Act V - Life's Pieces

Chapter 48 - ...But Unbreakable

[System Alert]

Time Remaining...

00 Days | 05 Hours | 05 Minutes

It had taken the trio that finally grouped up a long time to navigate and correctly map the halls of the Spire, traversing deeper into its layers, before they finally stopped before a large hallway.

"Is this it?" Summer asked between the three of them. Albatross and Amber both looked at her, then to each other. Taking that as his cue, Albatross stepped forward. Between two massive, white obelisks, sat a rift of contained, compressed ether, blackened and with blinding white specks that pulled at the matter, suspending some in the air

Albatross could see the untamed energy lashing out in the area around the circumference of the obelisks, like claws of Beowolves attempting to lash out from their cages, the wisps left behind acted as lanterns of black and white energy, whilst light bent to their aura, unlike a black hole, the light merely distorted.

"Yes, the ether is stronger here, almost like Cognitum, only the amount stored in its frame is contained with the machine's core, this, however, is like a waterfall, cascading and untamed." Turning to face his friends, he raised his onyx sword. "Alright girls, stay close, you don't want to take this place lightly."

"We can do this," Summer assured them, just as they stepped into the rift, a flash of white blinding them for a short moment in time. When they did come back to reality, they all stared at the massive, circular room around them, arches traveling up the sides of the walls to the point the roof was hidden within a black void. "Woah...!"

The air looked somewhat devoid of color, a haze resting in the air as they moved away from the rift, stepping deeper into the large, circular chamber.

"It's... the Etheral Plane? I have heard fairy tales speak of these places but to actually set foot in one is... very unnerving." Amber murmured, sticking close to Summer as the trio observed the world, as though it expanded and changed its shape

A center podium drifted just above the floor, whilst white strips of light ran across the floor, and up the sides of the walls, illuminating the grayish smog that hazed around their eyes. It was a form of ritual grounds, vacant and untouched for eons.

"The Etheral Plane houses many places like this, only rifts allow access and only creatures with fourth-dimensional capabilities or with alternative means can enter them, Gods for example, and we can enter because of that rift, or if need be I could have opened one myself, having been in this realm before," Albatross looked to pale at the memory. "It... wasn't pleasant, at all. Our bodies absorb ether, as it is the building block of everything, but too much can poison and kill you. I can survive due to my experiences but you both need to leave more than likely within half an hour or risk dying."

Summer poised her bow, placing an arrow against the river. "So we need to find the being that helps maintain this portion of the realm and destroy it?" At her inquiry, Albatross nodded. That made her chuff sarcastically. "Like it's ever that easy."

"You are correct. It's not."

The rattling voice among the Etheral realm froze the Hunters in place. The trio parted ways, seeing reality's fabric rip and tear, twisting into a new form at the podium with motes of light gathering around the growing form.

"I'll be a good sport and admit you four surprised me, however, it will all amount to nothing!"

The massive, silver blade sliding up from the ground, as the large, armor-clad knight stood tall. It was human in posture, with inky-black, twisted armour. The line through the helmet's faceplate resonated with a bright red glow. Whilst small ribbons flowed from the back of its helmet, ending in jagged spikes as it grasped the greatsword in both hands. Armor clanking back into place with a dark aura distorting around its body.

"Now then, humans, I'll have you removed from my way."

"What do we do!?" Amber yelled over the deafening roar of the knight. Albatross hadn't the time to speak as he was forced to evade the gleam of the sword slamming down between him and the dragon Faunus

"Keep to its blind spots, we need to start whittling this thing down!" He commanded. Summer took to a small ledge on one of the supports, firing arrows of all verity down on the knight, while Amber took to the sky, unloading rounds into the armored goliath, leaving Albatross to face it head-on

Taking the opening, Albatross confronted the knight, swinging down from the right across its right leg, slicing through the exposed leather underneath. He struck, but saw the body turn to face him, stomping its right foot before slamming the blade to Alba's right, throwing him back while several scores flew across its exposed side, Amber had flanked then retreated from another half-turn swipe.

Alba rolled to his right, the massive blade skimming past his head, and striking the floor again before he ran up to its foot, dark blade aglow once again as he propelled through both his legs with a powerful thrust, the resounding clang of metal tearing through his armor, knocking the knight to its knees. Yet only a small amount of metal was chipped away.

