-+-+-The Goddess' Tale-+-+-

A goddess…

Her moon lit face pulled into a content smile.

"I am the goddess of this world."

Goddess Virginia looked down at her creation and her smile widened.

Everyone is happy.

She watched as Shane listened to his brother's stories outside whilst Halle's irritated voiced announced that supper was ready and if they didn't get their tails in the house, she was going to come out and get them.

I am at home and yet I am here.

She watched as her family sat together and talked in the living room about the old days.

I am upstairs, wondering about target practice opposed to justice.

She watched with satisfaction as Clive read to his daughter.

Her father is with her, she will be happy.

Her face creased into a frown and her brow knitted with irritation.

They will be here soon but I will be ready.

She rose from her planetary throne and ambled across the sky, watching in awe as the stars floated by, lazily.

Here they come.

Sure enough, as if on cue, her past came back to haunt her.

"So, you finally made it, did you?" she looked down and glared at them.

Virginia glared up at the goddess, rolling her shoulders, dismissively.

"What's it to you? You're just going to join us, anyway."

The goddess closed her eyes, a smug smirk on her face.

"You're pretty insolent, I think I should…"

"Destroy us? Because, let me tell you, the second you do that, you'll be destroying yourself, as well."

The deity laughed and waved a dismissive hand at Virginia.

"Please, don't play the whole "If you kill me you'll kill yourself." Card because, well, I already know it's not true. I have beaten you already, you fool; I have beaten you and your empty sense of justice! Don't you know, honey? I know what you're trying to do; you're trying to make me see things your way and I can already tell you, that isn't happening!"

The young Drifter rolled her eyes and then closed them; they were in for quite a battle.

But, she's already me, this is the future me, meaning that she's already conquered this part of me. Oh, hell, if that's the case, we're fighting for nothing and everything is a moot point.

"So, you're seeing it my way, are you? I have already taken care of your teammates and, let me assure you, the battle was great. I can recount the battle if you'd like."

The Mother of Creation opened her eyes, looking down at the mortal with pity.

"Fighting was the only way to fuse all the concepts of happiness together. In the battle between you and those that you slaughtered emerged new reasons for each of your teammates to live, thusly creating what they were to become. As I said, it wasn't an easy battle. The fight was hard to be sure; rest assured that I earned my title as Goddess."

Well, now Virginia was curious; she wanted to hear how the goddess part of her got that way.

Well, she said that she'd recount what happened.

"Would you mind recounting all that had happened to you? I am actually quite curious."

The moonlit goddess took in a gale of wind and the exhaled it as a gentle breeze.

"Well, first and foremost your team was magnificent; they had put their hearts into and it showed. There were times when I felt that I had no chance at winning and those were the times I fought the hardest. Jet was, by far, the hardest; he had conquered his impatience and haughtiness post battle and he was so fast that I had a hard time keeping up with him. I have an idea: instead of telling you the story I'll let you see it. She sat down cross-legged and looked down at her mortal counterpart.

"Look into my eyes and you will see the battle unfold before you!"

The landscaped rolled out within the goddess' eyes and Virginia cringed at what she saw. Before her lay a battlefield painted with the crimson smear of blood and the chaos of a falling gray sky.

From beyond her reality the Abyss spoke.

"Who do you wish to fight, first?"

Virginia furrowed her brow for a moment or two. Then she smiled and closed her eyes.

"I wish to fight Jet, first. I have a feeling that he will be the hardest."

He learns from his mistakes. I will not let my guard down.

-+-+-Stability's Watery Grave-+-+-

Virginia opened her eyes just in time to see Jet claw his way out of the bloodstained ground and pull himself up and out, rising gracefully to his feet.

"I have learned my lesson and, trust me; I will not be such a pushover this time."

Jet swung his gun toward her and then relaxed his body, bringing the legendary Airgetlamh down to his side, swinging it to and fro towards his leader.

Virginia narrowed her eyes and yanked her pistols from their holsters, spinning them towards Jet before aiming them steadily at his chest.

"I, too, will not hold back. Enough talk, I have a world to rule!"

