ALMIGHTY

Chapter 49: Lost for Good

"Little girl... I can sense extraordinarily powerful energy inside of you. The likes of which even my gods do not possess. You and that boy... are not like the many humans that I've slain over the years. If I may ask, who are you?"

"My name... ahh, what was it again? I've hidden from the world for so long, that I can't even remember. What I do know, is his name. I remember it clearly as it courses through my mind every second that passes. That's funny... I can't remember what time feels like, and here I am..."

"The boy that you speak of, the one who ended me from my suffering in that wretched place. He is dangerous, little girl. What I sense from him is something that brought even an immortal creature like me, death..."

"I remember now, you are that dragon... from the Abyss! And my name... it's Kaede Umazugawa."

"No, little goddess. You are the creator of the Central Universe; Mother of Earth; and one of the unique children of Terra itself. Do not forget who you are, little goddess, as that will bring you to your demise... In order to protect your creation, you shall forget all about him. It's the only way..."

"I refuse! I, Artemis, will never forget Ho...huh? His name...what was it again? No! I can't forget..he was everything to me. Ho—no. No. No. No. NOO!!! Snick! Where are you? Come back to me! Whatever his name is! However his face looks like... please, bring back my darling..."

A goddess with brown hair, azure blue eyes, who wore a white dress that never got stained, materialized in a dark void. She was blinded by the sparkling light that emitted from a wide-open door. She couldn't breathe, nor could she move or speak. Yet, she was used to those restrictions that she placed upon herself. The door felt as if it was within an arm's reach, but also as if it was infinitely away from her. All she could see in the blinding light was him, the dark-haired boy who saved and loved her. His back was faced against her as she yelled his name, over and over.

However, the boy didn't move an inch. After countless tries, the girl came to a realization that sat in the back of her mind, all along. She couldn't remember his name. Neither could she imagine the details of his face, they were unknown to her, yet again. What she yelled out was not his name, but remnants of emptiness that escaped her throat. After countless tries to remember, she noticed that the darkness had coated her mouth. It squeezed her throat until all energy and will got sucked out. It was then, that the boy gave her a single glance with his face painted by the same void that engulfed her. Somehow, she had a feeling that he smiled.

After a final set of infinite tries, a female figure appeared next to him. The figure's hair was long, pitch-black, and held in a ponytail that reached her waist. After tearing his clothes to shreds, the figure began licking all over his body, when two male figures appeared. The girl blinked, and the spectacle was reset back to the point where the female figure first appeared. This time, the two male figures were also present.

The girl yelled and screamed, but no hope. All three figures basked in the light that emitted from the door and pushed the boy in, who then disappeared. They laughed and bathed in blood that appeared from the sky as flames surged from the entrance that previously erupted blinding light.

Then, all of a sudden, the girl unwillingly moved towards the fire. She writhed in agony as her nails dug into the empty void. Her body got scorched in flames as she got dragged in the fire. Her voice was blocked as the figures stared at her with blank faces until she finally awoke...

"Horu!!" a girl shot forwards with her eyes wide open. Her pajamas, bed, and blanket were drenched in a cold sweat. She tested her body temperature by placing the back of her hand on her forehead, but then remembered that she couldn't fall ill.

"Hngh. What's wrong, Kaede? Having a bad dream again?" From below Kaede, sounded a familiar, sleepy voice that belonged to a small girl who rubbed her eyelids.

"I'm really sorry, Yara..." Kaede said as she held her head down. Moonlight escaped through a gap in the closed curtains at Kaede. She descended the ladder of the bunkbed and spread the curtains wide open to gaze at the full moon.

"H-Hey, what is that for?! It's six a.m.! We got class in just a few hours!" Yara scurried around in her bed as the bright moonlight hurt her eyes. She immediately pulled the blanket over her head to block out the light. However, Kaede ignored her complaining and kept gazing at the moon.

"In order to protect my creation? I wonder, dragon, what were you trying to say...?"

~~~~~

The 'Incursion' is what I believe the FMA called it. The largest, and most infamous event that the academy has gone through so far. A turning point in which the FMA has suffered many losses. So many people have died; students, magicians, and even teachers. Demonic beasts came raining out of a sky like some kind of evil deviation of Doomsday. Many things have changed for the academy, especially the fact that there are many gloomy, and scarred faces walking around. I really can't believe that it has been a month since then...

"Kaede, please eat. I get sad whenever you look sad, so please, be happy...for me!" Yara Kouki's relentless, bright personality was what held Kaede's mental state in check in the thirty days that had past. Like many other students, Kaede's roommate had disappeared without a trace, therefore Yara had volunteered to take over the spot. It was convenient for both sides since the two of them had lost their roommates.

"Yara, I envy you," Kaede said whilst stirring her spoon in her lunch. Yara tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"How so?"

"Even though you lost Ghaza, you continue to smile and carry on as if nothing happened. I really envy you, humans..." Kaede said as Yara got even more confused at her last sentence. She then removed her smile and dropped her spoon on the table. They were in the rebuilt Cafeteria, where hundreds of students were present. The ambiance had slowly regained its liveliness as time passed. Naturally, freshmen were the first to recover since they hadn't made a lot of friendships as their first year of school at the FMA had blossomed.

"It is because of her that I can always keep going further. There was not a single day that I wasn't with her. She was so timid and sad. Nonetheless, she was precious to me... and beautiful. The smile on her face that I only got to see once in a lifetime was something I had to protect. I wanted to cherish her and make sure that I'd get to see that smile more often. To do that, I have to smile, Kaede. I have to make sure that she doesn't feel lonely and afraid, even in the heavens."

Kaede picked up Yara's spoon and placed it in her hand. She then took her own and continued with eating her lunch as she held a beam on her face. The girl who couldn't live without her lover realized that there was no difference between her and the girl who'd lost her beloved for good...