Chapter 87: Till Your Heart Stops…

I’ve made so many mistakes in my life… so many…

Not smelling enough flowers. Not savoring the taste of water. Not feeling the fabric of a bedsheet. Not truly, appreciating the facets of existence that one takes granted for.

Because when you lose something that you never were grateful for, and can never get back, you feel terrible guilt. That you failed to give thanks.

That was what Vega was feeling right now. In the worried dark of the tower, Vega wasn’t thinking of a game plan, of how to survive or even beat Ani Arma. Right then, the scarecrow was thinking of things she failed to do.

She failed to learn how to do a cartwheel, failed to hug Florato enough, failed to balance on one hand, and failed to say hello to more people.

Clutching her chest, the scarecrow felt a weakness of spirit within herself. Not that the situation was hopeless, but her life was hopeless. That her efforts were hopeless.

For a moment, Vega wanted to give up.

And then Ani Arma started to talk.

“Ah…Vega. You look stronger!” His booming voice dragged Vega out of her regretting mindset, and into processing what was happening. Ani waved his open at all her body and spoke with an unmistakable compliment.

He seemed to be taking her seriously. Bending her eyebrows down, Vega knew that she had to either buy time to think, or jump right into it.

“W-w…what are ya doing here?” Gradually regaining composure, she grabbed her pickaxe from her back. Krimm and her modified it, giving it a more refined, almost scythe-like shape.

The fairy proposed giving her a pitchfork, but Vega screamed in fear at the suggestion. Thinking about it made Vega laugh, giving her a small wave of hope.

“What? I can’t visit you?” Ani feigned a hurt voice, wiping a fake tear from his eyes.

“Hmm. There’s more to this than-than just to fight me. What do ya want?” Holding her pickaxe out in her left hand, Vega put her right hand in search of one of the Soul Gems.

Sorbet had figured a means to categorize the Soul Gem’s use and effectiveness. The gem encrusted makeup jar could boost her energy, and perhaps one that could yield more. The water fountain gem manipulated water, spawning it in various forms, like ice and vapors.

And of course the guitar singing could allow her emotive powers and songs manifest in brillant attacks and colors. This would have to have to be her workhorse, there was no other choice.

What Vega could see of Ani Arma’s eyes, what little she could see behind his mask, was that he was definitely analyzing her. She lowered her pickaxe slightly, wondering if she should reveal her better trained magic.

“...I know what you’re thinking. And the answer is yes…” He moved a foot closer, before Vega sent a throwing dagger at his chest, making a loud bang.

Of course, the attack didn’t do any damage. However, it did catch Ani off guard. He didn’t move any further, but took to laughing.

“Wow! Hahaha! You are taking me seriously! Haha! But just so you know… you shouldn’t hold back…” Bowing forward, his white eyes began sharp slits, like a venomous snake.

His hands were open, not holding any weapon. Squinting, Vega saw that he carried nothing on his back. Deciding to feel out his rhythm, the scarecrow focused on Ani’s emotions.

His rhythm was a shaky, disturbed heartbeat. Like something barely alive, yet pumping with hot energy. There was a hidden anger, beneath the valves and in the blood. Vega felt that he was trying to conceal a piece of himself. That he wasn’t showing all of his cards…

“Tell me. Why are ya here?”

“You realize you are in no position to bargain.”

“I am.”

“In what way?

Vega didn’t have anything that Ani didn’t already know. Feeling a change in his rhythm, she gripped onto the make up Soul Gem, reading for what was to come. The plan was to survive, and to give Ani as much trouble as she could.

If she was anything to him, it would be a nuisance. And that's what she was, she was going to give it all she got and more.

“I didn’t come here to talk... I came here… to fight!” Slowly raising his hand into the air, Vega leaned her head back, wondering what he was doing. Within a few moments, a wheezing tornado sound arrived.

And in a flash of thunder, Ani Arma’s gauntlet turned into a steel plated sword fist. With a long, dagger like shape, and elegant as it was deadly. Vega almost felt embarrassed, when seeing Ani Arma’s ornamented armor and weapon together.

However, she knew that her rugged, haphazard style was nothing to be snuffed at. And she wouldn’t let him get the better of her.

“Fight me? Hah… then get-get ready. To die!” With a great, Vega pulled out the Soul Gem and immediately casted a storm of green light. Covering his eyes, Ani Arma waited for Vega to make the first move. Hearing an exciting, thrilling song playing, he anticipated her ambush.

From out of the light Vega leapt down, covered in shadow and swinging her pickaxe down. Her face was blank, almost too emotionless, like she was trying too hard not to let out any fear.

“Seriously?” Ani Arma jumped up at her, pulling his fist back. And as he struck her, he broke her body in two.

Except… that wasn’t the real Vega.

