Resonance of the Stars: Bleak Horizon

As the memories and images continued to barrage him, Lucas became so numbed, so dulled to the world around him he couldn't even hear the words being uttered by the woman....women...? Before him. His head rolled back and stared to the sky as he tried to make sense of all of the information he was being given. He was a soldier, a warrior...but was he a leader? Did he have the power to make the decisions necessary to lead an army? Who WAS Lucas Wynne? And the more he pondered these questions, he found himself asking...why it even mattered. Why not let the world fall away into nothing, let all be as it was once before, and let it be that way yet again. Why trouble himself with the hardship when all he did was cause more pain? Time keeps going, regardless of who stands or falls in the fight. This wasn't meant to be his decision...Was it?

No matter what he did, he would continue to cause pain, he had to stop it. He had to put it to an end. Maybe then he could finally give his friends the freedom they deserved. At least, that was his hope.

He let his arms spread out as far as they could, and simply fell back. Let go. Let it all go, release the pain, the torment and the anguish. Stop the suffering. let someone else take up the fight in his stead. It was the only responsible choice to make.

"No more...." As his body went limp and collapsed, he seemed to fall through the floor, the chasm overtaking him as he began his descent into the abyss.

"This is my final reward.....I'm so sorry...." He felt the darkness overtake him, enveloping him in a slow growth of torment and terror. He wanted to apologize to everyone he must have hurt over the years, the people closest to him....He could hear their voices, see their actions, but still for the life of him he could not recall their names or faces. Perhaps that was for the best. Perhaps maybe this once, the right man would fade into the annals of history unnoticed, with a whimper instead of a roar. Perhaps all was right with the world this time.

As he inhaled the darkness like a soothing drug, he winced. He took another quick breath to calm himself, and then he began to cough. At this moment his eyes shot open, and before him was not the abyss he felt as he'd begun his descent. In its place was a fire. A massive, glorious blaze that overtook the world before him. His eyes began to well with tears as he tried to focus through the smoke and smog. Then, they did something he'd never expected. They too, began to burn.

He let out a wail and a glass-shattering scream as he threw his head back, attempting to ignore the pain. Why was this happening?! Why wouldn't the world just let him DIE?!

"I've done too much as it is, I've fought hard enough! LET ME GO!" He screeched, staring at the fires with a searing hatred unlike any he'd ever felt before.

"I'm surrendering to the torment I've earned, why can't you just LEAVE ME ALONE?! THIS ISN'T MY FIGHT ANYMORE!" But it was, and he knew it. He simply didn't want to accept it. As the smoke began to part, and the world before him lay ablaze, he could see everything. The Order, his team, the Universe itself. In that moment of pure torment and anguish, Lucas Wynne saw time. And time, was fire. He saw his home burning to nothing but ash, he felt the fury in him rise and swell like a balloon about to burst. He felt the blood in his mouth as he bit his tongue so hard he swore he'd torn it off.

"NO!" He roared, eyes mad with righteous fury as h threw himself into the fires, wading through time itself to take back what was his. Flame had torn Lucas from his life, from what he deserved as a man. Now through fire and searing flame he would force himself back into the torture, for one thing, and one thing alone.

Vengeance.

He waded through the fires for what felt like eternity, the heat licking his skin in a maddening burn, but so intent on his goal, he didn't feel a thing. All that mattered now was survival. He remembered why he fought, he remembered the day it began. What mattered was not his own life, that was insignificant. What mattered, was justice. What mattered was the truth. He would be damned before he let his mission be taken up by the mantle of one who didn't understand his pain. He would be ruined before he let his life be laid down into obscurity for nothing. This was his fight, and by the gods he would finish it himself.

