Here we go again. It just gets sadder, don't it? None of this belongs to me, except that which I created, and if you can't distinguish the difference, get out of here. Please r&r. (can't believe I just said that) Enjoy.
Juno was stunned. Too stunned to speak. Too stunned to weep. Too stunned to express any emotion. Too stunned to do anything.
He had just witnessed the deaths of his sister and his friend at the hands of Mizar.
Mizar, the tyrant who enslaved a race. Mizar, the alternate personality of the gentle Tribal Barry. Mizar the killer. Mizar the destroyer. All apt descriptions, but none saying all that he truly was: a monster.
Juno's eyes followed Jeff as he approached the form of his brother. Barry had dragged himself from the wreckage only to collapse. But was it Barry? A Tribal asking forgiveness? Or was it Mizar, still seeking to destroy his enemies once and for all? It didn't matter. He was doomed forever by his actions, despite his condition.
Jeff laid his scepter on the floor beside Barry, and then grabbed his brother's shoulders. He pulled him up to his knees and looked into his face. A calm face, not crazy or angry or insane- Barry's face, not Mizar's.
"Why, brother?" Jeff asked quietly. "Why this?"
Barry smiled a weak smile.
"Because I had to, Jeff," he answered. "There was no other way. No way. I can't control it. It… it controls me. I am dangerous. A menace. Kill me, Jeff. Kill me and end this pain forever."
"I cannot," Jeff said sadly. "Despite what you may have done, despite what you are, you are, and always will be, my brother. My little brother. I cannot kill you."
/No,/ Juno thought. /No, this is wrong./
Jeff picked up his scepter and turned his back on his kneeling brother. He began to walk towards where Juno sat propped against the wall. Juno watched Barry behind Jeff. The Tribal King's brother looked at floor, as if hoping that the answer to his problems could be found within.
Juno didn't know what Barry had found there, in the dark recesses of his destroyed mind, but he found something- something that told him what he had to do. He raised his small head, and smiled. An evil, crazy smile. And this time, it was Mizar's smile.
Juno watched stunned as Barry reached behind his back and pulled free a curved dagger, as Jeff walked on obliviously. Barry rose to his feet, and began to half run, half limp towards his brother.
"J-Jeff…" Juno rasped. "B-barry…"
Jeff's expression became puzzled. He stopped, and began to turn to where he had left his brother. He swung around to face Barry as he plunged the curved blade into Jeff's chest. Jeff looked down at the dagger, and the fur now matted with red Tribal blood.
"B-brother…" he stammered, attempting to form words with his mouth, which now seemed to have stopped working.
Jeff raised his scepter, which began to glow. With incredible force, he brought it down on the head of his brother, not actually striking him, but stopping just short. The air at their feet began to swirl, picking up speed and rising to cover their bodies. The air blurred, and then with a blinding flash of light, it all stopped. Where the royal brothers had been now stood a swirled crystal, marking the final resting place of Jeff and Barry.
Juno rose to his feet, still stunned. His mind was able to form a few thoughts, grabbing bits and pieces form the swirling mess of his head. He knew that he was the only one left. He knew that all the rest were dead. His dog, his sister, Nova, Jeff, Castor, Cassandra… all dead. He had to end it all. He had to make it right. But first, he had to do something here. Something to honor these people. He didn't have a trumpet, nor did he know Taps, but he knew how to do one thing. One song that he knew from Church so many years ago. And so, as tears ran down his blackened face, he began to sing.
"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound…"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Juno stood in the corridor, his back to the wall, standing next to the final leg of his journey. In the adjoining hall was the path to the core, and the end of this mission. The end of it all.
In his hands were two Tri-rocket launchers, one his own, and one taken off Nova's body. Had Vela's been intact, he would be wielding three, but he had to make due. He had battled his way through the ship to the core, although it wasn't much of a battle. The drones didn't have much spirit left, while he, on the other hand, had plenty of it. But what he didn't have was stamina. He was exhausted completely. He barely had strength to stand, and he had no idea how he would finish it.
