Chapter 38

                                    

                                          
Kara had transported Aru back to the main base after she realized that Aru could stand, walk, read and see.  Kara warned Aru a couple hours before to steer away from the main room where Kiera was, because she didn't know that Aru was there. 
                          
So, Aru looked around and packed whatever she needed, including heavy climbing equipment, in her bag. She wasn't completely okay, and she knew that, but she also knew that if she waited any longer, then the whole world would pay for that mistake.  She was going to climb the mountain on her own, and all she had to do was to convince Kara to let her go. 
                          
"Kara? Hey are you here?" Aru questioned, looking around the place, in search of her sister. 
                          
Aru knew she shouldn't have been looking around, but she did anyway. Since when has Aru followed rules? She was a magnet for danger anyway. She went to the main room, the exact place where Keira was said to be. She found Kara huddled in a corner of a room, muttering something to Keira. Aru quickly pressed her back against the wall, and listened to their conversation. 
                          
"-Kara I'm scared! I... It keeps controlling me! I really don't want to hurt anyone! I-I just wanted you back. I needed someone to put the blame on and it found me! I-I'm sorry!" She sobbed, soaking Kara's shirt in the process. 
                          
Keira's face was mostly engulfed in black shadowy veins, her eyes tinged with red. Aru subconsciously touched her own face, reminded of the blue lines etched in her own face, "She really didn't want all of this..." Aru muttered.
                          
She tuned her ears back to what Keira was saying, "Don't let him control me!  Please!"
                          
Aru heard Kara mutter a response, "Don't give in to the dark power Keira.  Everything's gonna be fine, just stay calm."
                          
	Suddenly, Keira screamed, the black veins fully engulfing her pale skin.  She shot up into the air, stopping midway before she hit the ceiling.  A red and black light blasted out of her, encompassing all of her like the rings of Saturn.  If it was in any other circumstance, Aru would have been smiling and laughing like a child watching fireworks.  Now, Aru just stood there, gaping at the scene in front of her.
                          
	Aru watched as Keira opened her eyes to reveal pure black demonic eyes with red irises decorating the centers like fire in the middle of an endless pit.  Keira smiled, showing fangs as sharp as Aiden's scimitars.  Keira's hair waved, though there was no wind in the room.  Kara watched the entirety of the transformation happen in front of her eyes, not screaming, but covering her mouth, her eyes wide.
                          
	Keira dropped to the floor on all fours, shivering and taking shuddered breaths.  Kara walked up to the girl who had her head down.  Before Kara could see if she was okay, Keira lifted up her head and gave Kara a malicious smile that sent shivers down Aru's spine.  
                          
Aru turned away, not willing to watch anything else happen.  Beads of sweat dripped down the nape of her neck, and she gulped.  She tightened the straps on her backpack and located an exit that would safely get her out of Kiera's base.  She left Kara to Keira, knowing, hoping, and praying that she would be okay.
                          
Aru ran as fast as her legs could take her and put down her climbing gear when she reached the mountainside. She could only wonder what she could have done to save Keira from that terrible fate. She could only hope that Kara would be okay. 
                          
Being very careful this time, Aru scaled the mountain with great difficulty. She was so close to giving up so many times. Everytime she looked up, it seemed as though she wasn't getting anywhere. She looked down but she couldn't see the ground.  When she looked up,  she couldn't see the peak either. She had no choice but to go up. She grit her teeth and kept going, ignoring the constant pain emitting from her hands and face from the pinching cold. She hadn't brought enough jacket layers from the back room she guessed.
                          
	Soon, Aru reached a ledge.  The sun was going down, so she decided to sit down and rest for a bit before starting again.  She drank water as she watched the sun set.  Right before Aru decided to climb again, her lightbolt started humming like crazy.  It floated out of her pocket and zipped around...almost as if it was warning Aru not to go any further.  
                          
Aru softened her eyes at her bolt before grabbing it and turning it into a hoverboard.  She hopped on and started zipping upward, the wind crashing into her face.  She laughed and went even faster, the adrenaline making her anticipation, to reach the top, skyrocket.  Suddenly, Vajra spun back and rushed back down.
                          
Vajra hummed and turned off.  With no luck getting to the top, Aru managed to get back to the same ledge before, "Someone really doesn't want visitors huh? Come on is it a riddle or something?? I'm not terrible at those!" Aru cried, frustrated.
                          
She tried again, but the results were the same. She broke down, conveying her true intentions to the mountain and the potential god at the top.  God listens to everything right?  So why not give a shot?  That's exactly what Aru did.
                          
" Please just let me up. I have to get up there! Please, you have to teach me to control my powers.  My friends and family need my help! The whole world needs help! Keira needs help to break free! My jewel needs her curse broken! Please if you help me, and let me get up to the top! Please!" Aru said, pouring truth into every single one of her words.
                          
When nothing happened, She plopped down, in a position to cry. Vajra hummed by her side, as if he was a loyal puppy. Then she stopped. She hadn't gone all the way to the other side of the Otherworld for nothing. She didn't get a concussion for this. She didn't have countless abrupt, heartbreaking goodbyes from Aiden for this. She stood up and wiped her tears. 
                          
" I SWEAR ON MY SOUL AS A PANDAVA, IF YOU DON'T LET ME UP TO THE TOP AND TEACH ME ALL I WISH TO BE TAUGHT THEN I'LL JUMP OFF THIS LEDGE MYSELF  LEMON HEAD BECAUSE YOUR TO SOUR AND MAD TO LET ME UP!"  She looked down, "Great, even my nicknames have gone stale." 
                          
Suddenly, a large staircase appeared next to her and a gruff voice rang out, " You've woken me up from my slumber, so I cannot ignore you any longer.  Come up, You have proven to me that you have the grit, determination, and fire to keep up with my training. Be warned, I'm a bit annoyed about being called a Lemon head but that can be sorted out in your training, No promises that you'll make it out alive though," the mysterious male voice called out. 
                          
Aru climbed the stairs, hesitantly, to the peak of the mountain only to see a large man.  He looked at her, and his mouth curved into what Aru hoped was a smile, because the man had a lion head, so she couldn't really tell.  He wore a yellow dhoti and jewelry adorned his fingers.  Fingernails stretched out like claws as he beckoned for her to come closer.
                          
He looked like a very brutal man and someone who didn't take insults kindly. Aru gulped as she remembered the little lemon head comment. 
                          
" Uh.. Hello." Aru said, trying to hide the fact that this man intimidated her. 
                          
The man shook his head, " Child, come closer. I am Narasimha the lion-headed god. The one you called a Lemon head." Narasimha claimed.
                          
"You're much more... Modern than I thought you would be with your speech." Aru said. 
                          
Soon Aru's head was flooded with stories of Narasimha. Her mother's stories of how he killed Hiranyakashipu, and so much more.
                          
" So you want me to train your child?" He said, looking at her from head to toe. 
                          
Aru couldn't do anything but gulp and nod. Lord Narasimha laughed, "Child, you might have been able to show me your determination, but you still have much to prove to me if you want to earn the skill to control time and free you cursed jewel. Knowledge is everything, Arundhati. Knowledge is power.  Knowledge makes the worlds - the multiverse even - go round.  A price is required for you to earn this knowledge.  Do you accept?"
                          
Aru felt more sweat form on her forehead, the intimidation getting the better of her.  She managed to pull herself together before she gave him a simple answer, "Yes."