From behind Jeremiah, a single figure appeared out of nowhere, something was protruding from the figure's back. "...Oi, 'prophet', wanna give me that spiel?" The figure asked softly, the voice was instantly recognizable to Jeremiah... but... hadn't he died...?! The objects that were protruding from the figure's back suddenly shot out, forming together into a large black and white object, heading straight for Jeremiah, sending massive amounts of sand flying either way as it traveled... the object had a large opening... big enough to fit Jeremiah inside, it was closing in on him quickly. "Rule one! No fate is inescapable! Rule two! Death is not an ending for me! Rule three! Mess with the ones I care for and I'll turn you into mince meat!!!" The figure shouted, Jeremiah would be swallowed up whole if he didn't get out of the way... then that object would collapse into itself and create a massive explosion.
Light and darkness are both representative of opposite forces, seen as two complete different existences made only to be in conflict. However that’s just one side of the equation… perhaps the uncomprehensive side… True is that just as both are opposite, both coexists mutually and depends of each other to exists… Just as shadow is born of light, without the meaning of darkness light would had no meaning at all. Yet even while being dependant, both are still opposite forces… This leads to the corrupt existence given life, a paradoxical mass of flesh and soul…. --------------------------------------------------------- Jealuosy was the beginning of it. Yet it wasn’t an unrequited jealousy… Light was for once thrown in the basket, and it was unable to withstand such injustice. As thus it plotted to overcome the darkness as it should fairly be. But darkness resisted and withstood the attempts of light, who showed to be able to be even more cruel that the darkness itself. And then light shone again… still unable to overcome the darkness. However such ideal was no more a necessity and thus the light ignored the darkness. But the darkness this time was unable to accept this light and pursued it vanishment once again. …… The dependence is a paradox, being needed and unable to coexist itself…. …….IS PAINFUL…… PLEASE JUST STOP EXISTING…. THIS PARADOX IS THE SURGE OF PAIN…. I WISH THAT LIGHT AND DARKNESS WERE NOT TO EXIST ANYMORE…. AND EVENTUALLY NOTHING, AS WITHOUT LIGHT AND DARKNESS FORM WOULD HAVE NO MEANING…. And then Kyra opened its teary eyes…. It didn’t had to look at its own body to understand the deep of the wound, strong and deadly enough to let its consciousness vanish once again. It all happened so quick. The white monster relaxed on the palace while plotting its next move when a clash of chaos enshrouded the outside of the town. Moved by curiosity, the white monster headed to the place of events only to find the wall crumbled and a vast space of pure destruction. And then… Kyra died once again and fell unconscious to the ground. But the paradox is resilient to death… It was that the cruel fate imposed by whatever force that dominated over the nature of life and death, and Kyra itself was no more than just a toy of such uncomprehensible force. As thus it regained the life and consciousness as it happened before more than once. Yet it felt how its life was fading apart quickly again. A quick glance to its chest revealed a thin iron structure carved into its chest… …. Impalement?... who?... Thought the white monster seeking for its murder. Its eyes crossed with a young body carrying a metallic structure… something like a crossbow or similar… …I see… so this thing impaling me is an arrow…. Thought while meeting the teary eyes of the person who killed it.. …. I don’t know this person… but Kyra knows no?.... I don’t recall her name… but isn’t this the young girl that lived with Kyra and the store owner I killed before?.... I see now… this is vengeance no?... The face of the girl with the crossbow was filled with tears and rage, but overall a new found frustration now that Kyra got back to live again. Leidy, the young daughter of Adell decided to take revenge by herself after finding the shocking scenary left by Kyra in the store. The chaos created by the two prophets was the perfect distraction that lowered the guard of the White Monster allowing Leidy to deal her killing blow with an old crossbow that she surprisingly found no trouble to use. How she found that Kyra was the culprit of her father’s murder is unknown. White Kyra’s consciousness begins to fade again as its body found the metallic obstacle that didn’t allowed its heart to be rewind. … Is so boring… couldn’t had fate picked a more fitting ending for me?.... always toying with us that shitty piece of Charon…. Thought while closing its eyes… …. Or is it cruel?... I’ll eventually wake up again to find painful death anew…. "….So.....rry"…. mumbled the agonizing monster… “Huh?” replied Leidy confused with the monster’s mumbling… It painfully motioned its lips once again yet more clearly this time. “..Sorry… but… I REFUSE TO END …. LIKE THIS…!!!” Exclaimed at the same moment that a flow of Althea covered its wounded body. Leidy did not moved, even if she felt the fear, this because of the strange hunch that stroke her, so similar that the hunch that once stroke Joe before. And then in less than a second… an eternal and unnerving second, the metallic arrow broke, leaving more space for its heart to be recreated and thus giving the White Monster a chance to remove the deadly scythe that toyed with its destiny. “For someone who can toy with fate as I…. this way to die is just to ridiculous!!!” exclaimed Kyra. Leidy put on her guard as quick as she could, but of nothing it worked “A kid is still a kid after all!!!” exclaimed the white monster while grabbing the head of the young girl. There was no real cruelty, it all end as quick as it could, the white monster recovered the scythe and swung it upon a new victim this time. It stood up after its act trying to clean the blood at most as it could… yet to keep an image on this chaos was unnecessary. It slowly begun to walk… it had to know what happened and thus it headed to the place that gave birth to the catastrophe.
