Sonata to Memento Mori
Chapter 24: Unfurled Wings: The End Begins!
Blaze finished his scan of all the preparations being done to ready up for the coming battle, giving a sigh as he wandered along, stopping at the Barbatos and drawing a hand along one of it's wings, letting out a chuckle as he slid his hand off of it.
"Hmm… still kinda hard to think back on how far we've come now." Blaze mused, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the familiar blue ocarina he hadn't touched in who knew how long now, giving a small smile as he gently shifted it in his hands, "We're far past the point of no return… it's now or never I suppose."
"Well, not that we have much of a choice. With the world coming to an end soon, we have to." Salamandinay approached from nearby, Blaze letting out a breath as he pocketed the instrument in his hand.
"True, we are facing the potential for an apocalypse." Blaze hummed, folding his arms, "But, for some reason I'm not that bothered by it. I just feel like I know we can make it through this too… besides, I made a promise to do so, and I don't go back on my promises."
"I'd expect nothing less from you." Salamandinay hummed, then leaning against the Barbatos herself, "Oddly, seeing the people around you, a strange part of me feels… admittedly, a bit jealous."
"Eh?"
"I know, a princess like me feeling jealous for seemingly no reason." Salamandinay mused, Blaze's look not as confused as it potentially could have been before, "Everyone here has known you for so much longer, you're a family through and through. I admittedly thought I gained a good understanding of you during your time in my world, but, it seems I've still got a ways to go, hmhm."
"I'm not that complicated a person really." Blaze chuckled, scratching the back of his head, "Y'know, now that I think about it, I wonder where we're gonna go after this is done… hmmm…"
"Well, if things go well, I believe an arrangement could be made to allow all of you to live in my world." Salamandinay stated, Blaze nearly causing whiplash to himself with how quickly his head moved to look at her.
"Seriously?!" Blaze yelped, then chuckling again, "Actually… that works more than we'd think. Yeah, that works perfectly! It'd probably be the result anyway."
"True, that is likely. Personally, and I apologize if this comes off as rude… it seems that once this is over, none of the people here would have a place in this world anymore." Salamandinay spoke as she looked around the hangar, of the Norma getting ready for what was definitely going to be the final battle… and hopefully, the last time they'd have to fight.
"No… honestly I agree. We were fighting to get away from all of it anyway. So, going to another world when it's all over is fitting." Blaze replied, patting the Barbatos, "It feels kinda strange, knowing we've made it this far… but, now's not the time to look back, is it? We've got a god to kill and a DRAGON to save… so let's do just that without looking back. If we fail… well, we'll go down fighting."
"But the intent is to win." Salamandinay mused, Blaze snickering in return, the two then looking down when they head a faux sigh of disgust, spotting Ange sneering up at them from the floor.
"My god you two, could your flirting be more obvious?" Ange teased, Blaze rolling his eyes while Salamandinay chuckled again, "Come on, we're almost done, so mount on up!"
"Aye aye, Ms. Sub-Commander." Blaze sarcastically replied.
"Hey, you're the sub-commander in this!" Ange snapped in reply, Blaze snickering in return, Salamandinay jumping off to head to her own machine.
"Hey Ange, you ever hear the phrase "You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain", like ever?" Blaze asked, Ange giving him a look, then shaking her head, "Ah… well, I feel like turning that one around… let's live long enough to become the heroes."
"Well, I'd kinda say that term would fit… but the god we're killing is an asshole, so yeah! So, you giving the speech?" Ange asked, Blaze laughing.
"Hell no, I don't do flowery speeches to motivate people. I'll leave that to the ex-princess. Knock 'em dead Ange." Blaze chuckled, Ange nodding, jumping up onto the Villkiss kept nearby, the Barbatos' cockpit closing, Blaze shaking his head as he placed his visor on, "Alright… you ready Lumiere?"
"As ready as you are. Let us end this." Lumiere replied, Blaze nodding, then buzzer than going off as one of the girls in the bridge declared the approaching enemy fleet.
