Cold is the Void

[Amaterasu]

Expedition, Day 18 - Day 6 of the Ascent - Part 2

The Sixth Hall: Sloth

“Ama… what are you saying?”

“Oki… don’t make me repeat it…”

Fiara broke the awkwardly slow, silent atmosphere by slamming a chair aside and walking close. She grasped Amaterasu by her dress, just below her neck, and TORE her up from the seat. “We’re going to make you repeat it a hundred times if we have to, until it gets in your head that you’re sputtering utter nonsense!” she yelled. “Giving up?! That’s not the Amaterasu I know!”

“Fiara, I…” She could hardly bring herself to say it. She couldn’t even bring herself to look at her. “I can’t. I couldn’t even stand being around you, around the others, after what I’ve done! Leaving you behind, all because of… because of my rotten pride.”

“Has the ice around us frozen your brain or something?! Remember where the hell we are!” Fiara spoke. Her Phoenix Blasters had activated sometime through her speech and flames were flaring up along her wrists, burning with immense passion. Moreso even than when they had traversed the Trial of Wrath. The snow could not even begin to cover her, and the wearingess refused to set in in the slightest. “Let me spell it out for you: we are. In the. Damned-to-hell Halls of Sin!”

“That doesn’t excuse my-”

“Oh, what. Your PRIDE? Listen here, Ama. You are a Kami! Arguably the most powerful of all, no less! You saved an entire country, if not the world, from destruction at the hands of Yami, an Akuma of pure rage and hatred! And you brought happiness to more people along your journey through Nippon than others will meet their entire life! OF COURSE YOU ARE PROUD! Hell, the only Sin you truly exhibited was Pride!”

“Fiara, I-”

“Shut up. Now tell me, did you succumb to Lust?”

“Well, no, but-”

“You didn’t. What about Envy?”

“... no, but-”

“You didn’t either. And Wrath? You kept your cool and instead calmed us all down as WE threatened to succumb! And Gluttony, you turned the whole goddamn trial on its head when you freed the souls of those who had succumbed and yet proved your purity!” She raised her arm which was still liquorice. “See this? I would be completely like this if it weren’t for you. Or dead.”

“I only did what-”

“What anyone in your position would have done. You’ve braved all those sins far better than any of us, mother Amaterasu. Of course there would have to be somewhere that you don’t excel.”

“Oki and Urist-”

“Are not as proud as you, because they are not Kami. Oki is humble enough because he has every reason to be, and Urist too. Hell, I’M prouder than them! Sure I made it through thanks to them, but does that discount the fact that you saved our asses at least twice on this trip alone? NO.”

Amaterasu shivered. Fiara was speaking to her in a way she had never dared before, and yet she could not be angry. Her hands that had hung by her sides came up and wrapped around the girl, hugging her. Her feet touched the ground as Fiara’s passion came back down, and she smiled. “I’m still sorry, Fiara.”

“Now I can accept that apology, you’re not filled with bitterness anymore.” The hug was returned.

Amaterasu sighed and pulled her chair up as Fiara withdrew, and so did the others. Though they sat down they felt reinvigorated, stronger. “I think we need to talk, everyone…” she said. “I have done something wrong, but… I want you to know that I am immensely happy to have you with me. No matter what Senecianus said in the Hall of Pride, before the race, I would never have made it this far without the three of you coming with me. Maybe not even past the first trial, or even here, to the mountain.” She took a deep breath. “I may be a Prime, but I am not all-powerful. I carry with me sins and imperfections. And as you balance these imperfections out, I balance yours out. We complement each other… but separated we would just be four quarters. In fact, I feel like I’d be more of one eighth”, she added with a little chuckle.

“You give yourself too little credit”, said Oki. “You were chosen to be a Prime for a reason. I have my own strengths but I would not be able to muster them without you, Ama, without you, Fiara, and without you, Urist, all being here with me. I may be strong… but most of that strength lays in my sword-arm, not in my wisdom or my intelligence. I… well, I have my sins as well, and I acknowledge them at this point. I couldn’t really be pure, I could just control them.”

“Now yer the one sputterin’ nonsense, Oki”, Urist said. “Ammy is the Prime, she’s smart, but yer the strong, the reliable one in our team. Ah can bring me knowledge o’ this place into play, about the earth an’ the Fields, but ah can’t fight as well as you an’ I’m certainly not the glue holdin’ us t’gether. An’ like you guys, ah am full o’ sin… sins that ah realize I have now, and ah must learn t’control ‘em. Well, me face is the best proof, ain’t it.”

“Actually, it’s not”, Fiara remarked with a little smile. “There’s no mirror here, but…”

“What are ya sayin? That- Bruenor’s beard, yer right!” Urist almost shouted when he felt his beard and felt the curly hair between his fingers, not spaghetti. Then he touched his face and felt toughened skin, bones and scars, not the fat-soaked, uneven meatball texture. “Bu’... bu’ when…”

“Just a moment ago… I wasn’t looking at you but while Oki was speaking, it must’ve happened. I still got my liquorice arm... but eh, I'll find a way to cure it.” She smiled. “You know… you guys remind me of the real important things. Why should I be proud if it means losing my friends? I realized that Mother Amaterasu was away because of her pride… because something had gone wrong in the halls. But I couldn’t go on without you all here to support and aid me.” Her Blasters withdrew as she hugged Urist, then Oki. “I am so happy that we are united again… and I swear that we are going to make our way out of this, together.”

“We will”, agreed Amaterasu, feeling confident. She had no trouble standing up from her chair. “Now we should go… there is still one trial left.”

“Two, I think… according to that book of western humans, there were seven sins”, remarked Oki. Amaterasu tossed him a grin.

“Would you really say that we have to count this one yet? After speaking with you I feel full enough of energy to take on the next trial right away.”

Traversing the Hall of Sloth was indeed a breeze. They formed a chain, holding each other's hands tightly, though that was unnecessary. Wading through the snow was not tiring them, the chairs were not compelling, the winds were not inviting them to lay down and forget. Their whispers passed them without a trace.

"You have arrived... and made it through, I see. Hmm, very good. i congratulate you for passing the Trial of Sloth." It led thrm through the dark exit, and as they walked it spoke on: "You have but one trial still ahead of you. But, the only two people that have ever made it through the Hall of Pride faled the Hall of Sloth, and the last trial will be much harder yet... are you certain that you wish to take it on?"

"We are", said Amaterasu. "How late is it?"

"Hmm... time flows differently here", Senecianus admitted as they entered another cave, and once again it looked exactly like the one they had been in that morning. "You have spent the whole day in the Hall of Sloth, it is now early evening."

"Then let us take on the last trial tomorrow. Thank you for leading us so far."

"Ah... mention it not." With that it went over to the edge of the cave to sit, and Amaterasu, Oki, Urist and Fiara began to set up for a good night's rest together and to enjoy a meal. Reunited again.

25772 + 1389 = 27.161 / 20.000 words.