A/N: Hello everyone! Hope your holidays were rewarding and prosperous. If not, then how about an update from old saint bento, neh? Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, sadly, Santa didn't bring it for me this year...
Intra-tare: Creation.
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"What do you mean?" The Emperor quickly asked, a masked surprise on his face.
"I mean exactly what I say. This world is dying, and thus we are as well." The mage said, tightening his hand's around the golden staff he carried.
The older man surveyed the still-in training magi, mulling over what had been told to him. The world is collapsing. My people are going to die.
"What proof do you have of this." He asked hesitantly and the younger man looked at him with grave azure eyes. Those eyes then surveyed the ground.
"It will be difficult, but I think I may be able to show you." The mage complied, looking at the Emperor confidently. "But I will have to take you away from here."
The Emperor corked a smile. "That's practically impossible, I've never been able to leave." The mage nodded, already fully aware of this. "Tell them, that you are going to tally the damage. To make a plan for action."
The other couldn't help but smile more at the idea. "Someone's been planning." The magi's face turned to a pout and he connected gazes with the older male.
"I had a feeling that I would have to show you somehow, and thus you would have to leave. Fore-armed is for-warned correct?" Said the petite man and the Emperor nodded.
"Let's go then." The elder said eagerly, looking forward to the prospect of a solution, and the gain of freedom.
...
The two men were out in an open farm field which had long since decayed. The Emperor surveyed the land, angered that the first time he actually was able to see the area for himself it had to be like this, with everything dead and practically no signs of life anywhere, excluding the small weed of shrub that managed to cling to the surface of the land.
The mage stopped walking and so did the other male. The younger seemed to be surveying the sky, a grave look on his face.
"Okay, here is good." He said, seemingly out of breath. The Emperor looked at him stopping, and then waited. The boy held his long staff out in-front of him, tapping it once on the hard ground, then letting go, leaving the staff to float independently an inch or two above the ground.
The Emperor continued to watch, absolutely fascinated.
The mage folded his hands together at his chest, eyes shutting closed, shoulder's hunching with what seemed to be great pressure.
A giant translucent square appeared about fifty feet from the two stopped men, and slowly the sides of the squares began to raise, creating an even larger cube. "A kekkai." The older man couldn't help but state. He had read of them, but never imagined he would see one, and one so enormous at that.
But it wasn't the kekkai that was so incredibly shocking, it was the contents it revealed when it had finally completed itself.
A completely distorted mass of black smoke curling upon itself, circulating around its secular blood-red yellowed eye.
Sweat began to bead down the magi's face. "This...is what's plaguing Ain." He panted, hands tightening from tension. "I see." The other man breathed in surprise. How could any of us not notice something so immense?
"R-un, I don't think I can...hold it much longer." The mage panted hastily, his hands slipping down to his waist from strain, but the other man walked towards him gripping his shoulders. "You have to get out too." The Emperor stated bluntly, trying to pull the boy with him. The mage shook his head slight, with a small smile. "Please, you have to help everyone." The smaller continued to breath, eye's drooping from exertion, leaning into the older's grip on his shoulders.
The mass with in the cube began to attack its confinements, each time it collided with a side, the mage's body lunged, trying with every fiber of his being to keep it together. The Emperor continued to try and support him, to help this person that was trying to save them.
The kekkai began to crack, loud ruptures releasing into the sky. "Please...get out." The mage pleaded, but the other man didn't move. He just couldn't, he knew he had to stay.
With one final collision from the demon inside the cube, the kekkai shattered into millions of pieces. The Emperor pulled the smaller boy into his chest to prevent any harm coming to him. The demon disappeared from the older man's sight once the being had been released, however it was not so for the younger boy, who watched as the demonic form roared into the sky and began to head for the two men on the ground.
Just as the other-wordly being was about to reach its trget, the Mage managed to muster enough strength to push the Emperor to the side, taking the impact full-on. The being ripped right through him, finally dissipating into nothing as the kekkai had done, leaving the boy to crumble to the ground, a large gash in his chest, and the blood flowed in large glops to the ground.
The Emperor's golden eyes widened at the boy's actions, how he had selflessly given himself up for the other. No. The man ran to the wounded Mage.
The boy shot a small glare at the approaching man, telling him to stay, slowly pulling himself onto his feet. He put out his hands, crimson blood dripping off of his body, heavy pants coming from his mouth, and he summoned his staff to him.
He twirled the object once in his right hand, then grabbed it with both slamming one end into the ground. The Emperor could only watch.
A oval shaped sphere appeared in-front of the two men, a beautiful woman appearing on its surface. The woman observed the injured man before her, and then spoke. "What is your wish?" She asked with an alluring voice.
"Please..." He panted. "Mend the tare...and prevent it from opening again." He pleaded.
The woman looked at him, somewhat gravely. "The payment is too high, you will not be able to reimburse me." She stated, her dark maroon eyes drifting towards the Emperor in the background.
"I'll pay as well." The older man stated, stepping towards the Mage, trying to steady the child who looked as if he would collapse at any minute.
The witch smiled slyly, looking at the two men. "The tare cannot be sealed forever; however, it can be repaired as much is necessary." She said, her voice echoing lightly.
Both men looked at each other, then agreed. "Please." They said in unison. The women looked at them for another moment.
"As you wish." She said, and the two men were engulfed in blinding-warmness, the Magi's wound healing rapidly, a shocked expression gracing the Emperor's face.
The mage smiled, as he began to dissipate into a blinding nothingness, looking at the Emperor happily. The other man returned the sentiment.
They were saving Ain, they were sure of it.
A slim female was all that was left in their place, kneeling on the ground, hands covering her ears.
"We wish you the best." Kept echoing in her head.
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A/N: Dun-du-du-na-na-na! Another chapter! You could pretty much call this tare my filler chapters, its just going to give ya some background and a bit of relief, but don't worry the mystery will be completely revealed once the intra-tare is complete. Please review and let me know what you think!
Until next time!