"That's your cue Ange." Blaze stated, though not over the communication line.
"Alright, listen." Ange began, her voice going through the entire ship, "This is Commander Ange. We're ready to invade the Misurugi Empire. First, to start the attack, I'm going to charge towards the Dawn Pillar to stop the dimensional merge. The Norma who were rejected by society, the people of Aura who were once our enemies, the humans who've chosen to fight with us, the Ancient Humans… we've all been persecuted, and now we're coming together to save the world! I think that's amazing! So let's fight, because we decided to! Let's fight to survive! It's not like us to go down without a fight. I'm calling this mission Last Libertus. We can beat anyone, even God! We'll kill him, we'll win, we'll live, got it?!"
"YES MA'AM!"
"Couldn't have said it better myself." Blaze hummed, his turn on the speakers coming, "I've only got one thing to say to everyone… Memento Viviere… Remember to live! We're not fighting a losing battle, we're all coming back alive, every last one of us! So, remember those words, Memento Vivere! Remember that call to live! Ready everyone? This is the final battle… let's go!"
"YES SIR!" A second call from all the others came, Blaze chuckling as he put his hands on his controls, everyone waiting in silence, though amid it, Blaze opened a line to Tusk and Ryuga.
"You two remember the plan, right? We're dealing with Embryo… all three of us should have it easy then if this all works." Blaze inquired, Tusk nodding while Ryuga gave a hum.
"Of course we've got it. We've got both G-Types and plus one… well, how good of a pilot is Tusk?" Ryuga asked, Blaze chuckling.
"Good enough that if he had a better machine, he'd keep up with us easy… though I doubt you've gotten rusty, Tusk?" Blaze inquired, his cousin chuckling.
"Oh don't worry, I haven't lost my edge. Let's do this, let's kill Embryo!" Tusk stated, Blaze nodding to the curt and to the point statement, the rocking of the ship indicating the fighting was beginning above, more silence following as everyone waited for the signal.
"We're launching once the Aurora has made it into the air… heh, I forgot this damn thing could fly. Ange, how close are we?" Blaze asked, Ange humming.
"They just took care of the ships… Here we go guys, this is it!" Ange spoke, all the readied pilots bracing as a rocking telling of the Aurora rising out of the water shook the hull, everyone's sensors going off once it slowed down.
"Here they come Blaze, Ange!" Hilda pointed out, both commanders nodding.
"Para-mails, time to move out!" Ange declared, affirmatives coming through, the bay doors opening to reveal the storming sky over the city, every unit in the bay launching and the fighting immediately starting as the disk drones and para-mail drones swarmed about, the flimsy enemies going down with ease from the pilots fire, the Aurora closing in while the lower part of the hull opened up to reveal a massive cannon stowed away in it.
"That's how they're gonna make the opening huh?" Blaze hummed, ripping his mace out of a drone and driving it into another as the cannon on the ship began charging, but, radar alerts went off, "What now?!"
"Well, looks like our real enemies are in front of the tower." Naomi came on through the line, Blaze and the other leaders turning their attention to it, the remaining enemy ragna-mails coming into view on all of their monitors, Embryo's machine in the lead of the lot.
"So he decided to come out and play huh? Lumiere, let's give Embryo a warm welcome!" Blaze shouted, the Barbatos bursting off as Embryo's voice began carrying through the air, "Lumiere!"
"Engaging Trans-EX system."
The Barbatos' eyes gleamed as it's frame turned red and burst forward with a trail of particles following it, the white machine reaching an arm forward, a wall of light forming ahead of it as the blast fired from Embryo's machine, the particle wall stopping the attack dead.
"Aurora, now!" Blaze shouted, the light from the attack he blocked and his own machine dying down, a massive blast of blue energy firing from the cannon of the Aurora, the beam freezing anything unfortunate enough to get caught in it as it impacted with the Dawn Pillar and raked up to it's top, the tower freezing over and proceeding to collapse, the entire top section collapsing to the ground and revealing the main shaft, "Hell yeah! Ange, Sala, there's your entrance!"
