Chapter 45: Stillborn Gale
EDIT: This chapter really contrasted with Carlos' established characterisation, so I'm going to try and change it to be truer to his personality.
|Second Basement|19:12 pm|
The shadowy figure raised his hand, and something equally ominous emerged from his body with a purple smoke. This was a dark blue figure, with no eyes or mouth.
"Cursed Swings!" Dan beckoned, as Tezcatlipoca ravaged the shadowy man with his scythe. However, instead of staggering, he merely pointed at Dan. His Persona became shrouded in blue mist, and when it dissipated, it was gone. Instead, there was another Tezcatlipoca, with reversed colours.
"The fuck?!" Dan shouted. "Seraphina, you got anything on this freak?"
"That being he called forth is called Doppelganger, but the rest is unclear..." Seraphina said. "Yet, his abilities have changed to match your own."
"Okay, so what hurts Dan hurts him, right?" Matthew said. "Bring it! Double Claw!" Acolnahuacatl slashed the figure twice with his claws. "Now, Garula!" Gusts of wind hit the figure. "Wait, wind doesn't hurt him?" The figure used a Zionga attack, shocking Matthew.
"It's earth magic Dan can't stand. Let me do this, Matthew. Magma Sword!" Kyle shouted. Hephaestus' earth charged blade hit the shadowed man, caused quite some pain. Tezcatlipoca reverted back to Doppelganger, but then changed to a reversed Hephaestus. "Really? It's copying me now?"
"Correct. Now is the time for Matthew to unveil the winds of his soul!" Seraphina said. The figure used Searing Sequence, hitting Priscilla with intense flaming slashes. She collapsed, in deep agony.
"That was scary..." Matthew said. "Garula!" Winds hit the man, and this time they inflicted great damage. He followed up by slashing with his knives, and then used Garula again.
"Nice work, kid!" Dan said. This time, Doppelganger changed to Acolnahuacatl. "Figures this would happen. What now, Seraphina?"
"Being subjected to sorrowful waters will punish him dearly. Alas, neither me nor Priscilla can use Aqua spells." Seraphina said.
"Even so, we'll win this!" Priscilla cried. "Frozen Tempest!" A hail of icy crystals struck the shadowy figure, who retaliated with a brutal swing. She hit him back with her weapon, and Dan blasted him with his rifle.
"Hey, where did you get that thing?" Matthew asked.
"I took it from an Ornatu Legion guy sleeping on the job. I had Kyle make it better, though." Dan said.
"Really? He knows how to modify artillery? And he's sixteen? That's..."
"You learn a lot when you're surviving in a Shadow infested city. Probably more than being stuck in a tiny village. Enough, we have to concentrate on the fight. Agilao!" Kyle's flames hit the shadowed man, and just as he turned his attention to Kyle, Seraphina used Grimoire's Armada on him.
"Holy shit, that was incredible!" Matthew said. "How can I do moves like that?"
"Well, if you calmed down a little in battle..." Kyle said, shaking his head. Dan glared at him, and Kyle looked away, a little flustered.
The silhouette figure eventually stopped moving, dismissing Doppelganger. Seraphina seemed unnerved by this person even more, and stood back.
"Stella, what exactly is the deal with this thing?" Priscilla said. "The poor fellow can't even talk. He's not even attacking us!"
"I do not know, but I have a feeling he's connected to -"
"Hey guys!" Zao said, running into the room. Aimee, Roger and Karen were behind him, looking weary. "We had to kill tons of Shadows, and we finally got rid of them. What's that thing over there? Another Shadow?"
"Seraphina says it's some weird person who went through an experiment. Try as much as you want, but he'll never say a word." Kyle said.
"Just leave him be. If this is a Divine Spark, that'll finish this weirdo off. He can't even talk anyway." Roger said.
"Roger, no!" Karen said, angrily. "It might not be too late to save him!"
"Sorry. Just remember, we can't save everyone." Roger said. "Someone's gonna get hurt no matter what we do."
Zao walked over to the mysterious figure, and tried looking at his face. The figure didn't do a thing, or make a sound.
"Zao, what are you doing? That thing is dangerous!"
"It'll be fine!" Zao said, and he touched the figure's head with his finger. Yet, something utterly bizarre happened. The figure lit up, and for under a second, details could be made out. His hair was ocean blue, and his eyes matched.
