Drowning Sorrows

OOC: Two important things about this battle. A) it will pwn all. B) I will not, hear me as clearly as possible, WILL NOT LET THIS BATTLE DIE. I am making a firm statement right now, that I WILL finish this battle till the end. And with out further adieu, I present to you, Drowning Sorrows.

BiC: Flash! Crackle! Boom!

Fireworks, lights, and shining objects adorned the skies of Miiazu. It was dusk, the sun gone from vision but still leaving a hazy turquoise vestige in the West, as a velvety array of darkness encroached from the East. The normally wondrous stars were dimmed out, only the brightest showing in their splendour, due to the mass amount of light coming from below. The city of Miiazu was alit with wonder; it was the annual festival of Harvest, one that had been practiced since the city’s founding hundreds of years ago.

At the southwestern end of the city, there stood a massive tower, adorned in gold and red with all sorts of lavished gargoyles and beautiful heralds. It was Miiazu Tower, glory to the Miiazuians, the people who thrived in the city. From its top sprouted wondrous tendrils of colored flames, each taking on different shapes as it paused for the wondrous oohs and ahhs of the audiences below. A childish laugh came from a man who was anything but a child, who was standing atop the tower, delivering the wondrous spectacle with a few others.

His eyes, hazel like the darkest of oak, shined in the light of his flames as he would extend his hands into the air and release a torrent of fire in different festive shapes so high and big that they could be seen from afar. He would then dissipate the flames in a second and wait for the cheers below, while his friends beside him would release missiles of powdered fireworks to accompany his splendour.

This man was a leader.

This man was a friend.

This man was an angel.

But only few… knew of him as a student.

Nay, only one.



As Tokumaru lowered his arms, he turned to face his vassals proudly, his ivory-white teeth shining. Sweat was caked about his face, though not from the heat of his fire—anyone who knew what he could do would know that his flames didn’t affect himself in the least—, but from the joy of finally being where he was. Tokumaru had missed several of the Harvest Festivals as a wanderer, and, since he had returned to leadership from the Ether in the past months, this was the first Harvest Festival he had had in a very, very long time.

The Heavenflame turned to one of his vassals, and lowered his sleeves.

“Aven,” Tokumaru said with a smile, walking towards the door that led back down into the tower, “I’m going for a sake break, will you all be okay to take everything from here?”

Aven laughed, and patted his winged-lord’s back. “Ah, yea,” he said, “we’ll be fine up here. Go get yourself good and drunk, milord.”

Tokumaru let out a chuckle, and began descending.

“Hopefully not!” he said, disappearing into the tower.



When the Heavenflame found his way out the doors in the bottom, he was hit with a flood of his people thanking him for the wonderful show he had put on. Tokumaru, being as humble as he was, took the comments thankfully, but did not reply with any sort of bragging—besides, he was getting thirsty, and wanted to get some sake.

You know, you could just fly. Tokumaru told himself with a smirk, but decided against it. Bah, this is the first Harvest Festival I’ve been to in awhile. I should see the sights.

And, stuffing his hands into his pockets, the Heavenflame continued down the pathway, into the epicenter of the city. Shops alit with lanterns and happy faces were lined far and wide at both of his sides, some people looking back to comment on how nonchalant their lord was walking through the city, and others keeping their eyes peeled on the tasks at hand.

It was early, so there were mainly children out, which explained the sudden drop in volume of people as Tokumaru turned the corner to the district where most bars were. Though, the Heavenflame wasn’t interested in any old cheap sake. He wanted good stuff. He wanted the best; Ixen’s Pub, which lay far down the street. Tokumaru headed quickly, licking his lips at the thought of some refreshing sake.

However, before he reached the final turn, Tokumaru was struck with an awing wave of nostalgic energy. It was an aura he hadn’t sensed in a very long time, and it was even so familiar as to cause his jaw to drop.

