It was a bright, sunny day in Aura Kingdom; everyone doing their daily thing, Envoy's seen running off to start their journey, soldier's seen patrolling the city and perimeter's. All in all it was an amazing day...though a dark rumor had spread quickly through the kingdom, everyone had heard about it. A corrupted Envoy had been seen earlier, dragged into the castle before the doors to the castle had slammed shut, none had been able to enter since early this morning. Akane, Andre, Anya and their Eidolons Alessa, Aelius and Kusanagi were all stationed at the door, their faces neutral...yet everyone knew the three were uneasy.
With Maria having locked herself in the castle with the corrupted Envoy and Eidolon, everyone feared what might happen. Even Darius and their daughter Marianne had been ordered out of the castle when everyone saw the corrupted Envoy get dragged inside. After Darius and Marianne were out with the soldier's who dragged the corrupted Envoy and Eidolon in, the doors shut and locked...none were able to enter.
"What's going on in there?" Akane anxiously whispered to herself, seeing Hiyami walk up the steps. "Are the doors still locked?" Hiyami questioned concerned, her green eyes staring at the door in worry. "Yes...and we're all starting to get increasingly worried." Andre commented, his blue eyes looking at the door in worry as well.
Suddenly the ground began to violently shake and tremble, making everyone gasp as they ran down the steps as people began screaming and running, trying to avoid the cracks. Purple and black light began to leak from the cracks as the trembling got more violent, knocking over stands and making people fall in their panic.
"What's going on?!" Akane shouted before they heard an explosion in the castle behind them. "What?!" Akane shouted as she spun, seeing another explosion, this time a stained glass window on the side exploded, sending glass everywhere. "What is going on here?!" They heard a voice and saw Incediana running their way, before another explosion happened.
They gasped as the doors to the castle were destroyed with the explosion as two black and red blurs shot out of the door. They gasped as they recognized the corrupted Envoy from earlier this morning, his Eidolon, a chained Zashi was beside him; she looked like she still had some sanity left.
"Please master," Everyone heard her begin to plead with her Envoy. "stop this madness before your end comes!" She begged him, holding his arm tightly. He glared at her and gripped her throat, shocking everyone there. "Enough!" He shouted as his red eyes began to glow. "I won't listen to your whining any longer Zashi, now help me kill Queen Maria so I can be king and gain the power of the Cube!" He demanded on his Eidolon who began crying.
The corrupted Envoy was covered in black and red lines, his normal clothes had been slightly covered by black armor and his weapon was a holy sword. His eyes were completely red while the whites of his eyes had turned black, his white hair looked to be stained with blood and his grin was murderous, devilish even!
"RELEASE HER AT ONCE!" An angered voice shouted as the cracks in the ground began to slowly repair as white and blue light seeped through the cracks. They saw a blur of blue shot through the broken doors and clash swords with the corrupted crusader; seeing it was Queen Maria.
She was in her mirror assassin's garb that shimmered like the Cube of Gaia, her normally gold eyes had changed; her left stayed gold with her right eye being blue, shimmering like the Cube of Gaia. The corrupted Envoy threw Maria back who merely back flipped before she placed a shield around them preventing any possible damage from escaping the enclosed space. Everyone was surprised to see that Zashi had not been brought into the battle, yet they knew why. She was not yet corrupted by the darkness that had plagued her Envoy, something they knew Maria was grateful for.
"Just die!" The envoy shouted as he struck at Maria, yet she dodged and struck back at him, her swords cutting one arm open. "Do you not realize what it is you've done?!" She demanded of the boy, her eyes murderous. "Queen Maria, be careful!" Akane shouted, red eyes wide in worry as she feared the corrupted Envoy might be more powerful than they believe.
Maria knew though, dodging as a blast of dark energy came from the Crusader's sword and growled before rolling away, escaping another blast. Suddenly he switched to his grenadier and she gasped as she dodged the barrage of bullets coming from him. She knew this enclosed space was a wrong idea so she changed it to where the village and villagers were protected behind a wall yet it left the castle open to the bullets as they slammed into the walls and broke the windows. She was grateful no one was inside the castle, glad everyone had left when she ordered them.
"Maria?!" Darius shouted from behind the barrier, holding Marianne in her arms, before he covered her eyes, staring at the corrupted Envoy in horror. "What...he's that far in the darkness?" He mumbled and Akane looked at him confused. "Darius?" She questioned and he looked at her in shock. "It's Legna, someone me and the others meet on our journey against Reinhardt. I never thought he'd turn corrupted." He commented with sad eyes, yet kept his gaze to the battle.
Maria dodged another blast of dark energy from the guy, unable to really get close enough to stop him before she sighed and closed her eyes. She stabbed her swords into the ground at her sides and thrust her hands forward, a blue light flashing in her hands as a beam of dark energy headed for her.
"Maria!" Everyone shouted for her, yet the attack was fizzled into nothingness the moment it reached her. A clock suddenly appeared under the corrupted Envoy, bringing him to his knees as he grunted against the magic that currently held him. "Stop fighting," Maria scolded as the ground began to shake once again as she was slowly lifted into the air, "it'll make this more painful and I don't wish to prolong your suffering." Maria stated as both eyes turned blue and shimmered with the Cube of Gaia within.