"Switch!" Summer yelled, as Alba avoiding the thrust of the blade, the girl swooped by the face of metal, her bow drawn as she slid under the knight's legs, the three arrowheads silver-tipped

She released the string, the arrows dividing into nine smaller projectiles that struck the torso and faceplate, frost locking some of the joints as pieces of the armor fell apart. "All yours! Go for the nape!"

"Wha - Alright then," Refusing to question why the nape, Albatross ran around the circular swing of the Knight's sword, jumping up and using the jagged armor as stepping stones to climb along its back, seeing what Summer was implying. "Bingo."

*Crash!*

The cyborg gasped, almost losing his hold from the sudden pressure of metal and stone sandwiching him, taking a chunk of his aura shimmered. He pulled himself up, seeing the large, seeping line across the nape between the chestplate and helmet, leaking with white energies.

Pulling a scarf over his nose, Alba raised his longsword high to his right, the blade crackling to life with a solid light-blue hue. Pushing off hard, his body twisted, sweeping a horizontal line clean through the nape, seeing the armor shatter from the powerful strike in tangent with the elemental attacks fed by the girls. Landing on his feet again, they watched while the knight stumbled forward, crumbling to its knees in exhaustion. Yet the aura surrounding the knight, it was... ominous.

"Nice moves, although..." Summer joined Alba's side, the two of them moving toward the altar slowly as the knight's body trembled with a shivering red hue, a trail of light following the visor while the cracks in its armor shimmered with the same light. "I think it's mad."

"Stand back!" Amber flew above the alter, her body licked by searing flames, the powerful handgun pinned to the Knight that turned with far less lumbering motions. With a powerful shot, the sunlight disintegrated the chestplate, revealing mist and ether splitting from within. Amber landed, then gasped

The shot didn't so much as waver the knight's movements. It leapt into the air, pulling his buster sword back in its right hand if Amber blinked, she may have perished during her fallback, the knight's body shot down at breakneck speeds, sinking his sword into the stone like a shot-put. Turning to look at Albatross again, the Knight swung the massive, silver sword across to the left, forcing Alba to leave Summer's side, then it pulled back, thrusting forward again, so Alba raised his blade, countering the thrust.

"Heads up!" Again, several white arrows struck the back of the Knight, applying freezing and breaking part the armor from within. So it turned, raising the buster sword with a fierce white. "Oh boy!" Summer rolled away, the blade crashing down and sending a crackling wave of white lightning where she previously stood

Turning Amber's way, it bent its elbows, lowering the blade next to his stomach, again it hummed with white. Amber flew in, seeing the body stomp toward her, rotating the sword and suddenly moving at a frightening pace, she dodged, yet a small funnel of wind caught her wings, slicing through her left as a fist connected with her stomach, smacking her into a nearby pillar.

Watcher raised the buster sword against his thigh, then, with an impossible amount of speed, spun the blade down in front of it with an eruption of scorching white fire, raising the now flaming hunk of white steel.

"Oh great, now its on fire. Thank you for nothing you useless realm." Albatross mouthing bluntness was cut thin but the flash of arrows sinking into the weak spots of the armor, followed by the lunge of a black figure pivoting sharply behind it, carving a slant through the wall, and through Summer's roses, disrupting her momentum.

"Perish along with this rotten world. Don't fear death, it was inevitable."

"You make it sound like you've won!" From the rift, a new player immerged onto the battle. Summer's eyes widened, Amber sighed with relief, pushing herself back to her feet, and Albatross blinked away from the knight looming over him, watching as Sky soared above as a crimson star

He smiled, ensured his safety was a guarantee. "Nice work, kid."

Sky's thrusters tore across the thick air, left leg bent behind him, muscles tensed. "SSMMMMASH-Hyah!" His shin spun forward, crashing against the might of the knight's neck, the force behind the kick caused a sonic boom, tossing the large knight into the adjacent wall with ease, burying it under a mound of rubble

Skidding to a halt, Sky adjusted his footing, hands balled into fists. "Sorry I'm late, I had some tutoring that couldn't wait."

[Sky's POV]

I had only one shot at this before Charron gains complete control over this portion of the realm. "Albatross, take Summer and Amber, and get out of here!" I waved back to him, confident in my reckless, and low probability chance

"Wait!" Summer stepped forward, Amber held up in her arm. "You - We promised to do this together."

Solemnly I sighed. "I know... but if I'm the only one that can stop him, then I don't want any of you to die because of me," It was my fault, but I'll change that here and now. "You three... have been irreplaceable friends, you trusted me, helped me grow into who I am, so please, let me repay you by saving your world."