"Wait, that's..." Aimee began saying.
"Me?!" Zao shouted. The figure shoved Zao aside, and began walking, fading away as he did so.
"You mean that's Zao's other self?!" Dan shouted. "That's crazy! He wasn't using Rashnu or anything!"
"Relax, Dan, it might not have been me. In fact, it probably wasn't, if he didn't have my Persona. I'm fine, honestly!" Zao said, with a forced smile. "I mean, it can't have been me! Right?"
"Well, he only lit up when you touched him..." Roger said.
"Hey, none of you directly touched him either! It's just a coincidence! Aimee, don't look so worried! If we see him again, we take him down!" Zao said.
"Alright, Zao. If that's what you really want..." Aimee said. "If there's nothing else on this floor, we should -"
"Oh no! It is just as I feared! A tremendous amount of darkness is coming!" Stella said. "Vohu Manah and Aka Manah are rising!"
"Oh for god's sake! I should have know Zao's happy thought idea wouldn't work!" Dan said.
"Don't get mad at him!" Aimee said. "Look, we need to hurry down and get the others to safety. I'm worried about Tara."
"Her whole house is going to blow up, right?" Matthew said. "We have to get her out of here!"
|Third Basement|19:12 pm|
"Ruby Ignition!"
Amara had become fond of using this spell, and as ever was delighted to feel the surge of power that flowed through her body, whilst the flames struck Colette. She narrowly avoided an attack from Lucas, but wasn't quick enough to avoid a fierce spear barrage from Joe's Persona. However, Blaine got him with a few shots and a Zionga.
"Here we go!" Nathan shouted. "Magarula!" Fierce winds blew throughout the room, hitting everyone - but Adrian was the only one not to be hurt. "Huh?"
"Guys, Adrian's the one we ought to be worried about! His Persona's the strongest!" Tara said. "Magnara!" A strong earth spell hit Adrian, but he shrugged it off and used a Mudo spell - which nearly knocked out Serena.
"You guys are tougher than last time, but we're still going to win!" Serena said. "Aques!" The burst of water hit Lucas, and he looked pretty angry at the attack.
"Don't worry everyone! Here!" Colette said, as the beautiful Persona Parvati arose from her body, and her Mediarama restored the Ornatu Legion.
"Okay, it's you we ought to beat first!" Amara said. "Sundial!" Hathor's blade hit her repeatedely, and Nathan and Blaine hit her with Garula and Zionga respectively. Serena darted in, avoiding swings from Lucas and Joe, and hit Colette many times with her whip.
"No fair! Guys, do something!" Colette said, whimpering.
"Alright, alright! Tetrakarn!" Lucas said, summoning a barrier around Colette. Adrian, without speaking a word, cast Megido.
"Oh god, what is up with this guy?" Serena asked. "He's freaking me out."
"Garula!" Joe shouted, as winds hit Nathan. Needless to say, they had no effect. In his confusion, Amara and Serena struck him with their weapons, and turned to Colette.
"Shall we?" Amara asked.
"We shall." Serena said.
Hathor and Artemis rose, and a sphere of shimmering water surrounded Colette. As she was hit by the sphere as it began to spin around, a blast of fire fell from the air, and Colette was hit by a fierce burst of steam. "Steam Sphere!"
"Oww! Oh my god, I can't believe this!" Colette said, in pain.
"Power Charge!" Lucas called out, as Siegfried charged up with power. Blaine tried Zionga to stop his attack, but the Power Slash that come forth knocked him back a bit.
"You got lucky, kid. But I'm not letting some teen get the better of me." Blaine said. Despite the force of the slash, he looked as confident as ever. "Acid Volt!"
"Ouch!" The poisonous lightning hit Lucas with full power, and now he was ailed, he didn't look so perky. He attempted to stab Amara, but Nathan's staff attacks were too swift for him to dodge.
"Damn it, Lucas! Adrian, you weirdo, do something!" Joe said.
Adrian's White Rider charged up in a similar way that Siegfried had done, but with a different kind of power.
"Is that him charging up his magic power?" Serena asked. "Oh crap, if he uses another Almighty attack-"
"Zionga!" Joe shouted, Lugh's lightning knocking Serena backwards. Colette watched, struggling to stand up.
