Knockin' on Heaven's Door

They were easier to wield than he had imagined. He found that they didn’t actually ‘sheath’ themselves in the air, but they dissolved into particles made invisible by the slightest instance of light. Each particle combines with each other for form the crystalline swords when they’re needed. Other than their spectacular display when it comes to light and its intensity, they seem to be able to ‘detect’ other presences, forming what Rain dubbed ‘Silverlights’; tiny dots of moving…silver light. He used this to easily slip by other people without being heard or seen.

Rain hadn’t moved very far when he came across a reverberating crashing sound, mixed with a loud, booming voice. Someone was in trouble—Rain moved to take a closer look—but that someone…he didn’t expect it to her her.

The giant’s hand let go, and sent her flying through a wall. But her body never touched the ground after that. Rain had caught her from behind and put an arm around her. He cut his other hand (with the help of the extremely useful Silverlights) and ran his bloodied palm over Cadenza’s crushed hand. He took it gently in his as the injury started to heal.

“Are you alright?” he whispered, hugging her softly with that one arm.

“Having a little trouble with the amusement park ride, Latina?” he smiled a little and gently set her down to face the monstrosity of an angel before the two.

“It’s not very gentlemanly, swinging around a fine lady like that.” He grinned, even as he was unable to look directly upon the face of the giant.

A voice boomed down from above, “I despise interruptions.” it said. A curled fist plummeted down to the ground like a missile, heading directly for the Grim Angel. It was easy to dodge; just a smile and a simple sidestep, then allowing the Silverlights to shred the massive fingers like razors.

OoC: Sorry for the wait...I didn't know it was my turn until a week ago...sorry ;_;

BiC:

Finally. How long had he been searching? How long had he been fighting? Alas, the time had passed in the winds breath, each moment only leading closer to the last. It was a long time that he was sure of, for years he had fought and bled, he had sacrificed everything, his family, his social Status, his love, his friends, and his morals for this. It was his, and it was splendid.

For the first time he took it in his hands, his fingers carefully caressing the fine material. Though unnoticeable by sight, his fingers followed the grooves in the hilt. He slid his right hand up and down the surface of the blade, a perfect smoothness the likes of which had never felt before. Mistakenly his finger grazed the blade, wincing in pain a drop of blood fell towards the perfect face of the weapon. Yet, instead of leaving specks of red, the color simply disappeared, blending into the perfect whiteness of the blade.

The black eyes where fixated. He had seen it before, in countless dreams and visions, but to see it in person, that was another thing entirely. The clear surface reflected images of great conquest, and bloody victory. The words that where perfectly etched into it's side stood out clear as day, yet blended in like a shadow at night. The man who had fought could not help but smile as he watched the blade, shimmering, shinning.

Tsuukai could not help to think, however, of what the cost of this blade truly was. What he had to give up. So many years of his life fighting, he had caused the deaths of so many innocent people he had lost count, he had so many scars on his body from battle that they out numbered gains of sand on a beach. What was it all for, this hunk of metal?

What of those he cared about. He had a family once; so long ago that he could not remember their faces even when he tried. He had friends too, though few and far between they did exist, and they cared for him...an almost amusing thought. What of Maria, the one whom he had loved, he let her go for this. Was it worth it, when he looked upon the shimmering blade he could not help but question it's value.

More importantly where had his morals gone? Or rather have they ever existed at all? He looked at Zorlo's life, he fought for people, for friends, for allies, and for people he didn't even know, using his sword to cut through the darkness like an arrow through paper. Then he looked at himself, selfish, greedy, prideful, did he ever have morals. He could never have had morals...

NO! What are morals but the rules of people, who and by what right was allowed to say that someone else’s morals where better then Tsuukai’s! What of friends, what did they do, they ask for help but run when you needed it, they where evil. They sucked the life out of the powerful under the guise of friendship, and this was something worth keeping? Hardly. Who cared about lives, those people gave their lives willing when they took the road of the sword, just as he knew that at any time the end could come. Who gives a damn about wounds, they are to be respected, and they are the price he paid. Tsuukai lost an arm to get this far, and he wasn't damn well about to let it go for such flimsy reasoning, it belonged to him! Damn it he had earned the right to wield that blade! Him and no one else could claim that right. He bled for it, which was the payment.

Gripping the blade tightly, almost as if he was afraid it was going to run off on him, Tsuukai reluctantly took his eyes off of it. The angel had long since fled, Tsuukai couldn't care less about it's reasoning, all he knew is that he had the only thing he wanted. He knew he had power in his hand, he could feel it flowing, resonating deep inside his soul, and he was going to show everyone what it meant to have power. He was in charge now.

Now, only inches from his goal Tsuukai turned to the castle. He had made a deal and he was an honorable man. Taking one step Tsuukai could feel for the first time the weight the sword bore, the souls of the dead, the tears of parents, and the frustration of men. All he took ceaselessly onto his shoulders, for they where the currency in which he paid for his goals. After so many years he was one step closer to the power he sought. Finally.

OoC: Hard to say how I feel about this post... I thought it was okay, then good, then not so good. Maybe I rushed the end. Anyway. Here we go.

BiC:

She felt it like a tiny pair of tweezers, hovering over her skin ready to pluck a single hair, causing a great amount of pain in a small effort. A sense of insecurity, nervousness, a frightened memory of the past rebirthed. Kinir was gone.

He has torn us apart... it hardly... makes sense, doesn't it? Dark Selene asked her counterpart as the two stared into each other's eyes. The choice I made... I was wrong. Now I pay for both of us. I cannot return to you.

"I... don't understand." Selene's eyes gained a glinting sadness. "I will never see you again?"

Nor be able to call me. But you cannot allow your life to depend on your uncertainties. You must instead make the certainties yourself.

"I'm not sure I understand," Selene whispered, the sadness spreading to her other facial features.

Something will happen soon. When it does, you must not let yourself fall prey to it. Fight it with all your might and you will survive. Now go, Selene. Go and be the Queen of heaven you've always aspired to be! Then, without a sound, it happened.

Although Selene did not see it, she felt it. A single prick of the tweezers plucked, and a void began to grow, a sense of smothering, heated weight crushing her ribcage, making the lungs within it unable to serve her. She screamed.

"Selene!"

Fingers enclosed about her arm, strong and yet soft, yanking her upwards like a fish on a hook. She burst from the darkness into the light, a change so sudden and shocking she screamed. The hands shook her, the person doing so slowly coming into view. She felt the sleek smoothness of angelic robes accompanied with a smell of pure sweetness. It was a trigger for her, digging out of the confines of her memories a past time. The person was holding her close, rocking her back and forth. A distinct sense of sadness, perhaps the one she had absorbed within the hole, lingered strongly in the air.

"Selene! Oh, Selene... please... please come back to me..."

It was then Selene realized she was still screaming, involuntarily. Her pupils were dilated to their maximum ability and her hands were gripping the person's mass of robes in a death clench.

"Selene... no... please... Selene..."

Much like a puzzle, pieces began to arrange themselves and Selene stopped screaming, decreasing the volume until she couldn't hear it anymore. She did hear coughing and sobbing, but not from herself. A weak voice, filled with more intimate love than Selene could imagine. She regained her sight now, the picture fading into view and her eyes blinking rapidly to adjust from the severe change. A face faded, and then returned to life.

