The Truth

I streaked forward, across the desert sunrise, the fire merged perfectly, making me blend into the sunrise. The flames surrounded me, gave me a shield of fire. I roared, preparing for the fatal strike. The Blade Liger crouched, low to the desert. Shadow dug into his memory, finding the Blade Liger's moves. Liger moved effortlessly, and used his understanding. Add my rage and sadness, and together we became unbeatable.

Van crouched in fear, seeing the Phoenix streak toward them, flames surrounding its body, a vision of perverse perfection. The Liger roared it's loudest, and flames seared through the Blade Liger. Zeke roared in pain, as the Blade Liger's legs fell off.

I slid to a stop, and the flames disappeared. I panted, the last of my energy given to defeat Van. We turned, and lifted our heads to the rising sun, the reds and oranges mirroring my mood.

I climbed out of the cockpit and walked out to the burnt Blade Liger. Fiona and Van were sitting there, mouths agape. They stared, in something akin to fear.

Van sat there, terrified. Raven had destroyed the blade liger. Suddenly, the cockpit wrenched open and light poured in. Raven stood there, his cold gaze fixed on them. His black shroud was on him again. He had taken no damage at all from the heat. "Come." Van crawled numbly out, Fiona behind him.

Suddenly, he remembered Zeke. "Zeke!" He ran over to the blade ligers wreck, but he wasn't there. A shadow fell over him. Raven. "He is fine. Look on the other side. The Blade Liger is also fine. I did not destroy the core." Van ran and saw the silver glinting in the sun. "Zeke!" He grabbed him and rubbed his head.

"Raven, thank you." Raven gazed at him, with anger in his amethyst eyes. "Van Flyheight, do not thank me for anything. Thank whatever god is listening that you do not have to go what I went through." Van looked up and saw the cold fury in his eyes.

"You never lost both your parents in one night; you never saw your beloved die in front of you. You've never peered across the line between life and death." He shut his eyes and then opened them. " Listen, Van Flyheight, you can cry your eyes out to whatever god you think is listening, you can scream for an end until your throat ruptures and rebels. You are nothing more than a leaf, tossed in the tempest. And if it releases you, it was not because it cared."

Van stayed silent, shocked at this extraordinary pronouncement. "Now, I will take flight on these accursed wings, only in hope in being lost. Goodbye, Van."