Sword of the Stars Part 20
The Path to the Stars
They had only been riding through the Great Forest for an hour or so, and frankly, Duo was enjoying it. The forest had a very tranquil feeling to it. Even the air felt magical. A part of him didn't want to leave. He closed his eyes and let Cloud follow Bolt.
A few minutes later, he heard Wufei gasp in pleasure. "Oh, it's incredible!"
Duo opened his eyes and stared at what was in front of him. In a clearing, surrounded by trees, was a temple made of smooth stone, completely intact, and untouched by age. Beautiful white steps lined by doric columns led up to the open doorway.
Quatre turned to Duo. "This is it! The Temple of the Skies!"
Yohan motioned for them all to dismount. They complied, and with Duo in the lead, began to climb up the stairs. When they entered the vestibule, Duo felt a cool breeze. Ahead of them were two stone doors, each with a cloud and star insignia imprinted on them. On each side of the doors was a torch holder. Duo frowned.
"Do we have to light these ones, too?" [1]
Yohan nodded and sent little balls of fire to light them. This time, the fire that burned from the torches was white. The doors groaned and began to open, revealing the inside of the Temple of the Skies.
It was mostly empty, and very long. At the far end of the Temple was a dais. On top of the dais were two altars like the ones the Orbs had been on. Duo walked toward the dais with his friends at his heels. They walked onto the dais.
"Place the Orbs on the altars," Yohan instructed.
Duo nodded and took out the palm-sized Orbs. He placed them each on the altars. When they were in place, they both began to shine brilliantly. Duo shut his eyes. When the glow faded, the Orbs were their normal size.
Yohan backed away, and motioned for Quatre and Wufei to do the same.
"Duo," Yohan said, "now you must read the inscription on the medallion."
Duo frowned and placed the medallion on his palm. "But I don't know what it--huh?" He peered at the medallion closely. Somehow, he knew what it said. He took a deep breath and recited the inscription. "'The world consists of three realms. The lowest of which is Water," the Orb of Water began to pulse brightly with light, "and the middle of which is Earth." The Orb of Earth began pulsing with light . "Only the highest realm, the Sky, has denied Man's control." The Orbs maintained a constant, bright glow. "Yet for he whom the Sword chooses, the Sky is no longer the limit." Streams of light poured from the Orbs and swirled through the air above them. "The bearer of this medallion is the master of the skies." The snake-like beams of light became a rainbow of colors as they spun around: Pink, purple, red, blue, green, yellow, and orange. "For you, the path to the Stars will open."
The beams of light stopped circling and flew to the center of the dais. They came together as one and turned a brilliant white. Duo shielded his eyes as the light grew into a large, transparent oval. Two thick, solid beams of white light emerged from each Orb and joined the oval, solidifying it. When the glow faded, a mirror-like oval was before them. The Orbs were still shining and a cool breeze was still blowing. Duo let the medallion hang and turned to look at Yohan and the others. Quatre was staring at the oval in awe and Wufei was shaking his head in amazement. Yohan smiled.
"That is a portal. It will take you, and only you, to the Celestial Palace. For this, Duo, you are on your own. I wish you luck."
Duo glanced at the portal uncertainly. "What will I have to do?"
Yohan shrugged. "I know nothing of what you will face in there. Only the ancient Stardragon Mages did. But the Celestial Palace, like the caverns holding the Orbs, are a test for you. Prove yourself to the Star Sword."
As Duo nodded, shrieks cut through the air. He turned toward the sound as his friends did the same. What he saw made his heart leap to his throat. Five, dark shapes entered the room they were in.
"Shadows!" Quatre screamed.
"No!" Yohan cried. "Not now!"
As the Shadows manifested into different deadly creatures, Duo seized Yohan's robes. "How did they get here? I thought only I could enter the forest!"
The mage shrugged. "I don't know!" he said in a panicked voice. "Perhaps because they are magical creations?" Yohan pushed Duo toward the portal. "Go! Get the Star Sword! Hurry!"
Duo stared at his friends in disbelief. Quatre had his staff ready. Wufei nodded his agreement.
"Go, Duo," Wufei said. "Hurry."
"I'll hold them off," Quatre assured him. "You go to the Palace."
