Akasha 4 - Earth

by Terra Harmony

  Chapter 71

  Retaliation

  Micah lay in front of me, clutching his midsection but breathing. His face was going white. He'd lost a lot of blood. A fact, up until now, I had done my best to ignore. I looked over at Shawn, who was just beginning to blink. His usual bright blue eyes were going dull. For the first time, I recognized Cato in him.

  Still sprawled out on the ground, Shawn turned to me and swallowed. "What will you do?"

  "I should kill you." My answer was instant, without thought.

  "Why?" he asked.

  "Why?! Because you raped me – repeatedly!"

  He blinked, but didn't answer. I wanted to shake him.

  "You hurt me Shawn." I tried to drill the pain I had incurred into him – willing him to understand what I had gone through. "You almost killed me. Not to mention everyone else who has died for your own selfish reasons. Power, control, greed."

  He nodded, almost encouraging me. "How would you have me punished for your rape? How would you retaliate? You are the Gaia, Kaitlyn. How does Mother Earth retaliate when her children rape her lands, slicing down her trees and emptying her soil of precious minerals?" Shawn looked down, and picked up the Athame. "Here," he said, holding the knife out, handle first.

  I got up and walked around Micah, then kneeled in between the two men, still on their backs.

  I grasped the Athame; it quivered with energy. Shawn lifted his chin, baring his neck. I could see his pulse throbbing right underneath his skin. My hand twitched, itching to make a clean cut. One swipe, and it would be over.

  "Kill me, Kaitlyn – because you are Mother Earth. You understand why natural disasters target human population. This is what you were meant to do; stop those who harm you. For once – embrace everything that you are!"

  I hesitated, even more so with each word he spoke. Movement at the corner of my eye caught my attention. Micah lifted his head. "Kaitlyn, you know what to do."

  "No, I don't, Micah." I pleaded with him to get me out of this mess.

  He shook his head. "This is your decision, and you've always known what to do. Look inside yourself."

  The knife quivered even more in my hand. My eyes widened. I touched the knife to my forehead. With the magical energy surrounding us, that was all it took. As I fell back, losing touch with my conscious body, Shawn's smile was the last thing I saw.

  Chapter 72

  Another Shade

  Micah's voice followed me into the cavern, "No, Kaitlyn!"

  I landed on the platform like I had been doing it all my life. I looked around; it was completely empty. There were no glimmering life forms on the stairs or in the air. I walked to the edge and peered down at the water beneath me. No Shades there, either.

  "Arianna?" I called out. My voice echoed off the walls.

  I heard a scuffle above me. Still riding the high of power, I was connected to my physical body. Micah tried to shake me awake. Shawn pushed him away, then stood over my unconscious body, waiting to fend off further attempts by Micah.

  Good to know they both found their feet.

  Light gleamed out from a cavern high on the wall.

  I thought Shawn released Sarah.

  I leaped, covering the distance and landing solid on my feet. I threw my arm over my eyes, squinting at the sudden intrusion of light in the otherwise dark cave. The light rotated, sending alternating spikes of blue and white along the cavern walls, until it shimmered and pulled in on itself. A human form stepped forward and the light dwindled until it blinked out behind her.

  It wasn't Sarah. It was me.

  I stepped forward to meet her – to meet me.

  Of course, I thought. I was marked with the Athame same as any. Why did I not think my Shade existed?

  The woman before me was not a mirror image. She stood tall, with shoulders held back. Her skin glowed and her eyes sparkled.

  "I have something for you," she said.

  She reached behind her neck, unclasping a silver chain, and pulled a charm out from under her shirt. She handed it to me. I took it, rubbing the pad of my thumb across the smooth, blue butterfly. The gift from Micah to me, and something I thought I had lost in the waves of the Mediterranean.

  "I didn't ask for this." My hand closed around the necklace, squeezing tight. "I didn't ask for any of it."

  She smiled. "No one ever does. But you'll do what has to be done."

  "Why?" I asked, in a whisper. Tears ran down my face.

  "Because someone has to." She raised one hand, and paused, waiting for me.