"Here goes, just follow me lead!" Ange shouted, the Villkiss bursting forward, the machines not staying behind to guard the Aurora forming up behind it and catching up with the Barbatos, "Blaze, Tusk, Ryuga, you know what to do!"
"Don't have to tell us twice! Let's go guys, we've got a god to kill! Ange, Naomi, Hilda, Sala, good luck!"
"Don't need it!" Hilda snickered in reply, Naomi giving a thumbs up, the machines of the three boys splitting off from the main formation, quickly being met by Embryo's machine as the others engaged the remaining ragna-mails.
"A DRAGON… and two monkeys… how unsightly." Embryo scoffed as he looked over the three machines facing him.
"Don't act like you're not ticked off." Blaze scoffed, "I wonder… how's that black angel gonna fare against the three of us?"
"Well, if you insist, then let us find out!" Embryo laughed, immediately rushing for the Barbatos, the white machine using it's sword to catch the opposing weapon, a few slashed being used to drive it off, Tusk's Arquebus shooting off and pelting their enemies shield with gunfire, "You? How did you survive?"
"I'm Ange's Knight!" Tusk retorted, Embryo then being met by the blade of Ryuga's machine, the DRAGON pushing the opposing ragna-mail back, the purple accented machine barely avoiding the next attack from the Barbatos' mace and the other's sword.
"So, both of those unsightly white demons your forebears created are here… hmph, I suppose I may have to take this seriously after all." Embryo hummed, using his energy sword and shield to block the next attacks, glancing back as Tusk's machine came up from behind him, smirking as his machine then dropped, Ryuga and Blaze pulling their machines back to avoid colliding, pulling up their own shields to block the beam fire from Embryo's machine as he skirted back to behind them, an even smugger look on his face. "Is that honestly it? Honestly I expected more from the demons made to destroy my angels!"
"Oh, we're just getting started Embryo!" Blaze snapped, the three rushing forward in tandem, Tusk and Ryuga attacking to force Embryo to block, which in turn left the middle of his machine wide open, Blaze rushing forward as his machine leveled it's mace, the chamber on the pile bunker within already turning as the tip rushed towards the middle of Embryo's machine, the man giving a hiss, his machine winking out of view before appearing behind the trio, Blaze screeching to a halt.
"So he can pull that disappearing act with his machine too? Damn, that'll make him hard to hit." Tusk hissed, Blaze giving a hum.
"No… he just used the ragna-mails innate abilities, like what the Villkiss can do… but I doubt he can keep it up forever. But, looks like that machine is the key after all!" Blaze led the charge again, swapping the mace for his sword and clashing blades with Embryo, whipping out his rifle and jamming it in for a close range shot, Embryo getting his shield in the way as the bullets fired and pushed him back.
"Haaaa!" Tusk gave a yell as he rushed in next, leading in with his rifle and locking swords with Embryo, keeping the other machine pinned there, Ryuga's machine blazing forward with it's arm blades locking out, Embryo's machine twisting to avoid the strike, but getting a good cut at it's waist for it's efforts, Embryo letting out a growl as the damaged area began sparking, but he wasn't given more than a moment's rest from the assault, the clash of 3-on-1 ensuing into a mid-air melee of gunfire and clashing melee weapons as Embryo fended the three young men dead set on beating him.
"Come on come on… just a bit more, he's slowing down." Blaze's fingers rolled across his controls as the fight continued, and he glanced to the side when one of the communication monitors crackled, Jill of all people appearing on it, outfitted in black battle gear of her own, "Alektra?!"
"Hey there Blaze, thought I'd come out and have some fun of my own. Mind coming over and helping me out with one of your girls?" Jill stated, Blaze glancing over from where the transmission was coming from, his eyes widening to see the orange ragna-mail engaging Salia's blue machine, "I borrowed this one."
"Well, I would but…" Blaze muttered, glancing back to the other two fighting Embryo.