"...This can’t be," he said, looking to his right to see an alleyway. The Aura was strong from that direction, so, abandoning his earlier hopes for sake, the Heavenflame bolted down the alley as fast as he could…

…and emerged on the other side at a park. It was very small—Tokumaru couldn’t remember ever signing the release to build it—and no souls were near it. It was lit by the single light of a lantern, and was almost completely shut off from the shouts and happy cries from the Festival. On Tokumaru’s side of the park, several alleys led into it, and on the opposite side, it led off to the outskirts of the city. Though, Tokumaru wasn’t interested in that. His eyes widened in disbelief when he saw a woman sitting on a lone bench at the park, her head down. She… was the source of this Aura.

Tokumaru slowly approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder from behind. She didn’t flinch, as if expecting him, and remained quiet. Tokumaru took a gulp, and spoke.

“…Aurora-sama?”

OoC: Keep in mind that this battle takes place post-Dragon's Soul, thus I am left walking the fine line between giving you the full effect of Aurora's thought processes and emotional state and not gving away things that are going to happen in the other thread... This should prove to be a challenge. Although, if I could get everyone in DS to keep up, I might start to wrap things up there before it becomes a problem. *pokes Shrub and Bloodsword shamelessly*

BiC: The celebrations seemed worlds away for one lone traveller perched on a solitary bench beneath a single light.

Aurora had wandered aimlessly, the Dome feeling her listlessness as it randomly opened doors in and out of time and space. She could not remember her last meal, nor rest, and the beautiful woman drifted through existence as a though a shade. Alone, not even Valron to fill the emptiness in her heart and mind, the Ominae no longer bore the brightness all had known her for. Her very color, the creaminess of her skin, the gold of her hair, looked drab, matching the lifeless grey of her eyes.

I am truly alone now... How could you leave me? Not now, not when you are the only one... Why do I still try to speak with you, my friend? So far that even I cannot feel your presence... Why...

"Aurora-sama?"

She turned, looking emotionlessly up into a familiar face. "Tokumaru...," she said. No feeling, only a flat acknowledgement met the samurai's ears.

The samurai lord looked down, a mix of concern and growing fear filling his features. "Aurora-sama, what has happened to you?" But such a cloud of sorrow seemed to decend on her that he did not press the question. "Please, come with me, sama." He extended a gentlemanly hand which she merely looked at for a very long moment, almost as though pondering what it could be there for.

Aurora laid her hand on his, and he escorted her from the small park. They strolled through the streets, her former student trying to draw her attention to the different sights illuminating the joyous city. She looked politely, watching the displays of life and happiness as though they were far away and unattainable. Eventually they stopped at a building with warm lights, and loose laughter emerging. The sign outside read: "Ixen's Pub".

Tokumaru escorted his former teacher inside to the sounds and motions he was accustomed to in his own city, and soon they sat together at a low corner table, a warm bottle of very expensive sake between them. He poured for them both, and pushed the small cup toward her. "Perhaps this shall return some fire to your eyes, sama."

The small woman eyed the small cup, taking it in her hands though barely feeling its warmth. The steam met her eyes and nose, reminding her of a weak incendiary fuel. She set the cup down again, looking over her shoulder at the room. Several people returned quickly to their own business under her indifferent gaze. She turned back to her host to find him setting his own empty cup on the table once more and reaching for the bottle again.

"Drink up, my lady."

She merely looked into the cup of clear liquid.

"Come, come Aurora-sama! I know of no better way to raise fallen spirits than good friends..." he flashed her a winning, rougish sort of smile before adding, "and better sake. Am I right!?!" A resounding affirmation echoed through the pub at this last question.

Aurora eyed the cup in her fingers another moment before clinking it quickly against his own cup and slamming it back in one gulp. Her eyes nearly watered as the alcohol burned its way all the way to her empty stomach where it sat like so much acid. Still, it was the first thing she had felt since it all happened...

