Tidal Florette - A Painted Soul I

Yumi - 38

Nox please stop this... just let us go back... Yumi keeps her eyes on Jin as she hurries to Sapha, pulling her close and taking her hand. Sapha squeezes so hard Yumi's worried hand might shatter like porcelain.

Jin keeps moving towards them so slow it's difficult to perceive her closing the distance. "How dare you show your face here? After you just sat there watching me die like a coward."

Yumi feels anxiety rushing through her and pulling her awareness from her body, but she looks down at Sapha and pushes herself to act. Just enough to lift her head and look into her eyes. "I have to get you out of here... But you're going to have to let me in..."

Sapha growls through what sounds like gritted teeth behind her mask. "I told you... to ke..."

"No! Fucking stop and let me help you before I lose you! Don't you believe in me? Isn't that why you brought me here inst..."

"Do NOT ignore me, you traitor!" Jin's voice roars as though hundreds scream through it.

Yumi knows Jin is only getting closer. "Sapha please! ...please just trust me."

Sapha strains to speak before managing a nod. Yumi's eyes spark with flashes of lightning as they glow bright enough it illuminates inside Sapha's hood. Desperately searching her mind, Yumi's consciousness is consumed by an overwhelming vision of the blackest flames.

No... not flames... they dance like flames... they hunger like flames.... But they are shadows... they're... alive... but more than that... they're all her... this is just her own soul turning on itself... but why... "What are you?"

"We remember."

Yumi feels like she's running after the shadows, deeper and deeper. She realizes she's in pain, but she doesn't care. "Why are you hurting her!?"

"She has chosen. We are weakness. We are death."

A raging pain burns through her body, but Yumi keeps pressing forward until she feels as though she's floating within a new darkness, far darker than the burning shadows. Waves of guilt and fury rush through her and she lets herself just dwell in the dark. She's sure of it, these echoes of emotion are at the core of Sapha's being. "I'm here now... Let me share the pain... We can remember, together..."

Yumi's awareness is pulled from the vision by a shriek.

"You left our people to DIE!" Jin has closed the distance and is already bringing her sword down with a slash at Yumi.

"Mother no!" Yumi reaches for her katana in a rush to try and deflect, her eyes closed from knowing she's not fast enough.

But there is no slash, only a warbling blast and then Yumi feels the furious burn through her again. Opening her eyes, Jin was thrown back to the dojo steps and is getting up slowly with her robe singed.

Pitch black flames eat away at the cloth, emanating from a dagger in her shoulder.

Looking to Sapha, she's still trying to catch her breath. "I don't know what you did... but the pain is gone. And... I don't know how I just did that."

Yumi throws her arms around Sapha, who tries to struggle away, but Yumi's grip is too tight. "You're going to be okay!"

Sapha resigns with a sigh. "Okay, whatever, just let me go and let's get the hell out of here."

Jin tears the dagger from her shoulder and throws it aside. "I'm not letting you leave until you pay for failing me!"

Yumi lets Sapha go and looks away. "I can't do this... I can't fight her..."