To Be Pwned, or Not to Be Pwned (Safer and the Legendary Ry-san!)

OoC: My sincerest apologies, Ry-san, but people kept interrupting me yesterday. ^_^;; Besides, a couple of CJ-inspiring things happened today that boosted the quality of some of the post, so it wasn't all bad. Anyway, on with the battle!

IC:

The whir of muffled engines filled the ears of all four passengers as the blue-hued craft hurtled across the landscape, kept a mere four feet off of the ground at all times by twin antigravity pulse generators. Blitz Keir watched from one of the two backseats as lush, untrimmed grasses raced by, brushing against the bottom of the hovercraft noiselessly; mountains rose high and majestic on either side, obscuring lands beyond. Had the four soldiers not been focused on their current task, they might have noticed that the surrounding terrain was quite picturesque. Nothing but these mountains and this deep valley between them could be seen for miles, and somewhere in these lowlands was a temple as grand as the massive crags around it.

Tokumaru Kyo, known by most only as the Heavenflame Samurai, sat to the left of the fire innate in silence, his chin supported by one hand which was, in turn, supported by one knee. Anyone who set eyes upon him would quickly know that the samurai was deep in thought. His katana, the acclaimed Firestorm, rattled noisily in its sheath as the craft rolled over another high hill in the deep valley.

The driver of this particular craft was none other than Supreme Commander of Alliance Forces, Viscen Zeth. His roguish appearance, accentuated by an unshaved chin, was complimented by a standard issue military uniform. With one large, strong hand firmly gripping the joystick and the other placed tentatively upon a small keyboard in the dash, he watched the horizon intently. Though the odds of him spotting their destination before the fourth passenger picked it up on son/rad were slim, it had long been a goal of his to outmatch technology. Paradoxically, a massive, cannon-like artillery weapon was strapped very noticeably over his shoulder.

The fourth passenger, a tactical expert and communications technician, sat at the controls to Viscen’s right, keeping careful watch on the instruments and son/rad equipment built into the dash. Briefly distracted, he glanced to the right of the craft to see an identical one traveling parallel to the first, and a second beyond it. The four occupants of the first waved excitedly to catch his attention, so he gave Viscen a quick prod in the ribs. “Commander.” When the officer’s eyes averted from the grassy plains ahead, the technician motioned in the direction of the other craft. “Looks like they’ve got something.”

“Bloody Hell,” muttered the commander, rolling his eyes in exasperation. “One of these days… Keir, Kyo! Get ready!” As the two backseat passengers quickly jolted from their thoughts, Viscen slammed down on a lever at the base of the dash and a loud whirring noise filled the craft. Convex compartments on either side of the craft loudly emerged, revealing a pair of smaller, single-man, hovering vehicles still anchored to the main one; they closely resembled jet skis with the exception of inset seats. Each was mounted with a low-yield pulse emitter capable of burning holes through flesh and disabling electrical equipment, but they were not intended for combat.

“Ready, Tokumaru?” asked Blitz with a stern yet excited expression.

The samurai nodded in response, an identical smirk marking his face. Out of the corner of his eye, Kyo noted that the other two main crafts had done the same, and the smaller vehicles had already been boarded. “Yes, let us go.”

With that, the two of them hopped over their respective sides of the main craft, landing in the seats of the smaller ones. Viscen released the tether with the flip of a switch, and the two soldiers pulled ahead of the main craft within moments. Traveling well above the speed of Viscen and the technician, Blitz and Tokumaru piloted their respective hoverbikes ahead of the convoy and deeper into the valley.

The other four troops on their respective bikes took V-formation around the swordsman and samurai just as Viscen’s garbled voice resounded from the radio on Blitz’ blue bike. “We’ve got a lock on the enemy’s signature; the target destination is dead ahead. Just keep going straight.”

Somewhat amused by the lack of technical jargon, Blitz replied: “What? No coordinates?”

“Blitz, even you could find this place on a moonless, midwinter night while soaked, blindfolded, bound, gagged and naked.”

Accustomed to his superior’s unique sense of humor, the swordsman laughed for a moment. Then, without averting his eyes from the distant meeting of earth and sky, he applied pressure to the throttle and rocketed the craft at full thrust across the valley, Tokumaru and the rest of their troupe in hot pursuit. At this rate, they would be in range of the target within minutes.

***

A massive, ebony structure rose high above, built beneath the shadow of a tall, overhanging cliff face of red earth and stone. A steep set of steps rose from the ground to an arched opening from which shone an ominous darkness. Rune-engraved, spiked pillars supported the tier upon which was seated a winged demon of stone with cold, dead eyes. Across the length of this phenomenal structure’s roof were countless more of these stone gargoyles, some standing and spreading their wings while others crouched over their perches to point mockingly at any hapless passerby unfortunate enough to enter their domain. While staring into their soulless eyes, one could almost hear their tumultuous jeers. Corners and sharp ends seemed to line every meter, every inch, of the temple’s dark and forbidding surface. This structure, erected in dedication to darkness and the summons it could yield, was truly a marvel to behold—a marvel in the sense that any architect could fit so many corners and sharp ends into one project. Towers rose, in all their forbidding glory, far beyond what they should be able to balance, every bit as black and menacing as the main temple. It seemed the craning giants would come crashing down at any moment, yet they remained stubbornly stiff.

This was the Temple of Darkness, and deep within its heart laid the Sanctuary where summons of their native element brushed the consciousness of mortal magick-users. The grass and foliage surrounding the stone behemoth was dead, leaving behind only parched, unfertile soil. Before its hulking mass were a number of dark-dressed men, all armed with short swords and pistols. Around their feet lay the corpses of numerous monks, young and old alike, some more fancifully garbed than others. They would receive no burial.

“My lord,” said one of the men tentatively, approaching and addressing the man closest the temple’s entrance. He was clutching a quietly beeping device, glancing at it from the corner of his eyes. “They are here.”

The commanding officer looked away and stroked his unshaved chin in pensive thought, knowing well what his underling meant. The temple, before which his twelve men stood, was positioned atop the rise of a hill. Looking toward the slope, the Dark Horizon officer surmised that the enemy would peak the rise at full speed and attempt to swarm his troops. The only way to guard against the Alliance forces would be to secure a proper defensive position. After a few moments of furrowing his brow, the commander returned his eyes to the soldier and motioned the mindless drone away. “Stay close to the temple and do not engage the enemy directly.” His voice was dry and slightly cracked from decades of commanding his troops on the field of battle. “Guard myself and the gate with your lives. Let even one by, and I’ll cut you down with my own blade.”

Not unsuited to the general attitude of Dark Horizon operatives, the soldier offered a necessary-for-survival “Yes, sir!” then retreated to stand with his fellow pawns in the game of war.

Meaningless, worthless, tactless, gun-toting fools, they are. All of them, mused the commander. That they should be in my presence is an insult! I shall have to discipline them later for their callousness. Hmm…would a mere scourge be sufficient? Or should they be put to death? The latter seems much less of a strain on me, and I see no reason for them to continue puffing their foul breath.

A high-pitched whine tore the ill-tempered officer from his thoughts. The Alliance forces had finally arrived. Drawing his pistol and training it straight ahead, he watched the peak of the hill carefully. The obtrusive sound grew louder and louder until, suddenly, a blue hoverbike leapt into view, closely followed by another. Not quite righting themselves to account for gravity, the crafts peaked the hill and sailed into the air.

Blitz stood in his seat that instant and kicked off of his bike with both feet. Even as he landed and bolted forward, Supernova in hand, the craft bowled over an unfortunate Dark Horizon soldier. Tokumaru tilted his hoverbike sharply, leaning in his seat, and leapt out just as the bottom collided with two enemies, killing both on impact.

Both swordsman and samurai were lightning quick in their movements. As Blitz followed the path of his craft to slay one opponent with a furious slash, the Heavenflame came down on the head of another enemy trooper, piercing through his head with the Hinotama. The soldier’s skull split apart, spraying Tokumaru with gore as he ripped the blade free, fixing his eyes on the next enemy in his vision.

Only now, with nearly half their number already defeated, did the soldiers have time to react. Each of the remaining Dark Horizon operatives opened fire, but tiny bursts of flame erupted around both the Alliance sword wielders, instantly turning the bullets to harmless ooze. The commander watched as his underlings were felled one by one, spouting blood from wounds and dying before they ever hit the ground. There was never a single deathcry, even as the last man collapsed in a mangled heap of blood and flesh.