"Got, we've got him Blaze! Do whatever you have to then get right back here!" Tusk shouted, Ryuga nodding.
"Tusk and I are more than enough right now. For now we need to focus on Aura, we'll kill Embryo once he is freed! Go, we'll keep Embryo at bay!" Ryuga shouted, Blaze nodding.
"Thanks guys… let's go Barbatos… time to beat some sense into Salia's head!" Blaze veered around and shot off towards the other fight, interrupting it by ramming Salia's machine after Jill's shoved it back, the older woman chuckling as Blaze reared back near her, Salia letting out a hiss as she recovered from the charge. "So, am I late?"
"Not at all, I was just having some words with her is all. Ange went off to help your DRAGON friend… so don't worry." Jill said, Blaze nodding, giving a stoic look at Salia's rising machine, "So, how are we gonna go about getting some sense into her head?"
"The usual method… talk her ear off while beating the crap out of her machine?" Blaze suggested, Jill laughing.
"Straightforward and simple… it works." Jill mused, Salia meanwhile glaring at both machines in front of her own.
"Dammit… both Jill and Blaze? Whatever… you're in my way, so you're both dead!" Salia shouted, charging forward, Blaze and Jill splitting off, Jill taking the lead in the attack.
"A ragna-mail and a fancy title, is that supposed to make you strong? Come on." Jill mocked, Salia growling in return.
"Master Embryo's given me more than you ever did Jill!" Salia retorted, Blaze giving a bitter scoff, "Power, and love, everything!"
"Really?! So did everything I told you when the bastard, oh yeah, tried to erase my memories and lie to you about it not mean jack shit?!" Blaze shouted, taking the attack next, his machine and Sala's eye to eye, "How are you still fooled Salia? That son of a bitch doesn't care!"
"You should listen to your boyfriend a bit more Salia… and for once, I'll vouch for his opinion." Jill added, crashing into Salia's ragna-mail, "That sick bastard doesn't love anybody! He just baits you with what you want most. You're just his pet!"
"Which by the way, I thought I made clear!" Blaze added, pushing Salia back and aiming his rifle at her.
"That's exactly what he did to me." Jill added, also aiming at Salia, "He took all I had. It's the truth, so wake up!"
"Too late Jill! I don't believe a word you say anymore!" Salia shouted, rushing forward and slamming her sword against Jill's, their ragna-mails darting around with sparks flying off their weapons, "He's not the one using me, that was you!"
"Jill kinda used all of us!" Blaze shouted, interrupting the clash of sword and catching Salia's weapon on his mace, "But at she's making up for it here and now… Embryo would throw you and the others aside as easy as he would a used up rag. Get it through that thick head already!"
"Shut up!" Salia screamed, her sword grinding against Blaze's mace, "You left again! After everything you said, you left! You don't have a right to say anything! You lost that!"
"I said I was coming back, and I did! Quit misconstruing things to suit what you want! I get it, you're angry at all of us, but right now you need to get it through your head… Embryo doesn't give a damn about anyone! He'll just toss you aside! So just come back already!" Blaze objected, Salia growling.
"SHUT UP! You think just saying something that sounds right will work and fix things, but it won't! I've made up my mind, we're enemies, so just accept that!" Salia snapped, Blaze gritting his teeth.
"Like hell!" Blaze objected, pushing Salia out of the lock, then looking to the Dawn Pillar as another song rang out, Salamandinay's song, the boy feeling a much needed wave of calm hit him, "Good… right… with Sala singing, my head's a bit clearer now."
"I've never had anything!" Salia snapped, Jill getting between her and Blaze as she rushed forward again, "Not royal blood, not that song, nobody ever gave me a ring! I wasn't chosen no matter what I did! Not by Villkiss, or by you, Jill!" Salia's machine shoved Jill's back with a hard kick, the woman growling as Salia continued the rant, "Until now, Master Embryo chose me for who I am! Goodbye Alektra, I don't need you anymore you got that?!"
