Emi in Wonderland

[Guest Poster]

Actually, I think he's simply asking why you aren't posting all the chapters at the same time (still as separate posts, if they're meant to be read that way, but no longer separated by breaks of half a day) since the story probably isn't long enough to immediately overwhelm people with its length.

[Neverbloom]

Actually, I think he's simply asking why you aren't posting all the chapters at the same time (still as separate posts, if they're meant to be read that way, but no longer separated by breaks of half a day) since the story probably isn't long enough to immediately overwhelm people with its length.

Oh, that is simply because I don't have time. When I put them up I have to edit and space them correctly, and I'm a bit busy at the moment. I'll try get as many as possible up at a time, but I can't just sit here and post. (There are 19 chapters.)

[Neverbloom]

Emi followed closely behind Rin, trying to peak over her shoulder at where they were going.

“How far away is this place?” Emi moaned.

Surprisingly, to get to this ‘Town’, Rin had led her further into the mountain.

“I’ve told you a million times, just around this corner.”

“Yeaah, you said last corner.”

Right as the words left her mouth, they stepped out onto a ledge, overlooking a huge cavern. Emi gasped. Laid out before them was a large collection of tiled roofs. It looked like the Red Man was the only one keeping with the 1715 Pirate look. Modern street lights lined the sides of paved pathways, filling the cavern with bright white light.

“C’mon” Rin gestured, suddenly filled with excitement. Emi struggled to keep up as she stumbled down the poorly cut rock stairs. Reaching the bottom she realized Rin had disappeared.

“Rin?”

Her head poked around the corner. “C’mon” she gestured hurriedly.

Emi ducked down the alley and followed Rin into the street. She walked out into the light, only to nearly bump into a man almost ten feet tall. Emi stared up at him in shock. Rin grabbed her arm to keep her from being swept away in the crowd and dragged her close.

“Stick with me yeah? I can’t have you getting lost” Rin called into her ear over the bustling noise.

Emi nodded, speechless. She was unable to utter a single word, so caught up she was in the people walking past. As soon as she dragged her eyes from the freakishly tall man, they fell onto a woman with fur all over her body, spotted like a leopard. Being dragged up the street by one hand, Emi followed Rin like a disobedient child, stopping every now and again to gape in awe.

“Emi! Stop that” Rin smirked. “It’s rude to stare you know.”

Emi realized just how rude she was being. But she couldn’t help it; they were so weird. A small bell rung as Rin dragged her into a quaint, dimly lit shop. Finally Emi could gather her senses as they quickly found a seat at a small booth. The seats were plush and coated in red leather, complemented by the light jazz playing in the background.

“So, maybe now you realize why he doesn’t exactly find you special for having no legs.”

Emi nodded absently. “What is this place? I mean, it’s so crazy.”

“Just go with it. It’s here right?”

And go with it Rin did. When a chubby woman with a tail came by to take their order, Rin pleasantly told her, while Emi tried to hide her obvious stares. Rin dropped a few small blue stones in the woman’s hand and away she went.

“What were they?”

Rin shrugged. ‘Oh, just some cool stones I find when I’m sculpting. The people here seem to like them so I usually trade them for whatever I want.” Rin laughed. “Come to think about it, I should probably find out what they are worth. I might be getting ripped off.” She laughed again and settled back in her chair.

The woman arrived with their drinks and Emi mumbled her thanks, trying again not to make her fascination obvious. She looked down at the murky green drink with distaste, but at Rin’s challenging glare she sipped it tentatively. It tasted amazing.

“Wow, what is this?”

“Who knows? Who cares?”

Fair point. Emi continued to sip away whilst she snuck looks at people from under her fringe. The bar – that is what it had turned out to be – was quite full of people and Emi hadn’t realized how loud it actually was. People of all shapes, sizes and apparently breeds were sitting at the bar and in booths, chatting away. As strange as her surroundings were, Emi felt quite relaxed; it felt weird to be in a place where people didn’t even look twice at her friend’s lizard arms. After all, Emi was more fascinated by them then they were of her. She took Rin’s que and settled back in her chair, enjoying the calm environment.

Emi sat for quite some time before realizing all the noise in the room had dropped. In a single moment it had gone from a rowdy pub to a library; boasting pin-drop silence. Emi twisted in her chair to see what was wrong. The door stood wide open, and in its wake, backlit by the street lights, was a figure dressed in all black. A black robe covered him from head to toe and a hood hung over his face. Everyone present was focused on him, sneaking glances from the dark corners of the room. As he slipped into a nearby booth the whispers started.

-“is that really the”-

-“really him?”-

-“what’s he doing here?”-

Emi leaned over to Rin, feeling the excitement buzzing in the air.

“Don’t even ask.” She mumbled.

“What?”

“No. I can’t give you his phone number; forget how mysterious and brooding he is.”

Emi rolled her eyes. “No, really, who is he?”

Rin inhaled deeply like she was preparing to tell a long campfire tale. “Some guy.” It was clear Emi wasn’t going to give up. “He’s a guy that comes in here all the time, people call him the Raven. He’s pretty strange.”

“He’d have to be pretty weird to be considered strange in this world” Emi laughed.

“Hey” Rin whispered. “Don’t talk so loud.”

Emi saw people beginning to cast looks in her direction. She blushed and hid behind her now empty drink.

Rin continued. “They say he has powers, strange abilities that no one has ever seen before.”

“Maybe he can tell us about our powers!” Emi exclaimed. Rin glared from across the table. More seats swiveled to glare at Emi. She ignored them. Standing, she made her way over to the table the Raven was sitting at, much to Rin’s whispered protest.

“Excuse me Mr Rav-“

His hand gestured her away, like a rich old man waving away a butler. Emi put her hands on her hips.

“Well, that was rude. I just want –

“Go away.” His voice whispered. “I don’t have time for this.”

Emi took a step back. By now every eye was on her. She suspected no one had dared talk to the oh-so-scary Raven before. Well, they hadn’t met her had they?

“Right. I don’t know how people normally talk –

“GO AWAY!” he slammed his hand down on the table. A firm voice came from under the hood; a voice that intrigued Emi. Before he could react she reached forwards and pulled back his hood, revealing jet black hair that tumbled down well beyond his shoulders. Along with the rest of the room, Emi stared in shock.

“Hanako?”

“E-Emi?”

[Neverbloom]

Hanako grabbed Emi by the arm and pulled her into the booth, quickly dragging the curtain closed behind her. The whispers had started back again.

-“a girl?”-

-“I didn’t even imagine”-

Emi grinned. “Hanako, how long have you been here? Rin’s with me, we should-

“Shhh” she said, holding a finger to her mouth. “You shouldn’t call me that here, in this world I am Raven.”

Emi snorted. “Yeah, right. Anyway,-”

“Emi, if you cannot control yourself, I will be forced to leave you behind.” Hanako spoke with absolute authority.

Emi sat, stunned.

“I have a reputation here. I won’t have you spoiling it.” She leaned forwards, grinning. “See, nobody disrespects me here, I am a goddess”. She hissed the last line, making Emi shudder. Hanako leaned back into the soft chair. Suddenly the curtain busted open and in crashed Rin.

“Hey Crow” she said, shoving Hanako aside to make room on the chair.

“It’s actually-

“Yeah, whatever.” Rin grabbed Hanako’s drink and loudly slurped down the last quarter. “So, what can you tell us about these powers?”

Hanako opened her mouth in protest, but quickly gave up. “Y-You girls need to not mess this up, I mean, I have a lot of respect here a-and I can’t have you acting like these powers are toys.”

Rin sat up. “Yeah, well some rock things or something are rising up around the place, and if you don’t teach us about these powers, you might not have a world to be respected in.” Her words were harsh, but they made their mark.

Hanako’s eyes widened. As they retold their story she gazed out the window at the passers-by.

She mused, pursing her lips before seemingly coming to a decision. “Fine. I don’t know why these powers have come about, but we seem to be the only ones who have them. As far as I know anyway.”

All three girls turned in surprise as the curtain opened again.

“What?” Emi cried. “Am I the only one who doesn’t know about this place?”

“It would seem that way” said Lilly Satou. Emi moved aside, her mouth still gaping, while Lilly found her place on the seat. The booth was well packed by this point. Lilly calmly placed her drink on the table and began to sip lightly, seemingly oblivious to the surprise she had caused.

“So, you guys have known about this place all along?” Emi asked.

Rin shrugged. “Well, yeah. I mean, I don’t know about these two, but it didn’t seem like there was any reason to tell you about it.”

Emi opened her mouth, ready to supply a torrent of said reasons, before realizing it was futile.

Hanako spoke up. “Lilly and I were in the tea room; apparently there was more to that room than we realized.”

Lilly smiled around her straw at the words, her eyes never leaving the tabletop. Rin and Hanako continued discussing the rock creatures. Their conversation faded into the back of Emi’s mind as she watched Lilly with mild curiosity, an uncomfortable question resting on her tongue.

“You want to know why I’m still blind.” Lilly said calmly.

Emi froze. Hanako and Rin turned to them.