Finally, as Blitz and Tokumaru thrust their blades through the last soldier’s chest and turned their eyes to him, the ill tempered man realized the inevitability of his opponents’ failure. Wanting to put a bit of distance between himself and the sword wielders, he bolted up the ebony staircase, then turned to face his enemies. They had slaughtered every one of his underlings, and now they were going to die very quick and pitiful deaths. Waving his pistol at them mockingly, he declared: “You’re both fools! Do you honestly believe that I’ll fall before you?” Their cold, heartless stares could not pierce his super-inflated ego. “You hardly deserve to know my name, swine. I’ll kill you right now and save the Fates the trouble!”

Before he could even aim his gun, a thunderous crack shattered the deadly silence. He slumped to his knees, eyes rolling back in his head, and collapsed lifelessly to the earth. A thin trail of smoke, from the distant horizon behind to the officer’s head, slowly dissipated into the wind—the path of a sniper’s bullet.

The two Alliance Elite looked over their shoulders to see Viscen in the main craft clutching a sniper rifle. Leaving the weapon behind and trading it for a satchel which he pinned to his belt, Zeth hopped out and planted his feet firmly on the ground. “Well, that was satisfying. Now let’s take care of the ones inside.” He quickly strode past the two of them, reaching across his shoulder to raise the heavy cannon on his back to an upright position. As if the massive weapon’s weight were nothing, the commander bolted up the steps, intentionally slamming a foot on the dead officer’s skull, and sank to his knees at the temple’s entrance.

Without waiting for a command, Blitz and Tokumaru bolted past him and into the temple. Igniting an orb of flame in his fist, the Wielder of the Sword dispelled looming shadows to reveal two enemy soldiers guarding the inner hall. Kyo started forward hastily, but suddenly a loud ‘whoosh’ noise resounded as a flaming red object rocketed past them, colliding with the wall behind the two soldiers. Both swordsmen braced against the shockwave as a massive explosion rippled from the point of impact, shaking the very foundation of the temple itself. When the dust cleared, two bodies were lying on the floor.

Completely unfazed, Commander Viscen again briskly jogged past. Glancing down the hall in the wake of his weapon’s powerful explosive, he concluded that nothing else waited directly ahead. Thrusting his arm forward, he gave the stern order: “Let’s move out!”

[EDIT] OoC: I'm trying something new, based on action comics' method of boldening words to let the reader know where the character placed emphasis in a sentence. This allows the reader to determine exactly how the phrase was spoken. I know it's not necessary, seeing as how we all have a good imagination out of necessity, but I thought it would be interesting to try out. ^_^

OOC: This is the first post in my newly gained Microsoft Word. And I know this has been procrastinated for the longest time. Enjoy. Yes, the first paragraph sucks in a royal fashion.

BiC: Many loud clicks and clacks were heard as the brave Alliance’s soldiers, clad in their hefty outfits, ran down into the temple. A powerful aura radiated from the very structure of the great temple of Darkness, one that commanded absolute respect. Contrary to what might be expected, the dark aura of the majic within the temple was not exactly evil, but more of a shadonic, eerie energy. Tokumaru knew all about this, for he was a studier of the auras generated by beings and inanimate objects alike.

“This place is awfully deep,” commented Tokumaru. “What kind of being could have constructed such an intricate structure?”

“Don’t worry about it,” said Blitz, rocketing forward towards an unsuspecting soldier and impaling him through the chest. “Dark Horizon’s got a whole new wave of soldiers coming back out to get us, and I’m sure they’re going to be much more powerful than the pawns we eliminated outside, judging by their location in the temple, of course.”

As the Wielder of the Sword had predicted, a wave of red shot through the air, falling down upon the Alliance members. A few pinpricks of light could be seen in the distance, obviously lamps; the Alliance Commander acted accordingly

“Break!” commander Viscen yelled, stretching out his hand towards the lights. Instantly, an enormous ripple shot through the earth, knocking the lamp-holders off balance, and illuminating the soldiers carrying them. Simultaneously, Blitz and Tokumaru shot forward, easily evading the flaming missiles with their intense speed.

“Tokumaru, head right!” Blitz suggested, veering off to the left of the unit, “I’ll take these guys on the left!”

Tokumaru smiled, igniting the Hinotama and unfurling his wings.

“Will do!” the samurai yelled, jetting off to the right as he extended his hand. Tokumaru thought this to be the perfect time to test out a new technique; an untested variation of the Flames of Destruction.

“Gates of Olympus!” Tokumaru yelled. Instantly, a wall of flame erupted in front of him, and opened up like a door. In succession, three raging balls of fire rocketed out at unprecedented speeds towards the enemies; upon contact, countless were thrown into the air, where they met their doom by Tokumaru’s flight. Blood spattered across the walls, causing the wondrous murals and ancient texts to be smeared in a horrible gore.

The chaos continued for a long time, as Tokumaru, Blitz, and General Viscen Zeth moved deeper into the temple.

* * *

Eventually, after hours of battling down into the temple—battling and running was an excruciatingly difficult task—, the trio managed to cease the carnage, and a dark glowing door appeared in front of them. The Dark Alliance members had all either been slaughtered or had escaped; Viscen paid no attention to it. His focus was the door.

“That’s the door to the sanctuary, no doubt.” Viscen said, “Let’s get to it.”

“What’ll we do, Viscen?” asked Blitz.

“You two head back up to the front,” replied the general, a look of no sympathy in his eyes. “We need two strong officers up there, and you guys are just the Fiery people we need.

With a groan, Tokumaru and Blitz nodded, and jogged quickly back up the passageway. They noticed, however, that it did not take as long to get back to the top.

“So,” asked Blitz, looking over to his ally, “how are you liking the Alliance? You’re doing great, Tokumaru!”

Tokumaru grinned.

“Thank you very much, Blitz-dono.” The samurai replied respectfully, “You are doing incredible yourself.”

“Heh, thanks. The Power generated by this temple is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It’s almost… as if it’s different than magic.”

“Yes, I’ve noticed that as well. I’ve seen Necro-mana used hundreds of times, but this is so—”

But before Tokumaru could finish, a lone soldier, greatly bloodied, ran into the temple frm the light of the exit, crying,

“Help! PLEASE!”

In an instant, he was devoured in a sea of light, never to be seen again. Tokumaru and Blitz readied their blades… however…

“Who… is…” yelled a voice, coming from a sleek silhouette behind the pillar of the light, “Who is… responsible… for THIS?!”

Tokumaru, against all his training in kata stances, dropped the Hinotama as the silhouette came into vision.

“ANSWER ME.” It commanded, radiating more power than Tokumaru had ever seen. Even in that, it appeared that this being was not even generating half of its strength.

“A…” Tokumaru said, beginning to quake, “Aur… Auror… Aurora-sama…?!”

OOC: Calling Blitz “Blitz-dono” was actually intentional. I’ve explained why to Ry, but not to WoTS. Talk to me on AIM about it.

Aurora had taken herself far from people, indeed, far from the world altogether, the Dark Insurrection had left her weary in soul, and the last battle had left her torn and careworn in spirit. Now, the cold mountain wind sought to refresh her, carrying the ageless woman's mind to range far and wide over the peaks and through the passes, far from her still and meditating body.

"Lady Ominae! Lady Ominae, where are you?!"

Aurora's soul sighed in exasperation. Can I have no moment of peace, even now? she mourned, returning to her body. Rising slowly, she peered down from the peak she often retreated to when she grew tired of Temples and Politics, of Crying Voices and Clutching Hands. Yet, they follow me even here. She looked down to see a young monk, clutching his robes about him from the cold. "What is it?"

He looked up, relief engulfing his features. "Oh! Lady Ominae, thank the Dragon I've found you!" Aurora winced at his turn of phrase, but waited for him to continue. "Hurry, please! The Temple of Light is attacked!"

The Ominae skidded down from the peak, scattering gravel and dust in a cloud. Without pause, she pelted down the mountain path, channeling speed and strength from her summon. Within minutes, she had covered the miles of footpath to the valley.

The Temple of Light was no more. Only a massive hill of rubble, chunks of marble and alabaster crumbled to the ground, were all that remained of the Temple's glowing spires. Tiny figures scurried among the wreckage, monks in white robes and acolytes in ivory mantles. Like ants whose hill has been kicked down. "What's happened here?" She demanded as the head monk trotted up to her.

"Strangers came, good Lady," he panted, "demanding to see the Sanctuary. We, of course, refused them, but then... that's when the killing started." He gave an involuntary shudder as a wail arose from a group unearthing yet another casualty. "They slaughtered mercilessly all who stood in their path. But, the High Summoners, Naomi of the Water, and Byrnison of the Earth followed to confront them before they could accomplish whatever their evil plans. They warned us to leave the Temple... We haven't found them yet."

