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A
Mother and Her Shattering Son
Copyright
2019 Albert Oon
Published
by Albert Oon at Smashwords
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A world filled with dolls and
crystals sounds like a place of wonder and happiness, but this isn’t so of this
world. The Crystallis, who are dolls that originate from the crystal, became so
prideful of their beauty that they were corrupted by it. Because of this corruption,
they attacked the Flos, who are dolls that originate from the beauty of the world.
The Flos are skilled when it comes to reasoning and strategy, however, the
Crystallis excel in brute strength. The Flos and Crystallis have fought their
war to a standstill and are still fighting a brutal world war that has ravaged
this once beautiful world.
In all the chaos, innocents are
naturally caught in the crossfire. Rosalia’s son, Rhodes, had been caught in an
area effect spell that cursed him with decay so that his body slowly falls
apart. Rosalia’s husband sacrificed himself so that the two could survive.
Several other family members were caught in this spell, but enough managed to
survive to fend off the invasion of Crystallis. A cure for Rhodes would’ve been
easier to get back in the time of peace, but the only place in the world that
holds the cure is in the center of conflict where both sides are constantly
fighting each other day in and out, which is the origin point of both dolls. If
Rosalia can bring Rhodes to the healing springs, then he can be cured. Despite being
told the near impossible odds by repeatedly her neighbors, she goes out in the
hopes that she can make it in time.
Currently, Rhodes has been falling
apart but is in a coma-like state where he is vaguely aware of what’s around
him. Rosalia has been carrying him on her back as she traverses the crystal forests.
Since the world is at war, the vegetation in the forest has become hostile to
everything that isn’t them as well. Rosalia has used a spell to make her left arm
into a dangerous claw for self-defense.
Her right leg and left heel have become deadly sharp tools as well.
As Rosalia makes her way through
the forest, she says to her son, “I wish you could’ve seen this forest when it
was friendly. It used to shine more and give out delicious fruit. Now, everything
here is dangerous, so we have to be careful.”
Rhodes whimpers a bit.
“Oh, I know you’ve been upset about
me sacrificing pieces of myself so you can live. It doesn’t bother me, see? Each
piece of me helps you continue living. Your mom isn’t upset nor am I weakened
by it. I don’t need another eye if I can’t see you smile another day. Besides,
even if we are separated, you will always have a piece of me with you.”
Rhodes reaches out for his mother’s
hands. Rosalia pulls him around so she can hold him.
“Don’t you worry, my little prince.
We’ll get you cured then we can live happily together. You’ll go to school, become
a man, and maybe even get married. I’ll have to approve of your choice, of course,
but then again, I shouldn’t be saying about that given the person I chose.
Or should I be blaming your father
for choosing me? Who am I kidding? It was both our faults. We got into a lot of
trouble the two of us, but it was worth it so you could be born. I just wish his
relatives could accept our love for each other.”
A chiming in the forest gets
Rosalia’s attention. She puts Rhodes behind her and activates a shield spell that
creates a shell to protect him. Rhodes senses the danger as well and holds his
hands close to his face.
“You’re going to be safe, my little
prince. Nothing will beat me when your life is at stake.”
Shadows dart from hiding place to hiding
place in order to get a good opening to attack. Since Rosalia isn’t giving them
any opportunities, the Crystallis hunters attack her with one combined attack.
The three jump up in the air and plunge their blades towards her. She blocks
their blades as her claw arm turns into a shield. Since their blades are so
heavy, she lowers herself then dodges to the side and uses her leg blade. It
stretches out and cuts the heart core of two of the hunters, which shatters
them. The last one manages to block the attack but is hit into a living plant
that breaks the hunter into pieces.
The violence has made the vegetation
in the forest extremely aggressive. The trees start uprooting themselves and
attacking Rosalia. She defends herself as best as she can by leaping around while
cutting down the trees and fauna. Since the forest itself is a constantly growing,
old, and large entity, Rosalia stands no chance against it. Fully exhausted,
she holds Rhodes as he cries.
