For the first time in centuries, Chi was at a loss for words. 

"…Ket…what the hell is going on here?"

Ket didn't look away from Claude.  "The weapon was designed from the book.  The machinery to hold him was designed from the book.  Since the book was designed to show the way to the next world, it only seemed like common sense that releasing his spirit would send him here."

Chi's bewilderment turned to anger.  "You knew that, and you didn't tell me?"

Ket still locked her eyes on Claude.  "I didn't know exactly, persay.  I had an idea about it though."

Chi walked a few steps closer to the trio.  "That still doesn't explain his knowledge about our arts."

Claude smiled.  "You pick up a few things when your ears aren't totally closed, my blabbering sorceresses."

Ket fumed with anger, but Chi stopped the outburst.  "This is all well and nice, boy, but we'll be needing you to pass.  If you were listening at all to us, then you know why we're here.  Now, you're in our way.  Move."

"No," Claude said, bluntly.

Chi cocked her head sideways slightly.  "…no?"

"No."  Claude's hands rested on his sword.

Chi continued her diplomacy.  "This world will be unaffected, boy.  You will be safe here, should we grasp the use of time."

"I will not let you destroy my world."

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Rena was standing next to Claude, still uncomprehending.  She didn't know what was going on, just that she was once again near to him.  She knew she shouldn't hug him, right now that would seem inappropriate…but there was nothing more she wanted then to stay close to him, particularly after seeing these sisters actions.

Protect me, Claude…

Something disturbed Rena, though.  She looked at Claude's profile, and noticed that his entire face was lacking in color.  His cheeks were a grayish shade that matched the dull landscape of the land.  Even his eyes lacked the brilliant blue she'd come to love.

"Nedian."

In the back of her mind, Rena could here a voice calling to her.  She played it off as dreaming…until she heard it again.

"Nedian…can you hear us?"

Rena looked around, and noticed that two of the girls were staring directly at her.  The taller one had her hand on the smaller ones shoulder, and they both had determined yet frightened looks in their eyes.  Rena formed words inside of her head.

"Yes…who are you?"

"Lena."

"Pae."

"My name is Rena…"

"Rena.  We don't have much time.  Please…help Lia.  We know you can."

"Lia?"

The sisters looked down, and Rena followed their gaze.  On the ground near them, a small girl had her eyes closed, barely breathing.

"I know her.  She attacked me and Chisato."

"Chisato.  The red-haired one."

"Yes."

"Please understand us, Rena.  Lia was not attacking you on her own will.  Ket was using her…Lia thought that she was protecting Ket."

Pae's words were next.  "Please…we don't want this.  Lena and I have talked about this, we don't want to accomplish this mission anymore.  It will hurt too many."

"How can I trust you?  What would stop you from using her to attack us, giving you 5 to 4 advantage?"

Lena's words.  "Because, Rena, we could've killed you while you were hiding behind those boxes."

Rena's eyes widened as she stared at the girls.  They didn't move their gaze from her eyes.

"Please help us, and Lia, before Ket and Chi destroy all of us!"

"You spark-flinging BITCH!"

"You fire-headed demon!!"

All three of the girls awoke from their thoughts and looked up at their peers.  Chisato had her gun drawn, pointing it at the yellow haired sorceress…Ket had her hands extended and a bolt grew in her palms.  Claude and Chi stared at each other, as if in some trance.

Ket's anger showed in her voice.  "Give it up.  Do you really think you can win, six against three?"

Celine walked towards Claude and turned.  "Who ever said I was with you?"  She pulled a rod out of her sack.

Ket shrugged.  "Five against four then.  Still unstable odds."

"Wrong, Ket."

Ket spun around to see Lena and Pae walking past her.  Between them, they held the limp teen by her shoulders. 

Chi awoke from her trance.  "Lena, what are you doing!?"

Lena set Lia onto the ground and turned to her leader.  "…I will not help you anymore, Chi."

Chi raised her head to the ceiling and sighed.  "You as well, Pae?"

Pae just lowered her head.

Rena kneeled next to Lia, who was on her last breaths.  "It's a deep wound…"  Chisato flinched at that but didn't lower her weapon.  Rena placed her hand on the hole in the girl and chanted something.  A white glow enveloped the wound and seeped inside of her.  Although the injury did not heal totally, the bleeding stopped and Lia opened her eyes.  Rena could almost hear her purr.

