Chapter Ten – Sacrifice

Bloom started. Her head snapped to Phoenix, who was at her side. She looked at Chaos, who was in front of them, and she started again. It was as if she was looking at twins, the only difference being that Phoenix had bright green hair and eyes and Chaos' were pitch-black.

She opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it again. She was so utterly shocked that she repeated this several times. "Now isn't the time, Bloom! There is something that binds all of us, but you'll have to find that out later. Right now, focus!"

Bloom reprimanded herself and focused, as Phoenix told her. She knew what was at stake here: the faith of every single person in the entire universe. Chaos sought revenge, and he wouldn't stop until he had erased all traces of the Light that had held him captive for so long.

The black fog that Chaos had given the form of a demon grew even denser and darker as the Origin of Evil's eyes started glowing. "So, after so much time, I finally get my revenge. Only one of us shall leave this place after tonight, and it shall be me!"

Two orbs of dark energy shot from the hands of the demon-shaped fog, but the dragon-shaped flames around Bloom shot a fireball from its mouth while the bird of fire around Phoenix put its wings in front of the green-haired young man.

Both orbs of dark energy were cancelled out, and Chaos laughed. "Nice, very nice. I'm glad you two will put up a good fight. It will make destroying both of you so much more fun."

Chaos shot towards Bloom at a speed that gave the fairy little time to react. But just before he reached her the bird of fire that had protected Phoenix from Chaos' previous attack flew into him.

Chaos was thrown several meters sideways and the demon-shaped fog around him disappeared, just like the bird of fire. Bloom looked at Phoenix to say thank you when the green-haired young man shot past her, his eyes emitting yellow light.

He put both hands together and ignited a giant fireball, which he threw at Chaos. The dark-haired young man was hit and was thrown backwards a few meters. Phoenix didn't relent and send another bird of fire which put its wings around Chaos.

But suddenly Chaos' dense, pitch-black fog put out the bird's flames and he looked at Phoenix with glowing red eyes. "You! You're such an annoying pest! Every time I go after the Dragon, you're there. I'm sick of you!"

Chaos shot an orb of dark energy at Phoenix, and the green-haired boy was hit before he could react. As he was thrown backwards by the impact, Chaos shot forward.

Bloom reacted quickly however and sent her dragon of fire at the dark-haired boy. But Chaos dodged the dragon and shot towards Bloom. But just before he could reach her, Phoenix intervened once again.

The green-haired boy took a stand between Bloom and Chaos and hit the dark-haired boy with a fireball. Chaos was thrown back once again, and Phoenix shot towards him. "Emanations of Fire," Phoenix screamed and dozens of tiny birds of fire ignited around him. With a flick of his wrist, he sent them towards Chaos.

Chaos shot dozens of orbs of dark energy at the birds of fire, and all the attacks cancelled each other out. Phoenix was just about to fly right into Chaos when the dark-haired young man disappeared.

Phoenix turned around, wondering were Chaos had gone, when he was hit once again with an orb of dark energy. But Bloom hadn't sat still the entire time. She had summoned a new dragon around herself and had ignited a fireball in her hands.

When Chaos turned around to come after her, she merged the dragon with her fireball and fired it at the dark-haired young man. Chaos couldn't dodge it and was thrown backwards again.

Bloom flew towards Phoenix. "Are you alright?" Phoenix nodded and looked around to see where Chaos was. "I'm afraid it is exactly like the first time the Dragon and I stood against Chaos. We cannot destroy him, no matter how much we try."

Chaos split himself in two and shot towards Bloom and Phoenix. The two angels of Light joined powers to raise a barrier, one of the techniques they had learnt from Griffin and Faragonda, and Chaos bounced right off of it.

"There is only one thing to be done. We must captivate him again, until a power arises capable of destroying him," Phoenix said. Bloom knew Phoenix was right, but an ominous feeling in her stomach told her she wasn't going to like what was about to happen next.

Chaos' two clones joined back and the dark-haired young man flew to the middle of the Lake, where a giant rock stood. "Go to Thereia, Bloom. There you'll find something you have been searching for," Phoenix said before dropping the barrier and speeding towards Chaos.

Flora felt it, in the pit of her stomach. Something terrible was about to happen to Phoenix. The voice inside her head that had been telling her she was supposed to be at his side, helping him fight this battle, grew stronger and stronger until she could do nothing else but listen to it.

She did a 180 and sped towards Roccalucci Lake, ignoring the warnings of her friends and somehow flying right through the barrier Griffin and Faragonda erected to stop her.

Her love and despair made her faster than she had ever imagined possible, and she reached the Lake in an instant. Immediately, her eyes were drawn to Phoenix and Chaos, both standing on a rock in the middle of the Lake.

Phoenix saw her in the corner of his eye, and turned his head towards her. In his eyes, she saw how much he detested what he was about to do. But she also saw that it was the only option left. And briefly, she could see love in his eyes before he turned to Chaos and grabbed the dark-haired boy.

The rock they were standing on started glowing, and Phoenix started emitting yellow light. Suddenly, a huge bird of fire surrounded both boys before they sank into the rock and disappeared.

The entire Lake started glowing, and suddenly a huge winged demon made of pitch-black fog started coming out of the water. But it screamed and sank back again, and the water stopped glowing.

Flora looked around, knowing that Phoenix wouldn't return to her anymore but still with hope in her heart. And suddenly a familiar hand came out of the water and grabbed some grass on the shore for leverage.

Flora sped towards the hand, suddenly slower than she had ever been, and she watched as wet green hair followed the hand. She landed and pulled the boy onto dry land, looking into his bright green eyes as he looked into hers.

In her heart, she already knew. But she had to ask, she had to be sure. "Faunus?" The boy nodded before he passed out, just when the headmasters and Flora's friends arrived.

Epilogue to follow...

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