“It’s okay. It’s going to be okay, little
prince.”
A sudden realization then comes to
her head.
“If violence is what upsets the
forest, then maybe love can calm it down. How about a song? I was going to sing
to this you later to lull you to sleep, my little prince, but it looks like I’ll
have to now.
I know when to take it slow
And when to run at the speed of
light
I know when to be patient
And when to act without thinking
I know when to smile
And when to cry
I know when to think with my heart
And how to always love
But I don’t know how to love like you
do
When
you love for no other reason than to love
For
the sake of love
I know how to love when I’m loved
But you love even when you’re hated
I know how to love when the sun is shining
But you love even when the storms
roar
I know how to love when I’m happy
But you love even when you’re in
pain
I know to love when everyone loves
But you love when no else loves
How do you do it
When you love for no other reason
than to love
When you love for no other reason
than to love
For the sake of love?
Teach me how to love when I’m hated
Teach me how to love in dark times
Teach me how to love when I’m cold
Please, my love. Please teach me,
my love
Teach me how to love for the sake
of love”
Rhodes laughs and waves his hands
around as if trying to clap. The vegetation and fauna of the forest go back to
where they come from and rest. Rosalia breathes a sigh of relief then kisses
her son.
“Did you like it? I hope you did.
Let’s hurry out of here before more hunters come.”
Rosalia casts a healing spell on
herself as she quickly runs to the fastest way out of the forest.
Once she’s walked for a long
stretch, Rosalia finally makes it to civilization though it is a bit small. It
is a small village town that appears to have been recently affected by the war
as people repair their broken buildings and homes. Destroyed crops are being
plucked out of the ground as new ones are planted. Pieces of dying dolls are
passed onto their families so they can continue to carry their family’s legacy
while the enemy dolls are put together then wrapped honorably. Before, the Flos
used to send carts of Crystallis doll shells to the enemy as a sign of respect
for their enemy, but the Crystallis destroyed most of the carts because the
Crystallis view the hollow shells of their comrades as useless and valueless. During
these recent times, the Flos just bury the shells of their enemies in their own
special grave site away from the graves of the Flos.
One of the normal civilians says, “I
don’t get it. Why do we need to respect the bodies of their dead when they don’t
do the same for their own? I’ve heard horror stories of what they do to the
bodies of our soldiers. We should burn them all in a fire because that’s where
their souls end up anyway!”
“Don’t be so disrespectful. I’ve
heard dozens of reports that say some of the Crystallis travel over to honor
their dead,” a relative responds.
“It’s just their pride that makes
them do this,” a villager says, “Besides, we shouldn’t be like the savages.”
“You’re right. We should take the
Crystallis that come over and hold them for ransom!”
“Stop saying and thinking such things!
You’re no different than them if you truly think this way.”
Rosalia approaches the hateful
person and says, “He’s right you know. We should find ways to love our enemies
and be respectful to their dead. Being as evil as the worst of them is only
going to make things worse.”
“Hmph.”
The hateful person walks away while
their relative walks with them.
“We don’t see many understanding people
like you around here. What brings you to our recovering little town?”
“I’m just passing through. My own
little town was recently attacked by the Crystallis and my baby boy here was
affected by a terrible spell. I have to get him to the springs to have him
cured.”
“That’s a dangerous journey, but I won’t
stop you from taking it. Some of our city guards would accompany you along the
way, but whoever we have left are guarding us as we repair our homes and I don’t
think we can spare even one.”
“I understand. I pray that your
town stays safe.”
“You’re a strong mother. What is your
name?”
“Rosalia.”
“Rosalia…I’ve heard that name somewhere
before. You don’t happen to famous, do you?”
“If I was, I wouldn’t look like
this.”
“That makes sense. Rosalia must be
just a memorable name then. Is there a reason why you still defend the
Crystallis even though they just destroyed your home?”
“Because they’re dolls like us.
Even though they come from the crystal, we were still made in the same place by
the same creator. We may think differently, but we’re still related, and our
lives are both equally beyond value.”