Tired, older eyes stared intensely into hers. Waves of golden hair, strewn and split-ended, fell over the heart-shaped face. The creamy skin was tightened into furrowed creases and the lips were chapped. A glint of a sparkling crown could be seen pinned among the falling hair.

Selene blinked, her lips uttering a breathy word. "Mother?"

“Selene… oh, my baby…” The queen held her daughter close.

“Mother!” It seemed as if the following embrace went on forever. All thoughts of hatred or war left Selene’s mind. It was only to be shattered as she felt the queen’s grip loosen. “Mother?” Selene screamed, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. “Mother! What’s wrong?”

“Selene… you must stop the king…”

“She’s dying, Selene.”

The princess of angels whirled around to see the armor-clad leader of the army, Will. “What do you mean she’s dying?” Selene rasped, holding her mother close.

“The king has been poisoning her… there was nothing anyone could do…”

“Selene, go! Stop… the king,” her voice whispered. It was getting weaker.

“I will!” Selene stood after giving her mother a kiss and a deep hug. “I’ll come back for you.” She turned to Will. “Watch her! Take care of my mother!” A vengeful fallen anger brimming with anger took off to end this chaos.

Pain, and speed, and brutality had filled her world. With every breath she took in, another stone smashed into her, grinding against her bones, choking her with dust, bruising every inch of her body...

...it continued on for a long, terrible moment, flashes of white blinding her every time a new hole was crashed through the tower walls, blackness engulfing her when she wavered towards unconsciousness, the gunblade going loose in her grip...

...until suddenly, the world seemed to stop turning, and she found herself to have landed in the soft embrace of some gentle angel, a vision from what she was always told Heaven would be like, with comforting, warm arms, a tender smile, and golden eyes...

Warmth spread on her hand, the pain fading away, and she blinked, her head resting lightly against his chest...

“Are you alright?” the voice came softly, a whisper in her ears.

Breathing was too hard--speaking, even harder. She tried to inhale, but that just made her cough. Her head felt light--everything felt light. The woman didn't notice the moment when Rain set her down gently and went to confront the Royal Guard.

He was... the last person I was expecting to look up and see...

Some small time later, the cries of pain from the giant woke her up, pulling her back to the present for a moment. She saw the huge hands still near, and reacted first, saving thought for later.

Bullets peppered into the sliced-up fingers, adding trauma to the wounds from which blood was already gushing like a scarlet stream. The massive Royal Guard stumbled backwards, reeling from the pain, lifting his giant fingers up to suck on them and nurse them like a little boy.

...and when I did, it felt like... was I still flying? Only I felt... lighter that time, and...

When Rain looked back towards the noise, towards Cadenza, he could see smoke coiling out from the barrel of her gunblade, rising up to join with the goldish-white puffs of clouds. The sky above them became a mix of soft silver and golden wisps, blending together through the holes and cracks in the tower as if the building was a bead being strung on this band of colored cloud. The gypsy herself was holding the sword in the hand he'd just healed, and was panting slightly, the rune the Guard had slapped on her still burning on her forehead. She looked tired, and like her mind was elsewhere, and yet... there was a hint of a small smile on her lips when she glanced at him and then quickly looked away again.

"Thank... thank you," she breathed, resting on the hilt of her sword. The magic seal was beginning to peel away, but she still felt so drained... she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, like something was about to happen to someone close.

Stay awake, 'denza, she told herself, you don't want to let Zorlo and Selene down...

OoC: ANd now we're one step closer to this being over. SOrry it took me so long. @_@ Long story as to the fact I've been lazy.

BiC: Heaven trembled. Great tremors of power exploded from any number of things, but one focal point remained dangerous and ever explosive. Like a powder keg placed upon a wooden bridge, the smallest spark threatened to destroy the very fabric of the pathway. Once that pathway was gone, it would take time to repair. This, however, wasn't just a bridge. This was dynamite being used to blow a hole in a mountain. That seemed to be the goal here, at least to Zorlo.

o=)----------- Zach ----------(=o

As power flooded from the Ice Elemental, his blade having flowing with radiant ice energy as the blade arced over his head. The flash and clash of blades of golden flame and shining snow flittered in the wind as the clash of metals emitted a high pitch sound. A powerful strike hit the red haired warrior's sword and knocked him back on his heels, causing the young warrior to recoil a bit as he struck a wall. The green clothed angel smiled.

"Not quite there yet," Darien whispered as he moved towards Zachary. "But your tenacity clearly makes up for your lack of strength."

"We'll see who's lacking strength," the ice innate stated as he swiped his hand at the man, launching a series of ice spikes at the angel. As fast as he had attacked, the Half Elemental rushed for the door inwards. The one that would lead him to Zorlo and glory. Still, this guy didn't seem to want to stay beaten.

The angel flared his wings out quickly and released a powerful gust of golden wind, which quickly sliced the ice into shards. The green angel smiled as he vanished and appeared in front of Zach, kneeing the warrior hard in the stomach. "You're not ready yet!"

As the ice warrior's body recoiled upwards slightly and floated towards the ground. His feet barely touched the ground as he fell backwards onto his back. Pain seeped into every part of his body, and the ice innate found himself drifting through what almost felt like consciousness. He quickly cast off that notion and pushed his free hand against the ground and lifted himself to a sitting position.

"Perhaps you should give up?" Zachary heard a voice state. His eyes went wide, at first with shock, and then narrowed back into anger.

"No chance in hell!" the ice warrior yelled as he hefted his sword in his right hand with all of his might and slashed at the angel, only to barely nick his robes. "I can't lose... I've got too much riding on this battle!" Zachary yelled as magical energy erupted from within him as he moved again. With a powerful spin, a mighty slash erupted from the long blade of the ice innate.

"I'll not be slain so easily!" the angel responded as he slashed his sword across. Their blades struck and golden flame and particles of snow and ice erupted around them, engulfing them in almost a sphere of energy. Slowly, the bright light from the attack faded as the two appeared standing near each other. "You're not quite there yet, but that will do for today," he stated as Zachary's hair returned to its normal red.

The ice innate fell to one knee and stabbed his sword into the ground. He was so tired, and he'd used up almost all of his energy in that last attack. Despite that, he felt and unnerving calm sweep over him. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but he did accept that this was his breaking point.

"Go forwards and help the green one."

The words caught Zachary by surprise. At first, they settled in his head as the contemplated what the man meant, but as it set in, words meant nothing. Zachary rushed forwards past the courtyard, which now lay in ruins, and towards where he had seen Zorlo run off to. He had a lot of catching up to do.

"Perhaps I stalled him a bit too long. Still, this will add to the excitement," Darien said as he floated up and flew off.

o=)---------- Zorlo ----------(=o

The first clash of swords brought forth almost untold chaos in its wake. The focal point where their swords met caused existence itself in this world to tremble. Great darkness seeped from the king's blade as it tried to steal the light from the Aura Master's, but the great power that was held within the green haired man exploded with equal promise, pushing the king back. After a powerful impulse, the king found himself buried into a wall, only not being thrown through thanks to his great wings.

Massive, inky blackness rushed towards the green haired man, swallowing up the floor as it moved towards the fencer. The Aura Master jetted into the air, floating above the dark ocean that had swallowed up the ground. The fencer shifted himself and caused him to move into a free fall towards the king. With a shift of his now demonic hand, the king caused tentacles of blackness to rise from the ocean of darkness and reach out towards the fencer.

