Chapter 26
Michelangelo dodged to the left as a clawed hand raked past him. He and his brothers scattered as they began battling Rhenna. He growled in frustration as a wolf-like Rhenna pounced on him. He fell back kicking the Rhenna in the gut and launching it over his head. As it stood right now his right arm was nearly useless and his nun-chucks just seemed to piss the Rhenna off more than actually accomplish anything. He leapt out of the way of scythe like claws, rolling and quickly coming to his feet. Another Rhenna hit him from behind. He was crushed flat against the rubble strewn ground. The Rhenna suddenly yipped and the weight on his back vanished. He looked up at Raphael who helped him to his feet.
"Take this Mikey." He said shoving Goddess' bow into his hands. "I know that shoulder of yours is pretty messed up, but the bow seems to work and they need to be killed with bladed weapons, your chucks are just pissin' them off. I'm going to see if I can help Darkness." And with that his brother disappeared into the chaos that surrounded them. He looked at the bow in his hand and desperately looked around for Donatello.
He found him frantically fighting off one of the bigger Reaper-Rhenna. It was at least 10 feet high and built like a tank. Michelangelo pulled back the string of the bow, wincing as agonizing pain blazed through his damaged shoulder. He aimed and fired, hoping the arrow would kill the Rhenna. The arrow struck home the Rhenna dissolving into a dark mist. He looked at the blood now running down the length of his left forearm.
Donatello looked at the mist in shock. Michelangelo began running towards Donatello dodging other fighters and the occasional Rhenna. He watched in horror as His older brother was suddenly hit from behind and knocked to the ground, a Reaper-Rhenna stepping on his back crushing him into the sand. "Donny!" He screamed as he was blind-sided by a falling figure. He and the figure crashed into the ground, Michelangelo lost sight of Donatello.
He tried pulling himself up from underneath the dead weight. The figure groaned and tried to move. He looked into the intensely blue eyes of Gabriel. Gabriel shook himself off and helped him to his feet. Gabriel was badly injured with a great slash running from one shoulder to the other. He clenched his teeth together in pain. "I suppose I am fortunate not to be in two separate pieces." He glanced around him wings stretching out and then he was gone.
Michelangelo scanned the chaos for Donatello again hoping the Rhenna had not crushed his brother to death beneath its foot. Michelangelo caught sight of him again. He was under the Rhenna's hand. Donatello looked as if he were reaching for something. Michelangelo looked again as metal glinted in the sun. Whatever it was that Donatello was reaching for he managed to grab. Arm sweeping through the air, the body of the Rhenna split in two crashing to the ground before disappearing.
He managed to finally make it to Donatello's side. He was breathing heavily but looked none the worse for wear.
"Donny you okay." He asked worriedly.
"Yeah." Donatello said leaning heavily against a staff, a double bladed 7 foot long staff.
"Oh gods Donny is that?" He asked in horror.
"Yeah, Darkness either dropped it, or she threw it at me. Either way, she is only fighting with one weapon now, and she's cut up pretty bad." He said motioning towards the sky with his head.
Darkness took a hit in the arm, her blood arcing through the air.
Donatello suddenly stood up straight. "Duck!" He yelled, swinging the staff over his head dispatching a wolf-Rhenna.
"We've got to find Raph and Leo." Donatello said surveying the carnage of The Pit. There were bloody bodies here and there, but Michelangelo realized that it would be hard to tell how many casualties there actually were, because when the Reapers were killed they disappeared, the same as the Rhenna.
"There's Leo, I think he's with Mon." Michelangelo said as he pointed towards a mound of broken rock.
They ran towards Leonardo and the Reaper that was fighting next to him. Michelangelo shot three more arrows and swore that he couldn't shoot anymore. The strain of the bow's payment coupled with his shoulder was making it impossible for him to pull back the string anymore. He felt light-headed and dizzy. He wondered if he would actually be able to die from blood loss. Donatello managed to wield Darkness' staff and kill five more of the Rhenna before they made it to Leonardo.
Leonardo's blades slashed through a Reaper-Rhenna's legs. It topped to the ground where he promptly dispatched it.
"These things are never ending!" Leonardo growled. "If we could retreat and re-group I would strongly suggest doing it!"
"Retreat was never an option Leo. It was stand, and either fall or survive." Mon said seriously.