Soon, the second bottle sat before them half empty, but the summoner seemed to be growing more restless than cheered.

Tokumaru gave her a slightly buzzed smile. "For someone who doesn't drink, you seem to hold your sake well, my lady."

Aurora rose. "I appreciate the effort to cheer me, Tokumaru-san, but I think there's nothing left of me to cheer." With that, she drifted out the door of the pub and down the street, leaving the samurai at the table. She wandered down the alleys, feeling the listlessness within her grow until it reached down to her very soul. She stole from the lights of the town, out into the countryside. Moving her feet was not enough anymore, the emptiness followed her anyway. She longed to escape the sorrow that clenched her chest, constricting her heart and shallowing her breath. Perhaps it can only keep up with this body...

Even as this thought formed in her mind, the earth began to shift under the Ominae's restless feet and the elements gathered around her restless soul...

OoC: Latepost is laaaaaaaaaaaaaate. >> Again, my apologies, Sama.

BiC: Tokumaru raised an eyebrow, and stared for a moment at the door. The edges of his vision were a bit hazy, now that he was heavily weighed with sake—but not to the point of blind intoxication—giving everything a feel that seemed a bit more fuzzy than he normally was accustomed to. One thing was certain, however, his teacher was troubled… this time more than a healthy amount. He had to go after her.

Stumbling off of his chair, Tokumaru walked through the doorway and back into the open air of the night. Aurora’s trail of energy was easy to follow, although as he followed it closer to the outskirts of the city, it seemed to get more and more erratic and distraught, laden with unfamiliar sparks and crests.

Something’s wrong, he thought, picking up his pace. The samurai unfurled his wings and kicked off into the air, heading straight towards the open country outside of the city—it took about half an hour for him to spot his teacher standing idly in the field, the only opposing force standing straight for a good while. The invisible, yet completely sensible energy trail that led up to her swirled around her crazily.

“Sama!” Tokumaru cried out, wafting around floppily in the sky. He landed.

“Sama, are you sure you want to leave? I can get you a room in the castle, you should at least stay the night… please, sama, I insist.”

No response.

“…Aurora?”

No response.

“You can’t hear me, can you?”

Aurora turned around, her eyes closed shut. She nodded affirmatively, but said no words, seemingly concentrating on this growing disturbance of what was becoming not just energy, but elemental energy, all around her. Tokumaru’s brow furrowed; he extended a hand out to Aurora, but it was instantly shot away by a force field of powerful chi.

“Why are you doing this?” Tokumaru yelled as the energies began lashing out at him. He withdrew his sword. “I may be your pupil, but I will defend myself if you choose this path! You are making a very bad choice, sama.”

Somehow, the samurai could tell he was speaking to a wall.

No, I’m wrong… this isn’t even Aurora to begin with. There’s something bigger at hand here.

Tokumaru readied his sword into defense.

OoC: I fail.

Aurora's mind wandered as her fine control began to leak away. She began to forget about containing her power as the elements lashed about her body. The grieving woman thought she heard a voice call to her, but it seemed inconsequential as her mind opened to the universe, longing to depart this plane in search of her lost one. I can't bear this without you, Valron... you're so far away now... but I'll find you, even if I must go from this plane to the next and break the Prophecy's weight on me... I will find you, dear one... even if I must die and join you on the next plane... I will find you!

Tokumaru blocked the spurs and waves of power lashing through the landscape, his warnings unheeded by his former teacher. It seemed nature itself battered against him as he called to her through the growing cocoon of energy surrounding her. All the hair on his body stood on end just feeling the unbridled energy emanating from this small figure, her hair now falling loose and billowing about her relaxed form. She stood alone, a peaceful resignation on her face, marred only by the lines of sorrow he did not remember seeing there before today.

