A/N - I'm not even going to try and make excuses at this point. I just couldn't bring myself to write anything and I'm still struggling. I'll do my best keep the story alive though.

On that cheerful note, Happy Reading.


King of the Sky

Chapter XVI

A New Darkness


All was quiet on the haunted grey plains of Luna. What little wind there was, whistled a quite howl as it blew small swirls of dust.

The dreadful silence was abruptly terminated by a rocket of blue magic and a cloud of moon dust, shooting by.

The living rocket came to an abrupt stop on the edge of a crater and the dust cloud blew over and past it.

It took a good long moment for the cloud to pass, revealing the Hunter, slumped over and panting under his helmet, before standing up strait and throwing his head back.

"Finally!…we made it…" he said breathlessly, before looking out over the scattering of buildings and the entrances to Hive structures.

"Now, where's that part?…and please tell me there's a ride we can catch back to our ship" Sora asked as he held up his hand and materialized his Ghost.

Chirithy floated up and pulsed his shell out as he scanned the area quickly, before floating back down to eye level with Sora.

"Well, I got bad news, good news and worse news. Which do you wanna hear first?" he asked with a chipper voice.

Sora sighed as he ran a hand down the front of his helmet, as if it were his face "the bad news first" he answered.

Chirithy gave a digital chirp "well the bad news is, I still can't contact Earth, even from here. It looks like even the beacons that were setup here by the Vanguard and Dead Orbit, aren't able to connect to the city for some reason" he explained.

"But the good news is, we can definitely grab a ride back before we leave. We just have to jack one of the Fallen's Pikes" he continued with a happier tone.

Chirithy seamed to deflate after that though "and that leads to the worse news. I can't get a good lock on the energy signature of the part we're looking for. It's like it's bouncing around all over the place" he explained.

Sora hummed as he crossed his arms and surveyed the area.

"Any idea how to figure out where it'll pop up next?" he asked to which Chirithy just shook his shell in exasperation.

"Not a clue. Something weird is going on here, messing with sensors and knocking out communications like this. That and…" Chirithy trailed off with an uneasy tone "I don't know, something just doesn't feel right here" he finished.

Sora couldn't help but hum in agreement as he scanned the area again.

This place was practically dripping with Darkness. That alone was enough to set them on edge, but there was something else too. Neither could quite put there finger on it, but it was like there was something else here, hiding in the shadows, just waiting to strike.

It only set their nerves even further on edge, but Sora brushed it aside as best he could so he could focus on the task at hand.

"Humm, well try to find the place it'll show up next if you can while I look around. Maybe we'll get lucky and finds whatever's causing this" Sora said.

"Yah, here's hoping" Chirithy said as he started scanning again "this might take awhile" he informed his Guardian.

Sora nodded in understanding before looking out for any enemies that might pop up and deciding where to look first.

While Chirithy was scanning though, Sora glanced back the way they came from, as he thought back on the Fallen that had ambushed them and the one that had been willing to communicate with him after everything that happened.

He couldn't help but smile at the last part of the memory, though he was a little worried about why he had to leave them.

"I hope those guys are ok" he muttered to himself.

"You mean those Fallen from before?" Chirithy asked as he stopped scanning for a moment to look at Sora "I'm sure they're fine. I just…I just hope they don't come back to bite us in the but…" he said with a somewhat sad expression.

Sora looked to his Ghost with concern "what do mean by that?" he asked with a tilt of his head.

Chirithy looked a little uncomfortable as he looked away from Sora "well, I'm glad we didn't have to kill them. I've always felt sorry for the Fallen…but I've also seen what they can do to people. Guardian or not…" he trailed off with a sad tone as memories of the Dark Age passed through his processor.

Sora saw his Ghost looking a little sad and gave him a light flick with his finger, snapping him out of it.

"Hay, what did I say about sad faces around here?" he said half jokingly and half concerned. Sora may have already grown close to Chirithy in the short time they had been together, but there was still much he didn't know about him.