“Don’t be worried; there’s no shame in honest thinking.”

Emi bit her lip, looking from Hanako to Rin, unsure of what to do. Their faces offered no advice.

“Sight is merely one of our many senses. Some would argue our weakest. Rely too heavily on vision and you are apt to miss important details.” She turned to Emi and reached out her hand, causing her to flinch instinctively. Emi watched first with caution, and then wonder, as Lilly’s hand came to rest on her arm, plucking one of Emi fallen hairs and brushing it under the table. Lilly returned to her drink, every once in a while taking a break from sipping to jab aimlessly at the bottom of her glass with the straw.

Emi’s eyes flicked over the other two. Hanako bore a mischievous smile, seemingly entertained by Emi’s discomfort. Rin watched with a blank expression before returning to the girl beside her.

“So Hanako, we’ve seen Bruce Lee in action, how about you? Any chance of a show?”

Hanako’s smile grew wider; a dangerous glint flashed in her eyes.

At that moment, many things happened. Later it would be remembered as a flurry of color to all those present. All but one. In a split second the entire wall of the restaurant was blasted inwards, showering the Yamaku table with bricks and dust. Right as the clay projectiles were approaching their targets, they slammed instead into the girl’s table. Before the others had even registered movement, Lilly had pushed the table up off of the poles it was resting on, bracing against the rain of debris. The other girls gaped in shock. Lilly turned her head to speak when another blast sent her flying backwards, leaving the curtain billowing in her wake. In a flutter of colored cloth and blond hair, their well-mannered friend was gone. In her place, rearing through the hole in the wall, was a giant figure built from heaving boulders; its eyes and mouth oozing purple smoke.

“Oh bother” said Rin.

[Neverbloom]

The sudden impact jolted the three girls out of shock. Rin jumped to her feet and sent one giant iron fist slamming into the monster’s chest, rocking it back on its heels. Utilizing the bought time, Hanako grabbed ahold of Emi’s shirt and pulled her out of the booth, back into the restaurant. Before the creature could recover, Rin was by their side, two molten lava arms dripping from her shoulders, corroding the floor and leaving wisps of smoke in the air. The entire opposing wall had been lifted away, making room for the strange rock creatures to burst into the room. In a blur of fur, tails, horns and other unique features, citizens of the other world rushed around them in panic.

“Some assistance, if you don’t mind” came a calm, familiar voice.

They looked over to find Lilly pressed up against a booth by one of the creatures. Emi and Rin shared a glance. Rin nodded. Leaping into action she drew back one giant arm.

“Nighty-night” she whispered. She struck the monster right in its chest, her arm sinking in elbow deep. The rock fizzled around the magma as the creature dropped to its knees with a groan, the purple in its eyes fading. Lilly righted herself and brushed the dirt from her elegant white dress – attire Rin would have to inquire about the usefulness of at a later date. Rin turned to call Emi, only to see her in a predicament of her own. Although she could use her flight to dodge the attacks – sweeping amongst the creatures in a flurry of silver – she hardly had any form of counter-attack. As Rin watched, Emi swooped down to perch on one of the beast’s heads. Poking her tongue out in defiance, she taunted the other attackers.

“Awhh, is that all you got?” she winked.

Growling angrily, another behemoth lurched with all its weight, sending an enormous fist flying at her playful expression. Emi leapt into the air just in time, watching as one boulder crashed into the other, shattering them both in a loud crash and a puff of purple smoke.

Well, Rin thought, maybe she’s not as helpless as she looks. Seeing that both Emi and Lilly were more than capable of handling their situations, Rin ran to the open wall, trying to get a grip on the severity of the situation. Leaning her head out, all she could see were people running back and forth down the tight streets, gathering belongings, trying to avoid the wild swinging arms of the creatures. The monsters ignored them, instead focusing on tearing down walls and smashing anything they could find. Rin narrowed her eyes in suspicion. There was something about the whole scene, something that didn’t quite sit right with her. A loud growl from behind her meant she wasn’t about to hang around and figure it out.

Without looking she spun on her heel, swinging her fist with dangerous momentum. Lilly! Like a dog caught between two oncoming trucks, Lilly’s pale body stood defenseless between her attacker and Rin’s giant arm. Rin pulled against the momentum in vain; she knew there was no way she could counter it. She tensed up and closed her eyes, dreading the soft impact that would follow. Squish. Instead, Rin felt her arm connect with hard rock and send her foe flying. She opened her eyes slowly, finding Lilly nowhere to be found.

“Although I can handle it, it would be much appreciated if you watched where you put those things.”

Rin froze. Lilly’s calm voice spoke directly into her ear, spreading warm air that tickled her ear and sent a shiver down her spine.

“Eh” she said, feigning nonchalance. Apparently not very well too; she could sense Lilly grinning behind her.

“You know, one day you will have to give up this act of yours.”

Rin laughed “Not today.”

“UM, not to ruin the mood… Mrs. Nesbitt… but mind putting the tea party on hold… for just a second?” Emi called from the other side of the room, taking breaks to dodge oncoming attacks.

“Right” Rin said, sharing a look with Lilly. They both nodded and leaped into action. Three of the creatures bore down on Emi – she darted up and down in attempt to doge the incoming attacks. Rin dropped to one knee and placed her hands on the ground. In seconds, twisting vines were creeping over the wooden floors; curling and twisting their knurled joints towards one of the creatures’ feet. The monster thrashed from side to side, trying to shake off its organic bonds to no avail. Giving one final shudder, the rocks became frozen in place. The creature roared in frustration.

“I can’t hold him for long!” Rin called.

Lilly was one step ahead. Faster than either Emi or Rin could follow, Lilly moved onto one of the remaining creature’s backs, holding on with one hand. The other drew a long, ceremonial katana from underneath her cloak. Emi swooped down and gripped the creature’s head with both hands. Driving upwards with as much strength as her celestial wings allowed, Emi opened a separation between the creatures head and shoulders. The rocky monolith groaned in protest as purple smoke bonds strained to keep its body together. Lilly let go to place both hands on the blade, driving it into the gap with all the strength she could muster.

“ARHHH!” the monster howled a low pitch scream.

Lilly leaped off the creature’s back, using her weight to power the lever she had created. With a groan and a shudder, the head popped off and cracked against the floor. Emi swooped over the remaining enemy’s head, keeping it occupied. Rin spread her vines to the extremities of her captured foe – wrapping like an anaconda around the creatures wrists, ankles and throat. With a fierce grunt of effort, she pulled against the monster’s joints with great force. The limbs began to separate at each joint; wrist, ankle, knee, elbow. Purple smoke leaked out from between the pairs of rocks. Rin narrowed her eyes. They seem to be powered, animated, and even held together by this phantom purple smoke. Feeling the joints reaching the verge of breaking point, Rin grunted and placed all of her effort in one final jerk. The limbs tore apart with a violent snap, sending rocks flying throughout the restaurant. The final foe roared in protest; exposing a mouth lined with stalactite fangs. Two large canines protruded further than the rest like a saber tooth tiger, clamping down over the lower jaw when it snapped its mouth at the girls. With as much tact and mobility as a normal rock, it began to swing its arms wildly, splintering wood and coming dangerously close to crushing Rin’s skull. All three girls took turns at approaching the beast, but right before they could make any kind of attack, a boulder-fist came crashing their way.

Emi had an idea. Dropping to the ground, she assumed a crawling position. Now, for this to work, her flight powers had to be powerful. She hadn’t been able to pull off their heads, but she might just have enough to do this. Pushing back with her wings and tucking them into her body, she drove forward at the creatures exposed legs. Sailing directly under its attacks, she had a firm grip on one of its legs before it could even realize what was wrong. Pushing off the ground with both her legs and wings, she just mustered enough power to push the creature off balance. With a grunt of realization it began to topple. Rin and Lilly held back to avoid being crushed, but once the giant beast had hit the ground; they were at its throat in seconds - steel swords and fists made short work of the thing.

When the last rock had rolled to a halt, the three girls were left standing alone in the restaurant. Rin and Emi both put their hands on their knees and breathed heavily, not realizing how much of a toll the fight had taken on their bodies. While they heaved and buckled, Lilly stood to the side calmly. A sudden silence had come over the town. Lilly could hear the creatures off in the distance, no doubt moving on to wreak more havoc. She cocked her head. Something strange was going on – that much was obvious – but what she did not know was how to proceed.

“Where is Hanako?” Lilly asked suddenly.

Both girls looked up for a second.

“I dunno” Emi replied. Rin agreed with a shrug. “She disappeared when the first creatures attacked.”

“We should move on. We need to find out what is going on here” Lilly said. Sheathing her sword firmly and tucking it into her dress, she twirled and marched towards the open wall. Realizing they were not following, she stopped, one hand braced against the splintered wood. She turned her head slightly. “Death holds enough time for rest. Come along children”. A slight teasing tone came into her voice at the end.

“Ok mum” Rin muttered under her breath.

“I heard that” Lilly said, smiling.

Emi rolled her eyes and cast a glance at Rin. Of course, Lilly heard that too.

