ʟɪɢʜᴛ 'ᴇᴍ ᴜᴘ (ᴅɴᴘ)

[SilentMelody]

fystilfu is a pyromantic alien come down to earth to search for a long lost relic -- a mirror from her homeland -- that will allow her to destroy the kingdom where she came from. things are complicated by a human who discovers her fire-wielding powers by accident, but soon comes to her assistance once she realizes that the human is the key to find the relic.

key:
fystilfu: the pyromantic alien who once was princess of the chinnyls kingdom, but was banished for killing her father.
phol'ue: fystilfu's home planet; the two main kingdoms take place as a government system there, but have been warring for centuries.
chinnyls kingdom: one of the kingdoms and fystilfu's line of heritage. the alien side of the planet.
empress vugne: the ruler of the chinnyls kingdom and fystilfu's mother.
stocleo kingdom: the second kingdom; it's said that if the chinnyls kingdom were to fall, this one would fully take its place. the cyborg side of the planet.
prince gunniwu: the prince of the stocleo kingdom; he will take the throne once he marries a woman of chinnyls blood.

[SilentMelody]

I let out a string of alien curses when I realize my pod is going to crash into this distant planet of legends called Earth. As the nose of the metal points downward and erupts into flames, my heart races faster and faster as I plummet through the atmosphere. I don't have any control over the direction in which I'm going to land, and I'm no longer able to calculate exactly where I am without the digital map.

An automated voice from overhead warns me of my descent and suggests moving to an escape pod. But that's the problem in this situation -- this is an escape pod. "You're wired wrong," I hiss in response and lick my lips soon after, finding it odd to speak the common language of the humans. Of course, they have many, but English was one noted in the texts of many books speaking of the legend. Over the years, I've studied from these texts and learned much from them.

The warning rings in my ears again, and I slam my hands down on the console in anger, which does nothing to help me. I grip the wheel tightly and try to steer, but I've already lost control. The ground rushes up towards me, but it's not what I expect. Instead of the grasses or clear waters, I see a field of golden rods. I'm not sure what plant this is, and I don't have any time to think about it before my pod crashes into the abundance of it.

The pod whirs to a stop and all the lights inside shut off, leaving me in darkness. Almost immediately, the flecks on my skin begin to glow and illuminate the interior. They automatically do so, as they sense the darkness, but this could prove to be a problem later if I want to find the item in which the legend speaks of. I flip a switch along the panel of a small metal device and close my eyes as tingles are sent down my body -- a process I've gotten used to by now. This device will allow me to appear human and when I look into the glass reflection of the pod windows, all I see is an ordinary human. A woman with long black hair and fair skin. The only thing that could spark interest to people are my amber eyes.

With that, I open the doors with a hiss of air and wait for the oxygen of Earth to reach my lungs. It is fresh and crisp, burning my insides when I inhale, but I will just have to adjust if I want to get the job done. I must do this, and I will succeed under any circumstances. The Chinnyls Kingdom of Phol'ue must be destroyed. And most importantly, Empress Vugne must be destroyed. I must destroy my own mother.

"She has never been a mother to me," I snarl and clench my fists, making my way into the field of golden wispy plants. This land is definitely not as I would have expected, and even the pollen of these crops causes me to sneeze. I rub my nose furiously and click a button along the exterior of the pod, causing it to collapse into a simple rectangle. Shoving it into the pocket of my cloak, I sniff and make my way through the plants, stifling more sneezes.

"Damn," I test out an English curse word, "this planet may just be the death of me."

[583 words]

[SilentMelody]

The tree in front of me is tall and mighty, but as I narrowed my eyes in a challenge I knew I'd be the one to befall a sudden death unto it. I'd heard of trees in the stories, and it's said that fire is the only thing that could bring such a powerful creature to an end. What a coincidence.

Feeling the tingles surging through me, I channel my powers from deep within me and inhale deeply. As I exhale, I raise both of my hands in front of me and aim towards the tree. With a flick of my wrist and a crook of my finger, flames shoot out of my pointer finger. The fire dances along the trunk before it quickly spreads along the branches and leaves of the tree.