Thoughts filled his head. Thoughts of his dead sister, his dog, Nova. His chest slowly stopped heaving up and down. He felt a calm come over him. And he felt the strength. He felt able to finish it.
All the drones that could fit in the adjoining rooms were making a living shield in front of the core. It wasn't good odds, but he knew he could do it. The chances of survival were even slimmer, but he didn't much care about that. He could do it. He took a deep breath, raised his guns, and turned.
Juno ran, squeezing each trigger one after the other. He fired the deadly projectiles into the oncoming mass, but when one went down, another was there to replace it. He took a shot in the shoulder, but he didn't feel it. He took a shot in the leg, but he didn't feel it. He felt no pain. He fired again and again in vain, desperately trying to hit the core, but it was impossible. There were too many. Again he took a hit. Didn't matter where, he couldn't feel it. The drones began to thin, but it wasn't enough. Juno felt his strength going as he took another hit. Distant senses of pain echoed through his mind. He wasn't going to make it. Another hit. He squeezed a trigger, but nothing happened. The gun slipped form his fingers. He stumbled, began to fall. With his last strength, he squeezed the other trigger.
The rockets flew. One slammed into a wall, as Juno hadn't been aiming. One hit a drone, blowing it apart. The third flew towards the seething mass of insects. It was almost certain to hit one of them, but it didn't. A gap, somehow not filled. The rocket passed through it. Finding no further obstructions, it continued it's course to the core.
White enveloped Juno.
I'm mad. It's getting so short, but I can't put in the last chapter yet. Makes me mad. Well, that's not the end of this anyway, I have one more thing for you. I don't know who wrote it, all I know is it's appropriate.
Amazing Grace how sweet the sound,
that saved a wretch like me,
I once was lost, but know am found,
was blind, but know I see.
Twas Grace that taught my heart to fear,
and Grace my fears relieved,
how precious did that Grace appear,
the hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come,
twas Grace that kept me safe thus far,
and Grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me,
his word my hope secures,
he will my shield and portion be,
as long as life endures.
And when this flesh and heart shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease,
I will posess within the vail,
a life of joy and peace.
When we've been here ten thousand years,
bright shining as the sun,
we've no less days to sing God's praise,
then when we'd first begun.
Juno was stunned. Too stunned to speak. Too stunned to weep. Too stunned to express any emotion. Too stunned to do anything.
He had just witnessed the deaths of his sister and his friend at the hands of Mizar.
Mizar, the tyrant who enslaved a race. Mizar, the alternate personality of the gentle Tribal Barry. Mizar the killer. Mizar the destroyer. All apt descriptions, but none saying all that he truly was: a monster.
Juno's eyes followed Jeff as he approached the form of his brother. Barry had dragged himself from the wreckage only to collapse. But was it Barry? A Tribal asking forgiveness? Or was it Mizar, still seeking to destroy his enemies once and for all? It didn't matter. He was doomed forever by his actions, despite his condition.
Jeff laid his scepter on the floor beside Barry, and then grabbed his brother's shoulders. He pulled him up to his knees and looked into his face. A calm face, not crazy or angry or insane- Barry's face, not Mizar's.
"Why, brother?" Jeff asked quietly. "Why this?"
Barry smiled a weak smile.
"Because I had to, Jeff," he answered. "There was no other way. No way. I can't control it. It… it controls me. I am dangerous. A menace. Kill me, Jeff. Kill me and end this pain forever."
"I cannot," Jeff said sadly. "Despite what you may have done, despite what you are, you are, and always will be, my brother. My little brother. I cannot kill you."
/No,/ Juno thought. /No, this is wrong./
Jeff picked up his scepter and turned his back on his kneeling brother. He began to walk towards where Juno sat propped against the wall. Juno watched Barry behind Jeff. The Tribal King's brother looked at floor, as if hoping that the answer to his problems could be found within.
Juno didn't know what Barry had found there, in the dark recesses of his destroyed mind, but he found something- something that told him what he had to do. He raised his small head, and smiled. An evil, crazy smile. And this time, it was Mizar's smile.
Juno watched stunned as Barry reached behind his back and pulled free a curved dagger, as Jeff walked on obliviously. Barry rose to his feet, and began to half run, half limp towards his brother.
