Chapter 11: Patience (Finale)
Strip Mall Dojo, Earth
"It's a shame for them..." Roman sang quietly as he waited for Marco to arrive Sitting on one of the benches the Dojo has that was strangely in the shadows even though the rest of the room was brightly lit.
"That they lost their heads...their careless men who will wind up dead...".
"They wear theirs sin like it's some kind of prize...Too many lies...Too many lies...".
"These words are true and I'll make them believe...".
"They fight for air and struggle just to breath...".
"And they wear their cowardice well..."
"And i will see them ride it, straight to hell..." Roman finished as played with his human fingers
Roman smiled to himself, he must admit, his singing voice was rather good despite his natural deep and retched voice his real form has. He finally found something beautiful in his demonic body that's own horns are big enough to almost cover his own eyes as they protrude and overlap his bloodshot eyes, he sang the beautiful song that he will always sing after every successful battle and every successful quest of conquer, for his spirits of wrath always accompany him in every battle and every fight for it gives him the desire to fight and the desire to kill.
Its a victory chant or song if you will, something to go along with a feast of battle of cooked enemy flesh, something that even the most brutal of warriors find disgusting. Of course his new student Marco won't find it disgusting once Ira's done with him. A small sniffle of a laugh crept up on the Bearer of Wrath. The wand will be his and it will be Ira's perfect slaughter weapon, if Alistair allows him to use it every so often and if the wand was the actual stuff of legends
That is, until the voice of Rize came into the Bearer of Wrath's mind.
'She is innocent...' Roman remembered, quickly he shook his head, it does not matter if she is innocent.
'At least I don't kill because I enjoy it...' Roman once again remember, this thought actually made Roman to think about his decisions and his plan to begin with. He frowned noticeably, he showed mercy to a young girl who was abused by her parents, should he be merciful to a teenage princess who's clearly in love with an oblivious practitioner of karate?
The Bearer of Wrath snorted loudly, it is a job that Alistair did assign him to, so he must do it regardless of his desire to do so. As he was contemplating his decisions on completing his task, someone poke him on the shoulder, he turned his head to his surprise to see Luxuria, not in her bearer form but instead in a human disguise which lucky for her, her race looks quite similar to humans so the only differences her bearer form has compared to her disguise was that she lacked her horns, black voids for eyes and spider appendages that protrude out of her back. instead of the beautiful dress that Luxuria always wears, she instead is wearing a blue and white long sleeve shirt with a blue skirt.
"What it is you want Luxuria?" Roman asked to his fellow bearer rather curiously as he stared at the ground.
"I'm just checking on you..." Luxuria said rather unconvincingly. Roman frowned in response.
"Are you here on the account of Rize to tell to not kill them?" Roman said, slightly more quiet just in case someone else besides Luxuria would hear him. Roman sighed at the mere thought of Luxuria annoying him until he finally agrees not to.
"Wow, you actually got that right." Luxuria said giving him a sarcastic thumbs up. Roman growled in response in a annoyed tone.
"Just leave me be, for I know what I must do, and I will do it unquestionably for Alistair..." Roman said almost like it was a job description. Luxuria looked at with her human form light blue eyes, her contrasting Roman's deep red.
"You know, you like quite handsome in this form, did you know that?" Luxuria said in genuine tone, it wasn't tinged with lust or temptation but it was genuine compliment. Roman was slightly taken aback from Luxuria's compliment for Roman only expected more snarky remarks than anything else.
"You just say that in this form, my real form will make you run a mile away..." Roman said truthfully as he started to blush, something that Luxuria quickly noticed as its quite cute to see the Bearer of Wrath feeling embarrassed.
"Well, I know that your not ugly in the inside..." Luxuria responded with a honest smile, Roman looked at her, his red eyes deeply contrasting hers, he reeked of violence and destruction and the desire to destroy, she on the other hand seem to inspire mercy, kindness and beauty. But despite these differences they were essentially the different sides of the same coin for they do it for pleasure.
"Thank you..." Roman said giving her a smile back. Luxuria nodded in response as she sat right next to him.
