Author's Note: Oi, tons of confusion and unpretty things in here. Drama, violence, whoo. Sorry for the delay, I've been working on it between finals and the flu. ;_;
"I hate you!"
Noa instinctively rolled to one side, some sparks flying as Lu's blow missed her target and hit the floor instead. Said 'target' tumbled away and managed to get to her feet, getting tired and upset from dodging like this. Even if Lu had hit her, nothing could compare to the pain when she said that. The polar opposite of what she wanted to hear.
So painful, that ... even thinking about it now brought a sharp pang to her chest, to her heart. The corner of her heart that didn't pump blood, but rather pumped emotions to her mind. As the hell-bent aggressor turned to strike again, she slammed her eyes shut and let herself fall to her knees. She was aware that tears were streaming down her face like no tomorrow, and she was crying as loud as she could. And for Noa, that was pretty loud.
She just waited for the thundering footsteps to come near her, and for a red flash to take over everything, and for her soul to just take wing and drift away to the Valley of Noaru.
But it didn't happen.
The air around her was completely still, no motion from her or Lu whatsoever. Were it just a trick, she didn't want to take a chance and look. "... You're crying," Lu said softly, as if she were mystified. Noa quieted down and ran the back of her hand across her face, harshly wiping away the tears. One digit after another, one person after another, Zora's grip on her three minions was slipping.
But until the last digit slid away, an iota of hatred still remained. And that one little bit counted for everything.
Lu seemed stuck in a web of Zora's hatred, her own emotions, and a thick confusion. She couldn't make a movement, because along would come a spider and devour everything she had worked to make and destroy thus far. The confusion shone through in her voice, and in her eyes. "You ... still won't kill me, even if I try so hard to kill you?"
Noa opened her eyes, and let her vision clear. It had been too long since she had cried so hard and the truth and the world had been so distorted. She suddenly put her faith into her reaction time, just in case this was one big bold-faced lie and trick.
Couldn't torture herself enough to avoid Lu like this... "I still won't," she replied softly. Brushing off her knees, she got to her feet slowly and made sure to keep low and ready just in case anything was to happen. "I won't even attack you back, for all that it isn't worth." She sounded dead serious, far more serious than even when she talked about her dreams or her parents. This was life or death, times two.
The Delilas girl seemed to be frozen, not poised to strike again. Noa tested her courage, her speed, and her foolish curiosity by approaching her with a hand extended. "... Lu?" And when there was no violent lash outwards, she continued to walk closer, closer ... and closer still...
A slow, hard blink. "Noa." A single tear slipped from her eye as she opened both again, her gaze directed to the ground. Realization, shame, regret. Her right arm raised up slowly -- weakly -- reaching across a distance so small but so wide. "H-hurry ... help me before she comes back to me again..."
Not knowing much of clever things to do, she prayed that life lessons were true and that she could prevent her own murder. That extended hand reached out to secure a bond that was on the verge of breaking forever, gently leading Lu closer. One thing forgot to lead to another, but that was how her mind was working now. As soon as she was sure she could feel their hearts quivering together, could feel the shudders from her sobs, she caged the beast and let something else loose by meshing her lips with the other's, and...
A blinding light tore through the cavern as Che lifted his enormous hammer off of Gala's chest cavity and swung it back over his shoulder. "Weakling," he chuckled, watching the fallen warrior writhe in an attempt to get back onto his feet. He managed to get himself to one knee and raise his right arm in the air. One shot at keeping himself alive, he couldn't blow it and be pounded into the ground just one more time.
Just one more chance... "Ozma, please help," he whispered hoarsely. The Ra-Seru glowed a magnificent blue, that glow streaming through the air in the blink of an eye. It came to the ground in the form of crackling energy, from which a levitating Spoons creature materialized. Its healing power was generally used to heal all three heroes, but he needed its strength all for himself right now.
