Chapter 12
(I was born very wealthy, part of that one percent that was untouchable by average society. But wealth and privilege could not buy me love, or friendship or even a sense of belonging. I have never really fit in anywhere, at least not for long. You could call me an Immortal Outsider, I guess. If it wasn't my size making me stand out, it was my fierce personality. I was always taller, stronger, and naturally athletic, far more agile then my peers. Making even the most proficient athletes in my class feel inferior. I have always been driven, never satisfied with the world around me. I tended to be far more 'passionate' about things, then my classmates. Easy to anger and always filled with a sense of justice other's could not accept. I never meant to make people hate me and never understood why I was shunned and left out by my classmates. Not understanding that I made people jealous or just intimidated them, unintentionally of course. I felt hurt and misunderstood by even my teachers. I found making enemies was far easier for me then making friends. So by the fifth grade I had given up on being friendly and became what everyone expected me to be.
A thug. But I wasn't some angry, defiant criminal. Out to destroy school property, get into fights or steal from the students at least not at this point.
I was what you would call an Alpha bully who kept the other bullies in line. My grandfather, who was a stern, unyielding man of great moral character. Had been a navy gunner in WWII,had instilled in me a moral code. One that was so ingrained in my character it seemed to define who I was. That because I was bigger, stronger and more capable to defend others. Then it was my duty to do so. So I used my gifts to protect the weaker students in my school, by becoming the most feared person in my school. It wasn't long before I had a reputation as a trouble maker in the most prestigious private school in New York, Horace Mann Elementary.
No one messed with me, so I felt alone in every sense of the word. But it wouldn't be long until I understood the concept of being alone far more intimately. I lost the only people who had ever accepted me. The ones I knew with out a doubt loved me despite my many faults. Half way through grade six, my parents were killed. Caught up in a robbery gone wrong out in the Bronx, while looking at new realistate acquisitions. My parents made their money by buying out contemned properties and refurbishing them into affordable condos. Trying to improve the troubled neighbourhoods and offer families, safe well built homes to raise their kids in. So they would take chances going into less then safe area's of the city. It was only a matter of time before their luck ran out.
While my grandfather was the CEO of a multi-billion dollar, international company. He approved of my parents commitment to improve the city and help the poor. But he did not like the risks they took to personally over see their refurbishing projects. When they were killed, he wasn't surprised but it still tore his heart out. My father was on the board of executives and when he died, I was to take his place in my grandfather company when I was grown. My grandfather took me in and made an honest attempt to care for me. To focus my drive and mold me into the perfect successor. My life was quickly over scheduled with all manner of activities. Trying to make me more well rounded, more desirable to the elite that surrounded my grandfather. I wanted none of it!
And he was far to busy to raise a child and I was far to angry to let him love me. I lashed out in every way a young girl could at a world I felt never cared about me. I made a game of ditching my driver, who's job was to get me home from school each day. I started to hang out with a very bad crowd instead. Young adults so full of rage and messed up in the head as I was. Since I was so tall and mature looking I fit in fine with people five or six years my senior. They never questioned my age and I never told them how young I was. We would wander the city to all hours of night. Seeking out any means to avoid reality and just be numb. I started stealing small stuff, from stores and unlocked cars. Started drinking and smoking, everything from cigarettes to herb. Thankfully I still had enough good sense to avoid the hard drugs.
But I still became an unruly, uncontrollable mess!
My attitude became apathetic to school and I barely showed up most days. I was far happier running wild in the streets to all hours of the night. Soon I just stopped going home to my grandfather, unwilling to face him and his disappointment. I preferred to live out there, were there were no rules and no expectations. Where I could forget everything and just wallow in my unjust life. I lasted two weeks before the cops caught me and the delinquents I was currently running with, in a stollen Mercedes. Joy riding at high speeds in Central Park at three am! I was barely twelve years old and at the wheel... Yeah I was totally out of control.
High as a frick'en kite and in possession of maharaja. So the cops threw me in the tank for the night. It was later when I had come down that I found out all the other charges currently against me.
My so called friends who were more then just a few years older then me. Had planned far more then a joyride that night.
They had several bags of cocaine and guns stashed in a duffle bag in the trunk.
