Author: Titania
Title:Art of Elysium
Rating: PG
Orginal Story
ART OF ELYSIUM
Her breasts rounded perfectly, a bust most women would pay thousands to have, but Navaru wasn't satisfied. Frowning, she snatched her eraser, to rub out the seemingly perfect bosom from her drawing of Joan Of Arc, on parchment and started again.
She smiled as the small breasts again took shape as she imagined them, not perfect for a Hollywood model, but perfect for Joan.
She blew off the eraser dust and pencil shavings, Navaru inspected her drawing and smiled. A detailed colour drawing of Joan Of Arc, in a dim light. Her face, a mixture of fear and uncertainty.
Navaru became cold as she felt another presence behind her. A cool metal blade pressed to her throat. Her picture of Valiant Joan fluttering to the floor.
"A lovely drawing..." a male voice cooed. "Be worth a lot more when you're dead."
Navaru's throat muscles tensed. Who was this man? A murderer? Psycho? Rapist? ... Navaru had no enemies that she knew of.
"So sell it if you're going to kill me, but let me sign it first." She refused to cower.
The stranger laughed. "Well it's not really that simple. Nothing much is."
He withdrew his blade. "You impress me, Navaru Jinn, as I thought you would."
The antagonist grabbed a lock of her lengthy silt black hair. "You are mine."
Navaru knew instantly this man was no thug. An art thief perhaps? But she sensed something sinister.
The stale smell of the classroom seemed all the more pungent as Navaru tried to transmute her fears. The young art student scarcely believed her wide eyes as she saw a male of Asian appearance seemingly materialize out of thin air, like something out of Star Trek. He wore a red robe, trimmed with gold. Navaru noticed his furrowed brow, trying to mask his worry.
"Release her, Makiko!" he demanded. "You shall not have her!"
The other laughed. "She is already mine, My Dear Raicho. Nothing you do will best me this time."
"We shall see." Raicho drew his Samurai sword.
The one he called Makiko pushed Navaru aside, somewhat gently and drew his own encrusted weapon.
Navaru turned to see a pale faced man, Caucasian in appearance, move to do battle with the newcomer, his jet black hair resting just below his shoulders, his blue and gold robe flaring. He backed off a little, giving himself room to fight.
"You will not harm her, Makiko!" Raicho declared. "She is the Chosen One."
"I know – And I have chosen her."
Raicho's temper flared again. "You shall not-"
Navaru frowned, took a deep breath and stepped in between the battle lusting males. When she was young, she had dreamed of two young handsome men fighting over her, but this is not what she had in mind...
"It's very disconcerting being spoken about in the third person. Would either of you care to explain to me what in Hades this is all about?"
Makiko eyed the girl, again impressed. She stood unarmed between two warriors bent on killing one and other.
Raicho ached to explain, but how could he? His nemesis, stood, sword drawn, itching for his blood. Much to his surprise, Makiko sheathed his weapon.
"She deserves an explanation," he said simply.
"Thank you," Raicho said, grudgingly grateful as he sheathed his own sword. He turned to Navaru, keeping a wary eye on his enemy.
"I am Raicho, Light Warrior."
The other rolled his eyes and flicked a lock of long wavy hair away from his face. "Oh, and that must make me Makiko ... the oh so evil Dark Warrior..."
He paced around young Navaru as though he were examining a caged animal. "Or is it the other way around, perhaps?" Makiko eyed Raicho.
"You will not twist her mind, Evil Entity!" Raicho snarled. "You will not have her innocent soul!"
Navaru backed off. "How do I know which of you is true?" She eyes both warriors.
The one who called himself Raicho pointed to his nemesis. "His hatred and rage makes black the blood that runs in his vile veins. He has come to this dimension, this time to claim your soul, Innocent Navaru. I am your Protectorant ... We are from a dimension alternate to yours. It is in turmoil."
"Here's where he blames me..." Makiko snorted.
Raicho glared at his slightly smaller enemy. "Your evil made it so!" He pointed a crooked, accusing finger toward Makiko. "He has oppressed millions in his unquenchable lust for power and domination... You will see his grotesque black blood when I plunge my sword into his icy heart."
Makiko chuckled. "Provided I don't plunge mine into yours first."
