Chapter Kindness
Thirty-four years ago, in the head office of Aquala University...
"Mizu is still in a coma, without her up and awake, this tidal wave will devastate the whole of Inchaya" Umi Kimura stated.
"President Kimura, I understand you are worried about your daughter, but surely the wave can be forestalled by some kind of energy wave being fired in its direction" Councilman Watanabe suggested.
"Will all due respect, Watanabe-san, this is no mere oceanic disaster. We have angered our Crystal Kami, this will require a more 'magical' solution" Kimura explained.
"What kind of solution are you talking about, Kimura-san?" Watanabe asked. Kimura nodded, and pressed the intercomm on his desk. "Send him in" Kimura ordered. Watanabe looked toward the door to see Deux Wynd, from the Wynd Academy in Ishtall walk in.
"Greetings, Mr. Wynd" Kimura bowed, as did Watanabe.
"Kimura-san, Watanabe-san, it is a pleasure to meet you both at last, though I regret that it is not under better circumstances" Deux bowed.
"Mr. Wynd, I hear you have a proposition that will save both Mizu-chan and our nation?" Watanabe asked.
"Indeed I do..." Deux paused, and exhaled deeply. "I fear President Kimura will not like the idea, due to the high amount of risk involved, though" He added.
"I would do anything to save my daughter and this country" Kimura nodded.
"What I am about to tell you both must not leave this room" Deux said, as he leant against the President's desk, flanked by the President and Councilman on each side, and the storm brewing outside the window behind him.
"Understood" Kimura nodded.
"Of course" Watanabe agreed.
"I trust you recall the day that the Guardians of Wynd and Pyre fought out in the oceans?" Deux asked.
"Of course, it's one of the biggest conflicts in recent history" Kimura nodded.
"After the Guardian of Pyre was downed, the energy that had been released from the Crystal into the form of the Guardian needed to be... placed into a host" Deux explained.
"Hmm, I haven't heard of this before" Watanabe nodded.
"Indeed, Pyre didn't have to deal with this as the energy from their Guardian flowed back into the Crystal after it perished" Deux explained. "Back then, I was a 40-year-old man, suffering from a terminal illness, my son had taken the reins of the Academy in my stead, on the day the war ended, I passed away" He added.
"You... you died?" Kimura asked.
"Yes, and I imagine you are curious about why I am stood here talking to you" Deux chuckled. "We have... people in Ishtall, people who can channel both the energy of the crystal, and a soul, and combine them to form what we have titled 'Crystalla'" He explained.
"Hmm, then you are a Crystalla?" Kimura asked.
"Yes" Deux nodded. "If this information got out, it would be dangerous" He added.
"Then the same can be done for Mizu?" Watanabe asked.
"Yes, and doing this should help calm Suijin, as the Guardians, or Kami, obey the will of the Crystal, or, Crystalla" Deux nodded. "There is an issue, President" Deux frowned.
"Whatever it is, I will confront it with all my heart" Kimura smiled.
"Mizu-chan must be taken off of life support" Deux said frankly.
"WHAT?!" Kimura roared, as he slammed his hand down on the desk. "No, I refuse" He shook his head.
"Let me be frank, Kimura-san. Your daughter is gravely ill, she will not recover. Her illness has progressed to far and nothing can be done to forstall her death" Deux explained, calmly.
"But..." Kimura sighed as he looked outside at the storm.
"Though she will die, in this form, through our channellers will, she will be reborn as an eternal Crystalla, who will stand guard over this University until the time that she chooses to pass on her powers, or return them to the Crystal" Deux said, softly. "It's a second shot at life, she will be healthy and happy. She will, in time, naturally age to an adult and stay as an adult until she passes on the reins" He smiled.
Kimura nodded understandingly.
"Okay, you may do this, on one request. I request to see the channeller" Kimura said, with a hint of sadness in his voice.
"Of course, she is outside this office" Deux smiled, as he pressed the intercomm. The three men turned to the door to see the channeller step into the room, she was a late teenaged girl, with mousey-brown hair, and a soft smile.
"This is our channeller" Deux nodded to the girl with a smile.
"Hello, my name is Ruby Luna, a student from Wynd Academy" Ruby smiled. Kimura stood straight and approached Ruby.
"Miss Luna, can you... really save my little girl's life?" Kimura asked, his voice cracking.
"I..." Ruby began. "I've not done this before, but Professor Wynd has run me through the process that my Great Grandfather performed upon him. As the Professor explained to me, it is generally something of an automatic process, that can be aided with some machinery" Ruby explained. Kimura nodded and turned to Deux.
"Do you have this machinery here in Inchaya?" Kimura asked.
"Yes, it is on the Pyre-loaned airship. It has been developed in partnership with Skylar Pyre of Pyre Academy. We believe it will make the process instantaneous" Deux explained.
Kimura nodded and paced the room, before eventually looking at Ruby.
"Save my daughter, Ruby-san" Kimura nodded, as his voice shook.
"I will, Mr Kimura" She smiled. Kimura nodded back, and then to Deux who smiled, and the four of them left the room in silence as the storm raged outside.
Back in modern day...
Mizu was sat in the same office, reading over the logs from those days once again. She had never forgotten the kindness that Ruby had shown her that day. The two had become lifelong friends, until her tragic untimely death. It now seemed like fate that she would finally meet one of Ruby's children in person, and she could finally repay the ki