"What the hell was that!?" an outraged female voice shouts from behind me, and I whirl to face the newcomer with surprise. She's all blazing fury and anger, blue eyes squinted in my direction. Her hands are placed firmly on her hips, as if she knows who am I and as if she were of a high authority than me.

Waving a hand back in the direction of the tree, I try to calm her down before things get out of hand and I do something irrational to ultimately ruin my quest. "I'm...sorry about your tree. It was very nice," I murmur softly and offer a polite smile, which she doesn't accept kindly.

"Sorry?" she splutters, and shakes her head before continuing. "I saw you with your damn weird pyromaniac tricks! Who do you think you are?" She stomps right up to me, but her head only comes up to my chest, and it's quite amusing to see her angered face inches below mine.

"I am Fystilfu," I declare and offer her a regal bow, one that I've learned to do so long ago when I was merely a child. When I compose myself again and stand straight, she still has her hands over her chest in defiance. This time I frown and narrow my amber eyes, flashing a firey glow in the reflection of her clear blue ones. Fear strikes her gaze now. "And I'm on a quest. Perhaps I will require some help."

"Help? Oh, sure. You definitely need some help! Psychiatric help!" she yells, but there's a quiver in her voice and she's lost her defiant stance. I finally have proven my point and shown my power over her. Satisfied, I rock back on my heels and ponder this silently to myself.

"I'm not sure what 'psychiatric help' is, but it's probably not what I had in mind. No, I just need you to assist me in my travels," I tell her and wait for her to blow up again. Oh, how much fun it is!

"Travels? Where are ya going anyways? And how come you need me?" she questions and squints her eyes when she looks up at me, as if she's thinking as hard as I was when I first had to figure out the plans of my journey. Ignorant humans. They think they're all that. And this woman is the perfect example of how the majority of humans act.

"I'm going on a long quest. I'm not sure how far, but all I know is that I must go to a...city. And I need you because you know of cities. And the fact that you just saw me light that tree on fire," I explain and cup my hand under her chin to force her head up, her cold gaze meeting mine. "So, I suppose you're my assistant for now."

[610 words]

[SilentMelody]

"So, you're sure this is a...city?" I question and gaze up at tall, cement buildings. This "city" is very different from the towns and villages in my homeland. There's definitely more people where I come from. Perhaps it's just this particular city that's different.

She glanced over at me and cocked an eyebrow before scoffing, "I figured you knew what a city was. The mighty...what's your name again? Fystil...something. The mighty Fystil doesn't know what a city is." At that, she began laughing until she doubled over and had to regain her composure before she attracted too much attention. I couldn't let her ruin my quest.

I sigh softly and resist the urge to roll my eyes -- a human trait that she's been doing many times throughout our trip to the city. "It's Fystilfu. And yes, I am mighty, although I do sense sarcasm from you. Besides, small human, what's your name? Surely not as mighty as mine," I retort. Honestly, I don't know why I brought her along.

"Kate, but you can call me Katie," she replies and raises her head up in defiance, only making me laugh. "What's so funny?" Katie snarls and curls her upper lip, eyes narrowing. She looks even more pathetic and weak when she does so. I try not to laugh any harder than I already am and clear my throat.

"Katie. A small name for a small human. That's what's funny. Now, small human named Katie, please tell me where the...museum is," I answer quickly and impatiently, although I stumble over my words. We've already wasted enough time standing around and chatting about names and whatnot. Not like I needed to know her name, anyways. By the time I reach the relic, I'll be long gone.

"Museum? How come you say it so weird?" Katie questions and frowns at me, but when I glare at her she clears her throat, face flaming. "Er, well, I haven't been to the city in a long time, but...I'm sure we can find a directory or something," she offers loosely and glances around. "There!" she suddenly cries out and points to a big, black, rectangular box with a list of words written inside it. A portal, perhaps? But no, Katie only searches through the list and taps on one set of words. "Here. Just around the block."