Beneath them, the ground shifted and groaned, as if it was about to devour them at any moment.

They both darted their eyes down and then back towards each other.

It feels as if the earth is about to swallow us whole.

There was silence and then the first shot echoed through the turbulent sky. Jet leapt to the side, narrowly dodging the two bullets that screamed towards his chest.

I'm an easy target as it is; I need to make it so that she has less of an attack zone.

The young android shifted his body so that his shoulders were facing his former leader.

Virginia's face twitched into a smile and her eyes glittered wisely.

"I know what you're doing and let me assure you, it won't work. I…"

Her words were cut off by the shears of time.

What is within your heart? The constantly shifting waves of knowledge and ignorance?

She tried to blink but couldn't.

Why can't I move?

Or, perhaps you would prefer the stability of earth, the unmoving chunk of skin upon the body of the stars?

Damn it, the least you could do is tell me what is going on.

The voice that surrounded her continued, seeming oblivious to her unspoken question.

How about the raging flames of inquisitiveness and enlightenment?

The voice's questions started to make sense, now.

It wants me to choose an element…

Would you like to dance across the sky on light feet without a care in the world? You must tell me what you want so I can make it so.

Give me a moment.

You have all the time in the world.

Virginia knew that it was telling the truth.

A thousand thoughts ran through her mind, each having their own merit. In the back of her mind, the shadows of what was to be clawed their way to the surface.

What you seek is the unending tide of knowledge, the darkened sea that hides all and will open only to the light of the moon and the sun. Speak your desires and it will be.

Do you wish to become one with knowledge?

Yes.

Then it will be so.

Time once again weaved itself together for the female Drifter and she found herself standing before Schturdark, shivering as the waves lapped over her feet.

"You wish to be my avatar?"

Virginia nodded her affirmation, an uncertain smile crossing her face.

"May I ask you a question?"

The Guardian's head bobbed and Virginia swore that she saw the creases of a smile creeping across the Guardian's smooth face.

"How does this play into the battle I am fixing to fight?"

"It is simple, you will fuse with me and we will fight with knowledge and the strength of a thousand waves. Do you have any other questions? Time is no longer frozen for you but it is for Jet. If you have any questions, voice them now."

The ex-leader thought for a moment and then her smile brightened.

"I have no more questions. I am ready to fight."

Schturdark nodded its head just as a bright, warm, light flowed over them. Virginia knew that this battle wasn't going to be easy but deep down she was excited; she would finally be able to prove that her reality was the true reality.

"Just remember that even the waves can be quenched with a moment of passion. Keep your emotions in check and you will be fine." whispered Schturdark's voice from beyond the blanket of light. Virginia nodded as the light was starting to fade.

"I understand."

The world once again came into focus and she found herself unable to move, once again.

"What is going on here?" she mouthed, unable to do much else.

The Guardian's voice echoed through Virginia's skull.

"It is to keep the fight fair; Jet needs to choose his element, as well."

"Can he choose the same element as I?"

"No." was the Guardian's simple response.

The Drifter said nothing and waited for her former ally to become unfrozen.

Who are you?

Jet struggled to move for a few moments but then gave up having discovered that the bonds that held him weren't so easily broken.

What do you mean "Who are you?"? You know who I am!"

Who are you?

The voice's persistence was starting to get on the android's nerves.

I am Jet, you idiot!

You are Jet. Are you the wind? Are you the force that creates a summer day or brings forth a crippling tempest?

What are you getting at?

Are you the flames of inspiration and fury?

Jet remained silent, trying to figure out where this mental conversation was leading.

Or perhaps you are the rock, the fortress of stability and stubbornness.

Why do you want to know?

Please choose one.

Why?

Please choose one.

Why wasn't water an option? As I recall there are four elements, not three.

He swore he heard the voice sigh.

The water wishes to remain still and steady; you cannot push away the water's will.

That doesn't even make sense nor does it constitute an answer.

Answer.

If Jet had control over his body, he would've given the voice the one finger salute.

Fine, fine, I'll be the earth. It fits me, after all.

It will be so.