Raicho forced himself to regain his composure. "The Prophecy of The Ancient Ones say that The Chosen One will bring Balance to our Realm. She would be from the Dimension of the Milky Way on the Third Planet from the Sun, known to its inhabitants as Earth in the country known as Japan. She would express herself by the way of the Drawn Arts and her name will be Navaru Jinn."
Navaru's dark chocolate eyes wide now, knew this was no dream. She sat to gather her feelings.
"I realise this is a lot for you to take in, young Navaru," Raicho said, understandingly "and that I am asking a great deal, but if you do not accompany me, our Realm will perish. Your innocent soul has the power to free us from the darkness which ravages our Universe."
Makiko said nothing, but it was obvious from his stance and eye contact he had no intention of letting Raicho win.
"Though I will not take you against your will," Raicho promised Navaru. "The choice is yours alone, as if you come with me you can never return here."
Navaru's breathing increased slightly as the graveness of the Warrior's words sank in.
Raicho was grateful that Makiko seemed content to grant Navaru the time to contemplate her situation.
The first time she saw a painting, in a hall, she couldn't remember where, she was three. A beautiful Grecian Goddess her white dress billowing, stood with her love, in the depths of the Underworld. Navaru had stared, captivated, wanting nothing more than to capture the beauty of people's souls like Persephone, Queen of the Underworld. Her eyes showed so much love for her beloved, one who most consider evil and cruel, yet Hades held her gently, his beautiful eyes conveying his eternal love.
Navaru knew with her unique, beautiful expression, she would become an artist. To teach the people of her world, to appreciate and savour beautiful things, as she remembered the drawing she sent to a whaling company of a humpback breaching in the Pacific mists, just before a storm.
Or should she leave with Raicho – to save the lives of billions of suffering innocents, enslaved in darkness and turmoil. Was she really that important? Could she do all that? Was she that powerful? Could her she save all these people? Money had no meaning in their Universe. No power. It had never been money that drove Navaru, but unfortunately in her world one needed it to thrive and survive. Neither fame nor fortune, were Navaru's motivation, though what of the people of Earth she hoped to teach through her expression?
Surely the liberation of billions of souls was of greater importance and a much more noble cause than one single planet. Earth had its own evils, but none so dark as Raicho had described.
Why then was her choice so difficult? It was not easy to have a life long dream and suddenly have it pulled out from underneath. Navaru knew she could stay and continue with that dream, but could she live with herself knowing her dream condemned billions to a long, torturous death? Navaru looked up at Raicho, realising her dream would have to remain just that.
"I know what I must do," she said, standing, her eyes never faltering.
"I'm glad." Makiko's mouth curved into a sly smile.
"She speaks not to you, Beast!" Raicho spat. "She will travel with me back to our Dimension to free the souls you have enslaved with your evil, not to become the key to your victory!"
Makiko backed off a little and drew his sabre. "We shall see. Never certain is the future."
The two warriors circled one and other. Navaru stayed well out of their way. She had seen enough Samurai and Star Wars movies to know this was a duel to the death and since this wasn't a movie, there was no guarantee the good guy would win. Only Fate held the golden key.
Light and Dark clashed. Furious sparks flew.
"You shall not have another Innocent soul!" Raicho screamed, teeth bearing.
"She is the One and I will have her!" Makiko spat back. "Your so called Divine Right will not stand in my way!"
Raicho thrust his sword, to be blocked by Makiko's, as the two experienced warriors battled.
Navaru watched with fearful interest. She daren't move as the duelers equally matched in skill, clashed swords, sending tables, chairs and other classroom attributes sprawling in all directions.
"I will destroy your evil!" Raicho screamed as he wrenched Makiko's defence from his hand, his eyes burning, teeth bearing, the veins in his throat protruding with rage.
Raicho drew his sword back, as Makiko's terrified eyes widened, blood draining from his face, paling it even further.
"No ..." he whispered. "Please ... no ..."
"Your reign of terror ends here and now!"
Navaru stared at the raised sword. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOH!"
Panic overcame her, why she knew not. The gentle artist ran in front of Makiko. Raicho's sheath of metal ran her through, then piercing Makiko's heart. In her last seconds of life, Navaru turned her head to see deep crimson blood oozing from Makiko's fatal wound, as he fell, spluttering, Navaru falling into his arms as her life essence left.
Raicho stared, his eyes wide with horror. "No ... This cannot be ... No ..." His voice shivered. "It is not possible... Nooooh...."