The end Aly sat on top of the wall watching Shari get battered again and again, and Jeremiah didn't look like he was getting any weaker. When Jeremiah started attacking with lighting Aly stood. She couldn't take it anymore...Shari was going to get killed if they didn't move now. "We can't wait any longer!" She called to the people below her. "We have to help now!" Without waiting for a response from the others she jumped off the wall, letting her wings catch air and flew as fast as she could towards the former-god-speaker. In the seconds that it took for her to fly from the wall to Shari, Joe attacked; distracting Jeremiah from Shari. It was the perfect opportunity, one that she wasn't going to miss. Alavina landed behind Shari, slipped her arms under the nearly unconscious girl's shoulders and lifted into the air, carrying Shari away from the battle. Aloron joined her in mid-air and the two carried Shari a safe distance away, where they landed and Aloron began looking Shari over. "Is she ok? Is she going to live?" Aly asked, her voice filled with desperation. ..... The battle intensified, Jeremiah fought desperately against Tusbeal and Joe the others soon joined the fray. Aloron checked Shari’s pulse it was fading. jeremiah rose in the air again calling on his god like powers, his magic guard barely intact. “Die you pests!” “This is for sister.” A voice called from behind, jeremiah whirled Spring Roll buried her ax into his last remaining magic guard and it shattered! he spun out of the way, the sick feeling of vulnerability made him go pale, anything could kill him now, anything. “It’s too late anyway! I have set the worlds destruction in motion! I win and I will take you all with me!” He laughed exposing his body. “Kill me if you want, it doesn’t matter! I win, I WIN! ” He grinned madly, then stared dircetly at Joe. “See? see how powerless you are to change fate? to change Bahamuts fate for you? powerless, all of you powerless! I knew he was on my side, I knew it! This is, the end!" ...... Aloron sighed, “I’m sorry, Aly, it’s over for her.” A chilling wind blew over them, VenSahara seemed to darken as more snow covered it’s once powerful sun, the world was freezing, snow now building as high as their ankles Jeremiah prophecy was coming true. The world of fire was ending in ice. Was this truly Bahamuts will? to end everything? to finally put an end to this world of horror and death? It seemed so, it seems he finally done with humanity, finally done with Exzalia. This was it, it was over, the end. Aloron pulled Aly, and he pulled in Shari, and he held them both. “It seems this maybe Bahamuts will, if it is, I am glad I was able to see you in the end, Aly, my daughter.” he looked down at Shari tenderly. "I am, happy she doesn't have to see this, end this way."
"No." Aly whimpered, laying her cheek against Shari's hair. "Bahamut....if you care for her at all...save her. Or at least take me instead. I'll hate you if you don't. I swear it. I'll hate you forever." She whispered. A tear trickled down her cheek onto Shari's cold face. "Please...don't let things end like this. Not after all we've done. Please...give us another chance."
Jeremiah's Downfall I looked at Jeremiah, I had called up another set of 'wings'. "Don't you remember what I guaranteed you before I died...? You'll fail, no matter what, I'll make sure of it, I'll ground the fate you have in store for us into dust, I don't care what fate you or that over-sized fish has in store for VenShara, I REFUSE to let it occur, as long as you don't give in and accept an impossible fate, it can and will be shattered!" I said, glaring at him coldly, the white wing on my back glowed a bit brighter, the black wing seemed to drain even more light from the area surrounding it, perhaps it was a kind of boost from my anger and determination, or perhaps maybe it was the spirits of the dead lending me power to finally end him once and for all. "Jeremiah, False Prophet of Judgement, I sentence you to death for all of your crimes!" I said pointing at him, all at once, the 'wings' from my back shot out, each set of light and dark beams of energy flowed around me at rapid speeds, going straight at Jeremiah, ready to tear him to pieces. "Fight back, if you can, little boy." I mumbled. "Failed? I've already won! you hear me! and I look forward to watching you freeze to death, from on high!!!!!!" "Sorry, but you won't be watching any deaths, what have you really won Jeremiah? Nothing, you've lost and will continue to lose for all eternity." I said, the beams of energy landed near Jeremiah, 10 large black explosions of nox energy, and 10 of althea energy all around Jeremiah, miraculously, the explosion didn't kill him, but it did rip at his body, tearing chunks of flesh from him and sending large sharp stones into his body like bullets and sent him flying high into the air... where a figure was flying straight at him. "So, Jeremiah, before you die, do you want to hear a secret?~ Noooo?~ Well too bad fool!" I said smiling cruelly, my foot slammed into his face, I had built up a high momentum, and he had built up a high velocity due to the explosion's combined force, so I broke his nose and several teeth, I grabbed onto him as we flew back toward the ground. "Ah~ shall I prolong your suffering, little boy?