  I wiped my nose with my shirtsleeve. I took a deep breath, and raised my hand opposite hers. The light came back encompassing us both, growing brighter as our hands joined.

  I clasped it, and our bodies merged, thrust together by the light.

  * * *

  "Get out of the way, or I swear I'll—"

  "What? Bleed to death on me?" Shawn interrupted Micah's threat. He bent down to retrieve his singed shirt. "I might've cut a little too deep at your stomach. At least put some pressure on it."

  Micah caught the shirt, then grimaced at the pain the sudden movement caused. "What do you care?"

  "I watched my father die – I don't want a repeat with my brother."

  Micah rolled onto his back. "Then close your eyes." The gray, turbulent sky was going darker. Micah was sure it wasn't part of the storm.

  "Micah…Micah!" the voice echoed with varying degrees of volume.

  "Micah!" This one was Kaitlyn's. It brought the world back into sharp focus. "Can you stay with me just a little longer?"

  Micah shifted his gaze. Kaitlyn kneeled over him, using Shawn's shirt to apply pressure. She still held the Athame. Shawn stood behind her, hands hanging limp by his side.

  "I…" her voice caught, and she swallowed hard, fighting back tears. "I still need you."

  His hand went up to her cheek. She followed it with her own hand and something hard hit his knuckles. She relaxed her grip, and part of the lost butterfly necklace fell out.

  His eyes darted to Shawn. Shawn didn't answer the unspoken question. Instead, he rubbed his neck and looked away. A stray wisp of Kaitlyn's hair drew Micah's eyes back to her. He tucked it behind her ear, then took the necklace from her hand. He clasped it around her bowed head.

  When she rose, the butterfly fell to her chest just beneath her neckline. Blue swirls on the wings matched the angry swirls of dark grays in the sky behind her. But her eyes, a deep brown shimmering with golden specks, were inviting; peaceful, almost.

  "Beautiful," Micah said.

  Chapter 73

  Earth Falling

  Power thrummed, and it was all I could do to keep it contained until Micah clasped the necklace around my neck. When the butterfly hit my chest, it was warm. It countered the cool burn I felt from Shawn's scar on the back of my shoulder.

  A lump rose in my throat. Micah didn't have much longer. His eyes, a blend of rich greens, were infused with the amber-like spots. Spidery veins interconnected, laced through the color.

  Like a leaf, I thought. How did I never notice that before?

  I squeezed his hand. A static shock jumped from me to him.

  Micah smiled. "Just like when we first met."

  A smile spread across my own face.

  Behind me, Shawn cleared his throat. "She wasn't there, right? I already sent her off…"

  I turned, looking at him over my shoulder. "No, Sarah wasn't there." My thumb stroked Micah's cheek as I looked at Shawn. "What will you do now?"

  He looked up at the sky. The clouds were beginning to dissipate, revealing the aurora borealis above. "I don't know. I'm very tired."

  "There might be a way for you to get Akasha back." I swallowed hard, forcing the words out. "For good."

  Micah moved under my hand, probably ready to protest. I squeezed his shoulder, reassuring him.

  "How?" Shawn asked.

  I held out my other hand to Shawn. "Help me."

  He hesitated, but only for a secon
d. What choice did he have?

  Shawn's hand was cool. Shawn's cold to Micah's hot. Balance. Because too much of one thing was never good.

  I closed my eyes, calling the elements and letting power envelope me. It threatened to tear me apart, but outside forces squeezed in, pressing against each other, holding everything together.

  Akasha formed above us – a brilliant sphere, infused with color and charged energy. The three of us squinted as we looked up, our hands squeezing tight. I raised it, using more energy sent willingly by Shawn and Micah.

  Akasha surpassed the height of the monolithic cliffs and peaked. I held it there, suspended, like a miniature sun in the sky. The rumbling avalanches and fire tornados ceased. With amplified senses, I felt Elementals retreating. Many took cover.

  I pulled Akasha back down, bringing it in between the cliffs. I clenched my insides, forcing more and more energy up. I drew magic from the Earth. I borrowed it from the moisture-filled sky, and the wind that blew in. I called on what energy had almost dissipated from the fire tornadoes. All of it combined, and I made adjustments to Akasha along the way. It held together, expanding.

