by Twisted Eternal Wolvetta

Cimmerian Revoker

This is the sequel to Aphotic Evasion.

Twisting and turning. In fabrication, it was like an empyrean ocean. Upside down and reversed. It was more alike to a tarot card. Which was it? What was the revoker? Was this reality? Or maybe this was a dream? Perhaps this was actually reality?

Entwined.

Distant.

Purged.

The aphotic light was destroyed before her eyes.

Thrown asunder within the evening sky, Mai's eyes shot open.

Shizuru Viola. She was there feet away from her. The blinding light was discarded, and abruptly Mai realised something. Within the sky they were set upside down. Here the very fabric of time had paused. But why? Arching her head back, she regarded Garderobe Academy.

Everything was still and appeared underwater.

Was this a dream, or reality?

"The princess is dead and her twin rules this kingdom." Shizuru spoke, tearing Mai's attention to her. The brunette floated, her gaze pointedly set upon violet irises. There, she recoiled the blades of her element, continuing. "Why am I seeing a ghost? Why are you, the empress here?"

The empress?

"Is this also part of your power?" The otome pondered aloud, regarding the aphotic atmosphere. "Cancel it." She demanded, gliding towards her.

"T-this isn't me." The vermilion redhead defended, edging away from the meister.

The Harmonium had sung its keys. Alike the Obsidian Lord himself, the HiME were left in grief. They too had forgotten their very beings. Who were they? Where had they come from? What was Valhalla? Was this it?

The Princess and Maiden. Alike to a dance they fought. Fire versus venom, they swerved. Never once did they touch, only brush.

Sense wasn't important; time and space distorted. It was all meaningless.

"You had said Garderobe is no longer mine. Have you changed your mind?" Shizuru asked her, outstretching her blades. They volleyed and flung into the air, missing Mai by inches. "Or are you simply a lost little girl?"

A girl. Lost. Thrown away like a doll. Forgotten.

Mai's brow furrowed harshly. A sickening sensation that was far too familiar attacked her. It swarmed in her gut, bringing pain and discomfort. Who was this woman? Why had she called her an empress? Of course she wasn't. She was a HiME, a QUEEN.

This woman- was she a technological copy of a HiME? Was she one of the fakes?

From this one fight alone, she couldn't understand. Perhaps it wouldn't be possible to know, in fact? Whether a dream or nightmare, Mai hoped she would soon awaken. For better or worse, as quickly as possible.

"I don't understand anymore of this than you do." Lazily Mai's magatama rings spun. She and Shizuru were still once more. Regarding the taller woman, Mai hesitantly looked around again.

It was the reversed empyrean.

The distortion of the Harmonium.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

I don't really know what's going on here. It is supposed to be more symbolic than have actual meaning. After all, the Aphotic Evasion series is strictly experimental. It's more a… study of what's possible for future world settings.