The three looked uncertain, Albatross stared back at me with remorseful sorrow. "I... how many times I've heard that, and... how many times have I been the one to stand by and watch those vows pay a price I never could," He lifted his eyes back to me. "Sky, don't do this."

The man I have found to be unbeatable, who fought with confidence and wisdom, he was scared. All the years he's been alive, I never really questioned what else he had witnessed to learn those lessons he engraved onto me.

Amber winced, clutching her side. "D-Don't, you have nothing to repay us for, y-your my friend, you, I-Iota, Eric, Penny," Her wings fell limp. "W-We can still fight."

That atleast raised my smile again, seeing the rubble behind her shift, there wasn't much time. In a flash, Eric and Iota stepped out from behind me, Iota offering her an assuring smile. "Aren't you the one that complained about us pushing ourselves too much? Take your own advice, and let us clean up our mess."

"I-Iota? H-How are you...?" She blinked, then was tugged by Summer

"We can worry about this later," She glared at me, struggling to hold a gaze to my mask. "There will be a 'later', so please, come back safe." Against Amber's protests, the two jumped back through the rift, its form beginning to destabilize

A rough hand held my shoulder, and I met my mentor evenly. "I... I can't just... leave you here - I can't go through that again!" He bellowed, and so, my own hand placed itself upon his shoulder too, seeing his eyes waver like his frown

"I'm sorry," I said with meaning. "I never asked about your past, even if you never told me, I should have seen it, how much you've been through to become as amazing as you are. Thank you for being here, to help me face my own reality, to guide me toward a place in this world," His eyes widened with shock, and I chuckled. "Trinity told you too, huh?"

A ghost of a breath left his throat. "Yeah..." My hand squeezed tighter

"Then you know how this ends," I moved my hand, and I finally knocked Albatross on his ass for once as my palm shoved him back through the gateway, his hand outstretched to mine, eyes shook with horror, the mere second he passed through it slammed shut, and the walls stretched into broken, distorted variants of the hallways that made up the Spire. We were trapped in the Etheral Plane

Behind me, the rubble ruptured, and a blade slammed into the earth, breaking apart the foundations with torrents of white lightning. I merely propelled myself high with a boost, scimitars extended from my forearms as I landed.

"You escaped. You always find a way to bother me further. I offered you salvation and this is how you repay me!?"

"You guys ready?" I inquired, Iota and Eric moving aside from the knight as it raised high, sword pried from the ground. It was badly injured but Charron's own acolyte wasn't going to back down, not until it dies

Iota and Eric shared a thumbs up. "Ready!"

"Why can't anyone... SeE tHe BiG pIcTuRe!? With my own hands, I will tear down this infected world! Cure this sickness! ThIs. WoRlD. iS. mInE! A naive little brat like you can only bring disaster! It's up to ME to save it all!"

The Knight bellowed, lunging toward me while ignoring Iota and Eric, clearly, I was his only target. I smirked. "Now, Iota!"

He appeared beside me, fingers at the ready, conjuring a cool mist at the tips of his nails. The second the knight drew close enough, the flung his hands out, spitting forth a flurry of ice shards the size of knives, the sharp protrusions aimed for precisely the imperfect cracks in its armor. The resulting attack locked the joints in place, allowing Eric to raised his right hand high, then slapped it down into the ground.

Eric's palm broke apart the earth under us, conjuring four massive rods of stone spikes to slam into the knight, bending and breaking the armor by drilling the ice shards further into the body, causing massive amounts of damage. He grinned with a child-like squeal. "That's right, suckas! I got me the power to deconstruct and reconstruct matter!"

Iota blew the mist off his fingers, more ice regrowing into long claws. "And I can manifest ice at absolute zero, good luck standing proud while your organs enter a cold-snap."

I drew my arms down, blades gleaming. "Combined with my new armor I can move at high bursts of speed just like Crescent Rose."

"Your efforts... all your skills... will amount to Nothing!"

From the ruined knight, something caused the formation of the beast to warp and implode, creating a whirlwind caging a shadow that grew roughly six feet tall, a pair of emerald eyes glaring back as the body warped to fit the new entity, the wind dying down as our eyes collectively widened.

"As if I'd let my plans be ruined by people like you... now then, 'Heroes'-"

The winds were brushed aside, revealing the black and white Charron, wearing blackened armor.This set of armor has a half-broken, angular helm with a faceguard shaped in the face of a metal skeleton. Attached to its side are two horns that curve backward, one of which is partially broken.