"J-Jeff…" Juno rasped. "B-barry…"
Jeff's expression became puzzled. He stopped, and began to turn to where he had left his brother. He swung around to face Barry as he plunged the curved blade into Jeff's chest. Jeff looked down at the dagger, and the fur now matted with red Tribal blood.
"B-brother…" he stammered, attempting to form words with his mouth, which now seemed to have stopped working.
Jeff raised his scepter, which began to glow. With incredible force, he brought it down on the head of his brother, not actually striking him, but stopping just short. The air at their feet began to swirl, picking up speed and rising to cover their bodies. The air blurred, and then with a blinding flash of light, it all stopped. Where the royal brothers had been now stood a swirled crystal, marking the final resting place of Jeff and Barry.
Juno rose to his feet, still stunned. His mind was able to form a few thoughts, grabbing bits and pieces form the swirling mess of his head. He knew that he was the only one left. He knew that all the rest were dead. His dog, his sister, Nova, Jeff, Castor, Cassandra… all dead. He had to end it all. He had to make it right. But first, he had to do something here. Something to honor these people. He didn't have a trumpet, nor did he know Taps, but he knew how to do one thing. One song that he knew from Church so many years ago. And so, as tears ran down his blackened face, he began to sing.
"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound…"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Juno stood in the corridor, his back to the wall, standing next to the final leg of his journey. In the adjoining hall was the path to the core, and the end of this mission. The end of it all.
In his hands were two Tri-rocket launchers, one his own, and one taken off Nova's body. Had Vela's been intact, he would be wielding three, but he had to make due. He had battled his way through the ship to the core, although it wasn't much of a battle. The drones didn't have much spirit left, while he, on the other hand, had plenty of it. But what he didn't have was stamina. He was exhausted completely. He barely had strength to stand, and he had no idea how he would finish it.
Thoughts filled his head. Thoughts of his dead sister, his dog, Nova. His chest slowly stopped heaving up and down. He felt a calm come over him. And he felt the strength. He felt able to finish it.
All the drones that could fit in the adjoining rooms were making a living shield in front of the core. It wasn't good odds, but he knew he could do it. The chances of survival were even slimmer, but he didn't much care about that. He could do it. He took a deep breath, raised his guns, and turned.
Juno ran, squeezing each trigger one after the other. He fired the deadly projectiles into the oncoming mass, but when one went down, another was there to replace it. He took a shot in the shoulder, but he didn't feel it. He took a shot in the leg, but he didn't feel it. He felt no pain. He fired again and again in vain, desperately trying to hit the core, but it was impossible. There were too many. Again he took a hit. Didn't matter where, he couldn't feel it. The drones began to thin, but it wasn't enough. Juno felt his strength going as he took another hit. Distant senses of pain echoed through his mind. He wasn't going to make it. Another hit. He squeezed a trigger, but nothing happened. The gun slipped form his fingers. He stumbled, began to fall. With his last strength, he squeezed the other trigger.
The rockets flew. One slammed into a wall, as Juno hadn't been aiming. One hit a drone, blowing it apart. The third flew towards the seething mass of insects. It was almost certain to hit one of them, but it didn't. A gap, somehow not filled. The rocket passed through it. Finding no further obstructions, it continued it's course to the core.
White enveloped Juno.
I'm mad. It's getting so short, but I can't put in the last chapter yet. Makes me mad. Well, that's not the end of this anyway, I have one more thing for you. I don't know who wrote it, all I know is it's appropriate.
Amazing Grace how sweet the sound,
that saved a wretch like me,
I once was lost, but know am found,
was blind, but know I see.
Twas Grace that taught my heart to fear,
and Grace my fears relieved,
how precious did that Grace appear,
the hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come,
twas Grace that kept me safe thus far,
and Grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me,
his word my hope secures,
he will my shield and portion be,
as long as life endures.
And when this flesh and heart shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease,
I will posess within the vail,
a life of joy and peace.
When we've been here ten thousand years,
bright shining as the sun,
we've no less days to sing God's praise,
then when we'd first begun.