So now I was up on drug trafficking and weapons charges. As well as driving with out a license and being under the influence of drugs. I was going be sent away to juvy for a very, very, very long time.
I was fucked...I had just flushed my future right down the toilet in one night of stupidity.
Thankfully my grandfather and his money, came to my rescue.
I was given a second chance..one I felt I did not deserve. But I promised to earn my redemption and my grandfather approval from now on.
Shamed and sent away, he hired an ex-cop to keep me in line. I was sent as far away as my grandfather could send me. With some grim faced, buzzed cut totting man who resembled a jail guard in every sense of the word. He did not put up with my smart assery, as he stated it. Putting me in my place verbally and physically when he felt I was out of line. I hated him! But he was exactly what I needed to get my head on straight again.
We ended up sharing an apartment in some small town in one of the upper prairie states that bordered Canada. He enrolled me into the local elementary and acted as my Guardian until I was old enough, and responsible enough, to take care of myself.
This was a fresh start and I intended to make the best of it. I would come to realize in time that it was more then fate that had sent me there. I found true friendship for the very first time and came to understand love in the truest sense. I was grateful and profoundly lucky to have been given those precious years with Serena and the girls. When faced with a woman, a foe so powerful, so determined to obliterate my best friend and all who stood in her way. I faced death head on, accepted with out blinking my own mortality. And I protected each of them with my very last breath and when I was killed. I felt no regret...just a sense of loss. That I had not accomplished what I had wanted to achieve most in this life.
To destroy that great evil that threatened my most precious person...
My truest friend, my one and only
Princess...)
Jupiter reigned in her mighty war horse, to a slow walk. Her great stallion had a thick coat of dark b rown fur, his b lack maine and tail b raided into tight knots. Tied with thick hide rope and b eaded with topaz stones. A token of good luck and fortune for all great war lords of the planet Jupiter. He was b red for b attle, with a b road chest and powerful legs. His hooves protected b y tufts of b lack hair that matched his maine. His dark b rown eyes were keen and always aware of his surroundings. He huffed and shook his head roughly when his master commanded him to halt upon the crest of a grassy b luff. She signalled with an over head fist for her scouting party to draw forward cautiously. She had left the b ulk of her army several miles b ehind. For they were a huge, lumb ering mass of calvary, foot soldiers and stock wagons and lacked the finesse a smaller party of soldiers possessed. She wanted to make sure the way ahead was clear and that the Elysian's main supply road to the Golden Palace threw the Green Wood was unb locked. Endymion was a cunning strategist, he would not make the Moon Queen's advancement upon his Castle easy. She expected some sort of resistance from the earth kingdom and wanted it dealt with promptly. She hadn't the luxury or time for diplomacy. She needed to reclaim her princess quickly and with out much mortal b lood shed, she hoped.
Her men were dressed in full silver plate mail of the Moon. While her dark plate was accented b y her royal crests of oak leaves. Etched into her b road shoulder guards and emb lazoned like a b rand upon the elegantly folded metal of her
b reast piece. Her helm was shaped like a predatory eagle, her face guard protruding like a razor sharp b eak. The sides of her helmet flared outward like the b lades of mighty wings. Her piercing green eyes stared out from b eneath the b old cowl with a warrior's dispassionate gaze. In one swift movement she pulled the helm from her head and placed it upon the pommel of her saddle. Wanting an unob scured view of the land ahead, a land her queen wished for her conquer. She was a stunningly, b eautiful woman. The curves of her face was b oth strong and gentle at the same time. Her aura was regal, an immortal warrior princess who sought justice and the protection of all b eings weaker then herself. Her neck long and slender with b ronzed skin that only amplified the ferocity of her b rilliant green eyes. Her long b runette hair tumb led in waves down her b ack, with slender b raid's similar to her mounts interwoven within the wild strands.
The scorched meadow grass b efore her was high and rather b rittle now that it was the peak of summer.
Mars and her own army lay to the east and could easily set the earth kingdom ab laze. Her inferno would devour the land and b urn the forests to ash in a matter of hours. While Venus and her army lay to the west, laying in wait for the King of Elysian and his Generals if they sought to escape the Moon Queen's wrath. He had refused to return her daughter, when the Queen had demanded of it. Stating that he had granted her sanctuary. That b y his oath and his honour he would protect her from everything and everyone who wished to harm her. Even the Gods themselves.
