The Promise to Fulfill (Insaney)

"I'm... I'm not done," Zachary commented as he coughed a bit and slowly stood up. He held his left hand out, as if reaching for something. Desperately, he called out. Cried out, even, for an answer. Something that could even this fight. It was already there, he thought, it just needed a bit of coaxing. Still... no matter how hard he tried, even as he pushed his body one step forwards... there was nothing.

Pain, fatigue and dizziness mounted. His body collapsed into the sand. For all of his hard work, he couldn't move any longer. Still, something within him stirred. Something deep within him.

o=)------------ Deep within Zachary's subconscious -----------(=o

Zachary's eyes opened. This place had no order. No set building blocks. Nothing that had any real substance. A black sky with purplish clouds filled the area. Chunks of what looked to once have been a fortress or a landscape floated about. Still, where the Replicator stood, there was a large area that looked like some kind of ancient stone street.

The platform the amateur sorcerer stood upon was massive in size. Although he could see the end, it was still very different. He had never been here before. He had never wanted to be here, he had a feeling. But... where was here? "Where am I?" he asked the darkness, only to have no answer.

"Where am I?!" he repeated, almost screaming it.

"Damn, you're loud as ever," a familiar voice commented. Zachary's head reeled down and he found himself staring at Kellson. "Long time no see. Is green still as pompous and annoying as ever?" the demi-angel asked as he cracked his shoulders.

"What are you doing here?" Zachary asked the brawler as the two began to walk around in a circle.

"I was sent here because God felt someone needed to teach you what's what! I guess he musta figured I was the best person to deal with a pansy like you. What a pain in the ass, if you ask me. Why do I need to teach you anything? After all, I'd still be happier if you were dead!"

"Personally, I don't care what would make you happy. What I care about is knowing why you're here! That and, if you are really Kellson, then why aren't you that guy... Johnny Bones. The one Zorlo fought?"

"Well, you never met me when I was more awesome than your boss, kid."

"Not what I heard. Last I heard, he beat the tar out of you... twice."

"Slander. That's all that is. Anyway, I told you why I'm here. I'm here to set some things straight with you!" the warrior of God said as he drew a sword.

Zachary called up Azul and Rosso and the two men moved. They both dashed quickly, and their swords collided powerfully, causing a strong pulse to emit from the center of their blades. A second pulse erupted as the two slid back and pointed their blades at each other.

The Replicator moved forwards and slashed at the man, narrowly missing. The black winged man drove the handle of his sword into Zach's head and watched as the red haired warrior struck the ground hard and slid along. "First of all, kid. You need to stop living in the past. If someone kicked your ass once, don't let them do it again, ya ****!"

Zachary rose from where he had hit the ground and slashed again. The blade locked with Kellson's. Still, the demi-angel didn't hesitate as he kicked the sorcerer in the head and watched him slide back again. "Secondly, stop being a dick to your girlfriend. She wants you to be around. To hold her, to squeeze her, and love her. You've got to be one of the ****tiest people I've ever seen when it comes to romance. So when you get home, make it up to her!" the man commented, adjusting his hat.

The ice mage pushed himself up and held his swords smiling. "So... you're here to... help me correct my life. Something like... I don't recall the story, but there are three ghosts. Let me guess, you're the third. The ghost of death or something, right?"

The man backhanded the Replicator hard and sent him flying back into the ground. "Now then, just listen up, two last things. First off, stop getting so pissed off. If you get angry like that, you're gonna wind up doing something you'll regret. Lastly-" the man said as he evaded another charge from Zach and kneed the amateur sorcerer in the chest. A blow to the back of the head sent the ice mage bouncing against the ground once more.

"Lastly, ya prick, you need to stop thinking everyone that helps you is helping you from charity. They're helping you because they feel you have some reason to live. Not just the dumb, green haired guy either. Cadenza wouldn't save your life if she didn't feel you deserved to live."

"No... but... she only..." the ice mage paused as a kick to the stomach sent him rolling again. Finally, it set in. Kellson was right... about everything. "Th-thank you!" the man said, slowly standing up. He was calm. "I've been so wrong for so long. I've been trying to do everything to not end up like Zorlo, but I've become the man I resent most. I owe everyone... But first, I owe a few people apologies. But first..."

