Sweey: So! Here's the next chapter! :D I'm listening to Celtic Wonder! :O RAWR! Yeah, I'm officially a dork.
Thorn: Celtic's good. Only specific kinds though. Like Flook for instance is VERY good.
Meta: Yess…..
Thorn: Don't tell me you don't like Flook!
Meta: Yess…
Thorn: *shakes head* I'm at a wonder as to why you don't enjoy them… :[
Sweey: So who's doin the thingy?
Thorn: Meta, you do it. I gotta go get ready. ;)
Meta: Fine… Kirby and I belong to Nintendo, Thorn, Emit (Erratima), Venton (Arrowing), Randal, Edge, and well you get my point! Belong to Sweey! And of course Kikio and Cat belong to their rightful owners! Then well, if you meet any new strangers, obviously they belong to Sweey. :) Enjoy! :D
Sweey: Well done Meta! Now readers! You know what to do! READ and REVIEW! :D
…
~Ch 5 The Plunge into the Shadows~
Oberjarl Sevox signaled for the horns. The dark army had started pounding upon their drums and blasting their own eerie horns a few minutes before. At the signal from Meta's blade, the dark army flew forth. The blade was still raised high. It flickered red and everyone noticed a sudden change in the sky. The sun was now blood red and some how, Meta's tortured soul had triggered it.
Thorn watched this and signaled for the plan to be put into motion. He watched as the dark army ran forward upon the mines. Nothing happened. He then realized that the plan had failed. But how? Sensing Ali urge him forward he ran, ready for the impact of battle. As he continued forth more of the men joined him and he lifted Ali in his hands and beat out the first few lesser demons that made up the front lines providing a weak point in the dark army for the men behind him to enter. Already, the sound of battle surrounded him. He felt like he was in a horrible dream, a dream that Thorn was all too familiar with. He felt that shadow was closing in around them trying to choke every bit of light out of them that they possessed. Though he was a veteran and used to the cruel scenes of war, he still felt chills creep down his spine.
A beast stepped forward and Thorn parried its attack. Randal sliced off the head of the beast and Thorn blocked another attack sent towards Randal's back. It felt great being thrown back into the thrill of the battlefield again.
"Just like the good old days?" Randal laughed as he knocked a beast down sending it to the ground.
"Just like the good old days!" Thorn assured. At that moment he stabbed a great beast and it vanished, its soul flowing into his staff's flame, making it greater than it was before. It flared and glowed and Thorn went on a sudden frenzy, destroying all evil in his path.
"What's wrong with him?" Dulbrix watched as Thorn began jumping over the army and casting down beast after beast. His eyes began to grow wider the longer he watched.
"He went into a berserker mode." Randal said casually. "Usually happens as soon as his staff absorbs the first soul."
"Absorbs a soul! What?" Dulbrix exclaimed, he turned around to punch an adversary in the face, knocking it to the dust.
"Yes, it's um… hard to explain." Randal grunted as he thrust his spear into the gut of another monster.
Dulbrix took out another beast, "Vulcan jab!" A blue crescent of powerful energy shot out of his fist and hit the demon in the face.
"Seems like he's not the only one with a trick up his sleeve!" Randal laughed. He continued to knock the dark creatures back. He suddenly realized that Edge was no longer by his side. "Where's Edge?"
Dulbrix looked around in between face off's with the beasts and soon spotted the young warrior valiantly cutting down his foes a few meters away. He pointed Randal to that direction.
"I should've known!" Randal sighed his relief. When he had the chance, he'd look off to the young Edge gracefully slicing back the great demons. Edge carried two curved blades; one golden like the sun, the other silver like the moon. He named them after the Twin Planets he called home: Ivo and Elibis. Though opposites, he made them into one as he fought. Swinging them so fast that it seemed they were moving in slow motion. Many looked at him in awe when they caught sight of him as they fought back the dark foes. Randal smiled to himself. The young apprentice had come a long way.
"What are you smiling about fool?"
Randal turned to face a huge rodent-like beast, its yellow eyes glaring down harshly upon him.
"You know his death is this day."
Randal lifted his spear to strike the beast, but just before he did so, the creature ran.
"Coward!" Randal yelled after it, amused by the irony. The beast was at least five times his size. His eyes widened when he realized what had happened. He ran after the beast as fast as his old feet could carry him, his green-gray cloak trailing behind him.
The beast drew closer to the unaware Edge and Randal realized he wouldn't make it unless he made some outrageous move. Randal concentrated on his back muscles as hard as he could until at last his cape extended into a pair of vast wings.
Thorn glanced up above him as a strangely familiar shadow flew overhead. He smiled at the sight of his old friend flying once again.