  I was growing weak, and still needed more for the final infusion. "I need the rest of what you have," I told both Shawn and Micah.

  I felt a boost from Micah almost immediately, but I held it back. Both needed to come at the same time.

  "Will we survive it?" Shawn yelled over the howling winds.

  "I…don't know," I answered honestly. I couldn't lie about something like that now – not with Akasha hanging over my head.

  He looked at me, then nodded. He obliged with more energy. I would have happily drawn from him only, leaving Micah alone. But it wasn't about what I wanted – it was about what I needed, and I needed balance.

  One final push, and Akasha burst out. The huge, monolithic cliffs of Red Rocks only contained the blast for so long. The intense inner core of Akasha rolled across the Rockies and the plains toward downtown Denver. Explosions shook the Earth. A deep cracking sound echoed across the Amphitheatre. I looked up – the cliff to our right shifted.

  Akasha was a magnet, attracting pockets of power. The increased energy sent Akasha further, miles and miles across the Earth. I recalled a spell I’d used to cleanse Shawn's Athame. I chanted, mixing the spell with the power of Akasha. "I consecrate you with Earth; the Great Mother shall provide you protection." This hills rumbled as the avalanches started up again. Shawn's hand squeezed my own. I squeezed back, willing him to stay.

  My voice was louder now, "I consecrate you with Fire, so that you are empowered with the strength of the Fire that burns in the core of the Earth." A surge of heat shot through Akasha like a wave. I adjusted the other three elements to maintain balance. Micah's breathing grew shallow. Still on one knee, I looked up at Akasha in a panic. I had to finish it.

  "I consecrate you with Air so that you may obtain the knowledge of infinite places." My energy began to wane, and Akasha flickered above us. What light left Akasha was balanced by the signals of Elementals. They were scattered, many behind the walls I left for them, but the blue, gold, red, and brown telltale signatures were strong. One by one, they began to send their own energies, contributing to the strength of Akasha. As a result, Akasha reached further. This, plus a surge of Air extended my power, covering entire states now. I felt the Chakra Centers join the surge. First Denver, then the one in Evansville. There were others along the way.

  A large boulder smashed into the stage of the Amphitheatre. All three of us looked up. The cliff hung at a precarious angle. It had to be the momentum of Akasha alone keeping it from falling on us.

  "Hurry, Kaitlyn!" Micah coughed out.

  I nodded, continuing with the last element, "I consecrate you with Water so that understanding and wisdom of great mysteries will be yours." It was as if the oceans of the world became conductive. Our power combined with another.

  "Galapagos," Shawn whispered, glancing at me.

  I could almost taste the ash from the volcano that had erupted when I was trying to escape.

  "And the Chakra," Micah countered through pasty, cracked lips.

  He was right, the Galapagos had reached for its balance halfway across the world. The rest of the Earth's points of power were quick to respond. Our forest in Indonesia and its counter, Easter Island. Then Heard and McDonald Islands and back to us. Six of the chakra points along the body of the Earth were accessed. There was just one left.

  I glanced at Micah. He nodded in encouragement.

  I finished the spell, chanting, "I consecrate this Earth with Akasha; cleanse it with my magical energy."

  My whole body went stiff, then shook with uncontrollable spasms. I threw my head back, mouth open and eyes wide. My veins sizzled on the inside, taking my breath away. The rising tide washed through me and into the sky, powering Akasha and enveloping the world.

  I sank back onto my heels as Akasha fizzled away, absorbed by the atmosphere, the oceans, and the Earth. The two hands I held went limp. I released Shawn's. He fell to his knees as I hovered over Micah.

  Micah's eyelids fluttered, then he looked up at me. "Do you know what tonight was?" he asked.

  I shook my head, not trusting my voice.

  "The Winter Solstice." He turned his head east. The sun had just begun to rise. The brilliant orb crested the horizon. In a brief flash, its rays reached out, touching the Earth. I raised my hand, shielding my eyes. Then the whole of the hilly plains before us, and the Rocky Mountains behind us, were bathed in light.

