The earth shook violently, the pillars barely standing while shaking like leafs falling of steeled autumn trees. A golden light erupted with the power of a slumbering volcano, dawning the entirety of the area with its resplendent radiance before it took the shape of a giant beam, melting Reiha's snowy storm and decimating her swiveling hurricanes, while scorching Chiyasu's toxic blossoms on its way toward Noboru. Ayumi fell down, hitting her head against the wall behind her, injured by the shattered stone.
Ayumi did not care for the blow, and reached her hand quickly to grasp the spear but what she instantly pulled back at what she saw... a figure kneeling on one knee before it started to stand. That figure was arising from the tomb was not the holy item, but its original wielder causing the girl to retreat in immense shock and stupefaction, gasping and staring.
It did not take long for the staggering body to stand, tall and straight as if that body had not been lying dead for thousands of years.
"Amaterasu…"
Noboru murmured, no less shocked than the others whose surprise left them speechless. Even Laila was dazzled, not invested in this out turn of events with excitement for the first time as her puzzled look conveyed.
Golden hair descended down an upright back, swaying like fields of Kerria roses. The golden robes on the resting body, just like it, had not decayed, but the armor was only now falling apart causing meaningless noises in the silence of the shock. Moon – eyes staring in in confusion did not have the chance to blossom yet with vividity like the Kerria they borrowed their colors, as the conscious itself was not restored yet, a remark easily guessed by the vacant stares similar to the little kid's ones. However, these orbs were staring in one and one direction only, Noboru's.
Being in the midst of this miraculous situation, if it could be described as such, standing once again face to face with his old nemesis, the murderer was expected to hold to his weapon firmer than ever, and prepare for a new round brought by what could be considered as some sort of "revival" that no one knew if it was temporarily or lasting, but the man did not, he did not have to… that light that withered Chiyasu's flowers and deflected Reiha's wind doing this for a purpose; protecting him.
"How… Why…"
The princess of the wind finally regained her ability to form words. She kept shifting her gaze between the former queen still standing in her grave and her killer, watching the pillar of light she protected him with diminishing slowly, like a flying bird resting his wings. Chiyasu was shaking like a trapped bird as well, unable to decide whether she wanted to ambush the resurrected figure or leave it as the queen's glassy eyes conveyed no awareness or ascendancy.
But how long would that blank stare refusing to leave the bay of Noboru's obsidian eyes would remain? Left the only sensible one amidst that bizarre situation, Laila was anticipating the worse, and taking advantage of Amaterasu's own power destroying every protective seal and charm, she split the ground with her ax making an escape, calling to Noboru and the kid who only hesitated because Noboru seemed be hesitant as well.
"The spear of light and the scepter are there, and we have lost so much of our strength thanks to that priestess's charms and that demon's interference! We should retreat"
Laila exclaimed uncharacteristically, and when Noboru finally moved, turning his eyes away from the awakening dead body, the kid followed suit, and with no one mentally present to stop them, they made their escape through the dark hole Laila had made through the ground.
The raising visage was not a strange one to Ayumi, she had seen that woman countless times in her dreams, fighting vigorously then injured and collapsing amidst a pool of blood, yet her eyes still widened seeing blood seep anew and freshly from the wound that killed her. It was already flowing when her eyes fell on Noboru, but now it flooded tainting her robes and grave, but still, the former queen did not react, as if she was not feeling that pain.
"Ama… Queen Amaterasu!"
Ayumi wanted to rush to her aid, only to be met by a perplexed pitiful look. She followed Ayumi's sight - line tracing the blood but still did not react.
"Why… why did you protect him? Why did you not finish him off? This was our perfect chance! He would have never stood a chance against all of us at that moment!!"
Reiha yelled, abandoning her respectful manners, the lost chance of freedom fueling her anger and burning her sensibility.
"She is clearly still over the clouds… she has just come back from death!"
Ayumi spoke defending the queen, unable to comprehend how she managed to structure a sentence with such unbelievable words but it was the truth after all.
