4.15 Accused and seen through

Shu XinYi left the ever falling Luxin behind, to find another way around the lake. The Crimson and purple trail headed across the lake so Shu XinYi had to cross the lake one way or another. He obviously wouldn't go near the lake, who knows if he too would become like Luxin. Falling endlessly. Shu XinYi didn't fully believe that the Crimson trail was left by Xuval, but he could feel almost instinctively that it must be Xuval. So, even when the trail felt ominous to follow behind, Shu XinYi calmly walked that path.

Shu XinYi was still "Seeing" everything with his purple form. The trail too could only be seen when he used the purple form. Shu XinYi opened his eyes to see what this lake in the densly dark forest actually looked like. What Shu XinYi saw was still a settled lake. But even after waiting for 10 minutes, there was no Luxin falling into the lake. Maybe the cursed reality of this illusion could be seen only when one used purple form. It was better to "see" only using the purple form.

Shu XinYi then tied a cloth around his eyes and used the purple form to see. Finally finding a way around the lake Shu XinYi kept walking forward. The Crimson energy trail was very thin in the beginning, now the energy was more concentrated. It probably meant that Shu XinYi was getting closer to the source of energy.

After walking for who knows how long, Shu XinYi saw the dark forest become even more darker. Previously Shu XinYi could see 50 trees ahead of him, now it was difficult to see 10 trees ahead of him. It was a blessing to have the purple form. Seeing this deathly darkness with naked eyes, one would surely be scared senseless.

Shu XinYi kept his pace, he wanted to find Xuval soon. I don't want to worry him, Shu XinYi thought. At this moment Shu XinYi heard a cry. A very enchantingly sweet and equally painful cry of a pheonix. Shu XinYi hadn't bothered himself with random voices in the woods uptill now, he just walked the trail. But right now he had stopped dead in his tracks.

No.. No.. It's all an illusion. Don't stary, Shu XinYi. Just keep following the trail. Xuval is the strongest being he can't be.. he really can't be hurt right now. Shu XinYi constantly tried to convince himself. This illusion was designed to trap people the right way. Shu XinYi was aware of this fact, but he still couldn't stop himself to go towards the painful cry of the pheonix. With reluctant steps Shu XinYi was moving closer to the pheonix. As if in a trance, he couldn't stop.

At this moment he felt something grip his hands. The grip was so subtle, gone with but a touch. Making one wonder if it was just the air being friendly. Shu XinYi looked down at his hand to see the Crimson energy wrapped around his wrist like Xiao B used to. At this Shu XinYi finally broke free of his daze and without a doubt in his head, continued to walk the trail.

Shu XinYi wished that he had forms of soul, so he could seperate his emotional feelings from himself for a while. After 15 minutes of continuous exploration, Shu XinYi saw a very faint blue light spill from the sky. The previous darkness settled, making Shu XinYi able to see 40 trees ahead easily.

Where did this blue light came from? Shu XinYi had an idea but he didn't want it to be true. But it was. Shu XinYi quickened his steps. He should find a way out soon or else Xuval might go crazy.

Shu XinYi arrived at a fork road with 2 paths. One where the Crimson trail was headed. The other had no trail but Shu XinYi could feel a very strong power from there. It was a comforting power. Like he would get everything in the world if he just headed there. This time Shu XinYi didn't even bat an eye as he continued to walk the Crimson trail, even though this path was much more omnious. It was clear what Luxin would chose, if he was here.

Soon enough purple light spilled through the sky. Shu XinYi fastened his pace even more. He wanted to find a way out. But no matter how much he followed the trail, there was no end to it. Shu XinYi felt that the exit should be really close by. Very close by. If he just reached out to touch, he would find it. If he just thought of it then it would appear.

But no matter for how long he walked Shu XinYi just couldn't find an exit. Shu XinYi carefully scrutinized the situation. The energy trail would thicken as he walked forward but at one point it would become really weak. Then if Shu XinYi followed the weak trail, it would get stronger until Shu XinYi would arrive at the weak point again. Circles. I am going around in circles again.

The trees would change everytime so Shu XinYi wouldn't be able to tell if not for the trail. Shu XinYi was thinking about what he should do when he saw red light fall from the sky and cover his surroundings. Shu XinYi rubbed his temples trying to calm himself down. It was the golden moon when Shu XinYi had entered this illusion. Yes was. Now it is the red moon. Time passed very quickly here. In only in 2 hour, 4 moons had gone by. Shu XinYi wanted to get out before even the red moon passed.