“I see. Well, I’m sorry for taking up
so much of your time. You can take some of our healing fragments to give your
boy a little more time.”
“Thank you so much.”
“Don’t mention it.”
After healing Rhodes a little, Rosalia
says goodbye then leaves the town. She travels down the roads as they should be
safer than the forest though not by much. There’s still a chance the Crystallis
might come down the roads or the forest might come to life and reach out to
crush her.
Rosalia says to Rhodes, “I’m glad
the townsfolk didn’t recognize me. There would’ve been trouble if they did.
Anyway, let me tell you more about your father since he won’t be able to tell
you himself. He was a brave and proud man. He risked everything he had including
his life to be with me since he was from a royal family. The way he loved people
and nature was breathtaking. He loved being in love with everything and
everyone so much that he wrote songs and poems about almost everything. It’s where
I get my songs from.”
Ahead of Rosalia is an incoming
band of Crystallis. They have a huge black bull under their control, which is a
huge black beast with black horns, a white face, and red and black eyes in this
world. It struggles against the control of its captors along with the other
creatures that have been captured.
“Poor things,” she says to herself
as she hides on the side of the road in a tree, “The raiding party is headed
towards the town. They won’t be able to fight against the bull and the other
creatures along with the Crystallis. I want to do something, but what am I going
to do?”
Rosalia thinks of a couple of plans
before deciding on one course of action. She throws two fire darts, conjured by
a spell, at the chains that bind the bull to free it. Once it’s free, it puts
the Crystallis into a panic. While the bull rampages about, Rosalia frees the rest
of the creatures. Once she does, the black bull stares her down with its face
in hers. Neither her nor Rhodes are intimated, and this silent show of courage
gains Rosalia the respect of the bull and creatures.
A larger party of Crystallis that’s
half the size of a legion then show up in the distance. This party was dragged
ahead by the creatures, who were craving violence. Now that they’re free, they
rage against their captors along with Rosalia. They destroy everything around
them with the aid of the forest. Fauna and vegetation come to life as some of
the creatures are shattered in battle. Despite the strength of the Crystallis,
the numbers and overall strength of nature and Rosalia overwhelm them.
Once the dust settles, the forest
closes in on Rosalia, but the black bull and leftover creatures silently pick
up for her. The vegetation and fauna return to the forest and the creatures do
the same. The black bull nuzzles Rosalia’s face and pets the top of Rhodes’
head, which makes him giggle. It then goes back into the forest while looking
back at the two. It accidentally bumps into a large tree and gets slapped by it,
which makes Rosalia laugh. The black bull then pays attention to where it’s going
after one last look back with a smile.
Rhodes giggles again.
Rosalia continues on her way as she
says, “See? Not all of nature is bad. Now, where was I? Oh yeah. Your father
loved singing and making songs. Here’s one that I remember that he sang every
other day.
I can’t be away from you any longer
But part of me still resists
I wish I was stronger
When we are together,
It feels like Heaven
When I leave you,
Part of me is left behind
You give my empty life meaning
I finally have a person who loves
me back
You have woken me up from my foolishness
I know what I must do
Because I can’t be without you any
longer
You are who keeps me going
You are who makes me stronger
I’ll endure all the hardships
Fight all the battles
And suffer the worst pain
Because I can’t be without you any
longer
I am reinvigorated because of you
I am reborn into a new man ready to
take on the world
Whatever you request, you will have
Whatever you command, I will obey
You say that you’re not worth it
That you’re not worth anything
But you’re worth more than you think
You’re my light that brightens up
the darkness
You give my empty life meaning
I finally have a person who loves
me back
You have woken me up from my
foolishness
I know what I must do
Because I can’t be without you any
longer
You are who keeps me going
You are who makes me stronger
I’ll endure all the hardships
Fight all the battles
And suffer the worst pain
Because I can’t be without you any
longer
I will do all you want and more
My love for you knows no boundaries
or obstacles
So,
Will you please be with me forever?”