If she could still feel from where she lingered in the deepest recesses of her mind, she would have thought it felt good to release herself so completely, but even this pleasure was drowned in the grief and pain of her solitude and loss. As her unfettered power ran rampant over the countryside, flattening, quaking, burning, and shattering; the Ominae herself would easily and seamlessly slip from her current numbness, to feeling nothing...

OoC: Sorry it's so short, but I really want to see how Tokumaru will handle this.

OoC: I haven’t used this move in FOREVER. XD

BiC: The energy was more than visible now—it was alive. Swirling tendrils of fire and chi-born energies surged around Aurora, all dancing about a powerful barrier that had been involuntarily established to prevent her from harm. The Ominae was now commensurate to an engine of pure annihilation, her body becoming a walking bomb, ticking and tocking, waiting to go off. Tokumaru gripped the hilt of the Hinotama firmly, the whiteness of his Heavenflames enshrining it.

“Whatever you have become, Sama, please snap out of it,” he said loudly, holding his sword in a high offense stance. “If you won’t come out of there, I’ll get you out myself!”

The Heavenflame let out a loud bellow and rushed forward towards the barrier, slamming the Hinotama against it. It rammed back at him with a loud clang!, sparks flying from the impact site. A large dent was placed in the barrier, making it impure for a moment, but was instantly healed with zap of elemental forces. Tokumaru scowled, and backflipped, standing very straight, stepping his feet together, and extending a hand outwards to the barrier.

“I will not accept this!” he yelled as his hair and clothing began to be blown upwards by an elemental wind coming from his body. A ball of flames appeared before his hand, holding its position and waiting for the special command.

“Flames of Destruction!”

The ball of flames suddenly turned into a raging column of Heavenflames, hitting the barrier forcefully and enshrining its edges. Aurora stood in the center, eyes aglow, and merely stared at her apprentice, not mentally in reality. Her student yelled in rage, and took a broad step forward, slamming his other hand forward, thusly summoning a second column of flames.

“Twin Flames of Destruction!”

The two columns focused heavily on the central point in which they hit on the barrier, and within moments, a small hole was opened up. Luckily enough, the flames kept it from healing—Tokumaru took his chance and merged himself with his fire, turning his body into a bird of flame that flew through past the barrier. Just as it met with Aurora, it transformed back into the Samurai, who pushed the Ominae onto the ground and pinned her there, bringing his face close to hers.

“Aurora-sama, listen to me,” he yelled loudly. “It’s me, Tokumaru! Can you not hear my voice? You’re being consumed by your own energies; please awake, sama, please!”

All he got in response was a powerful bolt of energy into the gut, throwing him ten feet back and up into the air. As he landed on the ground with a painful thud, he saw his teacher approaching him with glowing eyes…

Aurora could barely feel the samurai's assault on her, nor could she hear his voice, but as a distant call. Why would he be bothering her now? Couldn't he see that she didn't care? She felt him beating against her energies, but couldn't understand why. She was only relaxing her mind enough to slip from her body... she wasn't hurting anyone...

She looked at Tokumaru as he penetrated the shell around her, slamming into her body. She could feel him pin her to the ground, smell the burnt sake on the air as he yelled into her face. “Aurora-sama, listen to me!" I can't help it, he's screaming in my face. “It’s me, Tokumaru! Can you not hear my voice?" Ok, now he's getting annoying... Like I don't know my own student. "You’re being consumed by your own energies; please awake, sama, please!” Ok, now he's just crossed the border into stupid. Everybody off! The energy met her call instinctively, thrusting the man away forcibly.

The Ominae rose, power rolling off her in waves that washed through Tokumaru, threatening to wash his own energy out as it passed, like a flash flood pushing everything in its wake. Tokumaru brought his sword up before him, as though expecting her to attack him. "Why would you think something so absurd? ...consuming me..." The very air shimmered around them, like standing near a furnace, or in the desert. Her eyes bled to flawless midnight as the energy ebbed and flowed through her, tugging at the edges of her mind, begging her to slip her skin and join in its dance. "Have you never seen anyone stop living?"