"What made you think I'm not as bad as you think I am?" Roman asked curiously wanting a real and genuine answer instead of hearing that Luxuria only thinks so without any form of evidence.
"Well, I check your personal record at the Library..."
"And your profile has been recently changed..." Luxuria said, this got's Roman's attention.
"It said that you butchered a husband and wife..." Roman eyes widen slightly as Luxuria nonchalantly said.
"I can-" Roman tried to said right before being quickly interrupted by Luxuria.
"But, it also says that you their spared a child that was being abused by them." Luxuria finished with an honest smile complementing her kind tone.
"That's why I know you're not all about just killing and fighting." Luxuria said. Roman slightly smiled back.
"And that's the reason why I should not kill Star and Marco?" Roman asked genuinely, something that Luxuria did not expect.
"Yes..." Luxuria said rather awkwardly, Roman for a moment stared at his hands, he imagined them being drenched in blood, the blood of his enemies, more specifically Star Butterfly and Marco Diaz, a sense of regret and guilt started to course through the Bearer of Wrath.
"Leave me be..." Luxuria heard as it came from Roman's mouth.
"But-""Just leave me be...Please..." Roman said in a genuine pained tone. Something that really freaked the Bearer of Lust out.
"Why do you care about them?" Roman asked Luxuria once again in a pained tone.
"Because of the fact that She and I is in love with someone that both are too absent-minded to even bother to acknowledge our approaches" Luxuria quite harshly something that surprised the Bearer of Wrath. A small blush crept on his cheeks as he realized who Luxuria was talking about that is the target of her affections. Luxuria after a short nod quickly got off the seat and began to head for the door to the exit of the dojo. Leaving the Bearer of Wrath to truly contemplate his decisions
"Is she, in love with me?" Roman asked himself ever so quietly. Roman never consider Luxuria as even a friend, acquaintance at best, but not a friend or a romantic interest. In the Monastery that Roman/Ira was raised in, he was taught that love is stronger than many things, one of things being violence and even the power of hatred, Luxuria may be the Bearer of Lust but from what Ira/Roman knows, is that when she shows genuine emotion, it truly is genuine emotion. Her emotional honesty perplexes the Bearer of Wrath for Lust represents dishonesty, sexual desire, the desire for obtaining pleasure and most importantly giving in to temptation. Luxuria does not represent any of these, why is she the Bearer of Lust if she possess none of the things that define lust?
Roman shook his head, he's got a quite strong train of thought. Just as he got his thoughts about Luxuria out of the way, Marco and Star finally arrived. Roman smiled silently, Star still followed Marco despite Marco being Roman's well of anger, but what Roman quickly noticed was that Marco was not under the effects of Roman's wrathful teachings, Marco lacked the bloodshot eyes and the face of hatred but instead was a calm smile and rather clean eyes, something that angered Roman for his plans started to fade.
"Hey Roman!" Marco said as he walked up to his teacher, Roman didn't felt a single ounce of wrath from Marco something that bothered the Bearer of Wrath.
"Hello there Marco-san, and Hello Star...-san..." Roman said politely but his voice became a lot more poisonous as he mentioned Star's name.
"Are you ready for the tournament Marco-san?" Roman asked in a excited tone.
"Of course I am!" Marco answered.
"Are you ready to destroy your rival!?" Roman asked.
"Yeah!" Marco responded as he closed his fists
"Good! It starts in about five minutes, so put your gi on and get in the thick of it!" Roman said as he began to push Marco into the locker room. leaving Star with the company of the Bearer of Wrath. An aura of awkwardness started to crept on the Bearer of Wrath and the Princess of Mewni. This awkwardness is largely due to the fact that Star wouldn't stop glaring at Roman.
"Why are you giving me that look?" Roman asked just to end the silence.
"I know what your up to!" Star said rather knowingly weirding the Bearer of Wrath out.
"Up to what!? Making your friend win a fight?" Roman said, adding more empathis to the word friend just to make Star focus on something else rather than knowing his true intentions
"That's not it! I know who you are, and I'm going to stop your plans, just you wait!" Star said as she gave Roman a smug smile. Roman tilted his head in response out of confusion.