Rosalia feels something watching
her. She turns around to see the black bull watching her. It appears to have
been attracted by her singing, but now it goes back into the forest as if it is
embarrassed to be caught listening to her singing. Rosalia smiles at the
creature’s cute nature despite its looks.
“Your father might as well have
been a love bird for all the love he showed to others. He was more charitable
and loving than his relatives to the point where people were wondering if he was
an angel. I thought a person like him was beyond my reach, but when I showed
how charitable I was when I gave away everything I had on me for a poor person
he accidentally missed, he fell for me. Literally and figuratively speaking
since he fell off his horse to kiss my hand. It was sad and funny at the same
time, haha. I still can’t help but laugh when I remember it happening.
Still, your father did his best to
impress me even though he did make a fool of himself a few times…okay, a lot of
times. I felt like I didn’t deserve it especially since I couldn’t return anything
on the same scale as him, but when I expressed my feelings about this, he said,
‘Don’t you worry. If you give me your love, then I will have something that is
worth more than the entire universe’. I don’t know where he came up with his words,
but he made me fall for him so many times because of them. Being without him is
going to be difficult…”
Rhodes makes a whimpering sound.
“But don’t worry, we’ll make it
through this. Your father is always with us in spirit now. Trust me.”
Rhodes giggles and Rosalia smiles
as she wipes away her tears and continues traveling down the road.
After a little while of walking,
the road becomes lost as the surrounding environment is mostly destroyed with
the flames of battle still burning.
“This must be where those
Crystallis got their creatures,” Rosalia says to herself.
Because the Crystallis is known for
violence and upsetting nature, both they and the Flos have developed their own
spell that calms nature around them, so they can battle. This spell only covers
the area of battle and takes a lot of energy to produce.
“This is probably why the Crystallis
couldn’t produce another spell to protect themselves. Even if they could, the
creatures of the forest weren’t giving them any opportunities to act anyways.
You see, Rhodes? You have to respect nature otherwise it will turn on you.”
Further into the destruction,
Rosalia finds a team of healers who are repairing the forest with their magic.
One of the forest healers approaches
Rosalia and says, “Excuse me, miss. You should hurry along in a different
direction. It only gets more dangerous from here.”
“I know that, but my baby boy has
been afflicted with a spell that can only be healed at the springs.”
“That’s terrible, and you’ve been
traveling on your own?”
“Yes, I have.”
“…I guess there’s no getting around
it then. Lupin, send out a messenger bird to let them know this woman is coming
with her child.”
“Alright.”
The doll conjures a dove made of light
after speaking into his hand. The dove flies away in the direction of Rosalia’s
destination.
“Thank you for your help,” Rosalia
says.
“Don’t mention it. Just make sure
that little one gets the healing he needs. I’m sure it’s been hard for you just
getting this far. If the army near the springs can spare any troops, they
should be meeting you halfway.”
Once they say their goodbyes,
Rosalia keeps walking. The forest looks better as she journeys forward, but not
by much. Crystal grass and foliage are growing at a fast rate because of the
healing spell of the healers though it seems like something is wrong. The newly
grown vegetation appears to know it was killed as it violently sways back and forth
as if it wants to be reborn faster so it can obtain its revenge. Rosalia eventually
meets up with a small group of Flos soldiers.
One of them says, “You’re the
mother we’ve been looking for. It’s an honor to meet a woman who will risk her
life and skin for her son.”
“Thank you for coming out to escort
me. It’s been rough.”
“I can imagine. Let’s hurry along
then. The fighting near the spring has calmed down for the past couple days so
you should be able to bring your boy there with no trouble.”
The band of soldiers escorts
Rosalia with her in the center to guard her against attacks from all possible
directions.
A soldier asks her, “What’s your name?”
“Rosalia.”
“Hmmm. That name sounds familiar.”
“A guy in the town close to here
said the same.”
“It’s a rare, but memorable name.”
“That’s because of a woman by the
name of Rosalia was one of the reasons this war started,” another soldier
interjects.
“Now I remember why that name is so
memorable.”