He broke out into a run, tearing through the fires like they were nothing but the wind, burns scattering across his body in a terrifying display, growing more and more severe until he appeared to be little more than a walking third degree burn. His hair long gone, his eyes hollowed out in ash. The man looked more mummy than human at this point, and he appeared as frenzied as a beast. He tunneled his way through the fire, and he burst through it like a savage, roaring. He looked on the site before him and almost sneered. There was no more woman whispering in his ear telling him of his failures. Only a man holding a woman by the throat. Not just any man. The one he'd wanted to pummel for years now. Lucas Wynne.

He threw himself at the doppelganger with a mighty roar and began to bite, tear, and rip at any muscle he could get his hands on. This was not the way of a warrior, this was the way a monster would fight. And in this moment, he had become the monster.

As Arkon entered the ring he felt his psychic powers leave him and for a second shock was on his face. He didn't know that could happen. The cage wires lit up with electricity. Looks like it would be a plain and simple one on one melee combat, no powers, no mechs. Just flesh and steel. He visibly changed from viewing this as a chore to taking it seriously. He had to keep on his toes. If he didn't then he would die. 

Arkon grinned in anticipation. He has been spending far too much time with Nephilum, The Demons bloodlust was bleeding over into his own personality. He would have to handle that later. As for now, that might actually end up saving his life this day. "I am Arkon Umbric, The prince of Dezziar and Psychic Master. The weilder of The Balance. I challenge you to melee combat!" he says as he unfastens his sword and holds it out pointing at Kyuba. "ready when you are Reaper" he said with a grin full of bloodlust

Kyuba laughed at the bloodlust in the eyes of his opponent. This was going to be a fun fight. As he stared down his opponent he felt his blood pumping fast in his veins, he felt the sweat on his skin, smelled the excitement in the air. The opponent had given him the first move, a big mistake. Kyuba charged ahead slashing his scythe viciously in a downwards arc. At the last second he stopped the blade and drove his knee into Arkon's stomach. Spinning past him, in one fluid motion, Kyuba brought his scythe to the ready and slammed it behind him hitting Arkon square in the head with the handle of the scythe sending him tumbling towards a crispy demise. If he doesn't get through this he isn't worth my time.

Arkon saw him rush forward and did a feint with his scythe to hit him in the stomach and spun around and hit him in the head forcing him towards the fence but he used his forward momentum as his feet touched down, thanks to his sword catching the ground and spun using the force of the hit so he was facing towards his enemy and in a seemless move kept the momentum from the initial hit and rotation and used it to launch a forward thrust of his sword closing the distance quickly only to rotate again last second and back fist kyuba in the face forcing him to stumble from the force of the hit. Arkon kept the rotation going and sweep kicked him to the floor toward the electrified fence. Arkon knew kyuba could handle this if he could handle himself as skillfully as he just did but he waited to see what he would do so he could prepare a counter measure to it. This fight has changed to a game of chess in his mind.

As Kyuba flew backwards through the air he felt his mind drift back to the days of his training. "WRONG! Do it again!" Kyuba thudded to the floor as Seradas once again disarmed with with ease. Growling Kyuba forced himself up from the floor and launched himself once again at his Master. Once again he found himself landing painfully on the floor and the same words filled his ears sparking his rage to grow ever larger. Seeing that this was leading nowhere High Father Seradas walked over to Kyuba and thrust the pole of his scythe into Kyuba's back eliciting a scream of pain from the boy. "You give in too easily to your feral nature boy! You have ferocity, no one can deny that but if you are to serve the Goddess to your fullest extent you MUST learn how to harness that rage. Sharpen it to a point and you will never miss! Now get up...boy!" 

Kyuba screamed with rage as his master once again used the name he had come to hate. He knew it was being used only to get a rise from him and to make him sloppy but he didn't care. When the pole shifted ever so slightly he kicked back at his master who leaped into the air while thrusting the pole harder into Kyuba's back eliciting another scream of pain and rage. "Hoooo good try there boy but not good enough." He removed the pole and jumped back as a sputtering rage fueled Kyuba jumped up slashing wildly around him. "Good...burn off the excess rage....sharpen it...good..." Kyuba closed his eyes and concentrated, he concentrated on the one constant in this world. The one thing he knew he could trust , that would never leave him. The cold melody that always rang in his mind and reverberated within his soul. The melody of the goddess. He allowed this melody to fill him to the very core of his being it mixed with the rage within him strengthening it but bringing it under his control. 