The creature crouched, metal grinding against metal as it did so, and beams of holy light blasted from the several eyes around its body. The beams ascended into the air, merged close to the ceiling, and promptly came crashing down upon him. As it faded into nothingness, he regained the strength to get to his feet and firmly look Che in the eye. He drew his right fist back, and he nearly choked on his anger as he tried to speak.
"Stay with me." It was quiet, like the world might shatter on top of them if someone spoke too loudly. Apparently the strength of Noa's love had dominated Zora's hatred and brought Lu back to normal. The normal that -she- wanted, and wished could be by her side forever and ever.
* * * *
And somewhere off in the sky above it all, spewing Mist until it was all pushed away by the valiant efforts of the Ra-Seru heroes, the same wish was made. Except by Gi, who had taken Vahn to the safe hazard of his chamber in the Floating Castle. He had coaxed Meta to heal him, and to trust him now. Vahn lay in the same cocoon that Gi favored, which was surprisingly warm. The betraying servant kneeled at his side, keeping him company. But the way it was now, it looked more like he was the psychiatrist and Vahn was his patient.
"I saw you talking to your sister about me." Gi blinked hard, and his hand froze where neck met shoulder. Something about that spot that was always completely random. Vahn forced out a smile, and closed his eyes. "You can blame Tieg for that. He showed me how serious this situation really is, but it didn't make me regret a thing."
Damn it all, he'd been trying to forget everything about that, and now it was returning. But Gi being himself, he didn't show it and slid his hand down from its position, over the dangerous Ra-Seru, and to his hand. "I've made up my mind. I can't go on like this much longer, and I really don't feel like dying." Almost as if they read each other's minds, they grabbed each other's hands and wound up in some contorted but strong lock.
When he rose to his feet, Vahn opened his eyes to look up at him. "... So I'm going to teach Zora not to screw around with our heads," he concluded. Vahn shot up straight, but a horrible pain in his torso forced him back down almost as quickly. He bit his lip to hold in a loud scream, and closed his eyes to prevent it from coming out in the form of tears. The hero always had to be invincible and hide everything that hurt.
This only angered Gi more, as he was furious with himself for letting himself be manipulated into nearly killing him -- and even more furious with Zora for being behind it. But no more, and he would release his siblings from her grip as well. Screw the kingdom of the Mist, screw everything that done to help her. But that decision didn't bring back all of the people they killed, the locations they destroyed.
Surely she would be somewhere in this vast castle now, and it would be easy to find her. "You stay here and rest," he whispered, slowly bending down and testing for a reaction by gently brushing Vahn's lips with his own. And when he kissed back, he refrained from breaking it with a smile and applied pressure for one split second.
And as Vahn opened his eyes, a loving warmth seeped through his body and Gi was gone. Only the serene Mist of his chamber surrounded him, which failed to fill him with cold. He turned on his side to face the dark, open doorway, and placed his free hand over his Ra-Seru. "At least this Mist feels like salvation," he said to himself.
Some distance away, Gi had materialized in front of Zora's throne. Empty, of course. Maybe she figured that he was coming after her and that it was wise to hide. "You can run and break a heel, but you can never hide," he laughed darkly. The more he walked, the more he sensed that he could feel her. Negative emotions basically oozed from that woman.
Just when he thought that his search wasn't getting anywhere, he was drawn to the door where the attached balcony was. Hoping that his senses were still as reliable as he thought they were, he took off towards the door.
The darkness of the castle turned into blinding daylight, not helped by the facts that they were so high above the ground and he hadn't been outside in hours. He slammed his eyes shut and raised an arm in front of them, waiting until his eyes stopped burning and adjusting.
His sense of hearing sped its progress along, as that all-too-familiar laugh invaded the silence around him. "Killed them so soon?" she asked sarcastically. "Strange, I didn't hear the explosion." One of her arms raised up from her side and along her neck, cupping the right side of her face in amusement. A gesture he knew too well.
Immediately he shook with rage, and lowered his arm to his side. His fingers wrapped tight around the hilt of his dagger, and his eyes shot open. He stared her right in the face, and he could see right through that smirk of hers -- right down to the fear. And she knew it.