Feeling awkward, Rosalia says, “But
I’m not that Rosalia.”
“I wish I knew which Rosalia was that
one so I could ask her what she was thinking. I’m not mad at her because I know
that her action was only the straw that broke the camel’s back and nothing incredibly
important on its own. Marriages between Flos and Crystallis aren’t as rare as
they seem.”
“Still, she should’ve known better,”
another soldier comments.
“It should’ve been a more private marriage.”
“How could it have been when she married
royalty?”
“What happened to the husband anyway?”
“He was supposed to be hiding out
with Rosalia, but I’ve heard that the Crystallis sent a group of its most
powerful warriors to kill them and the word going around is that the husband is
dead, but a number of people who were hiding out with him are alive including
his wife and their child.”
Some of the soldiers start becoming
suspicious of Rosalia and start looking at her funny.
She says, “But I’m not who you’re
thinking about.”
A soldier says, “There’s no way
this Rosalia is the one we’re thinking about. This Rosalia cares so much for
her child while the other one was selfish. Do you really think that a peasant who
wanted to marry royalty would risk her life this way?”
“That Rosalia is probably hiding
herself with her husband’s riches ten feet under,” another soldier adds.
This relieves the tension in the
group as Rosalia quietly breathes a sigh of relief.
“Hey, I don’t remember the forest
being this big when we first passed through here.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Be on your
guard.”
The soldiers unsheathe their weapons
as they move slower while paying attention to everything in their surroundings.
A large tree then falls on them to separate the group before fighting against
the group to further separate them and push them into the incoming hordes of fauna
and vegetation. The group gets separated further as the creatures of the forest
break the group apart to make them easier to shatter.
The black bull from before comes to
rescue Rosalia as it charges through swarms of creatures. It gives Rosalia
enough room to breathe. Since the black bull is dangerous, the forest uses its connection
to the creature to try to bring it under its control. The bull’s mental
strength is weak, but it doesn’t give in to the forest’s influence, however, it
can’t completely control itself, so it smashes everything around it in the
hopes that Rosalia won’t be one of them. Unfortunately, Rosalia is hit while using
the bull’s rampage as a chance to escape. She is hit into a tree but manages to
get away from it before it can shatter her.
Rosalia is surrounded by fauna and vegetation
while she is heavily injured. She is trying to heal herself, but she can’t do
it fast enough to the point where she can run fast or leap into the air. The
forest appears to be livid because it was burned and torn down. Singing looks
like it won’t help this time, so she grips Rhodes and covers him as much as
possible as a single fauna approaches her with its blade-like arm out ready to
strike.
The anticipation of it kills her,
so she brings her head up in time for the fauna’s blade to enter her missing
eye. Since a doll’s shell is mostly empty with the only thing in it being its
core, she feels no pain.
Rosalia says, “Shatter me, but spare
my son. Please, save his life when I am dead.”
The fauna pulls back its blade
again then brings its blade down on Rosalia’s neck but only makes a small crack
on her neck. This supreme act of true love calms down the forest and it gives
Rosalia respect that few dolls have. The creatures and fauna bow to her and let
her walk away. Despite walking away with her life, she’s still injured and is slowing
healing herself. Rhodes senses his mother’s injuries and cries for her.
“Don’t worry about me, my little
prince. I’ll be fine.”
He continues to cry.
“Shhh.
Don’t be upset
I am here
Don’t be afraid
I’ll always be with you
Look at me and see my smile
I am telling the truth
You can always trust me
We’ll always be together
No matter the distance
No matter what happens
Even in death, even when I’m gone
We’ll always be together
Your weakness means nothing to me
You’re stronger than the tallest
mountains
Braver than the mightiest heroes
No matter what happens, I will always
love you
We’ll always be together
No matter the distance
No matter what happens
Even in death, even when I’m gone
We’ll always be together
I may not always be next to you
You may not always feel my presence
But our bond is permanent
Nothing can break it
I’m always here
I’m always with you
Forever and ever
Just look in your heart
And you will see me, always with
you”
Rhodes has fallen asleep with a
smile on his face. Rosalia smiles as well as she’s finally healed herself
enough to numb the pain as she continues on to her destination.