Suddenly the Cube appeared above Maria and began to rapidly spin as it glowed and the corrupted Envoy's eyes widened in fear...he knew what was about to happen. "I regret to inform you...that you are too far gone." Maria said as a beam of blue light sped toward the Envoy and struck him, making him cry out in pain. "May your crimes be forgiven…" Maria began as tears ran down her face, yet her face was neutral, "and may you rest peacefully in the afterlife." Maria finished and closing her eyes, he disappeared.
Left in his place was his weapon, some blood from his wounds and a small shard of a crystal. Maria slowly descended to the ground and walked toward his stuff, the clock on the ground disappearing as the barrier faded, yet they all remained where they were. They had not expected to see Maria be so cold...yet the tears running down her face told a different story as they knew she was hurt by what it was she had to do.
Maria looked at Zashi, her eyes still blue as she lifted a hand to the Eidolon, whom began to cry and flew into Maria's arms, hugging the Queen of Eidolon. "Shh, it's okay Zashi...he is at peace." Maria said before her eyes returned to their golden color and the Cube of Gaia lowered toward them.
Maria held the crystal up to Zashi after picking it up and Zashi closed her eyes, holding the crystal tightly. It glowed before she did as well before the glow quickly faded and Maria smiled at her. "You are still pure though I do recommend you take some time off and recover completely." Maria stated to the young Eidolon whom nodded.
After she flew off Akane, Darius, Hiyami, Andre, Anya and the group who traveled with Maria all ran toward her as the villager's got closer. "Maria, are you okay?" Darius questioned first as he neared with Marianne, who hugged her mother's legs.
"I'll be okay," Maria said softly, exhaustion clear on her face, "it is not the first Envoy I've had to stop, nor is it the first Eidolon I've purified." Maria stated and they saw her legs shaking with strain to keep her upright. Akane noticed and saw Astraea come over before she bowed to the Guardian Goddess. "Goddess Astraea." Akane greeted as everyone turned to look at her, as did Maria.
"Are you alright my daughter?" Astraea asked her daughter, worry clear in her eyes. "I'll be fine mother." Maria replied, smiling slightly. Astraea hummed before she clapped a few times, the Cube floated over to her and she looked at Maria, before smiling gently. "Get some rest dear, I don't wish to see you run yourself into the ground. I'll take over for the rest of the day." Astraea said and Maria was about to protest when Andre ruffled her hair.
"Let your mother do as she wishes Maria," Andre started, smiling softly at her. "you need the rest in case something arises. I'd like to see you stay healthy." Andre said as Anya and everyone else nodded. Maria sighed before she gave them all a grateful smile as Astraea used the Cube of Gaia to fix all damage caused by the corrupted Envoy, even the land began to fix as the doors to the palace reappeared.
As Maria, Darius, Marianne and Astraea went back inside with their Eidolons, the others watched in worry; all knew Maria was working herself to hard and that she was emotionally hurt by having to harm others. "She's extremely kind hearted." Incediana said as she looked at her hands, wondering if she had thought wrong.
"Maria has always been like that," Andre began, looking to the ground, seeming to be deep in thought. "she hates having to harm others but will do it for the greater good." Andre said as he turned to look at his cousin, who sighed. "Will she be okay?" Lilliana, Darius's younger sister questioned, blue eyes worried as Serena sat on her moon beside her. "I believe she will be." Satako stated, Uriel beside him nodding with a smirk. "Satako is Maria's older brother, I agree with him." Uriel stated as Satako laughed at his Eidolon.
"She'll be fine, she's been through worse." Akane said with a faraway look, her face neutral as she remembered Maria dying in the final battle against Reinhardt before the Cube revived her. "I agree with Akane," Hiyami said, earning a gasp from Akane, in which Hiyami rolled her eyes. "Maria has done more and gone through more than any of us know. Though everything she's doing is on a completely different level than what she is use to." Hiyami explained making everyone hum. "I hope she'll be okay." Sataka, Darius's and Lilliana's aunt, commented softly before looking toward the room they knew Maria was currently residing in.
In Maria's room, unaware to all within Aura Kingdom was a ghostly figure of a woman with long blue hair, the ends of her hair were gold wearing a long white dress with blue and gold accents with a blue tinting to the dress here and there. Her sleeves were unattached and were trimmed a light blue color with a gold band at the top around each arm. Her bright blue eyes that shimmered like the Cube of Gaia watched Maria sleep, before they glowed softly as did the blue symbols on her leg as she gently placed a ghostly hand against Maria's cheek. She smiled as she knew Maria could sense her and saw Maria move her head closer to the hand, accepting the warmth.
"Soon Maria," The mysterious woman began, smile soft and kind as she moved her hand to stroke Maria's hair. "soon you and I will meet and I will tell you everything you need to know. The world is in danger and only you can stop it." She said as she moved away a little. "I know you saved the world once...but you must do so again...for you are the True Wielder of the Cube of Gaia and it will respond to you and only you when the time comes." The woman said before she faded away, blue sparkles left in her absence before they too...faded away.