"So you wish to be my avatar, young man?" asked the Guardian of earth. The young android looked around and narrowed his eyes; this was certainly a change in scenery. He was standing on top of a mountain, watching the scarlet sky sneak lazily by.

"Yes."

"That was simple enough. Do you have any questions?"

Jet shook his head and continued to look around.

"Do you wish to stay here a little bit longer?"

The crimson sky slowly sank into a tranquil blue. This was the first time in ages Jet felt truly comfortable.

"No, I need to finish this; Virginia will learn very quickly that I'm not playing around."

"It is sad but you speak the truth. We only hold sway over so much." The Guardian poked its head up from the ground in front of him and tilted it to the side.

"Come closer, dear child; I will not bite."

Jet ambled over to the earth Guardian and held out his hand.

"Is this what you want, Grudiev? "

The Guardian nodded its huge head and nuzzled Jet's hand.

"When you need me, call me."

The only affirmation the Grudiev got was a nod of the young android's head.

"Very well, are you ready to fight?"

Jet narrowed his eyes and smiled.

"Yes I am."

The prison of time unfurled around the Drifters and they were once again able to move. There was little time to celebrate, however, as they had both changed considerably. An armor of swirling water encased every inch of Virginia's body and her pistols became a part of her hands. With every step she took, a small tidal wave followed. Jet backed off, leaving small mountains in his wake. His body was encased in a chunk of armor composed of different types of rocks and metals; such was the strength of the earth.

"So, this is what happens when one truly merges with a Guardian? Fascinating…"

Jet pondered aloud. Virginia, too, was amazed the change she seen in herself and her former comrade and, for just a moment, she forgot she was supposed to fight him.

"You know, I'm still here." Jet snapped, raising his Airgetlamh towards the heavens and back towards Virginia. Virginia raised an eyebrow, Jet's weapon was modified: from the end of his gun protruded a firm slat of steel, sharpened to a razor edge. Virginia's eyes narrowed and a smug smile crossed her face.

"You're underestimating me, Jet, and I don't like that. I can sense your every movement; I can feel the earth shake as you move. Perhaps earth wasn't such a good element for you."

Jet snorted to this and buried his Airgetlamh into the ground, lowering his head for a moment.

"You are underestimating me, as well. You may be able to feel every move I make but I can very easily alter your perception. But, enough idle chatter; I have a battle to win and you're in the way!" He pulled the modified gun from the earth and rested it against his shoulder.

Virginia fused her weapons together and fired her gun. Jet called up a column of earth and blocked the shot. The female Drifter reloaded as quickly as she could and just narrowly evaded a chunk of falling earth.

"Damn it!" she snapped, once again firing her enhanced gun at the unguarded android, smiling as it morphed into a drill like projectile and burrowed into his armor. Jet yelped with surprised, jumped back and to the side, causing the drill to sink into the very hole it had created to form a muddy patch.

"You weren't expecting that, were you?" he cackled, swinging his earthly weapon in an arc around him, creating a convenient plateau of protection. Virginia looked down and noticed with a start that the ground beneath her was starting to crack. She jumped back just as the earth crumbled in front of her. She looked at the ground and then back at Jet, her eyes glowing with irritation.

"That was just cheap…"

Jet peered around the corner of the plateau and gave her a smug smile of his own.

"No it wasn't you were just care- Crap!"

He pulled back just as another water drill whirled past him and drilled into the ground.

Oh shit, oh shit, oh SHIT!

The earth beneath him shook and then the drill burst out of the earth, nearly relieving him of his private parts.

"Son of a bitch!" he spat slashing his sword in front of him, severing the plateau in several places and hurling them towards his ex-leader. Virginia's armor left her body and wrapped around the chunks of earth, turning them into harmless mud.

Jet growled and bade the earth to rise once again. The earth concurred and spat forth a shield of iron in front of him, much to Virginia's vexation.

"Ah, but there's a way around that, you fool!" she laughed, pulling the armor back towards her and sending watery bullets into the ground. Jet looked around nervously and was promptly knocked off his feet courtesy of a huge geyser that had magically appeared beneath him.

"I don't think so!" he snarled, flipping off the geyser and firing more rocks at Virginia. The young woman wasn't so lucky this time and was buried beneath a pile of rubble.