Rosalia’s healing magic allows her to
be mostly healed, however, it and the previous battles have exhausted her. She
collapses from exhaustion, but she makes sure to have Rhodes on top of her, so she
doesn’t suffocate him. Sensing his mother’s unconscious state, he cries out for
help and receives it not long after. Rosalia is taken to a relief camp where
victims of this violent war are taken to be healed and to be helped. She
awakens in a bed just in time to overhear a conversation between two Flos.
“She’s definitely the Rosalia who
married that Crystallis prince. Several people have confirmed it.”
“But is she everything the rumors
say she is? The soldiers that carried her here said that she’s been sacrificing
her life to save her son and that she gained the respect of the forest. How rare
is that? Even our best mystics can’t manage that.”
“We have to keep her here. Even
though she has her sympathizers, there are still people who want her dead, shattered
into pieces then throw into fire.”
“What about her son?”
“They don’t care as much for him.
There are some that say Flos and Crystallis relationships and their children are
illicit, but this is a mindset that has only popped up recently.”
“We need to get her to the springs,
or her boy is going to die. How are we going to proceed with this?”
“We aren’t that far from the main
army camp near that location.”
“That doesn’t mean it’s going to be
easy going through the crowds then going through the dead lands to get to the
springs.”
“We’ll have to do something and
quickly. We’ve healed her son, but that doesn’t mean that we’ve given him time
we can waste.”
“Excuse me? Can I see Rosalia?”
“Who are you? Are you a relative or
a friend? Hey, you can’t go in until-hey!”
A loud knock on the window close to
Rosalia startles her. When she looks over, she sees a Flos civilian with a weapon.
He breaks the window and says, “Die
you cursed woman!”
Rosalia dodges the man’s attacks as
he enters the room as she says, “I didn’t do anything to you!”
“You were the final nail that
started this war! My family is dead because of you! They died in Crystallis territory.
Who knows what those cursed dolls did to their remains?”
Rosalia tries to cut the arms off her
assailant to incapacitate him, but she accidentally cuts his head off as well.
The man swings around violently while screaming out in bloody vengeance. Something
shakes the building she’s in until it breaks into her room. It’s the black bull
from before.
“Aren’t you a sweetie for always
coming to my aid?” Rosalia says while petting it, “Now, come on. Let’s get out
of here!”
Rosalia takes Rhodes and put him on
his back with his shield protecting him as she gets on the back of the black
bull. Several Flos attempt to shatter Rosalia by throwing spears, hammers, and
swords at her.
“Kill that woman, but don’t hit the
baby!”
“Cut the legs off the black bull
first!”
The Flos then try to take down the
black bull, but their weapons bounce off its thick skin. They then get on horseback
and chase after Rosalia. She knocks them off their horses as she protects
herself and her child from her assailants. The black bull swipes at them to shatter
several off their horses.
“We can’t do anything! Pull back!”
“You’re under arrest!”
Rosalia looks back to see a few
guards arresting the people who were attacking her. A guard waves at her and
she waves back as a sign of thanks. Even Rhodes waves back with a smile.
“Okay, big guy. We need to get to
the springs. Can you get us there?” Rosalia asks the black bull.
It smiles and snorts in response as
it goes faster.
“Woah! Easier there! We don’t really
have anything keeping us on you.”
The black bull wants to be careful
but can’t because it senses danger ahead of them, so it charges ahead faster.
“Be careful! Are you trying to
knock us off? What’s got you riled up?”
A barrage of various kinds of
magical arrows comes raining down upon Rosalia. The black bull covers Rosalia
as it turns over on its side to take the arrow barrage. A group of Crystallis
assassins then appear out of the shadows.
“It seems like she came to us on
her own. That’s good,” one of them says.
The barrage of arrows has
temporarily incapacitated the black bull, which leaves Rosalia open for attack.