[Neverbloom]

The girls’ shoes scuffed against the bricked pavement, breaking the eerie silence. Lilly led the three, her head always cocked for the far-off sounds of destruction. Rin padded along at her side, casting her eyes over the buildings with little interest, her arms a constant blur as they changed from cheetah to bear, lizard, water, fire; whatever took her fancy. Emi glided above them, momentarily drifting up to get a better view of where they were.

The city was in ruins. Shop windows lay in fragments on the ground, the precious wares they protected crushed, chewed and cast into the streets. Brick walls had been smashed with giant fists, leaving only piles of bricks and mortar where quaint buildings once were. Even the pavement itself had not been spared; giant holes littered the walkway, as if a meteor shower had struck only minutes before.

“Wow” Emi whispered.

“Wow is right” Lilly replied. “This was no light attack.”

“Except it was” Rin said.

They both turned to face her. She casually waved a fiery hand in front of her face, watching the embers trail behind.

“It’s a light attack because no one was hurt. Look around; how come there aren’t any bodies?” She had realized what was so strange about the attack. Surely if these creatures were violent then they would be harming the citizens, not simply destroying architecture.

Emi raised her eyebrows. “If we weren’t so lucky, there would be three bodies right now.”

Lilly chimed in “She is right. Well, you both are right. I was suspicious before but I couldn’t grasp exactly what was wrong. None of the citizens have been hurt, but it does seem the creatures find no issue with attacking us.” She suddenly stopped talking and held a hand in the air, cocking her head and squinting her eyes with great focus. Rin and Emi watched her carefully.

“What is it?” Emi asked.

At that moment, Hanako walked around the corner.

“Lilly! There you are!” She began to run towards the girls.

Emi smiled, taking a step forwards. “Where were you? We thought you had been –

Lilly’s eyes widened with terror. Only Rin was there to see, but at that moment it was too late to warn them; they could all feel it too. A sudden tremor ran underneath them, shaking the very foundations of the earth. Buildings creaked and shop signs began to sway. Hanako and Emi stopped dead in their tracks, their faces full of terror.

“GET DOWN!”

Lilly’s desperate cry was the last thing they heard before the world was engulfed in chaos.


…

The pavement in front of them erupted. All four girls were thrown back by the force with which it exploded upwards, blasting bricks, dust and clay into the air in a tornado of destruction. The blinding dust cut the girls off from one another, forcing them to dodge the raining bricks alone. Rin forged a shield from two semi-circular shields she held together, while Emi flew back into one of the nearby shops. Hanako was not as fortunate. The blast sent her flying backwards, slamming her head against the a wall. She collapsed in a heap of black cloth and hair, unprotected from the bits of rock that tore her skin as they slashed down from above. Lilly had foreseen the explosion moments before it happened, and she had positioned herself to watch safely. She was the only one who knew that it was more than just an explosion; movement in the rocks betrayed the presence of enemies.

“GRAAAA!”

Rearing up from beneath the destruction, a giant head swung through the air, roaring challenge to any who dared. As the dust settled, Emi and Rin could see what Lilly already knew. Purple smoke poured out of the beast’s head from two giant eyes. Like the humanoid creatures, this beast was made entirely of rock. Two giant serrated claws swung with it as it turned, snapping at the air. Its eight legs clacked against the ground as it shuffled from side to side, trying to locate its next opponent. The beast swung its body back and forth frantically as strange clicking and scratching noises came from its mouth. As the last of the dust cleared, Emi could see the whole picture. Its body was made of interlocking shelves of rock that plated it like armor. These plates slid together with a wicked grating sound like nails on a chalkboard, making Emi shudder with terror and discomfort. Its body bent forwards and out of the dust loomed an image that shook Emi to the core. A razor-sharp, rocky barb came into view, attached to a boulder at the end of the creature’s tail. Emi finally realized what this this was. A scorpion.

The beast slammed its claws into the ground and pushed off, lifting its head into the air. It screamed. The girls frantically pawed at their ears as a whistle filled their ears, piercing their brains and driving pins of cold pain down their spines. Rin felt a sticky liquid run over her hand as shed pulled it away from her ear. Holding it in front of her face, it wavered and blurred, but Rin could still make out the bright red streak that ran down her palm.

“SCREEEEEE!”

Stumbling to her feet, she braced against the wall with one hand. Raising the other, she sent it blasting towards the beast’s head, slamming an iron fist against it and driving it back a few feet. It stopped and shook its head, dazed. Lilly and Emi slumped over, free at last from the tormenting sound. Rin had a moment’s relief, before realizing the beast had focused its attention on her. Rushing forwards, it reached its claws out towards her, snapping only meters away from her face. Rin stared in horror. As she stood petrified, a firm grip came under her armpits, and she felt herself being lifted quickly into the air. She looked up to see Emi grinning down at her. She couldn’t help but grin back.

Emi sensed a sudden movement beside her. Without thinking she flew higher, only barely escaping the piercing thorn of the beast’s tail.

“EEK!” she cried, and almost lost her hold of Rin.

“Hey!” Rin called, “watch what you’re doing!”

Emi bit her lip and nodded. Now wasn’t exactly the best time to reveal her fear of scorpions to her friends. That could wait. Watching from above she saw the beast smash the ground behind it with its tail, annoyed at losing its prey. Emi poked out her tongue and laughed. Maybe next time kid, but not on my watch!

Her pride was short-lived. As she watched from above, the beast turned its focus to Hanako, who still lay defenseless in a pile of bricks, breathing steadily but unconscious. The beast walked slowly towards her, either wary of her, or savoring its kill. The ends of its long stone legs clacked against the ground, slipping slightly on the smooth surface. In a blur of white, Lilly leapt onto the beast’s back, drawing her sword. Emi watched as Lilly stabbed uselessly at the beast’s body, trying to find a weak point. She climbed up onto the back of its head, slapping its face with the flat side of her sword.

What the hell is she thinking? Rin thought.

The rocky creature thrashed its head from side to side, trying to cast off its unwanted passenger. Despite its best efforts, Lilly maintained her composure; easily shifting her weight to continue her assault on the creature’s face. Suddenly, the beast held still. Emi realized what it was doing.

“Lilly! Move!” she cried.

It was too late. The beast paused to allow Lilly to settle, while twitching its tail in the air. With great force, the tail came crashing towards her, approaching from behind as she continued to blindly hit away. Just as she would have been impaled, Lilly nimbly hopped off the creatures head, rolling to the side to safety. Instead of striking its target, the stone thorn struck the back of the beasts head with a resounding crack, sending a spider web of cracks across its head. It smashed its claws against the ground in anger.

Emi dropped Rin off and took a stand beside her, admiring Lilly’s bravery and tactics. Lilly was on the opposite side of the street to them, staring calmly into the beast’s eyes. Emi smiled. Now, if only we can do something about those cracks. Before she had even finished the idea in her head, a massive weight smashed against her chest, knocking the wind out of her and pushing her into Rin. Together they were struck to the floor, where they lay motionless, groaning under the weight.

A giant snake of rock lay on top of them, holding them to the ground with an unfaltering force. Emi gasped for breath. Emi tried to look over at Lilly, but her efforts were futile. The boulder on top of her held all but her elbows from moving. She could hear slight muffles and rock-on-rock clashes, but she had no idea whether Lilly was succeeding, of if she had already been crushed.

Rin lay against Emi’s body, also trying to gasp for air. She turned her arms into metal spikes, blasting them into the ground in an attempt to push up the beast’s tail. It wouldn’t budge. She was far to squished to try an attack like the one in the restaurant; any involvement of fire in this situation would only make things worse. So she just lay there, waiting for the creature to make its move. She didn’t wait long.

Rin felt the rocks move as the beast wrapped the thinner part of its tail around them, squishing Rin and Emi together awkwardly. They mashed together in the middle of a donut of rock, Emi blushing despite the dire circumstances. Rin rolled her eyes. The powerful tail lifted them into the air, swinging them with reckless abandon towards the beast’s head. What they saw caused Emi heart to drop. Dangling in one of the creature’s claws was Lilly, just as helpless as them, her sword lying uselessly on the ground. They took a dip, coming over the beast’s head and hovering upside down in front of its cold, smoking eyes. It clicked and scratched at them with its ugly mouth, causing Emi to cower back in fear, pushing against the rock as if she could phase though it and run free. The beast’s crushing grip tightened, squeezing out any last air and hope Emi harbored within herself.

[Neverbloom]

The weight crushed in on Emi’s chest. She had never felt such a sensation before. When she went to take a breath, the space was simply not there. She pawed weakly at Rin beside her, only to see her undergoing the same thing. Emi’s eyes lolled in her head, bursts of stars lighting up the darkness that closed in from the sides of her vision. She would panic, but her head felt too heavy; she couldn’t seem to formulate any thought at all, just sit and watch. Sit and wait to die. As the final light was squeezed from her vision, it lit up in a burst of red; a bright burning maroon. A strange thought passed over her. What a beautiful thing to see before I die.


...


