Memories of Gaia: A new day is dawning

“Thanos, just give up!” Elden shouted as he removed his rusty sword and held it at the ready. He glared at the evil man who wore an expression of amusement on his face.

“You should know me better than that,” Thanos taunted, his fingers flexing on the handle of his ancient staff. “I bet you still have not told Valeena the truth,”

Valeena glanced at Elden in confusion, darting her eyes back to Thanos. “Told me the truth about what?”

“Nothing,” Elden snapped a little too quickly. Valeena crossed her arms and stared at Elden, blinking slowly.

“Elden?” She asked, her voice firm. Elden shook his head and said, “Just drop it,” Through his teeth, his eyes narrowing at her.

Thanos seemed to be enjoying this as a thin smile crossed his scared face.

“Tell me what?” Valeena pressed, her blue eyes looking back and forth between Elden and Thanos.

“Now is not the time!” Elden nearly shouted as anger boiled in his veins. His knuckles were turning white from holding his sword so tightly.

“Oh, but now is a perfect time!” Thanos countered his eyes on Valeena. No one moved as the wind whipped around them, the clouds gathering above. “It is always best to get everything out before you die!” Thanos said as an ugly expression that may have been a smile moved across his face.

“Elden!”

“Fine! Valeena, I was not sent to kill Queen Maylee,” Elden began, his eyes glaring at the ground as he scuffed the toe of his boot on the dirt. “I was going to kill you.”

Valeena felt as though the wind had been knocked out her. Her mind was spinning as she fought to speak. “Me? But why?”

“Because I hated you!” Elden shouted startling Valeena who jumped back at his anger. Before she could ask why, he continued, “You left me for dead when the dragon attacked us! Then, for some reason, you were saved and got to live in a castle! I was taken by Thanos and raised in a cell!” He said, his voice dripping with hate.

“Wait- Thanos raised you?” Rowan asked disbelievingly as he cut into their conversation. Elden crossed his arms over his chest and nodded quickly.

“So when you told me back in Rose Grove that you were collecting the Elements before Thanos cloud get them, you were actually getting them for him?” Valeena asked, her body shaking from the betrayal she felt burning in her heart.

“Yes.”

His confession stung and Valeena opened her mouth to shout at him once more. But he cut her as he said, “But I changed my mind! I decided to help the planet and not hurt it!”

Elden turned his head towards Thanos as he pointed at him with the rusty blade, “And that is why he is here now,”

“You had several opportunities to kill me and yet, here I am.” Thanos taunted as he opened his arms wide, grinning.

“You killed my mother!” Aurory shouted as a red spiral formed above them in the sky. An angry Harpy with flaming eyes soared out of the spiral, aiming her deadly, poisonous claws at Thanos.

“You’re the Summoner?” Thanos said, startled as he swung his staff at the flying beast. “A spoiled, whiny, little brat like you is the Summoner? No wonder this planet is doomed!”

A second Harpy emerged from the spiral, much larger than the first. Her body was a gray color, her eyes burning with fire. Valeena ignored the Harpy as she aimed her sword at Thanos, lunging forward. But he was much quicker than she was, his staff striking her arm painfully. Valeena stumbled backward from the blow, fighting to regain her footing.

Several dead soldiers began to rise out of the ground, moaning as they materialized. Rowan swung hard, his giant fist going right through their smoky bodies.

“I’ll take care of the undead, you get Thanos!” Valeena said as Nyles impaled the ground, his spear passing smoothly through the undead soldier.

Akari threw several throwing stars at Thanos, smirking as one dug deep into his leg. He buckled forwards, stumbling as the Harpy clawed at his face, ripping his eye patch off. Aurory gagged as she saw the hole where his eye should have been.

Rain began to fall from the darkening sky, making the battleground slippery from mud. Valeena refused to give up as she swung her sword at three more undead soldiers as they began to rise out of the ground. Aira released several arrows at Thanos, each one burning up from the flames that burst out of his palms.

Nyles and Rowan had rushed at Thanos, Rowan attacking him from behind as Nyles aimed from in front. Thanos swung his glowing staff, striking Rowan but missing Nyles. The two fell to the ground, Nyles pinning him to the ground with his knees. One of the Harpy’s body lay dead at Nyles feet, her head inches from her body. He tried not to look at it as Thanos struggled to get up.

Elden stood over Thanos, glaring down at the evil man. Thanos began to laugh as Elden thrust his word into Thanos’ heart as the other Harpy fled into the spiral.

“It is futile to try and kill something that is already dead!” Thanos said as his skin began to boil and blister. Several long tentacle-like, black objects oozed out of his sides. Without warning, the tentacles shot forward, wrapping around Aurory.

