Chapter 24: The Parting

I open my eyes, I try to see but I’m blinded by the white light
I can’t remember how, I can’t remember why, I’m lying here tonight
And I can’t stand the pain, and I can’t make it go away
No I can’t stand the pain

How could this happen to me, I’ve made my mistakes
Got no where to run, the night goes on, it’s all fading away
I’m sick of this life, I just want to scream
How could this happen to me
~Simple Plan

Reptina strode forwards towards the fallen Rangers. She felt an unusual sensation as she approached, like when the strange soul had just left her body, only this time, it was coming from the two Rangers. The tense presence seemed to be leaving them. Reptina looked down at the lead Ranger’s face. It was hardened and scared beyond belief. Suddenly, she recognized the face from many, many years ago. Could it be?

“Allen?” Reptina asked gently as she placed a hand on the Ranger. As if by magic, the Ranger was suddenly rejuvenated. He slowly opened his eyes and looked up at Reptina. There was a void in his eyes.

“R-Reptina? Is that really y-you?” Allen asked tremulously as the tears slowly made their way down his cheek. “Y-you’ve changed so m-much. W-what’s happened to me?”

“Everything’s going to be ok, Allen,” Reptina whispered softly. She had a feeling that whatever happened to them was gone. Whatever was afflicting them was gone. Reptina saw the very Hunter that had promised that he would be back for her many years ago.
~~~~~~~~~~~~

A fire burned in Aaru’s purple eyes, magnified in magnitude by her sparkling tears. She grasped her Thorns tightly in her hands, channeling a surge of icy cold energy into the staff. The water vapors around her body turned into a cold mist, surrounding Aaru in a mysterious aura. Voices swam in her head, voices of all different emotions.

Aaru looked at Serena, who stood lackadaisically by the altar, grinning menacingly. “It seems she was dear to you, Aaru. Well if you do not come with me, I will make you hurt much much more,” Serena snickered moving her gaze from Aaru to Latia’s body and back again, “Oh yes, you will want to die before the end.”

With a scream of rage, Aaru charged forwards, brandishing her staff and preparing a beam of ice. Right as she swung her staff around, Serena dashed past her. Aaru’s blast hit the floor, instantly freezing the marble. Serena laughed from afar, across the entire chamber. Haha, you can do much better than that!

Gritting her teeth in rage, Aaru lunged towards Serena again. However, Serena agilely ducked and dashed across the hall again. Before Aaru turned around, she knew it was too late before she even saw anything.

There was a deafening explosion and as Aaru whipped around, she ducked as Raeken flew past her, smashing into the wall behind him. In Serena’s hands was Annikabelle, struggling and crying to break free.

“No! Please let her go!” Aaru screamed across the room at the demented Serena. Annikabelle looked into Aaru’s eyes pleadingly. Look over Raeken for me, Aaru heard in her mind.
“No! Annikabelle you look after him yourself!” Aaru screamed back at her. But even as she screamed these words, she knew Serena had other plans. She knew what was going to happen and she was incapable of stopping it.

Aaru’s head split open from the screaming voices tearing her brain apart. She blocked them out as best as she could like she was trained to do, but these emotions were stronger than anything that she had ever dealt with. As Annikabelle’s screaming got stronger, Raeken’s vitals were getting weaker.

“Taste her blood!” Serena shrieked out in a demonic roar from across the room. There was a searing jolt of pain and a blinding light. Aaru’s world swirl around her as she stumbled to the floor. She could hear Raeken’s roar of fury and shock clearly in her mind as he cried out for Annikabelle. Across the room, Serena flung Annikabelle’s limp body to the ground. Her circlet slid across the room, stopping at the edge of the altar. Through her dizziness, Aaru saw a small hand reach out and grab it.

NOOOOO!!! PLEASE GOD NOOO!!! ANNI! ANNI!! ANNIKABELLE!!! Raeken trembled like never before as the love of his life left him forever. He could not believe she was actually gone. She has to be faking, she has to be ok, she just has to be.But all of this was happening to Aaru too who could hear Raeken’s thoughts as clear as if he was actually screaming them.

Suppressing all of her pain, she dashed across the chamber towards her prey. Serena easily whipped by. Aaru saw a flash of steel and then a sharp pain in her stomach. She stumbled to a halt and clutched her stomach. Aaru screamed in pain as she wrenched the arrow out of her body. She was going to have to come up with another plan if she was ever going to catch Serena who suddenly appeared right next to—

“MARK! MARK GET OUT OF THE WAY!” Aaru screamed at the top of her lungs as her eyes followed Serena. Across the room from Aaru, Mark whipped around and ducked just in time as Serena’s arrow shot past him.

Aaru felt as if she was trudging through water as she ran towards Mark and Serena. The two were now engaged in a duel, and Aaru was helpless to help as she sprinted with all of her might towards them.

Mark swung his Omega Spear around in an arc, hoping to catch Serena on the head. However, she ducked and slammed an arrow into Mark’s undefended back. He fell forwards, gasping in pain. Aaru screamed Mark’s name as he struggled to get back up, his hand groping for the arrow shaft.

Wrenching the lethal arrow out of his back, Mark whirled around unexpectedly and brought his Omega Spear across Serena’s side, sending her flying across the room. Aaru reached Mark at last and collapsed into his hands. Across the room, Raeken had suddenly lost it from Annikabelle’s death and was dueling furiously with Serena, giving Mark and Aaru a brief period of rest.

As the sounds of battle clashed through the chamber, Mark held Aaru in his arms. She felt his fear completely as his warmth enveloped her. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion as the two of them collapsed to the floor as they watched Raeken battle it out with Serena.

“Aaru,” Mark gasped in pain, “Aaru are you alright?”