Emi’s eyes opened slowly. Her head throbbed. She lay against the cold ground, her scratches stinging and her bones aching. Her vision wavered. Everything was silent and surreal, as if she were watching a poor quality film. Off in the distance she saw a figure standing in front of the beast, facing it daringly. The long-limbed stone beast scuttled back in fear. The world went black.


…


The blurry images moved in front of Emi’s eyes, momentarily coming into focus. A cloaked figure stood hunched some distance away from the beast. Two red trails of smoke trailed out from under the figure’s hood, lighting up the darkness with a dull crimson light. The cloak fluttered in the wind. Darkness returned.


…


Emi was drawn out of the void once more. Rubbing her eyes, she gaped in shock as her mind cleared. The figure cocked its head and lifted its eyes to stare at the beast. Her eyes burned red, a trail of burgundy wafting up and away. The dim light revealed her face; one contorted with a sickening snarl. The lips twisted up on one side, revealing pearl-white teeth that glistened red under the eerie light. One side of her face was warped and black; crusty flesh was laced with pulsing red veins. One side of her body remained pale and untainted, while the other shifted like living magma. The beast screamed and swung its claws in threat. She only smiled more. A thin, frail hand came out from under the black cloak. It too was twisted and black, bright red vascular lines pulsing in unison. She raised her hand palm up, staring in anger at the beast. As she closed her fist it reared in fright.

Emi watched as the air around the creature shimmered; a circle of red carving itself into the ground and encircling the beast. Suddenly the ground underneath it broke away, falling inwards to a pit of red. Flames rose up from the border of the circle, licking at the pavement. The beast squealed and stabbed at the ground in front of it with its fore legs, digging into the ground while its back legs slipped into the abyss. The smile spread further on Hanako’s face. She closed her fist some more, seemingly savoring the power of deciding her attacker’s fate. Emi could see the beast was being pulled from below; some phantom force tugged at its legs. With one final jerk, Hanako brought her hand back to her side, dragging the beast forcefully downwards, flames blasting up from below to greet its writhing body. As flames continued to lick at the rim of the pit, Emi lifted her head to see Hanako standing alone, her hands once more hidden from view and her face an expression of hard determination. She turned and walked away while Emi’s head hit the pavement limply, the darkness closing in.

[Mirage_GSM]

She took Rin’s que and settled back in her chair

cue.
When you say "inspired by Alice in Wonderland" that is probably a bit of a stretch...
Anyway you say that some characters might be a bit OOC, and that is intentional, and that's why I'm willing to give a pass on Emi, Hanako or even Lilly...
Rin, however is not Rin at all but some other character who happens to share her name and lack of arms.

[Neverbloom]

Emi rolled over sleepily and pushed her hands under the pillow. She stretched her legs and arched her back, feeling the aches all over her body. Wait, pillow? Where am I? She opened her eyes with a start. She lay tucked away firmly in her bed, the familiar dorm-room surroundings putting her at ease. She laid her head back and allowed her body to relax. Someone must have brought me back. The events of the previous day washed over her. She saw Lilly clad in all white, striding elegantly like a sword-wielding angel. Rin and herself skipping through the bizarre town square. A sudden shudder shook her body. She remembered the rocky scorpion rearing up from the ground, screeching the cries of hell. She saw Hanako, standing with an evil grin on her face, consumed by living fire. How she had destroyed that huge monster. How she had done it with so much joy.

“Unfortunately I couldn’t organize a prince to kiss you, so you’ll have to wake up on your own. When you do, the Nurse wants to talk with you in his office.” The door opened slightly and Rin leaned in.

Now real terror gripped Emi. Nurse would be furious. She had already promised to stay safe, and the bruises on her body didn’t exactly back up that vow. Oh well, better to face the fury now than later. Rolling out of bed she quickly dressed, took one look at the mirror and went to leave. She had to double take. The girl she saw in the mirror was not who she expected. Dark patches hung under her eyes and light bruises and cuts covered her arms. Hmm. She would take note to get more sleep. She threw open the door and made her way to the Nurse’s office.

With each step the clawing nervousness in her stomach grew stronger. She remembered what the Nurse had been like last time; how emotional he had gotten. More than anything she felt guilty. She had let him down. As the door came into sight the feeling continued to build, reaching a climax as her hand grasped the door handle. She twisted and pushed inwards, taking a deep breath.

Rather than being angry, the Nurse sat with a sympathetic expression on his face, looking up at her with calm understanding. He gestured to a seat across from him, smiling softly. Rin sat at the back of the room her feet perched on a cabinet. Emi squinted at her. What is she doing here?

“You must be wondering why Rin is here?” The Nurse spoke calmly. “She was the one to warn me of your situation. Now, I know these are private matters, but you have to tell people about these things, otherwise they will continue to misunderstand.”

My situation? Emi was puzzled. “Look, I’m sorry that I”

“No, no” the Nurse cut her off. “I’m sorry for scolding you without understanding the situation.” He smiled kindly and took her hands in his. He looked deeply into her eyes. “Emi, if you want to take up rock-climbing, that is great, and we have all the facilities to support you. It just means…”

As the Nurse droned on Emi’s eyes narrowed cynically. She cast a glance over at Rin to see her grinning in glee, her eyes sparkling mischievously. Emi cut in.

“Nurse I don’t want to start…”

“There is no reason to deny it dear. You refuse you allow your disability to hold you back which is the very spirit on which this school was founded.” He paused. “It is a very brave choice to make.”

Emi blushed slightly. I suppose I might as well take the claim. After all, it works better than “Oh, actually Nurse, I spend my days in another world flying and defeating monsters.”

“Thank you Nurse” she replied softly.

He nodded. “Of course. Here, take these”. He handed her pamphlets from nearby rock-climbing centers, with a sincerity that made it almost impossible for Emi to not burst into laughter. “If you want to take up an extreme hobby, at least be safe about it.”

“Oh, I will from now on” Emi said, stifling a giggle. Nurse nodded happily.

“Well then, I have notified your teachers and they all understand. Try not to make this a problem again ok?”

Emi nodded. All my teachers know? It won’t be long before Miki is challenging me at this too. “I won’t.”

That seemed to solve the problem. Rin and Emi jumped to their feet and made their way out, while the Nurse turned back to his paper work. They walked a few steps in silence.

“Really? Rock-climbing?”

Rin burst into laughter. “I wish you could have seen your face.”

Emi snorted. “You’ll have a worse face in a minute.”

“Hey, come on, I got us out of trouble right?” Rin said with a smirk on her face.

“How did you get yourself out?”

“Oh, you know, I can’t let you kill yourself on your own. I told him I thought you here in danger so I came along to make sure you didn’t get hurt.” Her smile spread even more.

Emi shook her head, but she could see the funny side. She laughed, “Always the hero Rin.”

“Always the hero.”

[Neverbloom]

The girls spent the next few weeks in their own world; school activities stopping them from being able to leave. They were already under question from their teachers, and the unfinished work had begun to add up. Emi spent her days rushing from track training to class, only ever seeing Rin and the others for brief moments in the hallways. Hanako would often pass and flash Emi a mischievous smile from behind her black veil of hair, sending tremors down Emi’s spine. The girls never spoke about the other world, or what had happened there. Life continued as it had before The World; Emi and Rin hanging out together, Lilly and Hanako inseparable. This pattern continued for quite some time, until one afternoon when Lilly pulled Emi out of class.

“What’s this about?” Emi asked as she closed the door behind them.

Lilly dragged her by the arm, whirling around with an uncharacteristic desperation in her eyes. “It’s the other world, they need our help.”

Emi felt her stomach drop. They had left at a time of great turmoil, and she was sure she wasn’t the only one who was hoping they hadn’t failed to protect the people of the other world. “Has something happened?”

“There have been more attacks.”

Emi inhaled sharply.

“All across the world, these stone creatures have been rising up and destroying cities; tearing people’s homes and farms to pieces. But it is worse than that.”

Emi chewed her lip, dreading the next words.

“They have started taking prisoners.”

Emi couldn’t believe it. “What? But, but why? What’s going on?”

Lilly seemed flustered for the first time ever. Well, it was the first time Emi had seen her this way. She dragged Emi to a nearby empty classroom and sat down next to her. “I have just returned from the other world. A great number of strange things are happening.”


Lilly on her Lonesome

School had seemed to settle down for Lilly since her return from The World. She had launched diligently into her duties and had easily kept up with the work load. Hanako on the other hand was not so lucky, leaving Lilly with some time alone. It was not that Lilly disliked Hanako - she enjoyed her company more than that of anyone else – but she also enjoyed solitude. She would sit by the window, enjoying the swishing of the trees and cries of the children, feeling the warmth of the sun. However, as enjoyable as it was, it was not long before her mind wandered to that far off land. She smiled. Well, I’ll only be gone a minute. She made her way to the cupboard and with a familiar feeling of bliss, and dropped her cane to the ground. I won’t need that anymore. Confidently pushing forwards, she left Yamaku behind for the first time in weeks.

