Crossing the Threshold ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Lilia was shocked at that statement. "No! Don't do it, Commander!" "I have no choice, Lilia," Aarin said this whilst looking at Diana, "If my death will pacify Diana's rage, then I have no options left. Setsuya brought this sadness to you by killing Zephaniah, did he not? He was my best friend. Hold me accountable for his alleged mistakes. If that will stop you from killing people... I will happily die on this very spot." "...Are you serious? You would die here and now?" Diana was confused, and very cautious. The old master nodded. "Yes. If it will end your bloodlust and your sadness, then you may take my life. I will offer no resistance whatsoever." Energy of the light blade began to flicker. Aarin noticed it but said nothing. Diana's heart was wavering. The woman stood transfixed before a downed Aarin, finally with her revenge at hand. After years and years of waiting and suffering. But... why was she hesitating? Surely this man deserved nothing but death? So why was Aarin being so noble and casual about this? This was not the way Diana pictured her revenge. This was not how she imagined it. It was strange. She felt something. Something as she looked into Aarin's bright brown eyes. It felt like she was staring into the eyes of the younger Aarin again. But rather than seeing the cold, uncaring disposition of young Aarin, she was now captivated by the warmth and kindness of the older version. And suddenly she was struck with the parallel shifting of their position. Aarin had once been an unemotional youth and now had become a tender loving man. Diana had once been a tender loving woman. Now she had become what Aarin once was. Cold and indifferent. But Diana had fallen much deeper than Aarin had been. This man was different from the one who had caused her so much pain. Now here she was... committing death against others. She was administering the same kind of agony that she had suffered all her life. Just what... had she become? Diana's energy blade began to shake harder at Aarin's throat. Suddenly her mind began to flash with memories of her past; the short time she and her husband-to-be were just a couple of crazy lovers... the days at which Zephaniah was not 'Zephaniah' but the peaceful Aesus... ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Long lost words whisper slowly to you Still can't find what keeps me here When all this time I've been so hollow inside I know you're still there ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "Hello, my name is Aesus... um... what's yours?" "...D-Diana..." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Watching me, wanting me I can feel you pull me down Fearing you, loving you I won't let you pull me down ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "Aesus... I believe I should tell you... just how I feel..." "You don't have to say it, Diana. I know. And I love you too." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Hunting you, I can smell you- alive Your heart pounding in my head ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "Diana... will you do me the honour... of being my wife...?" "The answer... is yes..." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Watching me, wanting me I can feel you pull me down Saving me, raping me Watching me ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Tears slipped from Diana's eyes. Warm dewdrop sparkles dripping from her face and eyes, to the cold snow below her. Her beloved... defeated and broken, his corpse rested in tomb that had been forgotten by the world. The world which had corrupted both their lives. But it was a world they both hoped would see sense. In times of desperation, people either rally together, or turn against each other. Both Diana and Zephaniah were disgusted with the fact that mankind had chosen the latter. But by following this path of revenge... had Diana been perpetuating the rules and miseries of a world she once condemned? Had she sunk so low as to join ranks with the foolish hearts of the hopeless? So heartbroken that the flame of caring that Zephaniah had once loved about her was close to being extinguished? Aarin noted the tears in Diana's eyes. He was finally reaching her. "It's your choice, Diana. You lack faith in this planet. Just like I once did. But then I met my beloved Gwendolyn. She showed me the beauty that still exists in this world. She brought me love. And though I miss her greatly since her death, I fight on. Because I know that she would have wanted me to live my life for the right reasons. Will killing me change your heart? Will killing Saizaki do anything but serve your own self-destruction? Would Zephaniah even have wanted to see you so unhappy? Or would he have wanted you to seek some form of peace, after all you have been through? You can end this now, Diana. End all this suffering... all this hate. So that the living may strive for a better world. One where happiness is our light... not this senseless carnage." The energy sword at Diana's hand dissolved. She pulled both hands up to her face and stared at them with tenuous eyes. "...My hands... have been stained... with so much blood..." Her voice broke into sobs. "So much blood..." As Diana began crying, Aarin finally stood upright. He heaved himself up to his feet, then walked over to the whimpering woman. He was careful at first, but then wrapped his arms around her, drawing her into an embrace. Diana collapsed into his arms, overwhelmed with the intense realization of all the things she had done. Aarin ran a hand through her hair, as she sobbed into his shoulder. Such was the power of this ruined world. To turn a