Quickly evading the attacks with his best aerial movement that Zorlo could muster to evade the ever increasing dark tentacles. Finally, the green haired man stopped to try to gather a counteroffensive to even the battlefield. The fencer slashed his blade quickly as he launched several Aura Getsugas towards the king. A massive black wave rose up and intercepted the blasts, pulling them all down into the darkness. The fencer sighed as he looked at the approaching tentacles and pushed upwards.

As the green haired man floated upwards, taking a few breaths, trying to catch his breath. The fencer moved his wings over his body and opened his wings and firing off the feathers on his wings. "Take this!" Zorlo yelled as a massive wall of darkness had the feathers sink into the wall. The Aura Master fought against the growing darkness, slowly feeling even his aura being swallowed up.

What is this darkness? How... how can I fight against this? I... I'm out of options... I can't... I can't escaped... but I have to. I have to defeat them.
In a sudden and unseen move, massive spires of darkness erupted and smashed into the Aura Master from all sides and sought to crush him.

"Too bad, fencer. I knew your weakness, and now, it will destroy y-..." the king stopped as he looked at the ball of darkness as it began to crack and then shatter, followed by an eruption of countless Aura Getsugas.

The green haired man floated down as lightning rushed from his pendant and created a bright glow in the fencer's eyes and a powerful static electrical force dancing around him. "Time to pay for your great evil. Vanish into the pits of darkness where you came from!" the Aura Master stated as he floated down and scattered the black ocean where he hand landed. "Let me start with your ocean!" Zorlo yelled as he slammed his fist into the ground and released a massive web of lightning.

Lightning ripped through the ground and tore through the blackness and towards the king. A massive group of lightning lanced towards the king. A massive wall of darkness rose, but as the lightning struck it, the black ocean wall cracked and turned into dust. However, lucky to the king, only a single bolt of lightning ripped through the wall and through the chest of the king, leaving a great burn.

However, the fencer didn't escape unharmed. From that move, a powerful blade of darkness moved towards the fencer and ripped through the Aura Master's abdomen. Aura lightning flowed into his body and healed a little bit of the wound, but the lightning slowly flickered out and the fencer fell to his knees.

The king fell to his knees as well, all that remained of his darkness being a black mist encircling him. "I'll kill you!" the king roared as he rushed towards the fencer. Zorlo's eyes sparkled as he grasped his sword tightly and rushed towards the king. In a flash, their swords clashed and power met raw power. Still, as the two passed, the golden blade landed near the entrance of the room, the side the king now stood upon.

The fencer turned and grabbed the handle of Sapphire. His body shook in pain, his eyes still bright and his smile still upon his face. "I've got one trick left," the Aura Master stated as small flecks of gold and emerald floated around his body. "Allow me to show you... my final power. I've been saving it for too long to not use it now... Ready to begone?" the fencer asked as he drew Sapphire, the sword immediately resisting. "This all comes down to the next move."

Selene raced possibly faster than her heart, every muscle straining to its full potential, every thought racing to get to the throne room as soon as possible. Zorlo! Hold on! I'm coming! I'm coming! She felt that faint sense of dread she knew in the hole return, stronger. It wasn't for her own life? Selene had a sort of premonition about some things, and this was no exception. It was strong.

She began to remember pieces of Zorlo and her together, from when they first met to the marriage. She felt the surge of her loved one's magic, winced from the burning inside the bond their shared. Zorlo... he was in trouble. She knew it. She beat her wings faster. The feathers ached along with the muscles. It was only a blur of red visible to any below taking a chance to glance upwards as she whizzed by, skin tingling against the sting of the wind.

Zorlo... please. Wait for me. I'm coming. I'm coming. I promise.

Her eyes widened when she saw the blackness envelop the throne room. "No... Zorlo! Please!" Faster. She had to go faster. She could see it. She could see what she knew to be sparks, flashes, even surges of his power beyond her reach. No, she could reach it. She just had to be fast enough to reach him before... anything happened. "Zorlo... I'm coming! Hold on!" She was afraid.

The giant stumbled backwards, wailing from the pain that shot through his hand. His leg caught on the inside on the building, and his back went crashing down to the ground as his legs flew up into the air, causing further damage when they both landed, raising an amount of dust and smoke.

She looked exhausted now, her body was probably very battered after what she was just pushed through. Gently, the Grim Angel wrapped his arms around her, hugging her from the front. The seal on her forehead was just beginning to peel, and Rain nudged it off a little more, but some of it seemed burned into her skin. Softly, Rain bit his lip, letting a drop of blood come out of the tiny hole before he kissed her gently on the forehead, ridding her of the seal once and for all.

“Lean on me, Latina.”

A Hideous laughter filled the air. A sicking sense of dread suddenly crept forward from the abyss engulfing the heavens within it's reach. The crackling spread through the enchanted lands, the voice echoing off the walls and through the ears of the lone warrior; his dark eyes growing darker as he heard the noise. Looking around the purple haired fencer found no source for the dreadful voice, no reasoning for it's existence. But he knew it existed.

“He is going to die you know,” The voice suddenly stopped it's maniacal laughter, “He is going to die and there is not a thing you can do about it. He will be torn limb from limb and you wont be able to stop it. His heart will be cut out. And you can't save him, because I am going to kill you right here. You and your allies where foolish for coming here with the hopes of winning, and even more foolish to split apart. As we speak all of them are ripe for the taking,”

Tsuukai for the most part ignored his voice, walking slowly to the castle where the flashes of a great battle could be seen. Still the voice persisted, “Don't you understand, you will die. And Zorlo too,” Without even flinching the warrior walked towards the castle more, without missing a step, “Why do you ignore this fate. Zorlo is dead. All of them will be dead,”

“Zorlo wont die,” Tsuukai replied softly his feet still moving in their concentric rhythm.

“What? He will. He stands no chance against a God, no more then you have a chance against me,”

“listen,” Tsuukai replied in an usually light voice, 'Zorlo will not die here, and neither will eye,” The warrior stopped and twisted his body around, “because when we leave this place I will kill him myself!”

“What?! I thought you where allies, I thought you two had a common partnership. Did you not come where with him in order to over throw the king,. Why now do you speak of killing him,”

“I have no friendship with that man, he is no more my friend then you are. I am merely here to fight strong opponents to ease my perpetual boredom. Me and him; we are destined to fight time and time again until one of us can no longer draw breath. Because of this he will not die, for It will be I who will take his life in the end.” The Dark cloaked man stuck out his arm and released a blast of shadow energy. The blast suddenly exploded in mid air, as if it hit a wall. The same voice that laughed was now screaming.

“how...” the voice said, still cloaked from sight, “how can you see me,”

“I can see everything,” Tsuukai said his eyes closed as to not me muddled by pointless senses, “I can see you clearly, I can see you have two wings and fours arms, and a different sword for each arm. I Can see you wear a plain mask over your face. And I can see you are about to attack,” As if on cue Tsuukai rose into the air as a blast of light exploded from where he once stood, “You cannot hide from me,”

“Silence, I will dismantle you,” The Angelic figure dove down, his four swords ready to attack. As he drew closer Tsuukai drew his old saber, and as the angle slashed all four swords in consecutive motion, hoping to beat the man, the fencer moved his wrist in simple motions dismantling the attack, and managing to score a hit above the Guardians right shoulder as he flew by and higher into the air.