After going around in circles 2 more times, Shu XinYi finally stopped at a point. This was where the Crimson trail was both the strongest and the weakest. This should be it, Shu XinYi retracted the grey form. With his eyes already covered he wasn't able to see a single thing. He imagined himself finding an exit as he reached out his hand. He didn't let this belief, that he would find the exit, falter in any way. Standing in the same position for 10 minutes, Shu XinYi finally felt the ground leave his feat. Shu XinYi didn't have time to register this fall, as his mind went blank.

------x------

4000 ft below the northern peak, two people were fighting in a huge underground cave. No, more like one person was getting ruthlessly torn apart, while the other person observed and asked questions patiently.

Eclipse was once again engulfed in flames, only to be charred and be fully healed again. "Where is my XinYi? Free him. Or both you and your pet die." The cold and ruthless voice of Xuval rang out. He wasn't speaking to Eclipse. He was talking to a small tree. The tree was unnaturally placed directly under the only opening in the cave. Through the opening, the bronze moonlight shone making the figure of the women inlaid in the tree, fully apparent.

The women softly laughed and said with a tired voice "Please. Do it. Kill me. I have nothing more to thank you for."

Xuval had lost Shu XinYi once he entered a cave channel. He searched the caves inside out, not finding a single trace of him. He dilebrately left his trail behind, for Shu XinYi to find him. He had waited for 4 days. The bronze moon was on the rise and there was no sign of Shu XinYi. It was only now that he found this cave. Coming here he had realised who Shira actually was. Never had he imagined Shira would be .. it doesn't matter now. What matters is finding XinYi.

Seeing Eclipse crying near a small tree, saying things like "Why didn't you tell me? I still love you.", Xuval didn't feel any sympathy for Eclipse, neither for Shira. Eclipse found the harsh reality of his wife being alive under this horrifying conditions. He didn't know that it was the whole planet, that Shira was holding up. He just knew that Shira was in immense pain.

Xuval huffed in contempt as he asked "If you are so eager to die then why not just kill yourself?"

Shira laughed with pained effort, saying "Who said I was alive? Go on. Try and kill me if you can. You simply can't. As long as Sivaal weighs over me, I can't die."

Xuval smiled as he asked "Then what if I end Sivaal? Nothing would weigh over you then?" Xuval knew this woman better than anyone. After all this woman had birthed him 1000s of years ago and left him. At that time Xuval was nothing but an egg, abandoned for who knows how long.

Shira finally showed an actual pained expression, saying "You.. You can't. No. I.."

Eclipse who had been silent all this while, wanted to question somethings. It just took a single glare from Xuval to keep Eclipse's voice died down. Xuval focused on Shira saying "It's not that you can't kill yourself. You can. You chose not to. Sivaal is you. It's your creation. All the beasts here are your making. All this is a creation of your pathetic loneliness. You can't let your creation go. Is it nature that cursed you, or you who did it yourself?"

Shira stuttered "O-Obviously it's f-fate that h-has curs-sed me. Why w-would I want t-this burden, this pain?"

Xuval smiled looking up at the cave opening far away in the ceiling, as he said "To feel human. To have something tie you down. You are pathetic enough to punish yourself in a twisted fate you made for yourself, instead of dying without a place to belong. In the end what you want is not to be free of this curse, but to be accused for your past crimes, to have your faults seen through."

Shira tried to reject, but she couldn't. What Xuval said was all true.. Nothing but the simple truth. Why did I do all this? Shira wondered in a weak state of mind. Xuval turned around to face Eclipse as he said "Eclipse, you too are a part of her creation. An experiment. The very first one. You were her only successful creation. Only you came close to even remotely understanding her. So she held onto you. Like an artist does to their most expressive piece."

Eclipse didn't know how to react to all this. He just sat in the corner crying silent tears.

Xuval continued to say to Shira "Even if I die, you would still be burdened with your creation forever, Unless you let go of it." Xuval knew the weight of his words. He knew what Shira would do next. Still he said it. It was his fault that Shira made Sivaal in the first place. If he hadn't been born, then Shira wouldn't have faced such a fate. Neither would his XinYi be in danger. As long as Shira existed, Xuval couldn't let go of this guilt.

Shira said just one sentence, which shook the whole of Sivaal from top to bottom, "Then let's just not be burdened anymore." Shira had been here for too long. She had been lonely for too long. Not even her own creation could fill the emptiness that had formed within her overtime. It was true that this was all just a story of a lonely women looking to be understood. Shira gave up at this moment. She no longer wanted to exist. So she did just that.

Xuval held on to the small tree saying in a angry yet anxious tone "Where is XinYi? Give him to me. You can have everything else." He hadn't seen Shu XinYi for 4 days. The belief that XinYi was still alive was slowly floating away. Xuval didn't care if Shira died, he was ready to hold up the planet in her stead. Somewhere in his mind, Xuval even felt responsible for it. Even if he dies doing so, he wouldn't care. He just wanted to help save XinYi somehow. Be worthy to XinYi somehow. The only person who made Xuval feel alive.