"Agilao!" Amara shouted, flames hitting Joe. Then, she turned to Adrian, and swung at him, but he managed to counter her attacks with his own slashes. Soon, it became a full on duel, as their weapons clashed. Nathan used Magarula again, but he only managed to hurt Joe this time. Lucas struck Blaine, but another few shots and a Vicious Crush attack were enough to knock him to the floor.
"Just you and me, Mr Talkative..." Joe said. "Come on, Adrian, win this for us!"
Adrian didn't even look at Joe, as White Rider let out a disturbing laugh. This laughter heralded a stronger Megido, much more powerful than the Almighty attacks the team had dealt with before.
"This guy's...got balls..." Blaine said, impressed even as he gasped for air.
"Don't worry, we can still beat them!" Serena said. Artemis' power healed the team, and Amara struck Lucas.
"Why?! Why couldn't we just beat up the Shadows in Aurelia Park again?" Lucas said. A Zionga and a Garula were enough to knock him down, leaving the enigmatic Adrian.
"Tara, what are you doing? You've barely moved!" Nathan asked.
"I...I'm sorry." Tara said, shaking her head. She swung her weapon at Adrian, but she got hit in return. "No way am I letting that one go! She hit him again, and he would have struck her with a powerful slash had Nathan not hit him with a Zephyr Aria.
"I give up." Colette said. "I don't want to fight anymore!"
"Adrian, stop it. Let's head back!" Joe pleaded.
Adrian didn't even look at them. Despite his wounds, his Persona still had the power to attack
"Maragilao -"
"Drop dead!" Tara shouted, and one final Magnara stopped Adrian from making another move. He collapsed, dropping his weapon, and White Rider vanished.
"We were given those cool Personas and we still couldn't win. Ever since the Commander disappeared, they've treated us like crap…" Joe said.
"Now that we're done with these guys, let's go see what the other two groups are doing." Serena said. "I thought I heard fighting above…"
"Really? But they only sent us to this floor." Lucas said. "I haven't seen anyone else here."
"Yeah, we don't even know why we're here. Something about destroying Shadows, and a grand event. Wait, I remember! They sent others to a few other places!" Joe said.
"If only you were lucky enough to get sent with them, huh?" Blaine said, as he stood over the fallen Ornatu Legion members. "You were a lot stronger than before, though. How come?"
"That weird Archibald guy said he had refined the process." Colette said. "Wait - you guys aren't gonna kill us, are you?!"
"No way! That's not our style!" Amara said, shaking her head. "Relax, we'll get you away from Aeternus. We're the ones in the right here, not them."
Before the others could say anything, Adrian stood up. Tara stepped backward, ready to attack again.
"Ta...ra...?" Adrian muttered.
"Yeah?" Tara asked. "What, you wanna go a few more rounds?"
"Tara, hold on. He's acting different from before." Nathan said. "Adrian, can you hear me?"
"Na...than...Pris...cilla..." Adrian said, unsteady. He turned back to Tara, and looked at her up and down.
Tara put aside her weapon, and seemed to have lost her vigour for fighting. "Strange. I don't want to fight you anymore. It feels wrong, somehow. As if I couldn't bear to hurt you..."
"Tara Miller...would you..." Adrian said, his eyes now wide open, and his mouth slowly starting to smile.
"Would I what?" Tara asked. She stepped closer to Adrian, and managed to keep him standing when he nearly tumbled to the floor.
"Would you...do me the honour...of..."
"Adrian?" Nathan said. Wait, he's seriously going to-
"...marrying me?" Adrian finally said. By this point, his eyes were no longer cold and empty, but vivid and filled with hope.
"Marry you?! What?" Tara shouted. Adrian was silent for a few minutes, and it felt more like he was staring into space.
"Tara, everyone? There's something I've been wanting to say for a little while." Serena said.
"What?" Blaine asked.
"Could he be experiencing memories from his other self?" Serena said. Amara and the others gasped. "I'm serious. Kyle said he had a few dreams that sounded a bit like what had happened here. And when I read through that diary my other self kept, I could swear I remembered writing on the pages!"
"Wait, so is he proposing to me in the other world right now?" Tara asked.
"Either that, or he's planning to." Nathan asked. "How could they do this to Adrian? Why did he have to go through this?"
"This is freaking me out." Amara said. "Let's go upstairs and see what Aimee and the others are doing -"
"Yes!" Tara blurted out. What? I thought she didn't know him in this world! "I mean...what is going on? What's wrong with me?!"