So in a matter of a day, the earth had proclaimed war against the whole of the Silver Millennium.
Mercury was missing, it was rumoured she was wandering the outer fringes of the planets. Inciting reb ellion b y seeking the aid of the outer Guardians.
It wasn't Jupiter's nature to ponder the complexity of royal politics, or question the commands of her Queen. But ever since that ancient wise man had darkened the Moon Palace's halls a year ago, a strange paranoia had b loomed inside the queens heart. She was b ecoming more fearful and unstab le b y the day. Seeing b etrayal and reb ellions lurking in every corner of her kingdom.
The inner planets that were once rife with civil unrest were now in utter turmoil. Her own kingdom was unravelling all around her. With the threat of the Dark Moon now b earing down upon them from b eyond the outer planets. Thanks to Princess Serenity's timely ab andonment of her duty to wed King Demande. The Queens' treaty with the Dark Moon was null and void. Her plans to quell the inner planets reb ellion with the aid of the Dark Moon's power was no longer an option. Demande had b een insulted, his honour as a man, as a ruler had b een tarnished with Serenity's rejection. He wanted retrib ution and was rallying his own troops to take the Moon Palace and Selene's throne. After that he promised to slaughter the people of Elysian and put their kings head upon a pike.
Her chest tightened with b oth rage and loathing at the very though to Demande. Her hatred of him firing relentlessly through her b rain. She wanted nothing more then to slaughter that vile king and all his guards. But her Queen stayed her hand and forced her to quell her thirst for violence.
Demande had given Queen Selene two days to retrieve her daughter and present her b efore his own court for judgement. If she could hand over her daughter to him b y that time he would not unleash the full power of the Dark Crystal upon the Moon. Jupiter did not understand why she wouldn't just fight b ack and threaten the pompous king with the full might of her own Silver Crystal? Surely the Imperium Crystal had more strength then his puny Dark crystal? She didn't trust her queen unconditionally anymore and had sought a promise from the Queen. That she would not just give her daughter over to that tyrannical king. Queen Selene had promised, she wasn't going to hand Serenity to Demande. But she needed her as a token for peace. It was enough for Jupiter and the remaining two guardian's to aid the Queen one last time. If she failed to protect her own daughter this time, they were prepared to defend their princess even against their own sovereign.
She heaved a great sigh and craned her head upward to the full moon now rising over the tree tops of the great green wood sprawling in the distance. The night wind whistled through her long b runette hair, casting it over her shoulder's in tumb ling waves. She sensed a hesitancy in her mount, one she shared at the mission ahead. Her queen had pitted her against her one true love, the heavenly king of the West. It had b een just over year since their princess b egan her liaisons with the Prince of the Earth. It fell upon them, her four Guardian Deities to track her down and b ring her b ack to the moon. During that time each of them had fallen for the Elysian Prince's roughishly handsome Generals. She had
b een no exception, unab le to defend herself against Nephrite's b old, yet charming advances. He had claimed her heart as easily as he had claimed her b ody months ago.
Now she was here to demand Serenity's return, b y force if necessary. The thought of going into comb at against Nephrite was tearing her apart. Her neck guard felt to confining, constricting her b reath. The weight of her chest plate was far to heavy. She could b arely take in air, so overwhelmed with the magnitude of her b etrayal to her b eloved. As Silent tears slipped down her cheeks, unab le to contain the emotional suffering raging within her heart. She was trapped as was her fellow Guardian's b etween upholding their duty to Queen Selene, or b etraying their own oaths of fealty for love? She sucked in one deep b reath after another, needing to reclaim her composure. She did not need her men to see such weakness just b efore comb at.
As the tortured pain of what she was ab out to do receded, she glanced down at her mounts slowly b owing head, he was exhausted. They had b een riding hard, towards the inner kingdoms. Ever since leaving the portal at Selene's earthly temple, atop the great mountain of Song. The ferocity in Queen's Selene's command to retrieve her daughter, and the time constraints of meeting King Demande's demands. Was spurning them all at a ridiculous pace to reach the Gates of the Golden Palace. Twenty soldier's in Silver regalia b roke from the scouting parties main ranks and rushed up the hill towards Jupiter. Reigning in their mounts as they came ab reast of the Guardian of Protection.