Zachary gripped his swords tightly as he smiled. The two moved forwards, and the Replicator slashed his sword at the demi-angel. In a flash, the blade of Kellson's sword had been cleaved clean off by Azul's blade, which now rested against the holy warrior's throat. "Bye, Kellson."

"Yeah, yeah. Rest in hell, you prick." Slowly, the surrounding vanished, and something felt like a bright light. A warm light, opening a path... elsewhere.

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

Cold spread over the desert. The sands began to move, beginning to move around like a small sand storm. The Replicator stood up slowly, smiling. It wasn't really a stand, but more of his body slowly seemed to rise up and stand its ground. The area around him flashed magically for a few seconds as the sand began to turn white and reflect like snow. Lastly, an odd image of what seemed like the inside of a glacier began to flash.

The image of ice swords sticking out of the ground moved around the ice mage. The amateur sorcerer's body finally stood up completely as the snow continued to spin around him. Finally, his eyes opened, flashing brightly, as magical power surged out of him. The glacier settled. Swords of ice formed all around the two, and snow dancing around them.

Zachary smiled as he looked at the vampire. "Tomorrow... we'll finally end this fight," he told Rain with a smile. "It'll be cooler tomorrow..." The Replicator's body hit the ground, scattering what was, at first, snow, which became sand as the glacier vanished. Today had been, surprisingly, very effective for training. Now, Zachary could feel it. He had his full power at his disposal for the first time in his life.

"Tomorrow, hm?" Rain smirked at the boy as the coldness around them vanished. A bunch of swords sticking out of the ground... Made of Zach's ice, no less. I suppose one might be able to beat me, the Grim Angel thought, sitting himself down in the sand and taking a breath. He crossed his legs, sitting comfortably in lotus position as his arms rested on his knees.

Is he really going to just pick out swords from the lot and try each one? Rain kept looking at him as the sand blew over his face. He walked over and picked the boy up, placing him inside the ruins of the old hut--at least the pieces of walls that remained would shelter him from the wind and sand.

No... it would have to be more than that... Rain shrugged and sat down in a corner, leaning against a wall. He would have to see tomorrow... but for now, it was time to rest.

(Guest post, you both said it was ok.)

Something caused Elea to become numb all of a sudden. Wh-what was that...? She shuddered as feeling came back to her. She looked over at Monroe, who already was glancing up from the book he was reading earlier, and probably felt what she did. The swords-girl was a little tired beforehand, but not anymore, despite it being nighttime.

She watched the Quincy stand up, placing the book on the chair, before he headed for the front door. “Can I come... dad?”

He looked back at her for a moment, before finally answering, “Of course, Snowflake. Get what you need to and we'll leave.” The child jumped up from the couch and walked upstairs, and came back with only Hydra hanging off her left side.

“Ready, dad.” With that, they both left the home and eventually, the two of them wound up in the desert near Santa Mariela, as Monroe told her.

Now what did I feel, and where is it coming from...? Hydra seemed to agree with her, but decided not to speak up, as it helped Elea to to ward off the cold that the night brought on Monroe and herself.

As shocking as the surge in power had been, Monroe could only attribute it to two possibilities: a really power being had just sprung up in Rubato suddenly; or Zachary had awakened latent powers that existed within him. When the dark clad man arrived to see Rain resting against a shatter wall of his and the Replicator's former resting area, the Quincy against was met with the same two theories.

Eventually, as soon as Monroe figured out that both Rain and Zachary were alive, he ruled out the first, more reasonable, as he saw it, assumption and guessed that some great, latent power had awakened within the amateur sorcerer. But what in the world could he have awakened that had made him strong enough for Monroe to sense with ease from his home? Well, that question would require some answering.

In order to answer it, though, it would require him to stay a little bit longer. There was one good way to assure that he might have a chance to see it. The dark clad man looked at Elea and smiled. "Snowflake, that power is coming from Zachary. I think we should stay here and train somewhere nearby to see just how much stronger he's become, and to also see how much stronger you've become," the Quincy said with a smile.

Now all they had to do was wait until these two woke up. Then the training could begin!