"Such betrayal will only be repaid in hell, girls!"  Ket turned from Chisato and shot the bolt directly into Lena's chest.  The bolt knocked her back several feet back against the ground.  After the bolt was fired, Chisato shot directly and Ket, a very near miss. 

"Too slow, girl!" Ket shot a bolt of lesser intensity at Chisato, but once again it was absorbed into her armor.  Chisato reloaded and shot a blast into Ket's arm.  It easily pierced the sorceresses skin and a vibrant red shot from the wound.  She cried out but quickly sealed the injury with fire.  She wouldn't be in pain much longer.

During the commotion, no one noticed Chi walk calmly past the skirmish.  No one, except Claude, who stood behind her as she reached the pedestool.

"You don't want to do that."

"I can assure you, boy, I do."

"I am serious, sorceress.  You don't know the dangers of time."

"Shut up, boy!"

Claude sighed, and stepped back several steps as the sorceress picked up small book.  Chi couldn't contain her excitement if she wanted to. 

"Ket, it's ours!!!"

The entire skirmish stopped and stared at Chi, who was holding the book as one would hold a plate of fine china.  Ket slowly walked past the girls towards Chi, passing Claude without a word.  Claude sighed again and walked back to his group, which now numbered seven, including him.  He spoke in whispers.

"I want you to get out of this shrine.  I want you to run as far as you can away from here, and do not look back, not for anything, do you understand me?"

Rena began to object.  "What about-"

"I'll catch up.  Get out of here, all of you!  I'll take the girl with me!" he shouted, pointing at Lia.  "Go!"  None of them spoke another word as they heard Claude's words.  They were quickly out of sight.

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Claude stood about 10 feet from the girls, who were still in awe.

"You know, you should really listen to me."

Silence.

"It's too dangerous, if you don't understand."

Silence.

"Don't ask me for help."

Ket looked up.  "If you're bored, you can always just leave."

Claude smiled.  "Nah.  This is something I want."

Chi hadn't yet opened the book.  With shaking hands, she slowly broke the seal binding it. 

What happened next was a blur, even to Claude.  Instantly, the ivory walls changed hue to a dark black.  The sky faded to a dark black in a matter of seconds, and the only light came from fires that illuminated the shrine walls.

Chi was the first to understand.  She threw the book to the ground as if she'd been burnt, but it was too late.  Her body seemed to lose its color, and fade.  She screamed as the blood began to escape from her.  Claude and Ket watched as she fell to the floor in agony, and finally lose consciousness.  Then, to Ket's surprise, she seemed to dissolve.  In a few seconds, the girl she'd connived with for centuries was little more then dust.

Ket looked in horror at Claude, who was smiling.

"You sick fuck!  What happened!?"

Claude's smile turned into a full out laugh.  "Stupid, stupid girls.  You read the book for countless centuries and you still don't understand.  Did you really think you would be able to control time?  Face the facts.  You are now standing in the shrine…the shrine at the end of time."

Ket stared at Claude.  "What are you talking about!?"

"Time cannot be controlled.  Time cannot be diverted, or changed, or altered.  Time is Time.  After a persons life has expired, they meet their fate, and come to a place past the flow of time.  Thus, the end of time."

"…"

"Let me put it this way.  You know all those people you killed trying to achieve your little goal?  You destroyed souls.  There is no afterlife for them, you killed them."

"…I…"

Claude looked down at the pile of dust near them.  "Chi was lucky.  She only lost her soul.  She was the leader, but only a figurehead.  She only killed when she had to.  YOU are the malicious one, the murderer of bodies and souls.  Simply put…"

Claude moved closer to the teen, staring deep into her eyes.

"You're not going to get out of your fate as easily as Chi did."

Claude then smiled and turned towards Lia, leaving the bewildered Ket behind him.  He picked her up and began to walk down the steps. 

"Boy…tell me something."

Claude looked back up at her.

"…are you…"

Claude set Lia down on the ground and walked up the stairs to her.  He took his blade out of his sheath and layed it upon his arm, slicing through several layers of skin and muscle.  No blood erupted from his wound.

"Dead.  And so, I meet my murderer.  I only wish the others you killed would be able to laugh at your own demise as I did."

With that statement, he picked Lia up and vanished in a white glow, just as Ket's skin began to fade.  With the last ounce of strength she had, she sobbed one sob, just as the agony began.

~