Before her foot hit the smoke charred earth, Lilly knew something was wrong. Her senses painted a picture in her mind, an exact representation of the world around her, far more accurate than sight could describe. She knew the village she and Hanako had often visited, in front of their doorway, was under attack. The smell of burning wood and hay assaulted her nostrils, loud smashing told her the buildings were being obliterated. The soft creak of rocks grinding against each other told her who it was that was attacking.

She immediately sprang into action, darting forwards towards the village, hearing each blade of grass flutter with the wind. She instinctively reached for her belt as she approached the nearest beast, only to realize in dismay she had forgotten her weapon. It was a ceremonial sword her family had given her when she left home, to commemorate her bravery and independence. It wasn’t exactly forged for fighting, but it worked all the same. The rocky beast turned and reared towards her, opening its mouth to scream out purple smoke.

“ARGHGHGHGHG!”

Lilly stumbled back, lost without her trusty weapon. A root caught behind her foot and she fell to the ground, hitting her head on an outcropping of rock. Ohhh, what is happening to me? As she became more distracted, she blundered more, unable to take note of the details her senses were giving her. The information became too much, rising to a deafening roar in her head, sending her into a spiral of panic. She crawled backwards, trying to collect her thoughts. A firm grip grabbed ahold of her arm and pulled her to her feet.

“Lilly, we must leave at once!” cried the Red Man.

Lilly followed behind, running away from the village towards a nearby collection of trees and brush. She dived behind a large bush beside the Red Man, her thoughts coming back into focus.

“What are we doing? We need to save the villagers” Lilly whispered.

“Rushing out now will only get us killed.” The Red Man surveyed the village from over the bush, his narrowed eyes taking in the situation. “No one has been harmed; they only come to destroy the structures.”

Lilly’s mind came into focus and once again the world was painted clearly before her. She breathed, a deep peace pervading her body. She ‘saw’ the huddled villages standing aside while their precious homes were destroyed. “Why don’t they do anything?” she asked.

“I have said this before. The people of this land are peaceful, they do not wish harm upon anything, hostile or calm. To counter-attack in their eyes would be to lower themselves to the level of these beasts.”

Lilly retrieved a simple hairband and tied her long blonde hair back in a ponytail, stopping it from getting in the way. She realized what needed to happen. “Well, if this is what it takes, we shall leave. All of us.
We have entered your world and caused more trouble than we intended, and although it has been such a great pleasure to be with your people, it is not worth the loss of their homes.”

The Red Man shook his head. “Do you not see? It is not that simple. You have been absent for weeks, and yet the attacks persist. No, the solution is for you to stay.” He stood. “Together we will find the source of this evil and bring it to its knees. Rally the others.”

Lilly pulled him back to the ground and held one finger to her mouth in a gesture for silence. She heard the grass whisper off to her right. She pushed the Red Man behind her just as a grey blur leapt from the brush. She grasped at a nearby stick and slammed it into the beast’s head, knocking it into a tree. As is paused briefly, Lilly realized it was a wolf, built from interlocking stones. At first the animal seemed surprised by her resistance, but its eyes lit up as it grinned its large mossy teeth. It prowled towards her; cold haunches creaking as it moved. Lilly twirled the stick but backed up, waiting for the beast to make the first move.

“Haaa, Lilly dear, you wouldn’t hurt a little wolf like me would you?”

Lilly froze at its voice. Its jaws barely moved but an inhuman, seething voice entered her head. The voice continued with a mocking tone.

“What’s wrong Lilly? Wolf got your tongue? Ha ha ha ha!”

Its laugh seemed more like a cough, a rasping croak that made Lilly feel sick.

“Who are you? Why are you doing this?” Lilly demanded in the most authoritative tone she could muster.

“Who am I? Why, I think you know that already. And I am not doing anything dear, you are the one causing this destruction.”

“Lies!” Lilly cried.

The wolf seemed to chuckle, the awful sound bouncing around Lilly’s head. It continued to pad towards her. “If you and your meddling group of girls had stayed away, none of this would have had to happen.” It growled the last bit at her.

Lilly felt movement behind her and she knew the fight was over. Two stone giants held the Red Man by each arm while his head hung limply in defeat. She fell to her knees. The wolf seemed pleased.

“Fine then. Kill me where I stand and let this all be over, no one else need be harmed.” Lilly’s face was set in hard determination.

“Ha ha ha” it seethed. “Oh, how hard you try Lilly. That would be to easy dear.” It approached her till its snout hung in front of her face. “No, you and your friends will return to this world together, and find me in the Crystal Mountains. There I will show you your place in the world.” The voice growled and the wolf threw its head back in a deep growl. All through the village the giants stopped their work and raised their fists to the air, roaring in unison.

“And now do you see my dear? This world was made for me, and you are taking up my space. Run along now.” The wolf chuckled and ran its cold rough tongue up Lilly’s cheek, leaving trails of slime and mold behind. Lilly stumbled to her feet and began to run, not needing to look back to see the Red Man’s head hung in failure.

“Run Lilly! You are this world’s only hope now!” His voice faded into the distance.

Lilly didn’t bother to signal back; she had work to do.

[Neverbloom]

“They can s-sp-peak?”

Emi chewed her lower lip and stared off into the distance, thinking over the news. She could feel the panic and guilt beginning to weigh in on her. Every time she imagined the Red Man held by both arms, hopeless, a deep sense of regret settled in her stomach.

“Emi, now is not the time to think, nor to start blaming yourself for what has happened.”

It was as if Lilly could read her mind. Emi nodded slightly, her eyes still glazed over.

“Find Rin and meet Hanako and myself at the entrance of the Town in two hours.” With that Lilly spun on her heel and made her way to the door, quickly striding down the corridor in search of Hanako.

The hard tapping of Lilly’s shoes faded into the distance, leaving Emi alone in the empty classroom. Although the world outside was silent, a storm of thoughts raged in Emi’s head. She saw the first time she had stumbled into the other world, her first meeting with the Red Man, finding Rin in the mountain, learning to fly… The memories rushed past like a raging river, followed by a surge of emotion. Although she had only been gone a few weeks, her memories of the other world felt like stolen moments of a dream, the few glimpses that remain after waking up. Hearing the news about the Red Man from another person had reminded her just how real the whole thing was. And just how much trouble she had caused.

Pushing off the table, she stood to her feet. When all the shock had dissipated, all that remained in Emi was an unbreakable sense of duty. She thought about her teacher, who would just now be wondering where she was. About the Nurse, who she had promised she would stay away from danger.

“Sorry Nurse, I really can’t escape the allure of illegal rock climbing.”

…

Rin felt the cool breeze run over her body, ruffling the leaves above her. Her eyes remained closed while she lolled her head from side to side, allowing the blood to rush into her face. Besides the momentary rustle of trees and chirping birds, the whole courtyard remained silent, emanating a certain calm Rin couldn’t find anywhere else.

“Rin, I need to talk.”

Until, inevitably, some human would come along and ruin her peace. She lazily opened one eye, to reveal an upside-down and somewhat flustered Emi staring into her face.

“Usually I would ask why you’re hanging in a tree, but that will have to wait. We need to get to the other world; they desperately need our help.” Emi addressed her with an air of urgency, her hands planted firmly on her hips. Rin closed her eye again and went limp for a moment.

“Agghh, just as I was getting comfortable.” She sat up and pulled one leg over the branch, quickly following with the other as Emi rushed in to help.

“Don’t touch me.” She stretched and yawned loudly. ‘Let’s get this over with; I have some serious hanging to catch up on.”

…

Hanako lent over with her elbows on the window sill, gazing out at the schoolyard and beyond. A pile of schoolwork sat on the desk behind her, but that could wait. A soft breeze wafted up the building and played with her hair, teasing the ends into motion. She put a hand to her pocket and brought out a small silver object, cradling it in her hands. With a click she flicked back the top, before sliding her thumb down the wheel. A small yellow flame burst into existence, wavering under the assaulting breeze. A sense of peace filled her body and she allowed her shoulders to slump. She watched the flame writhe like a living being; felt its warmth spread over her hands. The door slowly swung open behind her.

“Is it time?” she murmured.

“Yes.”

The sides of Hanako’s mouth came up in slight smile. Not from happiness; the distant kind of smile a parent might have when watching two naïve children playing. She clicked back the top of the lighter and returned it to her pocket. Holding up her hand she rolled the fingers like a wave, watching each joint work in unison. Oh, how they will regret rousing the Raven. A wide smirk spread across her face and she brought her hand into a tight fist.

“For behold, the Lord will come in fire.”

…

Emi trudged through the grass with Rin in tow. It seemed Lilly had come to understand the time difference between the two worlds, as they had arrived only a few hours into daylight.

“Are you sure you know where to go?” Emi called back.

“Yes, yes. Just keep walking around the mountain.” Rin nonchalantly waved with one large claw. Apparently the entrance Lilly was referring to was on the opposite side of the mountain to the one Emi had found, meaning they had quite a trek ahead of them. Luckily they had both chosen to dress efficiently, choosing function over style. Emi wore a track suit from one of her running competitions, while Rin stayed with her signature boyish style; simple long pants and a t-shirt. They walked under the sun for quite some time before finally finding the girls standing in front of a great rock opening.