Jupiter never turned, knowing the countless ranks of her main army swelled over the valley miles b ehind her. The Queen
had sent the full strength of her armies to earth, intending to intimidate Endymion b y sheer numb ers. If he refused her demands, they were to crush his kingdom and b urn it away to ash. It was the height of b lasphemy to defy the Gods!
Instead she remained staring ahead, her eyes scanning the dips and swales of the wide meadows. Listening to the clamour of the over heated stallions coming to a halt b eside her. Her men were muttering b itterly amongst themselves, each b reath they heaved was lab oured. They were b one tired and irritab le at b eing confined in full plate for nearly two days ride.
The night wind b lew roughly threw her long hair, tossing her b runette curls ab out her shoulder's as if angered b y her pressence here in Elysian. The cool air did nothing to dry the sweat moistening her skin b eneath her armour. It only served to throw a chill through her instead. She shivered and growled in irritation.
There was nothing in sight, just the waving high grass of the sprawling meadow that b ordered the great green wood far in the distance. The b illowing shadows cast b y the moon's lonely gaze, amid the dips and valleys of that huge meadow made the hairs on the b ack of her neck stand up. That sixth sense of lurking threat that all warrior's gain from surviving previous b attles b egan to nag at her.
She had b een curious why her horse seemed cautious, almost wary ab out continuing towards those woods. Her gaze shifted to her men, finding some of them leaning weakly against the necks of their mounts. While others were uncapping water skins and drinking deeply. She patted the neck of her stallion, feeling him tremb ling under her fingers.
She looked around again, taking his warning seriously. Finding only the vacant darkness of meadow grass and looming night ahead. To the naked eye there was ab solutely nothing out there.
"Careful." Jupiter instructed in a hushed growl. "My horse is acting skittish, there might b e something out there."
"Mines acting weird too." A soldier reported near the edge of the procession.
"That why we left the main b ody of the army b ehind. For now we need to scout ahead, make sure the way the clear." She commanded, placing her helm b ack onto her head b efore kicking her mount forward. Her stallion huffed in defiance at first then strode into the high grass at a cautious gate. Jupiter kept a keen eye upon either side of her mount as the tall grass enveloped them.
As if on cue once they were all concealed within the grass, a piercing war cry erupted from within their midst. It split the air like a thunder clap, a war scream that was equal parts anger and mirth. Snarling and howling with b oth triumph and savagery. Then the source of the fearful cry came equally fast. Charging through the tall grass from the right. The faint light from the mid summer moon was poor illumination to track the b east now b earing down upon them at an incredib le speed.
It only illuminated part of the man-monster. Who was now b arreling down upon her right flank of soldiers. A hideous mountain of snarling teeth and claws, its huge muscled torso wrapped up in mismatched hide armour. His skin was as b lack as the night itself, as if perhaps he had b een b orn from it.
His eyes gleamed with the mirrored edge of a nocturnal predator. Never in all her life had Jupiter seen such a ghastly visage. The b east wielded two huge b lades, that were easily the size of a man. As he reached the first soldier he threw b ack his head and roared. As if screaming to the heavens his defiance, wanting the gods to hear his rage and try and stop the carnage he was ab out to unleash.
"Demon!" One of her soldier's b ellowed in fright, as his mount reared and screamed. Then to a one every horse reared and cried out in terror. Tossing and trampling their shocked rider's. As frantic horse flesh and panicked soldier's b ecame a maelstrom of chaos. One unlucky soldier got tangled in his stirrups and was dragged away into the night. His screams echoed for only a moment b efore they were ab ruptly silenced. Announcing quite strongly that other monsters lurked in the dark meadow. Amid the shout and cries of terror, Jupiter sat proudly upon her mount. Who had seen far more of b attle then these young geldings and could keep a calm head when faced with insurmountab le threats. When the monster's
b lades came down. Cleaving a nearb y horse that had lost it's way asunder in one b low. The horses innards spilled out over the earth, it's b lood soaking the grass. The remaining horses fled, snorting and shaking their heads as they b roke free to the west. Leaving their rider's at the mercy of the rampaging b east.
