With a sudden flourish of her arms the markings duplicated themselves, spinning wildly before her, encasing her before as her dark aura began to leach out. Mira's aura molded itself with the sphere, her own markings burning like runes upon the surface of the shield, slowing to a stop and dropping with immense weight to the ground. Even with the wild winds the Storm created the sphere would not budge.

Null stepped out from the raging Storm, witnessing Mira's attempt to defy him. With a thrust of his arm Null funneled the Storm towards the sphere. The force of the wind it generated was so immense it sheared stone and toppled the ancient rock walls of the castle. Millions of razor fine cuts littered the surface of her shield, slowing shaving away her defense, while the thunder of the Storm and howling of the winds deafened her.

Her shield was already failing, the Storm chipping away chunks of the dark aura and sending cracks throughout the sphere. Mira crossed her arms, clutching her shoulders tightly, blacks flames sprung from her body, enveloping her and having her vanish from sight. The shield failed, shattering like glass as the Storm barreled itself through digging a deep crater within the ground. Lowering his arm the Storm retreated back to rage around Null once again. Null stepped forth to view the crater, seeing nothing within it but sand and crushed rock. Stones beneath Null began to tremble, blocks were bouncing from their mortar and the sand retreated from him like water. Hundreds of shadow hands exploded from the ground beneath him, taking hold of Null’s arms and legs despite his struggling. The shadow arms began to harden, restricting Null's movements further before encasing most of his body in a dark crystal.

The Storm enveloped Null, retreating back into his body, trying to shatter the crystal, and free him. With the last of the Storm entering his body, Null witnessed Mira floating before him, the rage festering behind her burning yellow eyes. Mira took hold of Null's helm, her markings searing with magic, causing her hands to become engulfed in black flames that spread across his head. Null muffled cries of anguish brought a horrific smile of pleasure to Mira. Her shadow magic cocooned around his helm, encasing the rest of his body in the dark crystal, pulling her hands from his face she floated back a ways.

Holding her arms out at her sides, Mira was drawing out large amounts of her magic, her stardust like hair being thrown about while her body excreted black flames. With a shriek vibrant beam of neon green light erupted from Mira’s hands, slicing straight through the castle walls. Swinging her arms down the beams sliced through the whole of the castle and straight through the ground.

From the outside of Castle Naught the sounds of grinding rocks could be heard, the beating of blocks falling against one another, before the castle broke from the cliff face. Down it fell into the abyss, the castle breaking upon itself as it fell, with a sea of black sand rushing after it.

Mira was breathing hard, having used a considerable amount of power to manage such an attack, and stared down into the abyss hearing the echoes of the collapsing castle rise from the darkness. The whole of the world shook for a moment, giving Mira cause to back away from the ledge. A roar swelled from the abyss and with it a low but increasing rumble was felt throughout the land. Flying from the ledge, Mira soared out from what remained of the castle, trying to put as much distance from the cliff face and herself. With the roar growing in volume, the rumble becoming a quake that rocked the land of its stillness, Mira turned to see what she was returning.

From the edge of the cliff face the Storm exploded into view like a geyser that spanned the entire edge of the abyss shooting miles into the air. It encompassed the whole of the sky, billowing, twisting, churning; it ran along the cliff side dwarfing Mira to a speck. Like a wave it began to crest, thunder roaring, streaks of lightning breaking across the clouds, the winds howling and groaning from its power. Mira held up her arms blocking the sandstorm the black sand was creating, battling the haze of coarse darkness that was being chased away by the Storm. Soon the sand had passed, the miles wide Storm bearing down on her, Mira turned to flee knowing she wouldn't get far.

Groaning from the Storm grew louder, its destructive path shaking the very world itself. Mira turned to see large masses of shadows stirring with the Storm every time a bolt of lightning cut across it. From the clouds chunks of the broken castle were being hurled towards her. Massive pieces of stone struck near her, the force knocking her flight, breaking up the ground, showering her with debris.

Reaching near the center of the fields Mira turned to face the oncoming storm. Letting herself drop to the ground Mira slammed her palms upon the retreating black sand as magical runes circled out from her. The runes splintered, age old magical ciphers spun around her, the circles expanding wider and larger. Mira's dark aura was brimming from her, black flames pouring from her hands across the runes, small streaks of her blood trickled from the corners of her mouth.