“It seems we missed the memo. If I’d have known we were playing dress-ups, I would’ve joined in.”

Lilly stood clad in a beautiful red ceremonial kimono, covered with white and pink cherry blossoms. She paid no attention to Rin’s remark and instead continued to hold her head high and slightly cocked, as if listening intently for something. Emi spied Hanako behind her, draped in the same black robes as when she and Rin had first seen her. A sudden gust picked up and side by side, the girls were quite a formidable sight.

Hanako peered out from under her hood; a mere pale face amongst a sea of black, her dark hair tucked away. Lilly stood tall, her blonde pony-tail fluttering in unison with the tails of her sleeves; an elegant statue of both beauty and strength. Emi casually stuffed her hands in her pockets, rolling her shoulders like a boxer preparing for a fight. Rin cast a –

“Are we actually going to leave? Or?” Rin cleared her throat politely. “Causeee, someone said something about desperately needing help.”

“Right.” Lilly broke out of her pose and held a hand forwards. “Onwards. Or whatever.”

[Neverbloom]

It seemed Lilly and Hanako knew the location of this ‘Crystal Mountain”, from their early explorations of the world. They trudged through the fields for quite some time, Emi scouting the way from above. Occasionally Hanako would cast an envious glare upwards, watching her effortlessly slice through the air.

“Be patient Hanako, we’ll be there soon.” Lilly said without needing to turn her head.

Hanako dropped her gaze and focused on putting one foot in front of another, cursing inwardly at her weakness.

“I feel your pain sister, it sucks to have legs.” Rin winked. Hanako merely stared in return.

“Geez, or not” Rin muttered

As it transpired, Lilly’s prediction was correct. Before long the girls found themselves staring up at an enormous stone opening, giving way to only darkness inside. Emi descended to join them and before she could even ask, Lilly took four torches out of her bag and gave one to each of them. Reaching deeper still, she retrieved food and water supplies.

“Refresh before we go in. Who knows what we’ll find in there.” Lilly said, biting into a sandwich.

“Cheers Poppins.” Rin replied through a mouthful of food.

As they solemnly sat and munched away, Emi began to realize the kind of danger they were in. This thing hadn’t harmed them yet, but if what it said could be trusted, now was the time for it to strike.

“Let’s move” Lilly stood to her feet. “Now’s not the time for second guessing.”

Emi looked up but Lilly had already disappeared into the darkness. She watched the others file in before taking up the rear, looking back once more at the bright world they left behind. As she entered deeper into the mountain, all she could see was white beams dancing around the narrow tunnel. The clacking of their footsteps echoed softly, sending chills down her spine.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t my favorite group of girls? How nice of you to join me.”

It was the voice from the wolf. Lilly held up her hand in a gesture to halt. The girls all simultaneously turned off their torches.

“Oh, there is no need for that. I have eyes everywhere; there is no hiding from me.” The voice hissed, and then choked out its signature cackle, putting the girls even more on edge.

They waited a few minutes, but the voiced seemed to have gone. Lilly whispered back to the girls.

“I think we should split up. If it knows we are coming, charging in will just get us all trapped.”

The last thing any of them wanted to do was split up, but they could see the logic behind it.

“And if it wants us together so badly, it might wait until it catches us all before it kills us.” Rin spoke nonchalantly, as if the thought of death barely fazed her.

They all nodded in agreement, still unwilling to accept the idea of splitting up.

“I’ll go” Hanako spoke up. They all feigned shock, but deep down the three girls were glad that someone had chosen. It was no easy decision.

“Rin’s right; we have a better chance of surviving if we are split up and a better chance of winning.”

Lilly nodded, but her face betrayed her true feelings. “Be safe.” She strode forwards and grasped Hanako in a firm embrace. Emi thought she could see a tear on Lilly’s cheek but she turned her head away from the girls, and when she turned back, her face was as hard as stone.

“Hanako takes the side tunnel; we go this way, to the heart of the mountain.”

…

The girls had been walking without Hanako for awhile before the voice returned.

“Ah, still coming? Good girls. I see you have tried to trick me, how naïve.”

They suddenly felt a drop in their stomachs. If it was as strong as it claimed, splitting from Hanako may have just cost her life.

“Don’t worry your pretty little heads, I won’t take her alone. I need you all, a great big Yamaku get-together.”

Emi and Rin looked at each other, then at Lilly.

“Don’t listen to it; it’s trying to mess with your head. I’ve told a lot of people we come from a school called Yamaku, don’t let it trick you.”

“Oh, how wise. I knew you would lead your friends so diligently into danger Lilly, that’s why I picked you.”

“Shut up!” Lilly cried, her voice reverberating around the walls of the tunnel. Emi and Rin could see the voice was clearly getting to Lilly, but there was nothing they could do. Rin bashed against the walls to drown it out, but it wasn’t a noise; it came from inside their heads. Emi pushed Lilly lightly forwards.

“Come on, just try to ignore it.”

“Ha ha. See you soooon”

The voice trailed on in a sing-song fashion, taunting their nervousness. When it had faded away the girls were able to move forwards, turning their flashlights back on. As they crept forwards, they turned twice more, before seeing in the distance a small orange dot. Lilly again signaled a halt, but they soon realized it was of no danger. As they came forwards they saw it was a wooden torch, flaming in a spiky metal cone that was bolted to the wall.

“We must be getting close. Keep your wits about you.”

“Stay frosty.” Rin said, clicking her tongue. Hanako turned back to narrow her eyes at her.

“What? They say it in the army.” Rin moaned. Emi couldn’t help but smile. The pressure was building to such an uncomfortable level, but having Rin by her side made it easier to keep going. Continuing down the tunnel they passed a total of four more torches, before entering into the main chamber of the mountain.

Emi gasped. The cavern was enormous; carved of black stone and reaching so far up that the roof gave way to darkness, unable to be reached by the light from below. The opposite end of the hall was also shrouded in black. They stood at the narrow end of a rectangular room, lit by torches similar to the ones in the tunnel which gave off an eerily dim light. Both of the long walls were lined with giant ten foot figures; black on one side, white on the other. Carved of stone and facing inwards, the knights, lions, dragons and serpents stood over them like a chess set made for God. At the base of each one the same rocky creatures they had battled before carved in fine details. As Rin’s foot hit the smooth stone floor, one turned to look.

Lilly immediately reached for her sword but was surprised to find the beast tranquil, choosing instead to turn back and resume his work. She held up her hand and the girls backed off.

“Oh, don’t be worried about them; they can be quite civil when necessary. Come closer, let me take a look.”

Again the voice came from inside their heads, but it seemed obvious that the source lay at the other end of the hall. Keeping a watchful eye on the apparent sculptors, they moved slowly down the hall. Emi looked up at one of the figures and gulped. A giant Minotaur glared down at her, its black horns twisted and sharp. It held in its hands an enormous stone battle axe, capable of splitting Emi in half with its sheer weight. She shuddered and looked away.

As they neared the other end of the hall, a large throne came into view. Carved from one giant slab of stone, the chair was a feat of strength in and of its self. It sat upon a hexagon, elevated by multiple flights of stairs. Large white spines protruded from the back of the seat, curving over to make a cage around the figure sitting inside. The figure was wrapped in purple robes and trails of purple cloth tumbled down over the stairs from its cloak. As they approached, Lilly stood up straighter, staring into the cage boldly.

“At last, we are reunited once more.”

Lilly spoke up. “Unfortunately we are, Shizune.”

[Neverbloom]

The voice broke into a loud cackle, a rasping sound that seemed to scratch at the girls’ brains.

“You’re too good Lilly, I guess there is a reason you’re class rep.”

The voice let off another rasping laugh, and Emi could see Lilly’s face beginning to darken with anger.

“I don’t have time for games Shizune. What are you doing in this world? If these giants are your work, you have caused the destruction of more people’s lives than you can imagine.”

The figure leaned forwards, grasping a white spike in each hand.

“Oh, I don’t have to imagine, I’ve seen it all. Beautiful, magical destruction. How the villagers would run in fear, begging for mercy.” She leaned back in her throne. “You have no respect for power Lilly. I don’t expect you to understand, only to get out of my way.”

“Why are you doing this Shizune, this isn’t your right. You can’t come to this world and think you can treat people any differently.” Emi piped up.

Shizune stood to her feet, rage in her eyes.

“What would you know about rights? We EARN our rights; nothing is given to you in this life. Everything belongs to the person who will fight the hardest, who will tear what they deserve from the arms of life. Right and wrong is determined by the person wielding the sword, not the weaklings left behind who criticize because they didn’t get a share.” She sat back down slowly. “That is always that question. You know exactly why I’m doing this. If you were half as brave as me you would do the same.”

“No, no I wouldn’t. None of us would, and we aren’t about to stand by and let you do it either.” Lilly stood tall, and the other three took up her sides, staring confidently at the dark throne.