Aurora fell on the ruin wordlessly, casting debris to each side, flexing her magic like a huge muscle. The crews of workmen stepped aside, knowing they'd only be in the way. The summoner dug her way to the lower halls, pushing stone and timber aside as she quickly worked her way to the Sanctuary.

The mosaic tile lay broken beneath her feet and deep with the dust that still hung thick in the air. A body, mangled beyond recognition, lay at the door of the Sanctuary. Another large body lay nearby, Lord Magnus Byrnison, High Summoner of the Earth Temple, lay still in death. But, the final body stirred.

"Naomi!" Aurora exclaimed, running to her fallen friend. "Naomi, what happened?"

The aging woman's eyelids fluttered. "Aurora, my Lady, is it you? They... They tried to enter the Sanctuary by force. That is all that remains of the one who did. They ran away after that. Magnus and I stayed to try and calm the spirits within... they were so angry... They said..."

"What?! What did they say? Naomi, please don't die on me yet..."

The water summoner smiled gently up at her friend. "Don't be afraid, my Lady. I have lived long and am ready for my peace. All things pass. Perhaps, even you shall one day find your peace. And,... you found Moya for me,... I thank you for that,... my... friend..." And so, Lady Naomi, High Summoner of Water, died old and full of years, in the arms of her friend.

Aurora grieved over her two friends for a long while before making her way out into the open once more. All the workers looked up expectantly. "Where did the intruders go?" she demanded.

The monks looked to one another at a loss. Finally, a young acolyte spoke, quietly. "I heard one of them say something about succeeding for sure at the Dark Temple..."

The Ominae waited to hear no more, but plunged from the cliff that housed the Light Temple. With a flash of light, Valron flew from her wrist, growing to a rideable size. Aurora pulled herself to his sinewy neck, and the two flew at breakneck pace the miles separating the two temple valleys. As the Dark Temple came into view, Valron disappeared in another flash of light and his master plummeted toward the ground, determination etched in her features. Using a burst of chi to slow her descent, the Ominae landed, skidding at a crouch to the very gate of the Dark Temple.

The first thing she noticed were the bodies, mutilated and scorched beyond recognition, strewn across the courtyard. Some monks, some soldiers, all slaughtered indiscriminately. Something glinted in the sun, catching the woman's eyes in the sea of carnage. A ring. As she neared it, she recognized the piece as the prize posession of yet another of her friends, Marcus Stratowyn, High Summoner of Wind. But, the body it was attached to bore no resemblance to her friend, or indeed, anything human. Aurora fell to her knees, taking the trinket, struck by the horrific death of yet a third friend in the space of the early afternoon.

The sound of running feet broke the grieving woman from her reverie. She spun to see a handful of monks racing toward her, and the gate, focusing on the summoner's silver robes like a beacon of hope. She waved them past her, ordering them to the Light Temple to wait for her, before turning on the soldiers, eyes burning with righteous indignation.

The first and second fell headlong, still running, before the others realized they faced a genuine threat. Poor fools, she thought as the the third dropped, clutching wordlessly at his throat. The next barely had time to draw before she was upon him like a tigress, slamming his head to the cobblestones with a sickening crunch. She heard a click, and spun on the fifth, thrusting upward into his throat, her thumb and first two fingers piercing his neck like claws, severing arteries and sending hot blood coursing down the avenger's upraised arm before his comrade's brains had begun oozing onto the stone.

And, the Ominae turned, cold wrath still alight in her eyes as she wiped her hand on the fallen soldier's uniform, rising to stalk like some sleek predator after the final foot soldier. He ran like there was something in the Temple that could actually save his life. Poor fool, she thought as his scream was cut short. The ring she still held in one hand dug into her flesh, and a trickle of blood slid from her palm as she thought of all the friends and innocents that had been lost in but a few short hours.

Her cold wrath erupted into a burning passion which consumed the soldier where he stood. Power seethed from her, barely contained, billowing her robes and glowing in her eyes like the hottest blue flames, as she demanded satisfaction for the day's atrocities. "Who is responsible for this?!"

The echoing clatter of metal hitting the ebony floor of the atrium snapped her attention to the two figures standing before her.

The Ominae turned unrecognizing eyes toward the man quailing under her gaze. "ANSWER ME!"

"A... rora... Aurora-sama?"

The name and honorific brought her back down to the cold, steely wrath she felt since feeling Naomi's spirit slip through her hands. The memory of bodies, burned nearly to ash leaped into her mind. "Tokumaru... you had a hand in this." It was almost a question.

Without even a deathcry, the soldier vanished into a brilliant pillar of light, fear radiating from his eyes as his body evaporated into nothing. Blitz stared in shock, wondering what had happened when a voice tore through the fading aura. “Who is responsible for this?!” The demand was so filled with pure, focused rage that a chill surged down Blitz’ spine. The warped, feminine voice triggered a brief flicker of familiarity, but the swordsman knew not who had spoken; only that she stood beyond that blinding flash.

A clatter sounded in Blitz ears; Tokumaru had dropped the Hinotama, an act virtually beyond the physical capacity of any respectable swordsman. That boisterous sound was much louder than it should have been in this hallowed hall. The look on the Heavenflame’s face was of indescribable horror. “A…rora… Aurora-sama…?”

A pair of kind, knowing eyes etched into a soft, wizened face topped with a multitude of golden locks; the mistaken name of an ambassador, and the unfinished quest which once led to his stay in the Dome. Memories bubbled up front the back of the fire innate’s mind, drawn out by the name which Tokumaru had spoken. Aurora, the Ominae, stood before Blitz Keir as the radiance finally faded. She was furious. Only now beginning to comprehend what had just happened, the swordsman nearly failed to keep his jaw from resting on the mosaic floor. What were the odds of the Ominae showing up here? Could it possibly be coincidence?

Eyes narrowed, tongue dripping with venom, the majic-wielder spoke. “Tokumaru… You had a hand in this.” It was more a statement than a question, but that only made the barely-restrained hatred behind it worse—and all the more dangerous.

Blitz involuntarily tightened the grip on his hilt. Aurora’s eyes caught the action. “Aurora! It’s…you?”

Fiery, hate-filled eyes alighted upon him as the living legend clenched her fists, dribbling blood from between her fingers while a wreath of visible majic began swirling around them. For an instant, she seemed not to recognize him. After all, the two had met only once. But then that moment passed, and a memory burned in her eyes. “And you...Blitz of the Keirs. You did this as well?” Her irises suddenly flared a brilliant, icy blue. Though the trait of color-changing eyes was unique to her, the meaning was clear.

Taken aback by his former teacher’s raw hate, Blitz struggled not to step away in fright. The Ominae’s fury was such that he had never before seen in another living being. Tokumaru collapsed to his knees and gibbered quietly, clearly very disturbed. Aurora’s eyes flashed suddenly, and the Heavenflame was thrust to his feet, suspended three feet off the ground by Aurora’s majic. She seemed almost unable to form words any longer, for her teeth were bared in a snarl quite unbefitting. “How…dare you...bow to me!”

The samurai’s eyes bulged as he clutched for his throat, desperately trying to pry away some unseen grip. His legs kicked violently, thrusting for the floor but unable to reach it.

The words slipped out without control, for Blitz was too shocked to control his own tongue. “Aurora! Have you lost your mind?!” He watched in disbelief for an instant, not knowing what to do. Aurora’s power was entirely foreign to him; the swordsman saw only one course of action. Supernova firmly in hand, he bolted toward the Ominae with all the strength his legs would allow, feigning a slash at her shoulder.

With the fluidity of water, the speed of a thunderbolt, Aurora slipped to the side as if the startlingly quick movement itself cost no effort. A force slammed into the fire innate’s chest, hurling him back and across the hall to skid on his back with a disgraceful thud. Having lost interest in strangling the Heavenflame, she released her hold on her former student, subsequently unleashing another invisible explosion of magic to catapult Tokumaru against the wall. His eyelids clenched shut at the impact, and he slid to the floor.

Grinding her teeth together, the memories of her friends emblazoned on the surface of her mind, Aurora stepped further into the temple’s archway. The two flame-wielders were trapped in this place with a furious woman ready to gut them at the first opportunity. But, no; she would torment them for a while first.