"Look Chirithy, if you ever need to talk about anything, I'm here for you" Sora reassured with a gentle smile.

Chirithy was silent for a moment as he felt warm and fuzzy inside at Sora kind words and his depression quickly evaporated.

"Thanks Sora…I might take you up on that later…but for now, let's focus on getting out of here" Chirithy chirped, feeling much happier as he returned to his scanning.

Sora smiled and nodded to his Ghost before looking back out over the dusty landscape.


Meanwhile, in their hideout, Trornax, the former Vandal leader of this little band of Exiles, sat in the corner of their hideout, minus his upper right eye and his lower arms.

The Vandal turned Dreg, was nursing his wounds and his pride, as he sat there, alone, while his former followers sat gathered around the much taller and more imposing figure of Vrrithix. Who was preaching to them like an Archon and laying out plans to steal a Servitor for themselves while they still had the strength the Guardian had granted them with his healing.

Trornax growled to himself as the memories of his defeat at the hands of the Guardian and then Vrrithix, burned as freshly in his mind and his wounds burned his nerves.

It was a humiliating reminder of just how weak he was. Of how weak he had always been.

Unlike Vrrithix, who was docked and exiled for his beliefs, Trornax had fled from his house to escape being docked, because he was a pathetic and weak Vandal who couldn't even succeed at the most simplistic of tasks. The only reason he'd had power here was because he was the only one with all his arms and enough strength to keep his frail subordinates in check.

That and the fact that Vrrithix had been too emotionally broken to challenge him before now.

It was a reality Trornax was painfully reminded of when the revitalized Vrrithix challenged him for leadership and had shown just how skilled in combat he was.

Honestly, Vrrithix would have been a Captain by now if he had only kept his mouth shut.

And now Trornax had been reduced to a lowly Dreg. Not because Vrrithix had wanted to dock him, but because his frail and weak body simply couldn't withstand the brutal assault of Vrrithix's attacks, even with just a simple dagger.

Trornax's humiliation was made all the worse by all the soon-to-be Vandals, that were soaking up Vrrithix's words and orders with far more attention and purpose then when he ever gave orders.

Trornax stewed in his anger as he hummed that tune from their radios earlier. It's notes his only comfort. He didn't know why they seamed to calm him but he couldn't resist humming it and he had nothing better to do.

His anger steadily grew though, as he tried and failed to ignore Vrrithix's preaching, and it only skyrocketed when the other Dregs listened to him.

They were all pirates and thieves, only banding together for survival, or until a better option presented itself. Which is why he couldn't believe they were listening to Vrrithix and his lofty ideas of coexistence with the Humans.

But the thing was, Vrrithix wasn't just preaching. He was laying out plans and strategies to not only survive but thrive. And he more then proven himself by challenging Trornax. So in their eyes, even if they didn't believe in his ideas yet, Vrrithix was still their best shot at survival. The fact that the Guardian had not only spared them, but also liberated their arms, freeing them from being Dregs, was just icing on the cake that Vrrithix was feeding them.

Trornax felt a growl emanating from the back of his throat as he stared down at his clawed hand, as it shook with rage.

It just wasn't fair. Why couldn't he have power like that?

But you can have power…

Trornax stopped shaking as those words were whispered into his mind. He found himself entranced by them, not questioning or even realizing that they weren't his own thoughts.

All he thought of was the promise of power.

But how?

How did he get that power?

Look within…

The Trornax's remaining three eyes dimmed and mixed with purple and green.

Feel the hatred…

He stood up as he clenched his fists.

The anger…

His vision tinted red as it tunneled onto Vrrithix and his followers. To the detriment of all other thought.

The envy…

His vision focused in Vrrithix in alone.

…The…

…DARKNESS…

Black wisps of shadow, licked away from his fists as he began walking towards the group, as if in a trance.

The other Fallen noticed Trornax approaching them and fell silent. Vrrithix let out a low growl as he rested his hands on his pistol and new saber, formerly Trornax's.