~" I asked, that same cruel smile plastered on my face. "Oh, I think I will! The circle of life begins and ends. I am an angel and the harbinger of death!" I said grinning, my wings sprouted once more, just as we were about to hit the ground we were propelled forward, Jeremiah getting scraped against the ground, getting slammed into dead bodies an assortment of weapons, and finally into a large rock. I stood Jeremiah up smiling cruelly, my forearm pressed against his windpipe harshly, not allowing him to breathe, every time that he seemed that he'd lose consciousness, I would ease off just enough to allow him to stay conscious. "Oh Jerry, no fight left in you whatsoever? You fail soooooo much! But at least your looks have improved" I said, I laughed, his nose was crooked, blood was pouring out of nose, mouth, several wounds, some fingers were missing, his legs were bent at awkward angles, teeth were missing, chunks of skin were missing, enough to show bone. "How about this, let's see if Lady Luck will grant you a spectacular death... oh... that's right I also said I'd tell you a secret... so let's see... oooh~ I know you'll never figure out what I mean, well at least for the last few minutes of your life, since you're such a fool..." I said, growing quiet, then I leaned close and whispered three simple words into his ear, then pulled back and began laughing. "That look of perplexity is hilarious, you absolute retard! Don't worry, you'll have enough time to figure it out where you're going..." I said still smiling cruelly, I saw him look even more confused. "Enjoy the void." I said, I turned around and began to walk away. "Lady Luck smile upon me, aid me with both light and dark to smite my enemy." I said, I turned around smirking, one hand was flowing with nox energy, sucking the light around it, the other althea energy, which formed into a pair of twenty sided dice, I threw the nox energy at Jeremiah, it formed into a large dome, which ended at the side of the rock, then threw the dice at Jeremiah, hitting him squarely in the eyes, they rolled out from the darkness and both had landed on 20, they glowed brightly and around the dome, even from the rock... twenty golden roses bloomed. "Roses...? Is this some kind of 'You're too lucky' thing?" I mumbled, suddenly the flowers shot into the darkness, it was so brilliant, I could see the scene clearly from the overflowing althea energy almost completely outdoing the nox energy, all at once... the flowers they exploded into brilliant flashes of althea energy, the thorns dislodged from the roses and flew in all directions, they were tiny sharp bullets, they pierced through skin, bone, even stone, the stems grew larger, like spears and all shot into Jeremiah, pinning him to the stone, some even tearing off limbs... finally, the petals... they flew in all directions, spinning rapidly like little saw blades, they cut through skin, bone, and the stone behind him, dozens of petals soon turned him into nothing more than bloody ground meat and bone. I began laughing and clapping. "Bravo, Jerry, such a beautiful display of death, you may have been pathetic, and even boring in your final fight, but you gave me such a gory and beautiful scene to etch into my memory for all eternity!" I said, smiling cruelly. "You don't deserve a burial, I do hope that the survivors of this incident don't touch this scene, I hope it becomes immortalized to all fools who dare try to play god or are so delusional that their horrid deeds are meant for a cruel deity's favor, goodbye, Jeremiah... oh... right... I never told you rule four, did I? Oh, I know it's probably too late, but I'm sure that everyone will agree with me when I say this, never fuck with me." I said, I then turned and flew back toward the others, covered in Jeremiah's blood.
The secret and the Sphinx's Jeremiah was finally defeated, calm returned to VenShara, the chilling cold kept it’s presence, as did the falling snow, that buried to corpses of the dead dousing the flames, and blocked the violent carnage from view, as if washing the land on it’s bloody sins. Shari lay, growing paler, and paler, the group huddled around her, at a loss at what the where to do. There was nothing left to do, but wait for the end. The eventually ice that was to cover the world. They just huddled around Shari Alaron and Aly, and waited. A light wind graced Hiddans back, he ignored it, and then, a gust! he was nearly blown off his feet, he turned around and yelped drawing his blade. “I dear say, that one's opinion of us has greatly suffered last time we met.” “Indeed, he pulled out his murder weapon at the mere sight of us.” “It’s your fault you know, you are always so disagreeable.” “I’m not.” Hiddan sheathed his sword in annoyance, but also shock, it was them again, the mad beasts. From skyline pyramid, what were they doing here? how...when did they get here? Faren cleared her throat, “You have just proved my point Zygal, you are being very disagreeable as we speak. “I am not!” Zygal countered, “You are the one being disagreeable.” Faren nodded. “I completely agree.” “Exactly...wait.” “Wait what Zygal? I agree that I’m disagreeable.” “yes but by saying that you are agreeing therefore makes it that you are not being disagreeable, which means you are agreeable, and I am wrong.” “Ahhh but I agree with you previous statement meaning that I too am wrong and therefore am very disagreeable. “Which would mean that my previous statement was correct, which means you are still technically correct and agree at being disagreeable therefore being agreeable and disagreeable at the same time” The two sphinx’s stared at each other, then it clicked, and the jumped for joy. “BY BAHAMUT! we’ve stumbled on a paradox!” the shouted in unison and glee. “Will you shut up!” Hiddan yelled, “What do you even want?! can’t you see we are in mourning?” Faren scratched her head, “Mourning? why?” “Isn’t it obvious? the world is ending, and Shari is...dead.” Zygal shook his head. “false, and false.. Faren raised her paw “VenShara is not ending, worlds don’t end, nothing ends, it merely changes form, like water.” Zygal nodded. “And Shari is not dead….Oh scratch that, she just died.” The group just looked at each other, the audacity of these two! “Still no cause for alarm, her body may be gone, but Shari is still very much real, she hasn’t really gone anywhere.” “Nor will she if you keep her memory alive.” Faren added. “Quiet, either that or find her soul and bring it back therefore restoring her life…” Faren smacked Zygal up side the head with a giant WHOP! “Zygal! mortals aren't supposed to know they can do that!” “Oh, my bad, did I say that out loud? never mind that last part, lips sealed!” Zygal and faren dragged a paw across their lips and stopped talking, a remarkable sight indeed Hiddan half expected the world to begin ending again. but interestingly, they also didn't leave, they just sat there staring at the group expectantly. As if waiting for something.
