Chapter Text
"I am human." The words fell flat, echoing in a desperate kind of way.
"Once upon a time," the book agreed, "But no longer. Don't you tire of being a vessel?"
"It's my duty." Which was true, but did not answer the question. The book seemed smug, bobbing up and down to an invisible tune.
"It is. Faithfully you have served us for thousands of years. Still, you say you are human. What human lives for so long? What human cannot die?"
Ame’s name was on the tip of her tongue, but the book hummed sinisterly before she could voice it, “Your time traveler is still capable of dying. Timelessness is not the same.”
“You could say the same with Gura.”
“Ah, the Atlantian. She is not human.”
Ina’s fists clenched by her sides. The book vibrated in place, the equivalent of a chuckle. “Several thousands of years and still so naive little Priestess?”
The book vibrated again at Ina’s expression. The cover shuddered against the chain keeping the book shut. A gloved hand came to rest firmly on the clinking metal.
“A chain won’t keep us for long, Priestess,” the book spat, suddenly forgoing the gentle oily tone it used earlier.
“Sometimes a few minutes is all they need,” Ina murmured back, “I will hold you at bay for as long as I can.”
“And you will watch as I lay waste to all you hold dear, Priestess.”
A smile flickered at the corners of Ina’s mouth, “You can try. They won’t let that happen.”
The empty white Space she was in flickered, turning black at the edges. Sana held the prison together. The book trembled, shaking the floor with its anger. Somewhere, a clock ticked loudly.
“The first to go would be Nature. Let her rid the world of Civilization. Time will take care of Nature.”
Ina opened her eyes to the endless expanse of gray. She was running out of time. The book hovered at eye level, gauging her reaction.
“Mumei and Fauna are stronger than that.”
“It would be so easy,” it purred, “What can humans do against Nature? Death and Chaos would side with Nature. Time and Hope can only do so much to help Civilization.”
“Is that what you’re going to do? Pit all my friends against each other?”
“You know it would work, Priestess.”
She resolutely closed her eyes again as the book vibrated hard enough for the floor to shake. The space rumbled, growing dimmer. Space could only do so much to keep the Ancient Ones back for so long.
The next time she opened her eyes, it was nearly pitch black. She could barely make out the form of her hand as she held it in front of her face. AO-chan remained floating, rattling the chain keeping it closed harder with every passing moment. Cracks were beginning to show on the metal, pulsing a glowing white as more spread across the surface.
Her wings prickled, warning her. She braced herself. Every source of light around her was snuffed out for a moment before Space shattered. Blinding sunlight reflected off of everything and the book screeched, finally snapping the chain off.
Pages rustled noisily as the book opened of its own accord. Ina reached out and touched the book letting the inky darkness stain her being. She watched it crawl up her arm. She likened it to watching water travel along a paper towel. It was easier to give herself freely instead of having control yanked painfully away.
Already, vines and trees closed in on her, attempting to keep her in place. Ina kept her eyes trained on the sunlight streaming through the canopy of thick leaves. It was the last thing she saw before everything went black. She could still hear, but she could not see or feel.
Branches snapped and trees fell. Rocks crumbled and Fauna hummed. A voice that was hers, yet also not spoke, “Does Nature have the might to stand against Ancients?”
“I can try,” Fauna’s voice said melodically, “But slowing you down is enough for me.”