The next clash to sound wasn't from Salia's sword hitting Jill's machine, rather, the blade found its edge digging into the shoulder armor of the Barbatos, Salia gasping as the white machine grabbed the sword, sparks flying from the grating of metal.
"That's a sack of shit Salia." Blaze muttered, his tone level, "Nobody chose you? What kind of shit is that?! Did you forget everything, all of our friends, the people that mattered to you?! How many times did I tell you that you didn't need to be verified by Villkiss or Alektra to matter? You matter to our friends, you matter to me! Shouldn't that be enough for you?! Shouldn't having people who care about you and love you, having a family, be enough to verify everything about who you are?!"
"Ngh… shut up shut up shut up! I don't have to listen to you!" Salia shouted, ripping her weapon loose from the wedge it'd made, "You should just move aside… just let me forget about you already!"
The engagement that could have started anew was stopped by a green bolt shooting between the two, the pink ragna-mail rushing in to a stop between the two, Salia gasping as Naomi appeared on her console.
"You don't mean that Salia! I know you don't!" Naomi objected to the statement, Blaze and Jill exchanging a glance, "Blaze is right, you shouldn't need those things to feel like you matter! All of us left on the Aurora, we're still your friends, your family. That should be enough all on it's own!"
Screeching broke up the talking amid the storm, attention turning to the sky as a fresh swarm of DRAGONs descended onto the battlefield, Blaze pumping a fist.
"Haha! Here comes the cavalry!" Blaze cheered, "Naomi, can I get a sitrep?"
"Right! Hilda and Rosalie started fighting Chris down at the streets, while everyone else who didn't go forward moved back to defend Aurora after it hit the water from damage… though with the DRAGONs here I think that's gonna be solved." Naomi answered, Blaze nodding.
"Good… Tusk and Ryuga are holding off Embryo, while Ange and Sala are working to free Aura… heh, everything is going according to plan right now." Blaze nodded, a relieved expression on as one screen showed DRAGONs lifting the Aurora out of the water, "Salia, you should give up right now! This battle's basically done… keeping this up is pointless."
When Blaze turned next, his eyes went wide when the three ragna-mails around him vanished in a flicker, shooting to the swarm of DRAGONs, all five ragna-mails, including Jill's and Naomi's, now thrown into the DRAGON swarm out of nowhere… and a glance to the pillar area showed Embryo's machine retreating, Blaze giving a growl.
"Dammit… he's using them as decoys to buy himself time?! That bastard!" Blaze snapped.
"Blaze, Jill and I are fine, the DRAGONs aren't attacking us… but… it's the other three I'd be worried about." Naomi's voice crackled over the line, Blaze nodding as he shot over to the swarm.
"Tusk, Ryuga, where'd Embryo go?" Blaze shouted, hearing Tusk's angered growling over the line, Ryuga giving a hiss.
"Embryo ran off while we were caught off guard… that damn coward, using his own as decoys like that! Now I wish I'd disabled his machine before this!" Ryuga snapped, "But, if you want to save those girl's you'll have to hurry! My fellow DRAGONs will attack if they strike at them… and they won't be shown mercy."
"I understand… which is why I'm heading over there as fast as I can!" Blaze snapped, pressing down on the throttle as he switched modes to get into the fray faster, giving a hiss as he saw a DRAGON rushing for Salia, though as he moved in, Jill's machine rushed in and took the blow, losing one of it's thrusters in the process, "Alektra?!"
"I'm fine kid, don't worry about me!" Jill spoke, Blaze's machine changing forms as he reached her, "Do you see now Salia? This is what Embryo's like! Face it Salia! Don't be like me, he'll strip you of everything."
"Alektra!" Blaze yelped when the orange machine shot off to the Dawn Pillar, letting out a sigh, "Naomi?!"
"I'm fine! But… the DRAGONs took down the yellow ragna-mail… sorry." Naomi murmured, Blaze shaking his head.
"It's too late to mull over it." Blaze sighed, looking to Salia as her machine attacked at the DRAGONs swooping at her, "I'll focus on Salia and Chris, get them out of the fight!"