The black sand that blanketed the fields of Ouoroboros were being blown back. The tops of two obelisks appeared from the receding sand, its neon green markings were beginning to pulse. Mira's own markings mirrored the obelisk's pulse, concentrating her power into her attempt to open all four portals to tear the storm from Null. With her eyes suddenly burning with yellow light, Mira twisted her hands, turning the magical ciphers as they started to spin like the inner workings of a clock.

"I'm sorry, Smolder." Mira whispered.

From the base of the storm a sudden implosion lanced out in Mira's direction, Null flew with tremendous speed, carving through the fields, catching Mira by surprise. Mira felt Null's foot collide with her chest, driving her deep into the sand before she was buried completely under his heel. With her connection broken from the ritual, the magical ciphers slowed their spin, sparking with black bolts of lightning. The exposed Obelisks reacted in a similar fashion, crackling with energy, discharging bolts of black lightning before stopping altogether and as the ciphers finally faded from view. The Storm dropped upon them, like a wave crashing down upon the shoreline, its thunderous roar echoing across the fields. Its impact nearly shattered the land open, it shook the very world to its core, washing over the fields like a mist.

Null emerged from the top of the storm, floating slowly into the air, looking down into the ocean of the storm that lay before him, flecks of husk hide slowly tearing away. A sudden mass within the Storm began to mound, the clouds rolled over attempting to hold it back but the mass continued to rise. Streaks of yellow light breached the clouds, the mass swelled like a boil before it tore itself open revealing Azimuth leaping up through the storm at Null with her hand outstretched. Azimuth’s hand closed around Null, grasping him firmly within her fist, before falling back to the ground and landing on all fours. The storm clouds wrapped itself over her limbs, attempting to bring Azimuth down. With her free hand, Azimuth swiped the Storm with such force that it dissipated from the force of the breeze she generated. Driving her closed fist into the ground caused the fields to explode throwing massive rocks high into the air while black sand poured into the crevasses and clouded the air with dust. Raising her fist Azimuth opened her hand to find the crushed body of Null with her palm, closing her fist tightly she threw him hard onto the ground before lifting her foot to stomp him flat.

The world shook from each drive of Azimuth’s foot being brought down upon Null. Mira's voice was amplified by Azimuth's size, yet all she could muster were crazed grunts of exhaustion trying to obliterate him. Azimuth's yellow eyes were quickly beginning to fade, her strikes were weakening, imitating the ragged breaths Mira had. Weakly raising her arms high over her head, Azimuth clenched her fists preparing to deliver one final blow to Null. With a shriek Azimuth brought her fists down, the impact sent a mile long crack throughout the fields of Ouroboros causing millions of tons of sand to fall through. Stumbling backwards, nearly falling off balance, Azimuth's arms dropped to her sides with Mira's labored breathing echoing across the kingdom.

From the shattered ground the Storm began to rise like smoke, Azimuth dropped to her knees, Mira no longer able to generate the power needed to sustain her link. Lightning broke across the storm clouds, gathering high over her head, the violent intensity of the Storm being perpetuated by the rolling thunder. The storm clouds dove towards her, driving itself into the mouth, eyes, nose, and ears of Azimuth. It bore into her, Azimuth's face beginning to split, large gashes forming across her body as parts of the Storm expelled from them. Azimuth was being torn to shreds from the inside out, her body slowly being eaten away by the Storm. The Eternal Master’s body withered away, dissolving within the clouds of the Storm, until only Mira remained collapsed upon the sand.

Mira's stardust like hair was a pale blue, her eyes a soft yellow, and her markings a washed out green. Her power was spent, having nothing left in reserve, feeling the cold black sand between her fingers knowing that her time had come. The sand quickly rushed from her fingers, the Storm thundering up above, as Null descended down to her. His fractured helm searing a fiery red, his husk like body slowly tearing itself away, and yet it Null stood motionless before her. Mira rose to her feet, grinding her teeth in anger.

“I’m not… finished.”

With a weak thrust of her arm, Mira could not produce enough power to cast any of her magic, only succeeding in falling before Null once more. Mira could feel the sand shifting closer to her, she glanced up seeing Null walking towards her and she knew that she had nothing left to defend herself. The sound of tearing could be heard from Null's husk body, his steps beside Mira before stepping past her and continuing on. Lifting her head from the ground, Mira looked back towards him, watching him walk across the field towards something further out. Null continued to walk, the storm raging above them, slowly inching its way with him before stopping in the distance. Mira watched Null kneel for a moment, it was confusing to her what he was doing, until a sudden fear gripped her heart at what was hidden beneath the sand: the Obelisks.