"What are you so blissful about?" Oberjarl Sevox asked him when he noticed Thorn's sudden smile.
Thorn's smile broadened and he gestured to the winged figure of Randal, "He hasn't done that since the War of Lost Wishes! And that was at least 2,ooo years ago! It was said that he would never be able to again!"
"What happened to him that he could not fly?" Sevox asked curiously. He turned hastily to face off with another dark fiend. "Spiiiiiin Kick!" The beast fell.
"No time for chit chat! We're at war!" Thorn laughed.
"Touché! But you'll tell me it later?" Sevox asked. Though a fighter, his curiosity was hard to quench after it had been ignited.
"Correct!" Thorn winked, another soul absorbed into Ali's flame.
…
Randal flew hastily after the great rat-like beast. He thrust his spear into its head but its skull was so thick, the spear was deflected.
"Arg! You thick headed varmint! Death to you!" Randal screamed angrily at the beast. Finally, his spear hit home and the beast fell. It was but a few feet from where Edge stood staring wide eyed beneath his helmet. It covered his entire face, save for his eyes. His brown, parted hair stuck from the sides as usual.
Randal grinned, "Don't mention it!"
Edge nodded with a grateful grunt that seemed to echo from within the helm. The two warriors ran off to fight together in the flow of battle.
…
The three dark leaders flew high above the thrill of battle like vultures as they searched for their prey. Meta Knightmare turned and signaled that he had found his target. Erratima and Arrowing nodded and signaled their search fulfilled. They dived, arching their wings to reach top speed as they departed after their selected prey.
…
Randal looked up, he felt as if someone or something was about to attack him. He did so just in time to see an arrow flying towards him. Dodging it, Randal looked up to where Venton flew. Another arrow flew and Randal deflected it with his spear. Venton growled and darted onto Randal, unstringing his bow creating a double bladed staff. They tumbled and fell down the cliff together. As soon as the two reached their feet, they charged at one another. Randal with his spear and Venton with his bladed staff.
"Venton! You don't have to do this!" Randal tried to call out to him, "Break free! You don't have to follow him! He cares nothing for you! He only uses you for power!"
"You know not the ways of my master! How dare you speak against him!" Venton yelled. He pushed off Randal and attempted a blow. They fought on, crashing and colliding as the green moon of Ironcladd rose high.
…
Edge continued slicing quickly through the beasts. He could sense victory was near. A sudden clang sounded as metal fell on metal. The dark creatures cowered and Edge found himself staring into a pair of hollow, dark blue eyes shrouded within the shadows of the helm that rested upon the figure's head. A glove was on the figure's hand. It had three, long, jagged claws. They rested beneath Ivo, the sword Edge held in his right hand. A low growl came from beneath the helm and another trio of claws swung for Edge's throat. Elibis blocked it. And the fight began there. Both were identical in skill and they fought as though they had rehearsed it.
…
The screams of beasts were heard at a distance. Thorn was in total berserker mode once again. He'd take one blow, smite the beast who dared to cross blades with him, and then absorb its soul healing himself with the power of Ali's flame. The flame was vast and it burned all in its way.
Thorn caught sight of a group of demon beasts cowering at the edge of a cliff before him. He narrowed his eyes and smiled.
"This is more like it."
"Sorry to interrupt your party, but… I think it's high time you were torn down." A familiar yet distorted voice came from behind Thorn.
Thorn whirled around, his eyes narrowed and sharp. "I'd love to see you try."
Meta Knightmare landed upon the cliff side with a dull thud from his metal shoes. A few small pebbles shifted from the breath of his wings and he held up his sword Sighta. Its sharp, deadly blade shone in the green light of the Ironcladdian moon. Meta's red eyes peered intensely into Thorn's keen gray eyes.
Thorn lifted Ali close. He looked deeply into the tortured eyes of his friend. There was only one thing he could do to break the thick chains on Meta's soul. He felt himself sigh, regret mingling with his agony. He looked back at Meta.
"Let us begin."
"I never thought you'd have the guts to speak up and say something!" Meta Knightmare laughed in blood thirst. He charged forward towards Thorn, sword ready to pierce.
Thorn braced himself and they collided.
Those who watched, demons and soldiers alike, stood together in awe of the two great leaders locking horns. Thorn slid Ali up to block Sighta then swung for another blow. Meta Knightmare swiftly deflected it. For hours they fought on, one blow after another, neither of them taking much damage. They were equal.
Soon, a crowd gathered around the fight. Edge stood beside Erratima along with Randal and Arrowing. No longer were they interested in their battles. They were interested in seeing the outcome of the battle between their leaders. In fact, strangely the war was no longer of great interest to anyone who gathered there. The battle between their leaders was like the flipping of a coin in the battle.
