I'm ALIVE! Sooo... I didn't really give anyone a heads up but my classes started and this semester is probably the worst of all of them because I am taking so many upper level classes. I'm sorry for the wait and other chapters will be slow to update until december.

I do not own magi or its characters.

Chapter 36: Final Battle

She was too late.

Sheba. The little girl that Alya had watched grow up into a lovely woman. Solomon's love. Queen Sheba... was dead.

Alya stood back, petrified at the sight of Sheba's limp, lifeless body in Ugo's arms.

Arba would never do this! She and Sheba has been close friends, sisters in arms. How…?

Alya wrapped her arms around herself. She was shaking. Hysterics were building up within her, trying to find their way out. Before she knew it, she was laughing, the escaped hysteria evident in her voice as she broke down. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Alya…" Ugo said wearily. He laid Sheba's body down gently and came closer to Alya, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Alya immediately jerked away, both her tears and laughter stopping abruptly. Standing up, she took one last look at Sheba before turning and walking away, ignoring Ugo's attempts to get her attention. There was only one person she wanted to speak to at that moment, and she would not stop until she found her. Why, Arba...? She grit her teeth, trying to keep calm. Power licked at the edge of her conscience, tempting her into its grasp, tempting her to crush the weak mortals who dared to hurt those she cared for.

She followed the path of blackened Rukh until she found herself within Solomon's and Sheba's palace. The other traitors did not stop her as she passed them. They didn't even register in her one-track mind. The only thing she saw was Arba, sitting on Sheba's throne, wearing Sheba's crown.

Arba was smiling at her. "Ah, Alya! I'm so glad you could make it. I was beginning to think you also cared not for our great Father. How sad it is that Solomon's corrupt ways caused the death of Ill Ilah." Arba offered her hand to Alya as the girl drew closer. "Please join us Alya."

Alya glared at the offered hand, her vision reddening at the edges. "You are the corrupt one, Arba," she hissed. "Why did you do that to Sheba?"

Arba looked taken aback and stood up. "Why? Because she had been corrupted by that man. I was setting her free!"

"You didn't free her. You killed her." Alya's voice was calm but cold. Someone to her right, she didn't even turn to look who, stepped toward her threateningly but was flung backward into the wall. Alya looked at him. "Wahid? Why?" she asked sadly. Before she could hear a response, Falan attacked, with the same result of being flung against a wall beside first man. "Do not even try, Falan. None of you have the ability to fight a goddess."

Arba grinned. "Ah, I knew something was different about you. It's unfortunate that you will not join us." In moments, Alya found herself gasping in pain as her back connected with a wall in a similar fashion she had used on the other two.

She glared down at Arba who held her up against the wall, her murderous hand wrapped tightly around Alya's throat. Slowly, Arba brought Alya down so that her feet could touch the ground, but her hand never moved from its spot.

Arba grinned widely as she leaned closer to whisper into Alya's ear. "I shall not have you interfere." Pressure increased around Alya's throat, blocking off all access to air but Alya simply closed her eyes. "Oh, come now, don't just give up. What a was-" before Arba could finish her insult, she gasped and pulled away quickly as if burned. She gawked down at her sizzling flesh, blisters forming, before looking back to Alya who was standing calmly in front of her.

Alya's eyes slowly opened, their usual peaceful blue hue now a bloody red. She could feel power flow through her veins, killing her from the inside. She paid no mind to the fact that her human form could not take the energy of a goddess. It would kill her. But she would kill them first. "Do not play with fire, child." The goddess's voice, though spoken only in whisper, vibrated and echoed through the room, sent shivers through the whole audience. Some fell to their knees, unable to handle the powerful raw aura flowing off the girl. "I have been patient with humanity long enough. If you truly do not value your lives I shall take them off your hands." The threat made even Arba gulp.

No! Arba thought as her face contorted in rage. She would not yield! Not to this bitch who gave up on their Father! She could feel the black Rukh gather around her as her anger intensified.

Alya gasped as the tainted Rukh suddenly latched onto her skin. Anger. Grief. Sorrow. The negative feelings and visions flew past her eyes too quickly for her to make any sense of them. These were not the Rukh that loved her. The normal gentle caress was gone, replaced by sickening poison. She fell to her knees as her powers suddenly dwindled, drained by the black Rukh. Not even the white Rukh around her were strong enough to protect her from the continuing onslaught. She could hear screaming, only barely registering the voice as her own. Her skin was burning. Her insides were burning. Her being was burning, being tainted.

All watched in awe as the mighty goddess fell before Arba, who was smugly looking down at the screaming woman before her with a sadistic smirk. She took slow steps toward the distracted girl, black Rukh gathering in her hand and hardening into what looked to be a black dagger.

Alya felt it before she realized what had happened. It was almost impossible to distinguish the pain of the Rukh from a new pain, but she opened her eyes and glanced down at her abdomen. Blood soaked through her clothes, coming from around a tainted dagger. Alya followed the dagger to a hand and from the hand up to Arba's gleeful expression. With a sharp tug, the dagger left her body and Arba turned away. The black Rukh released Alya as she fell on her side.

"Goodbye, oh mighty goddess."

Oh no! What's going to happen to Alya? Stay tooned~

I do have a few things to tell everyone.

1. A new magi story has been posted. Its a KouenxOC this time. Entei's Nightingale. Go check it out :D

2. I plan on rewriting the SharrkanxOC story Dream vs. Reality. I'm a little annoyed with how I wrote it. There were so many things I could have done but didn't do any of them... sooo ya.

On to answers to reviews:

Guest: Gyokuen did not realize at first who she was because she looked different from her first form but after a while she started to realize that Alya was the reincarnation of the Goddess Alya. That is why at some point she started trying to have Judal get rid of her, of course by then it was too late and he was wrapped around Alya's finger.

FionaRel: Yes Alya looks differently. In Alma Torran, she had blue eyes and brown hair and so on. As a mentioned in the previous few sentences, Gyokuen tried to get rid of Alya once she realized who she was. I forget exactly what chapter I mentioned this though. *goes to check* Chapter 25!