“You have no ability,” Tsuukai said as three chains of blackness emerged from beneath his sleeve, and wrapping themselves around the lightly armored invisible figure. And Squeezing tight. The figure cried out again this time his cloak dissolving itself to show it's true colours. While Tsuukai could see his form, his colour was something different all together. The “angels” wings where dyed a deep black.

o=]----------Somewhere Else----------[=o

“Gabriel,” The voice was old, and almost frail sounding. Yes with it was the sense that it was a voice that demanded to be payed attention to, “Come here,” Now here is a tricky thing, because by saying it implies the person you are speaking to knows where the speaker is located. Of course in this particular case “Here” was in fact the name of the room where the books of Enoch where kept. Named specifically to confuse anyone who heard it.

The room itself was actually very small consisting of only white walls. No Doors. And A Single desk placed in the center of the room. On The Desk was an old and Decrepit looking book that was opened to a seemingly random page. Beside the book which bore no name on it, was a small fountain of ink, and a single quill feather dipped inside. Slowly a wrinkled hand lifted the feather and moved it to the page and began to write.

The Hand belonged to what appeared to be an old and wrinkled man, his long flowing beards reaching his waste, as did his pure white hair. His face was wrinkled, as if he lived long past the age most had died. His eyes where not that of an old mans though, they where young and full of beauty and wonder as hew rote passionately on the yellow paper of the old book. “You called?” The voice did not startle the old man, he only looked up slowly to see the much younger looking angle looking down at him, “I still don't see why you get to sit down,”

“And you never will,” The old man's voice seemed to change it's pitch occasionally, “Yes I did call...”

“What about Metatron? I Do not have all day, I am a very busy celestial being you know.”

“What is your purpose with that boy, Tsuukai. I do not trust your actions,”

“I would expect nothing less of the great Metatron to be a step above the rest. Of course while you may know my plans you know you are sworn to secrecy, so If you must know then he is to be my emissary to earth,”

“That is not allowed,”

“Then stop me,” Gabriel slip his foot back and grabbed the hilt of his heavenly sword, 'If you dare,”

“Gabriel!” The old man stood up, showing he stood at a stature that while shorter then the higher ranking angel, much more impressive. His voice boomed and echoed around the room as he spoke, “Do not play games with me,” He said as a long wooden spear formed in his hand, “You cannot win,”

“Of course...not while you have that weapon. The Sacred Spear of Longinus, the weapon that assures victory to it's holder. No matter, “The Archangel said taking his hand of his weapon and standing straight again, “You cannot do a thing to me. The things you write in that book cannot be read by anyone who can effect it, and thusly you known you are powerless to stop me. Neither you nor i have the power to deal death to an immortal, so our fighting would do little. I will tell you this, if you get in my I will have my emissary kill you, and he would do it gladly. Do you see now? I have won, and in the end I will win. Everyone else are just stepping stones, and then you will see the future I offer.”

“You truly are mad,”

“Then I am mad because God made me this way,” He said straining the word god long enough to make himself chuckle.

“Fine,” Metatron said sitting back into his chair and taking his quill back in hand, “What of the demon you brought here, Malphas was his name,”

“He is an immortal Demon whom I tricked into fighting my emissary. I need to test his powers with that blade,”

“You really did give it to him didn't you? The Sacred blade...You know it was meant for...”

“I know,” Gabriel interjected, “Regardless I know what it is I have done,”

o=]----------Walkway to the Castle----------[=o

Tsuukai was Already breathing heavily, even in his perfect black form he seemed to be at a loss. On the other hand the demon he was defeating was still managing to hold his own, and seemed to be completely unharmed. Every cut Tsuukai dealt was instantly healed, and it showed no signs of slowing down. “Do you see now, Tsuukai Ita. You cannot win, your grave shall be in heaven.”

“Yeah, we shall see,” Tsuukai said sticking his blade forward, “Purple mist,” On cue a hissing sound filled the air as a purple fog rapidly emitted itself from the bottom of Tsuukai's weapon blanketing over him. As the Fog swirled around him two hons could be seen rising from the top of the mist, and from behind three large spikes protruding from his back. Two red glowing dots could be seen through the deep purple fog.

“What is this?” The hoarse voice of the demon cried, but before he could speak a long skinny spike shot out of the fog Piecing the Demons foot onto the ground. “Wha..” before he could finish he could hear a loud rumbling and felt a smooth black wall emerge from the ground. Without stopping to see it he rose on of his four arms-the one holding the jian blade- to try and destroy the spoke locking him to the ground. But before he had the chance another spike slammed into the Demons wrist pinning his arm to the new wall behind him. “Sh-t” Was all he could say as he saw three more spikes fly stretch from the purple fog that had still not been lifted. Try as he might to fight the spider leg like spikes off he found one hand after another being pinned to the wall behind him. “Damnit I am not done yet, “ He screamed opening his mouth to show a strong light emitting from it, seconds later a blast of light how out towards the fog.

The blast hit the being in the mist with deadly accuracy, resulting in a tremendous explosion. As the dust of the explosion filled the area, yet another spike flew from the dust and pierced the man's open mouth, pinning his head to the wall as well. As the man attempted to speak the fog emerged from the dust unfazed, the strange mist moved closer allowing one to the the tendrils pinning the demon to the wall started at the back of the strange beast. When the fog was but five feet away to the demon who had a strange look of madness in his eyes the fog fell to the ground showing the figure of black demon with purple markings. The beast opened its mouth, “You have no ability. You think power, and healing techniques can save you from coming up with a decisive strategy.”

Four things then happened at once, Firstly; Tsuukai returned to his normal form and the spikes holding h\the demon down disappeared, secondly; the spike where replaced by shadow spears before the demon had a chance to move, next; the spears exploded into flames scorching both people and destroying the wall, and finally; Tsuukai took his new blade, Lævateinn, from it's resting place on his back and-with the inscription “Ut tunc iuguolo” on the blade glowing a bright red- Stabbed it upwards through the heart of the Demon; Suspending him in the air.

“This is your end,” Tsuukai remarked as the demons face became twisted. The body of the demon lurched, and stretched in strange directions as the being laughed manically. In the end a light surrounded the demon as this was happening and engulfed him. The light and the demon disappeared forever. Putting his blade back where it belonged, Tsuukai looked to the castle and started a mad dash towards the throne room, something was about to happen. And he needed to be there.

OoC; Thus Tsuukai Pwn'd Some dude. And it was good.

Heaven quaked. The violent, prolonged shaking threatened to tear the very cloud-like surface of the ground apart if it continued. A powerful vortex, originating from the center of the castle began to spin faster and faster. The very fabric of Heaven seemed to cry out in revolt to the powerful shaking and chaos that seemed to flow from the center of the castle. No longer did what was happening seem safe. As Zachary looked upon the mass of swirling energy, he could tell... something was terribly wrong.

o=)---------- ----------(=o

Sparks and flakes of aura continued to flow from the fencer as he gripped the handle of the negative energy crystal sword. Suddenly, a massive surge of emerald aura exploded from the green haired man's body. The aura erupted intensely as it began to swirl around the fencer. Zorlo's eyes burned even more brightly than they had moments before as he could feel his powers revitalize themselves.