As another rose-red sun peeked from behind the hillside, the green moon began to hide its face behind the cliffs. It was at that moment that the sky turned brown. Thorn strangely dropped his guard.
Edge's brows drew together, "What is he doing?" He looked to Randal for some light but he found no answer. He looked anxiously back at Thorn, catching his wise gray eyes fixed upon him. He was smiling. Edge stared back at his mentor in distress. But Thorn's gaze returned to Meta.
Meta Knightmare grinned, "Fool, why do you let down your guard?" He hesitated for a moment when Thorn didn't reply but instead merely stared at him. Thorn's gray eyes were so deep and fearless of death they seemingly pierced into Meta's. There was something else there, but Meta could not quite make it out. His eyes widened when he recognized what it was.
Love.
Meta growled, "Love will not win me over, it will not bring you peace." He lifted Sighta in fury, "But death will!"
As the blade fell down, Thorn made no move to parry the attack.
"What are you doing!" Edge screamed at his mentor. He was so confused. He shut his eyes as the blade sunk deeply into Thorn's gut. He could hear Thorn gasping in pain. Opening his eyes, he watched as Ali's flame sputtered each time Thorn throttle horribly from the wound. Edge watched as Thorn kneeled, clutching the wound as he leaned upon Ali weakly, her flame now a mere faint glow.
Thorn lifted his hand from the wound lavished upon him from Sighta; it had soaked his mitten crimson. He looked up at Meta Knightmare who lifted up Sighta to behead him. Thorn lifted Ali, throwing the dark warrior off guard and sliced at the mask over Meta's left eye. Meta stepped back in pain, clutching his eye, or rather where his eye was underneath. Meta lifted his hand watched as blood oozed out of the broken slice through his visor. For the first time in a long time, he could see color. Blue, green, brown, white, sliver, and gray. But one color proved to dominate his prey. Red. Blood spilled from the wound in Thorn's stomach. Just like in the dream he'd been having for the past few nights. He looked about him finding a battlefield surrounding him. Corpses lay in the bloody light of the sun. He realized another thing; Sighta was embedded into Thorn's gut. Just akin to in his dream. Meta was about to go down and help Thorn but a flash came, and with that flash came a voice.
"Finish him." It whispered sinisterly.
Meta pulled Sighta from Thorn's gut, who gasped in intense pain. Meta then lifted his blade, his mind at war but his heart yearned for peace. But before he landed the blow, Thorn's gray eye caught his gaze. Total love and forgiveness shone in them. But their eye contact was broken when Thorn looked beyond Meta in alarm.
"Look out!" he yelled. Meta suddenly felt a pair of strong arms lift and thrust him out of the way of the unknown danger. Meta looked back just in time to see the wounded Thorn get bashed away by a huge metal ball with spikes protruding off of it. Meta Knightmare watched helplessly as the bloody figure flew to the edge of the cliff.
"Thorn!" Edge screamed, desperately trying to run forth to save his mentor, but Randal and Dulbrix held him back. They had lost and already their men were retreating. Edge began to feel hot tears escape his eyes as the bloody form of his dear mentor became smaller in the distance.
Thorn hung onto the cliff for a moment, staff still in grasp, its flame now nearly extinguished. He looked at Meta and simply smiled. It was a smile of compassion. Meta ran over to him to help him up but Thorn released his grip out of mere pain. Meta tried to fly down and catch him, but soon the mist of the waterfall fogged his vision and he back up, clinging onto the side of the cliff searching desperately for any sign that the warrior might still be alive. His sorrow was soon mutated into irate, livid anger as he turned to where Masher stood.
"That was my prey! You will not live to see the light of a new day!" Meta Knightmare shrieked in fury. He lunged forth towards the Masher's face but he was knocked down by a sudden blow from behind.
"How dare you!" He yelled at the demons gathered there, looking at all of them suspiciously, "Bold one, come forth! How dare you to strike the back of your general! All of you! Bow down at my feet! Or you will hear from Nightmare!"
"Oh no need for that!" a voice laughed, "You're no longer in power around here, Meta Knightmare!"
"Who are you to say that to me-?" Meta turned around as Erratima and Arrowing joined him. He looked suspiciously at the strangely familiar figure before him.
"Sir David!" Erratima hissed. He spit out the name as if it burned his tongue.
"Not anymore! Remember? Your little friends kicked me out of the Sirens!" David growled. He then smiled. "But I have a new name! And you will use it! Nightmare gave it to me. Yes, my new name is Bayangan (Dark Shadow) or more like Lord Bayangan to you three rats!" he let out a sinister laugh. "You should see the look on your faces!"