“Ahhh. So be it. I didn’t want it to end this way, but if that is what you want.”

Shizune snapped her fingers. All four girls heard rocks grinding together behind them as every beast in the room stopped carving to turn and look at them. Purple smoke fuming from their eyes and mouth, they grunted and slammed their fists against the ground, shaking the floor.

Rin stepped in front of the group, sprouting from her shoulders two large stone hammers and slamming them against the ground. Lilly took the right; drawing her sword and slicing through the air slowly, carving it with grace. Emi stood left, poised to take flight. Shizune giggled and called out in a mock announcer’s voice.

“Let the games begin!”

Immediately one of the giants put its head down and began to charge at the girls. Emi leapt into the air, calling out the positions of the other beasts while the three girls engaged. Rin ran at the oncoming beast but at the last moment realized it was too big to stop. Sliding away just in time, she sent out a vine and grabbed ahold of its closest foot. Pulling hard, she felt the beast shudder as it fell to the ground with a crash. Not sparing a moment Hanako held out her hands, blasting a flurry of fireballs at the fallen foe, each one melting holes in its rocky structure. The beast fizzled and smoked as it pushed to get up, but two quick blasts removed its arms, leaving Lilly open to drive in her sword and pry off its head. The whole encounter took seconds, and yet they were soon surrounded by giants that had come from all through the hallway.

Casting a glance to each other, they nodded and quickly split up. Emi swooped down to pick up Rin, blasting back into the air and over the beast’s heads, causing a portion of them to follow. Lilly dashed forwards and slid under the closest monsters legs, causing it to almost fall over as it grabbed at her blurring body. She had begun to recognize the beasts’ movement and attack patterns; always blundering and aggressive. Before long she could side step all four of them with ease. From there it was a matter of choosing how she could best dispatch them. Using a technique she had once seen Emi use, she ran up the back of one of the beasts, perching on its head while the other three turned slowly to see her. Her ride began to thrash and wave its arms wildly at her, but she sat with relative ease. Watching the other three come charging, with no regard for each other, she back flipped off in time to watch three large boulders smash the beast’s head into splinters, sending it sliding backwards. She stepped over the headless corpse as the final wisps of purple faded into the dark room. One down, three to go.

Emi carried Rin further and further up into the darkness, explaining her plan as she went. Three foes gathered beneath them, watching stupidly as they began to slowly vanish. Seconds they waited, simply staring upwards, before noticing a small dot coming their way. Before they would even register what it was, Rin dropped from the sky, two massive boulders dragging her down at a great speed. Aiming at the middle one, she slammed into its head with a deafening crash, blowing it to pieces and showering the two neighboring giants with its remains. The whole body was shattered, and Rin felt the impact wrack her body. Standing up and shaking herself off, she knew no damage had been done. Bobbing and weaving, she threw out a quick one-two.

“So, who’s next then?”

Lilly raced at the next beast, ducking under its fist and grabbing its neck. Using it as an anchor, she vaulted over it, driving her sword into its neck before sliding down its back, using her weight as a lever. Immediately she could feel something was wrong. At the exact moment of the satisfactory snapping sound, signaling its head had been removed, her sword shattered, splitting into a thousand glittery shards that spread across the floor. She threw the hilt to the ground and spared no time turning to her final two opponents.

Rin laughed inwardly at the idea of boxing the two. Bouncing forwards, she jabbed at one of the beasts, only to have her hand knocked aside. The second followed up with a cross, swinging with all its weight in her direction. Emi dove in and pushed Rin to the side just as Rin felt the rock graze her arm. Its fist hit the floor where Rin had been standing with great impact, forming a spider web of cracks in the stone. Rin stared at the hole wide-eyed. Emi leapt into the air, capturing the attention of the giants. Twirling above them, just outside their reach, she taunted while they grasped wildly at her feet. Rin’s arms shimmered and two flaming pillars burst from her shoulders. Rushing forwards, she thrust one arm into the chest of each giant. The rock fizzled as her arms sank all the way through them, and they looked down at her in anger. Ducking quickly she vaporized her arms and ducked under ones legs, taking refuge behind it. The one she hid behind had no idea where she had gone, but the other did, and he had given up on chasing Emi. Rin poked her head into the beast’s chest hole.

“Why, hello there” she said in a monotonous tone.

The beast roared and drove its fist at her, smashing into its companion. Rin easily pulled out, and watched with a smile on her face as one beast tried to extract its hand from the other’s chest. Emi landed beside her and they exchanged a high-five, wide grins of their faces.

“One more thing to do” Rin said.

Emi nodded and looped her hands under Rin’s shoulders. Blasting quickly into the air, she let go of Rin and threw her above the two struggling foes. Rin morphed her arms into two steel fists, and slammed down on each one of the beast’s heads, shattering them immediately. Riding the bodies down, she landed and rolled away, standing to her feet and dusting off two large hands.

Lilly rolled backwards as one of her foes approached her. She was lost without her sword; there was no way the beasts were fast enough to hit her but she had no means of counter attack. She smiled. This I suppose is where my friends come in. The closest foe swung both its fists at her, exposing its back to an airborne Rin-attack. As Lilly dodged, she heard Emi drop Rin on the beast’s back, and the beast roar in protest. Rin drove two sharp iron spikes into each shoulder and pushed her arms together, prying at the beast’s arms. As hard as she tried, she couldn’t muster the leverage. Instead she bound the beast’s two wrists with vines, and had Emi take her back into the air. As she floated up, the beast’s arms were pulled up and behind it, leaving it defenseless. Lilly took the hint.

Coaxing the other giant to follow her, she easily dodged its attacks while it followed her around the room. As its frustration built, so did the strength of its swings. It roared with anger, leaning back and putting all of its weight into one final punch. Roaring with anger, it swung forwards and punched right through where Lilly was, slamming into the back of the other giant. With a load snap, Emi and Rin blasted into the air, dragging with them two large rocky arms. As the connection was broken, the purple smoke joining each section dissipated, and the arms fell back to the ground as individual boulders. The armless beast fell forwards, the light in its eyes slowly dimming.

All together, the three girls made short work of the final beast. As it fell to the floor with a great shudder, they leant over on their knees, panting heavily. A slow clapping filled the chamber.

“Bravo, you have taken down my sculpting minions, how brave.”

“Game’s up Shizune” Rin called towards the throne. “We can take whatever you throw at us. The people of this world might be docile and peaceful, but we sure’shell aren’t.”

The voice laughed.

“Oh Rin, always so brazen. You have no knowledge of the extent of my power.” She hissed. “I’m God.”

“Well there is only room for one God on this throne, and that’s me.”

The sudden voice from the platform made the girls look up in hope. Hanako walked out from behind the throne, reaching into the cage to grab Shizune by the collar.

”What? What are you doing?”

“Claiming what’s mine.” Hanako dragged Shizune out, her other hand blazing at her side. A wide grin spread across her face, but Emi could see the burning anger in her eyes. She pushed Shizune forwards, holding her two flaming hands at her sides. “It’s over Shizune, this throne in mine.”

Shizune laughed. “No Hanako, it’s not. You know nothing of power, or what it means to be a ruler.”

Hanako lashed out her arm, back-handing Shizune with enough force to snap her head backwards. She fell to the ground, a thin trail of blood running from her lip.

“I think I can learn fast enough.” Hanako grinned.

“That’s enough Hanako. We have her, the job is done.” Lilly spoke with a demanding tone, breaking into the fight.

“Shut up.” Hanako turned to face them, her eyes blazing red like the day she defeated the scorpion. As she spoke, half her body turned black, and the red veins pulsed once more. “You speak of peace and kindness Lilly, but you don’t realize how people take advantage of you. It’s time to fight back. To claim what we deserve.”

‘We don’t deserve this world Hanako; we can’t take the lives of people who have done nothing to harm us.”

Shizune spoke from her place of the floor. “See? You understand me Hanako” she wheezed, reaching out her hand. “Join me. Together they stand no chance and together we can rule this world, as equals.”

Hanako smirked and slapped the hand down. “Always negotiate from a position of power.” Her hands ignited, flames licking up her forearms. As Hanako turned to face the girls once more, Shizune leapt to her feet, placing one leg behind Hanako’s and pushing with all her weight. Hanako tipped, hitting the stairs and sliding to the bottom, smashing hard against the stone floor.

“Haha, you should have taken the deal.”

Hanako slowly stood to her feet. “I don’t need your help."

“No you don’t, but you do need your friends.” She leaned over them sneering, her teeth stained red with blood. “Let’s hope they still trust you.”

She flicked her eyes over the hallway, and all of a sudden Rin felt unease creep into her stomach. Shizune was looking at the statues. They had bothered Rin since the girls had arrived, and now she realized why. They weren’t for decoration. She’s building an army.

“Rise and shine.”

The girls froze. A loud groan filled the chamber as stone began to grind against itself. The lights flickered.

GRAGHGHGHGHG!

[Neverbloom]

BOOM!

Emi felt the impact in her chest as a giant stone foot collided with the floor.

BOOM!