Duo shook his head. "I can't just let you all fight while I run!"
Yohan shoved him again. "Go! You must get the Sword! We'll be fine, but go!"
The Shadows had chosen their forms: a lizard, a large eagle of some sort, a giant crab, a tentacled plant, and a large wolf. Duo nodded finally.
"Be careful," he said before turning to the portal. He ran through the white portal as he heard the battle begin behind him. As he went through the portal, the whole world turned white.
<<The bearer of the medallion is the master of the skies,>> a voice said. <<For you, the path to the Stars will open...>>
~*~
He regained consciousness and felt himself lying on a cold, tiled floor. He opened his eyes and pushed himself to his feet, staring around in wonder. It seemed as if the entire room he was in was made of crystal. He could see himself in the tiles, golden candles were burning on crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, the walls were made of the purest white stone, and the doors were made of smooth, oak with golden handles. He looked behind him. Heavy crystal doors were there. Curious, he tried pushing them open. They didn't budge.
<<They are merely for show,>> a familiar voice said. It was the same one that had spoken to him before, and he thought he remembered it from somewhere else, too. <<They will not open, nor would you want them to. Those are the doors leading outside. If you exit this place, you will find yourself hurling to the ground. Welcome to the Celestial Palace, chosen one.>>
Duo searched for the owner of the voice. "Where are you?"
<<You will meet me soon enough. First, you must reach the top of this palace. I will be waiting for you.>>
When the voice stopped talking, the doors of the vestibule opened, revealing a beautiful hall with two flights of circular stairs leading up. Between the flights of stairs stood a statue of a crystal-clad warrior holding a heavy lance. As Duo walked toward the stairs, the crystal warrior began to move. Duo stopped short and drew his katana.
The crystal warrior hefted the lance and walked toward Duo. Duo met the lance with his katana, almost losing his balance due to the strength and weight of the crystal warrior. With a little jump, he pushed the lance away and slashed. The crystal warrior parried, and the two began exchanging blows. The crystal warrior thrust his lance downward. Duo jumped back, and as the lance struck the ground, he ran up the weapon and jumped onto the crystal warrior's shoulders, landing hard and then flipping over its head. He landed on the ground and turned just as the crystal warrior turned and charged at him. Duo tensed and waited. When the lance was almost at his chest, he side-stepped and slashed the crystal warrior under the helmet--the one place it wasn't protected. The armor collapsed as if there were nothing inside it.
Duo exhaled in relief, impressed at his own technique. /Not bad, huh, Father?/ He decided to keep his katana out and climbed up the stairs.
The second floor of the Palace was only slightly different than the first. There was still a long hallway, lined with candles and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, but there was only one flight of stairs leading up. Duo walked down the hall cautiously, glancing all around him.
<<You impress me greatly,>> the voice said. Duo jumped, but kept walking. <<But that was only a taste of what is to come. There are many here who will challenge you, and that was only the first.>>
"Who are you?" Duo called. "What are you?" The voice didn't answer. Duo climbed the stairs and came to a floor identical to the one below, but the stairs were on the opposite end of the hall. There was someone in front of the stairs, though. Someone in a cloak. Duo kept himself ready as he made his way toward the person. When he was ten feet or so away, the figure turned and pulled the hood down. Duo gasped and almost dropped his katana.
His father's features stared back at him.
"Duo! You're alive!"
Duo shook his head. "Father? It can be! How can you be here?"
"You," his father replied. "The Sword sensed that you needed me, and so it brought me here."
"I thought you were" Duo frowned. "The path to the Stars opens only for me, Father. How could you have possibly?"
His father grinned. "You have always made me proud, Duo. I am privileged to have you as a son." His father paused. "In fact, since I love you so much, I will tell you the real reason I am here." He tore off the cloak and unsheathed the sword at his side. Duo back-stepped a few paces.
"Father...what...?"
"The Dark Lord wanted me to kill you, Duo," his father said.
Duo lowered his katana. "The Dark Lord? Father? You and the Dark Lord?" He shook his head. "No! I won't believe it! Not my father! He would never join the Dark Lord!"
His father shook his head. "Oh, no, Duo. You misunderstand. The Dark Lord healed my hip. I can fight again. In return, I pledged my loyalty to him. He wanted me to kill you, but I have a better idea. Come with me. We will both fight for the Dark Lord."