"We can bring her back!?" Aly demanded flying up to meet the sphinx's eyes. "How!? She doesn't deserve to die like this. Please...tell us." For a brief moment she wondered what Shari would say about her trying to bring her back. Her entire family was dead, her body was broken, she wasn't even a god-speaker anymore...would she even want to come back? To come back to this world which was dying in a horrible way? A world where judgment had won and mercy had lost? No... she wouldn't. And how selfish am I to even think of making her. With those thoughts...the fire in Alavina's eyes died and she landed back on the cold hard ground beside Shari. "Never mind...it's not right. Once you're gone...you're gone. I'm sure she'll be happier with her family than she would be here." The fairy's wings drooped. With the death of her friend came the death of hope for the future. Bahamut had shown his true colors, and what he really felt about her, Shari...everyone. There was no mercy left in this world, even if Tsubael was supposed to take Shari's place...it wouldn't be the same. "What now?" She murmured. "What is left to live for?"
"What now?" She murmured. "What is left to live for?" Alaron lifted Aly's chin. "My daughter, I don't know what Shari's want's or what Bahamut wants. But in this dire situation, when things seem hopeless, it is now that we must act. When I was in chains, I thought it was the end for me, but look at me now. Remember, if their is life, their is hope, even for VenShara." He looked up at the sphinx's sternly. "Speak! what do you mean? what can we do to fix this tragedy?" "What indeed?" Faren replied teasingly. "You're going to have to do better then that to get us to talk" Zygal laughed. Alaron crossed his arms, annoyed, but respectful. "Please, great beasts, if there is anything at all." Zygal shook his head, "I've already said to much and I will say no more!" Fren nodded, "It would be reckless, to tell humans how to meet Bahamut in the flesh...Oh!" It was Zygal turn to whop Faren upside the head. "You and your big mouth, didn't we say we weren't easy to get talking?" "all right enough! no more talking!" "Quiet!" "Indeed" "Ahem" "I concur" "Absolutely" "Right" And Faren and Zygal re sealed their lips never to speak...again.
I had rejoined the group a little afterward. "Smirk thoroughly wiped off." I mumbled, I walked over to my forgotten robe and grimoire, I didn't face everyone as I put the robe back on and joined them in their mourning, and merely nodded at the sphinxes, not angered or annoyed by their behavior. "...Sorry to do this to you guys, I really do like you and all, but if I can beat the crap out of fish face, save a friend, and the world, I'm gonna do it, Faren, Zygal, I demand you tell me your final riddles!" I said, glaring at them, I remembered reading it somewhere, that a sphinx could not refuse this demand, if I lost, they could kill me, if I won, then they had to grant me one wish that is within their power, and that one wish would be to meet the cruel deity.
The final riddle “Nope, NOPE! You won’t get us to talk that easily!” Faren huffs. “Nor will I bend, trying to use our nature against us? HA!” Zygal laughs. and the two stay tight lipped. For about a minute. Soon Faren is going red in the face, she bites her lip. Zygal tails starts to thrash, he snorts as if trying to hold in a chuckle. and then they begin to sweat, tapping their paws, scratching, uncontrollably, Faren begins to whistle casually. They glance at Joe, then look away like bashful children, shaking, itching, scratching finally Faren says in a pained voice. “MMMMMmmmmmmmm, EEEEEERRRRRRR…..Weeeeeeeellllllllllllll, I suppose, one wouldn't hurt? Right Zygal?” “INDEED! LETS US BEGIN!” He yells with great enthusiasm and the two land in front of them like playful kittens released from their cage. lifting their wings, they glow and begin to say in a cryptic voice. “I am honest, I am truthful, I am the way” Faren begins “But only if you follow me.” Zygal adds and the two begin to serenade a complex and masterful riddle. “Stay on me, stay with me, stay close” “Lest you be consumed by your own flesh, and be lost of ever.” “I guide the lost, but only if they follow.” “To the place Origin sleeps, the place where it slumbers.” “What am I?”
I shut my eyes as I listened to the riddle. "Is this truly your riddle...? Such a simple matter, I'm almost disappointed with you two." I said, I opened my eyes. "Ah, listen to me, I am honest, I am truthful, I am the way, but only if you follow me, stay on me, stay with me, stay close, lest you be consumed by your own flesh and be lost forever, I will guide the lost, if they follow, to the place Origin sleeps, the place where it slumbers, I am the Divine Path!" I shouted pointing at the two.