"Calm down Star-san, you're getting a little too angry..." Roman said as he tried to calm the Princess down.
"Shouldn't you be happy that your love is trying to accomplish something?" Roman said adding even more emphasis on the word love.
"What!? How do you-"
"It's quite apparent Star-san, not apparent for him though." Roman said with a light shrug. Star gave up with a heavy sigh, Roman smiled to himself, knowing that he finally made Star focus on knowing his real identity. Roman offered Star a seat and Star obliged as she looked down to the floor allowing her failures in approaching Marco to finally set into the Princess of Mewni.
"Don't worry Star-san, I harbor feelings for someone who doesn't know as well..." Roman said sympathetically. Star eyes lit up, finally someone who's going through the same problems as her.
"Why do you like him as more than a friend Star-san?" Roman asked curiously. Star took a genuine moment to answer this question, when she did truly went deeply for the reason of Marco affections, it was his bravery, his willingness to accept Star's faults and most importantly was that he protected Star against Ludo's henchmen on Star's first battle on earth despite Star knowing how to fight to begin with.
"Hes very nice, and he protected me in a fight despite the fact that he couldn't handle my 'weirdness' when we first met." Star said with in a honest tone. Roman only nodded in response listening intently to Star's words
"He's also very supportive, and he's keeps me happy instead of being homesick..." Star said as her cheeks started to blush. Just talking about Marco already made Star infatuated with him, although this is probably because of the fact this is the first time she express her affections, to bad its not even a person she even likes for she knows who Roman really is.
"Those are some good reasons Star-san, You like him not for the body but for his personality and virtue..." Roman said as he smiled slightly, Star smiled back her mood brightening up due to finally being able to express her affections towards Marco to someone that wasn't him.
"And who do you like Roman?" Star asked in the same curious tone that Roman gave to Star. Roman sighed in a love-struck as a response.
"A beautiful lady named Luxuria, she's so pretty, and she always try to teach me things and always seem to lecture me whenever I do something wrong, but in a kind way..." Roman said as his cheeks started to flush, Star eyes slightly widen when Roman said Luxuria's name.
"What is it Star-san?" Roman said in a genuinely confused tone, for he didn't catch on to the fact that Star knows that name.
"Oh! Nothing! Just remembered something that was important..." Star said with a sheepish smile, Roman lightly shrugged in response and went back to quietly waiting for Marco to be ready for this tournament of martial prowess.
Marco finally exited out of the locker room, now in his karate gi with a green belt, with a stripe of course, the fires of determination was in his eyes as he prepared himself for fight his enemy, Jeremy Birnbaum.
"Alright, you ready for this Marco-san?" Roman said already sensing the intensity in Marco's eyes
"Of course I am! Let's do this!" Marco said as he kicked in the air. Ready for any challenge that will confront him.
"Get ready for the tournament!" Star said excitedly, Marco nodded to his best friend and quickly got into the opposite side of the training mat, in the middle was the karate instructor.
"Alright! In this side we have Marco Diaz!" The karate instructor said as he pointed at the Latino, instantly people cheered albeit mildly something that Marco noticed.
"And in this side! We have Jeremy Birnbaum!" The karate instructor as he pointed at the hooded figure at the opposite side of the training mat, he had two butlers that were beside him prepping him for his fight. Quickly Jeremy unveiled himself of his hood and cloak, only to be a red-headed kid almost being two feet shorter wearing an expensive looking karate gi.
"YEAH!" Jeremy said, his desire to beat his opponents was fairly apparent according to Roman. The crowd didn't really cheered at all, in fact, the only people who did cheer for this brat was his wealthy parents
"We love you sweetie!" Jeremy's mother said.
"Shut it mom!" Jeremy responded rudely.
"That's Jeremy Birnbaum? I expected your rival will be the same age range as you Marco-san..." Roman said honestly as he scratched his head.