"Are you two okay?" Leonardo asked with concern, looking at Michelangelo's bloody arms.
"I don't feel so good." Michelangelo said as he waivered on his feet.
"His body is going to shut down soon." Mon said looking at him. "He won't die, but...it won't be good. He doesn't have anyone who is pouring energy into him to keep his soul from being damaged. If he isn't healed soon, he will end up losing his body and his soul will begin to flicker."
"Ow,ow,ow, cold cold cold." Michelangelo said grabbing at his right shoulder, the one that had been damaged by the Rhenna. He felt coldness seep into his body, like a cold winter wind.
"Darkness." Mon whispered. As they looked at his wounds which had healed. "Be grateful you weren't given a killing blow by the Donmkir blades wielded by Darkness and Light. Those weapons would be able to Destroy you easily. Of course technically so to can the Rhenna's claws if the wound is mortal."
"Can she...?" Leonardo asked in shock.
"Darkness can heal her slaves, but she would have to concentrate on healing him, which means she is dividing her attention, from her fight." She said with worry.
Donatello looked at his staff. "She's still trying to protect us. We aren't helping her, we are hindering her. But why is Darkness...? She is going to get herself killed. She's already at a disadvantage, she..." Donatello's eyes widened.
Leonardo scanned The Pit. "Where's Raph?" He asked with dawning horror.
Desperately they searched for their kimono clad brother. "Oh no, Raph." Donatello said in a terror stricken voice.
Michelangelo followed Donatello's gaze. Darkness and Light were clashing near a chunk of floating rock. Raphael had just finished climbing and now stood behind Light poised to strike at her unprotected back.
Dread crawled down his back as the image of Raphael being cut down by the demon Syna ripped through his mind.
Although he knew what he was seeing was not in slow motion it seemed as if time had begun to slow. Light struck at Darkness' weapon, Darkness blocked, straining against Light's strength. Light and Darkness' weapons were bladed on each end which meant either side could be used. Raphael leapt sais arcing down. Light without even turning used one blade to block Darkness while pulling the other blade away and swinging it in a swift movement straight back.
"No!" They screamed in unison.
Time stopped as the blade tore through black clothing and flesh. Raphael's arms hung lifelessly at his sides, sais falling from limp hands.
Light's blade had run straight through the body of Darkness, who had somehow managed, in the time it had taken Michelangelo to blink, to get between the blow and Raphael. Raphael however was too close to Darkness, the strike having gone straight through her back and out her front right into his chest.
Light pulled the blade from their bodies. Darkness' arms and wings went around Raphael obstructing him from sight as they fell through the air in a jumble of black robes and feathered wings. Darkness hit the ground with enough force to shake the very foundations of The Pit. The entire Arena was silent, all of the participants had stopped fighting and looked in horror as Light descended upon the broken figure of Darkness.
Raphael's crumpled, ice covered body lay motionless a few feet away.
They ran towards their fallen brother and Darkness, knowing that they would never make it in time to save her, or their brother.
Darkness did not move. Michelangelo didn't see how it could be possible for her to still be alive. She was a bloody mess. She lay motionless within her blood spattered crater. Bile rose in Michelangelo's throat. He still wasn't very good with blood. He didn't like it when what was supposed to be on the inside of someone's body, made it to the outside.
They managed to stumble to the ice covered form of their prone brother. Ice covered his chest and arms. Darkness had taken the entire impact of their fall. Donatello reached out and tried to find a pulse. He closed his eyes in relief. "He's still alive. But I can't tell how bad his injury is." Donatello said to them. The ice began to melt in the heat of the double suns. They looked towards where Darkness had fallen.
Death appeared beside the crater. He looked as if he had begun to fade. Michelangelo looked at Death with horror as he looked at Mon who nearly transparent.
"Mon!" He said in horror.
She looked terrified and wretchedly despondent. "Light has won." She whispered in a barely audible voice.
"No! It doesn't get to end this way!" Leonardo yelled, getting to his feet as Light appeared at the edge of the crater followed by Life.
Light looked at Leonardo, she raised her hand towards him. Leonardo took a step back. Darkness grabbed Light's arm, wrenching it behind Light's back.
Darkness held Light tightly against her. Darkness was barely able to stand, let alone hold Light for long. Death and his Reapers had already begun to fade which meant Darkness was dying. Michelangelo had no idea what Darkness had planned, but they couldn't let Darkness kill Light either.