"What is this?" the king asked, darkness beginning to expand from the demonic angel king. "Where is this power coming from?" he asked as his body began to be seeped in a pure darkness. "I will defeat you... even if it means using my greatest power."

"Your powers can't begin to save you here. Fighting for someone I love... will always revitalize me in the end. Maybe you would understand that if you actually cared about anyone," the Aura Master said as he smiled still. "Even so... this will be my last attack. I'll not be the only person here to fall this day," the fencer said as he stood up straight and his second aura flared up.

Gold and emerald green began to spiral around each other, pushing into the ceiling and causing it to crack. "I've kept this a secret... for a very long time. Something I had been working on just in case I needed it. I never thought I'd need it here though..." Zorlo said as he sighed. Slowly, the two auras began to move from simply binding into distinct layers into slowly mixing into a pure green color.

"I've kept this a secret... from everyone. I needed to... the greatest power. A power only I could harbor," the Aura Master said as tears began to flow from his eyes. The tears were quickly swept into the swirling auras that were slowly becoming a single, pure green color. "So when this day ends... all will know that I used it to destroy you!" the fencer said as his powers flared up even higher and the green aura now slammed into the ceiling, causing the ceiling to nearly buckle under the stress. The only thing holding it up was the aura itself.

"The power of Extreme Aura. Combining a semi-divine power and a human aura creates this. However, I've already titled this Extreme Aura. I call it Seraphic Aura. An Aura powerful enough to rival even the powers of some Archangels. A power I knew I'd need to overcome you!" the fencer said as his power spread out and exploded in all directions.

The ceiling shattered and began to rain down and spread rubble across the ground. The walls cracked and the floor under Zorlo seemed to simply cease existing as his Seraphic Aura vanished. The green haired man stood quietly, his power seeming to have silenced for a second. Powerful surges of energy ran across his body as he held up Sapphire, the crystal sword's resistance seeming to have vanished a bit.

I don't have long... my body can't handle this power for very long... I can't keep these two auras together for very long. I need to... end this quickly!" Zorlo told himself as he swung his sword to the side and slid back. Beautiful, large green wings erupted from the fencer's back in the appearance of a great, green flame. The ground exploded as the fencer moved forwards.

The air itself became stifling as the fencer moved. The air itself seemed to change density as the aura was around, but quickly returned to normal when the fencer calmed his aura for a moment. Parts of the floor rained down onto the ground as the Aura Master moved at a speed that was faster than a blink and punched the dark king into a wall, shattering the wall entirely.

Slowly, the darkness covered angel rose. Darkness flowed off him like ink as he gripped his sword. Blood dripped from the punch. The dark warrior rushed forwards, moving almost as fast as the fencer had. Still, almost wasn't enough. Before even time could understand what fully happened, a large blast of Seraphic Aura and a large eruption of darkness caused the throne room to be engulfed in pure power and completely destroyed.

The two forces pushed high into the air as the two warriors continued to exchange blows. In a flash, the battle was over, however. Swords pierced through the chests of both me. Through Zorlo, a sword had narrowly missed his heart. However, for the king, much to his dismay, the fencer hadn't missed. Sapphire pierced clean through the king's heart. As the two figures floated for a moment, a powerful eruption of aura engulfed the king. In an instant, the king was no longer.

The king's sword slowly disintegrated as the green haired man plummeted towards the ground beneath him. Rubble and destruction lay where the throne room had once stood. As Zorlo's body hit the ground, a large explosion of clouds and dust filled the air. Zorlo's eyes remained strong as he forced himself to sit up. Although his wound had healed, he had run out of time.

The Seraphic Aura, almost as fast as it had been created, separated in an instant. The fencer's body convulsed suddenly as power flowed out of him into the area around him. The green haired man removed his gloves and placed them down as he calmly sheathed his sword. As the Aura Master looked to the side, he realized that everyone stood around him. Zorlo looked from Tsuukai, to 'denza, who was being held up by Rain, to Zachary, and finally to Selene.

"Well... its over," the fencer said with a smile as he held his hand up. Slowly, the flesh on Zorlo's fingers began to lift off from his hand into nothing. "Well... I guess I'm dying..." Zorlo said, still unable to stop smiling.

"You're... you're the only person I know dumb enough to say it like that, Broccoli-head," Cadenza said as she looked at him.

"Z... I..." Zach said as he moved forwards, Selene following him.

"Ah, Zachary, be a good lad and fetch me Apollo. I have one last thing for you to do for me. I hope you don't mind." Even at that moment, as the muscle of Zorlo's hand was now fully revealed, he still smiled. In fact, he found himself removing his jacket, mostly to prevent it from being vaporized by his unstable auras around him.

Zachary, despite holding back tears, nodded and rushed over towards the golden sword that still stuck in the ground. Like a golden symbol of hope, the fading of what some would call a hero seemed to draw closer. As the ice mage moved towards the fencer, he simply watched as Zorlo addressed everyone.

"Well, everyone, don't worry about me, I'm just dying," he said jokingly as the muscles of his arms, the bones of his fingers, and slowly, the t-shirt he was wearing, all began to disappear. All swallowed up in the auras around Zorlo. "Anyway, I've got something I'd like to say to you all. But first... catch!" Zorlo said as he tossed his gauntlets at Rain and Cadenza, each of which caught one. Quickly, the fencer threw his pendant to Selene with a smile. Lastly, the fencer pushed his sword to Zachary's feet and smiled. "Hold onto these for me, will ya?"

Zachary sniffed hard as he looked at the fencer, not knowing if he wanted to simply smack him, or if he wanted cry very hard. The ice warrior simply moved next to Zorlo and watched as the fencer's body simply continued to vanish.

"Now then, to each of you. First of all, to Tsuukai and Vana... well, take care of yourselves. And remember Tsuukai, with great power, like yours, you must use it for the sake of balance. Both sides need to remain balanced, although you know this. So, do keep that in mind when you use your new sword, shall you?"

The Master of Shadows simply crossed his arms and looked away from the Aura Master. The fencer smiled as he looked at Cadenza and Rain and smiled. "As for you two... well... good luck. I hope you both live happy lives. Just keep on keeping on. Anyway, Cadenza, does it really hurt so much to smile? Be happy more of the time, after all, things work out in the end."

Selene's eyes rolled with tears as she neared Zorlo, not quite sure what to say or do. "Ah, Selene, don't worry." He smiled at her, watching his body vanished a bit more. "I'll save what I have to say for you last. After all, you're an important person. For now, Zachary. As for you, take care of your girlfriend. After all, she's all you have left now."

Zachary laughed a little bit, trying to hold back his tears. Despite that, he couldn't bring himself to tell Zorlo what he wanted to. Still, he found himself looking away. He simply couldn't look or say anything to the Aura Master. He simply couldn't do it.

"And Selene. I just want to tell you two things: first of all, I'm sorry. If I had thought a bit ahead, I would have told you my plan and about the secret power I've been keeping since we started planning this. The reason I didn't is I couldn't risk letting anyone know that I had a secret weapon. Well... now that its used, I think you should first be happy. You and your people are free, and now you can lead them in the right way."

