Alacrity

My newest short story.

For Kirby. 

Alacrity

By Adam Gonzales

"It starts with light and ends with light, and in between there is darkness." - Sendhil Ramamurthy

Gwen blew a sharp whistle with her right hand. The wind was blowing hard and drowned out most of the sound, but she knew that Kingser would answer her call. She waited on the edge of the forest, the strong gusts blowing against the bright green of the rolling hills around her. In the distance, far to her right and just past the end of the forest, deep blue clouds were forming. She waited patiently for Kingser, her auburn hair playing with the wind.

                Lightning flashed across the sky in the distance. Its bright red light was too far to illuminate the hills where Gwen stood, but the impending nature of its coming was enough to set her on edge. She closed her violet eyes, looking for Peter in her Mind's Eye. The low sound of hoof steps broke her concentration and caused her to snap her eyes open. It didn't matter, she could no longer see him there.

                Kingser trotted up to her with his gold mane flowing.  He turned to her with an uneasy eye, his black coat reflecting the waning sun. Gwen smiled and pressed her hand against Kingser's neck.

                "We need to go home, Kingser. I need you to take me there before the storm hits. Can you do that for me?"

                Kingser snorted, nostrils flaring. He stamped his feet and whinnied as he looked toward the blue of the storm. Red lightning streaked through the clouds once again.

                "I know, Kingser. Trust me, I do. But we need to do this. If we don't then they all die. Even Helen."

                The large stallion gave a final stamp with his feet and brought himself to rest. Gwen gave him a weak smile and threw herself over his back. She felt his muscles tense as she clutched onto his mane. Leaning next to his left ear, she pressed her body flat against his back. "Fly, Kingser," she whispered.

                They were off in a flash. Gwen was able to make out the distortion of the colors around her as Kingser took off. She had always been in awe of his remarkable speed and found his ability of Celerity incredible. No other living thing on the planet could match Kingser's speed--only light was able to compete. And like all other Actives, Kingser's power came from the sun itself. And the Evenstorm was closer than ever now.

                Gwen closed her eyes again and squeezed Kingser sides with her legs. She felt the him slow to a normal gallop so that she could concentrate long enough to use one of her own Active abilities. She opened her Mind's Eye and thought of Helen. Colors began to mix and swirl in her head until she finally was able to see the face of her younger sister scream in terror. Red light flickered in Helen's eyes and Gwen could make out the faint image of the sun splitting apart in the reflection.

                When Gwen opened her eyes, she immediately looked to the sky. They were headed towards the Evenstorm at a steady pace, making their way towards the small city below them at the base of the large hill. If the Evenstorm continued then it would soon consume the sun, tearing it in half and stealing the powers of all the Actives on the world of Talvalier. If that happened then her sister would die. Of that, Gwen was sure.

                After all, she could see all possible futures.

                The  Evenstorm continued to crawl ahead, the city of Avalice just outside its reach. Gwen tightened her grip and clicked her tongue, signaling Kingser to regain momentum. They were there in seconds. It took a moment for the world around them to focus back into place, but the colors quickly lost their blur and adjusted to normalcy.

                Avalice had one dirt road that stretched from the gate of the city's entrance to the open field that lay far at its back. The buildings were made from rosewood and were topped with open-thatched gable roofs. The road was clogged with people staring up at the Evenstorm with frightful eyes. The deep blue of the clouds were almost upon them. Lightning continued to spark through the clouds, igniting them in blood red fire that subsided almost as soon as it had begun. They were only minutes away from their doom.

                Her violet eyes flashing in the shifting light, Gwen ushered Kingser ahead, yelling at the swarm of people in front of them to part before her. Halfway through the city is where her aunt lived; where she would find Helen. She couldn't lose her only sister, not after she had already lost Peter. She had all this power, but felt so helpless in her ability to actually protect those who she loved. Her love for Peter had been beyond anything that she ever thought she could feel and now he was gone. If she lost Helen then she had nothing left to live for.

                The group of people in front of her aunt's house absentmindedly gave room for her and Kingser, never averting their gaze from the billowing clouds of blood above them. Gwen slid off of Kingser and lightly kissed his neck in thanks as she walked to the door of her aunt's house. As always, Kingser responded with a jerk of his head and a swish of his tail. Gwen brushed the sides of her brown leggings and made sure her bodice was buttoned over her olive shirt. The end very well might have been near, but Gwen knew that Helen would not tolerate unkemptness. She gave a hopeful look over her shoulder to Kingser and then knocked on the birch door.

                For a moment she was scared that no one would answer. But after a particularly large blast of lightning split the sky, the door opened. Her aunt Evelyn stood in the doorway, a slight look of confusion on her face.

                "Gwendolyn?"

                Gwen didn't wait for an invitation in, and instead slipped through the door. Evelyn closed it behind her and spun around.

                "What are you doing here? It isn't safe!"