"Tara...you've made me...the happiest...man...ever..." Adrian said, dreamily.
"Why did you say yes?" Nathan asked. "Are you remembering him?"
"Not exactly, but it feels like I do. It feels like I've known him forever. Like, I can imagine him in different clothes, and in different places. I can imagine him teasing me, and laughing with me." Tara said, afraid. She gazed into Adrian's eyes, and quickly looked away. "I'm so confused... Nathan, what should I do?"
"We'll get him to safety. Perhaps we can ask Kyle or Seraphina about getting him back to normal." Nathan said. "In the other world, Adrian and Tara could be engaged. It's been a long time since they started dating."
"Hey, since we're on the subject, how come you haven't put a ring on Priscilla's cute little finger yet?" Blaine asked, grinning.
"That's - well - I haven't gotten round to it. I've had plenty of other things to think about. This place, for example. I couldn't get married before saving this world." Nathan said.
"You don't want to wait, do you? You two have been goin' out since you were kids. It's about damn time, isn't it?" Blaine asked.
"Of course I don't. You guys know how important Priscilla is to me. Look, this isn't the time to talk about my love life! We have a job to do. Let's report back to Aimee -"
"So, you picked the right place after all." a familiar voice said. Carlos appeared right in front of them, with a malevolent smile. "Hmm. I don't recognise that lady over there. Who might you be?"
"You're one of those Ater Vox bastards, right? My name is Tara Miller. Until you guys let loose those freaks of nature, this was my family's home!" Tara shouted.
"I see. That's unfortunate to hear. But our goals require sacrifices, like any other." Tara glared at him, and rose her weapon.
"We're not letting this Divine Spark appear. Get out of our way!" Amara shouted.
"That I can't do. For we have a future world to fight for, even if...I must plunge into sin itself." Carlos said. Suddenly, he rushed forward, and his fist hit Adrian's chest. Tara tried to swing her weapon at Carlos, but she missed, and Adrian fell to the floor.
"Adrian?!" Tara shouted. No response. His eyes were back to their distant and empty look. Oh no...
"Why did you do that?" Colette asked.
"What's the Divine Spark thing all about, anyway?!" Joe shouted.
"Your service to our city will not be forgotten. Alas, you must become sacrifices. Otherwise, this world cannot change." Carlos said, and he clicked his fingers. Just then, every member of the Ornatu Legion started hovering into the air, and their Personas burst out of their bodies with a fierce red aura.
"What's happening?!" Serena screamed.
"Father...Victoria...work..." Joe said, as Lugh collided with his body in a black burst of light.
"Clothes...the office...ugly..." Colette said, as her Persona did the same with her.
"Running...school...friends..." Lucas said, and he was third to meet this fate.
"Tara...Tara...Tara..." Adrian said. Three black spheres of energy surrounded him, as his Persona phased into his body. Glowing red and black, Adrian gathered all the energy into his body, and with a flash of light, he became something truly horrific.
"No! Adrian!" Tara screamed.
In place of the Ornatu Legion was a demonic horse creature, with a blood red mane and an 'Emperor' mask above it's face. Standing on the horse was a red dog with bloody fangs, with a yellow 'Chariot' mask dangling from it's tail. On top of the dog was a cat, that had a red 'Lovers' mask in it's mouth and bloody stripes of fur. The final beast was a rooster-like being, with a "Hierophant' mask completely covering it's face.
"What the fuck just happened?!" Blaine said, looking disgusted.
"The fake Personas, made from Shadows themselves, can devolve back into their original condition - at the cost of their host's body and soul. With these four, we can cause the regression to happen on command. Not only that...we were able to change the resultant Shadow's forms."
"You bastard! What's the point of this?!" Amara shouted.
"Your despair fuels the Divine Sparks...that is the point. I will not apologise - for this is one step closer to my dream." Carlos said, disappearing.
"These are...the muscians of Bremen, right? And we really have to fight them?" Serena said. "Lucas, I'm sorry..."
"Joe always got on my nerves, but I never imagined having to do this. I have to end this, now!" Nathan said.