When every inch of his body reverberated with the sound and rhythm of the music he opened his eyes and charged. He easily swept aside Seradas's scythe and aimed for his open neck. There was a clang as his scythe was forced away by Seradas's force shield. Before he could wind up to charge again his vision began to grow blurry and fade. He closed his eyes and let the song take him. 

Seradas rubbed his neck in the area Kyuba's blade had nearly made contact. "That boy..."

Kyuba was jarred back to the present as he sensed the danger of the electric fence. He had very little time left to react so he closed his eyes. He began to hum the haunting melody as it filled his senses. He twisted his body as his feet touched the fence, his rubber boots absorbing the electricity. He felt his knees bend as he made contact and his head snapped up as his eyes opened. Fire burned in eyes as he stared down Arkon. "Play time's over...rookie!" He kicked off the fence launching himself at Arkon in a series of vicious attacks which forced his opponent on the defensive.

Arkon was surprised he spring boarded himself off the fence. He was good. He even seemed to phase. Arkon closed his eyes and focused. He learned long ago how the body worked, He learned how to make his body do what he wanted. So he had to do two things. First he needed to turn off his nervous systems response to pain that way even if he did get hit, it would harm his body but he could continue to fight despite that, and take off the limits the human body put on its self limiting it to its natural 80%. For this fight, he needed to use the bodies full 100%. No matter what the damage to his body would be later. 

"Let me show you my real power."

He opened his eyes in a flash and charged him while he was mid charge and the sound of metal on metal rang out through the camp. The force of the blows knocking both warriors back only to have them gain ground with each swing. Each looking for an opening and neither side letting up.

With the clash going no where he kicked him in the midsection and followed up with a flurry of slashes. He would won. He HAD to win. If he didn't he would be treated as nothing more then a joke. 

His father treated him as nothing more than a weapon. It was time to react as such. He needed this win.

KYuba grunted as he felt the foot connect with his stomach and he winced as the blade cut into his flesh. This made him more angry than anything and he screamed in rage forcing arkon back with a massive slash  to set him off balance. He began to press his attack anew dancing between weapon forms with the grace of a master. For every hit Arkon made on him he returned one in kind. I am Kyuba Genrei and I WILL NOT LOSE! Another loud clang rang out as blade met blade, The force of the impact was so large that both weapons were thrown from their users hands, each embedding themselves far from reach in the electrified cage. 

Kyuba howled all the louder as he launched himself at Arkon with a series of blows from his fists. He panted as his heart rate quickened and he pushed himself harder the battles of a few hours past forgotten, his mission forgotten, all that mattered was right here and now. He had to prove himself to the goddess by defeating this opponent. The cheers from the men who were enjoying such a display of pure physical power from the two combatants. No one could tell who the victor would be but one thing was certain. Their leader was having fun and that always meant a good show. 

Kyuba's shout of elation as his fist collided with Arkon's rib was quickly replaced by one of anguish as he felt Arkon break one of his in return. "You are pretty good rookie....but i refuse to lose!" He punched Arkon hard in the face sending him stumbling backwards.

Arkon was glad it all came down to fists. "this great! Just two warrior, no weapons, no mechs, no powers!" he said as they seemed to have thrown all form out the window. All they have resorted to just trading blows. The flurry of blows hit with enough force that each and every one of their hits could be heard over the roar of the crowd. Both fighters were grinning despite the broken bones and gashes. He elbowed kyuba in the head but kyuba didn't even flinch as he formed a chop with his hand and jabbed it into his chest then grabbed Arkon's rib and pulled, breaking another of his ribs. Arkon kneed him in the stomach, then grabbed kyuba's head and kneed him in it. 

