A Glimpse into Destiny

[phantomstar21]

The clouds swirled dangerously above and on a cliff, sat two people.
A young man held a girl in his arms, his head bowed to touch her forehead. Unshed tears stung in his eyes as he cupped the girls face.

"Don't leave me." he begged, but it was useless. The girl's body was growing cold with every growing moment, and he clung tighter, trying to take in as much warmth as he possibly could.

How could it have come to this? Everything was going well. It had started off bad, but by fate it began to work out! They had just welcomed a child into this world!

Now, through a cruel twist of fate, he held her dying body in his arms, her blood soaking through his cloak and staining his pale skin.
The longer he held her, and the more he thought of how he could have prevented her death, the angrier he became. The young man drew back and kissed the girls lips before stroking her hair gently.
"I will avenge you my love." he vowed before he set her down gently on the grass and stood to walk to the edge of the cliff, overlooking the ocean. His anger grew as he looked out to the waves and he clenched his fists, not minding the rain that began to pour on him, the rumbling of the thunder that beat in time to his angry heart.

"This world needs to change" he decided "so people like Kim and I could live in a better place."a single tear escaped from one eye, trailing down his blood stained cheek. "And it must change so my child can live freely and have the life we deserved." he opened out his arms and looked up at the angry sky. "And it's my destiny to be the one to lead it!"

==

Years had passed. Darkness had spread over the land quickly in just sixteen years. And now the other lands suffered from its effects.

The people were divided, powerful creatures chose sides. Many lives had been destroyed or broken.
That's what satisfied a dark mage. He stood on the balcony of his castle, overlooking his land but seeing the lands that had yet to be touched by his power.

[Lady Kaya]

"Aaralyn!" The girl looked up from her staff to see a young man and woman approaching her. The man was dressed in robes while the woman wore elegant armor with a sword hanging from her waist "our sentries have detected possessed forces from the north. They will be on us by morning."

"We need to move from this base quickly, otherwise we may fail in our quest," the girl said.

[kikiv]

"Where shall we go?" The young man asked.

Aaralyn pulled out a map and said, "I've already mapped out a path for us to take. We shall go towards the shore and travel this path." She let her hand trace a path until she paused at a marking she made on the map. "Here will be our entry point."

[Lady Kaya]

"I'll round up our troops. We can't afford to lose any more in another fight."

"Be careful, Aelita." She nodded and took off

[kikiv]

Once she left, the young man turned back to the mage. Nervously, he said, "Are you sure we'll be alright, Aaralyn? We'll be able to avoid the possessed forces to the north, but what about the Dark Sorceror's armies? I'm sure he'll stop at nothing to find us."

Aaralyn rolled her eyes before responding, "Not likely. He's already decimated this shoreline. If he wanted to hunt for us, he would aim for a patch of land that's more likely to support life."

"But supposing he knows our plans..."

She turned to her friend to see his face full of concern and worry. Sighing, she said, "Kou, I know my father. All he wants is chaos. He'd sooner spread it to untainted lands than come for us."

[phantomstar21]

Kou quickly backed down. He knew there was still a lot of hurt feelings Aaralyn had about her father.
"come on, let's go help Aelita in getting our forces to safety."

[kikiv]

"Right." The two left to quickly help Aelita.

[Lady Kaya]

The three were able to gather troops of warriors, mages, and clerics and lead them away from their base toward a different base in the north.

The land was ravaged with only a little bit of life remaining. The coast was dark and almost seemed empty, the sky overcast with clouds almost every day from the dark magic that ravaged the world.

[phantomstar21]

Aaralyn took in the state of the land and looked in the direction to where she knew her fathers castle stood. She tried to ignore the feelings building in her heart and tried to focus moreso on the mission of getting everyone to a safer base.

[Lady Kaya]

They continued down the ruined road and the air grew heavier with the scent of the sea as they approached the coast.

The base was hidden in a sea cave and was almost completely invisible to passerbys.

A few guards were hidden in the rocks and Aelita blew on a small horn to indicate their approach and prevent an attack on their group.

[kikiv]

Everyone was quick to enter the cave, and once they were settled, Aaralyn set up guards around the base. After she was done with this, she, Aelita, and Kou met back with each other to discuss their plans.

"So, what happens now?" Kou asked curiously.

[Lady Kaya]

"Well, we still need to figure out how we're going to change the past..."

"Now Aaralyn, are you sure it's really possible?" Kou asked incredulously. "I understand there's some powerful magic in the world, but time travel...it just seems like it's impossible."