"Colette, forgive me." Amara said. "Bring it on!"
|Normal World - Tara & Adrian's House|19:20 pm|
Tara and Adrian were coming home after yet another performance at the orchestra. Tara had been playing just about every week in front of hundreds of people, and it was tiring as ever. Even so, it remained as fulfilling as it had always had been. This is what she had been working towards ever since she was a child, after all.
"You were really good, Tara. You know, ever since I first saw you playing, you've gotten better with every day." Adrian said. "I hate it when I have to work late and I'm too tired to talk about your rehearsals."
"Don't worry so much. I like it when you're asleep, next to me. Sure, I have to put up with you yawning, but I've gotten used to it." Tara said, smiling. "You've been really nostalgic today, Adrian. What's the matter?"
"Nothing! I just like thinking about how we met. I really got on your nerves, but look at us now!" Adrian said, smiling. "Ever since I met you, Nathan and Priscilla, life has been pretty great. I love hearing you play, and I love it when you tell me to cheer up after a bad day at the recording studio."
"Aww, you don't have to talk like that! I'm already crazy about you!" Tara said, kissing Adrian on the cheek. The two of them came in, and went into their living room. Their house was slightly smaller than Nathan's, but still very tastefully decorated with red and brown hues.
"Hey, check your violin case. Remember that time someone left gum all over it, and you had to throw it away?" Adrian said.
"Yeah. It was my first violin. You went right out and bought me the best one you could find. It wasn't really the same, but now I love it." Tara said. "Fine, I'll check."
Tara opened the case, and saw something odd on top of the strings. It was a silver ring, with a ruby on it.
"Adrian, is this -"
"Tara, it is. I love you so much. I never thought when I first saw you playing that violin for five hours straight that we'd be together for so long. I want to hear you play for the rest of my life. I want you to be there to encourage me, and stop me from being a lazy git like I used to be. So, Tara Miller, would you do the honour of marrying me?"
Tara was lost for words. It was true that Adrian had become less lazy since he and her became more serious, and she loved playing just for him. Truthfully, she had been waiting for him to pop the question for nearly four years, and had told this to Priscilla many times. Could she have done something to convince him to do this?
Adrian's smile wavered a little, as he waited for a response. Finally, Tara leapt up and embraced Nathan, as tight as she could.
"Of course I will! I've wanted to be your wife for so long!"
"Really? I'm sorry I took so long. Tara, you've made me the happiest man alive. There's something else in there, too." Adrian said.
"Something else?" Tara said, still filled with joy. She looked back in the case, and saw an old sheet of paper. "Wait, this is The Ruby Night!"
"Exactly. It's the original. It took me a year to find it, and it cost me thousands. Remember when I kept saying I couldn't afford dinner for a few months? That was when I bought it." Adrian said.
"Oh, Adrian! Thank you for everything!" Tara said, smiling, as she kissed Adrian passionately."I can't wait to tell everyone!"
"Me too! We have those two to thank for this. One day, they'll get married too! Imagine if we had a double wedding! Wait, we don't have to do that if -"
"It doesn't matter, Adrian. I'd marry you even if we had to wear bin bags." Tara said, as the two of them kissed once again.
|Third Basement|19:30 pm|
The team had been fighting the strange quartet of Shadows for quite a while. Each one of them was a formidable foe in their own right, but together, they were fiendish. Amara dodged another Garula from the horse Shadow, and cringed as it hit Tara. She hadn't moved at all, just barely holding on to her weapon.
"Tara, do something! Don't just stand there!" Amara shouted. Tara just wailed as she was hit by the wind attack. Blaine narrowly dodged the dog Shadow's Agilao, and he and Serena struck the assortment of creatures with their weapons.
The cat Shadow blasted Blaine with an Aques, however, injuring him quite a bit. Angry, he had Tlaloc strike all four Shadows with a tremendous hammer swing attack, then hit the cat with Zionga. Nathan used Garula on the cockerel Shadow, and then hit them with his staff.
"It's getting weaker, but...I feel awful." Nathan said. "Every time I hit either of them, there's a rush of sadness in me."
"Yeah, me too..." Amara said. She had felt this same gloom whenever she hit these Shadows. To think they were once people, and Colette was one of them. She had to kill this thing now, so Colette's spirit could hopefully rest.
The four beasts were charging their retrospective powers, glowing with extreme energy. The combined energy illuminated the entire room, almost blinding Amara.