Waiting for a sarcastic or a degrading comment from Chiyasu about her or the resurrected queen, neither came but at least Reiha regained her former control over herself.
Still, the princess of the earth had something to say but refrained. It was Amaterasu's hatred and vengeful will that had brought her back for certain, sensing the presence of Noboru and his sword that killed her. But if so, why did she protect him? Reiha shared the same belief but could only come up with one explanation that suited a certain old image of Amaterasu, especially since apparently she could not tell evil from good auras after her revival yet.
"She saw us grouping on Noboru, willing to destroy him… she probably thought he was an innocent soul and her instinct told her to protect him… that is the only explanation!"
"Unless she wanted to finish him herself."
"If that was the case, then she would not have let him escape and get away."
Reiha argued back at Chiyasu.
"Unbelievable."
Chiyasu cursed under her breath, and it was indeed just that. After the two princesses cooled down, watching Amaterasu still standing like a lost child inside her grave, Ayumi finally dared to ask.
"What do we do now… about her… she is… she is back!"
"Want me to send her to where she came from? I am more than willing..."
The princess of the earth suggested but with less rsolve in her tone this time. Amaterasu, the former queen truly looked pathetic and completely lost, brought back at a shore that should not seem foreign.
"Queen Amaterasu, do you remember us? This is me; Reiha the princess of the wind and Chiyasu, the princess of the earth…"
Reiha approached the sarcophagus carefully in case of any unanticipated burst of power, but nothing happened. The queen turned her head at the princesses, obliviousness the only emotion reflected in her golden eyes.
"You were our queen, the queen of light… you unified us the princesses of nature and brought hope to desperate souls and fought evil days and nights on… do you remember this?"
The same blank stare lingered inside the eyes lost like a star in a wicked night making the answer quite clear; the former queen recalled nothing. Born anew was the most fitting way to describe her current condition.
Pale as a sleet, the queen's complexion bore none of the hues belonging to the living, the melancholic whiteness of death preventing these colors from painting the face it had tried to pry upon for centuries only to fail. If her powers and spiritual aura protected her body from decay, it could not erase the shades of death imbuing themselves on her visage, taking over her once tanned skin as well, the testimony to the power she held over he light pf day, after their inability to drown her in the black shadows of the decomposition of death. Her complexion was completely ashen, not a single cinder or ember left to shine, even expiringly.
"What should we do now? What do we with her?"
"She is not going back for sure to her…"
Reiha could not finish the sentence, it was too harsh to say so she simply instructed.
"Ayumi, grasp the spear and let's leave. There is nothing left for us here to do anyway."
"And the queen?"
"We are taking her with us for sure! We are not leaving her roaming aimlessly! And Noboru might go after her again… and all the lurking beasts and demons still around might return following her trace!"
Chiyasu spoke with exasperation, and Ayumi quickly took the spear that was no different than a stick, neither retaliating nor complying, leaving itself to be taken by anyone, thrown in anyway, having not shown its power, or having been depleted of it protecting the standing body who came back to life.
"Please, come with us… we will not harm you… we are here to protect you!"
Ayumi spoke softly, gaining the former queen's attention who turned her head at the girl slowly, not caring for the spear. A quick hint of surprise flashed through her eyes, it was the first reaction she showed, and it was because of Ayumi's "unusual" attire compared to her times. So maybe there was a chance she would remember everything quickly as everyone hoped.
Amaterasu hesitated then looked around her, trying to find similar faces but her memories offered none until her eyes fell on Chiyasu after which she took the girl's hand leaving her grave and armor behind and walking like a puppet stringed gently by Ayumi's hand without complains or questions.
"How do we leave?"
Ayumi asked, and there was one answer, the same route they came through. Walking up and down the tunnels after Reiha flew them up the hole the girl had fallen through earlier. They arrived to where Enya and Rinmaru were supposedly fighting, but neither of them was there, only the shambles of their destructive battle leaving its marks.
"I hope that white – haired man is safe…"
"He is."
Reiha answered briefly, sparing no glances at the battle mess, and after an hour or so, they finally returned to where they had first started their journey.