Chapter 6- Burning Desire
Setsuna and William collide with Gale and Gaia, Gale brings her bladed bow against Setsuna's dual swords as Gaia goes hand to hand against William's weapons. All four combatants exchange blows in mid air, flying around wildly to get the upper hand over their opponent.
Below them, several big chunks of earth broke out from the ground and flew up to where they were fighting. The red boy cuts through them easily but the big man was hiding behind one of them and surprised attacked with a punch to the face. While the prince was recoiling, Gaia went in for a follow up attack.
Setsuna used both her weapons to stop his attack and pin kicked at his face. Gale flew to her father's side and fired a huge volley of arrows. Setsuna deflected a good deal of them before Red creates a wall of fire in front of her. The wall stayed between both groups until a house sized clunk of ground passed through. Setsuna charged her lightning sword as William ignited.
The prince swung downwards as his partner slashed sideways with all their power. The earth was cut up into four as Setsuna and William charged through the debris. Gaia and Gale were waiting for them however, a whirlwind trapped Setsuna and she brings up her weapons to shield herself. Distracted, the former prince was hit hard a fist in the chest.
Gale's bow connected with Setsuna's blades as he charged through her own wind. Recovering quickly, Setsuna pushed to the offensive, utilizing various quick and flowing combos with both her weapons. The archer was able to meet the attack blow for blow, easily guarding and countering every swing the came her way.
Eventually, their blades hit a checkmate as they went face to face.
"Why?" Gale asked her. "Why would he come for you?"
"I don't know," Setsuna replied. "I thought no one from our tribe would bother to see me again, because of my wings."
They started to push harder against each other, sparks flying from the clashing wind and lightning.
"I do know this," Setsuna continued, her eyes becoming sharper and more focused. "He has done so much for me, I have never been able to pay him back. This may or may not be my only chance to do so. I have to show him how grateful I am, I will… be forever in his debt… That's why, that's why I must show him my thanks."
Setsuna's whole body charged up with electricity, Gale eye's widened. A blast of blast of lightning pushes the archer away. Gale recovers to see that Setsuna's whole body was being surrounded by dancing white sparks, her wings were glowing brightly like a white sun.
"Impossible…" Gale muttered out.
Setsuna charged in at intense speed, Gale turns around to keep the swordsman's weapons away. But the force of the attack sends out another electric blast and blows her back again. Setsuna follows straight forward and continues attacking. Gale retreats as she blocks and deflects Setsuna's swings, each time a small spark flashes when the two weapons clashed.
Gaia and Red were exchanging attacks, neither of them were able to hit the other. The armor around Gaia's arms and legs were strong enough to withstand the constant pounding by a fiery sword and sheath. The prince was able to get in a strong kick to separate them.
"You've gotten stronger traitor," Gaia was impressed.
"I'm still not part of the clan am I?" the prince was getting annoyed. "Even as a traitor, you still can't say my name?"
"It is a tribal law that has been around since the very beginning of out history, there are no exceptions."
"Well then, guess I have to make it through this so that my real name will be known," William smiled as he and Gaia get into position.
As they charged towards each other, Gale was knocked back between them. Both men stopped and took a look at Setsuna, surprised to see her wings glowing and the lightning surrounding her. Setsuna charges with her lightning once more Gaia moves between the two girls and stops Setsuna's attack with surprising endurance and power. Setsuna had to back off from a counterattack and floated in front of the big man.
"It can't be…" Gaia stated. "Her wings have ascended, without any help from anyone."
"Ascended?" Setsuna was confused. "What are you talking about?"
"It's where you call forth all of your wings' power," William answered as he glided over to her. "Only those with special wings can have it. Normally, it takes intense training to even just begin the Ascension but you've almost fully ascended, without even knowing what it was."
"Father…" Gale muttered out of her breath.
"Gale, now is the time."
A great wind begins to surround Gale, the wind blows all around them and seems to get stronger. The swirling air tightens around the archer, her wings are now glowing as well as the constricted wind that surrounds her. Strangely, the winds takes the shape of a cheetah. Several clods of dirt and ground circle around Gaia, his wings became a darker brown color, almost looking like they hardened to become like the ground itself. The wings separate from the body as a big platform floated underneath him. The wings turned into dust, which began to form into what looks like a rhino around Gaia.
Setsuna braced herself for an attack by the two. William places a hand on her shoulder he turns to look at him, he shakes his head at her, puzzling her.
"You're inexperienced," he told her. "You'll die."
"But nii-sama-"
The prince floats over ahead of her to face Gale and Gaia, "I've been traveling the human realm for some time now. I always seem to get into fights, yet I always win, it's because I couldn't lose. Do you want to know why?" He turns his face over to Setsuna. "It's because I made a vow, to find you again…"
"Nii-sama…"
"If you still have something you want to return to me, don't. You've done enough, you've lived your life protecting others, making great friends and being a great friend back to them. It's me that has to thank you," he turned back with a smile. "You're the very first one… that saw me as I am and not as a prince…"
William called forth fire around him, it swirls around and around in the form of two snake-like dragons. Behind him a larger winged dragon emerged from the flames. His wings seemed to be fire itself as they flapped in the wind. The prince flies forward to meet with Gale and Gaia, who comply. Gaia sends his earth forward, the prince counters by send the two dragons to deal with them. Red came down on Gaia with his sword, with was blocked by a shield of earth.