“Open Nihonal now!” Thanos demanded, his voice deep and threatening as his body began to change as well. His face expanded, turning more beast-like than man. His body grew larger as his clothes ripped away, revealing deep, red fur. He grabbed Nyles by the back of his neck and lifted him off his body with ease. Thanos threw Nyles aside as he stood on four stumps of legs. His arms were long, ending in deadly, clawed fingers.

“No!” Valeena shouted as she watched her sister dangling several feet off the ground. Aurory was holding tightly onto the tentacle around her neck, kicking her legs madly. The tentacle had a smoky appearance, as though it were a burning log.

“Then she dies!” Thanos said, squeezing Aurory’s throat tighter. One of the tentacles darted towards Rowan, tripping him as he rushed towards Thanos. Rowan cried out in pain as his head hit the ground painfully, knocking the wind out his lungs. Valeena hung her head in defeat as she retreated to her post, the blue light reluctantly flowing once more.

“What?” Nyles questioned as he stared at Valeena in disbelief. “You’re giving up?”

Valeena did not respond as tears pool in her blue eyes. She heard Nyles mumble something under his breath as he helped Rowan to his feet.

“Come on,” Rowan said as he made his way to his own post, patting Nyles on the back as he left him behind. Nyles’s jaw hung open as Aira lowered her weapon.

Valeena sighed as the other colors joined hers, waiting for Aurory. The child struggled against the tentacle around her neck before going limp.

“No!” Valeena shouted, “You killed her!”

Thanos dropped Aurory’s body to the ground, hovering over it. Aurory’s eyes shot open as she stabbed him in the chest with a dagger that she had hidden in her robes. Thanos stared at her with a look that suggested she is an idiot.

“You can’t kill the dead!” Thanos reminded her smacking her arm away. “Now, open the door!” He shouted, shoving her roughly towards the archway.

“Aurory,” Valeena called out, ignoring the deadly eyes of Thanos as they rounded on her. “I never gave you my answer,”

Aurory stood facing her sister as tears silently rolled down her cheeks. “Well?”

“You Aurory. I will save the planet for you. I know I was not the best big sister, and I know there’s nothing I can say to change that. But maybe when everything is said and done, we can start over?” Valeena said as Thanos rolled his eyes.

Aurory sniffed loudly, shaking her head, “You don’t understand,” She began but Thanos shoved her hard again, nearly knocking her over.

“Enough!” He said, “Open the damn door already!”

Aurory hung her head and faced the archway, closing her eyes. ‘Gaia, if you can hear me, we need your help.’ She prayed, the thorn borrowing deeper into her heart.

Valeena watched as her heart pounded in her chest. After several minutes, she glanced around at her friends. She was not sure what was suppose to happen, but she was sure they had failed.

“Try again!” Thanos demanded striking the ground in impatience. "Or I will kill you all!"

Aurory squeezed her eyes shut tighter, twisting her face in determination. ‘Gaia, please!’ But her words fell on deaf ears, Gaia could not hear her calls for help.

“I need to say something,” Aurory announced, lifting her head and facing her sister. “Valeena, I- there’s something you need to know,”

“We don’t have time for this!” Thanos said pushing Aurory's head in an attempt to make her face the door.

“SHUT UP!” Aurory shouted startling the evil beast as she smacked his arm away.

“Valeena, you are all going to die,” She said hating the confusion on her stupid sister’s face. “You- the crystallians, are only supposed to return to the planet to save it. Once your job is done, you return to planet.”

Akari sobbed loudly as she covered her eyes with her hands. Aira glanced at Elden, “Is this true?” She asked.

“I-I don’t know,” He stuttered, surprised the elf was willingly speaking to him.

“Of course it’s true,” Thanos said, shaking his massive head. "Are you really that stupid?" He glanced at Aurory who fought hard against the urge to nod.

Valeena looked skyward, blinking back tears, “It’s alright. If it means saving the planet, then so be it.”

Aurory searched the eyes of the team, each one nodding at her in return. She then turned and faced the doorway. ‘Gaia, we are ready. Hear our calls. We need you.’

“Whoa,” Valeena breathed as a shimmering white light appeared in the center of the archway, sparkling softly like fresh snow in the sun. A sense of calm swept over the team as Gaia, the Goddess of the planet emerged. Her hair was transparent, flowing like a river. Her long, elaborate dress billowed softly in the windless night. Her face was lovely, her eyes a deep, endless sea of space.

“Finally!” Thanos said as he leaped towards the Goddess, wrapping her body in his tentacles and dragging her back into Nihonal.

"No!" Valeena shouted as she jumped from her post and rushed towards the gates.

"Val!" Elden called out as the blue stream of light broke off from Valeena's pillar, the light pulsing as it faded towards the arch.

Aurory was just pulling herself to her feet when Valeena collided with her body, dragging them both into the disappearing door of Nihonal.