peaceful woman into a maniacal murderer. And this war, this inane war without a purpose; was serving to divide people even further. Creating boundaries between kin and loved ones. Robbing food from the mouths of the hungry and passing it to the glutinous. The time had come to finish it. No more tragedy, no more hatred. It had to end. If this world was ever going to return to the peace it held nearly one hundred years ago, then someone would have to take a stand. And start by ending this pathetic war of magics once and for all. Aarin looked over at Saizaki, Lilia and Rainhande, who were still cautious about getting in close contact with the Neo-English sorceress in his arms. "It is okay. You may come forward. Diana is no longer a threat to us." Lilia was the first to step closer. Then Saizaki, and shortly afterwards, Rainhande. But Saizaki was the first to speak. "...What now?" "Now we end this ridiculous war," Aarin replied sternly, holding Diana in his arms. "Al Gul Jehed's ambition will lay waste to what is left of the earth. If we do not stop him, even more people could suffer the same fate as Diana. One last fight to the death. With Al Gul. Once we stop him, we will find a way to end this world's aggression. Without resorting to combat." Rainhande nodded in agreement. "Then we must travel to the Ruins of London immediately. We can waste no more time than we have." "It's gonna be hard getting there though," Saizaki added. "I mean we still don't know exactly where Al Gul Jehed is." Diana finally pulled her face from Aarin's shoulder. "...I...do..." "Really, Diana?" Lilia asked timidly. "You'll help us?" "...If it means ending the war..." Saizaki still didn't like her much, but, "Then can you tell us where he is?" Diana bobbed her head. "Yes I can... but I can do better than show you." The Neo-Englishwoman peeled herself from Aarin, then stood in the middle of the four other warriors. She spread out her arms and closed her eyes, calling upon her powerful magics once more. A wind picked up around the three of them and it surrounded them in a cluster, covered in streaks of lightning. Seconds later, all five of them were gone. Leaving behind the quiet forest covered in blankets of snow. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Prasutagus Manor, Greenwashe, Cath Maige Tuired "Ugh..." Rhiannon groaned tiredly as her eyelids began to flutter open. The first thing she felt was a throbbing pain in her skull. She held a hand to her head and tried to shake it off. Which was when she felt the plaster that was there. Rhiannon opened her eyes fully and looked around. She was lying in someone's bed, in someone's bedroom. Which was where she began to realize that this was her own room. The room she had been allowed to sleep in at Prasutagus Manor during her stay. The girl tried to think back to how she got here. But she couldn't at all remember how. All she could recall was seeing Gram charge at her with his sword. Then she saw nothing but stars. But with the memory of that defeat came all the sadness that went along with it. The idea that she had been beaten was hard enough to swallow. But that monster had wiped out her whole platoon. All twenty-five of her troops were gone now. How was it that she still lived? What of Bonnie? Was she okay? And there was always the Quetzacoatl to think of. Did Gram and Ursula get their hands on that too? Or was Leignitz enough to prevent that? Rhiannon pulled her upper body upwards from the bed and tried to cool down all of the many thoughts that were racing around in her head. She just had to take one thing at a time. She looked over at her right. On her table was her Order of Light tunic and her sword. She herself was dressed in a set of night clothes that obviously belonged to Bonnie. Rhiannon just hoped that that was a good sign. Then came a knock on the door. "...Come in." Rhiannon ushered. The door parted slowly and Bonnie's cute little head peered through. A look of disquiet turned into one of joy when she saw Rhiannon in bed. She was all bruised and bandaged-up but Bonnie was just so glad to see her alive. The blonde strode up to the bed and took a seat on the edge of it, playfully kicking her legs. "How are you feeling?" Bonnie enquired. Rhiannon held her head again. "Not great to be honest with you. But I'm not so concerned with myself. I want to know what happened to you after I was knocked unconscious. Are you okay? Did Gram hurt you?" Bonnie shook her head. "No. After you... were hurt, Leignitz tried to stop Gram from taking the Quetzacoatl. Then that child, Ursula appeared. She defeated Leignitz and spared me for some reason. Then they took the Quetzacoatl and vanished." "Dammit!" Rhiannon cursed, "I screwed up. They got the Quetzacoatl after all. And now my whole squad is dead. All for a stupid quarterstaff. What makes that thing so damn special, anyway?" Bonnie cast her gaze back downwards. "I am... so sorry for your loss. I didn't know everyone all that long... but they all seemed like a really nice bunch. Not one of them hated or scorned me for being what I am. A magic-user. For that I am grateful. I just wish that I could do something to make this easier on you." The battered Rhiannon pulled a smile as best as she could and gently stroked the soft cheek of her girl. "Don't feel like that. I'm at least happy that you got out of all that alive. I never got the chance to make eyes at that Ursula kid... but I'm thankful that you're okay." "So what are you going to do now?" "...I can think of one thing," Rhiannon said, ambling out of bed, "I need a little chat with someone about this whole situation." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ St. Paul's Cathedral, Ruins of London, Neo-England The stone path leading up St. Paul's Cathedral. Stone blocks dropped in front of a stairway to one of God's holiest temples. Corrupted by the decaying fingers of Al Gul Jehed. This place had already been radically changed. The place was now a symbol for the greed of a usurper, a man willing to cast the world into hell to fulfil his own egotistical desires. A stormy wind blew through the stone path leading towards the Cathedral. Once this wind vanished it was replaced with five people; Diana, Aarin, Saizaki, Lilia and Rainhande. They all touched solid ground once more. And their eyes dared to look around them. A city, perpetually covered in snow. A place filled with ruined buildings, decaying statues, mangled corpses and filth. The pestilence of rats and lice were common as it would have been for people in the 1800's. It was a place of anguish and desolation. The few people that remained here gnawed upon the fragile things of London that made it a worthwhile place to live. Sinking into pleasures they might have thought better of years ago. The men scrounged in furrowed heaps of rubbish and human waste for scraps of food, while the woman sold themselves to the perverted with little compassion for their own bodies. Children bickered over the simplest things, seeking to alleviate their unhappiness by arguing them away. But this was understandable. The Ruins of London, though inside the Neo-English Safe Zone, was the only city that did not see any revival. People were doubtful that it would work. The Ruins of London were so damaged and battered that no one dared to hope it could be saved. So it stayed as it was, its only use; a reflection of what life was like outside of the Safe Zones, to scare Safe Zone dwellers into conformity. Even now, there were less than 300 people living in this defiled hole, a mere shadow of its former superiority. Saizaki, Lilia and Rainhande were all shocked at how austere this place seemed. But Diana and Aarin knew that it was far beyond saving. Before the group was St. Paul's Cathedral, the current 'palace' of Al Gul Jehed. This was were he planned on controlling the earth. This would be the hub of his plans. Diana looked on at the place. "This is where he is," She began. "Al Gul has made St. Paul's Cathedral his base of operations. But he lives here by himself. There are no troops inside. Only him alone. If you enter this place, you will find him. In the Great Hall." Saizaki grinned. "Okay then! Let's take this guy out!" Both Rainhande and Lilia nodded to Saizaki, then followed him as he passed through the gate and ran up the steps towards the main door. They went in quickly, leaving nothing to time. There was a mission to complete. Just then, as Aarin was about to follow, when he noticed that Diana was fixed in her place. He looked back at her, his sage-like brown eyes tinted with concern. "Will you not come with us?" He asked. Diana shook her head as a no. "I cannot. Al Gul Jehed is not my main concern right now. I have something else that I need to do first. Then I will tend to the matter of... him." Aarin nodded. He understood. "Accepted. And Diana... I am truly sorry for all the heartbreak Setsuya and I have caused you. We laid down our lives to stop a man who we thought would bring evil to this world. And though I do not believe we acted incorrectly, I am genuinely remorseful that we produced this agony in you." "No," Diana answered, "I am the one... who must take responsibility for my mistakes. I shall not let this sadness in my heart afflict others. I will do as I must and acknowledge my love for Zephaniah by doing the right thing. That in itself should be the only thing my power must strive for. Farewell, Aarin Highland." And so they parted. Diana stepped back and spread her arms open, allowing that transportation wind to seize her body. She cast her eyes over at Aarin with a tranquil glance, one that offered thanks without actually saying it. But was enough for Aarin. The wind grew stronger until it broke away, leaving nothingness in the place at which Diana once stood. Aarin smiled, then ran after his subordinates. He climbed the steps to St. Paul's Cathedral and entered, running towards the Great Hall at which Al Gul resided. As he ran through the elongated stone corridor, he noticed that his three pupils where standing ahead of him, and a fifth figure standing before them. At first Aarin thought that it might be Al Gul himself, but it was revealed that this person was a woman. An American woman with bright emerald hair, dressed in Chinese garbs, and in possession of a long metal quarterstaff which she twirled around her body aggressively. It was Lilia who carried the most hatred for her. "...Esperanza!" "Heh, heh, heh..." Esperanza ignored Lilia and focused on Saizaki. "Hey there, Muffin? You miss me? I sure have missed you. I was beginning to think we'd never get to play again." Saizaki pointed at her. "Look girl, we really don't have time for this. So just get out of our way and we'll say no more about it." Esperanza continued to twirl her staff in that intimidating way. "Sorry, Muffin. I've got my orders. No one is allowed beyond that door over there. Beyond that door is a man that's gonna shape the earth. And I wanna be apart of that world, see? So that's why I can't let you cuties interfere with him." Rainhande was the first to act provocatively, drawing Lightning Tooth from its scabbard. "You twisted witch! You have no choice in the matter!" He then felt a hand on his shoulder. The hand of Aarin. "No, Rainhande. I will handle this one. You three must go on ahead and defeat Al Gul Jehed." Rainhande accepted that. This wasn't the first time Aarin would