"No!" Tara screamed. Suddenly, Maká appeared. She was charged with incredible power, beyond even a Mind Charge. "I can't let you beat us! Gaia Pillars!"
One swing of Maka's staff, and massive pillars of rocks burst from the ground. The Shadows were too slow to avoid the melee, and a final column of stone sent all of them to the ground. Their gathered power exploded, severely damaging everyone.
As Amara began to stand up, each of the four beasts burst into wisps of darkness. Not a trace of the Ornatu Legion remained. However, Amara thought she heard Collette's voice.
All I have to do is keep wearing nice clothes. Then people will like me. Then I'll be cool. Then no one will pick on me anymore. I won't be the ugly one that no one wants to be with. Right? All eyes will be on me for once!
"Did anyone hear that?" Amara asked.
"I thought I heard Joe, but...he was talking about his father and a hospital." Nathan said, stunned. "I don't understand. He always seemed a cheerful person."
"Yeah, I could have sworn I heard Lucas' voice. He was talking about raising money for charities in Africa. I didn't realise he was that passionate about that sort of thing..."
"I didn't hear anything. Guess it's because I didn't know those guys." Blaine said. "Looks like it's true, though. People are remembering things from the other dimension."
"Why do I feel so sad...?" Tara asked. "I don't really remember him, but at the same time, I do. I can remember him laughing at me, and me hitting him. I just don't remember where it was, though."
"It was at university. You were playing the violin by yourself, and Adrian came in and watched. You told him to get lost and that you needed silence to practice, and he said that unless someone heard you, you wouldn't know if you were any good." Nathan said, with a slight smile. "Then he just didn't give up until you went to the union bar with him. That was a long time ago now..."
"If only I could have met him in this world. I wanted to marry him, even." Tara said. "Thanks to Aeternus, he's gone. And so are my parents! Damn them to hell!" Tara said, banging her fist on the wall.
Suddenly, the ground started shaking.
"Shit! Carlos was right!" Blaine shouted. "Upstairs, now! We gotta get to Aimee and the others!"
"No need, Stella sensed it!" Aimee said, as she and the others came downstairs. "We'll discuss this later, but right now we need to get out -"
"Wait..." Tara said, as she looked towards a door. Pushing Serena out of the way, she pushed it open, and gasped. A man and a woman were on the floor, with blood dripping slowly from their stomachs. They weren't breathing, and it was clear they wouldn't wake up. Amara felt sick, but upon Tara's scream, she realised something else was wrong.
"What? What is it?!" Nathan said, running over.
"Those are my parents!" Tara said, darting over to them. "Mother! Father!"
"We can't afford to spend time on this! The might of the Divine Spark is growing every second!" Seraphina hollered.
"I don't care! Please, wake up!" Tara furiously shook her parents, but nothing happened.
"Tara, the culprit - argh!" A burst of shadow energy nearly hit Seraphina, but Amara quickly pulled her away.
"Are you alright?" Amara asked.
"Yes, I am. Aimee, you must make haste!" Seraphina said.
"I know. Traesto - huh?" Aimee said. "I don't have the energy to do it...something's wrong."
"Of course you don't. You were too busy healing your comrades." Carlos. You bastard! "If you all die here, the next Divine Spark will come a lot sooner. It may be a more soothing end than at our hands."
"Oh no! Seraphina, is there enough time to escape on foot?" Priscilla said.
"Not unless Tara gets a hold of herself..." Seraphina said.
"How am I supposed to do that?! Ten years, they were hiding here, and I never knew!" Tara wailed. "If only I could have come sooner!"
"Tara, we really have to get going!" Matthew said.
"No. I won't allow that." Carlos suddenly appeared again, his fists raised. "It won't be long now until the land of Wahman rises. The same end that befell the Holy Cross, and your other selves. Ironic, but it must be done!"
"This isn't good." Zao said, shaking. "We can't beat him and get out in time!"
"Then allow me." Someone appeared in the middle of the room - Archibald. Next to him was Nina. Yet, they were not the Ater Vox members they had fought, but the ones that had helped them before.
"What the - Archie?! Nina?!" Carlos said, confused. "Nihane only selected me! Why are you here now?"
"Remember who you were before this happened, Carlos. When we first met, you wouldn't dream of hurting someone outside the ring." Nina said.