Arkon had not felt this beat down by an opponent since training with his father. "get up boy" Arkam yelled at the the young arkon. He got up and tried to move his father with his telekinesis but he was too weak and got kicked in the stomach, launching him towards the ceiling. "Your weak. You'll always be weak. If you were strong, you would kill me. Even with your power, you can't even touch me. You're nothing" His father said. Arkon got up and charged him, taking him off his feet with his power and began to beat him down on his face over and over until his father grabbed him by the neck and began choking him. He threw him at the wall so hard he bounced off it...right into his father's arm as he was clotheslined back into the wall. Arkon fell to the ground. He was in so much pain he couldn't move his finger let alone stand up. Then he heard the dark voice. "You get up. Give me control. I'll take care of him. Give me control!" it was the first time he heard the demon alone, with out being accompanied by the angels voice. He gave up control and the Demon launched at his father from behind and began choking him till his father grabbed him by the head and threw him head first into the wall. With that he fell into an unconscious. 

"I CANT DIE NOW! i HAVE TO KILL HIM. I HAVE TO KILL HIM DEAD!" Arkon roared despite the damage his body had taken he thankfully knew how to cut out his pain receptors. He began smashing him in the face and body with all he had. Rage was in his eyes and it was as if he wasn't really seeing kyuba anymore. He saw his father.

Kyuba laughed through the pain as Arkon unleashed his fury upon him. "YOU THINK THIS IS PAIN? YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT PAIN IS ROOKIE!" Kyuba felt his blood boil as he reached even greater heights of rage brought out by his opponent. He grabbed Arkon by the collar and threw him to the ground. Climbing on top of him he began to slam Arkon's face into the ring. Akron managed to beat him off after several blows and Kyuba was rewarded with a quick few jabs to the stomach and another blow to the head. Both combatants went at each other full force, all rules and best forgotten. This was no longer a battle but a primal show of force. Only one of them would come out the victor and Kyuba was not going to lose.

Arkon felt nothing but blind rage as he saw his father in front of him. He saw the blows hit but felt nothing. He noticed his body wasn't reacting correctly. He figured it was due to the broken bones his body had suffered during the fight. He continued to press the fight and hit him completely gave it his all. Kyuba didn't seem to mind the pain anymore then he did. Arkon knew their fight would be long and drawn out. It already had been, but he needed to kill his father. He needed more the oxygen, more then life. This was his meaning, his purpose for living. He hated his father for so long, he became stronger for it. He was now ready to do what he needed to do. 

"If I'm going, then your going with meeeeeeeeee!" He roared and he grabbed kyuba in a bear hug and launched them both straight into the electrified fence shocking both of them so bad you could smell the skin burn from the electricity as both fighters were blasted back by the fence. Arkon couldn't see anything but blurred shapes between the blood and the fatigue. His body would every now and then twitch from the electricity. He waited to see if Kyuba could move. He wanted to wait before moving. He needed to save energy, not that he had anything left that is.

Kyuba screamed as the electricity entered his body. Pain exploded across his body like the death of a thousand suns brining him to greater and greater heights of satisfaction. Forcing his body to move he crawls to Arkon grabs his head and starts to pound it into the arena. "I...WILL...NOT...LOSE!", were the words which accented each slam of his opponents face. Exhausted he fell over and rolled away from Arkon. His energy was almost out. "You're good rookie..." he said while panting "But I'm better....you ready to join me in bringing death to the galaxy?"

Arkon couldn't move as he had his face pumled. With kyuba's words he was snapped out of his rage. "Depends, If I've finally earned some respect around here, then yes. If not then we can lay here all day and just crawl to each other for the occasional slap till we bleed out. It's your call." He said, as he lay in what had to mostly their blood and maybe 10% the actual ring. It was all talk naturally. If he could do anything he would. He couldn't move anything and he would bet neither could he. "best option here? Call it a tie. Cause neither of us can move. Either way I'm helping your team. I just want some respect. Thats all. Deal?" he offered. He doubted it would work, but he couldn't do anything else.