"Yes he is! And I'm going to kick his butt!" Marco responded as he got into a strong fighting stance.
"Seriously?" Roman said as he couldn't believe this, this child, this child is the reason why Marco became Roman's well of anger?
'Maybe the well of anger should finally overflow..." Roman said as he began to spectate the fight as it began.
And Star began to watch in absolute horror as Marco began to dominate in the match, outright destroying Jeremy Birnbaum despite his age, Marco would kick him, punch him and karate chop him all in the while he sported a smile, something that made Roman smile out of Marco's impressive display of martial prowess. Star on the other hand was outright disgusted in Marco but only until she noticed that Marco's eyes were back to being bloodshot.
"You..." Star said as she turned her head to Roman, Roman looked at her clearly confused.
"I know your doing this!" Star said accusingly as she pointed a finger of the same tone at the red-eyed young adult, Roman still looked at her as if shes crazy. But after a couple of seconds both Roman and Star heard a certain eight-year old fall to the ground, they quickly turned to see a triumphant Marco having his foot on top of Jeremy's beaten body.
"And your winner is Marco Diaz!" The karate instructor said as he raised Marco's hand while Marco sported a victorious glare. Roman smiled in response and he quickly turned his head to Star sporting a bloodthirsty smile, but what horrified Star was that Roman's eyes became pure red, now lacking Irises and his eyes are now only red voids
"See, I told him, if he give in to his desire to destroy his enemies, he will overcome any obstacle." Roman said in a gleeful tone, quickly Roman quickly got off his seat, and quickly raised Marco's arm in victory.
"Good job Marco-san!" Roman said as he allowed Marco to see his pure red eyes
"Now, finish him!" Roman said as he pointed at a cowering Jeremy Birnbaum.
"Wait what?" Marco said as he Roman quickly made Jeremy move up to Marco. The crowd gasped as Roman without a hint of mercy quickly grabbed Jeremy's neck and lifted him up in the air.
"Finish him Marco-san!" Roman said in a kind tone. Marco looked at Roman as if he was insane.
"I never agreed on doing something like this!" Marco said, Roman only laughed in response.
"I thought you wanted to destroy your enemies, but sense you don't want to..." Roman raised his free hand, then all of the sudden incredibly long black blades grew out of Roman's free hand causing the crowd to gasp in shock as the blades drew close to Jeremy's torso.
"Then I will!" Roman said, but before he can skewer Jeremy into a five prong meat stick he was blasted by Star's royal wand causing him to be pushed away, luckily it was strong enough to make Roman drop the now terrified Jeremy Birnbaum.
"Star, your right...He was a bad influence on me!" Marco said to his friend, she didn't respond for she was only focused on her opponent.
"Everyone! evacuate the building at once!" The Karate instructor said as he screamed. And so in about several seconds, the whole crowd left the dojo, even Jeremy Birnbaum who was the first one to leave the building.
Now what was left in the dojo was the Bearer of Wrath, the Princess of Mewni and the Safe Kid.
"So, this is the power of Star Butterfly?" Roman said with a smug smile. Our two heroes did not falter against the Bearer of Wrath.
"So weak, with the desire to destroy me though, it increases tenfold..." Roman said as all of the sudden a red aura started to appear around Star. Something that Marco noticed.
"Your anger, your desire to destroy me..." Roman said as all of the sudden he transformed to his True Bearer form in a puff of black and red smoke, what appeared instead of Roman was Ira, his armor was blood red and it looked akin to a European knight, except with massive black spikes protruding out of randoms places of the shoulder and chest armor lacking the formal and civil armor design patterns that most armor has, in his left hand was his sword and in his right hand was his axe, his skin was naturally sickly grey, his black bull-like horns compensated his small beady red eyes and to top it all off, he had two badly-damaged wings sprouting out of his back. A gargoyle-like demon with big bull horns that was about eight-feet tall is what Ira truly is.
"It feeds me!" Ira finished his sentence followed by an wretched laugh.
"For I am IRA! The Bearer OF Wrath!"