The shoulders were rounded, decorated with metal daggers lined up in two lines, one on the front and one on the back. The upper arms are protected by jagged, half-covering rerebraces that sat quite well under the shoulder plates. Its forearms covered by vambraces that have a sharp pointed tip at the elbow point. Its breastplate leaked with a dark substance through a large gash slantwise.

It covered most of the torso, say for the sides where the straps hung loose, revealing the white and black skin, the underarms too. Last were the legs, covered by pointed, fully covering cuisses, the sins guarded with greaves and pointed shoes.

"-I'll have you return my hide to me." Charron scowled, hatred brewed in his eyes. "Perfection is what you called an 'obsession', just like they did, locking me away from my work, my duty to their creation... no more, I have heard the world speak, and I have listened," He slowly strolled toward us, dark shadows snaking in the background, the world starting to distort further. "Now I will speak, and the world will listen."

"You have quite the mouth on you, huh?" Sky smugly replied to the voice of the Vex,

Taking the first step, I ran for Charron, its hand lifted to fire a concentrated beam of dark matter as I rolled to my right, the massive beam scorching the earth with destructive, black flames. Ice skimmed past his head as Eric conjured another two snake-like pillars to piece Charron, but with his hand to one side the white hand created a barrier of light, pulverizing the rock.

From behind I spun through the air to strike him with a spiral slash of my scimitars, striking the armour with a clank, only for me to back up, seeing Charron's armour barely budge, he was hardly phased since a column of black light flung us back. Kicking off my teeth my jetpack pulled me through the thickened air, curving downward.

The scythes on my arms shot two rounds, increasing my velocity while Iota threw more shards of ice, anchoring Charron in-place for a large, crescent strike to the head. I felt the impact connect, the ground tore apart, but to my horror, he caught both my arms, purple, and gold brimming between his fingers.

"Power and speed that's all you are." The two concentrated blasts threw me high, a shadow from the walls shot forward, swatting me from the air and into the range of another beam, throwing me across the hall that seemed to stretch on and on

[No POV]

The battle continued to escalate.

More ice lunged from Iota. "Stand back, I got this!" Iota took the lead, throwing two more daggers of ice while jumping to evade two blasts from Charron. "I have to predict his movements, he seems to be limited, perhaps all of his powers have yet to return? Yes, use this probability to strike."

With another two ice shards, Charron effortlessly evaded the projectiles, charging himself with spherical attacks this time. This did little to sway Iota's calm resolve, ducking and weaving past the attacks as though he were Sky's Shikari armor, predicting the attacks and acting accordingly. Charron skidded to a halt, clasping both hands together to merge the ether and dark matter, with the compressed, unstable light, he slammed it down into the earth, causing several eruptions of pure energy to destabilize the foundations of the Etheral realm.

Skimming past the towering beams, Iota swung his right leg down, performing a jump with a handstand to evade a continuous beam of ether Charron whipped around to block his assault. "You're up!" From behind the Vex, Eric placed his hands low, and the ground tore away, creating a pillar for Iota to land on while dozens of small spikes reformed around Charron, digging into the armor while some actually caused the Vex discomfort.

Sky recovered, switching back to Iron Regalia. The walls around him collapsed and distorted with each second, his breathing became thicker, harder to breathe, luckily, Penny monitored the ether levels in the trio as time stretched, but the world was starting to become highly unstable and would collapse shortly. With them constantly absorbing ether like a sponge they'd soon die before the collapse of the reality they had trapped themselves in came to pass.

Sky spent no time wasting away on the sidelines. Since another strange, serpent creature erupted from the wall to his left a few feet ahead of him. Its body was astral in nature, white energy that coiled around the corrupted ether, forming the smooth frame of its body, whilst the jagged maw roared at him, a singular slit atop its head, most likely its eye.

Not wanting to slow down, Sky flew around it, just when it snapped its jaws in his direction. Then another thrashed its way into the halls from the right, and one broke the ceiling above, and two more from behind him. They were coming in swarms to prevent him from aiding his personalities.