Once we arrive at the steps of the museum, I enter through the doors with a flourish before glancing around in confusion and looking over at Katie for help. "Why does no one bow down to me?" I question harshly and fold my arms over my chest. "I am royalty, and I must be worshipped. I am more worthy than you small humans."

"Perhaps that's beacuse you look like one of us 'small humans'," Katie sighs softly and shakes her head, walking ahead of me. No matter. Now that I am in...the museum, I can continue on my quest and retrieve the relic. Already my heart is pounding, and the fire builds up inside me -- a sign that I am close. I have come to the right place.

"Ah, Fystilfu. I see you have come looking for the relic as well. I figured as such, seeing as you stole an escape pod. But of course, you couldn't escape from me, darling." A familiar voice purrs behind me and sends shivers down my spine. I clench my eyes shut and spin on my heels to face him before opening my eyes, a gasp escaping from me. Prince Gunniwu of the Stocleo Kingdom stands before me. The man I once loved, and the man I thought I lost a long time ago.

[611 words]

[SilentMelody]

"Prince Gunniwu," I breathe out softly in shock and stare at the man before me with wide eyes. Is this truly possible? Or is this just a trick merely to fool me? Either way, it's going to prevent me from finding the relic in time. I must complete this quest before time runs out.

He grins slyly at me and cups my chin, forcing me to looks up into his dazzling eyes. "Yes, little Fystilfu. It is I, Prince Gunniwu of the Stocleo Kingdom, back from the dead," he announces before pushing my face away and crossing his arms over his chest in a very unregal motion.

It is only then that Kate seems to snap to attention and realize that I'm not there with her, for she circles back with her gaze set firmly on the prince. "Who the hell is this?" she demands and narrows her eyes at him before turning her blue eyes to me, asking the question again.

"An old...friend," I hiss slowly and purse my lips, trying to think of a way to escape from Prince Gunniwu's wrath. Now that he knows I'm looking for the relic, there's no doubt he's here to keep me from getting it and to return me to the prison that I escaped from. There's no way I'm going back to that hell. Not when I'm so close to the relic.

Prince Gunniwu grins victoriously and purrs, "Yes, an old friend. A very old friend. Now, as your friend, I'm afraid I can't let you steal something that's be rightfully placed here away from evil's reach. Do you know what would happen if you were to use this? You'd be completely powerful over everyone."

"That's exactly the point," I growl. "When my father abused me as a child, I knew that I could not live up to his standards because I am a woman, and being a woman he would not let me rule though I am his only offspring. So I had to kill him in order to gain an easy access to the throne. But unfortunately, my mother saw through me and banished me from the Chinnyls Kingdom. Now we're here, hmm?"

Katie gapes at me as soon as I've revealed all of my past and said everything that was on my mind. In her eyes, I see utter confusion and distress, perhaps unsure of what to do now. Of course she shouldn't follow me anymore or be with me anymore because I'm such a horrible person, and she's simply a human girl who had the misfortune to come to see my powers.

"Yes, I suppose we are here now. And in order for you to let this girl go free, you'll have to come with me back to Phol'ue," the prince replies snarkily and grasps Kate's left wrist roughly, pulling her to him. She shouts something I'm unable to hear at him, perhaps an English curse word, and swings her other fist at his face.

"Katie, run!" I call out to her and make a break for it, not looking back to see if she escaped although my mind falters on it. I can only focus on the relic ahead, and the warmth inside me spreads, letting me know that I'm getting close to it. If I reach it in time and escape in Prince Gunniwu's ship, I'll be free.

[563 words]

[SilentMelody]

The warmth in my chest continued to spread, and I was left breathless by the time I reached the relic. As soon as I skidded to a stop, I could feel my insides burning up, and I knew for sure that this was the relic -- an intricately made mirror. But how could this release my full power?

Staring into my reflection, I gasp lightly when the fiery pain inside me is relieved, and my amber eyes begin to glow despite my best effort to keep them from doing so. As they gleam, the mirror begins to shimmer and twist my reflection until it shows a portal back to the Chinnyls Kingdom and Stocleo Kingdom in Phol'ue.