Blitz attempted rising to his feet, groaning at the force of the Ominae’s raw majic. Even so, he knew she had been holding back tremendously. He could only guess as to why, but lying thoughtfully on the ground would most certainly lead to inevitable death. But the instant he was on his feet again, Aurora was in front of him. This time she did not bother to use her majic. With a single, lightning-quick fist, she seized his collar and lifted him into the air. Though not tall, she was only shorter than the fire innate by two inches, and lifting him right off of his feet took no effort in her current state of mind. Seeing her free fist rear back, Blitz thrust up his hands in self-defense. “Wait! Please, we can explain—”

The fist stopped mere centimeters from his nose, a fraction of an instant from shattering the fragile cartilage. “…Well?” Even into that single word she poured such boiling anger that Blitz’ nerves stood on end.

He had not expected her to heed, and for a moment stared at the knuckles directly before his eyes. Then, fearing that his captor might tire of waiting, he launched into a half-thought jumble of words. “We only entered the temple to destroy the Sanctuary! Any deaths incurred are not our responsibility—”

Crunch! His face blossomed in agony, and he would have clutched it in reflex had it not been for the sudden impact with the temple’s wall. Hot blood streamed from the injury as vision swirled, but consciousness did not slip away. Struggling to keep from passing out, Blitz stirred, attempting to push himself to his feet with both arms. Through the puddle of mixing pigments, he could almost make out the Ominae standing over him, a blade inches from her neck. Tokumaru’s voice came to him, a frail, disturbed crackle.

“Please, sama…I don’t want to fight you.”

OoC: For those of you wondering why this isn't Safer's post, we decided to change the order for the duration of the fight, so it'll be Wielder, myself, then Safer.

BiC:"... Any deaths incurred are not our responsibility-"

She could hold herself back no longer but plowed her fist into the fire wielder's face, breaking his nose and bouncing his head off the wall she had jammed him up against. Aurora felt motion nearby, and allowed the samurai to come behind her, knowing he would not simply strike her down.

The Ominae felt the Hinotama's edge threaten her ivory throat as Tokumaru's voice crackled, "Please, sama... I don't want to fight you."

"Don't dare call me that," she retorted coldly, side-kicking him in the gut, sending him flying several yards, "not after what you've done." She let Blitz's weakly struggling body slide to the floor, as she stalked after her former assistant. "I trusted you, Tokumaru. I taught you, unlocked access to deeper powers within yourself, and this is how you've repaid me?" Tears stood, unwilling to be shed, in her now steely grey eyes. "You come to my world, butchering innocent people and killing my friends, in the name of what?"

"We have to destroy the Sanctuaries, sama. If we don't, Dark Horizon will gain the powers within and overpower the Alliance..." Tokumaru hugged his side as he spoke, obviously nursing a couple of ribs.

"What in the name of all the elements are you gibbering about?" She was running out of patience, and despite all that had happened, still struggled not to kill the two elementals where they stood. But, she had more important issues at the moment. "I don't care about your petty wars. I am the protector of this world and its people, and I will not suffer harm to come to anyone under my hand, especially, not for such patent ignorance." The Ominae spun and stalked away, down the hall that led deeper into the Temple. "You have until I return to leave this place, and this world. And, you'd better contact your friend and tell him the same. Feel free to warn him that I'm coming because if he's harmed one tile in the Sanctuary, may the Most High have mercy on your souls... because your asses are mine."

OoC: Yay, for short crappiness! -_- ...woot.

OOC: YAY FOR PROCRASTINATION!!!

BiC: Aurora then walked coolly out, leaving her former friends to discuss their plan of action. The crumbling rocks on the sides of the holy structure fell silently to the ground, echoing in a dark manner throughout the shadowy halls. Tokumaru’s face matched the dark appeal of the temple; gloomy and distraught. The only difference was that one was firm and steady, and the other was on the verge of tears.

Sama… Tokumaru thought, feeling an array of emotions he had not felt since the episode with Eythinia, What have I… have I done? What seething rage have I brought up from within you? Is this… truly my fault…?

“Tokumaru!” yelled Blitz, who had moved a bit back down the corridor, “Come, quickly. We must alert Viscen of Aurora’s presence here!”

Tokumaru turned around, sword unsheathed and glowing with the reds of the Inferno Stage.

“But what about sama?”

“Do you want to die trying to pry the madness away from her, or do you want to die while saving this planet from Dark Horizon’s intentions?”

“I’d rather die trying to—”

“RHETORICAL, Tokumaru! Come on!”

Tokumaru shuffled back and forth for a few seconds, but inevitably followed his friend down the dark pathway of the Temple of Darkness. Tokumaru knew not if Blitz was aware… however, the samurai could detect that the incredibly aura being given off by Aurora outside the Temple was increasing by the second.

Oh, sama… please… don’t make us go any further than this…

* * *

After running through the dead bodies of fallen soldiers from the massive hall-fight, the two eventually reached the glowing door. Viscen was there, as they expected, working frivolously on the bomb by the gate to the sanctuary. Through the door could be heard the loud mumbling of what was probably a Dark Horizon operative realizing the power being generated outside of the temple and, more importantly, the door he was standing by.

Viscen turned around, looking oddly at his two soldiers.

“I thought I told you two to stay up there and guard the gate!”

Blitz bolted out in words; Tokumaru stood with his back to Viscen, looking with worriment back down the chambers.

“Viscen,” said Blitz, “we haven’t the time for this bomb, or any of this; we’ve got to get out of here before some serious damage occurs. My former teacher is waiting right outside the temple gates, and I’m telling you, she is EXTREMELY powerful. If we don’t do something, we’re all going to be killed.”

Viscen raised an eyebrow, placing a bold hand to his chin in thought. The seconds that passed seemed like hours on end, never finishing for the next.

“Hmm…” muttered Viscen. “Is there really anyone who can beat you two in this temple?”

“Yes,” said Tokumaru sharply, back still turned. “I am sure she can defeat us easily at our current stages. If we can persuade her to back off, we might have a chance to settle things. If not… I… er… we might have to… increase our powers to dangerous limits.”

Viscen let out a delayed sigh, turning back towards his bomb.

“Hold her off for as long as you can,” he said. “It’s the best you can do at this point; and for the love of God, if she’s as powerful as you think she is, don’t let her get back here.”

“That’s it?” asked Tokumaru, turning around. “You just expect us to fight her like that, without any regard for our or her safety?”

“Her safety?” asked Viscen curiously, “What, are you on her side or something?”

“Don’t worry about it, Viscen,” said Blitz, turning back towards the hall. “Tokumaru is just going through some… issues with Aurora, just as I am. But time is of the essence, let’s get moving, Tokumaru.”

The samurai grumbled under his breath, closing his eyes. At that moment, as if both fire warriors were in tune with eachother’s minds, Blitz and Tokumaru bolted down the hallway at their inhuman speeds. Concern in the mind of one, terror and worry in the mind of the other.

* * *

The two warriors stopped right outside the temple, not breaking a single drop of sweat from their run. Dust rolled in the wind across the ground between them and their former teacher, whose back was turned. An intense level of power surged throughout the area, radiating like the fires of Hephaestus himself. With no remorse at all in her voice, in a cool collection of speech, Aurora then spoke.

“Have you made your decision? Will you leave this world, and never show yourselves in my presence again?”

Tokumaru was silent.

“Aurora,” Blitz said coolly, readying his Supernova. “We cannot leave here. Our army is far to deep into this strife to pull back now. If Dark Horizon gains control of this Temple’s summons, we will—”

“I said…” snapped Aurora, “That your wars… do not concern me at all.”

“We’re not going to leave, Aurora. We have come too far to do so now.”

“Is that your final choice?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Very well.”

WHAM!

With insane speeds, Aurora whacked Blitz in the nose a second time, breaking any remaining bone in his nose. However, the mighty Ominae did not stop there, and kicked the Supernova out of Blitz’ hand, instantly rearing her leg back around in a roundhouse to trip the Wielder of the Sword. She then rammed her pointed fingers up into Blitz’ lungs many times in quick succession, finishing it off with a kick in the chest, throwing the fire warrior across to a pavilion outside.

Completely ignoring her other former student across the way, the Ominae sped after Blitz, grabbing him by the ankles and tossing him into the ceiling of the pavilion. The roof collapsed upon the center instantly afterwards—Aurora jumped gracefully out of the way—causing the columns that supported it to fall upon Blitz. The Wielder of the Sword might have stood a chance, had his assailant not maimed him in under thirty seconds.

Aurora then shoved her hand into the rubble, grabbing the once-again-unconscious Blitz by the collar and pulling him up to her face.

“You might not be able to hear me…” she said sharply, cocking a deadly fist behind her head, “…but allow me to express how disappointed and enraged I am with you all. You killed my friends… And that… is simply… unexcusab—”

SHINK!