Duo shook his head. He felt so confused, so lost. "What? Fight for the Dark Lord?! Father...I can't...I am the Warrior. I fight *against* the Dark Lord!"
His father frowned and shook his head sadly. "Duo, my boy, I will give you only one chance. You cannot be my son if you do not join with me."
Duo couldn't believe his ears. What had happened to his father? When had he become this cold? This*evil*? His father waited impatiently while Duo thought. Finally, Duo raised his katana and shook his head.
"Father or not," he said, "you are evil. I will not join the Netherworld. I will have to kill you, too."
Duo's father snarled and ran towards him with his sword poised for attack. Duo met his father's blade with his own. They exchanged blows for a long time. Duo used everything his father had taught him, and Master Zendrick used everything he knew. The two weapons of father and son struck one another time and time again, causing sparks to fly. But his father had something Duo didn't: years of experience. He managed to drive Duo toward the wall. He raised his sword to slash, and Duo brought his up to parry. At that moment, Master Zendrick used his other hand to pin Duo's sword-arm against the wall. As Duo struggled, his father plunged his sword through Duo's left shoulder.
Duo doubled over from the pain as blood gushed from the wound, soaking his shirt and the torn portion of his leather armor. His father pushed him to the ground roughly.
"You should have accepted my offer," Master Zendrick said. "Now you have to die." He positioned himself in front of Duo and raised the sword above his head.
Duo thought fast. As his father prepared to kill him, he lurched himself up into a handstand and wrapped his legs around his father's throat, taking Master Zendrick by surprise. His father dropped his sword and tried to pry Duo's legs away. Duo squeezed tighter and tighter. His father began to choke. He faltered and fell to the ground, taking Duo with him. As they struck the tiles, Duo tugged sharply with his legs, and broke his father's neck.
He rolled away from the body and clutched his wounded shoulder. Blood poured onto his hands, but he didn't notice. He stared in horror at what he had done to his father. Tears streamed down his face.
"What...what have I done?" Then, the body vanished. Duo gasped. "What? What happened?"
<<Well done, chosen one. You have proven yourself once again.>>
"You?!" Duo leapt to his feet. "You sent my father after me?"
<<No. Your father was never here, and was never a servant of the Dark Lord. You had to prove that you would fight for what you believed in, no matter who your adversary was. You have done so. Now, onward with you.>>
He felt the voice fade away. "Wait! Come back!" There was no answer. With a frown, Duo climbed the stairs. He went up to the next floor.
On the fourth floor, another cloaked figure awaited him. Wincing from the pain of his shoulder, he ventured forward. This person was smaller than his father had been. When he was almost right behind it, the figure pulled off the cloak and turned to face him. Duo gasped at who faced him.
"Quatre?!"
"How could you leave us, Duo?" the prince spat at him. His eyes were filled with hate and anger. "You left us alone with the Shadows!"
Duo frowned. "But, Quatre... You told me to go on."
"You left us!" he shouted, twirling his staff and advancing on him. "You call yourself a friend?"
Duo backed up and raised his sword to protect himself. "But, Quatre, I didn't mean to" he trailed off. This was not like Quatre at all, he thought. This *wasn't* Quatre. It was another illusion, like his father. Quatre dashed toward him. Instinctively, he parried the blow. He was a vicious fighter, with an edge in speed.
He had to use all of his training to block the power and skill he threw at him. He hooked his foot around Duo's and took him to the floor. When he hit the tiles, he seized the end of his staff and pulled. With a cry of shock, he fell atop him with a grunt. Duo shoved him off and rolled over. He raised his sword and plunged it into Quatre's chest. He shrieked once and was still. As he got off of the blond, he vanished.
Without pondering over what had just happened, he climbed up to the next floor. He wasn't surprised to see yet another cloaked figure waiting by the stairs. At least now he knew they were all just illusions. Without fear, he approached the figure. "And who are you?" he asked.
The figure stiffened. Tearing off the cloak, the figure turned to face him. Duo gasped at who stared back at him. "Wufei!"
The Healing Cleric didn't look like himself at all. For one thing, his face was a mask of hatred. For another, he held a small knife in his hand.