The four girls turned slowly, staring up into the blazing purple eyes of a smoothly polished Minotaur.

RAWRR!

“Run!” Hanako screamed. The beast brought the battle axe above its head with surprising speed, swinging it down with both hands. Emi grabbed Rin and shot into the air while Lilly and Hanako dived out of the way, only marginally missing out on being crushed. The Minotaur wrenched at its weapon, pulling it from the large gash it left in the floor.

“Shizune, what the hell do you think you’re doing? This is way too dangerous!” Emi called down at her from above. Her protest was met by laughter from the throne.

Hanako set off running around the Minotaur’s feet, blasting fire from her hands. Watching bright fire fizzle out on its feet, without leaving more than a black mark, Hanako felt her heart drop in her chest. She did succeed in drawing its attention though. It turned to look at her, growling deeply. Watching its axe closely, Hanako almost missed the giant foot headed in her direction. It lashed out at her and she barely managed to slide under it. This is crazy, one hit from this thing and every bone in our body will shatter. Shizune really has gone mad. She jumped to her feet, to see the Minotaur changing its focus to Lilly.

“Let me take it Hanako; you can attack.”

Hanako nodded. Shizune watched on from the throne, a bemused expression on her face. Hanako dropped to one knee, placing her hands on the ground. She furrowed her brow in concentration, and a swirl of raging fire began to dance around her body.

…

Emi pulled Rin to the side. “There is no way we can beat this thing. Look at the size of it!”

Rin stroked her chin in thought.

“Even you can’t make your arms big enough to do any damage to this thing.”

Rin stared at the giant Minotaur, blindly swinging at Lilly while she kited it easily.

“No matter how high I take you, it wouldn’t matter. You would die from the impact.”

While Emi continued to spout discouragement, Rin’s eyes wandered up to the black ceiling above them. Her eyes lit up.

“Take me back up.”

Emi stopped. “What?”

“You’re right, I’m not big enough. But I know something that is.”

…

Lilly dodged yet again, rolling out of the path of another axe attack. By now the stone floor was riddled cracks and gashes from where the axe had struck it, making it all the more difficult to dodge. She heaved another breath while the Minotaur swung again. She could see a bright red light in the corner of her vision, and she prayed Hanako was ready to make a move. She was beginning to slow, and the Minotaur showed no signs of fatigue. She gritted her teeth and leapt backwards, but did so too soon. The axe landed only inches in front of her feet, and she felt the shock run through her body. C’mon Hanako.

…

Hanako felt the energy rise up within her, starting from deep in her chest. A bright, blazing anger. A hatred for Shizune, and all she had done. It grew in her chest and pressed outwards, straining against her physical body. She began to shake uncontrollably. As it reached a breaking point, she stood and arched her back, releasing the energy before it swallowed her whole. She threw her arms out beside her, feeling the power rock her body as it surged out of her. She felt the tension release, and a cool calm return. She opened her eyes slowly.

The Minotaur stood engulfed in a pillar of flame, roaring in protest. The flames licked at its body, scorching it and turning it black. Although the beast seemed unharmed, when it moved to walk out of the pillar, the flames concentrated to form an impenetrable field. It prodded at its restrains and roared once more. Lifting the axe above its head, it brought it down on the field, and Hanako screamed. The axe bounced back, but Hanako felt the stream of energy begin to lesson. Focusing on where it had decreased, she consciously focused on building it again, strengthening and bolstering the flow. When the beast attacked again, she focused with it, forcing her mind to a sharp point exactly when the axe struck.

A loud cracking noise filled the cavern, followed by booms as the battle axe fell shattered to the floor. Rearing in anger, the Minotaur slammed its fists together and roared. Much to Hanako’s horror, it began to beat of the field with both fists, smashing away at Hanako’s resolve. She prayed to the other girls, beseeching their assistance. Oh please do something. Stars began to burst at the sides of her vision as the stone boulders sledged away at her mind.

…

Emi took Rin higher up than they had been before. Smashing noises could be heard from below, and Emi thought constantly of the other girls’ plight.

“How high do we have to go?”

“Higher” Rin said. The rocks in this cave were similar to the ones where she had spent time sculpting. If the whole structure of the caves was the same, this might just win them their lives. If not, well, let’s not think about that right now.

They flew higher and higher, the soft silvery light from Emi’s wings their only source of vision as the world below them faded away. The air became cold and began to cling to their skin.

“Higher” Rin commanded.

Rin stared longingly upwards, begging for her hunch to be true. They froze suddenly in the air and Emi yelped.

“What is it?”

Emi reached out a finger, prodding the point of a stalactite that hung right in front of their faces.

“Few more seconds and we would have been a rock-shish kebab” Rin joked. Emi exhaled slowly, trying to ignore her.

Vines twisted out of Rin’s arms and began to engulf the largest spike she could find. “Emi, hold on to me. I’m making a missile.” Gripping tightly she yanked on the spike, cracking it from the roof. The instant it broke off it began to drop downwards at a sharp rate.

“Hold onnnnnn!” Rin cried into the air. Together she and Emi went careening downwards, the cold air stinging their eyes. Rin would only have a moment to judge where to guide it, so she closed her eyes, counting down the seconds. The air whooshed past them at a furious pace and Emi’s screams were lost behind them. As they fell, the small dot of light beneath them began to grow at an alarming rate. Before long, Rin was dropping headfirst towards a tall stone statue.

“Captain, bring us ‘round left!” She called back to Emi. Emi’s wings strained as she pulled against Rin’s body, shifting them back on course. In order to stop them missing, they would have to stay attached until right before the missile hit. Their target grew; the giant stone horns of a Minotaur stained black with fire.

“Deploy female attachment!”

The vines retracted from the spike as Emi pulled away, dragging Rin backwards upwards away from the impact.

“Look out below!”

…

Hanako’s eyes opened weakly as the last of her strength drained. She felt the energy within her begin to ebb, and watched as the Minotaur began to force through its cage. Looking to the sky one last time, she perked up with recognition as she saw Emi and Rin falling towards the Minotaur’s head. She squinted. A smile tugged at the side of her mouth. Damn fools. She fell to the floor in surrender, feeling the floor shake as a clap of thunder filled her ears.

…

As the dust slowly dispersed, a profound silence captured the room. The four girls looked on in wonder, shaking with exhaustion. They heaved in each breath, staring at the pile of rubble where the once powerful Minotaur had stood. Lilly scanned the room, and found Hanako collapsed on the cold floor. Finding energy within herself, she bounded forwards and scooped her up in her arms.

“Hanako?” She whispered, brushing a lock of dark hair from Hanako’s face. Hanako had returned to normal; the black in her face replaced by a soft pink. Lilly ran a finger down her cheek, following the ridge of a large burn scar. She felt for Hanako’s pulse. Her heart throbbed slowly. Her chest heaved with ragged breaths, before slowing, and stopping altogether. No, no. Not now. Not ever.

“C’mon Hanako, wake up.” Lilly shook her by the shoulders, lolling her head back and forth. Her face remained limp and expressionless. “Wake up Hanako!”

Lilly pitched forwards and buried her head in Hanako’s chest, tears coming to her eyes. She wrapped her arms around Hanako’s back and pulled her close, feeling the warmth between them. “No, not now Hanako” she sobbed, soaking the black cloak with tears. “Don’t leave me alone Hanako!”

She felt warm air run over her ear, and pulled back to see a faint smile on Hanako’s lips. Her eyes opened dreamily. “I-I’m s-sorry Lilly.”

Lilly closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

“I’m s-so s-sorry L-Lilly.”

Lilly took Hanako’s hand in hers and squeezed it softly. “Shhhh.”

…

Rin stumbled towards the throne, her long vine arms dragging at her sides. “It’s over Shizune.”

Shizune stood and came forwards, standing over them from her place on the platform. “You have done well, I must say.” She paced back and forth. “I have many more minions. How many will you face before you choose to surrender?”

Emi stood defiantly by Rin’s side. “We could take your whole army. There is nothing that you can do to stop us avenging this world!”

Shizune laughed. “As fun as that sounds, I have a better idea. One more opponent. Just for you Emi.” She clapped her hands and shouted “Bring him in!”

Rin and Emi turned as a figure marched through the door at the end of the hallway. Feeling the heavy exhaustion weight down on their bodies, they watched with dread as the shadowy figure approached. As it came into sight, Emi felt every last bit of fight in her body give way as she struggled to keep herself standing.

Marching into the light, wielding a long one-handed sword, his eyes blazing purple, was the Red Man.

[Mirage_GSM]

“Stay frosty.” Rin said, clicking her tongue. Hanako turned back to narrow her eyes at her.

Hanako just went off on her own.

Not sparing a moment Hanako held out her hands

When did she rejoin the group?

but Hanako felt the stream of energy begin to lesson

lessen
The major problem with this story is that the cahracters don't fit the story you want to tell, so you mold the characters around the story when it should be the other way around.
You say you did this to practice writing... Don't bother.
I agree that it's worth practicing technical skills, but those are not your problem. You should much rather practice writing your characters consistently, and that's what this story does squat for.