Aurora then hopped from her location, a piece of her garment floating lightly to the floor in flames. Behind her stood Tokumaru, sword surrounded in a cyclone of flames.

“Aurora,” Tokumaru said, purposefully not using the –sama suffix. “If this is what has become of you with a simple misunderstanding, then I have no choice.”

The Ominae looked at the small hinge of robe that had been seared off by the Hinotama, and glared back at her student.

“Tokumaru… you nearly lopped my arm off. You didn’t hit me though, and for the attempt, I’m going to—”

“You know, Aurora, I really don’t want to hear it. I only have one thing to say to you.”

“And that is, Tokumaru Kyô?”

“Kite, Aurora-sensei.”

OOC: And no, that’s not kite as in a flying kite. That’s kite as in kee-tay, the Japanese imperative for “to come”. Thanks LEA! ^^

OoC: Sorry for posting out of turn, but I had to run interference for the continuity errors, and it was easier to do it myself than explain how.

IC:Aurora's eyes narrowed, the glow fading momentarily from their icy depths. What was going on? The last she remembered, she was heading for the Sanctuary to extract whoever was planning to destroy it... Why was she outside? And, why was she holding a bleeding Blitz by the collar? And, why the hell did Tokumaru look at her as though she were some manner of demon? Then, the memories came to her.

"Of course... in my overflow of emotion... I let my guard down..." She shook her head ruefully, and muttered almost silently, "Like a damn fool..." She began lowering the hemorraging fire Wielder's body to the ground. Tokumaru's stance changed, a reflex as she moved. She chuckled sardonically, still moving, laying Blitz's body on the ground. "After what you just witnessed, do you really think you could stop me?"

"I would try with my dying breath."

She looked up at him sadly, as her hand brushed gently over Blitz's wounds. "Tokumaru-kun..."

"Don't call me that." His hands clutched the Hinotama more tightly.

She looked down, and whispered softly, "I'm sorry, Blitz, the Darkness overcame me in my weakness." The Ominae rose quietly, and Tokumaru watched in wonder as his friend's wounds began glowing with her trademark blue aura, closing as the blood quickly staunched. As he watched Blitz slowly regain consciousness, she turned and began walking toward the temple.

"Stop!"

Aurora paused just before the door, though she never turned to face the speaker. "Tokumaru-kun, I was perfectly sane when I gave my ultimatum. Leave. Now. I have no desire to harm either of you, but if you persist in being a threat to my world..."

"Dark Horizon is a threat to the entire universe!"

"Spoken as a true zealot, Blitz. The universe is a very, very large place. And, if you think this Dark Horizon is a threat to it, then you have much to learn." Her robes began to billow gently as her aura rose once more. Aurora felt Tokumaru's chi tense somehere behind her. She never turned from the temple's depths. "There is nothing here for you, or your Dark Horizon to be concerned with. Take your armies, and your vendettas, and your hostilities, and... be... GONE!"

The building itself seemed to flash with power. Darkness swirled around the spires, the gargoyles stirred on their perches, sneering expectantly. Within moments, a geyser of impenetrable shadow errupted from the doorway, and out the gate. It dissapated just as quickly, and the two fire elementals looked to see who was yelling behind them.

Viscen was stamping around the form of his big, metal toy, shouting expletives concerning the fact that he was unaware how he suddenly got dumped unceremoniously outside, especially when the two elementals were supposed to be preventing any interruptions. He whirled on the two soldiers. "Get that damned woman out of the way, and let's get this job done!"

Aurora laughed, her voice a shining light through the tension in the courtyard. "Lovable fellow, isn't he?" Her voice mellowed as her gaze pierced the distance to the general's. "You are not the only one with duties to fulfill this day... but, I am the only one who will lay down with success this evening. Do not make this harder on yourselves. This is the last time I will tell you. Go home."

OoC: Heheh...fun with the superior officer. ^_^ I thought I'd give him a whirl. And yes, that barrier he generates on his arm is impenetrable, but it prevents him from using any other elemental abilities while it's in use. Fun stuff.

BiC:

A firm, disciplinary glare from their superior spoke every bit of his displeasure to both Blitz and Tokumaru. It also conveyed with it a sentiment, one that could be interpreted only as an unspoken command to “Attack!” And that is precisely what the flame wielders did, swords whirling in arc-shaped patterns as they darted toward the Ominae, who stood unperturbed before them. Before the two could even get close, Aurora’s body flashed a deep sky-blue and a pulse of white energy, released in a spherical shockwave, sent them sailing backward.

Viscen cursed loudly, whipping out both his magnums and fire six bursts in rapid succession. Not a shot deviated from its target—Aurora’s shoulders—but not a drop of blood appeared where the bullets should have struck. Eyes widening in disbelief, Viscen murmured, “…The Hell?”

In that instant, Aurora was upon him with her chi-infused fists. But instead of striking flesh, her fist slammed into hard stone which shattered beneath the force of the impact. A barrier composed of red earth itself had ascended from the ground, preventing her from sending the general sprawling. Inwardly, she complimented his reaction time, but another quick burst of concentrated chi blew the barrier into harmless shrapnel, revealing the officer several meters behind. He had an oddly confident yet grim look in his eye.

Sparing not a moment’s hesitation, the Ominae bolted forward, her own face a mask, wary of whatever trick the burly man obviously had up his sleeve. But instead of striking him with a fist, she came to an abrupt halt directly in front of him, and unleashed another swift burst of chi from her suddenly open palm.

…And to no effect. The general now stood, slouching slightly, with an arm raised diagonally across his chest. This arm, however, was not made of flesh, but instead a massive wedge of solid earth. Curious, Aurora smacked it; an effortless blow, but it should have sent any other being careening. Yet Viscen’s earthenware ward remained strong.

Seeing that his trick had impressed his opponent, the officer indulged a subtle smirk, which suddenly felt ridiculous as the Ominae’s leg swept beneath him. Landing with a discouraged “Oof!” the general called upon the earth below just as Aurora prepared to slam her elbow into his stomach. Obeying his command unquestioningly, the ground surged upward, and now Viscen was suspended upon a massive pillar of stone.

Looking up from below with no particular rush to bring the opponent to his knees, Aurora could not quite make out the general. But once he rose to his feet, she could see that he was carrying the high-powered explosive that came with him when she’d transported this grudging man from within the temple. A loud rumbling sounded behind her, and the Ominae ducked out of the way, expecting a stone to come hurtling forward. But instead, another pillar of stone had risen closer to the temple. Her eyes followed its red, earthy surface until it reached its peak, then with a start as Viscen landed upon this new pillar. Another one rose further away from it, and Aurora suddenly realized what the officer planned to do. A swift burst of chi, as she leapt forward, sliced through the pillar of stone without interruption, but Viscen had better coordination than she expected. Stumbling on the falling platform but catching his balance, he leapt to the next he’d created and then the next.

A low growl meant that Aurora was fed up with this game of cat and mouse. A swift beam of highly-focused chi meant that every pillar Viscen had already created crumbled to nothing in an instant, and that the officer himself suddenly lay where he belonged: on his backside, beneath Aurora’s raised fist. “Put that down,” she demanded slowly through grating teeth, for her opponent had thought to raise his magnum to her forehead. However, the general’s determined expression and unwavering hand told her that he didn’t intend to comply.

The two could kill each other instantly in this stance, but that would solve nothing. Many tense moments passed between them during which neither spoke a word. Both calmly, wordlessly analyzed the situation, quietly contemplating the best course of action. Both Viscen and Aurora knew what that would be, but unless the blonde-haired summoner’s students suddenly grew a backbone, that was not likely to—

A burst of superheated energy came at her from the left while Viscen’s magnum still trained on her head. With a curse, Aurora rolled off of the officer just as a deafening BANG! thundered in her ears. A burning sensation swept up her left arm, but concentrating her chi into the wound to instantly begin regenerating the charred flesh, even while she rose to her bare, slender feet, was no trouble at all. Blitz and Tokumaru stood some distance away with their hands outstretched in unison; Viscen was between them and her, already rising to his feet with the explosive still in hand.

While the Heavenflame’s face was a determined one, his teacher could sense the grim self-loathing behind the mask, and he knew this well. Blitz, while not so disturbed, clearly did not want to fight. But as the two slowly came to terms with what needed to be done, Aurora knew they would put more and more into their efforts. She knew they would not back down with their idealistic beliefs, and that meant things could only get worse from here on out.

This is going to be a looong day, Aurora thought grimly, as she stared down the three soldiers. "Impenetrable barriers"... The crutch and downfall of the weak tactician.