Digging her hands into the sand, Mira dragged herself across the ground, trying to get her feet under her so that she could run. Null bolted up, whipping his head towards Mira, holding up his hand the storm descended upon her. The storm rushed towards Null, enveloping him while passing through, before clearing Null and leaving Mira clutched by the throat in his hand. Her hands helplessly gripped Null's arm, weakly trying to fend him off, feeling her hands slip off, and choking for breath.

"Something has been stirring in the darkness. The flame ponies, the dragon, and it all revolves around you.” Null spoke. “There is life beyond our own, beyond this realm, and you’ve hidden it from me.”

Tossing Mira down onto the ground, Null gripped the back of her head and slammed her face into the sand before the exposed points of the Obelisks.

“Open it.”

There was no attempt by Mira to escape, not a finger lifted in the attempt to open the portal, but just her tensing body waiting for the next painful blow she'd receive from him. Lifting Mira up by the head, he held her out before the exposed Obelisks. Taking notice of her faded colors, Null could see that her power had diminished, and that the portal would require more than what she could provide.

"Call to the flame pony."

Mira reached up, taking hold of Null's fingers and began to try to weakly pry them from her head. Refusing to do what he commanded of her. Watching her resist him, even in her diminished state, only caused the storm to rage about them in Null's anger.

“The last flame pony appeared after hearing your screams.” Null’s grip tightened, squeezing Mira’s head causing her to shriek in pain, clawing at his fingers for him to let go. “Let’s see how long this one takes to save you.”

Mira shrieked and screamed, tears rolling down the sides of her face trying helplessly to free herself. Null looked around seeing not so much of a speck of light and it only angered him. Null held out his free hand, his husk like fingers beginning to wrap themselves tighter to form long fiery needles that flaked with pieces of ember.

“I will not be denied my destiny!”

He centered one of the needles at the center of Mira’s back, slowly piercing her skin, and earning a wealth of screams from her. Mira gripped his hand, helplessly trying to keep him from digging any further. Null drove the needle in, causing Mira to cry out, sending her shrieks echoing across the fields. Null raised another long needle to her, pressing it upon her back, but felt the sand beneath him begin to shift. Several yards away a sudden torrent of fire exploded from the sand and sailed high up into the sky. Another cyclone burst forth, then another and another before pillars of fire littered the area. From beneath him a flash of fire seared across the sand, an explosion of fire consumed Null, throwing him high up into the air from the sudden impact. Null screeched in pain, the fire setting him ablaze as Mira slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground. The Storm shuddered in pain, twisting itself after Null, unable to help him from the fire that burned it so.

Mira felt herself falling, landing on something firm yet rather familiar, there was a warmth to it, a heartbeat that raced wildly. Null was thrown from the fire, dropping from the air and colliding hard into the sand below. Immediately the Storm dove to him, surrounding him, flourishing in its power as Null got to its feet slowly. Part of its husk body were slowly reforming, shreds of paper like skin slowly reattaching themselves before Null turned to the bright ball of fire standing several yards away.

"Flame pony..." Null hissed.

Mira's eyes barely opened, the yellow and red fire of Smolder's flames surrounded her, she could see his wings raised for her protection. It felt like a knife stabbing her in the heart.

"...why..." Mira whispered.

"You're my friend, Mira." I said to her. "And I made you a promise."

I could feel Mira's hand weakly gripping my side. She was weak, injured, and I knew I needed to get her someplace safe to help her, but the one called Null gazed at me with such a lifeless stare. It felt hollow, empty, and above all else it appeared to be hungry. Null began to walk towards me, the Storm roaring in its challenge, but I stood my ground it.

"You have something of mine, flame pony." Null's raspy voice hissed.

"I am Smolder, King of the Ashen Fields, and you will not touch her again!"

Comments

[Stellar_]

Aw yus, two chapters in a day? A wonderful christmas present :D

[Night_Striker]

well this just got most intresting i wonder how this juke out will trun out and will smolder fahter save him? that would be an plot twist