"That's what the first mages thought about magic," Aelita pointed out. "And I'd rather not be damned to this wretched world forever."

[phantomstar21]

Aaralyn didn't say anything and merely looked down at the table.

"I just know it has to work and be possible." She said firmly.

Kou hesitated before he nodded,
"I have to ask though, what do we hope to accomplish when we go back in the past?"

"We have to get rid of Bakura some how." Aelita said, Aaralyn turned to her sharply

"you can't do that!"

[kikiv]

Aelita gave the mage just as harsh of a stare and said, "He's the one responsible for destroying this world! If he is not destroyed, then this future will never be changed!"

"But if he's removed from existence too soon-!" Aaralyn paused in her words and grit her teeth. As much as she wanted to change this future and stop her father, she knew that getting rid of him could potentially remove the possibility of her existing. Sometimes, it seemed so unfair to her that people wouldn't care much for her life due to her lineage; it's not like she caused the world to be plunged into chaos!

[Lady Kaya]

Aelita softened a bit. "I understand your concern, Aaralyn. And hopefully we do not run the risk of removing you from the timeline. But understand, when we change the past, all three of us will no longer exist. History will be completely rewritten and a new future will be born with new versions of ourselves. And if our changing the past prevents one or all of us from being born, then we must accept that fate."

[phantomstar21]

Aaralyn didn't say anything. Whilst she cared for the world and felt partly responsible, since she had helped her father for half of her life. but she wasn't too sure if she was willing to sacrifice her existence for a world that had looked down and hated her.

"right." was all she could say and looked down at the table some more. Kou looked to Aelita.

"Perhaps we can talk to our parents before we go?" he asked her. "my father said he once knew Bakura. Maybe he would know of a time for us to go back to." he suggested.

[Lady Kaya]

Aelita nodded. "Good idea..." she said softly. Kou looked down. Aelita's parents had died fighting Bakura, and Kou's father had been badly crippled in the battles. Only his mother had been spared serious injuries, but she was constantly healing wounded soldiers.

[kikiv]

"I can go find my parents and send you news once I get it," Kou suggested after a while.

"No, Kou," Aelita said firmly. "We'll send one of our soldiers. We can't afford to send one of our only healers on a task so dangerous."

[Lady Kaya]

"But-"

"No 'but's', Kou. We need to keep you alive. You're essential to our army."

[phantomstar21]

"I know, but I want to hear first hand!" Kou protested. "And we can't risk sending our soldiers."

"Maybe...you don't have to send anyone." Aaralyn said quietly. She was taken back to one of the very few conversations she had with her father a few years ago.

==

Ten year old Aaralyn sat in a dark dungeon her father often threw her in if she misbehaved or complained.
The dark used to absolutely terrify her, and even though she still felt a little nervous, she never had a full on breakdown anymore.

the door opened with a heavy creek and she saw a familiar head of white hair enter.
"are you ready to get on with your lessons?" a cold voice asked in the darkness.

"Y-yes." she whispered standing up. the door opened even more and she ran out, hugging her father around his knees. "W-why d-do you do this to me father?" she cried into his robes. "I-I know I misbehaved b-but..."

"Oh Aaralyn" he sighed and pat her on the head. "I can't have a disobedient weapon"

"I don't wanna be a weapon." she cried a little more, then stopped at realizing she was whining in front of him. She expected him to punish her, but her father surprised her by picking her up, and carried her out.
The two looked very much a like. each had pale skin that hadn't seen daylight in so long. Aaralyn's long white hair came from her father, and though she had green specks in her eyes, she had the same shade of brown eyes as he once did. before they turned red.

"It's not about what you want." he said a little coldly. "I know you don't understand this now, but when you're older, you're going to better appreciate our lessons."

"why are we doing this though?" she asked a little curiously.

Her father went very quiet and she curiously looked at his face. His dark eyes were clouded with pain at her question and he gave a low sigh.

"I've told you Aaralyn. The world has hated me, they took it all from me. I could take that, but...when I lost your mother I...I couldn't keep ignoring their cruelity. It's time I change it around. They may not like it, but this world has to change, so you and I can be a part of it."

Aaralyn hugged her dad around the neck.

==

"you think your mothers death has a big part of your fathers madness?" Kou asked. Aaralyn nodded.

"H-he doesn't talk much about his past. But, he brings up mother a lot. I-I think he really loved her, and it was hard for him when she died."

"that's no excuse." Aelita said coldly. "I lost my parents and I didnt' go on a rampage!"