Azure closed the metal cage around Winter, Geth, and the two helpless nits. Geth stared at Azure with a calm gaze that Azure found quite unnerving.
"What are you going to do to us, Azure?" Geth's question held no malice, only curiosity.
Azure sneered at Geth. "Why do you ask? And where is your anger? Reality has made you soft. For your information, at sunset, the gloam will overtake Lith. It is the Want's gift to our cause. My gift is your spirit and your soul, Geth. With it, the gloam will be able to overpower up to the fifth stone."
Winter couldn't contain her anger any longer. "You traitor!" she shouted. "You sold out the very realm you swore to protect! And for what? A power that will not exist! You of all beings should know that if Foo is merged with Reality, all being will cease to be!"
Azure turned slowly to Winter. "Of course I know. That is one of the old one's fables, though. It is not true. And it seems that the gloam will be able to reach the third stone. You have grow somewhat more... harsh. It will serve the gloam well."
Azure turned to go, but was stopped by a voice. "Azure."
Azure quickly turned around, looking for the source of the voice. "Who's there?"
The voice laughed a deep, chilling laugh. "Ha ha. Azure, don't you remember me?"
Winter thought she could see a glint of hope in Geth's eyes. But he turned his head too quickly for her to make sure.
"Show yourself!" Azure tried to keep his composure, but his voice gave away how disturbed he was.
"Why should I, Azure? You know who I am. I am the other one who could throw your plans haywire. Remember, a few years ago? You began to turn to the Dearth's side, and I almost stopped you. Then you tried to kill me, and then you buried me in the Swollen Forest."
"No. It can't be. How did you survive? How could you have survived? I made sure you died by accident!"
Winter could definitely see hope blossoming in Geth's eyes. She wondered what was going on, and figured that fate would sort it out.
"Ah, yes. You tried. But, something in your scheme made my 'death' on purpose. So, when you buried me, I was merely unconscious, not dead. You should have made sure I was dead before you buried me."
Geth spoke up. "Azure, why don't you introduce us to your friend here? I'm sure Winter would greatly appreciate it. I believe she is lost." Winter nodded in agreement.
Azure gritted his teeth together, and forced out, "He is an old.. acquaintance of mine."
The voice laughed again, a mocking laugh this time. "Are you sure, Azure? It seems like you never thought of me like that. I seem to remember that you hated me."
Azure had finally had enough. "Show yourself!" he commanded.
"Look behind you," the voice whispered. Azure spun around, and nearly had a heart attack. There stood a boy. Though he looked like he was only sixteen, Winter could sense an air of wisdom and age around him. His hair was a dark, dark black, the black of a raven on a moonless night. Streaks of white were scattered throughout the mess. In his right hand he held a wicked-looking kilve, a nasty, yet graceful, weapon of the finest redwood. His left hand was stroking a gray sycophant that was perched on his shoulder. He was clad in a red cloak lined with blue thread and yellow dreams. All in all, he cut a very dashing figure.
"Hello, Geth, Winter, Sait, Andrus. How are you today?"
Geth answered with a polite, "Very well. You?"
"I am quite good. Hey," the boy said, slapping himself in the face. "I forgot to introduce myself. I know your name, Winter, but you don't know my name. I am Aaron, and this is my sycophant Lansk."
"Nice to meet you, Aaron," Winter replied.
Aaron turned to Azure, and all present could see him trembling. "Azure, you have been corrupted by the soil. Awake, and dream once more."
Winter was shocked to see what happened next. A beam of light shot out of Aaron's hand and played across Azure's face. Azure flinched, but slowly he drew in towards the light. He stopped a few inches away from Aaron, and fell heavily to the ground. Muffled sobs could be heard from the robe where Azure hid.
Aaron reached down and pulled Azure to his feet. Then, to the surprise of all those witnessing the scene, Azure began confessing.
"I'm sorry!" he bawled. "I never meant to stay still so long, but I did. The soil hissed so many enticing things in my head that I lost all sense of who I was. I killed many of the lithens, and I never regretted it. But now I do! Oh, I wish I were dead!"
Aaron shook his head. "Now now, that's no way to talk. Do you want to be forgiven of your sins?"
Azure nodded vigorously. Aaron smiled. "Then, all you need to do is help us stop the war to merge Foo and Reality."j
Azure smiled, a happy smile. "Thanks, Aaron!" Azure rushed off out of the cells to do whatever he felt he needed to do.
As Aaron opened the cell to let Geth, Winter, Sait, and Andrus out, Winter voiced a question that had been bothering her for a little bit.
"Why didn't you get rid of Azure?" she asked Aaron.
Aaron looked at Winter in not the least bit of surprise. "I cannot kill. And, he would not have learned his full lesson. It was an accident that he stood in one place for too long. Now, he must learn to right what he did. Also, there was good left in him. I have been hiding in the shadows for many years, ever since Azure tried to kill me. Now, don't look at me like that," Aaron said to Winter, who was glancing at him suspiciously. "I'm not an agent of the Dearth."
Geth put in his two cents. "I can vouch for Aaron. He is not a corruptible person. He doesn't sit still long enough for that. I believe him."
Winter relaxed, reassured by Geth's words.
Aaron continued. "As I was saying, I knew that Azure still had a bit of good left in him. I knew he could be turned back to the good side. So, I followed him, keeping to the shadows, waiting for the right moment. Now that I have healed Azure, it is time to return to working in the light. I enjoyed working where no one could see me. I was like the invisible balance between good and evil. I helped Geth get out of Foo. I assisted Clover in releasing the sycophants from the tharms. I aided so many that I cannot remember them all. Just know that I helped keep balance."
Aaron stepped into the tunnel leading to the entrance. He turned to look at the others. "Are you coming?" he asked. "Lansk and I are anxious for some action." Lansk nodded in agreement. Geth, Winter, Sait, and Andrus hurried after Aaron as he followed the tunnel out into the open.
Aaron raised his arms when everyone was outside. He shouted to the sky, and the wind carried his words to all those who fought against Foo, and a deep chill entered their hearts, a chill enough to put an avaland off of its food for three years.
"Foo, the balance has shifted! Now that the prisoners have been released, the good has the favor! And we, will win!"
With this said, Aaron led the way through the maze, into the war that raged outside of the Want's doors, a war of emotions and, if you got deep enough into Foo, a war of words and weapons.
A/N: I wrote this off the top of my head, so please tell me if the ending stinks. I was rushed to finish before bed. I most likely will convert this into a fully-fledged novel sometime, but I have to finish my other stories first.