"Cut the crap, Zora," he spat at her. It was a change from putting her proper title before her name, which she obviously caught onto. She swiped a hand aside in anger, leaning forwards. "Excuse me?!" she screeched.
Her smirk disappeared, and now he bore it. "I told you to cut the crap. Remember that little joke you made about finding someone to share my life with? Well, I've found them. Or should I say him?" He saw the way she froze in shock, and pulled his weapon from its holder. "And you tried to tear him away from me. Just as I feel like tearing you limb from limb right now."
She began to stutter in protest, as she knew how very strong he was, and even more so when he was angered. A glaring light bounced off his dagger, and it wasn't just the rays of the sun. Right now, the way he felt could make the sun run cold and suck the light from every star.
Faster and more fatal than she could ever see or believe, all that remained of Gi was his shadow as he dashed forward. "BURNING SLASH!" he screamed, and two screams joined when the blade burst into flames the second before it was swiped horizontally across her lower torso.
His scream of fury died down first, and he resumed a rediculous composure. She clamped her arm over the long wound, which bled far too quickly to be immediately controlled. And she was staggering backwards in long steps, heading for the small edge... "Y-you...! I will make you pay for betraying me and see to it that your bodily materials are used for fertilizer!!" she screamed.
Even so injured, she wasn't -that- weak. Not even by one single blow. Her available arm lifted up and shook violently in the air, palm pointed to the sky ... and were he not defending everything he lived for, he would have turned and ran. "Dark Typhoon!" she called.
A sliver of heaven was corrupted and rejected from the sky, falling into her capable grasp. Her palm lowered down to be level with his face, and a cirrus of oblivion lashed straight out at him. Without a sound he was struck in the throat and upper chest cavity, pain quickly leaking to every other part of his body. Just as it finished invading him like poisonous lymph, the back of his head smashed through the top of the open doorway and continued his descent back inside of the castle.
Vahn was obviously not deaf -- he'd heard the screams and the crashes. Not only did it disturb his rest, but it worried him as well. He slowly sat upright and moved to the edge of the cocoon, blinking his eyes hard to adjust to the odd colors. *Are you sure you can make it out there, and be ready if something bad is happening?*
Stupid Meta. Always worrying at the wrong time, always giving him a larger headache. It was his body, his pain, so obviously he would know what he was able to do! "I'm sure," the back of his mind grumbled.
As he stumbled around in infinite nothingness, not knowing his way around at all, he tripped over a stair but caught himself hanging on an armrest of Zora's throne. Meta began to glow a bit, shedding a hazy red light on the area around him which made for better traveling. But he couldn't see where he remembered the doorway being, as it was nothing but darkness...
A slow but high laugh came out of nowhere. Every muscle in his body twitched.
He touched the teal gem of his Ra-Seru, which flooded a whole lot more with a much brighter light. Violet, red, and ... pure black. It was Zora, but no Gi as far as he saw.
Even with the sudden flare, she was too raveled in the conflict to notice that Vahn was there. She was speaking to the ground. "Never betray your master," she said, with a need for energy expressed in her tone, raising the same arm up (the other was still clamped about the wound). Air and time warped, and a shadow rose from the floor.
Not something she conjured, but ... a shadowed figure. And from the pained and struggling growl that was emitted with a string of deft dagger strikes, he nearly died when he placed that voice on Gi.
"Never toy with your followers!" he half-yelled, also sounding quite exhausted. Fire and darkness collided, and tore through each other with a flash that expanded throughout the main chamber like that of an explosion. Vahn's light was cancelled out, and he turned his head away from it.
Silence fluttered down to earth like the last feather of a fallen angel.
Her body was seen flipping over the ledge of the balcony, tumbling down to earth. Gi was encased in a large, semi-transparent sphere of dark matter, looking like he was sleeping soundly.