cover their backs. And the three needed to keep their strength for Al Gul. Aarin withdrew the sword from the sheath at his back, smiled casually and then vaulted into the air. The cut at his head, the one received from Diana, was actually still bleeding, but he felt no fear at all. What mattered now was the ending of the War of Magics. Esperanza watched with concern as Aarin jumped through the air towards her, repositioning his sword so it came down in a vertical slashing motion. Esperanza spread her staff horizontally and defended herself from the strike. The two weapons clashed with a violent echo, both fighters holding the other to a stand-off. Because of this, Esperanza was powerless to stop Rainhande, Lilia and Saizaki from running past the two of them. The staff-wielder was alert. "No! Stop!" "Hey," Aarin forced more pressure into their weapon lock, "You'd be wise to focus on me." The three warriors let Aarin handle that business with Esperanza, though Saizaki couldn't help but look back at Esperanza's predicament. Strangely enough, he kind of liked her. But there was no time for that. They had to focus completely on the mission. As Saizaki and the others ran up the next flight of carpeted stairs, there was one last iron door that was standing in the way. Saizaki took his boot to the door and kicked it open, the fabric of his tunic dancing around his body. They were in the main hall. The centre of the power of the Covenant. A hall that was adorned with statues of old and burnt crosses, withered draping over the crumbling stone walls, and a haunting feel that could chill even the mightiest man to the bone. Lilia, Rainhande and Saizaki all were swallowed up the decaying images of what they were seeing. It was almost as if this rotting cathedral represented the condition of the earth. And across from them, on the other side of this cathedral's grand hall, was the man behind the War of Magics. The man who authored the theft of the Shadow Edge and feared as the most powerful magic user known to mankind. Al Gul Jehed. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Achenpass, The Bavarian Alps, Borderline Neo Germany Out of all the battlegrounds that had been staged in the War of Magics, borderline Neo-Germany had to have some of the most fierce and bloody ones. Soldiers for the Order of Light and the Neo World Federation were locked in a death duel with the soldiers following the Covenant of Sorcerers. Men and women; some as old as forty-nine, some as young as fourteen, all went into combat without caring or compassion. Only the will to destroy their enemies and fight for that which they believed was correct. People lay dead as far the eye could see across this rocky field. And fighting took place at ever further lengths. Blood spilt along the ground in pints, bodies fell from grace like leaves, and sounds of screams filled their ears. Screams of the dying, those in agony, those about to land killing blows on their targets. It was all the same. The same infuriating yet heartbreaking madness. Explosions soon rocked the battlefield. Fire and shards of soil were blown across those bloody ground, killing those close enough. Fresh platoons of magic-users marched into fray, destroying their allied rivals with whichever magical projectile their mind could conceive. High above them, a lightning covered wind blew in. Diana appeared in the midst of it, hovering clear over the sheer destruction that was taking over the south of Neo-Germany. She looked down at this sight with regretful eyes. Not only had she been a part of this war, she was a willing part of it. People were dying in their hundreds and Diana had simply stood back and watched. Well no more. If she were ever to repent for her sins, then she would have start now. The young woman closed those expressive eyes of hers, then got to work. Her hands spread open at her sides, and energy began to glow around them. Streaks of bright white light, like a snake coiling around a dying mouse. This energy grew stronger as seconds went by, and a haughty but feminine growl escaped from Diana's throat. She struggled to maintain this high intensity energy, but managed to keep control over it, as she defiantly brought her hand upwards until they were spread out horizontally; from one end of her body to the other. "I am calling on all my powers..." Diana mumbled to herself. "Aid me in quelling the sheer fierceness of this combat... this war... Critical Shockwave!" Diana brought her two hands together and clapped. But the sound of it was more like a deafening roar. From that action, a HUGE wave, clearly designed for large-scale battles, passed through the air. It moved slowly, but like an enormous vibration that warped the air as it grew larger in size. Eventually this vibration reached the warring soldiers below the Neo-English sorceress. They stood no chance of defending themselves against it. The armies of both factions were knocked off their feet and sent to their backs. Such was the force of the Critical Shockwave. The wave continued to pass along and knocked down each soldier it collided with; until it faded away. But the results had been the desired ones. Out of the hundreds fighting, not one soldier had been left standing. And, to Diana's ease, they were not getting back up. She was thankful. They were not injured, just stunned. This would put an end to all the unnecessary killing until Aarin and his group were successful in stopping Al Gul Jehed. Diana took the time to draw in breath. Pulling off techniques of that scale was not easy. But she had to keep it together. There were still more things that she needed to tie up...
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