Zorlo sighed as the flesh on his chest, along with his shirt, began to burn up. "I think I need to speed this up. If I don't, I shall vanish before I can be fully complete," the fencer said with a smile. "Now then, Selene, I want you to hang in there. One day, you'll earn what you've waited for. I don't know how long, but one day, happiness will be yours. Well, not just yours, but ours. So... hang in there... for me."

The fencer smiled and looked at Zachary. "Now then, I'd like to ask you to do something, Zachary. So, Zachary, what I need you to do is stab Apollo through my heart. If you do, my soul will continue to exist, because as is, if I don't, I'll simply cease to exist."

Zachary smirked and nodded as he knelt down and thrust his sword into the fencer's heart. The blade pierced the green haired man's back and the fencer merely smiled. Suddenly, the Aura Master's blade began to slowly vanish into the fencer's chest. Before long, the sword was no more.

Suddenly, a massive surge of Zorlo's old natural aura erupted from his body and shot into the air, vanishing into nothing it seemed. As the green haired man looked at the group, he smiled as the Seraphic Aura began to suddenly flow off him. "Oh... and just one more thing," Zorlo said with a smile as his body began to float up and continued to vanish, slowly becoming little more than a floating head and a big, glowing green blob.

"I'll be back!"

In a flash, Zorlo's body and aura were gone. All that remained now were the valiant warriors that had fought to free Heaven. And now, that was done.

o=)--------- ----------(=o

Suddenly, the fencer's aura appeared somewhere outside of existence itself. In one of the in-between areas that existed for souls that weren't to be recycled. The Aura Master looked around in confusion as a familiar figure dressed in black moved towards him.

"Zorlo, I have come for-"

"Hold it, Steve, I know what you're about to say, and I know, I'm finally dead, and you're taking me to where I'm going to eternally rest."

"Well... if you're gonna be a prick about it, then yes. Now then, come. You have a meeting with someone."

The fencer quirked his eye at Steve, the Grim Reaper from his world that the green haired man had met many a time. "Meet? With who?"

"You'll see," Steve stated as the Specter of Death and the Aura Master floated off in the exterior space beyond existence. For now, it was simply a matter of existing. That's all souls that were in one of these realms did, after all.

She tried so hard not to cry.

As her friend faded away, she tore her glance away to her feet, to the clouds below them... her heart was feeling heavy, loaded down with guilt. She'd come to Heaven thinking she'd be some sort of trump card, an ace in Zorlo and Selene's sleeve, someone who'd make a real difference in their fight, with all this magic and "power" she threw around. But what had that all amounted to, really? Selene was still here, a... a widow now, just as she'd worried so much about since they came... she hadn't wanted the woman to end up like her, but she had anyway. Zorlo... of course he'd say he'd come back. That was just Z for you. But even if he did... he wasn't there now. He couldn't hold Selene, comfort her, wipe away her tears... Cadenza had failed them. That's all she could think about. She'd been worthless.

He'd just told her to smile.

Ever since he'd first met her... how many times had he really seen her happy? She hadn't trusted him from the very start... when he asked her to teach Zachary for him, she was rude throughout it all, treating both the fencer and the boy like they were constant annoyances that it pained her just to be around. But she watched over the kid for him anyway, helped free him from the demon... they were allies, of a sort, after that. He owed her, she'd have said at the time. As time went on, they crossed paths more and more, making common acquaintances--people like Louis Fritz, or Johnny Bones, the latter having a real lasting impact on the both of them. They fought together as teammates almost in Chinatown, as much as Cadenza had mocked the idea. They saved one another's life. At another time, they fought against one another. Broccoli Head had wanted to test her skills, like he was always talking about...

She'd won that day, but he held no grudge against her. He just smiled--he seemed happy, even. Glad that he'd gotten such a strong ally on his side to help him with Zach. From then on, a friendship slowly blossomed... it was a little shaky, mainly because of the gypsy herself. She'd still treat him like he was a constant annoyance most of the time. But there was an underlying general understanding of one another... some mutual respect, even if she wouldn't show it from her side, and... some trust. They argued in her training room at the Dome, but there wasn't hatred behind it... it was just how they got along. They clashed, they poked fun at one another. They didn't agree, but when it mattered, they'd have one another's backs. They watched Zach mature a little... they saw Kellson die, and be resurrected, and pass on again... they saw Avello grow into an adult before their very eyes, risked themselves on that mountain range full of dragons, fought them back and raced towards home... he'd helped her through things when she left the Dome, introduced her to Rain and got her a job... and now, all of that had come to an end. He'd seen her adopt a daughter, she'd seen him finally tie the knot, and... now she'd seen him take his last breaths...

He'd always seemed like someone who'd never die. Who'd always be there, with righteous, optimistic words that she'd scoff at, who'd always be there smiling and telling her not to be so bitter, or making a joke at her expense. Letting things run off his back like water off a duck's. It seemed... unreal that something would ever affect him. That something would ever... make that smile disappear.

Zorlo was dead.

It was going to take a while to sink in. She half-expected him to show up over everyone's shoulder, grinning, saying that he couldn't be kept down for real. There was... a real lack of green in the room, Cadenza thought, trying to make herself laugh. She couldn't. All she could see was Selene standing there, a flashback to herself over three years ago, upon receiving the news of Paris' death...

This wasn't supposed to happen. That was the feeling she had, from the very pit of her stomach. She could've been there, to stop things before it reached this point...

...but she hadn't been.

All she could think of saying was "I'm so sorry," to Selene before she had to turn away herself, holding back tears, reaching for Rain's hand because she needed that comfort...

Broccoli Head would never let me live it down if I cried here.

She sighed, whispering under her breath, a single tear falling onto the clouds, "If you are listening, somehow... adeus il più nobile… ed il più insensato degli uomini. Meu amigo. Descanso no céu."

OoC: Rough Italian/Portuguese mixed at the end there, translated: "Goodbye, the noblest... and most foolish of men. My friend. Rest in heaven."

Stop it… She felt as if she were not truly contained in this horrible reality, which had seemed so beautiful only hours before this moment. Surely this couldn’t be. Surely… it wasn’t true. Her vision blurred a little. She blinked to clear it. Surely Zorlo was only joking… yes; he’ll come back in a minute. This can’t be real. It couldn’t… but… as much as she forced the ludicrous thought of Zorlo faking his death through her mind, she couldn’t fix the most obvious fault of the theory …he wasn’t there.

“I’m so sorry.”

Sorry? Sorry for what? Don’t say sorry... don’t say that. It’s … not real. It can’t be real… Zorlo wouldn’t do this to me… not after we’ve been through… not so quickly… The possibility of Zorlo pretending to die slipped from her hands. The pendant clattered upon the rubble of her whole world. “Zorlo?” her voice whispered in a nearly frightened tone. She took a step forward, and slightly outstretched her hands.

“Zorlo?” She bent before the previous place of his final farewell, hands groping through the air for a thread of hope. If she tried, maybe she could find a shred, a tiny piece of him. He wouldn’t just go… not like that… “Zorlo!” this time her voice gained a passionate, rasped, demanding tone with it, barking into the grim silence. “Zorlo! Stop this! Stop… you can’t be gone!” No one answered her.

She couldn’t feel any potential faith… there was no positive emotion surrounding the company at all. It couldn’t happen like this. It couldn’t. She fervently denied the impending wave of truth. I… believed in you, Zorlo… You can’t do this… Her fuzzy vision dimmed into a series of past memories, each more painful than the last.