Time defied everything as Vahn raced from his position to where the sphere was, not enabling him to get there in time. The demon turned angel was on his way to the true darkness, the darkness before the light.
"I hate you!"
Noa instinctively rolled to one side, some sparks flying as Lu's blow missed her target and hit the floor instead. Said 'target' tumbled away and managed to get to her feet, getting tired and upset from dodging like this. Even if Lu had hit her, nothing could compare to the pain when she said that. The polar opposite of what she wanted to hear.
So painful, that ... even thinking about it now brought a sharp pang to her chest, to her heart. The corner of her heart that didn't pump blood, but rather pumped emotions to her mind. As the hell-bent aggressor turned to strike again, she slammed her eyes shut and let herself fall to her knees. She was aware that tears were streaming down her face like no tomorrow, and she was crying as loud as she could. And for Noa, that was pretty loud.
She just waited for the thundering footsteps to come near her, and for a red flash to take over everything, and for her soul to just take wing and drift away to the Valley of Noaru.
But it didn't happen.
The air around her was completely still, no motion from her or Lu whatsoever. Were it just a trick, she didn't want to take a chance and look. "... You're crying," Lu said softly, as if she were mystified. Noa quieted down and ran the back of her hand across her face, harshly wiping away the tears. One digit after another, one person after another, Zora's grip on her three minions was slipping.
But until the last digit slid away, an iota of hatred still remained. And that one little bit counted for everything.
Lu seemed stuck in a web of Zora's hatred, her own emotions, and a thick confusion. She couldn't make a movement, because along would come a spider and devour everything she had worked to make and destroy thus far. The confusion shone through in her voice, and in her eyes. "You ... still won't kill me, even if I try so hard to kill you?"
Noa opened her eyes, and let her vision clear. It had been too long since she had cried so hard and the truth and the world had been so distorted. She suddenly put her faith into her reaction time, just in case this was one big bold-faced lie and trick.
Couldn't torture herself enough to avoid Lu like this... "I still won't," she replied softly. Brushing off her knees, she got to her feet slowly and made sure to keep low and ready just in case anything was to happen. "I won't even attack you back, for all that it isn't worth." She sounded dead serious, far more serious than even when she talked about her dreams or her parents. This was life or death, times two.
The Delilas girl seemed to be frozen, not poised to strike again. Noa tested her courage, her speed, and her foolish curiosity by approaching her with a hand extended. "... Lu?" And when there was no violent lash outwards, she continued to walk closer, closer ... and closer still...
A slow, hard blink. "Noa." A single tear slipped from her eye as she opened both again, her gaze directed to the ground. Realization, shame, regret. Her right arm raised up slowly -- weakly -- reaching across a distance so small but so wide. "H-hurry ... help me before she comes back to me again..."
Not knowing much of clever things to do, she prayed that life lessons were true and that she could prevent her own murder. That extended hand reached out to secure a bond that was on the verge of breaking forever, gently leading Lu closer. One thing forgot to lead to another, but that was how her mind was working now. As soon as she was sure she could feel their hearts quivering together, could feel the shudders from her sobs, she caged the beast and let something else loose by meshing her lips with the other's, and...
A blinding light tore through the cavern as Che lifted his enormous hammer off of Gala's chest cavity and swung it back over his shoulder. "Weakling," he chuckled, watching the fallen warrior writhe in an attempt to get back onto his feet. He managed to get himself to one knee and raise his right arm in the air. One shot at keeping himself alive, he couldn't blow it and be pounded into the ground just one more time.
Just one more chance... "Ozma, please help," he whispered hoarsely. The Ra-Seru glowed a magnificent blue, that glow streaming through the air in the blink of an eye. It came to the ground in the form of crackling energy, from which a levitating Spoons creature materialized. Its healing power was generally used to heal all three heroes, but he needed its strength all for himself right now.
The creature crouched, metal grinding against metal as it did so, and beams of holy light blasted from the several eyes around its body. The beams ascended into the air, merged close to the ceiling, and promptly came crashing down upon him. As it faded into nothingness, he regained the strength to get to his feet and firmly look Che in the eye. He drew his right fist back, and he nearly choked on his anger as he tried to speak.