"We couldn't stop your misdeeds in time, but we won't let you sacrifice either of these people." Archibald said. He seemed to be looking at Blaine, but before Amara could speak, the team were whisked away.
|Outside Miller Mansion|19:45 pm
"Where'd they go?" Blaine asked. "I wanted to ask the old guy something."
"I wanted to talk to Nina, too. She still won't come home, even though she's all my parents talk about. If I did that, maybe they'd stop ganging up on me..." Serena said.
"Tara, are you okay?" Matthew asked.
"The Divine Spark's going to happen, no matter what I do. Isn't that right?" Tara said, standing up. "Fine. I see how it is! But I won't let Carlos Nadal get away with this!"
Everyone watched as the hellish spectacle ensued. Masses of dark power rushed up, shrouding the entire house. Tara stepped forward, but didn't make any other moves. The intense power raged, and Amara could see people looking out their windows from the houses nearby. The look of horror on their faces sent a shiver down her spine.
Finally, the darkness disappeared, leaving yet another crater. Nothing of the grand estate remained.
"That was...a Divine Spark. "Tara said, flatly.
"...Horrifying." Matthew said, his face pale. "Dan, can't we do anything?"
"We just have to keep trying. Nothin' else we can do, kid." Dan said.
"No. We can't let any more happen. I won't let what happened to Adrian happen to anyone else!" Tara said, turning around. She looked more determined, more enraged than before. "I never knew Adrian, but I have to keep fighting! For him! I..."
"It's alright, Tara. You can cry if you want to -" Aimee said.
"I'm not crying, okay? I just...need a moment to think." Tara said.
"Let's go back to Clairdol, then." Matthew said. "Staying in front of this place isn't gonna cheer you up."
"Okay, then you take her to Clairdol, Matthew. We'll try and think of what to do next, but Amara and the others should go home. Is that okay?" Aimee said. "I'm sorry we couldn't stop it this time..."
"It's hardly your fault. We'll figure out a way to stop these things, somehow." Amara said. "We'll see you soon."
|Farawell|20:04 pm|
Amara and Serena left, leaving the guys by themselves.
"Hey Nathan, you were a little down earlier. What's up?" Zao asked.
"It's private." Nathan grumbled.
"Let me guess, you asked your dad about Josephine?" Blaine said.
"Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about that! So what happened?" Zao asked, eagerly.
"Zao, why do you sound so excited? He confirmed it! He and my mother were indeed having an affair...and I didn't notice at all." Nathan said. "And my mother died without ever knowing the truth. How could he do that to her? Not only betray his own family, but just act like nothing ever happened?"
Zao, realising his enthusiasm was misplaced, kept quiet. As Blaine and Nathan looked at the ground, he slinked away, waving goodbye.
"Why did she have to work for father? Wasn't there anywhere else she could go?" Nathan said, angry. "Mother, if only you were still here, then I could have told you everything, and -"
"Dude, chill out!" Blaine said. "It's all in the past now, isn't it?"
"Shut up! I can't just let it go like that!" Nathan said. "I can't think of my dad the same way anymore. He's not the same man I admired..."
"Okay, whatever. You just make sure you can still fight worth a damn." Blaine said. "See you later. Maybe you'll have finished your hissy fit by then."
Nathan couldn't think of a response, and then ran away. Blaine could have sworn he heard him sobbing, and sighed.
"At least you've got an old man to be pissed off at. You don't know how lucky you are, you stupid bastard!" Blaine said, quietly, but bitterly.
Sighing again, Blaine went home. At least he was having Lucy finally come to his house, so that would take his mind off things. In fact, he was already thinking about tidying up the house, and hiding anything she wouldn't like. Namely, a large collection of adult videos and empty beer cans lying all over the floor.
|Inanis|
All was quiet in the silent land of Inanis tonight. Suddenly, the entire ground started shaking, and unbelievable amounts of energy roared down, seeping into the land.
Watching the chaos unfold, Nihane Kronos stepped forward. His orange eyes lit up, and he clapped. He had been here waiting, but alas, it had finally come. The fourth Divine Spark, of Nova Albion, was here. Saragel and Legarte were the only ones left. Surely, the time would soon come for both of them to awaken.
"It's moving so quickly! People of Amurdad, rejoice, for those who wronged you will meet their true end. There will be no heaven or hell for the prejudiced villains who razed our home. You will witness the Eternal Road's completion, no matter how many get in our way!"