Takumi
Member of the Yato Club
"Get down!" Ferdinand roared as he leaped between Ashe, Luthor and the oncoming blast. His great, armored shield took the brunt of the blast, the the force behind it was enough to crack the rocks at his feet. A smokey shock-wave scattered the Chosen. The force of the sudden blow was enough to render a them unconscious for a moment or two.
The sounds of the battle continue to boom overhead. But they were more muffled than they had been before. It was as if you were listening to them from the bottom of a swimming pool. A high pitched tone was ringing in your ears. A blurry and reached from the smoke and the flames.
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"Ashe, now is no time for sleeping," Gilbert words warbled through the distortion. He pulled the Archer's arm over his shoulder and dragged him to his feet. He did his best to carry the archer away from Luthor and his ilk. "We need to move."
Out of the corner of his eye, Ashe could see Ferdinand's still body lying in the dirt. A pair of Goddessian medics were peeling back layer after layer of his armor in order to assess his wounds. The tried to check for a concussion. They asked his name. He didn't respond.
"Damnit! We're loosing him!" One of the medics roared. "We can't treat him here!"
"What will it take?" Luthor snapped.
"A miracle." The medic replied in confusion.
"Good. Get him inside the Temple. Ferdinand has chosen to offer his life to our cause on the one day that miracles are on the table..."
As the Medics prepared to move the Armored Knight, a pair of Goddessian soldiers dragged the wounded Jester towards the Tomb...
@Takumi @Jeremi @Lucky
Before Mother could take in the destruction she had caused, a flaming fist struck her jaw. The force of the blow sent her soaring a little higher about the battlefield.
"HA!"
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Her attacker roared. The next thing she knew, a wave of a ki was burning across her flesh.
"Guess I'm loosing my touch..." The Councillor puffed. "That should have been enough to knock you out for sure. Guess I'm going to have to try a little harder." Son crackled his knuckles and lowered his stance once again. His forehead furrowed. "I was hoping to avoid this, Mother. I thought you'd have the restraint to keep to foes your size... But you've left me no choice. I won't let you hurt those people." A spark of thunder danced across his body, "You're fighting me now!" In a flash of gold, Gohan soared through the air towards his foe.
@Jeremi @Crunch
"You're blunt, Beau. You don't mince your words." The Goddess smiled. "I've always respected that about you. 'Purpose' is weighted word. An action's 'purpose' is determined by the one who performed it. I supposed you'll have to ask Kolin about that. And you'll have your chance shortly, worry not. Or, at least, you could ask yourself that question. Why did you choose to stand by me, Beau? Why did you come here?"
The Goddess stifled a laugh with the back of her hand.
"I doubt my answer has satisfied you. I hate answering questions with more questions. If you're looking for the simplest, bluntest answer imaginable, here it is: now that I am free, any 'debts' you might think you owe me have been paid. I gave you life. You did the same to me. Now that I am free, we are no longer debtors and debt-collectors. We are equals. Partners. Now that I am free, I can lend my power to reshaping the Mutliverse. I invite you and your fellow Chosen to join me, Beau. Tell me. What injustices would you like to see erased?"
"This form... it unnerves you, doesn't it?" The Goddess frowned. "I'm sorry. This was supposed to be a momentous day. A day of celebration. It shouldn't be marred by mistrust."
The Goddess opened 'her' arms wide.
"Consider this a gesture of Good Will..."
The Tomb shook once again. That old emerald light flooded from Kolin's eyes and mouth. The Butterflies that had flown from Hearts' body swarmed her. A wave of warmth flooded the Burial Chamber. From the heart of the cloud, Kolin stumbled. She feel the the ground. She was alive, but not quite awake. The Goddess emerged a moment later. She was just as beautiful as she had once been. She stared down at her ghostly fingers. She ran them across the fabric of his pale burial gown.
"Does this put you at ease, my child?" The Goddess whispered softly. "I apologizes. The Temptation to return to the flesh was... alluring. I pray that you shall forgive me..." She knelt down beside Kolin's unconscious body and kissed her forehead. "I pray that you will forgive me too, my daughter..."
The Mental Plane-
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"And exit... a door... or a passage way or a..."
Ding
"An elevator?" Ego queried. His eyes dissected the mysterious emerald elevator that had appeared before him. It's doors slid open. The alluring song of a choir could be heard humming inside. "This is... unusual..." He reached out to touch its cool exterior. "It's a way out. Or, perhaps, a way in would be a more accurate way of describing it. The Goddess has left your body... Strange. These sort of illusions generally come in threes..."
'Gill' shook his head, banishing the thought.
"No. I am certain. The Goddess has relinquished her hold over you. This elevator should leave you straight back to the control room. I'm certain of it. I suppose this is where we part ways, Kolin, though I doubt this will be the last time we meet. If I am to give you one parting nugget of wisdom, I would like it to be this: when journey began, upon this snowy plane, you placed your faith in a stranger. Your path seemed clear. Simple. Clean. But today, you have reached a crossroad. The path you must travel is no longer clear. But no matter which path you take, you must march down it with conviction and confidence. This journey began with a leap of faith. The time has come for you to take one more..."
@Yun Lee
Ashe tensed, eyeing Luthor from the corner of his eye, about to say something when the blast came.
"Ferdinand do-!" He cried out before the force of it sent him flying back, smoke and light nearly blinding him as the very ground shook from the tremors of the shockwave. He wasn't sure if he hit his head at any point, but his vision swam for a second, muffled voices trailing behind annoying ringing like a buzzing fly in his ears.
Blinking, Ashe's brows furrowed as Gilbert spoke to him. Was he sleeping? When did he sleep? Last he remembered was Ferdinand and pain-
Oh shit, oh fuck. Ferdinand! His eyes flicked this way and that, trying to scan the area before they quickly caught a glimpse of the medics trying to check on the redhead. For a second, he felt a small bout of panic.
"Wait...I can...I can heal him." He garbled out, trying to keep track of Ferdinand as his own heartbeat started to pulse loudly in his head. The least he could do was try and help Ferdinand after what he just did. Whether he did it for Ashe or Luthor or not, he had to try.
"Gilbert, I can heal him..." He spoke, and his eyes stung pretty bad. He hoped he wasn't crying right now or else he wouldn't be able to see any clearer than he did now in probably the next five seconds.
@Sark
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"Thank you, it does. I can forgive you, though Kolin's forgiveness I'm not sure about. I do not know her well." Silque said in relief, her shoulders relaxing. Though when speaking of Kolin, there was an emotion there, briefly, but it was gone as quick as it came. She wanted to get to know Kolin better, at the very least.
@Sark @Lucky @Yun Lee