As his sword hand broke the image of her, a black gas dissipated and fumbled string was heard. When Ani landed back down, he noticed two more Vegas, rushing him down.

“What?” Charging them down, he used his forearms to strike them both in the head. Where he intended to wound her and send Vega to the ground, he found more black gas. And just the same, he heard the song have small dents, mistakes as he took them down.

“...I see.” His white eyes expanded into round circles, now searching for the true Vega. Several more images of attacking Vegas arrived, all with the same expressionless face.

Each one, he swung his sword hand at, breaking and cutting them into bits. But for each swing, the others came closer and closer still. He could hear Vega grunting and playing with effort, seeing more bursts of green light. And when one eventually struck him, he only felt a mild push as one of the Vegas disappeared.

“Ha! Is this it?” He stopped taking the shadows of Vega down, and threw his head back in laughter. The Vegas mounted up in number and struck him, ceasing as they landed their strikes. Despite this, Ani got a faint feeling that there was something wrong.

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He looked behind his head, and saw the real Vega, slamming her pickaxe into his center chest. With a minor gasp, Ani reeled back, steadying himself. The glee on Vega’s face was real, much different to the shadows. And soon, she disappeared too, into the dark.

“Ohohohoho! Now this is interesting.” Getting ready for more, Ani opened up his stance, inviting Vega to try. More false Vegas emerged from the dark, hopping and dancing all around. While it was hard to keep track of all of them, Ani started to break down which one was real.

Most struck without planning, without using cover and running straight at him. But there was a couple that when to sweep his legs and gouge his eyes. However, in the mass of attackers, he knew that there was only going to be one that attacked his back.

Moving with remarkable agility, Ani Arma cleared out wave after wave of Vegas, and with a balled and mean fist, struck Vega in the face. She skidded on the ground, bumping into one of the many desks. Her guitar had fallen from her hands and as she reached out the grab it, Ani went on the offensive.

Vega rolled back onto her feet, blocking Ani’s whirling and spinning swings. In a way the two were dancing, making sure to clear past the furniture and the walls, not wanting the other to get a break. Catching a glimpse of the guitar, Vega kicked off Ani’s chest and backflipped to grab it.

“Yes!” Exclaiming with relief, she felt like she still had a chance.

Managing to play a few chords, Vega summoned more false versions of her to distract Ani. Although he simply brushed them off, it gave her all the time she needed to grab the water fountain Soul Gem.

With the sound of crashing waves behind him, Ani swiveled behind to a staircase, seeing a rising tide! Blasting directly into him, Ani his arms over his face, as the tides of water sent him flying. Now able to get the drop on him, Vega finally was able to get a good swing, managing to dent his shoulder plate.

As he splattered on the ground, he was coated in clear blue water that now was steaming of his armor. Throwing his chainmail hair behind him, Ani Arma waved Vega forward. Even though she could not see his face, Vega knew he was smiling.

Feeling that he was testing her, Vega started to play a new song of hers. Less electric and more sentimental, like a lone musician trying to catch someone’s eye.

“Let’s kick it up a notch!” Juggling the Soul Gems in her hand, Vega started to play her guitar with her Soul Gems.

More shadows appeared, alongside a wave of water. While Ani was able to dodge the water with ease, the shadows not so much. Over time, more the fake Vega’s attacks were mounting, pushing him more and more.

Although this was dealing damage, Vega could feel it. The pain sensation, coming back.

Like a spider crawling on her back, using the Soul Gems all at the same time was exhausting her. Her fingers grew sore and her legs wobbled weakly. She didn’t know how long she could keep it up, but it was the only thing that was working.

Whenever Ani dodged one, he was struck by the other. Whether it be a ball of ice or a horde of false Vegas, he persisted. Grunting, heaving through the obstacles, Ani Arma rose past them. And he knew that Vega was doing everything to tire him out, but she made a terrible mistake.

She assumed Ani carried no magics of his own.

As Vega played her guitar, she felt her pickaxe start to shake, and rise from her back. And she saw it over head, it glowed a malevolent red and spun at her!

Barely able to jump back, the pickaxe blitzed into the ground she was just standing on, sending sparks all around. Ani Arma’s gauntlets glowed red, and Vega understood why he didn’t carry any Soul Gems on him.

Ani had infused the Soul Gems into his very armor!

“What?! How are ya-” Narrowly hopping over the spinning pickaxe, Vega forgot to keep playing her guitar and soon the shadows and the waves of water dissipated.

“You’re not the only one with power yet unleashed.” Conjuring a thunderbolt around his sword hand, everything in the room trembled, with the ceiling cracking open.

All of a sudden, the pickaxe fell to the ground, no longer glowing red. When Vega went to pick it up, she noticed the objects on the table had started to float. All the metals, from scrap weaporny, tools, and stray wires swirled around her.