"On it! I'll join up with Hilda and Rosalie to hopefully help Chris… she's going berserk in there!" Naomi affirmed, Blaze letting out a pained sigh, moving to see Chris' machine going absolutely wild against anything that dared get close.
"Right…" Blaze muttered, rolling his fingers. "Lumiere, am I clear to use Trans-EX again?"
"Affirmative. What you expended has recharged." Lumiere replied, Blaze nodding, "Shall I initiate it?"
"Yes. I'm gonna use it to get Salia out of there… do it!" Blaze shouted, his machine glowing again as it shot through the swarm of DRAGONs, "SALIA!"
Salia's attention was turned from the DRAGONs attacking her to the Barbatos rushing towards her machine, yelling when the larger mech crashed into hers and forced her out of the fight, Blaze pulling back on the thrusters to scream to a halt as they neared the ground, heavily landing and skidding to a halt in the woods, eventually coming to a solid stop, the glow around the Barbatos dying down, steam shooting from the vents.
"Damn… that g-force hit hard." Blaze grumbled, panting a bit as he rubbed the back of his head, "Salia, you alive in there?"
"Why… you always come back… why did you save me?!" Salia snapped, gasping as the cockpit to Blaze's machine opened, the young man standing on the side of it, "Why…"
"Salia, open your cockpit and look me in the eye, please." Blaze took off his visor and shook his head, a moment passing, the cockpit to Salia's machine eventually opening, the girl standing up and removing her own helmet, looking Blaze in the eye, "I saved you because to me, you matter. I told you, I was going to come back for you. And it's part of why I'm here now. The only person I came here to kill is Embryo… but I also came here to take you and Chris home with the rest of us."
"Home? Where do we have to go back to?! Arzenal is gone!" Salia yelled, Blaze shrugging.
"True… but it's why we'll make a new home, when this is all over and Embryo is dead." Blaze replied, holding out a hand, "So, please… come back home with me Salia, it won't be the same for me and the others without you. You're someone I love dearly, so please… please take my hand and come home."
Salia took a moment of hesitation, starting to move a hand forward, withdrawing for a moment, but then gritting her teeth and jumping from her machine, wrapping her arms around Blaze's neck, burying her face in his shoulder as held back tears began coming out.
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I should have believed you back then… but… I was just so hurt and…" Salia's words faltered to sobbing as Blaze held her.
"It's fine… I know… I wish I could've been around when that happened. It's alright now. You can apologize and cry all you want when this is over, and I'll listen to everything you have to say." Blaze gently spoke, Salia moving back a bit, sniffling.
"Promise? Anything I say or ask, you'll listen to me?" Salia asked, Blaze nodding.
"As long as you don't ask anything… too odd. But for listening, I'll listen to whatever you need to get off of your chest, promise. And you know me, I don't go back on my promises." Blaze chuckled, Salia nodding, then both looking to the cockpit as the radio buzzed.
"Hey, Blaze, glad you and Salia are having a moment down there, but this battle's not done yet! Save making up for later and get your ass over here to help us with Chris dammit!" A rather angry Hilda got through the chaos, Blaze putting a hand on his head as he gave a hiss.
"Right, Chris is going nuts." Blaze muttered, "Well, need to take care of that, Salia, are you going to be fine?"
"Yes… huh?! Alektra! She went off to find Embryo… shit… I'll go and find her!" Salia jumped back into her machine in an instant, stopping for a moment, "But… can I?"
"You'll be fine. Go, try and catch up before Alektra does something stupid alright?" Blaze asked, Salia nodding and lifting off, Blaze jumping back into his machine and launching as well, throwing his visor on as he aimed for the swirling swarm of DRAGONs, the berserk Chris firing randomly into the swarm and at the machines trying to stop her.
"Nice of you to join the party!" Hilda shouted, moving back from shots Chris fired at her, Blaze clicking his tongue.
"How bad is she?" Blaze asked.
