Elegy: Lost Shadow

Kano opened his eyes as he stared at the dark sky, his body was floating on the water that surrounded him. "What happened?"

The duality that is, the fire and lightning art got to you. Never throughout all my existence did I ever expect you to dive into literal flames and lightning just to protect someone else. They almost killed you.

    "Did they make it out okay?" The black and blue fog-like aura materialized above him before it responded.

They did. I would not have let you attempt something so reckless otherwise. On a side note, why did you attempt what you did? It took me by storm when you grabbed that stripe and forcibly pulled it from your skull. Did you think not about the consequences?

     "Right, I think that I can remember that a bit. You were trying to show me something. You were trying to dig up my memories and I didn't get why but I remembered something. I don't know what exactly it was but, as soon as I saw it, I thought as if I shouldn't be lying down no matter what.

      I got up with only one thought in mind. Anemone…I will protect you, because you have become my zero. That was all I thought, next thing I knew, I had sliced through the flames using the shifting tide variant of my discordant torrent. I am really grateful by the way, you indulged me. I am pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to stand, let alone move without your help."

      Am I to assume that you saw them, the memories of your other half? Judging from the wave of emotions that I absorbed from you, I suppose you did. The only downside is that it seems as though you re-sealed them. Pulling that stripe away so forcefully must have scrambled them. No matter, as long as you can still hear my voice, they will return in due time.

     With regards to the aid I lent, it wasn't free. I was only fulfilling the terms of our agreement.

    "Right, you exist only as a tool to me as much as I exist as nourishment to you."

Precisely. I need you to exist. My existence is incomplete and through you it finds some sort of purpose. It has, since the first day that you absorbed me into yourself. So think not of it. Accept it for what it is.

     "Still, I want to know. How much did strengthening my body really cost? Even though I don't know much about you, I can tell that doing that made you immaterial. You are just fog again unlike before. So I need you to tell me how I can help you. How can I help you replenish yourself."

It dematerialized before it materialized floating over the water next to him.

      I need you to feel. The stronger the feelings, the more power I will regain. However, by feel, I am not implying that you are entitled to experience any emotion. The moment I sense fear on account of another, your life is forfeit. I will consume you myself down to the last fibre of your being. Your body…as well as your soul.

  "That's quite the price. I am not surprised though, I think I remember you told me the exact the same thing but you haven't tried to eat me yet so I am grateful. Do you mind if I ask you something though?"

    You needn't ask, your will is absolute to me.

"Is it my imagination or does your voice actually sound like that of a girl. No scratch that, it actually does. It usually sounds deep and menacing so I was wondering what was up."

    I changed it. I thought that you would appreciate it being the way. Was I wrong, should I switch it back? I have no form of my own but I can be anything you wish me to be as long as I have absorbed something matching said form.

   "No..no…no, I don't mind. How about we play a game?"

A game?

"Yeah, let's see who can accurately guess when I will wake up, okay?"

....

    The battle concluded in one of the most unsatisfactory ways. Kano, the little boy and I all suffered injuries though Kano's injuries were several degrees worse. We found his body floating in the hot spring and soon after, I passed out. Apparently, Walter and seekers' guardian had to bring us back to the village. I am actually starting to wonder what he was doing there? I was under the impression that defending the village was his whole role in all of this. Two days after the battle concluded, I finally woke up.

     Anemone opened her eyes only to see an unfamiliar ceiling. Its grey plain surface didn't ring a bell "It looks like you are the first to wake up."

   She sat up before she looked to her side. There, she saw Asa. The Kingdom's most renowned healer as well as her mother's former co-worker. In fact, he worked under her when she was still the chief of her own research division.

    "Oh, good morning uncle, since when do you look so grey? In fact, why does this whole room look grey."

      He sighed before he said, "You used your prime visualization unique ability again, didn't you?"

"I did. I am sorry. I saw no other option so I used it because my wind arts weren't enough. I tried both physical and non physical magic and it all amounted to nothing."