Snapping his fingers, Ani sent a barbed string through Vega, puncturing a hole through her. Noticing how instantaneous she was struck, the scarecrow got into a defensive position.

Throwing everything at her all at once, Vega slid and flipped all around. Running across walls, jumping off the ceiling, and simply putting all her acrobatic skills to the tests.

“I… can’t keep this up… I need-need to force him to play my game…” She spoke to herself, driving her feet hard into the ground on every step. One of the training spears in the room was zooming towards Vega, buzzing as it did. Forced to roll of the table to dodge, Vega sent all the papers she had been working on in the air.

“Yes. Yes! Let’s dance!” Crouching and then lunging at Vega, Ani joined her in this dexterous chase. Using the objects to force her to stumble, he got ever closer to striking her. Every trip, every fall brought them closer together, and Vega knew she had only a chance.

A final gamble to ensure Ani would be defeated.

“Come on! Ya keep on missing!” With a haggard breath, Vega lured him out the room and into a ruined staircase. Small and tense, Ani’s swordhand broke and clashed at the walls, unable to reach her. His swings grew stronger and violent, which was exactly as she planned.

Using the water Soul Gem, Vega turned the floor into a reflective ice. Not expecting this, his feet slipped forward and went down the stairs. As he slid, he saw Vega smiling, along with an opening in the staircase, leading to a terrible fall.

“...ha…hahaha! Is that all you can come up with?” Driving his fist into the wall, he anchored himself just before he could fly out. Hooked in, Ani twirled his whole body in the air, stunning Vega by this incredible move.

Driving both of his feet into her stomach, Ani dropped kicked her all the wall down the stairs!

As she tumble out, Ani pressed his offensive, not letting Vega get one more chance to recover. He towered over her in a strong walk while she was forced to backpedal and stagger.

Only able to cast a few more shadows, Vega tried desperately to strike Ani’s face. But he laughed as he waved and struck everyone of them down.

Falling down on one knee, Vega saw Ani had stopped moving. He tilted his head and pointed to his neck, encouraging her to attempt it.

“... I… I… I’m not a fool…” Unable to even muster a yell, Vega dropped her pickaxe on the ground and was barely able to hold herself up.

“Really? After all these months… you were incapable of lasting a couple of minutes. I know, I was disappointed in you before, but now? Ha!” Ani Arma slowly stepped by Vega’s hand.

Putting his foot over her head, he rubbed his heel into the back of her head. Groaning in pain, Vega tried to punch him, but she was tapped of her energy.

“Aww, so cute… like a bratty child.” Ani mocked her, now stomping down on her head.

The scarecrow gave everything she got.

Closing her eyes, Vega wondered about everything she had gotten to do. Everything she wanted to do. Everything that she could do. And how it was all about to end then and there.

There was a part of her that was okay with dying here. She had a good couple of months, some people only have one good day.

And yet, there was a fire in her. One that hurt more than the pain she was in. A loving yet hateful one.

Vega wouldn’t let it happen. Not here. Not now.

“I… am… Vega.” Pushing herself up, Vega felt her fibers quake. But she didn’t care about that. She needed to prove something. The wounds, the sores, all of that didn’t matter. She wouldn’t let him do this.

“Vega… the scarecrow… The mightiest…smartest, kindest, and most bestest construct of all!” She stood up, stronger than she had ever been before. Her stitching was ripped, and her fist was barely holding together.

And yet she was stronger, because she didn’t run away. Because she deserves more than she was given.

Holding her fist to the sky, the Scarecrow was ready to face the future. Her future.

“And ya, Ani Arma… must die!” Tear came to Vega’s eyes, those of pain and vigour. In the cracks in the walls, there arrived a soft and powerful light, shining upon Vega’s form.

Standing back, Ani Arma took the scene in. Despite being completely beaten, she still impressed her. Even though he knew she was in terrible pain.

“...nicely done…” Clapping his hands in half a silly and half a genuine fashion. Letting his hands fall to his side, Ani Arma make sure her victory was as bittersweet as possible.

There was a quiet for a while. One that Vega didn’t know how to feel about.

Walking away, towards an unknown dark, Ani Arma didn’t care to look at Vega. He had gotten what he wanted.

“You still have more time. But no matter what you do… you will still… be mine.” With one last word… Ani Arma disappeared. From where, Vega knew not. She could not care… she was tired…

“Vega! Vega? What was that?” Hearing the distant voices of her friends, Vega decided this was a good time to collapse on the ground.

Falling forward, her pain melted away and a strange feeling radiated around her. She was too tired to think and all she could do was close her eyes.

As they closed, she heard the muffled footsteps and muddy images of her friends arriving.

One finally thought, before she went unconscious, bounced in her head.

This life… is mine.