A Dragon Rider's Element

How We Fall ( 53 )

I waited for the final blow of the sword, but I felt nothing. Do you not feel pain in heaven? That must explain it. The pain that had just ripped through my body vanished. I opened my eye and expected to see the white cloud and the sliver city itself but instead, I was met with the tip of a sword.

I gasped slightly in shock before a quickly looked around me. I was still in the courtyard in front of Cinderella's castle, but the world around me was frozen in place.

"You have not failed anyone yet, Larisa", a silvery voice said from behind me.

I turned and saw a face I had only ever seen in pictures but could recognize anywhere. A woman about my three inches taller than me stood calmly on the concrete. Her emerald eyes looked kindly down at me and her deep brown hair flowed gently over her shoulders. I felt tears welling in my eyes as I stared at her.

"Mom?", I asked, my voice cracking as I did.

She smiled and opened her arms. I scrambled to get up and ran to her as the tears fell from my eyes. My body crashed into hers and she had to take a step back to keep her balance. She laughed warmly and hugged me tightly. I held onto her desperately hoping she would stay. She must have felt I stress as her hand came up and rested on the back of my hand.

"It's alright darling. We have time but I fear it's not much."

" How are you even here?"

"The power of Spero is a powerful force, even in Death."

She pulled back and wiped away my tears before taking my hands in hers.

"I wish I could stay but one can not cheat death forever so listen close."

I swallowed to stop the tears and nodded at her.

"Zeref must be beaten here or the world will be lost forever. He was regained his full power and your power as you are now will not be enough to stop him. You need the light to finish him. "

"But I don't know what I'm doing."

"That's why I'm here. The light of Spero isn't very different than your fire. It is a part of you to use it you must stop thinking of it as it's own source of power. You are the Spero, not the other way around. You control it. You bend it. You are the Light."

"I'm the light", I repeated.

"Yes, now you need to embrace it. The world needs you and so do your friends. So pull up all your strength and go hit this guy where it hurts."

I smiled at her and did as she told. I repeated her words as I concentrated on fueling the fire within.

"I am the light."

I felt my fire grow. The heat was intense and I couldn't have felt any strong. White fire rolled over me and the air around me wrapped with the heat.

"That's my girl. With the full strength of Spero Zeref will kneel to you."

Around me, the world slowly began to move again, but it was like everything was stuck in mud as it moved.

"Our time is almost up. But I know you are ready, Larisa. And I need you to know that I love and could not be more round of you", She starting to cry.

She was unfazed by the heat as she embraced me in her arms and hugged me. I gripped her just as tight before she added away.

"I love you too, Mom", I whispered to nothing.

The world was moving again and the sound of metal hitting concrete made me turn to Zeref. His face was painted in confusion as he looked at the Arch sword embedded in the ground. His eyes slowly moved up from the sword to me standing in front of him radiating with white light and fire.