Maria sighed as she finished listening to Belenus' story...everything had officially fallen into place.
"Do you understand now? We hadn't told you because we weren't sure of your reaction." Belenus stated, sad he had just decided to tell her.
"It's...it's okay, Belenus. I-I understand...beside's...Envoys' are unpredictable." Maria stated bitterly, remembering Andres' harsh words to her, and Sachi, with Saari, sighed sadly at Maria...Andres' action's towards her were taking their toll.
Suddenly a pressure descended on them all, and Marias' eyes widened...why did this feel familiar? She had felt it once before at Candeo Marsh, and once in her dreams at Port Skandia...but there was another time. What was going on?
"WATCH OUT!" Gus shouted as lightening appeared, and struck the area between Belenus and Maria.
Maria screamed as she flew back a bit, and hit the ground, causing Belenus to shout for her, and it caused Anya to enter the Church. Anya was heading there to discuss battle plans, and report a few things about Candeo Marsh, but upon seeing a dark cloud over the Church, and hearing screams, she had ran in.
"Maria?!" Anya shouted, and ran toward the Duelist, helping her up.
"Are you okay?" Anya asked as they walked toward Belenus, and Maria nodded.
"Yes, Belenus, are you alright?" Maria asked worried, and he nodded.
"Ever the hypocrite Belenus." a voice stated, and gasping, Maria spun with Anya, only to see Reinhardt enter, a sneer on his face as he glared, hatefully, at Belenus.
"Reinhardt..." Belenus trailed off, trying to remain neutral.
After a few words were exchanged, Reinhardt turned around, and thrusting a hand out, the rift opened wider, and Reinhardt turned around, grinning.
"Come on out, you ugly brute!" Reinhardt commanded, and suddenly a gigantic, green, ogre-looking demon entered.
"What the-?!" Maria trailed off, shock on her face...did he really-?
"I've created a road to Pandemonium, and soon...my ranks will grow, and I'll destroy all of you!" Reinhardt shouted as Andre entered with some of his Templar's.
"What's going on here?!" Andre shouted, before he saw Reinhardt.
"SHADOW KNIGHT!" Andre bellowed, untold rage upon his face, and Reinhardt only laughed.
"Farewell." Reinhardt stated, but Maria growled, and charged.
"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Maria shouted, and Reinhardt gasped as he turned, only to connect blade's with Marias' short-swords, before a wall of ice hit him, blowing him into one of the walls.
Growling, he saw Marias' eyes go blank, before she thrusted her hands out, and closed the rift. Reinhardt gasped, how was she able to do that?! Groaning, he stood, before Maria attacked him again, and he growled...she wasn't making things easy.
"Maria!" Anya and Andre shouted, and were about to help her, when the demon went to attack Belenus.
"Protect Belenus! I'll be fine!" Maria shouted, blocking Reinhardts' sword, before retaliating.
Reinhardt threw her back with his sword, and as Maria aimed for a pillar, she braced her legs against it, and pushed off it, connecting blade's with Reinhardt again. Reinhardt growled as he grabbed her by the throat, before slamming her into the ground, but balls of ice headed for him, and he jumped away, unable to continue his abuse against Maria. Maria groaned, and went to stand, but electricity shot from her arms and legs, causing her to cry out and she slid to her knee's.
'I forgot...my arms and legs are made of metal. Their robotic...if only I knew how to return my body to a complete human state.' Maria thought, remembering what she was told by Sachi, and BAT.
Reinhardt saw that as his chance, and struck, but connected with a blue and white, sword and shield. Looking up, he saw Saari, her evolved state, and she threw him away, before attacking him, a shield appearing around Maria. Sachi flew toward Maria, and healed her wounds, before Maria attacked again, Reinhardt growling as he fought two Eidolon's and a Envoy of Gaia...a very familiar Envoy of Gaia.
'This girl...I've seen her somewhere before...but where? It doesn't matter, she closed the rift, and I must open it if I am to prepare, and escape!' Reinhardt thought, before he called the Cube, making everyone freeze, even as his demon was destroyed.
"Enough games, I bid you all fa-!" Reinhardt didn't get to finish as Marias' eyes went blank again, and thrusting her hands out, began pulling the cube to her, even as a blue aura enveloped her.
Looking up, Reinhardt saw the cube reacting, and growled, before using his own power to keep the cube with him. Everyone watching as blue aura battled against red aura, the two colors seeming to clash between Maria and Reinhardt. Andre only glared at Maria...would she become like Reinhardt? Though she had shown promise, he wasn't entirely sure he could trust her as an ally in battle...she was still an Envoy of Gaia. Anya watched worried, afraid Reinhardt might try to use his aura to overpower Maria, and turn her against them. If so...they would all be destroyed, Maria was unstoppable. She had the highest recorded Gaian power in history, and they have noticed countless Eidolon's watching her, and a certain Eidolon Goddess keeping a close eye on her. Suddenly, Maria screamed as Reinhardt struck, his sword piercing her, even appearing out her back as it slid through her.
"MARIA!" Everyone screamed, even Andre as his eyes widened in horror.
Belenus began chanting, and Reinhardt growled as an orb of light hit him, and he opened a rift, and escaped through it, leaving before anything else happened. Maria fell down, blood spilling from her stomach and the others ran toward her, even as Saari suddenly disappeared and Sachi began flickering.
"Maria! She's...dying!" Sachi shouted, before she disappeared as well.
"We have to do something!" Anya shouted, her emotions opened, she couldn't keep it in.
Belenus ran toward them, before he sighed, and began reciting a spell. A orb of light appeared in his hands, and covered Maria as it fell on her, before her wounds began closing, and she began breathing again. Anya smiled in joy, even as Andre sighed in relief...she even had him worried. She shifted, and Sachi reappeared with Saari, as Sachi hugged Maria, and began crying, telling her to never leave like that. Saari just smiled, before she left, disappearing from sight, even as Anya hugged Maria as well.
"Don't you ever do that again?! Provoking Reinhardt by trying to take the cube, were you trying to commit suicide?!" Sachi shouted, crying harder, and Maria groaned, sitting up with Anyas' help.
"S-sorry?" Maria questioned, before she heard Andre clear his throat, and she paled...she was in for hell.
"Maria..." Andre strained out, and looking at him cautiously, she saw the stern look, and...was that...concern in his eyes?
"You should know better than to act without order's, and doing so would usually result in punishment." Andre stated, eyebrow twitching, and Maria sighed...he was just scolding her again.
"However...you had us worried sick." Andre suddenly said, and looking at him bewildered, she saw the concerned look in his eyes as he sighed, and hugged her.
"Never do that again, you hear me?" Andre stated, and Maria sighed, before she nodded.
As she left, having been given her new assignments, she left, intent on letting the others know what was going on. They would stay in Navea for awhile, rest, restock, due some errands here and there, then set out for their next mission's. They had a ton of work heading their way, that was certain. As night closed in, Maria knew something new was going to happen, and she had a feeling she'd be meeting some new friends, new Eidolon's, and new enemies...but only time would let her know if she would survive the ordeal.