"Stay with me." It was quiet, like the world might shatter on top of them if someone spoke too loudly. Apparently the strength of Noa's love had dominated Zora's hatred and brought Lu back to normal. The normal that -she- wanted, and wished could be by her side forever and ever.
* * * *
And somewhere off in the sky above it all, spewing Mist until it was all pushed away by the valiant efforts of the Ra-Seru heroes, the same wish was made. Except by Gi, who had taken Vahn to the safe hazard of his chamber in the Floating Castle. He had coaxed Meta to heal him, and to trust him now. Vahn lay in the same cocoon that Gi favored, which was surprisingly warm. The betraying servant kneeled at his side, keeping him company. But the way it was now, it looked more like he was the psychiatrist and Vahn was his patient.
"I saw you talking to your sister about me." Gi blinked hard, and his hand froze where neck met shoulder. Something about that spot that was always completely random. Vahn forced out a smile, and closed his eyes. "You can blame Tieg for that. He showed me how serious this situation really is, but it didn't make me regret a thing."
Damn it all, he'd been trying to forget everything about that, and now it was returning. But Gi being himself, he didn't show it and slid his hand down from its position, over the dangerous Ra-Seru, and to his hand. "I've made up my mind. I can't go on like this much longer, and I really don't feel like dying." Almost as if they read each other's minds, they grabbed each other's hands and wound up in some contorted but strong lock.
When he rose to his feet, Vahn opened his eyes to look up at him. "... So I'm going to teach Zora not to screw around with our heads," he concluded. Vahn shot up straight, but a horrible pain in his torso forced him back down almost as quickly. He bit his lip to hold in a loud scream, and closed his eyes to prevent it from coming out in the form of tears. The hero always had to be invincible and hide everything that hurt.
This only angered Gi more, as he was furious with himself for letting himself be manipulated into nearly killing him -- and even more furious with Zora for being behind it. But no more, and he would release his siblings from her grip as well. Screw the kingdom of the Mist, screw everything that done to help her. But that decision didn't bring back all of the people they killed, the locations they destroyed.
Surely she would be somewhere in this vast castle now, and it would be easy to find her. "You stay here and rest," he whispered, slowly bending down and testing for a reaction by gently brushing Vahn's lips with his own. And when he kissed back, he refrained from breaking it with a smile and applied pressure for one split second.
And as Vahn opened his eyes, a loving warmth seeped through his body and Gi was gone. Only the serene Mist of his chamber surrounded him, which failed to fill him with cold. He turned on his side to face the dark, open doorway, and placed his free hand over his Ra-Seru. "At least this Mist feels like salvation," he said to himself.
Some distance away, Gi had materialized in front of Zora's throne. Empty, of course. Maybe she figured that he was coming after her and that it was wise to hide. "You can run and break a heel, but you can never hide," he laughed darkly. The more he walked, the more he sensed that he could feel her. Negative emotions basically oozed from that woman.
Just when he thought that his search wasn't getting anywhere, he was drawn to the door where the attached balcony was. Hoping that his senses were still as reliable as he thought they were, he took off towards the door.
The darkness of the castle turned into blinding daylight, not helped by the facts that they were so high above the ground and he hadn't been outside in hours. He slammed his eyes shut and raised an arm in front of them, waiting until his eyes stopped burning and adjusting.
His sense of hearing sped its progress along, as that all-too-familiar laugh invaded the silence around him. "Killed them so soon?" she asked sarcastically. "Strange, I didn't hear the explosion." One of her arms raised up from her side and along her neck, cupping the right side of her face in amusement. A gesture he knew too well.
Immediately he shook with rage, and lowered his arm to his side. His fingers wrapped tight around the hilt of his dagger, and his eyes shot open. He stared her right in the face, and he could see right through that smirk of hers -- right down to the fear. And she knew it.