Gaia goes in for a punch as his rhino dust seems to charge. Will was hit by both of them and sent faltering back. Gale flies in at amazing speed, dropping little green orbs where ever she goes. The cheetah wind swings its claw as Gale attacks up close with her bow, the prince blocks it with his sword and points with his sheath. The dragon behind him breathes out a huge burst of flame as Gale quickly retreats out of the way.
Setsuna watches as the prince continues to fight on against the two foes. Looking down, she sees 16 Kaede's jumping about attacking many soldiers, several shadow dogs and Kotaro taking out some more birdmen, Asuna utilizing what she learned to the best of her ability, Negi mixing his physical and magical combat, Ku Fei surprising her enemies with her strength, Mana firing off her dual handguns with amazing accuracy and Chachamaru using both her arsenal and her physical attacks.
"Come on Setsuna, did you really think we'd let you do this alone?"
"You have some really good friends here Set-chan, those wings aren't unlucky after all."
"You're the very first one… that saw me as I am and not as a prince…"
(Nii-sama… When Konoka oujo-sama and I became friends, all I wanted was to protect her like you did me. But in the end, there were times when I was the one that needed to be protected. Even now, I am still…) Setsuna tightened her grip on her sword, lightning cackles around her, getting stronger and louder. (No more… I will be the one to protect this time. I will…)
Setsuna's lightning began to take form, a dove. The swordsman flies fast towards where the other three are fighting. She knocks away Gaia's fist just before it could hit William. Gaia seemed to have expected it. Gale occupies William as Gaia and Setsuna battle. Her sword swings rapidly and quickly, utilizing all of her skills.
But Gaia is easily putting all her efforts to waste. He was moving around, dodging, blocking, deflecting, as if he knew where the next attack will go and how to deal with it. His earth gathered around his fist and hit Setsuna hard at her chest, she was sent flying back. She recovered, holding where she was hit and coughing hard.
Will gets worried about her, "Setsuna!"
"Hyah!" Gale forces him to keep his focus on their fight. He can't fight off Gale and shield Setsuna at the same time.
"Shinmei Ryu is it?" Gaia spoke to her, surprising the girl that he knew her style. "I was friends with a Shinmei Ryu swordsman, that is how I know. You can't defeat me with that, I know how to move around it and how to defeat it. Also, while he is concerned for you, my daughter is more then a match for the prince."
(No…no… it's not supposed to be like this!) Setsuna straightens herself up her eyes closed. With one hand she pulls off her tie and lets it ride the wind. "I won't be the protected any more, I will be his protector now..." Open her eyes again, she puts her blades in front of her. Gaia decides not to let her have a chance to attack.
"Shinmei Ryu," Sestuna's blade is immediately covered in electricity, seeming to become lightning itself. "Forbidden Secret Art of Lightning…" Setsuna herself became as white as the clouds, the white dove behind her flapped its wings. She flew at lightning speed past Gaia. When she did, her swords were spread out. "1000 Flashes!"
Suddenly, Gaia was hit by lightning at one thousand different places. Destroying his armor, turning it to dust. He himself was overpowered by the attack and falls.
"Father!" Gale takes her attention away from Will and dives down to her falling father.
The prince just floated and stared as Gale caught her father and cushioned their landing on the stage. He glided over to Setsuna and puts his hands on her shoulders, he smiles happily, "You really have gotten stronger Setsuna."
She seems very happy just to hear that, she gives him a happy smile then embraces the prince. He was taken aback by this, until he returns her feelings.
"I finally… after all these years…" tears flowed from her eyes and down her cheek to his shoulder.
"I said don't worry about it. We should get down there too."
Setsuna sucked her tears and let go nodding before they both went down on the ground, closing their wings. Negi and everyone else were tired from the fighting, but the few remaining soldiers gathered around Gale and Gaia, who was struggling to get up and had to lean on Gale to do so. They all knew this was a battle they couldn't win.
"Are you really going through with this prince?"
"I already told you," he answered. "You can tell father that too. I'm not coming back, ever."
"If that is your wish," Gaia replied. "Traitor or not, you are still our prince."
"Goodbye… Prince," Gale said tearfully.
"See ya Gale," he returned.
With the help of the soldiers, she carried her father away from the stage. Everyone looks at them as they do.
Setsuna walks up behind William, "What are you going to do now, nii-sama?"
He turns around with a smile on his face, "I was thinking of staying here for a while, We have some catching up to do..."
She blushes, "Eh?"
"Then I'm going to continue flying around the world, I'll even come back here every once in a while."
"SET-CHAN!" Konoka was running down a path to the stage with Evangaline right behind her.
"Oujo-sama!"
"Like I said Set-chan, you have some really good friends here. I'd like to be their friend too."
She nodded happily, "Yeah!"
With that, everyone heads back to the school, glad that everything ended up alright.