Fortunately for her, the forest is on her side and a tree’s vines block the assassins’
attacks. It then comes to life and shatters her attackers and uses its healing
magic on the black bull.
“Thank you,” Rosalia says to the
forest as she gets back on top of the black bull.
She rides off to her destination, which
should be close now.
She then says, “You heard it, my
little prince. You’re the son of royalty and a peasant. The son of a Flos and
Crystallis. I didn’t think our love would be the final thing to push our people
into war because our love was pure, but that’s what happens when people hate
each other. They use every excuse they can find to kill the people they don’t
like. Don’t be like that, my little prince. Learn to love everyone around you.
It doesn’t matter if they hate you. Always wish the best for the people around
you because if you aren’t willing to love them then who will? Everyone makes
mistakes, so be willing to forgive them and you will always be forgiven.”
The black bull then senses
something and charges ahead. It takes Rosalia and Rhodes to a cliff where they
see a large battle between Flos and Crystallis soldiers. Dozens of dolls are
shattered while others suffer in pain as they’re carried out by their companions
and healers.
“This fighting has to stop.”
The forest heeds Rosalia’s plea and
moves to stop the fighting. Unfortunately, the fighting and suffering make nature
violent as it fights back against those who fight its restraints. Even the black
bull is itching to join the fight, but Rosalia calms it down by calmly rubbing
the back of its neck.
“The forest might be in a rage, but
since I have its respect then a song could calm it down. This song is for, my
little prince.
I close my eyes and see
A world that's beautiful and filled
with glee
Even in the dark and gloom
A place past all of the doom
Everyone has lost hope
They think I've lost my mind
But all they do is mope
Are they blind?
We can live in a better world of
our dreams
Every day I push ahead
For the dreams in my head
The dreams that keep me awake
That keeps me going
To bring you a place to keep your
love glowing
I'll build you a place
That is perfect for your smiling
face
Each part of it is made to make you
happy
For those gloomy days
Everyone has lost hope
They think I've lost my mind
But all they do is mope
Are they blind?
We can live in a better world of
our dreams
Every day I push ahead
For the dreams in my head
The dreams that keep me awake
That keeps me going
To bring you a place to keep your
love glowing
No matter how small
No matter how tall the obstacle
I will be with you through it all
Nothing will be impossible for you
and me
To make the world I see in my
dreams
To make the world I see in my
dreams
Every day I push ahead
For the dreams in my head
The dreams that keep me awake
That keeps me going
To bring you a place to keep your
love glowing
Together we'll make this world anew
Everything I do is for you
Know that our dreams will come true
Of The World I'll Give To You
I am going to make sure you live in
a better world, my little prince. A world of happiness, love, and peace. It’s going
to happen one day. Just you wait and see.”
The forest successful restrains
both armies and transfers its calming feelings to the soldiers who retreat with
their wounded and shattered brethren. Some even help their enemies gather their
bearings. As Rosalia smiles, parts of her son start to fall. A branch from the
forest heals him, but his condition has worsened.
“Don’t worry now, my little prince.
We’re almost there.”
The black bull sprints at full speed
to the springs, where a massive battle larger than this one is about to take
place.
Even before reaching the area
around the springs, Rosalia knew she was going to have a tough time. The forest
around the around is completely dead. It senses that Rosalia will need help,
but it’s too weak to regrow anything and all the nearby fauna and creatures are
still recovering. Broken siege weapons and the shattering pieces of soldiers
litter the ground. The stench of death is pungent in the air and the sounds of despair
and anger echo.
Ahead of Rosalia is a large Flos encampment
that has been made into a miniature castle with a wall and various small guard
towers around it. The fighting has gone on for so long that you wouldn’t be
blamed for thinking this encampment was a small town for how large it is. There
are other encampments like it around the springs, but this one is the command
site and the largest. Rosalia heads into the camp once the guards recognize her.
A Flos commander meets up with her,
and says, “You’ve come a long way through dangerous obstacles to come here,
Rosalia. It’s impressive for a mother with a past such as yours.”