This can't be…

She felt her consciousness slip away.

I've come so far…

"Child, bade your armor to flex, it will concur." Virginia weakly opened her eyes and within the confines of her mind begged the armor to expand. As if on cue, her armor expanded and blasted the rocks away, wiping the smug smile of victory off of Jet's face.

"I… I thought I had killed you!"

"You thought wrong, my friend, you thought wrong." She snapped her finger and Jet gasped, feeling his chest expand.

"Don't worry, Jet, it'll only hurt a second."

He tried to release the air in his lungs and found himself choking on coppery water.

"You… you bitch!" were his last words as his chest exploded, sending chunks of his heart towards his better. Virginia held out her hand and a shield of water repelled them and caused them to fall clumsily at her feet.

"I should have thought of that, before." She said thoughtfully, sitting down on the bloodstained earth, waiting for her next opponent.

-+-+-Through the Ice and the Fire-+-+-

Who do you wish to fight, now?

Virginia sat in a moment of contemplation and then voiced her answer.

"I would like to fight Clive; he has a lot to fight for and I reckon that he'll be just as aggressive as Jet, if not more so."

It will be.

Virginia sank deeply into her own thoughts, wondering which element Clive would pick.

He can choose between fire and air, now. He seems to be more like fire than air and…

Her face creased into a frown.

Fire can evaporate water. I fear I have quite a battle on my hands, either way.

The void whispered into his ears the secrets of the universe. He could've listened to it forever and would have never stopped learning. However, knowledge doesn't always hold precedence over something as dear as family.

Clive slowly opened his eyes and quickly discovered that, aside from simple eye movements, he couldn't move.

Hello?

Hello. The voice echoed through the void.

What is going on? Why can't I speak?

Words are not needed.

What do you want?

I cannot answer that. All I am is an echo of your sentiment.

Okay then, what do I want?

The flames enlighten the idle mind whilst the air whistles above the earth's grasp. Tell me, do you wish to become the flames of enlightenment or the whispering winds of freedom?

I see what you're getting at, now.

Please answer me, then. The voice whispered, wrapping itself around him like a mercurial serpent.

I wish to become the flames of enlightenment.

It will be so.

A sudden flash of light prompted Clive to close his eyes; he really wasn't crazy about being whisked to and fro.

"So you wish to become my avatar?" roared a voice like a raging inferno.

Clive, once again, opened his eyes and found himself staring into the fiery eyes of Moor Gault.

"Whoa!" gasped Clive, backpedaling a bit.

I can move again!

"Why did you choose me?" demanded the fiery Guardian, its eyes not once leaving Clive's frightened form.

"I chose you because you are like me."

The Guardian laughed, causing the scholar to flinch.

"Are you sure that you are not like me opposed to me being like you?"

The elder Drifter's face twitched into an uncertain smile.

"That was rather presumptuous of me, wasn't it?"

The fire bird nodded but then its flaming eyes dimmed.

"You are beyond the flow of time so you are free to ask me as many questions as you would like."

Clive pondered the Guardian's offer for a moment or two before answering.

"Can I stay here?"

The fiery bird shook its head.

"Your destiny is to fight for all you hold dear. Unless you want no part in forming your life, I suggest you fight."

The bespectacled man nodded to this; it most certainly made sense.

"What about that voice I heard earlier? I am sure you know something about it."

The Guardian's head whirled with thoughts and concepts. How could it explain it in a simplistic way? Clive was by no means dumb, but even he had his limits in regards to the unknown; he was, after all, a scientist.

"Think of it this way. We Guardians are linked in some form or fashion, that voice you heard was our four voices branching out simultaneously and linking into your mind. Do you understand, now?"

Clive nodded to this and remained quiet.

"Do you have anymore questions?"

Clive pondered the Guardian's question and after a few seconds shook his head.

"No, I think that about does it, thanks. I am ready to fight."

"Prepare yourself, Clive, this battle will not be easy."

"I know."

The next thing he knew, he was falling through one fiery ring after another, feeling the warmth of the flames envelop his body and seeping into his soul.