"Have you finally decided to listen to reason…or do you require another lessen?" Vrrithix asked cautiously.

Trornax only growled deep in his throat, but before Vrrithix could move to subdue him before another pointless fight broke out or the others started doubting his strength, everyone was taken aback, as Trornax began humming that same tune from before, almost madly, and that's when they noticed it.

How his eyes had changed to that twisted mixing of green and and near black, purple, and the living shadows that steadily wafted off from his form with growing intensely.

"Hive magic!" One of them called out with fear as they drew their weapons.

It didn't matter…

Trornax no longer needed the voice to tell him what to do. He could feel it…the power within him…the overwhelming POWER…

He only needed to unleash it! To let it out from his core and into his being. To embrace it!

As this revelation hit him, the shows grew in intensity and Trornax began laughing madly.

Yes, nothing could stop him now!

He had all the power he would ever need! He would take Vrrithix's life and retake his rightful place! He would make these fools pay for betraying him!

Trornax continued his maniacal laughter while the others watched him warily. Unsure how to proceed.

But then, as the tension was reaching it's peek, Trornax suddenly stopped.

He just stood there, frozen in place as the shadows stopped flowing off of him and his eyes went dark.

Then he collapsed to the ground, like a puppet with it's strings cut.

Everyone just stood and stared in nervous confusion. All with their weapons close at hand.

Before any could decide to move or even speak though, the shows returned, as a pool of inky blackness opened below Trornax and he began to slowly sink in, until nothing was left.

One of the Dregs was brave or foolish enough to slowly approach the pool of Darkness, with weapons raised.

Vrrithix was about to call him back, but the Dreg yelled and stumbled back on his own, as a mechanical claw, black as the night with sickly green highlights, bust up from the pool and bent down so it's three fingers could dig into the ground.

Three more arms then followed, one after the other until, like a spider, they lifted the main body up out of the pool, which vanished soon after.

The body was curled up into a metal ball, with a tattered green cape. The body was also not directly connected to the arms, which instead floated against it's frame.

Two clawed legs shot out to the ground, facing away from the semicircle of Fallen, as the arms came up into a menacing pose, before a head shot up, also facing away from them and wearing…

A pirate hat?…

The head suddenly twisted all the way around, like some kind of possessed toy, showing off a horrifying but also cartoony face. A simple, featureless orb of black, with spiraling yellow eyes, and a jagged red mouth, like a Jack-o-lantern.

The terrified Fallen, finally opened fire on the thing and it gave a clanking, gear grinding, cackling, and rotated the segmented parts of it's body around itself to face them, showing off a green pirate coat under the tattered cape, and brandishing two cutlasses in it's two upper hands, and two flintlocks in the others.

The monster's shifting body and erratic movements as it jumped around, slicing and firing off it's pistols, made it hard to hit, and even when they did, the monster didn't look even the slightest bit hurt.

The Dregs were starting to panic but a strong set of claws, dug into two Dregs' shoulders and tossed them out the open doorway as Vrrithix charged in and shoulder-chucked the thing back.

All eye fell on him as he pointed outside with his saber and yelled "RUN!".

The Dregs only stared for a few seconds, before doing as ordered while Vrrithix turned to face the creature as it used it's disconnected limbs to contort and right itself.

Vrrithix held no illusions as to how this would play out, nor did he have any intention to die here. He had seen this thing that was once Fallen, shrug off all of their attacks so far without so much as flinching.

He would only hold it off, long enough for the others to get some distance, before escaping himself and, Great Machine willing, find the Guardian they'd encountered.

Vrrithix's hope for escape, dwindled somewhat though, as the creature locked it's hungry eyes on him, before screaming and black holes tore their way into reality around him, and small black creatures with featureless faces and antennae and pupil-less yellow eyes appeared.

Vrrithix gritted his teeth and clutched his weapons tightly as he prepared for the fight of his life.

"I know not what you are, monsters. But I will not die here today!" He spoke with conviction.

All he had to do was hold out and then run.

He had to find that Guardian.