“I don’t think you want to cause me
any trouble.”
“Oh no, we don’t harbor any
feelings of hate towards you. We just want to get your son to the springs. I
don’t even think what you did counts as a crime that we can punish.”
“Good. Do you have a plan? My son doesn’t
have long.”
“Yes, but it’ll be messy. I think it’s
best if you stay here.”
“I have my black bull and the
forest can come to my aid. I can come with you.”
“Can’t you command your bull and
the forest to protect us? Why do you have to come with us?”
“I’m a mother. I’m supposed to
protect my child.”
“I see. Since it doesn’t look like I
can change your mind, we’ll start moving out.” The commander then turns to his
soldiers. “Come on, men! We don’t have much time!”
The forces of the Flos start
deploying and put protection mages around Rosalia so they can form a shield to
protect her. The other encampments deploy their forces to attack the Crystallis
ahead of time to clear a path for her. Once they head out, they see the
Crystallis army heading for them. Both armies converge on the springs in the
middle of the battlefield as their siege weapons launch their barrages on both
sides. The battlefield becomes a violent mess of soldiers as Rosalia makes her
way to the springs. The shield protecting her is quickly destroyed and the mages
who made them are taken out. Other Flos soldiers come to her aid, but they have
to engage with the Crystallis in order to protect her and aren’t able to stay
by her side.
A barrage of fireballs land near
Rosalia, which knocks her off the black bull. The area around her is mostly
clear and the springs are in sight, so she makes a run for it as the barrages
continue to rain from the sky. The black bull sees that one of them is about to
directly hit her, so it leaps out to protect her from it, but is shattered into
pieces.
“Thank you,” Rosalia whispers as
she runs with everything she’s got.
The springs are only steps away
when an arrow barrage comes down upon her. Most of the arrows manage to hit her
and pierce through her shield. The last arrows pierce through her core, but she
manages to put Rhodes in the springs.
“I love you, my little prince,” she
says as she shatters.
As Rhodes lays in the springs, his body
not only heals but he is also transformed.
Crystal robes made for a king, eyes
like the moon, hair as red as fire, and doll shell like the finest porcelain.
Since Rosalia’s death, the forest has gone on a rampage. It breaks through both
the Flos and Crystallis forces to the springs where it mourns her death for a
few seconds before focusing its rage on the Crystallis army.
Rhodes then says to the forest, “No.
Do not do this. Spare them. My mother wanted a world of peace and love, and that
is what I will give to her.”
Seeing that the forest has trouble
controlling itself, Rhodes begins to sing a song to calm it down. Rosalia and
his father join him in spirit to strengthen his song.
“You might be weak
But you are also strong
You might be angry
But I’ve seen you happy
You might hate
But you can love
And because of this
You are everything to me
You are all I’ll ever need
Even when the world is falling
apart
Even when life takes its toll
You will always be my everything
All the wealth
All the diamonds in the world
Everything in the universe is nothing
compared to you
Your value is limitless
Nothing is worth exchanging for you
If your life were in danger, I’d
give my life so you could live
And because of this
You are everything to me
You are all I’ll ever need
Even when the world is falling
apart
Even when life takes its toll
You will always be my everything
You are everything to me
You are all I’ll ever need
Even when the world is falling
apart
Even when life takes its toll
You will always be my everything”
The forest calms down and releases energy
that calms down everyone on the battlefield. The springs burst forth and showers
the battlefield. There is no longer any hatred between the two armies. No one
feels like fighting anymore and the two sides come together and apologize for
what they’ve done and promise to stop fighting. The vegetation around the
springs spring back to life as love being is spread. The springs themselves begin
to spread throughout the world because of the sacrifice of Rosalia and shower
the world with its calming waters.
Rhodes hears in his head his mother’s
voice that says, “The war will end very soon. I told you that I would make sure
that you would live in a world of peace, happiness, and love. I may not have
expected it to be this way, but I know you’ll be happy and safe. Find the love
of your life and don’t let them go.”
“I will. Thank you, mom.”
The
End
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