"You left us alone to deal with the Shadows!" he screamed at him. "Quatre is dead because of you!"
He didn't think he could, but Wufei leapt at him with the knife pointed at his heart. Before he realized what he was doing, he seized the Cleric's arm, twisted it, wrenched the knife from his hand, and plunged it into his heart. When he realized what he'd done, he dropped the body and stepped back. Illusion or not, he had struck a Healer. That was the most dishonorable act a fighter could commit. As Wufei's body vanished, he leaned against the wall. He hoped he didn't have to battle anyone else. Gripping his katana, he began climbing stairs again.
When he arrived on the seventh floor, he noticed right away that two crystal warriors with swords stood on either side of the stairway. Duo sagged in exhaustion. He was tired, hot, confused, in pain, and very angry.
When the two crystal warriors hefted their weapons and began to walk toward him, he raised his katana and ran toward them without hesitation.
He was eager for the fight to be over. He gave the crystal warriors no chance. His sword met one of theirs and he twisted it around, sending it flying to lodge in the ground. He slashed and stabbed at the warrior mercilessly at every opening of its armor. It collapsed. As it fell, Duo turned to the other and repeated the procedure. Soon, just bits of shattered crystal shared the room with him.
He sank to his knees and panted heavily. He didn't know how long he'd been here, but it was long enough to make him want to sleep for a week. With an obvious effort, he pushed himself to his feet and began a slow ascent to the eighth floor of the Palace.
As he climbed, he began to feel light-headed and dizzy. The flight of stairs seemed much longer than the others. There was a white light at the top. He forced himself onward; one foot in front of the other. When he reached the light, he stepped through. A violent wind began to blow around him, and the light flashed, blinding him.
When he opened his eyes again, he gaped and stared around him. Trees and bushes surrounded him, and along with them were houses. He blinked in recognition. Redwood's Clearing. He was back in Redwood's Clearing. He was home, and it was fine. Everything looked better than new.
"Can it be?" Duo asked to himself. "Am I...home?" He shook his head. "Wasn't I...somewhere else? Somewhere important?" He thought hard. He seemed to remember being somewhere else, but it was distant, fading.
He gazed around Redwood's Clearing with happiness and joy. Whatever had been happening, it was over now. He was home. And if *he* were back, then that probably meant...
"Duo!" a familiar voice called. "Duo, there you are!"
Duo turned and searched the town frantically. His spirits lifted when he saw Heero running toward him.
"Heero! You're all right!"
He met his friend halfway. "Of course I'm all right," Heero said. "I was only in the next town for a few days. It was nothing. I just got back a little while ago." Heero blinked sweetly at him. "I was looking for you. While I was in town, I bought something for you. Come on."
Duo nodded, completely trustful. He trusted Heero with his life. He followed his friend into the forest to one of the clearings they knew well. Heero went to a backpack that was lying on the ground and bent down to it. Duo waited patiently for his friend to find what he was looking for. He was so happy to be home. He couldn't really remember what he'd been doing to keep him away, but it didn't matter.
"So what did you get for me?" he asked Heero. "I want to see it."
Heero stood up. "I was saving it for you, Duo. I thought it was perfect for you. I think you'll like it." His friend turned quickly and swung his arm. Before Duo could do anything, a dagger struck him in the right shoulder. Duo cried out and fell back.
"Heero! What are you doing?!"
His friend smiled wickedly and prepared his twin-blade. "Getting rid of interference. The Dark Lord has decided not to allow you to get your hands on the Star Sword. I will see to it you never do."
Abruptly, Duo remembered everything. "No...No! Heero, you're not evil!"
"Why don't you judge for yourself, *my friend*?" Heero twirled his twin-blade and ran toward Duo. Duo raised his katana and met his friend's weapon.
At least Duo knew he had a good chance in this fight. Heero was fast, but Duo had trained with him for years, and knew how he moved. They moved around the clearing, exchanging and parrying blows.
They had been fighting for several minutes when Duo remembered the dagger in his shoulder. As he parried Heero's twin-blade, he twisted the dagger and pulled it out of his flesh. He parried the Heero's attack once more, and then stuck the dagger into his friend's abdomen. Heero choked and doubled over, dropping his weapon. As Duo stood over him, Heero coughed up blood and fell to his side. His body vanished as the others had.