     He patted her head before he said, "I am not mad because you used the ability itself. Your body may be too frail to withstand its devastating effects but you have good control so I don't have to worry. I am just wondering why you infused it into your eyes.

     I am sure that you have realize it by now but that ability grants you divine authority, enough for you alter magic itself, but it feeds on the life of your cells. Unlike the rest of your body, your eyes don't have the same privilege of cell regeneration. Your sight will degrade the more you do that.

    In fact, you have lost the ability to see color. Your world will forever exist in black and white."

      She smiled as she said, "I guess that's why everything appears grey to me. I will be careful from now on, okay."

"Doesn't it bother you?"

    "It does, but I can still read just fine so I am sure I will be fine. It's not like I rely on color identification for anything. I mean my Remnant chaos only gives me two colors to begin with. So I am used to seeing a monochromatic world. I just don't want to regret what I did. The last color I saw was blue, after all."

     "What does the last color you saw have to do with anything?"

     "Nothing, never mind that I said that. How are the others doing by the way?"

Asa sighed before he began his somewhat lengthy report. "That silver eyed individual, what's his name again…Walter, right? Yeah. He wasn't injured in anyway so no treatment was ever administered. I am wondering if he actually participated in that fight or not. He looked way too healthy when he came here that night.

    Then there was that little boy, I was never told his name but apparently he just tore a few of his muscles. That's probably because he used some form of physical magic overdrive technique. I examined what concept it was, and apparently, he is a beastling concept user. That is, his body can mimic the properties of animals or beasts when they are burnt in his flames. I was able to heal him quickly since his allergen factor was so weak that I could consider it inexistent. He hasn't woken up though. Must be the fatigue.

     Thirdly, the boy who was brought in shirtless, Kano was his name I think….he had the shortest straw of all of you. He had severe internal bleeding, torn muscles, several minor fractures and his left elbow was broken. He suffered from burns too. That's only the gist of it. My only question is what was he doing for him to get that severely injured."

  She looked down as thought, Was is it because he was trying to protect me? "So what did you do?"

     "Naturally, I healed him. As much of him as I could heal without triggering his allergen factor anyway. Still , his body hasn't healed fully though. I highly doubt he will be able to take part in the second part of the knight's trial. I would suggest he should withdraw, his body has been broken down beyond measure as things stand."

     "I am sorry, but he isn't going to withdraw…"

"What are you saying? Do you not care what happens to hi…" As he spoke, she suddenly interrupted him. 

"I will protect him….he won't have to withdraw if I can keep him safe. There is no guarantee that he will ever get a chance such as this one because no one can apply to be a knight. You are just chosen end of story.

   If he missed a chance such as this one," All because of me, "There is no telling when or whether another chance such as this one will show."

    "What of you?" Asa asked, "Your body doesn't do too well with your abilities. You will be as vulnerable as he is."

 She smiled before she said, "I won't deny that but I will still as much as I can."

      Asa sighed before he stood up. He had given up since he had no idea of how to convince her on exactly how dumb that was. If anything, he knew that she realized that. After all, she was a genius in her own right.

     "One question uncle. If they arrived here later that night, how did Kano survive until then. From the way you spoke about his condition, I would expect him to not survive for more than hour and that's even pushing it. So, how did he do it?"

     "It was Crystalis. He used a form of advanced Crystalis application to reinforce his body. How can I put this properly? Ummm….. all the severe wounds he had were stitched up by Crystalis thread which he must have created as a last ditch effort. He minimized bleeding and kept his muscles packed together as they would be in a normal person. As a result, he was able to lengthen his life.

    Just a nagging suspicion, I don't think that Crystalis came from him. He was unconscious so there was no possible way he could have formulated and maintained something so advanced. Chances are, it was a product of an external entity. A familiar of sorts."

     "Thank you for telling me. You are the best analyst I have ever heard from so at least I know he will be okay if he does get a little hurt."

He replied before he left, "I see that you have already started putting that brain to good use."

   "Only a little." As soon as he left the room, she relaxed before she began crying.