46. Last Raindrops

Brooke didn't let her fear hinder her when she faced the Wilderness, saved Yoko and the princess, and dared to love Shawn despite her past, she wouln't let it hinder her now.

            Brooke and Meredith made it atop of the battlements where they saw all of Alagracia- its hills, valleys, oceans, the rural side, the urban community, parts of the market, the buildings and plains and mountains in the break line. The storm rushed the evening to begin. Neither sun nor moon showed itself amid the sky, only dark clouds. The king’s robe flapped in the wind that flowed violently. “So, you are keeper of the Celestial Command now that I look at you more closely,” he announced. “I can always tell its faint aura hidden to anyone’s eyes, but those of great power.” Meredith shot her magic, but the light faded before it touched Victor. “Rain must have suffered under the hands of my bounty hunters, she-”

Brooke had enough of his talking and charged after him. He knocked her back with the sweep of his hand. This was magic she was up against and she didn’t face magic users often. She did possess magic of her own, but knew not how to use it. She cursed her position. She wanted to use the power; she needed the power now. She lifted her hands and wished they would show that golden, mesmerizing color it once showed her. “I will take what rightfully belongs to me!” His hand glowed and he pointed it towards the lain out Brooke. Meredith blasted him off his feet and he grunted. She released large balls of light at Victor, but he stood and dodged them. Brooke grasped her sword. She followed him with her eyes, then slid in front of him with her foot, and attempted to bring her sword to his face. He kicked her back and pushed himself away. He shot Brooke and she felt her body burn, throbbing in a hurting sensation. Meredith punched Victor in the face and he retaliated by kicking her in the stomach and shoving her. She flipped backwards and landed on her feet. She swallowed and charged at him, lifting her legs to kick. Victor blocked each one. She attempted to punch him once again in the face, but he caught it and twisted her arm.

The throbbing that surrounded Brooke did not subside. She gripped the handle of her sword, holding onto as if it were her lifeline. She watched Meredith yelp in pain and bring her arm against his arm to break his grip on her. Brooke had to join, but her body hurt so much. She fought the pain, stood, and charged at the king. She got him in the side, but then he hit her back down.

Meredith scooted away, shaking her arm. She had to use more of her power. Light simmered around her, brightening the air around her. Her hair wisped in the wind and her violet irises disappeared. Two lightening bolts crossed one another and thunder clapped. Meredith was so powerful. If the Celestial Command was better than that, she could only imagine what it could do and why Victor would seek it. Meredith charged at Victor with the speed of lightening. Brooke’s eyes moved too slowly for her to follow accurately, but the next thing she knew, Victor laid on the ground, panting and bleeding from his cheek. He rose to his knees and breathed. He stood and Meredith attacked again. He caught her this time, and they met hand to hand. Meredith began to bend his wrists. He attempted to kick her, but she knocked him back down. He smirked, wiping blood falling from his mouth. “So, it was you who possessed the power of your true family?” He spat blood. “I came here not only to follow Rain, but because there was opportunity.” Meredith charged at him. He created a wall of light. She leapt over it and positioned herself to punch him. He rolled over and she swung at him. He blocked this time. “Your bloodline possessed grand power. I just had to find out who had it. Shahana didn’t and when she poked around too much, she had to go. Your sister didn’t have it, otherwise, I would have it, but you, my oldest girl bore the family’s treasure.”

 Meredith shot a shimmering blast at him, but he dodged it. She hated hearing the connection she shared with him. She imagined her mother falling out before her eyes, crying, sulking, and wondering why and how. An outsider, someone who didn’t belong here, poisoned her. Then, her sister, her sister suffered for the desire of what? Of power? Why? She wanted to speed up, rip his heart out, cut his throat, but she felt hesitation in her movements. Did she really want to kill him?

Brooke saw no way to enter this battle. It was between Meredith and her father. The pain faded away and Brooke cracked her knuckles. She watched and waited for any way she could aid Meredith. A rainbow of light displayed within the sky and air. Meredith and Victor collided against one another. Victor could feel the hesitation within her and he knew it to his avail. If she wanted to, Meredith could have killed him a couple of times. She was internally fighting with herself. She swung and he moved to the side. He dug his fist into her stomach and she crouched before him as if to bow. He laughed and blasted her with his own magic, sending her flying against one of the battlements.

Brooke lifted her sword, but it was too late. Victor shot some red light at her. Meredith released a scream and Brooke recognized it. She remembered Desdemonia’s circus and how much agony they caused her. It was the same now. Brooke tried to stop it by swinging her sword, but Victor ducked and flipped backwards. Meredith passed out, the light vanishing from her. Brooke ran towards the injured princess. She shook her, but she didn’t move. She checked her pulse and it was low. What had he done to her? She turned to him and saw Meredith’s light disappearing into him. “What did you do?” Brooke asked.

“Why don’t I show you?” Victor’s irises vanished and the light that once circulated Meredith’s body now circulated his body.

This was bad. Brooke felt a sense of dread settle on her. How was she supposed to fight that if she couldn’t fight him in regular form? He now possessed double the power. What if he blasted her? Would it kill her? There her doubt returned. She realized the doubt overtaking her. She was scared. Scared like entering the Wilderness scared. Scared like failure scared. Scared like rejection scared. She glanced at her sword, the blackness of the blade. It looked pretty, but what could it do for her? She sat there frozen in her fear. She looked at Meredith’s unconscious body. What would happen to her? Her pulse didn’t seem very lively. She hoped she wouldn’t die. No, she can’t die. They’ve been through so much. She’s survived so much. She can’t die. She can’t die. Brooke repeated in her head. She saw everything she feared in Victor. He sauntered over to her, taking each step slow, just like his bounty hunter. Her stomach went restless and she didn’t know what to do. Swing her sword? He’d just block it. Kick, punch, scratch, bite? No, it all seemed so pointless. She was going to die here. She’ll just accept it now. That meant she failed her princess, failed Master Guardian Kirin, failed Rogue, failed Shawn, failed her father, and even her mother. No wonder she didn’t make it into the academy. She was just a gigantic failure.