"Marco, are you ready for this!?" Star asked her friend, Marco spoke no words, she turned her head to see a determined Marco, even more determined Marco than before, the fire in his eyes was instead an inferno of determination. He readjusted his headband and green belt and quickly got into a battle stance.
"FIGHTTTTT! MEEEEE!" Ira roared as he charged, his two blades raised. Quickly Star and Marco dodged both of Ira's attacks, Ira roared in rage in response. Then all of the sudden he quickly threw his sword at Marco, Marco barely dodged the crude blade as it only slightly cut him in the cheek, the sword was then now stuck to the dojo wall, Ira once again roared in rage in response.
He started to swing his weapons without any form of technique allowing his swings to be easily dodged. Not even laying a single strike on our two heroes.
"STOP STRUGGLING AND JUST DIE ALREADY!" Ira said as he threw his axe at Star, although Marco was able to dodge the sword, Star wasn't so lucky...
"Star!" Marco said as the axe went into Star's stomach, she screamed in pain as she drop to the ground, the axe being several inches deep into her stomach. The ground around her started to be stained with her blood as she tried to desperately pull the blade out. Marco quickly sprinted to a now fallen Star Butterfly. Star screamed, and screamed, trying her hardest to pull the blade out, but failing at every attempt for it hurts even more and more when Star tried and tried. Marco couldn't see Star's face but he knew what would it look like right now.
"Star! Star! Please! Don't die!" Marco said in a panic, Star then fell silent...Her screaming suddenly just stopped... Marco looked at Star in horror...Tears started to form in his eyes
Star was dead...Her hair, her clothes were stained in her blood Marco looked at his hands, they were now stained with the blood of his best friend.
"HAH! Does that make you angry!?" Ira interrupted in a genuine kind tone. Marco fell silent, his own tears dropped like rain splashing into the pool of blood.
"Does it make you want to kill me?" Ira said pushing Marco on and on with the same false kind tone that he always uses
So finally after a couple of seconds of silence, Marco looked at him, his eyes, they were not filled with determination, they were filled with something that Ira doesn't know, Ira smiled to himself, believing that Marco was in a rage, Marco without any words got into a battle stance.
"Guess little miss Star couldn't handle axey! HAH!" Ira said to make Marco falter, but he did not even flinch.
"So Marco-SAN! I'll be at the funeral! How about you FIGHT ME! and I'll make you join her in the afterlife huh? doesn't that sound INTERESTING?!" Ira continued after laughing violently. Marco still did not fight him. Frustration started to build up on the Bearer of Wrath.
"Fight me...Marco Diaz..." Ira basically demanded, Marco did not falter, still maintaining his battle stance.
"Fight me!" Ira said in a irritated tone. Marco still did not fight him...
"Fight ME!" he once again said becoming more louder, Marco only stood there with the same glare.
"FIGHT! ME!" Ira snapped as he roared wrathfully, Marco still maintained his battle stance and still did not fight the Bearer of Wrath.
"FIIIIIGHT! MEEEEEEE!" Ira snapped out of pure rage, he roared as he charged to Marco, Marco still did not falter, He closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable.
"I'LL SHOW YOU THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT FIGHTING ME!" as he raised his two fists and prepared to squish the Latino into sticky little pieces
"DIEEEE!" As he swung his two armored fists down, but instead of achieving a puddle of bone shards and unidentifiable meat matter, what Ira achieved was Marco completely unscathed. Surprising the Bearer of Wrath but he only grew in anger as a result of not killing Marco.
"Why...Won't...You...Fight..." Ira prepared his most wrathful roar and scream he will ever produce.
"Me..." Ira said surprisingly calmly for he noticed that Marco had tears in his eyes despite his glare.
"Why?" Ira said, his voice start to change from anger to genuine pain. Ira's eyes, the pools of pure red finally became actual eyes, now having irises, he looked at Marco, Marco did not had anger in his heart, but instead of anger, it was pain, it was despair, Ira looked at Star's corpse, a young innocent princess who was butchered by Ira without a single hint of mercy, Ira quickly remembered Luxuria's words
'Well, I know that your not ugly in the inside...' Ira remembered. Ira looked at Star, Ira fell to his knees, his rage, his desire for bloodshed is the reason shes dead, she didn't deserve this, she didn't deserve to die...