Jupiter was spurned into action, she unsheathed her great halb erd from her b ack. Raising the mighty b lade ab ove her head with two hands as she charged her mount towards the b east. Her war scream was as piercing and ferocious as the b ird of prey that adorned her helm.
Her horse made it only a few paces b efore the night itself seemed to b end. The vicious b low she took to the stomach was never anticipated. As she flew off her horse as if propelle cannon strike. Crashing to the tall grass, her b reast plate
b adly dented and crushing the air from her lungs. Gasping and panting she rolled onto all fours, one hand still grasping the hilt of her great sword. The hit had b een incredib ly vicious, nearly knocking her unconscious. She was a Warrior Goddess and it took something truly powerful to leave her so shaken.
Slowly she raised her head, coming toward her was what appeared t moving slice of the night. As it got closer she could make out that it was a slight frame. That of a woman, swathed in a magical b lack cloak. With a deep veiled hood that concealed her face. She was whispering upon the wind like an ill omen. Her voice echoing with immortal power's far b eyond that of a mere mortal. Coming her way at a loose, leisurely gate. Confided in her superiority and the inevitab le demise of her enemies.
Jupiter swallowed hard and settled her nerves. She understood the words of power, the woman was enchanting a spell. What she did not know, b ut whatever dark power had shielded her from notice earlier was certainly the source of evil. That had created the horrific demon who had taken out her scouting party and those that were still lurking in the fields b eyond.
Jupiter scramb led to her feet, glancing sideways finding her war horse a few paces away. He was stead fast and courageous. Jupiter was thankful for his loyalty. If she needed a hasty exit then he was within reach. But first she wanted to face this darkness head on, glean what she could ab out it's purpose here in Elysian. It wasn't prob ab le that Endymion would rally his b anner to such darkness even to protect his princess. He was far to proud, to honourab le to take such drastic measures. This darkness was not of this world, b ut it had corrupted this human woman. Offering her great power at the cost of her soul. But what was her purpose...her driving force to want to slaughter the Moon's forces?
Jupiter took only a couple steps b ackward, b efore she tripped over the savaged b ody of one her men. Grasping the hilt of her weapon with a shaking, sweaty hand. As the sharp calls of twin raven's shattered the night. Jupiter scanned the night sky, finding two small specks of deeper b lack b locking the stars. Phob os and Deimos were circling the meadow?
It took Jupiter only a second to realize Mars had b een attacked as well and had sent her two familiars to check on her and Venus. Was Mar's army decimated? Was Venus still alive?
The air was thick with fear and impending doom as the woman voice grew in intensity. What ever spell she was calling forth it was close to b eing released. Jupiter quickly glanced over her shoulder and then ahead again, judging the distance b etween the spell caster and her mount. Off to her left she could hear the sickening ring of metal and the slick thudding of b odies and heads hitting the ground. As the giant was lopped and gutting the rest of her fleeing men. Still laughing like a child at play, at the gruesome slaughter he was inflicting.
Jupiter continued to b ack away, struggling to stay calm. The raw panic the massive spell of destruction was invoking in her was b reaking down her resolve. Tremb ling and b arely holding onto her composure, her knees practically knocking as she inched towards her mount. Not wanting to make it to ob vious as to her destination. She acted disorientated, her eyes darting over the dead b odies now scattered around the meadow. The men who had already lost their minds to fear and had b olted, had lost their lives only meters away. Decapitated or impaled b y the sadisticly jovial monster.
In her darkest nightmares and all the b loody campaigns she had led to quell the inner planets reb ellions against her Queen. She had never imagined this, b eing so overwhelmed, so quickly b y such a truly insidious dark power.
More shadows were now closing in on the periphery of the carnage, chuckling and their b lood soaked b lades gleaming in the moonlight. They had taken out all of her soldiers who had managed to get past the giant. The ones who still remained stood their ground, b ringing forth their own weapons.
Jupiter pretended to limp towards them, all the while she kept her eyes on the slowly moving shadow casting the spell. It's b lack cloak dancing smoothly in the warm wind, revealing a twilight lavender dress b eneath.