Slowly, I step towards the mirror, but I'm physically held back when someone grabs my wrist, and I wildly glance back at my attacker, thinking perhaps it is the prince. But no, only Kate stares at me with wide and pleading eyes, seemingly not wanting me to leave. Though a part of me wishes to stay with her on this wonderful Earth, another part urges me of my destiny and completing my quest.

"Katie, I must," I murmur softly and gently slip my hand out of hers, unable to look back at her as I walk towards the swirling mirror. The pain in my chest starts again, but it's not because of the relic, and to be frank it confuses me. As soon as I step through do I realize that this is the same feeling when I thought Prince Gunniwu had died long ago, when I had feelings for him. I've developed feelings for Katie.

"Fystil!" she cries after me, but her voice is blurred just as my vision is with tears, and I sob openly knowing that she is gone. I don't know if I'll ever see her again, even if I do succeed, and my heart already begins to long for her. I've barely been without her for a few seconds, and already I am lost without her.

When I emerge on the other side of the mirror, I am shocked to see that I am floating above both of the kingdoms and viewing soldiers making their way onto a battlefield, readying themselves to battle against the opposite kingdom. I must stop this battle from happening, but I'm not sure how.

I narrow my eyes and strengthen my resolve -- I do know what to do. Now that I have the powers, I will be able to defeat all evil and cease all fighting. Unfortunately, to stop the violence, I must bring a violence of my own and destroy much of this land. But in time, they will rebuild and come to thank me.

Abruptly, the portal opens up again, and Kate tumbles through, striking more emotions through my heart. I am overjoyed to see her again, but fearful at the same time when seconds afterward Prince Gunniwu appears and tackles her. They both fall out of the sky and begin to plummet down to the earth, just as my heart plummets down into my stomach. The two loves of my life, fighting and falling to their deaths simultaneously.

I swoop down towards them and grasp Katie by the wrist, wrenching her away from the prince. He gazes at me in shock as he continues to fall, and I am unable to help him, only holding Kate close to my chest. She buries her head in my chest and trembles, clearly shocked by all that has happened.

I land softly on the ground and set Katie back onto her two feet, though she still shakes tremendously. I know she's strong, and I know she trusts me just as I trust her. When I look into her frightened blue eyes and smile, the fear seems to dissipate slowly.

Love for her blooms inside of me, and I have no other thought than to kiss her. I do, and it is soft and sweet, unlike everything harsh I've ever endured in my lifetime. The kiss ends slowly, and Katie gazes at me with those beautiful blue eyes of hers, begging me to stay. But I have a job to finish, and she knows that.

[700 words]

[SilentMelody]

I swiftly return to the skies and glance down at the battlefield again, seeing now that the battle has ensued. I must stop these people from destroying each other and causing their own species' fall. I will not let them kill theirselves for stupid reasons, as they've been doing for centuries.

Clenching my fists, I inhale deeply and close my eyes as the fire courses through my veins, circling around again in my hands. Once the power has built up, I unclench my fists and point my fingers out towards the area, watching as flames dance through the sky. They land in the middle of the field, and an explosion is sent across the whole planet, causing me to gasp.

I am stricken with shock when the flames remain and grow higher in the sky, screams emanating from below. In only seconds, the noise dissipates and fades completely, leaving only the crackling sounds of wood buring from the forests I've unintentionally let aflame. Just as I set that tree on fire when I first met Katie.

Katie. Where is she? "Katie?" I whimper out and barrel down to the planet, heart pounding in my chest. "Katie? Katie!" I scream, and the sound of my wretchedness echoes through the empty land. I drop to the ground on my knees and bury my face in my hands, sobs racking my body until I'm left weak. All of the fire dies down around me.

In my quest for glory and saving this planet of killing itself, I have killed it.

And in my madness, I have killed the people I loved the most.

[271 words]

[SilentMelody]

ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