                The low hum of murmurs and gasps from the people on the road could barely be heard inside the small and cramped house. Besides the cluttered eating table and counter there was only a small desk riddled with stacks of paper, and a closed door at the back of the room. Gwen started for it.

                "She's not there, Gwen!"

                Gwen turned around sharply. "What? Where is she?"

                "I put her somewhere safe." Evelyn was doing her best to avoid eye contact with Gwen. Her dark hair shielded her eyes as she pretended to be interested in what was happening outside the window to her right.

                Gwen felt her left eye twitch. "You put her somewhere safe? She isn't an object that can be placed somewhere, Evelyn!"

                "But she can kill us all if this storm does what I think it will!"

                "And just what is that exactly?"

                Her aunt leveled her head with Gwen's. "I know you've seen it too, Gwen! You saw the future, didn't you? You get that ability from me! If the sun splits apart then there's still some hope for some of us! But if Helen is near when that happens and she loses her power, then we're all as good as dead!"

                Red light splashed across the floor through the window. Gwen took a step towards her aunt and threw her left arm behind her back. The small desk toppled over and smashed against the back wall, propelled by the pure, un-caged, energy that Gwen was able to manipulate; her second, and final power.

                "You've seen the future, Evelyn? You know as well as I do that we can only see possible outcomes! I can stop it, stop all of them from dying, but I need to speak with Helen before I do!"

                This gave Evelyn pause. She turned away from Gwen and walked to the window. Kingser was waiting just beyond its glass. "Have you seen how that one ends, Gwen? It might not even be worth it."

                Gwen snorted. "Really now? Growing a conscience after everything you've done? What could possibly be worse then everyone here dying because you didn't even try?"

                "So you haven't seen it then." It wasn't a question.

                "No, I haven't. But it doesn't matter now. We don't have time for this, Evelyn! You need to tell me where Helen is so that we I can say goodbye! I know she's nearby, otherwise Avalice wouldn't even be standing! That's the only reason I allowed her to stay with you in the first place!"

                Evelyn was acting surprisingly calm. She pulled away from the window and turned to Gwen with a sad eye. She sat down, letting out a weighted sigh.

                "Your sister has helped Avalice  so much, Gwen. Her power is remarkable, and without her we couldn't have gotten as far as we have in rebuilding the collapsed mines underneath the city. The builders can only do so much, but with Helen's power to control earth they've been able to stop this city from collapsing! We're so close to finishing, Gwen! If you take her away now then everything will fall apart!"

                "And if I don't do something now, Evelyn, then she loses her power and the whole city caves anyway! At least this way, we have a chance! And I don't need her to leave the city in order to stop this from happening! You always do this! You can't always play God! You might have been blessed with more powers than the rest of us Actives, but that doesn't give you the right to decide our fates!"

                Her aunt's eyes grew wet. She stifled a sniff as she turned the other way. "What happened to Peter has nothing to do with what is happening now Gwen."

                "I--This has nothing to do with that!"

                A massive blast of red filled the sky outside and a low roar shook the room. It would happen soon. Gwen had to leave. She wouldn't get to say farewell to her sister after all. She gave her aunt a sneer and walked to the door.

                "Wait."

                Gwen stopped. "What?"

                "Have you noticed that your powers grow more prominent when you ride Kingser? Your able to see the future more clearly, right? Have you tried using your Alacrity while riding him? Have you used any of your energy transference?"

                Gwen turned around, her eyes narrowed. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

                Evelyn gave a weak smile. "Kingser is an Active."

                "Of course he is. He can run really fast. Celerity, they call it. But you're still wasting my time."

                "No, sweetie," Evelyn pulled her hair out of her face and stood up. "You gave him the power to run fast and he magnified it for you, making him even faster. You transferred energy into him unknowingly and he used his power to amplify it."

                Gwen's eyes grew wide. "But--That was Peter's power!"

                "Animals can't be Actives, Gwen. They've never been able to."

                "You told me Peter died! I brought him to you and you said you weren't able to help him when I returned! He wasn't even here!"

                "I never said he was dead. I only said that I wasn't able to heal his wounds."

                "Then how?!"

                Evelyn reached for something under her jerkin. A thing gold chain with a small bottle attached hung on the end. A butterfly flitted inside. She unplugged the bottle and held out her finger for the butterfly land. "Future Sight, Healing, Enhanced Sight, they have all helped me well. But my true power lies here, Gwen."

                She pressed against the butterfly with her free hand and Gwen watched in amazement as a human body seemed to emerge from inside the insect. The butterfly remained, but the small body of a six-year-old human child was present as well, standing there, beside her aunt. The girl blinked in bewilderment and, after seeing Gwen, squealed in excitement and ran into her arms.

                "Gwen!"

                "H-Helen?"

                Gwen held on firmly to her little sister, her eyes filling with tears. She picked her up and kissed her cheeks repeatedly. She kept her in her arms and turned to Evelyn. "What just happened?"

                "My true power. Body Insertion. I am able to force a body to occupy the same space as the body of another, be it man or animal. If they are an Active, then their power remains. Just as it did for Helen, and just as it did for Peter."