When Heero was gone, the forests of Redwood cleared away as well. Duo stared in wonder as the forest scenery materialized into a large, square-shaped room. He was back in the Celestial Palace. /Or maybe,/ a voice inside him said pointedly, /you never left./
<<So you are even prepared to battle a friend? Good. You have impressed me, chosen one. Come, I am near. Climb the stairs!>>
Duo sagged. More stairs? How many floors did the Palace have? He wanted nothing more than to fall on the ground and sleep, but he pushed himself onward. He walked to the end of the room and climbed the stairs.
When he reached the top, he found himself facing a door. He reached forward to open it, but it opened slowly without him, leading to a vestibule. Another door stood before him, but it was a door without handles, and made of stone, unlike the other doors. Duo peered at the door closely. There was an inscription on it. The same one as the one on his medallion. He held up the medallion, and it began to glow white. The lettering on the door also began to shine. The door began to grumble. It slowly lifted, revealing the dark room on the other side. Duo ventured inside.
The room was mostly dark, but the ceiling looked like a night sky filled with stars. Twinkling light sparkled above him. It was beautiful. Something ahead caught his eye. Something on top of a high platform. He gazed at it. He knew what it was: the Star Sword.
As if in a trance, he began to walk toward the Sword. He dropped his katana to the ground and began to climb the stairs leading up to it. He could feel it pulling at him. When he reached the top of the platform, he gazed in wonder at the weapon forged with magic, floating blade-down over a stone altar. Its hilt was solid gold, with a line of star-shaped diamonds on either side. The blade was pure crystal.
He felt the star-shaped mark on his forehead grow warm. He stared at his reflection in the glowing Star Sword and realized the mark was also shining white. The medallion was shining, too.
<<Welcome, chosen one,>> the voice said.
"Who are you?" Duo asked, tired of asking the same question.
<<I am the essence of the Star Sword, the king of the skies. I am the Celestial Dragon. You have done well to come this far. Now, the time has come for you to accept destiny. I have waited long for you to come. Take me. My power is yours to command.>>
Duo frowned. "You can talk?"
<<Only in here, but although I cannot form words outside of here, I can still somewhat communicate with you. We are bonded, you and I. I know your desires, your fears, your emotions, everything. You and I are one, sworn to defeat the Dark Lord. I knew you would be the one the moment I sensed you. I am pleased you did not disappoint me. Now, please, take my hilt. We must hurry if we are to help the others defeat the Shadows.>>
Duo nodded and reached for the Star Sword. When his hands closed around the hilt, a brilliant flash of white light erupted. In the midst of the white light emerged the shadowy form of a great dragon. The dragon roared once and sank into the Sword. When the light faded, Duo was holding the Sword above his head. His medallion and star-shaped mark stopped glowing.
He stood very still for a moment, breathing hard. The Sword felt so right in his hands. He had been trained to use katanas, not swords, but he felt as though he'd been using it for years, as if it had belonged to him all of his life.
He felt... powerful. Like he could level a city with the snap of a finger. He was perfectly aware of the power of the Sword. It was a part of him. He glanced down at his waist. On the left side of his belt was a beautiful jeweled scabbard.
<<We must go now, Duo... Destiny awaits us.>>
"How do we get out?" Duo asked.
<<Remember, my boy, you are now the master of the skies. For you, the path to the Stars has opened, and you command them. You may travel back and forth to here. Command my power.>>
Duo thought for a moment. Then, he concentrated on where he wanted to go: the Temple of the Skies to help the others. He raised the Sword, and it began to glow white, filling the air with a humming sound. He traced a circle in the air with the Sword, leaving a white trail. When the circle was complete, it filled with white light.
Without fear or hesitation, Duo stepped through the portal he had created. White light became everything.
~*~
He stepped out of his portal and onto the dais of the Temple of the Skies, where the Orbs were still shining. Wufei turned to him in shock.
"Duo?! You're back?!"
Without answering, he surveyed the scene. Quatre was crumpled against the wall, and Yohan had just been struck and sent flying toward the other wall. The Shadows were the same forms they had chosen when Duo had left. They moved toward each of his fallen comrades.