Virginia rose when she saw a geyser of flames shoot up from the blood-soaked terrain.

It's Clive, I just know it…

The flames died down little by little, revealing a lithe form surrounded by flaming, winged, minions.

"I have nothing of importance to say, Virginia. I want to end this now." crackled Clive's voice from beneath the dying inferno.

Virginia shared the silence with the sniper, respectfully, bowing her head for a moment or two.

"I want to end this, too." Virginia said, her voice low, almost sorrowful.

The fire that had engulfed the scholar was now dancing around his feet and his eyes.

Virginia drew a line in front of her with one finger and a barrier of ice followed the line she had drawn.

"I think you've made a mistake. You know that fire can penetrate ice and…"

He started when he felt a warm breath caress the back of his neck.

"You were careless…" whispered Virginia's voice behind him. He snarled and expanded the flames behind him and to his sides, prompting Virginia to make a quick retreat.

"Hm, not bad, Clive; I knew that you wouldn't be a pushover."

She crossed her hands in front of her and pulled her pistols from the void.

"Foresight is a great thing to have." She smiled, pulling the triggers and letting loose a volley of bullets. Clive waved his hand and a wall of flames roared forth and shattered the incoming bullets, rendering them useless.

Virginia's face darkened and she reloaded her gun as quickly as she could.

Clive snapped his fingers and smiled as he watched two flaming hands wrap themselves around the young Drifter's ankles. Virginia shrieked and jumped back, her ankles still on fire.

"Hmph." She said, simply, drawing her hand into a fist. Clive's lungs closed in and he couldn't draw in another breath.

So that's what she's doing.

Clive closed his eyes and focused on the bubble of water constricting his lungs. The bubble evaporated and he smiled.

"That's not going to work, Virginia; I know you can do better than that."

The female Drifter once again smiled, unclenched her fist, and drew a circle in front of her.

"Cocytus' wrath." She whispered, shooting her fingers towards Clive.

The sniper's eyes shot back and forth, expecting anything.

"Heh, am I missing something here or…?"

The rest of his sentence was curtailed by a bubble surrounding him and retracting towards its center. Clive focused the flames that were shooting out of his body outwards, expecting to break free from the bubble only to have spears of ice sizzle through his shield, temporarily stunning him. The fire died down just as glacier of spiked ice shot out from beneath him, impaling him in the process. His eyes rolled towards her, tearing up.

"You lose, Clive. I'm sorry." Virginia sniffed, her eyes tearing up. Clive looked towards the sky and then closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry…" was his final, garbled words.

Virginia sat back down, her eyes now bleary and unfocused.

"One more to go and I'll remake the world in everyone's best interest."

And the waiting game, once again, commenced.

-+-+-Dying Breath-+-+-

I needn't ask who you wish to fight, now; Gallows is the last one on the list.

Virginia nodded and remained sitting; she knew from experience that the battle would not begin immediately. She also knew that resting was an integral part of any battle. As impatient as she was, she also realized that trying to rush into a battle half-cocked was a bad idea.

Why did you seek freedom?

The question resounded within his skull, causing him to inwardly flinch.

Why did I, indeed?

Did you seek freedom because everyone else was weighing you down?

Perhaps that is the reason…

You are to become the wind: the personification of freedom.

You will hear no complaints from me. But… um, I sort of have a question.

What do you want to know?

Gallows tried to lift his arm and failed.

Why can't I move?

Time freezes even the wind.

Mm, I get it, now. Okay, so what do you want from me, exactly.

I wish for you only to speak to the Guardian that governs you.

I understand.

That is good, Gallows; I will see you on the other side.

The ground he had been standing on gave away and he felt himself falling. He found that he didn't much care for his stomach parading up his throat.

Just as he felt that he couldn't take it anymore he came to an abrupt stop on top of a cloud.

Uh, shouldn't I still be falling?

"Hm, this is interesting I must say; I wasn't expecting you so soon." A voice whistled around the young priest's ears.

Gallows shifted his eyes to the left and then the right, trying to spot the source of the voice.

Well, at least I can move again.