Brooke mashed her lips together. She took a deep breath before Victor grabbed her by her throat, holding her up and making her drop her sword. A big simper showed unto his luminous face. She closed her eyes. Brooke swung her body and used both her feet to kick him in the chest, catching him by surprise. Victor created a sword out of magic.

Brooke took up her sword and stood in basic stance. She faced Desdemonia’s Wilderness for her princess. She protected the princess without dying; she protected Yoko and many others without dying. She dared to love Shawn despite her past. All of that took confidence and belief within herself to do. She didn’t let her fear hinder her then; she wouldn’t let it now. She didn’t need power to do that, and she didn’t need it now. If she could do all that, she could certainly handle a power hungry king.

Raindrops dripped on Brooke’s head and it poured. She rolled her shoulders and loosened her grasp on the handle of her sword. She had to relax. Brooke charged at the king and their swords clashed. The pressure of his magic fought against her. She grunted and skewed their swords, turning her waist to the left so he didn’t punch her. She deflected using all the speed she had. He slashed her with the sword multiple times. Her body throbbed, but the pain was familiar. The lashings she received when she was in the cell prepared her for this. She endured that; she could endure this as well.

Victor groaned and a bright light blinded Brooke. She stepped aside to avoid his blade jabbing into her stomach. She cut the side of his arm and the other side of his cheek. A piece of his hair fluttered to the ground and he shot at her, angry. She fled, dodging the shots. She felt herself tiring. No not now.

Brooke suddenly heard gunshots. She looked and saw it was Master Guardian Kirin who had finished the remaining guardians. Victor felt the wound he received from the gun and frowned at the blood on his fingers. He turned to the elfin woman and smirked. He shot at her and she dodged the blast. She continued to shoot Victor, but he didn’t die, or show any signs of hurt. Meredith’s power. She glanced at the princess. Please, hang in there.

Master Guardian Kirin took out her dagger instead, tucking away her revolvers. Brooke and Master Guardian Kirin attacked the king in a series of barrage attacks. Victor screamed and a light circulated him, pushing Master Guardian Kirin and Brooke back. Master Guardian Kirin charged at him. Meredith mumbled and fluttered her eyes open. Brooke rushed to her princess who had awoken. She was alive, barely. She coughed and observed the battle. She grinned. “Good, you’re not dead.”

“That’s my line.”

Meredith looked at her father, using her power, or what he took at least. She squinted and said, “I have an idea, but you have to trust me, trust me like you’ve never trusted someone in your life.”

“Uh?” Brooke shook her head. “What are you talking about?”

“Brooklyn, you aren’t alone in this, understand, say you trust me without questions,” Meredith demanded.

“How can you direct me in your condition?”

“Brooklyn!”

Brooke glanced from Meredith’s intense gaze to the battle. She didn’t want anything to happen to Meredith or for her to do something reckless as she loved to do. She was right, though. Brooke wasn’t alone here. All her life, she chose not to trust or get close to anyone, afraid they would hinder her focus. She had grown from that. She nodded. “Help me up.” Brooke obeyed and helped the princess to her feet. “You will take Victor down by air.”

“Yeah with my invisible wings.”

Meredith scowled. “Using the little of my power.”

“But-”

“You stopped part of the exchange,” Meredith answered wearily. “Charge towards him, sword raised, kay, and jump, I will boost you up.”

“Um?”

“Stop doubting me!” she yelled in exasperation. Brooke nodded quickly. She swallowed and spun her sword. She sighed and charged at Victor. She leaped, Meredith shot a blast at Brooke, and the magic formed as a wall, pushing her. Brooke prepared her sword.

Master Guardian Kirin stabbed Victor in the chest, stepped aside, leaving it there. He tried to take it out. Brooke cut the king in half. Brooke slipped and fell in his blood. Meredith yelped at the horrible sight. She didn’t want to face what it meant for her. Her entire family was gone. Meredith’s power returned to her body and she felt fully restored. Brooke and Master Guardian shook hands. Brooke placed a hand on Meredith’s shoulder. “You gonna be okay there, buddy?”

Meredith smiled. “Go to your father.” She turned to Master Guardian Kirin. “Direct her, please, I will…I don’t know, I just know I want to be alone.”

The master guardian nodded and led Brooke to the dungeons. She opened one of the cells and brought her father out of there. Brooke wanted to cry. Her father’s jumpsuit clung to his skin, stained with blood and his eyes were black and purple with abuse. He leaned heavily on Master Guardian Kirin, almost as if he were crippled. “Dad?” she called.

“Brooklyn?” He grunted and struggled to lift his head. She clenched her fists as he stumbled over to her. Her father hugged her and she felt lash wounds through his jumpsuit, deep and wet. He was broken, broken beyond identity, yet he recognized Brooke, his only daughter who he loved dearly. She finally felt it through the tears dripping down her back as he cried. Brooke couldn’t hold it. She started crying. “I love you, Brooklyn.”

“I love you too, Dad.” The reunited father and daughter cried on each other’s shoulder, just happy each other was alive.

 

Author's Note

Dear Reader,

Tell me what you think of the illuminating moments of this piece.

Thanks for reading!

Sincerely JazzSoulKeke,

God bless