Wrath of a Goddess
Story by Mikaa
Characters by Camelot and Nintendo

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or world presented in this story (the rightful owners are Nintendo and Camelot).

Warning: This story is rated T for Teen, primarily for violence and descriptive gore, with mild language thrown in. You have been warned.

Chapter 17 - The Kid's Dead, Kid

Swinging the sword he had made not seconds ago, Alex barely sent "Mia" flying off a short ways. He was vaguely aware of saving Isaac/Mia's life, focused mainly on the fact that the sword in her hand did not belong, and that he had "died" seconds before. "Died" was a cute way to phrase it, more like frozen. First he felt the sharp pain, the blood on the outside of his flesh from the wound, and then he felt nothing. Then, by some force he did not fathom, he was vaguely aware of rain on his face, and the sound of swords clanging.

Returning his attention to the form in front of him, Alex again slashed, grunted at being blocked, then lashed again. The smile on the face, that otherwise beautiful face, was disturbing, "Shall I give you despair?"

Frowning, Alex continued his attack, lightning illuminating the hard lines that was his face. What did this thing mean?

He soon found out, as a third blade joined in the fighting, against him. The form that once had been Mia backed off, knowing full well that the new attacker was keeping Alex quite busy. Alex's rage at the emotionless shell of a woman was replaced by fear, as his new attacker was Felix.

Trying to back off, Alex managed to deflect Felix's attacks with ease, but a weary puzzlement crept over him. Why was Felix attacking him, after trying so much to defend him? Was this the Wise One?

Then he noticed the eyes. The damned, emotionless eyes. The eyes he saw reflected off of Isaac's blade during their fight the night before. Ones that matched his own when the damned thing controlled him.

Blocking a high slash, Alex jumped back a bit, hoping to put a small distance between the two combatants. His efforts were stalled when a sharp force gripped his throat, attempting to choke him. Glaring at Felix, Alex raised an arm, aiming it at Felix. His mind as calm as a spring breeze in Imil, frost began to form on Felix's clothes and skin, despite the still-falling rain. Abruptly, Alex was dropped as the thing controlling Felix released the grip, and Alex quickly tried to think of a plan. Never once did he notice that the attack on him did not stall his breathing...

"Felix," he shouted, deciding that trying to get to the trapped mind would be better than trying to kill him outright (or being killed himself, if that was now possible). Felix still came at him, blade swinging. "FELIX!" Alex's shout was greeted with another attack, one with which Alex countered, sending Felix falling.

"Felix, I know you can hear me. You have to fight this thing!" Alex's efforts were met with Felix throwing a wave of mud at him, mud that was as hot as searing coals in a fire. Distracted just long enough, Alex nearly had another blade stuffed into him. Thankfully, his ability to teleport saved him, and allowed him to send Felix falling forward after being hit in the back.

"Felix, for the love of Elements, think of Sheba! You don't want me to tell her that I killed you!"

Felix rose, facing him. Through the sounds of rain anad distant combat, a soft voice was heard:

"Kill me."

It was Felix's voice.

Stunned beyond words, Alex did not resist as the thing controlling Felix lunged forward, gripping his throat, squeezing it hard. For at that instant, the moment they touched, Alex saw into the mind of Felix, saw into the mind of the thing controlling him. And knew what Felix had known, what the thing wanted to do.

The thing was trying to increase its power, by gaining another vessel, hopefully by (somehow) lodging Felix's mind elsewhere as it had done with Mia. Worse yet, Felix was aware of this, and as such wanted Alex to kill him to stop it.

But the thing that most shocked Alex, the one thing that stood out amongst the wave of truth, was that this whole thing was his fault. The thing that took over Mia, the death of so many, Mia's entrapment in Isaac, it was all because he was atop Mt. Aleph when the Lighthouse beams hit. His presence there had awakened the thing, had unknowingly unleashed it upon the world.

And now he was to kill a man conrolled by the thing he had unleased, a man whom Alex considered honorable and a friend.

As the grip on his throat tightened, Alex began to cry at the pain in Felix's voice:

"Kill me... For Sheba..."

Swallowing with his aching throat (and not from the pressure of Felix's hands), Alex thrust his blade into Felix, so lost in his pain that he did not hear the screeching in the distance. Withdrawing the blade, the creature still forced Felix to attack him. With a final thrust, Felix fell to the ground.

Dropping to the ground next to him, Alex cradled Felix's head on his shoulders. There was no way he could heal those wounds, not unless he was able to figure how he saved himself. Tears in their eyes, Alex wanted to die when he heard the last words from Felix's mouth:

"For... Sheba..."

And all hell broke loose.

End of Chapter