The answer The two sphinx’s look at each other uncertainly. “Well...he is technically correct.” Zygal says. “Er yes, but he got the definition wrong, so he is incorrect.” “But his words betray that in his heart he knows the answer meaning he is correct also.” “Indeed then what shall we do?” “What shall we do indeed?” The two sphinx’s ponder a moment, then in unison yell. “You are correct and incorrect! therefore we shall grant your wish, while killing you!” Hiddan steps back, unsure if he should fight, or be pleased. “And how will you do that?” They stand on edge, as sphinx’s circle hungrily, “You see Joe the answer is the reapers path.” Faren says. “You knew the answer but got the definition wrong, so this is what will happen.” Then together they speak in unison, “Shari and all who die travels the reapers path, at the end of the path lies Bahamut, stray from the path and you will be consumed by your flesh, to reverse this tragedy, you must go there yourself and bring her soul back to this world.” Zygal sitts down grinning, “But no mortal enters the path save by death.” Faren nodds, “And no mortal can leave the path once entered, only Bahamut can send one back and he doesn’t like doing such, the only other way is through the help of a divine, which you do not have.” Zygal stroke his chin, “Well you have fallens with you, but good luck getting them to help, and their power is weaker than a true divine, still you can go without them, but you must in the process abandon hope of returning. Go to the path, to meet Bahamut, and prey he has mercy, perhaps he will listen and change his mind about the fate of this world, and while your at it save Shari from her fate. Of course, there is a chance you may never return.” Faren and Zygal begin to rise in the air, eather flows from the gems in their foreheads. “And be careful upon the path, their your souls shine true, and are vulnerable, on the mortal world bodies die, but upon the path it is souls that are lost! lose your soul and not even heaven you will find. Now you know, are you ready to enter? the reapers path?” They stand at the ready, claws unsheathed. Hiddan looks at everyone. “Well, we don’t really have much else to do, I’m in.” Alaron nods, "the world freeze’s over. If this is what it takes, I don’t mind dyeing for a shot at happiness. For a chance at saving our world and Shari.” he smiles at Aly, "Like I said were there is life there is hope." “We may not die.” All eye’s fall on Isa who holds her palm to her chest. She takes a deep breath, and stare right at Izzy “I have a divine with in me.” “What!” Aloron shouts in shock, Isa just nods. “Our father wanted to give his children power, so he tried to trap Divines in me and Izzy, in Izzy he trapped a fallen by mistake, but in me, he trapped one named Amieal. I...I know she will help us, although she may not have enough power alone, it’s worth a shot.” She looks at Izzy bleary eye'd. "Your father did love you Izzy, but he was terrified of that thing he trapped with in you, all your abuse was done in an attempted to keep you from being influenced by it. It doesn't make his actions right, and in the end he was a fool, but he was not heartless, he did love you." “So that’s it huh?” Hiddan shakes his head, and faces the others. “So this is it, we go in, risk eternal death for Venshara, with the slither of hope we can find Shari and bring her back, or we stay here and accept our fate, what will it be?”
Bare their souls? Face Bahamut himself? The thought terrified Aly more than the thought of the world freezing over. Her soul was damned. She knew that the day she started hating Bahamut. She was certain the moment she stepped onto the path her soul would be zapped right there. Ugh....it wasn't fair! Since she'd met Shari, she'd done what she could to change... to see what Shari saw in Bahamut...but still she was angry. Even more so now that Shari was dead and Jeremiah had won. Aly had asked Bahamut to show his true self and this was what was happening. In her mind she had every...well, almost every right to hate him. In a way, she could see why he'd wanted this world destroyed...and her along with it. Maybe...maybe if they did this, they could convince Bahamut that they weren't all bad. Especially not Shari. Maybe they could convince him to return Shari to Venshara and save those who were still here. That was worth death, wasn't it? At least she'd die with a clear conscience. "I'll go..." Alavina managed to whisper, her light green wings shivering in fear.
"...I hold no fear of death... see if that pathetic fish can even dream to hold me..." I said smiling eerily. "Ah, come now, I'm sure he'll be oooh so ecstatic to meet me~" I said smirking, Leon looked around quietly. "Well... dying quickly is better than freezing... right...?" He mumbled.
The reapers path Zygal and Faren laughed, “Very well, prepare to die, and...good luck!” They flashed, and in an instant blackness, Their guts lurched with the sudden sensation of falling, yet they could see nothing, just blackness, mute. The next thing they all saw was a dull grey earth, that yet while solid had no texture, they couldn’t feel it, they felt numb, unsteady. Aloron was the first to stand, he looked at his hands and was stunned to see them in the form of his youth, then he took in his surroundings, there wasn’t much to take in. The grey earth was rocky and featureless, it stretched for about a mile before fading out of view, swallowed by a blackness that stretched father, for an eternity. And then there was, the souls. Thousands of them from every world of every sentient being discovered and undiscovered, they wandered about aimlessly, lost in the blackness. he approaches one hesitantly, “Um, I’m new here do you?” The person who ever it was didn’t seem to notice him, from the looks of it it was some noble, but his clothes were so old out of date, as if…”goodness, was he one of the ancients?” Aloron mused. He walked right past Aloron talking to himself. “Where is it? the path? I know it’s here somewhere, I’m sure I’m close by now.” he shakes