"Cocky until the end. Goodbye, Lyn,"
"Wait wait wait!" she called out, still struggling against the giant. "It doesn't matter, but can ya tell me one more thing, PLEASE!"
"No,"
"Wow, what a mudstick, I was just gonna ask ya fur the time?" she remarked, checking her pocket watch.
"What?"
Taipan shot down from the entrance to the Hollow Realm. She dart towards Lyn and RIPPED HER FROM HER PRISON!
"Thanks boss!" Lyn called out, stabbing her with a shard of grey.
She kicked Taipan away and charged along the giant's arm. Taipan charged after her. The claws and the spears were still after them, but now they were after Taipan too, giving Lyn a slight advantage.
As they charged up higher and higher, Lyn kept snapping her fingers. They reached up top.
Lyn leapt off the giant. Taipan tried to catch her, but was caught in the giant's trap. The giant fought with Taipan, attempting to consume her.
Lyn dove. She felt the wind flowing through her hair. The giant in front of her was like the ground itself. It felt like she was flying upside-down. Eventually, she crashed down to the ground.
"LYN!?" Amara called out.
Without a second to waste, Lyn rushed over to her. She reached for her amulet and-.
"NO!" Carina screeched.
She appeared and sent Lyn flying. The available grey bundled together, creating a barrier to protect Amara.
"Yer games 're over!" she snapped.
"Hm…yer right," Lyn remarked, holding up the amulet, a smirk on her face. "Looks like we have a winner,"
"What?" she exclaimed, stunned.
Lyn tossed up the amulet. Thousands of claws and spears reached for her. She pointed her blackened fingers and smirked.
"Black Jack,"{reference to Devil May Cry 1}.
With a mighty explosion, the black fired from Lyn's fingers. It shattered all nearby grey and *pierced* the amulet.
The grey screeeeched! It screamed! It roared! It was meaningless. Carina reached for Lyn angrily, only to evaporate into mist.
Amara's body returned to its normal size and colours. She sat on the ground, looking at Lyn.
Tears built up in her eyes, her face wrinkled, her lips quivered. She curled up, hugging her legs.
"I'm sorry…I'm so…so sorry…,"
"Oy," Lyn called out, crouching next to her. "Good,"
"huh?"
"Cause Birds, Dreschers, the grey, all that. They wouldn't shed tears for what they've done. Ya could even say Dreschers Never Cry," {reference to the Original Devil May Cry trilogy}
"Shut up," she chuckled, wiping her tears.
"What? It works," Lyn smiled.
Amara took a deep breath, "What should I do now?"
Lyn looked up to their right, "Where ya go from here, its yer call," {reference to the ending of Devil May Cry 4}.
Before the pair was the door to Amara's apartment. It shone ethereal white, like the woman who sang to Lyn. Amara got up. She slowly moved towards it. Her shoulders shuddered, and she squeezed her fists.
"I'll hold the line for ya," She interjected, patting her on the back.
Amara opened the door. She looked back, to see Lyn facing off against Taipan. She wouldn't have much time.
Content Warning: the following Section contains themes and references to SA. No specific details of said SA are given, but please make sure your comfortable for such subjects. If you or a loved one has experienced such things, please contact the authorities or seek emotional support wherever possible. Thank you
She closed the door and walked over to where she and Carina were seated. She took her echo's notepad and pen. Her echo turned to glass. She sat down, looking at Carina.
"Ya wanted to hear about Jadeite Drescher…right?" she asked, her lips quivering.
"Yes," she answered, squeezing the pencil.
Carina placed a hand on her chest, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.
"When I was hired to work as a receptionist, it wasn't jus' cause I was purty," she exclaimed, her hands shaking. "When I was hired, they brought up my red brown hair an' ocean blue eyes. I didn't think much of it at the time, but I think there was a reason. Jadeite Drescher…had a type,"
The glass Amara began to crack. Amara stumbled with her writing.
"'Re ya-?"
"It's fine," she responded, shaking her head. "Yer more important right now. Please….do what ya wanna do,"
She kept writing, "Take yer time,"
Carina placed her hands on her lap, her eyes shaking, "I remember the first time she visited. I was told 'the Mondgreif will see you now'. I went to see 'er…she…I was terrified, but she wasn't just anyone. Eventually…I became numb to it, to the abuse, but I wouldn't give. She…would ask me to become her concubine….like the others. I always knew she was a bit of a player…but…,"
The statue slowly fell apart, piece by piece, word by word. Amara wrote it all down, every detail. Not to report, not because it mattered anymore, but because it mattered to her.
Tears fell down her eyes. She struggled to hold it together, but pressed on the whole time. Eventually…it was over.
"I'm leavin'. 'Re ya sure ya won't come with me?" She asked, standing up.
"....it doesn't matter," Amara sighed, getting up.
She walked over to Carina and placed her hands on her cheeks, "I'll find ya again, whether in this cycle 'r the next, an' I'll do whatever I can…whatever I can…to make ya happy,"
Carina said nothing. She smiled and vanished into white stardust.
---
Taipan stopped. Stars filled the city, floating up, and entering the Drealm Realm. It was like a reverse snowfall.
"I'll see you again…my child," she threatened before vanishing.
"I know," Lyn remarked, raising her right hand.
She stopped for a second, observing the starts. She smiled, and snapped her right fingers.
To Be Continued...…