He wasn't really asleep; he was too excited to keep his eyes closed. However, the darkness of the night and his own stillness had made it seem that he was out could. He had seen when Monroe and Elea had arrived, and then heard the two talking. Monroe must have felt the surge of power from Zachary; and Rain wondered whether Monroe was just here to observe the two, or if he wanted a piece of the training for himself.

But Monroe told the girl that they would train somewhere nearby just to stick around Zachary. Rain watched them go off for a while before his eyes began to wander... His mind followed, and he thought about Cadenza and how comfortable it was to be near her, in her arms.

It was a long time, but this is the first time he felt like this; actually minding where he slept. For the most part, he wished he was back home with Cadenza... Hm.. "Home" he thought, remembering the world before Cadenza, my sister... she doesn't know where I am. She... might not be worried, but I at least have to tell her what I'm going to do...where I'm going to be staying... but...

After all, the sun was rising.

Monroe stood quietly. He was almost like a statue as he crossed his arms. His eyes were closed, awaiting the rising of the sun. Elea stood near him, keeping herself occupied as she awaited. A person doesn't realize the sereneness of the morning until they aren't moving. There is no sound. There is nothing. However, there is a sense of peace deep within the human soul.

The sun rose just a small bit. As the sun broke the horizon, the dark clad man's eyes opened slowly and he smiled. He turned his head back and smiled at Elea and looked back at the sun. "Shall we get started?" the Quincy asked as he uncrossed his arms and readied to start this fight.

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

The sun rose just a small bit and the Replicator sat up. A primal kind of instinct seemed to fill him as he stood up. The vampire was standing as well, smiling at the amateur sorcerer. "Are you going to show me what we both saw yesterday, or am I going to have to warm you up first?" the Grim Angel asked with a bit of joking about it, but mostly serious.

Zachary smiled a he stood up and shook off the savage feeling that had filled him a few seconds earlier. "I don't honestly know what that was," he stated, smiling. "I saw it just like you did, but I don't know what it was or how to call upon it," the ice mage stated.

Zachary crossed his arms over his chest and tossed them out to his sides. Fire swirled around his left arm and formed a blade in his left hand. In similar fashion, snowflakes fluttered around his right arm and slowly combined to form a sword as well. Azul and Rosso formed in the Replicator's hands and he grasped them tightly as he looked at them.

Rosso blade glowed a little bit, being now red hot to the touch. As for Azul, it was ice cold to the touch. Aside from those two things, the blades didn't seem any different. Well, at first. With a flick of his wrist, the Replicator had revealed four of each swords, one clutched between his fingers and thumb. "Try this!" the amateur sorcerer said as he tossed the eight blades at Rain with a smile.

So... somehow that thing... that place I created... it gives me new powers... and not just the ability to create stuff in mass... but... the Replicator started running quickly at the angel who found himself dodging the eight swords that had been thrown at him as the ice mage created another pair and grasped them firmly in his hands.

Try this!" the amateur sorcerer said as he charged at the vampire with a new speed and agility that was beyond anything that Rain had seen from Zachary before.

Rain was surprised at the boy's sudden burst in energy and power. He was simply more agile, and faster; and Rain had to adjust his speed and strength to match, which wasn't very complicated to do. Zach was faster, extremely above average, but he was still in an entirely lower league when it came to Rain.

Rain smirked at this and continued to fend of Zach's now powerful, more relentless attacks. But even though they were faster, as well as stronger, they were the same. His swords seemed more powerful, but he either did not want to use that power or did not know how to. For sure, the Grim Angel would not try to break them this time, but he would be able to use them like... tuning forks.

It the forks in the right spot and they vibrate. The harder they vibrate, the less your fingers would be able to hold them. And that was when Zach dropped Azul. At that moment, snowflakes began to swirl around his arm, but the process was disrupted when Rain's sword landed hard on the boy's shoulder. Zach rose Rosso to attack, but that was swept away as well just before Rain moved in. The sword sliced through the youth's clothes and hooked in them. The Grim Angel used the sword as a handle to a hammer, lifting Zach up and bringing him over his head, slamming him into the sand.

At least... it was sand and not concrete.

Rain looked at him as he pulled his sword away. "It appears Vossler was right... You can't beat me with those swords; you have to visualize something that will overcome your opponent."