Shira said in a tired yet relieved voice "Who said I know? He may be alive. But after I leave, Sivaal too will follow after me. It too will no longer exist."

Xuval burned pure fire over the tree, which remained unaffected. He no longer tried to stop Shira from dying. Neither could he do anything. Shira was not killing herself. She simply stopped holding on. She let go of her burdern. Slowly the figure of the women disappeared from the tree, and it became like any normal tree.

The foundation of the whole of Sivaal shook with such force it seemed that it would tear apart any second, taking away everything with it. Eclipse was unaffected by it all, he was more focused on the naked body of a young women that had dropped beside the tree. This was his wife. The one Eclipse knew. Eclipse balanced himself on the constantly shaking ground and went to cover up her body. He didn't pick her up, just sat by her side. Waiting for an end.

Xuval on the other hand was calm as he held up the planet. He didn't know what he was doing but somehow he was keeping the whole planet together. His whole body ached to the point of being numb, but he was unfeeling to it all. He had expected this end for himself, he may have even bought it on himself out of responsibility. Still he wished to see Shu XinYi one last time.

Xuval slowly felt the burden on him lighten, His numb body could finally feel sensations. He realised that someone was softly holding his hands. Although his eyes were blurry, he could still see the face he wanted to see the most. It was his little bunny.

Shu XinYi had arrived to cave channel once he exited the illusion. He had lost Xuval's trail so he had to find his way around. All this while he kept an eye on Xuval through Snow. Only now did he reach Shira's home cave. Seeing Xuval desperately trying to hold up the burden of the planet, Shu XinYi didn't think before he went to help him. He didn't know what to do, but he felt like he should use the bronze form. He hadn't exactly saved reserves for the bronze moon, so he was thankful that the bronze moon was on the rise.

Shu XinYi felt the burden on him slowly weaken, the more efficiently he use the bronze form. It seemed that if he did this the right way then he could actually fix this situation. Shu XinYi thought of something and combined his two solid forms, the metal form and wood form. Then he used much of his strength, using both forms. Shu XinYi said to Xuval "I will let go of you. Walk away. I have a way so let me do this."

Xuval only tightened his grip on their joined hand saying "No. Never."

Shu XinYi sighed saying, "Okay then." Saying this Shu XinYi released the power of both forms at their maximum strength. It was not solid wood or metal that Shu XinYi was using, to power the small tree. It was pure energy. Shu XinYi had never used pure energy at maximum level, but there was no better time. The energy had overwhelming power even for Shu XinYi to handle. But Shu XinYi kept flowing all his energy into the tree. The burden on him had reduced to almost none, the more he used his forms.

For 30 minutes Shu XinYi kept using pure energy to power the small tree. This small tree was the foundation of Sivaal. It was necessary for it to stand. At this point Shu XinYi felt blood well up in his throat. His spritual veins burned as they had been over used. Shu XinYi wasn't burdened anymore but his body still felt very weak.

But Shu XinYi didn't stop the flow of energy, neither did Xuval, since they could still feel the ground shake. Although the tremors were much less harsher then they were 30 minutes ago. Shu XinYi was on the verge of giving up. He didn't have the energy to notice when Eclipse had gotten up and walked towards the tree, with Shira in his arms. He placed Shira, right next to the tree and sat himself down even closer to the tree.

He sat in a meditative pose. If one saw using the purple form, they could see the silhouette of the blue wolf around him. Who knows what Eclipse did, but the tremors on the ground completely went away. At this Shu XinYi finally let go.

He fell back into Xuval's arms, coughing huge amounts of blood onto his clothes. Xuval closely held him, rubbing his back. Shu XinYi felt that now even if he tried to, he won't be able to use either the bronze form nor the black form. But this also meant that Sivaal was okay for now. After throwing up his guts, Shu XinYi finally released a breath.

Xuval feigned this calmness almost perfectly, but Shu XinYi could clearly hear the his anxious heart beat. Shu XinYi too was unnaturally quiet during all this, but only Snow knew what was really going on in his head.

Shu XinYi didn't believe everything to be over. It was only Sivaal and the people on it that were safe. There was still a lot more to do. But for now Shu XinYi decided to rest. He didn't do much as Xuval took care of everything. Eclipse seemed to be dying but Shu XinYi let him be.

There was no food in this cave 1000s of feat below the ground, Shu XinYi only had a few food reserves in his space. But his spritual veins had weakened so much, that even accessing his space became difficult. Xuval silently worked to bring Shu XinYi back to health. Xuval's healing method wasn't even close to the blue form healing technique. And since Shu XinYi couldn't use his blue form, Xuval had totally taken responsibility of slowly healing him.