"Keir, Kyo, keep her out here and busy. I've got business to attend to." The compact general turned toward the temple once more.

The pretty woman's mouth curved in an amused smirk. "I thought I already proved that I needen't be IN the temple to throw YOU out on your ear." Her eyes flashed and a gust of wind struck the three men from behind, knocking them head over heels. She glanced down at her now bare arm, its ivory skin resplendent in the sunlight, as she moved blindingly. "It's a shame you're not putting your heart into this, Tokumaru, else you might have actually done a bit of damage."

Blitz shot a betrayed look at his comrade as the three rose. "What the hell does she mean by that, Kyo?!"

"I thought it was obvious." The Ominae said from behind them, where she blasted them with a another wave of pure chi before they had fully righted themselves. Two of them rolled once more.

As she expected, Viscen had once again erected his barrier, his arm raised protectively before him, unprepared for the onslaught to each flank that followed immediately. The general grunted as his body seemed to compress briefly and he collapsed to his knees at her feet. He raised his still rocky barrier before him as she raised her hand.

The Ominae chuckled as she ran a finger over the clay-red shield, and it melted away under her carress as quickly as it had sprung to life on his person, revealing his drawn firearm, and his eyes widened in disbelief. "What the hell ARE you?"

She heard a grunt from Blitz and her eyes flashed as a plume of flame split before it reached her and the general, flying harmlessly to each side. "The grown-ups are talking right now, boys." She waved a hand dismissively and another blast of wind struck the two so hard from each side that they collided with one another and slid to the ground in a tangle of limbs. "Just sit and color until we're done," she said mildly. "Don't worry, I don't plan to kill him." Her gaze shifted back to the fighter at her feet.

"Don't move." The general's gun was trained on her head once more.

The ageless summoner smiled gently down at the war-hardened general. "Granted you're accustomed to the practice but, what makes you think you're in a position to deliver orders, General?"

"I'm the one with the crosshairs between those pretty blue eyes..."

"True enough, but you tried that already, or did you forget what happened to the last six rounds you fired?"

"I must've missed," the seasoned warrior grasped for explaination.

"Oh, no," she retorted cooly, "you're actually an excellent shot." She opened her, until now, closed left fist, letting a handful of hollowtipped, high-caliber, magnum bullets clink harmlessly to the cobblestones. In the instant the seasoned soldier's eyes glanced at the falling ammo, he was throw clear by a resounding roundhouse to the head. "I'm just a better catch." His limp body finally collided with his now standing underlings.

She watched as the two fire elementals extracted themselves from each other for the second time in less than a minute, this time with the added hassle of their unconscious commander. "Now that the backseat fighters are in time out, I think you realize that the only way to get inside is through me."

OoC: Yes, this is a bump, and worse, a double post! *the crowd gasps in horror* But, evidently a couple of somebodys didn't know what to do next, so I'm giving them a little old-fashioned action.

The two fire innates glanced at each other, as if telepathically deciding on a plan of attack. Then, they moved as one, blades bursting into flame, dashing toward her at inhuman speed, moving to flank her. Aurora leapt into the air as they came for her, and the two allowed their swords to clash briefly before leaping after her, Tokumaru's wings alight. The two came level with her, and swung once more, but thier blades stopped, stilled by the summoner's hands encased in blue light. She thrust them away from herself before turning and chasing down the samurai.

She threw a punch at his retreating body, which he barely blocked. She followed with a roundhouse that he failed to block. "If you're going to do this halfway, Tokumaru, then go home and don't waste my time!" The one-time teacher spun and took off after his comrade.

Blitz had landed and righted himself, awaiting her onslaught, bringing his blade up to block her fist as she collided forcefully with him. They rolled head over heels together, the Wielder nearly landing on top, but with the final roll, Aurora planted one foot in the redhead's stomach, sending him flying over her head.

The Ominae rolled to her feet, chuckling in amusement. "You two are going to have to take me seriously at some point."

OoC: Yes, I’m aware that, technically, it’s Safer’s turn. However, he appears to have forgotten. That being said, screw the post order. ^^ Permanently.

BiC:

Righting himself a second time, albeit with some difficulty, Blitz skidded to a halt. He ground his teeth, frustration rising by the moment. Never would he have believed the legendary Ominae could be his enemy, yet here she was, locked in a savage dance with her former students. The worst part was that, if she was victorious, the Alliance would almost certainly fall to Dark Horizon and, before long, the world would follow. But they wouldn’t stop there; once they had a strong foothold, their eyes would light upon other worlds. Whatever she was fighting to protect, it couldn’t be more important the livelihood of every civilization in existence.

Seeing her rocket toward him for a follow-up, he closed his eyes and thrust one hand out to his side. “I don’t want to say this, Aurora, but…I can’t let you do this.” Flames wreathed across his arm, collecting in the palm of his hand and extending in the shape of a wispy blade. She wouldn’t be able to block this with her fists. The swordsman thrust open his eyes then, and steeled his eyes against the Ominae, feeling fire energies swarm around him in a hazy blur. Just as she came into reach, he thrust out both steel and flame, moving as fast as his body would allow. "Even if I have to kill you!"

Aurora raised her eyebrow at this declaration. The fire wielder bore down on her, swords outstretched, only to be stopped inches from her undefended chest by an invisible barrier. "You're actually serious, aren't you, Blitz? You really think all this is necessary, and that you could..." She threw her head back and laughed heartily before levelling her gaze at the redhead's youthful eyes. "Do you really think you've got what it takes to beat me, let alone kill me?" Her eyes flashed and Blitz sailed backward, skidding to a halt several yards away. "Let me clear it up for you in case you're still wondering." In a burst of speed, she closed the distance between them, raising a wall of water around them both before bringing it crashing down around their forms, enclosing them in a bubble of the pure liquid. Her mind echoed in his as she leaned in close to his now struggling, red-faced form. "You don't."

The only thing that kept Blitz’ lungs from being crushed was the sharp breath he’d drawn just before the Ominae trapped them both in a bubble. He blinked, and in that instant, Aurora’s fist smashed into his face. He could feel the chi like a hand against his back, holding him inside the watery prison. Before the swordsman could recover, her shin slammed into his side, and then her other leg knocked the wind out of him. Water flooded his lungs; his eyes bulged. No!

Blitz’ mind raced as he tapped into his reserves of adrenaline, calling forth a massive collection of fire element to converge with his energy sword, and unleashing a powerful explosion right in the center of the bubble. Aurora guarded, but she hadn’t been his target. The bubble evaporated around them, and Blitz fell to his knees, gagging. No sooner had he emptied his lungs than Aurora’s bare foot slammed into his face, sending him reeling across the dry, cracked earth. She was on top of him before the daze cleared, pinning down the soldier and raising a fist again. Her face was an unreadable mask, giving no indication of her thoughts.

Blitz lay helplessly in the ancient woman’s grasp, his strength all but depleted from the choking. He stared up at his old teacher. Her eyes seemed so devoid of the compassion he’d known her for. The swordsman was too weakened to escape on his own this time. Tokumaru...where the Hell are you?

"You young fool. All this pain, all this suffering, all for nothing." She reached down and raised his spluttering form by the collar once more. "Are you always so stubborn in such pointless little things, Blitz?" She grasped his chin, forcing him to look into her eyes and their steely grey, like the sky before a storm. His head lolled back and forth as the remaining water in his lungs dribbled from his mouth. "You have nothing left, Blitz. You're too weak. You were too weak to beat me earlier today when you three invaded my world, and you with Tokumaru slaughtered the priests and acolytes of two temples along with three of my closest friends. You should have thought about that before you made yourself my enemy." Her eyes were momentarily a softer, dove grey. "Please, stop this insanity, Blitz. I don't want to have to explain your death to someone you love..."

She felt a surge of energy behind her, and cast the barely conscious man aside as she ducked to avoid a jet of flame rocketing over her head. She spun in her crouch, eyes levelling on her other former student. A bitter smile curled her lips. "It's a shame the only fight you'll ever stay to finish with me is because I finish it quickly... You disappoint me deeply, Tokumaru-kun."

She bolted after the samurai, her storm grey eyes locked on his. He tried to improve his stance, raising his sword in a more defensive kata. Aurora lashed out with her chi, sharp and fast, and blood gushed from her former student's hands as the flesh on the back of each hand was quickly and efficiently flayed by the unseen force. A short cry of pain escaped his lips as the Hinotama fell to the ground with his blood.

Tokumaru looked up at his former teacher, trying in vain to flex his hands, realizing too late that she had severed tendons, making it impossible to hold his sword properly, or even to make a fist. He threw his arms before his face in a futile attempt to shield himself from her attack, her fist colliding with his crossed forearms. There was an audible crack as he was thrown backward by the blow.