"Oh I dunno, look at her! Geez, I am so tired of Chris' shit right now… she's already got her point across, does she have to keep it up?" Hilda growled, both dodging a shot clearly aimed at the Barbatos.
"BLAAAZE!" Chris roared as she shot down from the swarm and charged at the Barbatos, Blaze shooting out of the way of the sword and blocking it with his own with a quick flick of his controls, hissing as Chris' machine pressed the assault against, "Of course you show up! What new crap are you going to spout at me now huh?!"
"Well I would if you'd listen to me but I doubt that's gonna happen!" Blaze snapped in reply, his sword catching Chris' sword with his own, "Rosalie, Hilda!"
"What did you expect?!" Hilda bit, Chris shooting around to attack her as the Glaive came at her, "Can someone who calls himself your friend really be your friend? You let him trick you, idiot!"
"It's because of you… it's because you guys abandoned me!" Chris yelled, lashing out at all three machines circling her, Rosalie breaking through the fire to rush forward.
"I never abandoned you!" Rosalie shouted, she and Chris locking swords with bright sparks shooting between their machines with it.
"You all made a fool of me." Chris growled, "Even though I'm suffering so much… I'm in agony… why don't you understand?!"
"Cut the emo shit already, dammit Chris!" Blaze snapped, forcibly breaking the weapon lock, his machine restraining Chris', "You're the one who went off about how I tried to help you out… and like I said, none of us abandoned you! Quit blaming us for everything and own up! You didn't tell Rosalie and Hilda crap! How were they supposed to know?!"
"Damn straight!" Hilda yelled, her machine grabbed the cockpit of Chris', starting to pull off the top of it, "All you do is whine, give it a break you emo bitch!"
"Yeah! How could I know when you never said anything?!" Rosalie shouted, Hilda successfully pulling off the top of Chris' cockpit, Rosalie's machine rushing forward and changing forms, "I'm an idiot you know?"
"GO AWAY!" Chris yelled, shaking off both Blaze and Hilda, the first shot she fired hitting the one of Rosalie's thrusters, Blaze and Hilda gasping, Rosalie however hitting the throttle to rush her damaged machine towards Chris', leaping off the front and pulling the girl out of the cockpit, both falling while Rosalie held Chris tight.
"SHIT!" Blaze yelped.
"I'll catch them!" Hilda yelled, Blaze nodding, the red head pushing her machine down, Blaze shooting forward and nabbing the falling para-mail and ragna-mail, grinding to a halt on the ground, and he looked to the Dawn Pillar as Salamandinay's song began yet again.
"Finally, they're getting on with it… Rosalie, you better be straightening Chris out up there!" Blaze released the limp machines he'd caught and shot up again, Rosalie's Glaive turning with it's back to the ground to catch Rosalie and Chris just in time, though the cost was losing the thrusters in the impact, Blaze bringing his machine down to a halt as the dust began falling, Naomi quickly landing as well, both outright jumping from their machines.
"Hilda, Rosalie, Chris! You okay in there?!" Blaze shouted, a relieved sigh coming from him to see Rosalie an Chris sobbing in each other's arms, Hilda looking at the scene with a warm grin, Naomi chuckling, "Phew… safe and sound then, heh."
"I'm glad they made up." Naomi giggled, Hilda jumping from her wrecked machine.
"Ahh, man this sucks! I spent a lot of cash on that thing, now look at it!" Hilda grumbled, Blaze lightly punching her on top of her head, "OW!"
"Don't complain. You broke it saving your friends… I'd that's worth way more than you put into it." Blaze chuckled, Hilda sighing as she rubbed the now sore part of her head.
"I can't be mad at you anymore dammit." Hilda grumbled, Naomi giggling again.
"Blaze…" Attention turned to Chris as she and Rosalie stood up, the grey-haired girl looking away for a moment before a tap on her back from Rosalie encouraged her to look forward, "I'm sorry, for everything I said to you! I'm… I'm glad you're my friend… so I'm sorry for what I said and did…"
"Hehe, you don't have to apologize to me Chris, it's fine, I get it. I'm just glad to see you and Rosalie making up, that's good enough." Blaze stated, Chris nodding, Rosalie nodding with a chuckle.