                Helen continued to giggle and hold onto her sister. Gwen nuzzled her and smiled, but her eyes were full of fear and hope. "So Kingser…?"

                Evelyn nodded. " But he cannot leave that body, for his own is beyond repair. He knows this. But Gwen, you do need him in order to stop the Evenstorm! Together, you can make it all go away. I have seen it! But you need to know that it won't happen without great and terrible pain for you both!"

                Gwen set Helen down, kissing her again on her forehead. "It's fine, aunt. Now that I know Peter has been with me this whole time, I have no need to fear." She smiled fondly, tears welling in her eyes. "With him, I know I can do what needs to be done. Thank you."

                Turning back to the door for the last time, she felt a little body rush into her. Helen was clinging to her with all her might. "You're going already? But you just got here! And you came all prettied up! And I haven't seen you in forever! And I don't want you to go!"

                Crouching down to the floor, Gwen grabbed a hold of her sister and swiveled her around so that they were facing each other. She parted the brown hair out of her Helen's face. "I know Helen. But I have to go now, okay? I need to make sure that everyone here remains safe. Do you understand?" She kissed her cheek. "I need to keep you safe. I love you Helen. Just promise me one thing, okay?"

                The little girl was trying so hard to fight back a wave of tears. She was hiccupping in her attempts, her face flushed red. "O-okay."

                "I need you to listen to aunt Evelyn and promise you'll do as she says. I need you to stay safe."

                Helen nodded, tears finally bursting through her eyes. She started to sob, and gripped Gwen shoulders with tight fists. Then she let go and ran to her aunt, clinging to Evelyn's long white skirt and staring at Gwen through blurred eyes. Gwen smiled and rubbed her nose as she finally made her way through the door.

                "Goodbye," she whispered, closing the door behind her.

                She was instantly blinded by a massive web of red lightning that spread across the blue clouds just ahead of them. The sun was almost covered and Gwen knew there was almost no time left. She hurried over to Kingser as the crowd of people screamed and began to scatter. Kingser was stamping his feet and neighing incessantly. But when Gwen yelled out his name, he instantly steeled himself. She rushed to him and pressed the side of her face against his neck.

                "Oh Peter, I didn't know."

                Kingser swished his tail and whinnied.

                "I love you Peter, and I've missed you so much, but we need to stop the sun before everyone dies. And I need your help."

                The horse jerked his head. Gwen smiled and closed her eyes, making sure to keep her hand pressed against Kingser's coat. In her Mind's Eye it all became clear. She knew what was necessary and was ready to pay for the cost that it would take. She opened her eyes and climbed on Kingser's back, clutching his gold mane.

                "This is it, Peter. This is where we make our last stand. Are you ready?"

                Kingser snorted.

                "Right, then. Fly, Peter."

                The were off, heading towards the last sunny spot in all of Talvalier just beyond the edge of Avalice. They were there in moments. Gwen slowly slid off of Kingser and looked up to the gap in the clouds. She kept Kingser's mane clutched in her left hand. Then, with all the energy she had--with her pure force of Alacrity--she unleashed a blast of energy into the sky. And she let Kingser magnify its intensity.

                Light emerged from her body and shot into the sky in quickening waves--bursts of life shooting out of both her and Kingser and erupting into the clouds above. The clouds began to part as the blasts of power continued to speed up exponentially, eventually condensing into a solid beam of unrelenting force. Gwen could feel her body giving way, could feel her soul living her body as payment for her divine act. She was rising slowly, leaving her body behind, and was astonished to find, not Kingser's mane in her left hand, but the gentle hand of another human being. She turned to her left and grinned.

                Peter was there with her, discarding his horse's shell to join her in her sacrifice as the clouds continued to swiftly disperse. The red lightning was becoming less and less prominent until only small sparks began to swirl through the fading clouds. Gwen knew this life was over, but she was beyond glad that she was able to spend it with the one who had mattered most to her. Peter's spirit brought her into his own as the last of the waves rushed through them, the mortal vessels still standing strong below.

                And somehow he kissed her.

                It lasted for an eternity. For ten eternities. It lasted far longer than Gwen even thought possible. She melted against him; his taste, his smell, his warmth--even in etherealness--engulfing her in a storm far more violent and powerful than anything the Evenstorm had to offer.  Reality was banished from their presence in its touch and Gwen knew, that despite all that had happened, that no matter what she had ever told herself, this was all she had ever wanted.

                After a time, she broke the kiss. She never wanted it to stop, but she knew that it had to. The overflowing Alacrity that surrounded them was dying along with their bodies, and Gwen was able to make out the small figure of Helen far below, looking to a clear and open sky free of cloud and shade. She felt a squeeze in her hand and found Peter slowly rising, beckoning her upward as he reached for the sun. Gwen let the fire of the sun fill her up as she gave her little sister one last look, and then--hand in hand with the one she loved--departed to the world beyond.

                And all became Light.