"I'm...sorry..." Was all Ira said as Marco simply looked at the Bearer of Wrath.
"I'm...so...goddamn...sorry..." Ira said. He buried his face into his armored hands And for a moment, just for the moment, the rage, the desire for violence in Ira's heart finally quelled.
"I don't deserve...to live..." Ira said to himself as he finally began to sob, finally realizing what he done, what is the consequences for his actions and how it affects him and others, and all it took was the patient Marco to make Ira realize his sin, realize his evil act that he should be never be forgiven for. Marco simply joined Ira in the mourning, both of them deep in despair.
The Bearer of Wrath, finally learned patience as Marco silently forgave him...
"What are you two crying about!?" A voice said, more specifically it sounds exactly like Star's, Marco and Ira looked at each other as they could have sworn that Star is dead. Then all of sudden Star quickly got up from her own pool of blood, looking at them in confusion, miraculously the axe disappeared as it was reduced to red ash and the wound that Star had miraculously healed leaving only a rip in her dress, she was still stained with her blood though.
"Star!" Marco said as he quickly hugged his best friend. Ira simply looked at our two heroes in pure shock. Tears in his eyes as he didn't let go until after a whole two minutes when he finally let go.
"I thought you were dead..." Marco said as he hugged her again, this one tighter than before as his tears began flow like rain all in the while Star blushed as Marco hugged her once more.
"I thought you were dead too..." Ira said quietly not wanting to ruin the moment.
"So what happened?" Star asked.
"You and I fought Roman, who turned out to be him..." Marco said as he pointed at Ira.
"He killed you, Ira realized what he did and he was guilty, then your suddenly okay now!" Marco said happily knowing that this was a true miracle.
"I'm sorry..." Ira said once again his voice in a genuine tone of regret. Our two heroes looked at the Bearer of Wrath in pity.
"But I may know what happened..." Ira said as he tried his best to keep his voice from stuttering causing our two heroes to be ready to listen to the broken Bearer of Wrath.
"The Bearers of Wrath, is a long line of warriors, our powers are used to kill and destroy, Marco... you may have forgave me...You, did the impossible, you taught the blood knight, to put down his sword, and think about his actions and realize how terrible the desire for battle is...This emotion is called...Patience..." Ira said as his explanation couldn't even convince himself that his words could be true.
"You redeemed me...My powers are reversed...To heal and revive...You are the one of the few people in any dimension to do such a feat... To make the Bearer of Wrath become the Bearer of Patience...Or at least you redeem me enough to reverse my effects of this battle." Ira said.
"So what your saying is that when I stopped fighting you, sense you weren't getting a fight, you began to think, you realize that you killed Star and because of that you saved Star's life..." Marco summarized. Ira nodded in response.
"You are one of the few to do this, we Bearers of Despair are usually killed instead of redeemed, and for that, I thank you, for forgiving me..." Ira said as he finally stood up calmly, almost as if Ira's desire for bloodshed was never in Ira to begin with.
"I thank you, Marco Diaz, for not fighting me, and instead, made me give in to patience..." Ira said as he bowed to Marco rather politely.
"Well, it was kind of obvious, sense you know, you wanted to fight me and you did said that my anger feeds you..." Marco said as he bowed back in response.
"So where your going now Ira?" Star asked the former Bearer of Wrath. Ira pulled out his usual inter-dimensional scissors, still stained with blood.
"To go back to where I was from, repent my mistakes and try to fix them..." Ira said as he quickly opened a portal to another dimension.
"Thank you, Marco Diaz and Star Butterfly, It was nice meeting you two, for you taught me a lot..." Ira said as he gave them a honest smile, a smile that wasn't fueled by violence or rage but rather gratefulness. And so the Former Bearer of Wrath left Earth leaving his past behind him and now trying to step forward to repair the mistakes he caused in the past.