"Well… what are we gonna do about rides back? Hilda and I have busted para-mails…" Rosalie murmured.
"The ragna-mail should still be able to fly, and I got room for one more in Barbatos if we squeeze." Blaze stated, Hilda perking up at the mention of it, then it dawned on Blaze that was exactly why Rosalie brought it up, the blonde having a scheming look on her face again, Chris seeming a bit confused by the glint in Rosalie's eye.
"I… I missed something, didn't I?" Chris asked.
"Only Blaze and Hilda getting together, nothing big." Rosalie chuckled, to the objection of Hilda, though the merry moment between the old friends amid the end of the battle was interrupted by a massive beam of golden light erupting from the ruins of the Dawn Pillar as the song that was in the air ended, the light splitting to reveal a DRAGON that could only be Aura, a massive, white, gold scaled beast that dwarfed everything around it.
"That is a big DRAGON." Hilda muttered, "That thing is Aura?!"
"Yeah… seeing him for real is… jarring… holy fuck he's huge!" Blaze yelped, clearly just as caught off guard as the others despite having seen the image of this grand dragon before, all of them covering their ears as Aura roared, the noise practically shaking the ground from the volume of it, golden light illuminating the skies around Aura in a show of grandeur, "So this is the progenitor of the DRAGONs."
A crackly in Blaze's headset got his attention again, Blaze putting a hand to it to open the line.
"Blaze! What's the situation with you?" Ange's voice came through, Blaze nodding.
"I can see Aura… which means you and Sala got the job done." Blaze stated, Ange giving an affirming nod, "I'm on the ground with Naomi, Hilda, Rosalie, and Chris… everyone's fine… though, Alek-Jill, went after Embryo when he escaped."
"They're probably still down in the Pillar then. Alright, we'll meet at the Aurora and discuss what to do from there! Ange, out!"
"Got it." Blaze nodded as the line cut out, "Come on, let's mount up and get back to the Aurora! Hilda… I'm guessing you're going with me?"
"Obviously." Hilda chuckled, Blaze rolling his eyes as he clambered onto the Baratos, Naomi winking as he pulled Hilda up with him, both hopping in, Hilda being sure to get herself situated on Blaze's lap as he started the machine up, but he stopped when the comm lin crackled to life again.
"Blaze, you there?!" Tusk's voice came though, sounding panicked and shocked.
"Yeah, I'm here, what happened?" Blaze asked, Hilda looking equally concerned, the Barbatos lifting off.
"It's Ange! Embryo took her but… we don't know where! They just vanished! Only… only the Villkiss and Ange's ring are here." Tusk stated, sounding about as angry as he did shocked, Blaze and Hilda gasping.
"WHAT?! He… took her?!" Blaze yelped, giving a hiss.
"That sleazy bastard!" Hilda snapped.
"Dammit Embryo, he just doesn't give up… shit! Well… we weren't done anyway. First, we get back to Aurora… and then we find Embryo and Ange…" Blaze grumbled, Hilda nodding.
"'Kay… then what?" Hilda asked, Blaze letting out a breath, his look calm.
"Then… then we end this, for good." Blaze firmly stated, his gaze solid and determined, "We'll end it all here and now... the real final fight starts here!"
To be continued…
A/N
Whooo I was on a roll with this one! Stayed up till midnight but I got it done in a day! Hehehehe! Oh, so excited, but also kinda sad this one is almost over… but, tis the joy of a story! See you all next time, when this sonata reaches it's final crescendo!
Next chapter preview!
Blaze: Wherever Embryo went, it's probably separate from this place entirely. It's there… where all this will end.
Tusk: Once and for all Embryo… we're going to finish it here!
Blaze: I'll handle that damned machine! Let's see who wins… the white demon or a black angel!
Ange: You're a thousand years too early to even try holding me!
Final Chapter: Unfurled Wings: Memento Vivere