his head, the stomps his foot violently, “I deserve to go on the path! I know it! I was a good man, A GOOD MAN! why can’t I see it!?” he walks forward, the turns around confused, he gets angry. “No, this isn’t right, I know I DESERVE to go to paradise, I’ll keep searching, I must be close.” And he wanders off searching, they all seem to be searching, consumed by their search they recognize nothing and no one else. These souls, Aloron shook his head saddened. Then noticed something odd. There weren’t any children here. “Aly!” He looks around frantically for her, to his relief her and the others are not far away, and are beginning to stir. “Aly thank goodness, good heavens... Ally, you’re.” Aly awakes and stand to find herself two feet taller and fully grown, waist, legs breasts, long elegant wings, taller then her father. Aloron just stands there stunned. “Well, you were always mature for your age…” Joe shares her fate waking up much older than he was while alive, both looked 30, Leon awakes but is the same age as he always is. Tusbeal soul is the form that she was before she died a fox looking being, her soul is the most mature. But the most peculiar of all was Kyra, there she didn’t have one soul, she had multiple, black, white, and regular Kyra all standing around, staring at each other. curiously enough, white was female, the black male. “Well that explains everything” Hiddan chuckles teasingly, before looking at himself. he was also young, about 14 years of age. Perchance Aloron looked up, he gasped. Above them three beings stood.Samual cloaked in shadow, he took the form of a well groomed man in his prime. beside him another fallen, fat and hungry looking, below him the mad ferrals soul standing in awe of him. The two stared at the third. A woman, shining brightly massive wings stretched out like a canvas, her light piercing through the dark, short blue hair powerful eye’s, a Divine, one who was trapped inside isa now free. Isa was under her, marveling. “T-this was in me?” She looks over at Samual, and gasps, “That...was in my brother!” At the sound of her voice Izzy wakes, his form is also, much younger, about 16. “Erhm who’s the third fallen?” Hiddan asks pointing to the being beside samuel “Whats your name fatso?”. Suddenly a booming voice sounded, one of power, like thunder it echoed. “That! was in the ferral.” It was Amieal, she held an accusing finger to it, then glared at Samuel. “I, have a good mind to purge the both of you, pray heretics, and be thankful that is not why we are here.” She looks down to the mortals kindly. “Go, you have little time, I am keeping the path back to your bodies open, but I do not have the strength to do so for long, the reapers path is near, find it before you become lost. Sadly, you do not have the means, you need a guide, find an innocent one, it is your only hope.”
Something seemed... different about me, just not my appearance, I had a completely different presence about me... as though I was much older than I appeared perhaps...? A different set of experiences...? Was... I a different person altogether...? It was hard to put a finger on what was different, I looked at my hands quietly. "Good... I'm here, I thought that might be a complication..." I muttered, I looked at the others. "Let's get going, I want to give fish face a piece of my mind." I said smirking, Leon nodded. "Let's get going, I haven't gotten enough cuties and I'm not ready to die just yet!" He said, I looked at him and then smacked the back of his head. "Concentrate, idiot." I said smiling.
"I'm...pretty..." Alavina said, a look a surprise on her face. She kept twisting and lifting her arms to study herself. "I don't get it. Why do we look like this?" She looked at her father, "Why do you look so young? Is this really what our souls look like?" If she looked like this...what did Shari look like? "You need a guide, find an innocent one, it is your only hope.” Aly looked up at the Divine. She was gorgeous, a creature of immense beauty. Bahamut had created such a thing as that? An innocent guide? Why would an innocent person be wandering around aimlessly? Wouldn't Bahamut have helped them? "Where can we find one?" Aly suddenly covered her lips with her hands, having just noticed what her voice sounded like. It sounded brighter and more mature. It even had a musical ring to it, where-as before she'd always felt it was too deep and nasally.
Tsubael looked at her paws for a moment, but the sense of wonder didn't last long. After all, this was the second time today she'd been transformed into her true self. She was tall –even taller than most of the men− but slender, with long limbs and a flowing white toga that hung from one shoulder by a gold clasp. Her clear blue eyes were the same as they'd been in her automaton form, but seemed brighter and more 'alive.' While the others were still wondering about their new looks, Tsubael felt right at home, as if this was the way she was meant to be. Her five bushy white tails swished behind her as she walked over to Alavina, each step as graceful as walking on water, and stood beside her. "Bahamut does not need to help them," Tsubael said, gently laying a paw on Aly's shoulder. "The innocents know the way." She paused when she realized she'd answered a question Aly hadn't actually asked. How did that happen? She hadn't read Aly's mind, but she somehow just 'knew' the question was there, and answered it without thinking. She'd been a God speaker for less than an hour and things were already getting weird… Tsubael shook her head to clear it and stepped back from Aly, as if she'd intruded on the fairy's personal space. In a way, she had. "We should… ummm… we should look for an innocent," she said, suddenly feeling very awkward. "Unfortunately, if we knew where to find one, we would not need one. However, we might have the next best thing." She looked to Samael and asked, "Which way would you go, fallen?" If they couldn't figure out which way led to Bahamut, they could at least figure out which way led away from Him and do the opposite.
