The Eternally Broken Path - Chapter 2
By Magus and Tonnica Sister no.1

Chapter 2: Revelations

                  
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	Ark walked up the first set of steps after killing off the few purple 
Huballs that had been rolling about the entrance. Just before he stepped up 
to the doorway he stopped in his tracks.

	His head pounded and his stomach clenched. His senses were overtaken by a 
sense of nausea. His eyes grew wide as he slowly slid down to the floor, 
struck down by the overwhelming sensation. After what felt like a half hour 
he was able to push the nausea back. Dragging himself up he leaned on the 
wall underneath a torch. Choking back the lump in his throat he looked up to 
the doorway.

	The doorway's black shadow gaped into the next room just like it should. 
The light flickering slightly from the torches but... Ark could not see it 
but he could sense it. The inside of the tower was almost bleeding the 
sensation of pure fear. Ark tried concentrating to block it out mentally. It 
eased off a bit but he could still barely move. He felt like he was being 
torn apart.

	"What's causing thi- grk!" Ark barely got out before he doubled over and 
threw up. Leaning over and panting from the effort he gathered his strength. 
"Yomi! What's going on here?" No answer. Ark held up Pandoras' Box and shook 
it wildly.

"Get your blob ass out here! Now! Right.. now..."

	Ark looked down and bit his lip. A hundred doubts has somehow snuck into 
his mind and he was being barraged by them.

	Yomi appeared a minute later. The creature looked down at Ark who was 
leaning against the wall, eyes wide, and pale as a ghost. He was mumbling to 
himself and twitching. He was utterly lost in his own fears. "Ark this 
tower-"

	"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Ark screamed clawing at his own face. His eyes were 
locked on Yomi's and letting his jaw hang open he bolted away. Yomi watched 
him run deeper into the tower. Yomi floated there for a second, shook a bit 
then dissapeared again.

	Everything was a blur in Ark's mind. Walls moved towards him and the floor 
shifted to trip him. He didn't even feel the cuts and wounds he was getting 
as he just ran into the monsters in the tower. Everything was a sensation of 
pain and tingling. He could barely think as he ran up to the next floor.

	"Elle... Elle..." His mind distantly repeated over and over. "I want to get 
back.. but.. the monsters... Dark Gaia... no..!" He screamed loudly as a 
huge Spear seemed to float right into his path.

	He suddenly felt a very intense pain in his stomach, and he finally 
realized all of his injuries. It was too much for him to bear, to much for 
anyone. Ark moaned in disgust and pain, crumpling to the floor. There he lay 
for what seemed like eternity, unable to move.

	His thoughts raced back to Elle, frozen in time. He wondered if she felt 
any pain, hoping, praying. His sight slowly dwindled, and he could sense the 
creatures moving away, thinking he wad dead. Ark's brain, though muddled, 
still functioned.

	Ark was suddenly aware of a bright light overhead, and with his remaining 
strength, opened his eyes and reached out to it. It spoke, it's voice like a 
bubbling river. It calmed his soul, it brought peace to his heart.

	"Be calm, little one...I will help you..." The soul took his pain, took it 
away from him. He knew it was making a great sacrifice, and was grateful. He 
stood, looking over himself, realizing all his wounds were gone, then his 
sight fell on the shimmering spirit.

	It was almost wrong to call it shimmering now, it lay on the ground, fading 
in and out. Ark reached down and picked it up, cradling it in his arms. 
"Hey," he pleaded. "Don't worry, I'll find some way of fixing you up."

	It floated up out of his arms, obviously struggling. "There's nothing you 
can do at this point. You're the savior of the world, not of lost souls," it 
said with a pain in its voice. "Now go, help your friends, help yourself..."

	The soul rose high into the air slowly and disappeared into the ceiling. 
Ark stood and watched, silently praising the humble spirit. He turned back 
to the stairway, and started again towards the top of the tower.

	Each step was harder but each also hardened his resolve. Walking was 
becoming difficult as the atmosphere became thick. It began to physically 
press him back but he cut through it. He wished to himself that the little 
soul hadn't taken away his pain. He knew however that he wouldn't have 
gotten this far without it. Reaching the top of the stair Ark paused 
momentarily to catch his breath.

	The top room was just like it was the last time he had gone up the tower. 
Though this time it was penetrated with that horrible aura. As Ark moved 
forward he realized that it was almost like he was in a protective bubble. 
It was keeping the power within the tower out. Just barely though as he 
could still feel it as he reached the centre of the room. The guardian was 
floating there soundlessly, waiting for him.

	"You have destroyed a soul." The guardian said bluntly. Ark backed up a 
step and got into a fighting stance. He didn't like the sound of that. "Hey, 
just let me through. That soul helped me out and the faster I get through 
this tower the faster I can make it right." The black pits of the skull mask 
on the guardians' face looked down on him sending a chill down Ark's spine 
despite his resolve.

	"What is the difference between finishing this tower on your own and 
passing it with help at such a great cost?" The guardian asked, unmoving and 
cold. "Damnit I don't have time for that!" Ark said, frustrated. "What do 
you want me to answer?!? Faith? Trust? Heroisim on the part of a sphere of 
light? If your going to nickel and dime me for the answer then I'll just go 
through you. Because it's my job to do what other people can't do! It's my 
purpose do you hear?"

	Ark finished shouting. He was flustered in the face and furious. The 
guardian moved slightly then paused. After nearly a minute he spoke. "In a 
way, you are right. You may pass." He moved fully aside with a sweeping 
gesture. Ark ran through the doors just as he felt the aura of fear of the 
place try to grab at his mind again.

	He stepped inside the small altar-like room and immediatly his vision 
failed. Ark panicked, flailing his arms wildly in search of a way to get his 
bearings. He suddenly felt a falling sensation as if the ground had opened 
up beneath him. He cried out in fear, but knew that no one could help him. 
Ark stopped struggling, knowing that it would do him no good to resist. As 
soon as this thought crossed his mind, his vision returned. It was like 
someone had flipped the lights switch suddenly, unexpectedly. He then saw 
that he was not falling, but floating in midair.

	Ark realized he was at the center of the world, overlooking all of the 
underworld. And what a sight it was. He could see Crysta and the five 
towers, as well as the bubbling lava that dotted the land. He stared, 
awestruck. From that point on, he considered the underworld not a place that 
was as hell, but as a place of beauty; but not of the earthly beauty. It 
held an almost god-like wonder. The guardian's voice echoed from far off.

	"Ark, you are in the sun of your world, the underworld. Because of your 
love, I will allow the people of Crysta to live on." There was a long, 
awkward pause. "However, your presence here is not for the reasons you 
think. I have summoned you here to tell you of the trouble you caused by 
destroying Dark Gaia."

	Ark listened, curious. "The planet possess two faces, lightside and 
darkside. Neither can function without the other, though they fight 
eternally. You were simply a pawn used by darkside, Dark Gaia, to destroy 
lightside, Light Gaia. You, Ark, destroyed Dark Gaia, interfering with the 
balance of nature. You, Ark, created the inbalance. You, Ark, must assume 
responsibility..." The guardian trailed off.

	"You, Ark, are Dark Gaia."