"Hello there, child." The voice whispered from behind the priest. Gallows whirled around to come face to face with the Guardian of Wind, Fengalon.

"Ah, so that's who it is! Forgive me for asking, but why am I here?"

Fengalon shrugged its mighty shoulders and then shifted its stormy eyes towards the young Baskarian.

"You are here because you are in need of my assistance."

Gallows mouth formed a silent "Oh." and he blinked a few times.

"I… need your assistance?" asked Gallows after a few minutes of silence.

Fengalon nodded with annoyance and cleared the distance between itself and the priest in one, windswept, step. Gallows looked up at Fengalon, trying to film his uneasiness with a smile.

"Yes, you will be my avatar."

"Ah, I see… I think. When was this determined if you don't mind my asking?"

"It was determined by fate and that is all there is to it."

The young Baskar priest nodded; his smile fading.

"Okay, I get it now. What am I supposed to do, now?"

"You may ask me questions if you would like; I'll try to answer them to the best of my ability,"

"Fair enough, Fengalon, fair enough. Okay, first question: Why am I to become your avatar?"

"The answer to that is simple: I will try to help you become your own person. "

Gallows pursed his lips and nodded before he resumed the questions and answers session.

"Okay, now I want to know how you'll help me out. "

"I will you lend you my strength on the battlefield."

Gallows averted his eyes from the Guardian, deep in thought.

"So you are going to materialize when I am in need?"

There was a beat and then.

"No, my strength will extend beyond that. My powers will envelop you; you will become part of the summoning opposed to being the invoker of the summon itself. In other words we will be fused.

The priest was befuddled; to be offered the chance to become part of a Guardian was perhaps the biggest honor in his life time.

"I, uh, have no more questions, Fengalon; I am ready to fight when you are."

Fengalon nodded and leaned forward so close to Gallows that he could see the stormy iris of the Guardian's eyes.

"Come little pup, we have a battle to fight."

The tiger like wind Guardian picked Gallows up by the scruff of his neck and jumped down from the heavens, much to Gallows' shock.

I hate falling…

The wind kicked Virginia's hair around and she stood up, her eyes now wide and tilted up towards the sky. The clouds parted and a form hurtled towards the earth at an alarming speed. The young woman stepped back, whipped out her pistols, and aimed them towards the descending figure. Just as she was about to fire her guns, the figure came to an abrupt stop and slowly floated to the ground, his toes grazing the ground before the rest of him followed.

"I really, really, hate falling." The young man grumbled, popping his neck from side to side and then looking at Virginia.

"Well, well, well, it looks like we were destined to meet again. I can't say that I'm thrilled but I guess that is fate, eh."

Fate…

But I am fighting fate, aren't I?

You are fighting fate but you are also fighting for the right to live the way you want to live.

Odd, Gallows doesn't look any different…

Looks can be deceiving, child; he is not what he seems.

Schturdark, what is so different about him?

He has the speed of the wind Guardian.

"Oh. Shit." Was Virginia's simple response; she rarely cussed but she figured that a giant with almost godlike speed constituted such an occasion.

"Oh come on do I really look that bad?" Gallows asked, his face drooping into an exaggerated, sardonic, frown.

"Nah, not really; but I must say that I, like you, am not overly enthused about our encounter. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to end this quickly."

"You get down to the point, don't you?" snickered Gallows, the frown stretching into smile.

Virginia said nothing and pointed at the ground. Gallows looked down and then jumped back just as a row of spikes plowed their way up from the ground.

"Nice try."

Pompous son of a…

"Heh, I'm not done, yet." The young Drifter snapped, rising gracefully into the air, courtesy of a shimmering column of ice.

Gallows' eyes narrowed and he looked up at his former leader.

"You know…"A violent wind kicked up under the young priest and boosted him up into the air so that he stood above Virginia, arms crossed, a smug look on his face.

"You're not the only one that can fly…" He lifted his palms to the sky and his weapon, the Coyote, fell into his waiting hands. He wrapped his hands around the shotgun.

"Let's make this short and sweet; I really don't like to fight."

He aimed his weapon at the soon to be goddess just as she shot a pellet of ice into its barrel, rendering it useless.

