Awakening
Page 232
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I have completed my mission. I found my place in life. I was created to serve my Father, and now, in death, I will help him to accomplish his goals. I have a past now, and although I no longer have a future, It is alright. My life has been short, but it has been full.
Waking up in that strange place, meeting Barsch... I was so lost back then. I did not know who or what I was... but he did not care. Meeting Kingston was interesting, although I don't think he ever really accepted me. Perhaps it was because he knew who I really was? But still, listening to him tell stories of the past... was enjoyable. And maybe, just maybe, I was a little bit envious of his vast number of memories.
Travelling together with them was a challenge. I could never figure out what they were going to do next. Climbing mountains, wandering through the forest, facing that re-mech... I could barely keep up. And then, just when I thought I had them figured out, they extended a hand of friendship to something that had tried to kill them. Maloch. Oh how I misjudged him.
When we first met, I thought of him as nothing more than a mindless drone, but his quick-thinking and unending loyalty surprised me. And when I leant about his goal to be free, I could not help but feel awed by his dream. Being separated in the desert... was excruciating... even though I could have finally been rid of them... I found that I simply could not leave until I knew that they were okay.
Meeting Ion opened my eyes to the wonders of this world, and made me aware of just how powerless I was. And from then on, things became far more chaotic. Tracking down the madman, facing down that wolf, desperately trying to heal Barsch, travelling through that ç'aether filled cave... our troubles never ended... but... I wasn't unhappy.
And truthfully, when I met Father and Brother... I could only wish for one thing... that we had never found them... and that our journey could continue... just a little bit longer... But all of that is over... my journey is complete. I have fulfilled my purpose, and I am no longer needed... not by anyone... not by him...
The memories... my memories... are so clear now. They swill around me, here, in the void. Crossing the Desert brushes past Weathering the Storm, which in turn is pushed aside by The ç'aether Maze... so many memories... so many dreams... and now, as I face the end, there is only one memory that I want to hold on to. Even if it is my last, I want to hold on to it. On that day, in that place, where everything began. It is my most important memory, and it is floating to me. I reach out to it, and embrace it, as his voice rings out in my mind...
I WILL PROTECT YOU!
Barsch's scream moved like lightning through Alza's mind, igniting the memories within. The blaze filled the void in seconds, consuming Alza in a warm, bright light. In that instant, the power that dwelt within her was fully awakened, and for one, brief moment, Alza was overwhelmed with a strong desire to live. The desire resonated with the power, with each one strengthening the other, until Alza felt as if she would burst.
In her mind, in the minuscule area that had not been overcome by the raging power, lay but one thought, “My friends are in danger!” This thought slowly grew, forcing the power back, moulding it into a now-familiar shape. She tried to recall how it had looked before, when she had used her power to create a bubble of energy that had protected her on so many occasions. Focusing her might, she gathered her memories of her journey together, using them as fuel for the ever-growing flame.
Unbeknownst to her, just outside, Dr Emmerfield was panicking. The machines had long since stopped trying to interpret what was happening inside the pods, and now simply read, “Error. Error. Structural Failure Imminent.”
Alza, still asleep inside the pod, was now surrounded by a corona of light, which pulsed and writhed. Her eyes were open -although they were blank- and were glowing with a radiant violet light.
“What are you doing! Daughter, stop this at once!” yelled the madman, as he pounded on the hardened glass. But his words could not penetrate the thick outer shell.
Inside Alza's mind, the power, while still massive, had finally come under her control. With Barsch's words and her desire to save the others still firmly in her mind, she called out to the power. With an assurance that she had never before felt, she commanded it, “I want to be free!” And a second later, the power made her wish come true.
The corona of energy around Alza quickly coalesced into a tangible surface, which curved away from her to form a bubble. The bubble grew with an unbelievable speed, until it had reached the constricting edge of the glass. However, instead of stopping, the bubble, and Alza, pressed through. With enough kinetic energy to throw an elephant clear across a field, the glass of the pod exploded outward.