"Did you just call us rats?" Arrowing snapped, "You're the one who ratted out on us! You have no room to speak!"
"Oh but I do. Nightmare appointed me general over all his armies. That means you three are no longer of service as generals, but now are mere sergeants." Bayangan scoffed.
Meta Knightmare stood, his skin boiling, "I take only orders from Lord Nightmare. Not a rat like you!"
"Oh-ho-oh! You're quite funny for one who's been tortured by his own love!" Bayangan sneered. "You should thank me for putting you out of your misery!"
Meta looked at him, pain filled his eyes. "Y-you did this? This was all your doing?" A bloody tear dribbled out of the huge gash on mask. His sorrow soon turned to bloodthirsty hatred. Meta dashed forward for the one who had destroyed his life. "I hate you!" he screamed. Bayangan signaled for his guards to seize Meta but not until after Meta struck him, leaving a deep gash on his right arm. Meta thrashed about before he finally calmed down.
"Is this what you believe be gallant! Betraying your own friends and allies so that you may increase in power!" Meta screamed at Bayangan, fumed and angry.
"Yes. While you let yourself get stepped on by being your gentle and wonderful self, I reached the top!" Bayangan laughed cruelly.
Erratima laughed, ignoring the glare sent to him from Bayangan, "But alas! Look who got the very thing you craved in the end!"
"Oh if I wanted her, I would have her!" Bayangan grinned. He then turned to Meta. "Oh, and just to let you know, your son has turned out to be quiet the lad! Though he does look a tad like me."
"Fool! Keep your lying tongue behind your teeth witless rat!" Meta snapped, breaking free of the guards lunging forward managing to punch Bayangan square in the face before being seized again by the guards.
Once Bayangan regain himself he turned angrily towards Meta, "Witless rat? Look who was out witted Meta Knightmare! You! The masked knight!" Bayangan scoffed, "Since you obviously don't understand what it means to be respectful to your authorities, I think I'll have to teach you a quick lesson!" he gestured for the two guards to do so. One held a huge, brown whip in one hand.
Meta's brows drew firmly together and he, at first, resisted the stinging blows of the whip on his flesh. But by the 12th lash, he began to feel the throbbing pain from the whip. He began to feel numb with anguish. No longer could he contain it inside. He felt himself scream, releasing the pain from within him. It was not just the pain from the whip, but the burdens which he held deep within his soul. The sound of his own ripping flesh soon became a distant, unearthly sound. The unbearable pain he once felt had began to reawaken nausea within him, though he was unaware of this.
Suddenly, the flogging stopped. Meta heard Erratima yelling and the sounds of an early fight. Weakly he lifted himself to see what was going on around him, but did so only to be knocked down again. He winced, gritting his teeth. So, who was he if he didn't belong here? Suddenly, nausea's cruel fingers crept over him and he fell, unconscious.
…
Randal and Edge stood in silence, accompanied by Oberjarl Sevox and Dulbrix. They had lost the battle and many of their men. But the worst loss was the loss of their friend Thorn. The leader and soul voice of their rebellion.
Edge looked up, "I will take up his will. I will gain revenge on that bastard Nightmare for Thorn himself, his daughter, Meta Knight, and r my own new found revenge!"
Randal looked at him sadly, "That is very noble of you. I know you two were close."
"An apprentice is forever bound to his master. There is no exception for Thorn and I." Edge reflected. "He was like a father to me." Edge turned as a tear escaped his eye. His brows drew together, "I made an oath to him and I mean to fulfill it."
Randal laid a hand upon Edge, "And I will help you on your quest." Randal smiled.
"I am grateful." Edge said. A slight side smile displayed itself over his solemn expression, but it soon faded out of mere grief.
Oberjarl Sevox approached the two warriors, "Now what do you suppose we do? We failed! And the dark army will reach the city any minute and we'll all be killed!"
Edge straightened himself, wiping the tears from his eyes, and turned facing Sevox with a stern face. He spoke in determination, "I have a plan."
…
Sweey: BIG CHAP! O_O LONG CHAPTAH! Whoo! That took forever to type! hope you guys enjoyed it!
Thorn: I know I did! :D
Meta: But I thought you died!
Thorn: O_O oh you're right! *plays dead*
Meta: ;( I'm so confused.
Sweey: It'll be explained. Trust me, there's another EXTREMELY LONG chapter coming up next! In fact like three really LOOOONG chapters are coming our way! :D So, because you guys love me so much! PLEASE! READ AND REVIEW!