"Iota, Eric! Time to fly!" At the callout, both moved aside, Iota pinned by Charron who loomed over the blue-haired pessimist, raising a hand as Iota grinned, pulling out a small, silver coin, one that might as well enraged the Vex on the spot

"No... how can you have one of those!?" He seethed with rage, immediately charging a beam, and Iota clicked his tongue, showing the Vex the Bird

"Kiss my Kirin leather chaps, bitch." The coin crushed between his fingers, the blast missed Iota as he vanished from the Etheral Realm

"...You continue to defy fate, time-and-time again, when will you learn?" His gaze locked to Sky's, just as a wall of stone erected itself between them. Eric dashing over to spear several of the snakes with a final lunge of his semblance, and before their eyes, his aura shattered, the two crashing into a ruined wall from the shockwave of the wall collapsing to the light-show of gold and amethyst

"Hehehe, all out," He grinned, standing next to Sky as the serpents swooped in low, and Charron watched from afar, eyes locked with anticipation

"Eric, jump back into my body, quickly," Sky drew his arms wide to defend Eric, or until Charron spoke up

"I wouldn't do that. Unless you both wish to join the ether too," That caused them both to freeze. "The ether that is being absorbed into your bodies will be merged together, the second you hide away inside yourselves you will die, don't you get it? There is no hope left, your cards have run out."

Sky ground his teeth, fingers parted for him to raise his open palms to the serpents drawing closer, the world collapsing even further into nothingness. White particles built in the palms of his hands, two small spheres of energy gathering the ice crystals together. "It can't end like this, I made a promise, I made several to so many good people, I can't go back on them now!"

*Pat*

The energy whizzed back down as Sky craned his head to Eric's soft expression, but still retaining his toothy grin. "Hey, buddy? Sorry..." His hand held out the very item that made Sky's heart skin faster. The silver coin, broken and devoid of light. "It broke when I erected the wall to stop Charron's attack, I... it's means only one of us is going back."

His body felt weaker, the ether beginning to turn sour in his mouth, almost poisonous. He didn't have much time left. He needed to think of anything, he had to. "No, no! You dare say that don't think for a moment I'm leaving you here!"

Eric let a laugh escape him, feeling himself choke up slightly. "Funny, I really wanted to try a bunch of things with this new body," He shrugged. "Guess It'll have to wait."

He still refused to accept that. "Eric, please, we're all going back, we have to!" He shook his personality's shoulders. "You and I can fight this! Don't give up now... don't die on me!" The words stung Eric's newly beating heart, which grew desperate to hold back the ether coursing through his body, tugging at his atoms painfully

"I'm sorry..." His voice rasped, his smile never once wavered. "If I had been more careful, then maybe, but, someone has to take the fall."

"Don't say that!" Tears built in his eyes, his knuckles white. "You idiot, you always pestered me for years since you manifested... it bloody annoys me how many times you kept trying to play the optimist!" He snapped. "It's always been us, you, me, and Iota, which is why I can't leave you here."

"I am who I am now because of you, don't you see!? You gave me the chance to laugh again, even before Remnant, so please... please don't leave me..." He bowed his head, voice cracking on the last phrase

With a great deal of pain, Eric shoved the last coin against Sky's armored chest, pushing him away from Charron's attack, the ground splitting apart to divide them both, the serpents marched, but Eric pushed his body beyond its limits, conjuring dozens of spikes to pierce the scaly monstrosities while Charron's attacks were interrupted by the walls.

Eric endured it all for them, his family, his brothers, not just personalities. He raised a fist across the gap, wisps of light burning across his exposed body. He winked. "You'll be okay, I know you're an amazing person, you'll be the happiest person in the world. I know because I've always enjoyed seeing you smile, giving you ideas and crazy schemes day in and day out. There's no room for doubt in that future," Eric closed his eyes, smiling through it all. "Move forward. Stay strong. Protect others. Regret nothing... and don't forget to smile."

Having lost the ability to move, Penny moved Sky's right hand, while his muscles underneath the metal worked in tangent with her own control, as they closed their fingers around the coin, crushing its brittle form. They heard Charron cry out of spite, beams of light tearing apart the world to reach them, but by then, it was already done.

"...Goodbye..." Both murmured

His body started to fall apart like shards of glass, rub nothing robbed away the smile and kind eyes that looked through the dark, bleak world and saw a light no one else could. "Keep smiling through tears," Eric reminded them both, "For a life without light... has no future."

To Be Continued...

I am a horrible person, this is a common trope with me. And man, what a way to go. Also, 200 followers, thank you both new and old readers! I hope you enjoyed, I appreciate the support, seeya in the next chapter!

Next Chapter: Homebound

The fight is over but at the cost of someone close. Sky's journey continues.