“Mark, I’m so scared,” Aaru trembled in his arms. The two of them lay on the floor, trying to stem the flow of blood from their wounds.
“Raeken can do it,” Mark said as he propped himself up to watch the battle, “I’ve never seen him so strong and fast.”
“Mark,” Aaru cut him off, “Mark I want to tell you, before I lose my chance—”
“No,” Mark cut her off, “You tell me later. I don’t want to hear it now.” Even as he spoke these brave words, Aaru felt tears drip down his face. She felt his sorrow for his fallen friends. She felt his vehemence towards Serena as she had betrayed them all.

Next to her, Mark suddenly brought himself up to a kneeling position. Aaru looked at him curiously as he took her hands with his own. When he said it, even her telepathy could not predict it.

“Aaru, will you marry me?” Mark whispered as he looked down deep into Aaru’s purple eyes. An arrow shot through the air, barely missing his helmet, but Mark did not flinch. It was as if the only thing he could see was Aaru herself. Another arrow careened through the air and missed Mark’s arm by millimeters.

Mark pulled Aaru up with his strong hands. Aaru touched Mark’s chest and felt a passion burn like the surface of the sun. She looked up into his dark eyes and without saying a word, Mark knew the answer.

Aaru wrapped her arms around the back of Mark’s neck and pressed her lips hard against his. It was like an eternity of bliss where nothing else mattered. She could not even hear the clashes of steel on steel or the arrows whizzing by her head. When she finally pulled back, she felt an extreme surge of happiness, as if her life had just been fulfilled.

But all good things must end, and their few seconds together ended and threw them back to reality. The world around them sped into focus and the panic and terror was back again, stronger than ever.

Aaru heard the twang of the bow, but she knew she could not move. If she dodged out of the way, Mark would be instantly impaled in the heart. She could only wait for the inevitable.

However, instead of the dull thud of the impact tearing through her, she heard a teenaged voice yelling. She opened he eyes and whipped around. She caught Damien just before he could collapse to the ground with a single arrow protruding out of his chest.

No, no please he’s too young! Aaru thought as she felt Damien’s soul leave him. Next to her, Mark took hold of his hand. “Hang in there buddy, you’ll be ok.” Through this smile, Aaru knew exactly what Mark was thinking. However, his thoughts were soon interrupted by two more young ones.

Guosim and SolarKatz ran from their cover to their fallen friend. Aaru noticed that Guosim was carrying her mother’s circlet. The two of them joined Aaru and Mark around Damien’s body. He was breathing gently, but Aaru could sense his life leaving.

“Damien! Don’t die!” Guosim cried as she eyed the arrow tearfully. Her brother behind her was lost for words as he turned away, blinded by tears.

“Mark, Mark remember? Remember those gloves I sold you?” Damien gasped for breath, “Those were the times right? Those were the times when everything was alright.”
“Heh, yea Dame, you just rest alright? It’s going to be alright,” Mark nodded reassuringly.
“No man, I’m done for. I can’t make it. Look after yourselves alright?” Damien said weakly as his breathing slowed. “Guosim, S.K., be good for me ok? I’ll be closer than you think.” He smiled despite the pain overcoming him and closed his eyes.
“Damien!” Guosim put her hands on his shoulders. “Damien come back!” She shook his shoulders, trying to bring him back from the brink. Mark felt Damien’s hand fall limp. Aaru looked up with teary eyes as she saw Damien’s soul rise into the heavens to join Will’s and Annikabelle’s.

An arrow flew by, brushing her purple hair as it made its way into the wall. Her tears spilled out, sliding down her cheek. She stood up and looked directly at Serena’s direction. She had just blasted Raeken back into the wall again. He fell to the ground unconscious with fragments of the wall surrounding him. She screamed in triumph as she turned to face Aaru.

“How do you feel now?” Serena jeered maniacally at Aaru as she slowly strode towards her, “Do you feel your life being ripped apart? Do you feel your emotions trying to kill you? Well if they don’t, I will.” Serena sneered at her.

“I can’t feel a thing,” Aaru replied coldly as she stepped forwards to meet Serena. “Not a goddam thing.”

Serena snickered and in a flash, loaded four arrows into her Dragon Shinebow. The arrows barely hit Aaru as she hastily teleported away. Serena’s missiles stuck themselves into a picture of Athena Pierce, imbedding themselves into her heart.

Aaru reappeared behind Serena. She focused all of her energy and blasted Serena with a barrage of ice. Serena jumped back as the ice exploded in front of her feet. She pulled another four arrows from her quiver, readying them into her bow. Aaru charged forwards with her Thorns out. She tackled Serena in the gut, sending her bow careening through the air.

Aaru slammed the butt-end of her staff down across Serena’s face. A stream of blood spat out of Serena’s mouth. Serena quickly countered and flipped Aaru over with her feet. She lost control of her Thorns, which Serena swiftly kicked away.

Without warning, Serena lunged at Aaru, pinning her to the ground. She raised a clenched fist, readying to snap her neck in half. However, Aaru lashed up and grabbed Serena’s neck with both of her hands. She dug her nails deep into her flesh, drawing out her crimson blood.

Serena looked into Aaru’s eyes, burning with a rage never before seen. She rolled off of her and kicked her in the gut. Aaru shrieked out, spitting out blood of her own. She got up as hastily as she could, but when she looked up, she saw Serena standing over her with a single arrow pointed right at her forehead.

“It’s over,” Serena gasped as she struggled to catch her breath, “You’ve lost. Now, you die.”

Suddenly, the doors exploded in a fiery fireball. Pieces of oak littered the floor of the chamber. Four figures walked in upon the smoldering wreckage, one holding a Kage, one grasping a golden Holy Spear, and two wielding Hinkels. Their silhouettes shone menacingly, emphasized by the red light of the flames licking the pieces of the door behind them.

“We’re back”