"After being around you... I... I feel a... an odd bond between us," Her heart was thudding as she looked at him, so young and naïve. "I was wondering... I was wondering if you would allow me to stay here, in this forest... With you! I want to assist you in guarding this forest, for I feel to leave you would bring me more pain then I could bear as of this moment. So, would you bestow upon me the honor of being here with you, Miss Selene?" He fell before her to one knee, removed his sword and held it extended towards her. "I pledge you my sword to aid you if you allow me to stay, for I would finally be content, and unafraid of what may or may not happen. Please allow me to!"

That sword… that same sword… “Zorlo… you promised…” Her mind rushed forwards, recalling how sparkling the ring had first looked in the sunlight.

He laughed. "I do not want to go to the Dome for the sake of teaching, but more since it has the amazing power to find what a person desires. Milady, I wish to be happy with you for the rest of our lives.” She remembered the warmth of his skin as he hugged her body close to his. "I love you... I love you," Selene had repeated. "Never leave me again... my lover... and my husband."

“You promised, Zorlo…” Selene gritted her teeth, the tears squeezing out from the confines of her eyes while the diamond glistened on her finger.

He slowly slid the ring onto her finger and looked up at her with brilliant, emerald eyes flashing in the scarce light. "Will you marry me, Selene Vlaxen?" he asked her as his heart thudded louder. He'd wait and see, and hope for the best.

You don’t know… how much I need you…

They walked through the forest. The fencer's arm and wing wrapped about the crimson-winged angel as they leaned against one another. "How could I ever forget what we felt? You are the only person that has ever returned what I felt, and it was great. I love you, and I always will!"

Zorlo, you can’t leave like this!

His sweet lips grazed hers, the tender touch pulling her against the broadness of his body. She remembered, despite her eyes being closed, how relaxed and peaceful she felt. "I'll never let you go milady. If I lose you, I'll have nothing left…"

No… The tears began to leak from within the confines of her eyes. Zorlo, No! Please don’t leave me! I didn’t get to say anything! Please wait! Let me say something! If I could say something, maybe you’ll stay! I don’t care what you do or where you go! You can stay in the Dome! I promise I’ll never complain again! I’ll never say anything! I’ll do anything you want! I love you! Zorlo, don’t you understand? I love you! The thoughts came out as muffled sobs while she crawled over his last resting spot, still searching, this time for an intangible reason explaining his death.

“I’ll get to you, Selene, after all, you’re an important person...I just want to tell you two things: first of all, I'm sorry. If I had thought a bit ahead, I would have told you my plan and about the secret power I've been keeping since we started planning this. The reason I didn't is I couldn't risk letting anyone know that I had a secret weapon. Well... now that it’s used, I think you should first be happy. You and your people are free, and now you can lead them in the right way."

“Zorlo, how could you?” she screamed, raising her arms towards where he had disappeared. “How could you leave me like this? You never tell me anything! I’m always in the dark! Why, Zorlo? Because you couldn’t risk anyone knowing? Not even… me? Who would I tell, Zorlo? Didn’t you trust me? Didn’t you?” Is that really… all I am to you?... an important person… and nothing more?... you’ll get to me?... She broke into a flood of salty tears. “You never stopped smiling! Am I smiling, Zorlo? Don’t I matter? You could have told me! I told you how dangerous it was! You never… you never listen! You… never listen...”

“I just want to tell you two things…”

She knew by now the truth, even if she wouldn’t admit it to herself. Zorlo was dead… and he wasn’t coming back. She shook with sobs as she clawed the empty floor. Zorlo… You never said… I love you…

Tsuukai wacthed the death of his greatestn rival in the same way someone would watch TV on a saturday night.His face showed no emotion, and no tears dared to well up in his eyes. He simply looked at the event with a blank emotionless face, as if the event itself had stolen away all emotions from him.

tsuukai's eyes glanced around the room to the men and women who all looked like they just got hit with a truck. The Shadow master looked at the ground and shook his head lightly as if he was trying to remember something, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. The fencers ears could hear tears drop to the floor as a strange smirk found it's way on his face. Not wanting to upset the people their he simply left, he did not belong in this crowd.

He found himself outside the castle, and suddenly burst into a hysterical laughter. His face twisted and contorted as he did. His loud fit died down as he looked towards the clear sky, a smile plastered on his face, "You bastard," he said laughing even more looking down at the ground and shaking his head again, "You are a bastard to do that to her, you know? What's worse is that you made me wrong...I was supposed to kill you, you were supposed to live so I could fight you again."

"As much as I hate to admit it I really liked you, when we clashed blades I could always feel my blood pumping, when I looked into your eyes it felt like being born again. You where strong, and righteous, and moreover you where faithful. I cannot admit to agreeing with how you acted, or what you fought for but you always acted on your highest moral standing, you where totally honest with how you lived. And that is the noblest thing you have ever done, you lived with dignity, and you died in it. If I where a different person, more open perhaps, more friendly. if i where not so hungry for blood, or if my heart was more complete then I would have called you friend. I would like to say I am sorry for not telling you how I respected you...but I know you knew it, and you knew I was too prideful to admit it. You are the only person I have ever respected,"

"For you i will make sure I take care of myself, and my sword. I cannot say I will my life as you lived yours, but I will live it in a way that adheres to my highest moral standings. As you have lived yours, "Tsuukai couldn't help but burst into laughter again, his voice spreading through the heavens, "So goodbye my rival, the only person worthy of respect, and...my friend. I will see you again in their life or the next..."

OoC: Tsuukai has emotions? Of dear hell froze over.

I just felt like posting Tsuukai's reactions to Z's death, lalalaa

The hallway thundered with what seemed to be the footfall of hundred of soldiers, their weapons scrapping against the side of the sheer stone, and their armor clinking. Yet, even her own footfall seemed to be amplified a thousand times, it usually making the barest of noises seemed to be a loud pattering that preceded her everywhere she sought to go, buffeted on all sides by the seeming advance of many more enemies that she thought herself capable of defeating in such spaces. She had long ago surmised the purpose of such design, what it was accomplishing now, disorientation and fear of an intruder, but she could still not feel confident enough to make a stand that may be her last, even if the enemy was less in number than they sounded.

All of the halls looked the same, with glowing brands set into the walls all at the same spacing, the turns to others even being in the same way, yet the sound of soldiers advancing came from every direction she headed. It felt as if she were being shepherded, and the enemy knew each decision she made, beating her to her chosen path and already coming down it in the opposite direction.

Vana could feel the time ticking in her soul; her compatriots were battling for their lives whilst she was entrapped in a maze of corridors fleeing from what could only have been a few guards. Then the castle began to shake, and raw power raised the hair on the back of her neck, and realization of her folly blossomed in the Coquette. Her pursuers, like the chilling electric that roiled for the few shockwaves that there were, were merely creations of magic.

“Damn it,” she cried, cursing herself. The third fan she had brought was brought for a reason, and to forget it in such a moment, failing to realize that she needed, had cost her invaluable time. Hurriedly, her pale hands a flurry of motion, the woman sheathed The Reaper, blood caked black metal sliding into place with a sickly squelch, and withdrew a fan of brazen slate, the slats etched with delicate black symbols that seemed to crawl up and down their surface. With a quick turn of her wrist, it snapped open, and the ancient caricatures glowed a dull red.

