Riko panted heavily, dropping to a single knee, her cobalt short sword falling from her hand. Her arms, clad as if wings from a swallow, began to tremble, feathers spreading from her wounds. “Heh… to think I would be so hard pressed by an Oracle.”
“You know much and more, far more than you should, apprentice of the Fujiwara Clan. But not enough to know that I came prepared.” Cecilia relaxed her stance, silver staff held upright and loosely in her left hand.
“I know enough to take you down, Conductor”, Riko spat back, though stumbled down to her knees yet again upon trying to stand. As she coughed, Rio stood up in front of her.
“That’s enough. You’ve had your turn, so… let me have mine.”
“Rio?! You can’t! If I could not, then–“
Their words were cut off as Cecilia began to sway where she stood, holding her head for a moment before collapsing to the ground, screaming in agony.
‘No… not now!’, she thought. ‘This was… not supposed to happen yet! Not until… I defeated their…’
Velare felt his very soul pulled through the swirling mist of memories’ draining, pulled through the maelstrom of the boundary of life and death, the waking and slumber. Voices, an unending cacophony of amelodic voices screaming from every direction, within and without. Memories he should not have ever had, stolen thoughts and decisions through time, the branching of choices dictating actions that never had a chance to exist. Falling. Velare felt himself falling, further and further down, his soul in free-fall, faster, plunging ever more downward, and–
Cecilia’s eyes shot open, two confused twins standing at the ready, one with sword in hand, the other, twin crossbows. Yet neither attacked. “…Something changed out there, didn’t it? From your original vision?”
The Oracle said nothing in response, though the uncharacteristic nervousness and paleness of her face spoke volumes through her silence.
Rio was the first to break the silence. “We must play out our roles, Riko. There is no need to deviate from the script now.”
“I agree, Rio. If Kiwa-chan were to learn about this…” Riko shook her head. “I apologize, sister, but we must skip your solo performance for now.”
Cecilia closed her eyes, her breathing returning to normal. “You needn’t alter the events of this place for my sake. We have time. Not as much as I would like, but we have time.”
Rio and Riko shook their heads, their hands held together as both stared into Cecilia’s eyes. “No, Oracle. Disappointing as this is for us”, Rio continued, “this is for the best. Rip the bandage off in one clean pull, as they say.”
“Come, Hazel!”, Riko cried out as energy gathered between the two of them. “Miracle Hill needs her savior once more!”
Mitakihara Original 