God Eater: Shattered Dawn

Chapter 23: A true name

I used to love this song. Then I listened to it too many times. *sigh*

To Joshua-kun, because he suggested the setting. And he's cool. And yes, he did get two chapter mentions...gomen...

Lupa's POV

I was up bright and early the next day, having had a good nights sleep, so after checking when my missions were, I went visiting the weapons lookerafterer.

Licca was in high spirits, telling me she'd gotten a pay rise. "Awesome!" I high fived her, and we chatted about weapons for a bit. Then Sakuya turned up, running.

She grabbed my arm, waving to Licca as she pulled me out of the room, keeping the same insanely fast speed all the way back to reception.

"Uh Sakuya, you okay?" Lindow was puzzled, as was I.

Sakuya collapsed onto the floor, trying to catch her breath. Me and Lindow exchanged an "...okay..." look.

Soma turned up too, probably because of the noise. "Jack." she gasped. "He's been sighted by the defense squad."

I didn't need to hear anything else. I rushed to ask Hibari where he was seen before getting a copter. I was joined by Soma, Lindow and a very tired out Sakuya.

I sat at the door of the copter with Soma  the entire way, scanning the horizon. The grassy area fell into steep rocky terrain.

I didn't bother seeing if there was anywhere to land, instead choosing the quicker route.

I leapt out of the doorway, arms spread out. I concentrated, watching the land rush up to meet me. I used a little magic to soften my fall, letting it absorb the shock.

I checked the coordinates marked on my map, and hurried to the area shown, closing my left eye to help me concentrate.

And the ground was gone.

The floor beneath me crumbled into a rockslide, and I was tumbling. Falling into the darkness.

I reached out, grabbing at anything, bruising and scraping my hands on rocks. Then something solid. A hand on my wrist.

"Hold on." Soma warned. I clutched his wrist, my arm already beginning to ache.

I looked down. The unforgiving rock face that was the cliff was jagged, leading steeply down to the sea. The waves crashed against the rocks, the blue hands reaching up for me. I closed my eyes with a shudder.

Soma strained, pulling me up the cliff. He dragged me over the lip of the rockface, pulling me back onto land. Sakuya did a quick check over of me, deciding that my cuts were only minor.

"Do not forsake your teammates. Ring a bell?" Soma asked sarcastically, glaring.

Sakuya seemed unimpressed too. "Please remember we're working on a cliff mine."

"Sorry, I just wanted to get to Jack. I couldn't think about anything else." I apologised. Sakuya's face softened in understanding.

"I've found the entrance to the mine!" Lindow called. He was stood peering into a tunnel leading underground. Darkness seemed to be poring out of the shaft, a thick fog.

I was hesitant to enter. Then Jack came back into my head. I had to see him.

"Light." I willed the area around me to fill with the brightness of dawn. A glowing circle spread out beneath my feet before disappearing. Light surrounded me.

"Good job." Lindow called from behind me. I tensed. Ugh, I hated being praised.

I checked the coordinates, and began my slow decent into the mines. The beams holding up the rock tunnel seemed scarily fragile looking, the ceiling pressing down on me.

My fear began to lessen the light, and I hurried onwards. The tunnel led back out into daylight, and we stood for a moment, contemplating our next move.

Another entrance stood to our left, a rope bridge leading across the gap between tunnels. The rope didn't exactly look...safe.

Seeming to sense my worry, Soma gently pushed past me, placing a foot on the bridge to test it.

We made it across the bridge and were soon back in the tunnels, traversing our way through the darkness.

I trusted instinct to guide me, letting the knowledge that Jack had gone here keep me filled with hope.

I rounded a corner, and spotted him.

Jack was far worse than last time. The infection had spread up his leg, and was crawling up his face. It clawed at his left eye, which was now a murderous blood colour.

It had spread along his back, turning his fur an inky black and running down his back leg.

His dark soul ribbons had been taken over, and joined together into one long one that hung around him, like a forcefield.

His claws scraped along the stone as he limped to a carcass to eat. "Jack!" I called, beginning to run towards him, but was stopped by Lindow.

"He's an aragami now. He can't understand you any more." As if to prove him, Jack spun round and leapt at us. Soma deployed his shield and Jack bounced off, flying back.

He landed heavily on his aragami leg, which became pinned under him.

Lindow's grip slackened, and I ran to Jack, ignoring the warnings the others were giving me.

"Jack, it's me." I placed a hand on the uninfected side of his face, flooding my warmth into him.

He struggled, then gave a whine. "Lupa, please...end this pain." his once bright eyes were dull from his suffering.

I swallowed. "I don't know how."

"Do what you should have done the first time we met. Kill me." He was beginning to loose control again, his limbs juddering.

There had to be another way. I searched my mind through all the spells I new, even the forbidden ones.

"A true name is a very powerful thing." Jack was sat beside me near a lake. "It is said that it can bring someone back from the dead."

I suddenly felt wierdly vulnerable. "And you know mine..."

He gave a bark of laughter. "I've told you mine many times, if only you would remember."

Jack skittered to his feet, pushing me away as he made his escape. Within seconds, he was gone.

His true name. What was it? If only I could remember.

How could he ask me to kill him again? He knew our lives were connected. I was going to die too.

"You okay?" Soma asked, offering me a hand to get up. I took it gratefully.

Sakuya looked sad. "He must have been a beautiful wolf once."

"He was."

"But he's an aragami. You have to kill him." Lindow stated the harsh truth.

"I...I can't." I turned away, looking down the corridor Jack had dissapeared into.

"It must be hard for you." Sakuya said understandingly.

"No, I mean I really can't." my voice was devoid of emotion. "Our lifelines are connected. If he dies, I die."

There was silence. "Unless I can find out his soul name, then maybe I could disconnect our souls."

"But you don't have his name." Lindow finished.

"How do you find out his name?" Soma asked.

I sighed. "I'd have to ask him. But he's told me that I already have it. I just can't seem to remember."

"It'll probably come with time." Sakuya reassured me. "Just try your best."

I nodded. To try was my only choice.