"Son of a…Tch, fine, you want to play it like that?"

He dropped the gun, watching as it fell several feet before hitting the ground.

"What are you doing?" asked Virginia, tilting her head inquisitively.

Gallows said nothing but held his hands up the heavens.

"It's time to say goodbye." He replied simply, his eyes shimmering with confidence.

"I wouldn't be so sure you…"

She bit her tongue as soon as she saw the whirlwind forming around his hands.

"You were saying?"

Virginia slide back on the column of ice, preparing for the worst.

Gallows spun in the air and then threw the whirlwind at her, slicing her ice platform in two. She fell but not before shooting a spike of ice towards his still floating form. The ice spike pierced his foot and he looked down with irritation.

"That was just…irritating." He shook his foot and then directed his gaze back in front of him. Virginia called forth another wave of ice to stop her fall and peered up at her former teammate, leery but not afraid.

Gallows seemed to be frozen in time his expression blank, his eyes reflecting the constantly rolling heavens.

"Once again we are reluctant enemies…" he said, his voice as vapid as his expression. Virginia drew back her hand, forming an icicle just incase.

"And yet… you fight."

Virginia's hand grasped the fully formed icicle and held it parallel to her chest, its sharp point nearly piercing the ground.

"I fight so that you can be free…"

Gallows floated down to the ground and smiled.

"You truly believe that, don't you? Don't you see? The darkness is trying to control you it is…"

The female Drifter lifted the ice spike above her head, ready to throw it.

"You wish to fight me?" He closed his eyes and clenched his hands to his sides.

Virginia nodded and threw the icicle without hesitation. The Baskarian's eyes flew open and he held out his hand, bringing forth a gale that reflected the blade of ice back towards its owner. The ex-leader evaded the icicle and bade the ice to swirl around her, forming a blinding blanket of snow.

"There's my answer, eh?" he pulled his hand back and snapped it towards his side. The wind around the two kicked up and the blanket of snow blew away.

"I'm sorry that it came to this but…"

She held her hands out to her side, her palms facing down towards the bloodied earth.

"I can't go against fate. You are constricting the flow of fate by existing and I simply cannot have that."

The air grew frigid and Gallows started to shiver.

"Do you know what temperature blood freezes at?" Gallows shook his head, unable to do anything else.

It is as if my limbs are frozen…

He blinked, the frigid wind freezing his eyes open.

She's going to kill me.

"Blood freezes at negative eighteen degrees Fahrenheit. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say that the temperature of your blood is somewhere within the range of twelve to two degrees Fahrenheit. You can't hear me anymore, can you?"

Her heart dropped into her stomach; she was by no means enjoying this.

"Goodbye, Gallows see you soon."

The air around her was cold but it was not frigid and she found that lifting her arms to fire at her former ally was getting increasingly difficult.

She fired and watched as her ex-comrade exploded into icy chunks.

"This is the end, isn't it?" she dropped down to her knees, her eyes trained towards the now wavering ground.

This is the end.

"So that's how things transpired. Are you satisfied, now?" asked the goddess, rising to her feet. Virginia was still looking into the deity's eyes, awestruck.

"The rest, as they say, is history. Look below you, child, look below you and tell me what you see."

Virginia obliged and did as her deity counterpart suggested.

Clive was reading to his daughter, a happy smile on his face. Gallows' booming voice echoed throughout the cave and Shane reprimanded him for being so loud. Jet sat next to Puck, talking about treasure and just what it meant. And then she saw herself. She sat next to her father and mother, talking to them about what she wanted for supper.

"So, what did they say when they spoke to me?" Virginia asked, unable to think about anything else. The goddess smiled and sat back down in front of her.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" The young woman obliged and looked back into the goddess' eyes. This time, however, there was no battlefield, nor were there stormy clouds; instead the blue skies were laced with fluffy clouds and the warm wind's whisper rippled through the grassy fields, sending a few loose flower petals floating by.

"I must warn you, what you're about to see will shock you. Are you ready?"

The young woman nodded her head and narrowed her eyes, focusing on the green field before her.

"You're about to experience true love."