Burning Phoenix

Chapter 5: Revelation

"Little girl, didn't I tell you that your tears are like pearls? They should only be spent on precious things," said a nonchalant voice above her. Gabrielle looked up, hastily wiping her tears away with her hands, to find Death standing above her. Donned in his familiar  black cloak, the hood was nestled around his neck, letting her see his face. He held a hand out to help her up, which she took, shivering at the coldness of his touch. After helping her to stand, he took a step back from her, the fathomless dark depths of his eyes boring into hers. Gabrielle gazed upon the countenance which had become so familiar to her through Yue's memories of her time spent in the Underworld. Death had become somewhat of a friend to her, keeping her sane and most of the agonizing loneliness at bay. While Yue was down there, Death had honed her like a steel blade. He had taught her skills that only Death could teach; skills that could only be cultivated in the Underworld itself. "So, you rejected the Phoenix King, did you?," he asked, his tone bored.

Tears drying on her cheeks, she huffed some semblance of a laugh. It was as if the conversation from the professor had trickled over into this one as well. "I'm not Yue," she stated, her voice coming out stronger that what she had thought possible in the face of Death.

He quirked an eyebrow at her and smirked. "Oh? Then, enlighten me. Who are you?"

Her spine stiffened at his mocking tone. "I'm Gabrielle Burns," she replied.

Death lifted his hand to his face to begin examining his fingernails, as if they were more interesting than the conversation he was engaged in. "And who is she?," he asked, his tone bored.

Gabrielle opened her mouth to reply then stopped because she didn't know the answer. Who is Gabrielle Burns? College student, orphan, virgin, poor...these all described Gabrielle but it didn't really answer who she really was.

Letting out a sigh, Death dropped his hand and looked at her. "Little girl, I can tell you who you are. You are Gabrielle Burns but you are also who the Phoenix King once called Yue. Your soul is whole again, which means that while you are both Gabrielle and Yue, you are also neither. When the fragments combined, you became someone new. Someone with immeasurable power and a great destiny ahead. And now you are needed. As the reincarnated Moon Kingdom princess, your people need you. As the mate of the Phoenix King, he and his people need you. There is a war battle coming in which you play a pivotal role, little girl. Every thing that has ever happened to you has lead you to this moment. The question is, will you accept your destiny or will you allow a tragic fate to fall upon the world and all you hold dear?"

He reached within his cloak and withdrew a white jade pendant. At one end, the pendant had a black cord to loop it around itself and attach it to her person or weapon.  At the other hung a long midnight black tassel with small silver beads studded throughout the strands. "This," he said to her, holding it out, "is my talisman. It is what will open you to the powers you cultivated while in the Underworld."

She gingerly took the jade pendant into her palms, noting that the jade piece slightly overfilled her palm. It was circular with ancient runes from the Underworld engraved into it, and seemed to softly glow with it's own inner light when she touched it. As she touched the engravings, she noticed that the temperature of the jade seemed to fluctuate between icy cold and lukewarm. "How does it work?," she asked him.

As if she had finally asked a question of interest, Death smiled a smile like that of a teacher when a student has understood the lesson being taught. "Since this will be your first time to activate it, all you must do right now is to envision yourself as your true self," he said simply. "Try it."

Cradling it in her palms, Gabrielle shut her eyes and concentrated. A warm sensation flowed over her, making her skin tingle. Opening her eyes, she looked down at herself. No longer in the clothes she wore to class today, she was in a white gown covered by a black cloak similar to the one Death wore. The talisman had transformed into a silver scythe that reached the area of her chin when she stood it up in front of her. Surprisingly, the weapon wasn't heavy at all, reflecting the weight of the talisman instead of the weapon it had become. The magical aura that surrounded it caused it to wink and gleam with deadly purpose.