“Interesting.” Samael muttered as he studied his now human hand, squeezing it into a fist. "Very interesting indeed." He turned his attention to the Divine. "Amieal." He greeted. "Its been awhile." He shrugged. "I had no idea you were in little Isa. I always imagined it was always quite tight in her mind." He sent a wink to Isa. "Very narrow, but Ishamel's now he's very wide open and Shari..." His voice trailed off. "Now she was most odd. So complex yet so much pain. I'd taken control of her if not for that maniac." Izzy breathed in breath after exhausted breath as he glared at Isa and Samael. More hurt then hate showed as he sniffed. “You…you…damn you!” He said throwing his hands into the air. He pointed at Isa first. “You…he…that bastard whipped and tortured me!” He said gritting his teeth. “And you expect me to believe he loved me?” He rolled his tear stung eyes. “He put ...THEM!” He said pointing at Samael and Amieal. "In us! For some sort of power experiment....." "Well at least it worked." Samael pointed out. "Except poor Isa got the boring one." He flashed a loose smile at Amieal again. "Boring?" Ishmael asked. "Isa got to be happy and what did I get? Wandering through the desert for years. Robbing, selling myself and spent most of my time plotting revenge on my own father." He wiped his eyes. "Where did it all get me? I ended up disobeying Bahatmut's chosen one, getting my father killed and now here I am at basically at the end of the world." "Pity." Samael cut in. "But not much can be done about it." The Fallen's eyes shut. "I apologize Ishamel." The begotten prince merely shook his head. "Which way would you go, fallen?" "Ah." Samael said. "Simple I'd go right. I'm very eager to see the Old Man again."
Just then out of the darkness they heard the sound of humming, then the light uneven steps someone was skipping. They turn looking behind them, a child, in a yellow dress with soft round features and bright brown eye’s skips up to them. She pauses, looks straight at Tusbeal then turns around and began skipping off again without a care. There was a sense of peace to her, and purpose, she didn’t appear lost. Her confidence her smile wait, that smile was familiar. “Isn’t that Spring roll?” Hiddan asks, and they all gasp simultaneously. “After her!” They catch up to her but she pays them no mind smiling, skipping along past countless souls all wailing in distress. “Where is the path?” the phrase is muttered over and over among them. A constant droning of puzzled questions, and the frustrated cries of lost souls. But then subtly at first a new sound rises from the depth, humming, whistling the cheerful banter of children yes! More of them appear from the gloom all skipping along and the farther they plunge into the black the more there are. Soon Spring roll is lost among the growing crowds of children, who become companies, who become multitudes. Thousands upon thousands of children all humming in tune skipping along without a care. There are adults as well, and many of them, but they are dwarfed in number by the children. Some stray from the procession seemingly becoming confused and lost, wandering off into the dark. “We lost her, but I think as long as we follow this crowd we’ll be all right.” Aloron muses standing close to Ally. “You are correct.” Ameial gazes out across the multitude of souls traveling with them. All souls start here, but usually only children are certain of the way, the younger they are when they died the more likely they are to make it through the path. They lack to baggage that may confuse and distract the older. Still there are many children here who died while adult, but souls here take the form of your inner age, not your external.” She points to a child holding the hand of a young woman, guiding her along. “The child is the grandmother of the woman, but she was born falted in mind, and never grew up though her body aged. She suffered greatly in life, yet now she leads them on.” She turns glancing at Joes and Aly, “Do not despair, you are not doomed instantly for having older souls, it simply means your innocence has been replaced. Pray it was replaced with goodness, and not malice.” They continue on following the throngs of souls, time moves at an odd flow here. Has it been a minute? an hour? a day? one couldn’t tell, but eventually along their travels they find something. Suddenly a light shines through the black, they shield their eye’s and then suddenly. A path! bright like a star stretching from the black nothingness. The multitudes of soul begin their accent, but some of them freeze at the base of the path. Some wander off, others fall to their knees suddenly lost. They encouraged on by the children who pull their arms or patt their backs. For some it works and they managed to sand, and continue on. But for some, no amount of comfort or urging can make them stand. Alorons heart breaks for them those souls who became lost, he wants to question Ameail about it, but lets it slide. “Oh my goodness!” Issa yelps suddenly and she suddenly dashes off into the crowd. Hiddan face palms, “Ishmeal.” He address annoyed. “Control your sister.” Issa is found kneeling by a thin man, tried looking and lost. He is kneeling on the ground close to the reapers path, they recognize him instantly. It’s him, the former king of Pia their father. Hiddan grunts suddenly getting nervous. Thousands of souls were strewn about all like him, souls from every age. His parents, his enemies, his friends, everyone he had ever killed, all here. It unnerved him. “We should keep going. We don’t have time for reunions.” His hisses.
Aly looked at the former king with pity. She had been one of the ones to refuse him forgiveness. To believe that he deserved judgement over mercy. But now, seeing him here like this, she wasn't so sure if her feelings had been correct. One could say they had been justified, but had they been right. Aly pressed closer to her father, grabbing his hand. She couldn't imagine the torment Issa was going through in that moment. What if that had been her father, lost and confused. Wouldn't she too try to stop and help him? "Can we do anything for him? Or is it too late?" She looked around at the souls behind and before them. There were so many, and more continued to come. Had her mother made it through this? Had she been innocent enough? Had Bahamut shown her mercy? "Papa?" Aly asked squeezing Aloron's hand. Even though she was much taller than him and obviously aged, she still felt like a scared child. "Do you think mama made it through here?"