The fire elemental could barely hear her over the roar of majic in the air. "Sama, please get control of yourself! You're going to tear the whole countryside apart if you don't stop this. I can't let you threaten the city with all this out-of-control chi."

"And, you would stop me, Tokumaru? You would use your last breath to keep me from this path I've chosen?"

The warrior took a strong stance, his Hinotama at the ready. "Even though it is you, sama, I would."

"So, if you won't let me do this my way, and in peace, fine." The elemental storm stopped. Like a switch had been thrown, the air suddenly stood calm. The silence was deafening and Aurora's drowning midnight eyes narrowed in pain at the action of closing all her defenses and controls at once. "If you won't let me end my life in the way I choose..."

Her former student's eyes grew wide as she suddenly stood before him, her face calm, her eyes fathomless. He had a moment to wonder if this was zen, before he noticed that she stood so resignedly with her delicate throat pressed to the point of his outstretched sword, and heard her finish her statement.

"... then, you kill me."

“…You—you want to die?” Tokumaru said staggeringly. “Why…?”

Tokumaru suddenly felt his hand go numb, and for the first time in a long while, his Heavenflames provided no consolation. They revealed themselves to be what they truly were, emptiness. Even Tokumaru’s connection with the God of Fire and Forge, Hephaestus, proved weaker with his teacher’s new revelation. He was completely alone to make his decision.

“Sama, you know I could never do that to you…” he said. “I once felt suicidal in my younger days, and I did in fact kill myself. But my father gave me a second chance, and bode with the gods to free me from death. Only then did I realize the error of my ways. Won’t you please reconsider?”

Aurora seemed amused. “This is far from suicide, Tokumaru.”

Tokumaru raised an eyebrow. “Then why? What possible reason would you have to want to die? I refuse to do anything of the sort to you.”

“And yet you try and prevent me from doing it myself?”

The samurai nodded, his grip on his sword weakening. “I refuse to kill you, and I refuse to let you die.”

It was then that Tokumaru tried to sheathe his sword, but as he drew it to its side as to make it enter the sheath, he felt resistance. Aurora had gripped the blade with her bare hands, and held it firmly, crimson streams running down the steel and simmering in the pure heat of the Hinotama.

“What are you doing?” Tokumaru asked.

“You deny me death,” Aurora said adamantly, “now you’re going to deny me my own dignity? Tell me, do you treat all of your chosen samas with such disrespect, or is it simply a title you use lightly?”

Tokumaru scowled, and dropped the Hinotama, untying its sheath from his belt and tossing it waywardly across the ground. Aurora seemed to comply, and dropped the blade where it stood. Her student was in quandary.

Raising his fists and bending his knees into a stance, Tokumaru called two orbs of flame around his hands. There was a dead silence… …and the samurai came to his conclusion.

“If this is what you really want, you can have it… but you’ll get it honorably. Come.”

OoC: Bad, but a nice spice, I think. :3

She made a sound that sent a chill down the samurai's spine. It was a laugh, but not Aurora's familiar, full-throated, musical sound of joy. It was an empty, mirthless sound, like an echo of some deeper hollowness. "You haven't changed a bit." Her eyes leveled on him. "You think you can distract me long enough to make me change my mind, by playing at a fight. You know even now you pose no true challenge. You tested me before, you and your friend, and the two of you were snuffed like candles, so to speak."

He looked a little perturbed as she reminded of him of his one visit to her homeworld. "I have improved greatly since that day, sama. I have mastered the power within me."

"You have gained focus, and wings. Which are lovely by the way, I don't believe I noticed their permanence before now. However, the fact you never grasped is that I have a mastery of all elements, I hold sway over the life force at their root. What threat is a fire elemental to me, Tokumaru-kun?"

The flames in his hands danced brighter. "We shall soon see, Aurora-sama."