"Cut the crap, Zora," he spat at her. It was a change from putting her proper title before her name, which she obviously caught onto. She swiped a hand aside in anger, leaning forwards. "Excuse me?!" she screeched.
Her smirk disappeared, and now he bore it. "I told you to cut the crap. Remember that little joke you made about finding someone to share my life with? Well, I've found them. Or should I say him?" He saw the way she froze in shock, and pulled his weapon from its holder. "And you tried to tear him away from me. Just as I feel like tearing you limb from limb right now."
She began to stutter in protest, as she knew how very strong he was, and even more so when he was angered. A glaring light bounced off his dagger, and it wasn't just the rays of the sun. Right now, the way he felt could make the sun run cold and suck the light from every star.
Faster and more fatal than she could ever see or believe, all that remained of Gi was his shadow as he dashed forward. "BURNING SLASH!" he screamed, and two screams joined when the blade burst into flames the second before it was swiped horizontally across her lower torso.
His scream of fury died down first, and he resumed a rediculous composure. She clamped her arm over the long wound, which bled far too quickly to be immediately controlled. And she was staggering backwards in long steps, heading for the small edge... "Y-you...! I will make you pay for betraying me and see to it that your bodily materials are used for fertilizer!!" she screamed.
Even so injured, she wasn't -that- weak. Not even by one single blow. Her available arm lifted up and shook violently in the air, palm pointed to the sky ... and were he not defending everything he lived for, he would have turned and ran. "Dark Typhoon!" she called.
A sliver of heaven was corrupted and rejected from the sky, falling into her capable grasp. Her palm lowered down to be level with his face, and a cirrus of oblivion lashed straight out at him. Without a sound he was struck in the throat and upper chest cavity, pain quickly leaking to every other part of his body. Just as it finished invading him like poisonous lymph, the back of his head smashed through the top of the open doorway and continued his descent back inside of the castle.
Vahn was obviously not deaf -- he'd heard the screams and the crashes. Not only did it disturb his rest, but it worried him as well. He slowly sat upright and moved to the edge of the cocoon, blinking his eyes hard to adjust to the odd colors. *Are you sure you can make it out there, and be ready if something bad is happening?*
Stupid Meta. Always worrying at the wrong time, always giving him a larger headache. It was his body, his pain, so obviously he would know what he was able to do! "I'm sure," the back of his mind grumbled.
As he stumbled around in infinite nothingness, not knowing his way around at all, he tripped over a stair but caught himself hanging on an armrest of Zora's throne. Meta began to glow a bit, shedding a hazy red light on the area around him which made for better traveling. But he couldn't see where he remembered the doorway being, as it was nothing but darkness...
A slow but high laugh came out of nowhere. Every muscle in his body twitched.
He touched the teal gem of his Ra-Seru, which flooded a whole lot more with a much brighter light. Violet, red, and ... pure black. It was Zora, but no Gi as far as he saw.
Even with the sudden flare, she was too raveled in the conflict to notice that Vahn was there. She was speaking to the ground. "Never betray your master," she said, with a need for energy expressed in her tone, raising the same arm up (the other was still clamped about the wound). Air and time warped, and a shadow rose from the floor.
Not something she conjured, but ... a shadowed figure. And from the pained and struggling growl that was emitted with a string of deft dagger strikes, he nearly died when he placed that voice on Gi.
"Never toy with your followers!" he half-yelled, also sounding quite exhausted. Fire and darkness collided, and tore through each other with a flash that expanded throughout the main chamber like that of an explosion. Vahn's light was cancelled out, and he turned his head away from it.
Silence fluttered down to earth like the last feather of a fallen angel.
Her body was seen flipping over the ledge of the balcony, tumbling down to earth. Gi was encased in a large, semi-transparent sphere of dark matter, looking like he was sleeping soundly.
Time defied everything as Vahn raced from his position to where the sphere was, not enabling him to get there in time. The demon turned angel was on his way to the true darkness, the darkness before the light.