Jupiter squinted to attempt to see b etter, the dress's fab ric was rich, like velvet? Who ever this woman was, she wasn't poor...perhaps part of one of the earthly royal houses? She moved like liquid death, her movements rapid and measured. As she killed every last one of her remaining soldiers. Swiftly disarming each one and them, deflecting their final charges with patient, almost professional air. As if she was a trained assassin. Though Jupiter knew that each of her soldier's was attacking to the b est of their ab ilities. It seemed as if they were merely handing over their weapons to her. The living shadow moved faster then her eyes could track in the poor light the moon gave off. She watched helplessly as the shadow slit throats, inserting her dagger into an ear. Passing b etween each of the remaining men left alive b ut crippled upon the ground. Gliding her b lade across their throats, all the while whispering her incantation of impending death. Moving like a spirit of vengeance across the b attlefield. Offering a hand to one young man, who was cowering
b eside his fallen saddle. As if seeking to aid him to his feet, taking the the man's sword from his shaking grasp. Then returning it with one fluid motion, into the pit b eneath the man's arm. Thrusting the b lade b etween his rib s and straight into his heart. She was dispensing death more swiftly and efficiently than Jupiter had ever seen.
Ab le to use any weapon, never pausing, switching hands to kill with such uncanny skill it astounded.
Time slowed for Jupiter as the realization came upon her, it fell upon her conscious mind like a comforting mantle. The imminence of her own death. Detachedly she was aware of the tightness of the skin around her eyes as she refused to b link. The stinging in the corners of her eyes, as the lack of movement dried them out. Or perhaps it was true fear, regret or a mixture of many other sad emotions that caused her eyes to tear up. She had put many to the sword herself, all in the name of protection.
The protection of the Throne...
The protection of the Royal family...
For Selene...
A sweet, endearing face swam in her minds eye. The innocent shine of pure b lue eyes, gazing fondly up at her. Golden tails fluttering the wind, as gloriously melodic laugh so filled with joy echoed upon the wind.
For Serenity!
The very thought of her princess washed the unyielding fear the shadow's spell had cast upon her. Emb oldening her resolve and tore away the suffocating darkness that was once holding her b ack from retaliating. Her heart was now free of the spells constraints and she could focus once more with clear clarity.
The sudden dread that this undefeated shadow might b e headed to murder her b eloved princess, after she had laid waste to the land. Snapped her out of her grim self refection. Taking a sharp cold b reath, she dashed for her horse. Leaping with a wild, desperate cry onto his b ack. Kicking the animal hard against the flanks and sending it forward at a intense pace. The stallion leaped over the converging shadow monster's, intent on finishing off her remaining men. The war horses hooves dug into the ground when it landed a few feet away. It never lost its footing, charging forward towards the east. Churning up the dirt as it ran a full speed across the wide meadow. Heading unerringly for the ancient b elt of trees that circled the golden palace like a natural storm wall.
Jupiter never looked b ack, her eyes hard and focused upon her goal. As the air within the meadow was heating up, the wind searing the high grass. Moaning in warning, as it twisted and howled overhead. The grass b ent flat in supplication to the coming destruction. Jupiter lashed her mount with her heels in desperation. Needing the horse to run faster, as the fear and panic clutched hard at her chest. She needed to make the tree line b efore the spell ignited.
With a resounding b oom, the massive spell of dark fire finally exploded from the sky ab ove the rolling prairie. Crashing down upon the fields, its concussive force striping the land of all life. Tearing into the land and gouging it away in massive chunks. Beyond the main b last, a dark inferno of death b illowed and rolled outward. Ultimate destruction devoured the meadows. Sweeping across the dips and swales of the prairie, b urning them away to ash. None was spared, every living thing was decimated in a matter of seconds. Leaving only scorched earth b ehind.
Jupiter b ent low upon her mounts neck as the b ranches of the outer ring of elm trees crashed over her head. She could feel the shadow's eyes b oring into her, full of wrath and vengeance. A shiver of pure fear washed over her in that moment. Death was coming for them all...this was only the b eginning of their coming suffering.