You." Ishmael muttered as he stomped up beside Isa. His turning slightly in disgust as their father's sickly figure. "Come Isa." He muttered grabbing her arm. "But, we can't just leave him." She protests struggling against him. "Isa." He said lowly. "There isn't anything we can do for him." He said as he swallowed his guilt. "I...I..I'm sorry." He shook his head. "I know he was a terrible person, I know he hurt you Izzy, and for that I am sorry." She wrenches her arm free. "But when you left, and mother passed he was all I had left. To you he was a monster, and maybe he was. But he is, my father. I can not abandon him, I won't!" She says resolutely. "I doubt he'd want you to sit here and die with him!" Izzy fired back. Issa steps back, she opens her mouth but nothing is heard. She shakes her head angrily starting to cry. "No! I refuse to end it like this, after being so close!" She falls upon her father streaming with tears, "All i wanted was us to be together again. I have spent all my life searching for my brother comforting my father. And when I finally have it, it is snatched from me. And now you want me to just leave him here? for an eternity? It's not fair, IT NOT FAIR!" "Life isn't fair Issa!" He shouted as he scooped her up. "We've all suffered me, you, father and even those who were held within us! Not one person I met recently was not a victim of some cruel destiny." Izzy snorted. "But your destiny is not to die here!" He continued to drag her as she fought with him. "So say big brother."
I looked around at the others quietly as we followed the children, Leon standing next to me, I looked over at Ameial as she explained I wasn't doomed since I merely had an older soul. "...Yes, let's just go with that explanation, I look like this due to my innocence being dead, ripped apart, and fed to wolves." I said smiling, clearly amused. "Although if that innocence stuff is true... then he should be a very old perverted man." I said jokingly, jerking my thumb at Leon. "Heeeeeyyyy! I'm eternally youthful!" He said pouting. "No old man Leon!" He said flailing his arms, I took a step sideways from Leon to avoid his arms. "Yeah, I can see that you're just a big child." I said. "Thank you!" Leon said grinning. "It wasn't a compliment." I said, feigning annoyance, trying my best not to crack a smile. "Don't care!~" Leon said.
Heaven for the guilty? The lighted path lead higher and higher, ascending into a starless night it’s path winded and twisted. Each step they took seemed to get heavier, harder, some of the children soon began to pass them and yet there seemed to be no end to the march. Along the way Hiddan seems to be getting more and more unsettled. He looks around nervously slowly falling behind the group. Isa was still weeping albeit less, and at least now with in the arms of her brother. Along the way more and more souls lose their way, straying from the path into the blackness beyond. Aloron had fallen strangely silent after Aly’s blunder, his wife was dead? When? He was strangely calm about it not saying anything even as Aly stepped back shocked by her slip of the tongue. A quiet mourning perhaps? Hiddan suddenly stops “I’m sorry guys I can’t.” “Can’t what?” Isa asks to which Hiddan shakes his head. “I can’t keep going, I...go on with out me.” Amieal looks away from the mortal. “leave him, he has reached his limit, keep going you are halfway there and I can not keep the portal to the physical world open much longer.” “Please, wait a little while.” Aloron bows respectfully turning back to Hiddan. “We have lost so many, though I do not know you I do not wish to lose another.” “They're everywhere.” He mumbles, taking a step back. “Who?” “My victims.” Hiddan eye’s dart from soul to soul with a subtle panic. “I lived as an assassin for hire I didn’t question who I killed I just did! My goal to reach Shari was to simply escape my execution my judgement. But their here, everyone I murdered for blood money, men woman children they’re all here!” He takes another step back, then another wide eyed and panicked. “Heaven? What a nightmare! to spend eternity looking at the faces of those you killed, and so god damn many of them. That, that is a hell of the worst kind! I can’t go on. Not with all my, victims, watching me, mocking me!” Aloron stretches out his hand with no judgement in his eyes. “This bothers your soul, it means you still have some good in you human. Please we’ve come so far don’t give up now.” Isa walks back standing beside Aloron hands also outstretched.“And no one is Mocking you! Hiddan, focus don’t get confused, that’s how souls get lost! It’s just a little farther, please!” “His soul is already lost.” Amieal says bluntly. But her face is one of an indifference “leave him, This is the reason God does not bring sinners to the after life, for some there would be no joy in it.” "Well the Shari I know would never think that! She would bring him to heaven out of mercy. Isn't that Bahamuts will?" Isa snaps. Ameial shakes her head. "There is no great barrier to heaven, those who do not make it doom them selfs with their own wickedness." she says coldy. "I wonder if you would be so kind if you knew the past of this man before you? Judgemnt has it's place as does mercy. As for Hiddan, he and all those who fail the path doom them selfs." "Well I will not let him be doomed." Aloron took a step closer, "Hiddan please, take my hand."
I observed the scene quietly and then walked up to Hiddan and slapped him across his face. "Get a hold of yourself, do not blame yourself, you had no malice against these people, you cannot blame the blade that took the life. That's all you were, a blade, if you didn't kill them, someone else would have, some were innocent, some however were corrupt and evil, you gave them a quick death, that was the greatest mercy you could have given them. Hiddan, these souls, they're chains, chains that want nothing more than to drag you back to your despair, to keep you rooted in your past. Free yourself. Stand up Hiddan and free yourself from your regrets, your sins, take our hands, break free of the chains crushing your soul and let's continue into the future!" I said, using every ounce of conviction that I could muster, holding my hand out to him. Leon nodded stepping next to me. "That's right, if you just give up then you're basically taking the blame for the ones that wanted them dead in the first place, I mean they would have gotten killed somehow! You at least gave them a quick painless death, that's all we can ask for in the end isn't it? You've redeemed yourself time and time again, you stuck your neck out to protect us and save our butts! So get up, no pity parties, you're seeing this one through to the end!" Leon said grinning, holding his hand out.