"How could you do this thing, Tokumaru? How could you not trust me to protect my own world? Did you think I was so weak?" Each statement fell harshly on him, punctuated by blows he feebly blocked. "Did you think you could honestly stand against me, do harm to that most precious to me, and not expect me to stop you?" She paused as he slid against a wall. A thought passed over her face, one that seemed to sadden her as much as anger her. "Or, did you think that you would use this as an excuse to see me fight? Do you think you have what it takes now? Is that it, dear Tokumaru? Did you wish to see if you've surpassed your sensei, now, you traitor? Did you kill them to bait me?" She stared down coldly at her former student and friend. Then, she reached down with one hand and hoisted him to his feet. "You know the old warning about pulling the tiger's tail?" The petite woman effortlessly turned, throwing the elemental over her head and out to the center of the courtyard like an overhanded pitch. He landed forcefully on his partner, knocking what little air was in their lungs, out. "Well, you, you lucky fools, pulled the dragon's tail."

OoC: Not even in TSH did I allow Blitz to unleash his full potential. For some reason I can’t seem to grasp, I’ve always held him back. Aurora should be pleased. This is the first and last time I will ever let Blitz utilize the full power of a Celestial. There’s a reason the twelve Celestials are called the gods of their world. This time, I’m going to cast aside all thoughts of fairness and let the true power of Celestiality show.

This fight just got interesting.

BiC:

The swordsman rolled his ally aside, vaguely registering the look of agony and humiliation in Tokumaru’s eyes. He was loathe to admit it, but Aurora was right. There was no way he could defeat her as he was now, even with the Heavenflame’s aid. Too much is at stake. I can’t afford to let Dark Horizon master summoning. Only one option remained. He’d sworn never to set that monster free again, but without the power it yielded, bringing down the Ominae was impossible. There’s no guarantee it will work… I haven’t mastered its power.

Nevertheless, Blitz called to the elements even as he rose to his feet. The air was thick with elemental energy, even Aurora herself poured out a flood. Power whirled about him in a maelstrom so thick and tumultuous that dust blew away from his feet in clouds. His body suddenly convulsed as the energy reached the threshold and his blood began to boil. Absorbing any more elemental energy could kill him. With a grunt of pain, he called out in the otherworld one last time. As the energy flowed in, he let out a cry of agony. His body was threatening to burst apart at the seams.

“I…can’t…lose!”

There was a brilliant flash of light and pain as his power inverted, and his body was thrust into the otherworld with a banshee-like shriek. Aurora must have realized what was happening, for she suddenly bolted forward with a fistful of concentrated chi and swung viciously at his face. Her knuckles were directly in front of him, and in the next instant, he was levitating in front of the temple, staring coldly at her.

She turned, leering him with those icy eyes. It had only taken seconds. Blitz had once again become a Celestial. But as he raised his hand and focused it upon the Ominae, something was different. The insanity from the first transformation was gone, replaced with something…different; a wholeness, a completeness he could not describe. In his hand, the Blazing Ether gleamed prettily. Without a faintest hint of effort, the born-again Celestial unleashed a hurricane of fire element, and the entire temple suddenly disintegrated.

In the center of the gaping trench, more than fifty meters below what was once the temple’s foundation, laid a semitransparent box the size of a small house. The Sanctuary of Darkness… He could almost imagine the Dark Horizon operative meditating within, beckoning the spirits. Raising a hand, he called forth the full force of his power, and the earth shook violently. “Die!” The Sanctuary buckled under the intensity of his strength, but remained intact. Increasing the magnitude of his power, Blitz attempted to crush the box, but no matter how much force he poured out, the Sanctuary held fast. “Impossible!”

Suddenly aware of a massive collection of chi, he whipped around to find a wall of icy needles flying directly toward him. With a grunt of dismissal, he raised his hand and an energy shield burst into existence before him. The tiny missiles disintegrated on impact, but Aurora was one step behind them. Her fist collided with his ward, crippling it for only a moment before Blitz poured his energy into his defensive barrier. Her chi output intensified, but he could tell the Ominae was not exerting herself fully.

“Time to clip the dragon's wings," he hissed.

Aurora laughed coldly. "What the hell is it that makes fire elementals so damned dense? Sometimes you can be worse than earth elements, at least they know what it is to be worn down." She brushed a hand along the barrier. The man's eyes widened slightly as she inexplicably stepped through his defenses. He lashed out at her with a great battle cry, unleashing a maelstorm of white-hot fire from the depths of his being. The small woman was engulfed, disappearing in the inferno. Blitz watched closely, knowing she was still there, waiting for her to emerge and fight him.

Suddenly, her chi disappeared. Blitz nearly cried out in surprise as he felt her vanish in the flames.

Then, a pair of glowing blue eyes looked out at him from the raging fire. "You can't destroy life itself, Blitz." The flames whipped around the eyes like an earthbound star, suddenly constricting into a humanoid shape. Aurora's eyes burned at him as her voice caressed his ears, calm, with all the cool, gentle, soothing comfort of a mountain stream. "Chi is life energy. Energy cannot be created or destoryed, only changed. You cannot destroy what is defined as indestructable." The flaming form took one step back, standing in the actual midst of the barrier which immediately reacted to the fire's presence. It rippled and shimmered at her touch, merging with the white-hot form, vanishing into the glowing body.

Then, the flames extinguished, and Aurora stood before him, same as she always was, the same sage, peaceful expression, a gentle breeze making the same golden curls dance across her serene face. "Blitz, why can't you trust me?"

OoC: I am sooo sorry this took so long! >< I tried three times to finish this post, but each time something stupid happened and I lost all my progress... Oi, no excuses for me. Let's just continue this. Enjoy. ^^

BiC:

Blitz’ eyes went wide at the raging inferno engulfing Aurora. The flames licked at his skin harmlessly, fueling him even more. She…she merged with my fire? He shook off the astonishment and called to the fire element around him. Obediently, heat energy swirled around him, sinking invisibly into his body. Though he did not fully understand the nature of her power, the Ominae’s control was unsurpassed by anything short of a god. Her fluidity was such that he could only rival her at the absolute best, even with the godlike power of Celestiality.

He narrowed his eyes at the beautiful, contemptible woman. “It’s not a matter of trust.” A pillar of fire shot vertically from his body as his energy maxed out, instantly charring everything in sight. “It never was.”

Suddenly, the Celestial vanished. Every trace of him aside from the omnipresent heat disappeared into thin air. His voice rang out; the same voice as always, but warped to a dull roar that echoed across the landscape. “I am not human anymore, Aurora. My mortal limitations are lifted. I no longer need a physical body to exist.”

The world flickered, rippled, then faded away leaving behind an almost-there nothingness just on the edge of existence. As a full Celestial, his capacity to channel energy was unlimited. Casting Supernova was almost too easy. “Your fists won’t help you anymore, sensei.”

Aurora smiled sadly into the miniature abyss created by her one time student. "There is more to godhood than the ability to cast off the mortal shell. What is omnipresence without omnicience?" Her eyes began to change as she spoke, not glowing as they normally did when she flexed her power, but instead bleeding to a blue so dark you might confuse it for black. "What is power without wisdom?" They no longer showed pupil or white, but shone from her peaceful face like fathomless pools so dark and deep that if you looked closely enough you might see the universe itself reflected in them, if you did not fall into their depths first.

The new Celestial bombarded her. Thrusted at her with wave upon wave of energy as though in this dimension he had created he could crush her with the very weight of his newfound 'godhood'.

But still, the energy flowed, never stopping at her body, but instead flowing through it, as though she were not there. Then, her voice echoed in his formless mind. You are undone, young one.

He bellowed in rage, constricting his power around her, willing her to be crushed, and still, she merely shook her head sadly as the young man's energy threatened to drown her. He attacked ferociously, slashing at her, binding her, thrusting his magic into her, through her, until her hair came unbound, flowing about her form like a golden ocean, a drop of blood ran slowly down her cheek from a gash at her temple. Her robes hang in irreparable tatters, flapping about her in the tiny void. You perish for lack of knowledge, Blitz.

Suddenly, the onslaught ceased, the blackness of the tiny dimension was silent once more. Aurora had vanished. She was simply gone. "Come back and face me! You cannot hide from me in my own creation, Aurora!" Then the blackness, if possible, became even more complete.

Aurora closed her eyes, rubbing them with thumb and forefinger as though she were trying to decide how to explain something simply enough. I'm not gone.