Duo felt anger burn inside him. He raised the Star Sword and raced down the dais. The Shadows saw him and backed away at the white light of the Sword. Tapping into the power of the Sword, Duo raised it into the sky and closed his eyes. He felt the mark on his forehead begin to glow. A beam of white light shot up from the Sword's tip. It vanished, but was replaced by five, thick bolts of searing white lightning. Each one crashed down on one of the Shadows. When they vanished, there was no trace of the Shadows at all.
Duo lowered the Sword as his friends appeared at his sides. He sheathed the Sword and took a deep breath. As he exhaled, his legs gave away. Quatre caught him before he fell, holding him upright by his arms. The blond settled him gently on the ground.
"Are you all right?"
He nodded wearily. Wufei knelt before him and pressed his hands to his shoulders. As he healed the wounds, he peered at Duo with concern. "How did you get those? What happened to you?"
He didn't reply. Instead, he glanced at the Cleric. "How did you all manage to last this long? You all don't even look very hurt."
Wufei frowned at him. "What are you talking about?" Quatre asked.
"The Shadows," Duo said impatiently. "How did you manage to hold them off all this time?"
Quatre stared at Duo without expression. "Duo," he said simply, "you were only gone for a few minutes."
Duo gaped in shock. "A few minutes? But it...it felt like an hour or so!"
Yohan knelt down on his side and patted his shoulder. "You were gone for only several minutes, Duo. And I must say, it was fortunate you came back so soon. I'm impressed with what you did here." He stared at the Star Sword at his waist. "You have the Sword. It is time we went to Triantia."
Duo winced. Quatre frowned. "Can't he rest for awhile? He looks exhausted."
Yohan shook his head. "I'm afraid not," he said regretfully. "We must hurry to defeat the Dark Lord."
"I'm all right," Duo said, climbing to his feet. "I'll be fine. Let's go."
"Are you sure?" Wufei asked.
"Yes," he insisted. "I'm fine." He started to leave the Temple, when Quatre put a hand on his arm.
"Can you tell me what you saw in the Celestial Palace? What happened to you?"
Duo froze. He remembered everything he had gone through in there: all the fighting, the killing, the betrayals, the accusations... He squeezed his eyes shut and pulled away from the prince, heading out the doors. "I don't want to talk about it." He left the Temple, and went to where they had tied Cloud and Bolt. He scratched Cloud's nose and patted his neck.
It wasn't long before Yohan and the others joined him outside. The mage cleared his throat. "I will contact the others mages now and tell them to give the word if you are ready, that is." Duo nodded absently. He just wanted to get this over with. Yohan sat cross-legged on the ground and began meditating.
Duo turned to face Quatre and Wufei. The Cleric peered at him curiously. "Your eyes...they are different."
Duo frowned. "What do you mean?"
"They look...stronger. As if there is a power inside you, and you know it."
Duo looked downwards. "There is a power inside me. The Star Sword and I are linked."
Before they could say any more, Yohan spoke. "The army has begun its attack. The remaining Lakian soldiers have gladly joined our forces. We are to head for the Triantian Palace. Grantis awaits."
"But how are we going to get there?" Quatre wanted to know. "In time, I mean. We are rather far away."
Duo gave a small start at the feeling that suddenly crept up his spine. He remembered the Star Sword's words. It was communicating with him. He concentrated and found he could understand what it was trying to say. "You know," Duo began. Yohan, Quatre, and Wufei turned to him. He studied the Sword at his belt. "The winds are an element of the sky. And since I am the master of the skies, I also control the winds."
"Are you saying you can fly us to the Palace?" Wufei asked incredulously.
"I can get us close," Duo replied. He unsheathed the Sword and held it close to his face. He closed his eyes and concentrated. The sword began to glow. It knew what he wanted, and was eager to comply. A white wind appeared and swirled around them, scooping them up, along with Cloud and Bolt. The outside world faded from sight. Duo's eyes were closed, but he could see perfectly. He knew where they were, and where to go. They were standing, as solidly as they would on land, in the air. They were riding the winds, surrounded by protective air. Keeping his eyes closed, he directed them to the Empire. It was time for the final fight.
TBC...
[1] Okay, I'll admit I've played one too many RPGs and LoZ games...
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