"No, we will not." She waved her hand, and the fire in his fists extinguished like twin birthday candles. "Your intention is to try playing a grand game of patty-cake with me, hoping to stall me until you think of a better way to handle the situation, or I give you some clue how to change my mind." Her eyes flashed brilliantly, almost blinding in their intensity. "I have an better idea." Her hair billowed as the power welled up within her again. She shed her silver robes, revealing a loose-fitting dress shirt of black silk over a midnight tank top, tucked into jeans. She wore a black leather belt and matching boots which rose above her knees. "I'm going to remove your choice in the matter..." She turned away, rolling the silk sleeves up her bare arms as she faced back toward the city.

"What do you mean?" Tokumaru could not fully keep the apprehension from his voice.

"I mean to strengthen your resolve." With a powerful swing of one arm, a jagged rift opened in the earth, widening as it raced toward his home.

Tokumaru watched with growing horror as the chasm cracked, then swallowed three cottages on the outskirts. "Aurora! No!"

She thrust him away from her with a small flex of power. Then, she looked down at him with all the coldness of a winter sky in her eyes. "I have made your decision very simple, Tokumaru-kun. You can kill me, or you can watch me destroy this place you love with all inside it." Then, she turned her back on him, striding toward the city, the only light in her eyes being that of the killing frost.

Tokumaru felt the true cold of the ground below him as his morale tipped over; his teacher eyed him firmly, commanding absolute attention.

“I have made your decision very simple, Tokumaru-kun. You can kill me, or you can watch me destroy this place you love with all inside it.”

The Ominae then ran off towards the city, with destruction in her plans—the Heavenflame Samurai then realized what he had to do. He stood up quickly, running over to the Hinotama and grasping its hilt very strongly, as flames wreathed outwards around the blade. His wings each gained a small flame at the tip of their quills, and the grass beneath him erupted into flame. The samurai gritted his teeth in anger as he was then consumed in a veil of Heavenflames, and reappeared with an outstretched hand several yards in front of his teacher.

“Aurora, stop this madness!” he yelled, now empowered to Raging Inferno. A cannon of fire then unraveled itself Tokumaru’s arm, but was split in two as it came within a foot of Aurora; both trails of fire slid off harmlessly as the Ominae continued to approach.

“Aurora!” Tokumaru bellowed, increasing the power of the flames. His teacher continued to rush, and the flames continued to split at the invisible shield in front of her.

“AURORA!”

The flames turned blue, increasing their heat and magnitude to unimaginable levels. The Ominae was still charging, and was completely unscathed. Tokumaru’s patience wore paper thin, and a huge gust of wind blew upwards from his feet as energy began to swirl around him; the flames came back to their creator, and wrapped themselves about the Hinotama. Tokumaru held it at the ready, thinking he had created enough of a brave façade to get Aurora to stop. However, even in his knowledge of Aurora, he did not quite realize just how wise and powerful his teacher truly was—Aurora saw the slightest of quavers in Tokumaru’s stance, and knew he was not true to his blade’s duty.

Without words, Aurora flicked a hand out to the Heavenflame, sending him flying to the left and out of her way.

“You’ll have to do better than that, Tokumaru,” she said coolly, continuing her sprint towards the city. Groaning after landing so hard on the ground, Tokumaru placed a hand to his temple and stood up, worriment in his eyes.

Can I really do this?

Aurora paused to look back at him again. "And, to answer your own question: No, you can't. You have neither the power, nor the konjo. You should have let me do things my way. The peaceful way." Then, she turned again, striding purposefully toward the city. "You've taken away my options, Tokumaru," she said, looking back over her shoulder, "and for that I am sorry."

With a wave of her hand, a wind drove in from the east, slamming into the very tower that had been issuing fireworks but hours before. The samurai looked on in horror as the top five stories of the tower broke away, plummeting to the town below. Even as far away as they were, the Heavenflame could hear the screams.

OoC: Pardon the shortness. *bows deeply*