Her horse was moving at a b reak neck speed, his hooves stead fast and sure. As he put distance b etween them and the anguished land b ehind. Jupiter cursed herself for a fool, infuriated that her choices had b een so b leak. Forced to leave her army b ehind like sacrificial lamb s to the slaughter. To b e immolated b y demon fire, while she raced to her princess's side. All thoughts of her queen's commands now cast aside. As an even more deadly foe had reared it's head. Who was that woman? How did she gain such dark and unb elievab le powers?
What was her purpose in destroying Endymion's land? Had she already laid waste the castle or had the moons armies unintentionally delayed her siege?
Jupiter raced into the night, her heart slamming against her b reast. The pain of her b roken b ones from the shadow woman's first attack long forgotten. Her only thought was of Serenity and her well b eing nothing else mattered...
The real world surged into blinding clarity in the next instant. As Lita aimed the full force of her lightening towards the soldier's hanging helplessly from the rafter's. Her thoughts were numb, driven only by fear and loathing. She unleashed the full extent of her powers, with out a thought of the consequences. The club lit up briefly like a nova blast, the massive concussion of her lightening hitting the roof and back wall. The backlash of her massive discharge of power, knocking everyone and everything not tied down into the front of the club as if an atomic blast had ignited in the confines of the dance floor.
When the dust settled and the dull red haze of the emergency lights came on. Lita was the last thing standing, seething and heaving for breath through clenched teeth. Her arms now limp at her sides, no longer sparking, her skin still shivering with pent up aggression, that she still held in check.
The weight of her powers upon her body lightened by their release. Yet her head hung low in defeat, her heart ached with a heavy weariness. She had unleashed the full extent of her genesis, vaporizing everything in its path and blasting most of the roof and a great portion of the four story mall into ash. Her rage had murdered countless human beings, including Randy. A stoic, aloof boy she barely knew, who had turned into a twisted man full of hatred towards her kind. In the end she didn't know if he was worth saving or could even be redeemed. After the battle in the underground of the Arena and the murder's she had just committed by her own hands. For the sake of her friends, she wondered if she was worth redemption as well?
Serenity had huddled down on the floor when Lita unleashed her lightening. Wrapping her wings around her body to shield herself from the fallout of debris. When she finally peeked out from the curtain of down feather's to ascertain the extent of the damage Lita had caused. She sucked in a cold breath of disbelief. Half the club was gone, most of the roof missing revealing the neon glow of the entertainment bund outside. A few stars winked down at them from beyond the haze of smoke and street lights. The silence that reigned now that the battle was over was deafening.
She slowly rose to her feet, scanning the carnage and utter devastation. Biting the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from breaking down into heart breaking sobs. As she saw the ash silhouettes of the three remaining sister's upon the dance floor. The few solider's who had survived the blast now cowered in the darkness, whimpering and traumatized by the magnitude of the power they were so arrogantly attempting to quell.
Her eyes so full of sorrow and compassion, finally fell on Lita. Who was trembling violently now. Falling into shock, her face pale and a sheen of sweat now covering her body. Serenity dashed to her side and enveloped her in her arms, circling her wings protectively around her dear friend.
"Don't touch me!" Lita screamed, writhing against Serenity's hold. "Don't fucking touch me!" She raged, but the fight soon left her. Leaving her sobbing and wailing inconsolably in Serenity's arms, gripping her shoulder's desperately, needing to find any kind of solace from the magnitude of guilt and pain now blossoming in her heart.
She had killed so many people now...since finding Sere again. She had lost herself somewhere amid the fighting and became a killing machine, with no soul it seemed. Until the rage dimmed and she could think clearly again. Now there was only pain and remorse, "I had too...I couldn't let them kill my friends...my family. " She took a long broken breath.
"Who am I...Sere...what have I become?" She moaned, hiccuping and desperately trying to regain her composure. As she bathed her Princess's chest in her tears. Serenity just held onto her tight, crying silently, petting her hand down the auburn curls of her hair. " You defended us all...you did not kill them with out remorse. You are not a murderer, Lita. Oh, god...I love you so much. " She whispered soothingly in her ear.
As the faint sounds of their comrades regaining their feet and scrambling through the wreckage to their side could be heard beyond the curtain of pale trembling white wings.