  I looked down. Micah's hand had gone limp. His light flickered out and his eyes fluttered shut.

  The world went gray. I stepped back, away from Micah and Shawn. My heart hitched in my throat. I couldn't breathe. I turned away from Micah's limp body to the sun, closing my eyes, soaking in its heat, forcing away the cold that took hold of me.

  I stepped onto the rail, balancing myself on top. I cleansed myself, willing the negative energy to go away.

  This is all just a bad dream.

  The sun's rays wrapped me in warmth, like Micah always had. But when I opened my eyes and turned, he was still lying there, turning whiter by the second. There was no more warmth.

  Shawn was pumping Micah's chest. "Come on, come on." Shawn paused to check for Micah's pulse, then tilted his head back and breathed into his mouth. He resumed pumping, glancing up at me. "Help him!" Shawn's eyes were glossy. It was the second time I'd ever seen him cry.

  Shawn didn't hear the subtle crack above us. And with his eyes glued to Micah, he didn't see Creation Rock begin to tip. I didn't call out. I didn't attempt to move.

  The whole of the cliff smashed into the ground. Dirt and debris sprayed out. I shielded my face, missing the final few moments of the pair of brothers before me. They were both crushed. The entire Earth seemed to shake.

  When the dust cleared, I jumped down from the rail. I splayed my hand across the monolithic cliff. It was warm but cool at the same time. I stepped forward, and hit something that clattered across the ground. I bent down to inspect. The Chalice.

  Chapter 74

  Moving Forward

  Susan turned off the computer.

  "Eat!" exclaimed Bee.

  Alex laughed. "Just a snack, don't ruin your dinner."

  "Otay." Bee was already rooting through the pantry.

  "Well, that went better than expected," Susan said, gesturing to the computer. They just finished their first video conferencing session. Power was growing to be more consistent and stable, though they still had to deal with their fair share of blackouts, even on the hybrid power station.

  "Give it some time," Alex said. "It'll get better." He wasn't referring to the power.

  Susan sat, fiddling with the frayed edges of her shirt. "Do you think she made the right decision? Could it have been done any differently?"

  Alex always treaded carefully around the subject. Susan still broke down at the loss of her brother from time to time.

  Alex sat down bes
ide her, kissing her on the cheek. "You've said yourself that since Akasha, the pH balance of the oceans have evened out. Acidification is a non-issue; something Daybreak didn't even fix."

  Susan nodded.

  Alex continued, "Whatever happened in the days after Akasha…well, let's just concentrate on doing what is best for Bee, and make sure her mother's sacrifice remains justified."

  "Right." Susan swallowed hard then patted Alex on the knee. "I'll get dinner started."

  Chapter 75

  One More

  During the videoconference, I had taken more than a dozen screenshots of Bee. I stared at one now, tracing her outline with the pad of my finger until the screensaver came on, fading my daughter to black.

  At one point during the session, when she had turned and I’d seen that her brown curls had grown past her shoulders, I almost lost it. It was elating yet crushing all at the same time. Most likely, I would never see her in person again; not if the Earth were to survive it.

  "Excuse me, ma'am…"

  I retracted my hand from the screen at the voice behind me, and turned. "Please don't call me ‘ma'am’."

  David cleared his throat. "I know you have designated a second, but…" he trailed off, again, as my second-in-command, Erika, entered the room. David rubbed the back of his neck and pushed his glasses up on his nose. "It's just that – I'm not sure this was the way Shawn meant things to be run."

  "Shawn is dead," I reminded him, my voice cold. David was becoming annoying. He protested when I began using the aurora borealis to transfer nuclear energy to population centers, even though the underwater transfer cables had years’ worth of development to go until they were safe.

  Alex and Susan were hard at work on one of the hybrid power stations, dubbed Advanced Hybrid Industrial Units. AHI Units, named for all of the sacrifices made in the fight over power. But AHI Units also had years' worth of development ahead of them before they could support the new world. In the meantime, the Chakra Centers set up by governments around the world would help sustain our populations.