Raicho looked his sword up and down, stained with vermilion blood. He turned the shard on himself, shut his teary eyes and plunged the sword into his own heart, his own blood running black as night.
Raicho never heard his sword clatter to the cold floor as his lifeless body fell next to Makiko's.
Death hung in the air, the upturned classroom, the only sign of the deadly duel, as the three bodies, spilled blood and weapons shimmered out of existence in this Universe.
The tabloids the following day would report the kidnapping of a promising young artist, who would never be seen again on this Earth ...
* * *
An ordinary place this was not.
Navaru sat alone by a peaceful stream, no longer dressed in her blood stained school uniform, but in a flowing pastel green mesh dress, trimmed with white, knowing not where she was nor how she had come to be here.
The horrific bloody duel seemed a both lifetime and seconds ago. She knew not which.
The sounds of the stream gently caressing the rocks as it passed over made her smile. It seemed so real here, but she felt alone. Out of a deep purple bag she carried, having no idea where it came from, Navaru took out her sketch book and pencil. She had no idea how it had come to be here as she had not taken it with her. She opened it just as a gust of wind rushed past and tore out a page. Navaru tried to catch it at first, but realised it was meant to be and bequeathed it to the winds. Again she looked around and began to draw this wondrous place.
She barely heard him approach. "That's beautiful..."
Navaru turned her head to see Makiko dressed in a beige criss-cross robe, his long black hair blowing slightly in the breeze, and shimmering slightly in the sunlight peeking through the luscious trees.
She smiled as she placed her book back into her bag. Makiko offered a hand and gently helped her up.
"Raicho was right ... Your soul did free all. The Prophecy came to pass."
Navaru nodded, finally seeming to understand. "The Universe works in mysterious ways."
"I see that now ... The beauty of your soul freed mine."
"He said you were evil..."
"He was right. Everything he said was true. I am responsible for the deaths of many thousands in my conquest... Searching for the One ... You ... I believed controlling you would make me invincible ... but..." Makiko's mouth quivered, as he looked into Navaru's large eyes. "I had no idea your Spirit had the power to quell the evil in my soul and bring Balance to our Universe."
Navaru saw the new depth in Makiko's eyes. The mischief was still there, but none of the cruel malevolence.
"And Raicho?" she asked after a short while.
"He believed he was right, but his rage toward me blinded him. His future is yet undecided."
Navaru walked with Makiko through the luscious forest, as a helpless, distraught Raicho watched through a small window in his burning prison, in Tartarus, acidic tears streaking his red cheeks, despising what he had become, and praying he could let go his hate and be free once more.
He watched his once evil nemesis hold the woman he'd sought to save, the innocent soul he'd loved long before he'd even encountered her.
Makiko held her gently in his arms and sealed his love with a heartfelt kiss. Raicho turned away, unable to watch any longer, loathing himself all the more for the evil hate, grown like a cancer in his soul.
Makiko caressed Navaru's smooth face and kissed her once more.
"What is this place?" she asked. "It's so beautiful.."
"It is the place of Dreams," Makiko said, gently, gesturing to the meadows filled with thousands of coloured flowers, and luscious green hills. "Here souls are safe and free. Free to dream, free to love, to send that love for all the Universe to share."
Makiko raised his hand, creating a rainbow in the distance. Navaru stared in wondrous awe. Her head turned as she saw elves and fairies fly through the forest, giggling. She turned again to see a white unicorn run free along the river bank, silver main and tail flowing in the winds, mermaids splashed each other playfully in the river as they turned and smiled at her.
"Here you can witness the depths of your soul, your fantasies, dreams and desires." Makiko's voice seemed free as the wind itself as a delicate fairy landed on his finger, her green dress fluttering in the gentle breeze. Makiko smiled warmly, grateful the heavy, gnawing, filthy hatred had been lifted from his soul. And he almost cried as the faerie allowed him to touch her.
Navaru's face brightened, as the small fairy flew around her, blessing her kind, innocent soul.
"Here dreams and fantasy become reality ... A place I've sought all my life and it is you that has freed us and brought us to this realm of wonder. We are in the land of Elysium."
Navaru smiled. All those years ago, she had seen the kindness in Hades' eyes that no one else had. She felt his gentle presence. Navaru closed her eyes, thanking him in silence.
A gentle wind blew a piece of parchment through the Elysian Fields. On this, Joan of Arc stood, in a dim light. Her face a gentle, knowing smile.