With a renewed confidence, the warrior sprinted forward, her own sound becoming as a storm that lashed through the corridors. The spell of the place answered her advance, and the fan’s symbols glowed brilliantly in response to it and Vana batted the spell from her way like a pesky fly, continuing her journey toward where she felt she was needed.

=====

The room was pure gold. The ceiling and floor, circular in nature, seemed to be a golden marble, and the walls were masked with gold damask that sickeningly reminded her of the present she had given the couple at their wedding. She couldn’t remember where she had gotten the material she had used to wrap it, and dreaded perhaps that in some roundabout way that she had somehow linked the couple to this place any further than they already were. The doorway behind her was open, showing the hallway she had just sprinted down, finding nothing but emptiness, revealing that all the troops and guards had gone off to attend to the other intruders rather than stay in their position.
The thick tread of her shoes met with the marble, the ball of her feet gently rolling toward the heel with the well-practiced intention of muffling her sound, but the whole room seemed to chime with the contact. It was as if bells were behind the curtains that adorned the walls, the sound traveling upward and then back down. Looking gingerly to her left, Vana saw that the markings of her fan glowed brilliantly, snapping her attention away from it immediately however as a rustling came from across the room, the source being a sofa upon which two small heads could be seen peeking from within the cushions.

Opening her lips to shout for whomever was in the room to stay in their place, the Coquette was interrupted as the twin figures erupted from the couch, spraying fine pillows and throws every which way, rising into the air on infantile wings.

“You’re not supposed to be in here,” chided the one on the left, shaking his naked body with the motion of wagging his finger so that his child’s genitalia followed suite.

“Its our room,” the female stated gravely, running her small, chubby hand through her luxurious blonde locks that rivaled the Temptress’ own.

“I could care less, I do not heed the words of dead children,” Vana replied icily, quickly unsheathing the smaller fan she had used earlier to deflect arrows, the icy metal opening in a near liquid manner, a razor likened to a half-circle. She never had the time to throw it, as her other hand with the slate fan swung forward, responding on instinct and the blazing red light that emanated from it.

Ice chilled her hand, but nothing more, a crystalline blob falling to the floor to shatter like glass. It didn’t melt.

“You don’t have the look of a magic user,” the male cherub called in nearly a whimper.

“Her weapons,” the female responded. “She shouldn’t be any tr..”

The whirring of steel through the air cut short the other’s words, as well as the hand from the end of her arm, blood spouting now from the child-like limb, the appendage plopping to the stone floor, its essence pouring from its severed stump to surround it in a glistening red pool. The female cherub’s eyes bulged outward in horror, bloodshot, ripe-cherry lips agape in horror, and her breath escaping in heaves. In the next moment, her head followed suite, face frozen in pain and horror, the extended finger of her fallen hand entering her permanently open mouth, the bones of her forehead and those of the hand crunching loudly with the impact, fluids spurting from her small cookie-cutter nose.

“The smart always die first,” Vana muttered, her voice the foreground in the near squeal of outright horror tinged with outrage that issued from the male cherub’s mouth.

The floor to her right exploded in flame that sought her form with furious lashing tentacles, but found no purchase in the hearty Galvorn that clad her as she spun away, only reaching the small of her back and back of her supple thighs, both well protected. Again, the winged boy’s magic lashed out at the Coquette, more primal in nature than the subconscious rendering of fire, it was tinged with a fury and desperation that made it corrosive, erupting as the small male screamed incoherently. Yet, the woman moved from it as before, her lithe form easily adapting from one movement to another, her feet and hands a constant staccato across the floor as she fleetingly dodged the deathly energy being flung at her that left pockmarks in the glistening stone.

The Temptress knew that she couldn’t sustain this tactic for long; already the palms of her hands were raw from the constant handsprings and the usage of her magic-breaking fan; she could feel her reserves of energy draining and she knew that killing this flying brat wouldn’t be as easy as the other, he had reason to be weary of her and the burning desire to see her dead.

Whipping close to the ground, Vana bound from on foot to the other, tossing herself forward upon landing, her foot leaving the marble as soon as it made contact, the area just behind her dissolving into a dirty pock in the golden stone. The sharp scent of acrid metal filled her delicate nostrils, and the magic as it permeated the air left a taste reminiscent of blood upon her palate, burning in her lungs. Had she the time, she would have coughed, but her lungs kept a steady pace, fueling her body to evade becoming a mere ragged hole in the floor.

The echo of her foot slapping hard against the wall reverberated from the room, her black and white clad jettisoned through the air toward the cherub, her fan with the runes held defensively in front of her form, swiping at the volatile streams of energy that flowed at her. Within her free hand, the metallic fan gleamed by her side, closed, before it opened and slammed forward to try and cut the throat of the flying child. It dissolved in her hand, burning the pads of her limber fingers that made rough contact with the other’s throat, a brittle popping filling the silence before both bodies hit the floor with a fleshy slap.

Rolling to her feet, the Coquette stepped upon the newly dead corpse of the female cherub, blood squirting from the arteries of the neck that had just began to clot with a squelch, streaming to splatter against the gold muslin and run down with alternating trailers both behind and on the front of the cloth. The rasp of the Reaper leaving its sheathe filled the foreground, the wheezing of the cherub and his nails clawing for purchase upon the blood slicked marble as he sought to stand filling the background.

Whence the mage finally rose to his feet, and got just barely into the air, the headless and handless body of his sister collided with him, blood pouring now from the wound in her chest where the Temptress’ weapon had entered it before flinging it at him. His screams were cut short by the crunch of bones as the Coquette landed on his legs, breaking each at the knees and the thwack of her black steel passing through his neck.
===

A second roiling filled the palace, this one much more urgent and violent than the last, so much more that Vana staggered in her step, burnt hand reaching out for stability against the rough hewn stone of the wall before recoiling with pain, a piece of the metal that had been melted unto her hand falling off and landing with a tinkling. Looking at where the metal had left her index finger, her amethyst oculars espied the white of the tendon surrounded by the pink of flesh. She barely held back a scream of pain and continued her trudge to where she felt the tremors were originating, the door just ahead.

Within what she presumed had been the throne room, only despair and violence could be seen. All was ruined, and in those ruins, the form of Selene sat, liquid pouring from her eyes as wordless cries wretched from her throat, the last fleeting presence of Zorlo leaving the plain of existence that they occupied.

Vana didn’t move from her position. She didn’t go forward and offer her condolences to the woman whom had only gotten married to the now departed man this day. She didn’t cry or say anything as the others did. She had met the man through violence, and was subsequently bound to him by it. Now, through violence, their connection was severed, and she was free, albeit in a way she had not desired to be so.

The pins fell noisily to the ground, surely unnoticed in the din of sobs, and the blonde and lilac curls tumbled freely to frame the Coquette’s face. The dark slit of her pupil was lost in the sea of lavender and the starburst of violet, a sheer liquid surface covering it all. The tears trembled for a brief moment in her eyes, before cascading down. The airy breeze of a fan made of feathers moved them from their path for a moment, before they plopped onto the scarred ground where the foot of the Temptress had been before. All that was left of her in that sad place was her tears.

OOC: I am happy enough with this. It was a long time coming. I hope you enjoy it. Also, it was written to Lexington by Chiodos, set on repeat.