Muted colors danced before him, then the original view into the void returned. "Then where are you? Why have you stopped fighting?!"

She spoke very simply, like you would to a child who couldn't understand the lesson. That's what you normally do when the fight is over, Blitz.

He made a small, perplexed sort of sound.

Aurora put her hand to her forehead and face, shaking her head in an 'I don’t believe this.' kind of gesture. Blitz watched a palm move back and forth very close before his vision.

He was silent for a very long moment. "No... No, there's no way... That's not possible..."

Evidently it is, Blitz, because you're here. She shrugged and his vision tilted a little, giving him a little more peripheral view of her shoulder and chest. You're in my head... well, your mind is, anyway.

"What have you DONE?!"

She rolled her eyes a little, giving him an up close and personal view of a curl that threatened to slide down over her eyes. Don't get melodramatic, Blitz. He watched from the wrong side as she pushed the hair back from her face. Consider it a sort of time out to think about your actions and the consequences thereof.

“Let me out! You have to let me complete my mission! The universe-“

And, here we go again… No, Blitz. You’re staying right here where you can’t make more trouble for now.

The young man sounded positively distraught. “Then, you’ve destroyed the universe…”

No, just the little piece you played with. She waved a hand and the blackness of Blitz’s dimension melted away to leave them standing once more in the ruined courtyard. The energy of the pocket dimension did not fade, however, but vibrated in the air around them. With another gesture, Aurora flung the energy out from herself, and they watched it coalesce into a new Dark temple, like a mirage shimmering into reality.

Next, she concentrated the remainder of the energy surrounding them, that of the Celestial form. She put her palms together, then pulled them apart as though separating two people in a fight. Aurora looked to the right, and Blitz saw his body dangling limp from her hand, then she looked left. If he had possessed eyes at the moment, they would have widened as he looked at the form of fire dangling from her other hand. The Celestial energy flowed around her left hand, a red-orange glowing haze, shimmering in her grip. Without a word, she released the energy, and it swirled away, out of the courtyard, and into the mountains. “There, that will save the Light temple a lot of work.”

“What the HELL?! How’d you do that?!”

Aurora set the red-haired body down and turned to the newly resurrected Dark temple.

“What about my body?”

Her thoughts had a deep, scathing sarcasm. If it’s the end of the universe, what difference does it make?

“This isn’t a joke!” His mind railed within her, seeking a way out of its imprisonment.

Indeed it is not. Her mind held him captive with a deep, condescending coldness, bordering on disdain. Now watch and learn what happens when you meddle with things that are not your concern and you cannot understand.

He could not help but watch the door of the temple, as her eyes had not turned from it. Suddenly, a dark form was catapulted from the doorway in a cloud of blackest smoke, much as he’d see his commander expelled earlier, but this body landed at the foot of the wide steps leading to the door. He recognized the uniform it wore. “A Dark Horizon operative…”

The one you all would have destroyed my world to get to.

A light breeze blew across the courtyard, stirring its clothing, but as it did, the body seemed to evaporate, settling into dust that blew away on the wind, leaving the uniform empty and flat on the cobblestones.

Aurora’s eyes bled back to their normal appearance, and Blitz opened his eyes, his own eyes, to look up at the sky and her, looking down at him, her expression unreadable, her voice cold with a shade of weariness. “Do we need to continue this travesty, or are you done saving the universe now?

Blitz stared up at her, feeling ashamed for some reason he could not identify but carefully hiding it from his face, doubtless she knew anyway. Then something dawned on him and he frowned and narrowed his eyebrows. “You could have done that anytime, couldn’t you? Could have stopped Dark Horizon the moment you arrived…”

She didn’t respond, but merely looked calmly upon him.

“Then why didn’t you?” he demanded, struggling not to raise his voice in frustration.

“Was it really necessary?”

He pushed himself up with his arms and sat for a moment in thought. If she was capable of opening the doors of the Sanctuary with sheer force of will, there was nothing Dark Horizon could have done to stop her, even had they gained power over summoning. If Aurora set her sights on their organization, the curs would swiftly crumble. Even so… “You could have saved us a lot of trouble.”

She turned her head away then and gazed intently at something far in the distance. “I was angry at first, it’s true. But I did try to stop you.”

“Angry?” Blitz queried, raising a hand to rub his nose instinctively. It seemed to be in one piece, now. “…At us? Why?”

Aurora’s face betrayed no hatred as she spoke, though the innate caught a glimmer of sadness under her chameleon eyes. “Your people killed several who were very close to me. I—”

Blitz stopped her in mid-sentence. “Aurora, the only ones we killed were Dark Horizon soldiers. We didn’t show up until they had already infiltrated the Dark Temple and slaughtered the priests.”

She looked directly into his eyes. Something in those unreadable orbs chilled him to the soul, but as always she remained ambiguous. There was a long silence before the Ominae closed her eyes and spoke quietly. “I see.”

Blitz sighed. There was never any real danger, and his teacher’s original reason for fighting had been a misunderstanding. The Alliance had lost nothing, and Blitz’ body was restored from the fight. Aurora, on the other hand, had lost something that could never be replaced. There was little Blitz could do to console her, but he would feel guilty for not trying. “I’m…sorry you lost your friends.”

“They will stay close in my memories,” she said quickly.

He looked up at her in wonder. No one, it seemed, was truly close to the Ominae. She refused to trust anyone fully, and when he considered what had transpired this day Blitz could understand why. Still, I would rather risk being hurt than never trusting anyone… He rose to his feet calmly and glanced behind at the unconscious bodies of Tokumaru and Viscen.

She’s known her friends for a long time, I’ll bet. Nothing I say can make a difference in how she feels about them now. It would be best not to press the matter and make her feel worse.

It felt uncomfortable to leave under these circumstances, but he could see no point in staying. “Well, I guess this is goodbye for now…” He turned back to the Ominae to see her gaze so distant and wondered what was going on in that enigmatic mind of hers. She didn’t move or speak, but watched him quietly, bearing no emotion.

The innate knelt next to his general, feeling her sharp gaze on his back, and roused the officer from sleep. He whispered to Viscen that it was time to leave. The broad-shouldered man sat up and cast Aurora a look of disbelief, then looked back at Blitz who helped him to his feet. Wordlessly, the two gathered Tokumaru on their shoulders and stumbled toward the abandoned hoverbikes. They deposited the wounded samurai in Viscen’s craft and mounted their vehicles, all in complete silence.

Blitz couldn’t help casting one last sidelong glance at his old teacher. From this distance he couldn’t hear, but he saw her mouth the words: “Goodbye, Blitz.” Even after a short pause, no response came to mind. Little had been said, but there was nothing left to say. So without another word, the fire innate gunned his motor and jetted into the sunset, leaving the Ominae and her land far behind.

Aurora watched the three men fade into the distance for a long time. Well after they had disappeared, she sighed sadly, making a vague, half-hearted sort of guesture with one hand. Then, she turned rain-colored eyes back to the courtyard around her, and set to work laying the dead to rest.

Many miles away, the three warriors sped, now in the larger craft together. The samurai still lay unconscious on the floor, the commander rubbing his temples in a futile effort to contain a thundering headache. Only Blitz seemed no worse for wear as he briefed Viscen on what had happened.

The commander looked incredulous. "Are you serious? You're telling me she beat you in full, Celestial form by trapping you inside her head?"

Blitz rubbed the back of his neck a little. "Something like that sir."

"So ruthless... and yet without thought or hesitation she restored you completely to your original form... not even any injuries..."

The redhead nodded. "Aurora is a... complex person."

As if called by Blitz's statement, the craft filled with majic. Warm and pleasant, like being wrapped in a favorite blanket, or walking into a kitchen where you just know cookies are baking. The creases of pain in the earth elemental's brow seemed to relax as the atrocious bruises on the side of his face and head faded before the fire elemental's eyes. The two looked over at Tokumaru, still lying on the floor, and stared as the deep gahes on his hands grew together and knitted until you would never have known he had been injured.

Viscen shook his head in wonder. "She is that."

Aurora looked out over the fresh graves marring the field west of the Dark temple. The sunset painted the sky behind the mountain peaks in orange and pink strokes while high over head the very first stars winked to life and the moon began to climb into the sky behind her. Her voice rose in a small prayer, a song of farewell, for the safe journey of the now free souls, a solitary, rich, clear alto rising in the crisp air of the small valley. The Ominae turned weary, sad eyes out to the mountains, and without a look back, walked away among the peaks once again.

OoC: Okay, I was asked to write one more post for this thread, so there you have it. We're all done, and I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it. As always, feel free to drop any comments you like by PM to Wielder or myself.