A thought, no, a need, a desire for something ripped through Michelangelo's head like sharp knife. He collapsed to his knees and fell to the ground screaming. All around him anyone who was still in The Pit fell, Rhenna, Reapers, gods, and demons. Darkness and Light stood locked together, while Death and Life vanished.
Images began flashing through his mind at an incredibly rapid and almost painful rate. His mind felt like it was on fire, but he was occasionally able to catch an image here and there.
A small dark haired girl sat in a thicket of bushes. It was full dark, and she was alone. She was looking at her hands, she opened them slowly a green light floating up as she smiled in delight watching the firefly dance away. The scene shifted to the moon reflecting upon a calm still lake. Again and again the images shifted. A hot summer day with laughing children gathering in the shade of a tree, a dark skinned girl with moss green eyes making shapes with her shadow. A sunset painting the sky with purples, pinks and blush orange. There didn't seem to be any particular pattern or order in time. In some images the participants were dressed in old fashioned clothing, sometimes, little to no clothing, other times the clothing was more modern.
Then the darker days began, unhappy rain drenched days filled with despair as loved ones stood around a small coffin. There was despair and sadness and grief, but under those emotions there was support, love, and understanding. An old man patting a child's hand, moss green eyes lit with love as she kissed the old man's cheek. He sighed, closing his eyes peacefully as he reflected on his life, the joys, the sorrows, and the understanding of having lived as fully as he could, drifting peacefully into death. More and more images flashed though his head as he finally realized Darkness was trying to make Light understand Darkness and Death. That darkness was needed as much as death. The images shattered and broke. Michelangelo opened his eyes and watched as Darkness fell to her knees. Light turned looking at Darkness. She raised her weapon to strike Darkness down.
"Darkness!" Raphael managed to scream. "Don't you dare touch her Light. Don't even think about it!" Michelangelo looked in surprise at his brother who had managed to regain consciousness. He was shivering from cold and his chest was bloody mess where Light's blade had hit and penetrated through hard shell. Raphael was holding his hand to his bloody chest, trying to stop the bleeding.
Raphael managed to stagger to his feet. Michelangelo managed to pull himself upright. His brain felt two sizes too big for his head. Donatello stood using Darkness' weapon for support. Leonardo shakily got to his feet clutching a faded and unresponsive Mon in his arms.
Light looked around at the destruction of the Arena. Her eyes swept over them stopping on Raphael. Light raised her weapon and pointed at him.
"Don't you dare." Leonardo growled.
She waited, as if expecting something. Donatello's eyes widened in understanding. "If death is okay, why can't she just kill him? That is what she is asking." Donatello turned to Light. "Death...having someone you love die, is...its hard and it hurts and no one wants the people they love to die. That isn't the point, the point is, death isn't wanted, but it is needed. It is what...it is what makes us mortal. Without the inevitability of death, we would wind up...like them," He motioned to the few gods and goddesses that remained. "Like you. We would have no understanding how important those we love are, because we would never lose them. Life is about living your life to the fullest every possible day, and loving those you love with everything you have, because you never know when they might be taken away from you." Donatello said looking at Raphael , his gaze then swept over Michelangelo and Leonardo. "That is why death is important, because without death, life has no meaning." He said softly.
Michelangelo looked at Light. Would Light be able to understand? And even if she did, was it too late for Darkness? Had Light already struck the killing blow?
Light studied them intently then sheathed her bladed weapons. The Rhenna vanished, in their places, the crumpled forms of various Reapers and blue glowing spheres of the souls of the stolen mortals.
Light reached down and helped Darkness to her feet. Darkness swayed and clutched at Light. Light reached out and touched Darkness' face lovingly stroking her hand across her cheek. Then she leaned forward and kissed her.
Michelangelo blinked in shock, his mouth falling open. "Ummm...I was not expecting that." He said, his brain stalling as Light licked the blood from her lips as she drew back from Darkness.
Darkness began to heal. Her blood began to disappear from her body, wounds were closing up and healing. Darkness was finally able to stand on her own.
Night began to fall over The Arena, two crescent moons hung in the sky, stars began twinkling, lending what little light they could to the evening sky.
Michelangelo doubled over as a wave of nausea hit. He looked down at the cold stone floor of Death's living room.