Kyuba laughed so hard it hurt, which was not difficult considering the several broken ribs. "Yea rookie you earned your respect." The men opened the cage and began carrying the two combatants out of the arena. Kyuba blacked out several times along the way but when he came to he was where he expected to be. He and Arkon were sitting at the head of a huge banquet each wearing a crown of skulls. Kyuba laughed again when he saw how confused Arkon was. "I hope you can drink as well as you fight kid...if you can we'll talk about your nick name"

"After a fight like that, I'd say drinking is the easy part. I haven't had a fight like that...well...ever. It was fun but after that I'm starving!" He grabs his drinks and downs it quickly. "nothing like celebration after a good fight." He grabs some of the food near him, all manner's left despite his royal upbringing. He was starving and in pain. His only goal, now that respect was taken care of, was food. "So where did you learn to fight like that? Cause clearly its more then just standard for your church." he asked while he started chewing up a chicken leg. "by the way, gotta say, the skull crowns are a nice touch." he commented completely honestly.

Free from Lucas's grip Michiko looked on as the other Lucas waged war on himself.  "Do not fret, young one. This is the proper course." The voice reassured. 

The chunks of flesh Lucas ravaged fell harmlessly to the floor. Soon there was nothing left for the young commander to destroy. Things grew quiet, except for the sound of Lucas's labored breathing. For as forced as it was, it sounded better than it had since she'd been there. 

Out of the silence a nazgulish shriek pierced the dead air. One by one the pieces of flesh found each other and started to re-assimilate. This time it took the first loathesome form Michi had seen. Familiar tentacles began to sprout from the fleshy mess. Upon completing the transformation, it latched on to Lucas using it's sickening appendages to constrict and restrain every part of his body.  "What are you doing!? Back to the abyss!" It foamed from the hole in it's face. Each of the arms pulled in different directions in an attempt to tear the other Lucas apart just as he'd done to him.

Michiko knew it was a long shot but she closed her eyes and started to concentrate, maybe there was something she could do. "Stop." The voice commanded. "If you interfere now all this will have been for nothing. The time for your help is over."

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In a small room located in a tiny base, that only a choice few in the Vesdasterian army knew about, agent Pikar or "The Picker" as he was known to his colleagues, prepared the tools of his trade. He'd gotten the nickname because it didn't take long after being in a room alone with Pikar before your mind was picked clean. He was the kind of interrogator that was only called in on occasions where the preservation of life for the the individual to be questioned was of little importance. He'd been given a list of mandatory questions to ask but knew he could take poetic licence with them if he felt the need.

Shortly after making certain his devices were soiled and rusty, a woman escorted the prisoner into the steel room. She and the person to be questioned had been blindfolded to preserve the clandestine nature of the location. "Here he is..." She stated matter of factly. " Be a dear and try not to kill him would you?" Before Elise finished the upward inflection in her question she'd been slammed into the table, inches away from one of his favorite instruments. Pikar didn't like it when people told him what to do, but the fact of the matter was, the extra seat had been waiting for her the whole time. "Strap her in too." He said in a guttural voice, her head still beneath his massive palm. With his other hand he motioned to one of his assistants to take her to the chair, he'd already grown tired of touching her, but his instruments wouldn't. 

Elise would have been able to fight her way out, but the unexpected blow from Pikar left her disoriented. "You like dust do you?" He would deal with her first. The room was silent except for the moans of his second victim who was in the throes of a dust induced episode. "I asked you a question." Pikar didn't like to repeat himself so he thought he'd let one of his lovelies do it for him. He picked up a long thin blade from his table. He walked over to where she was strapped. The chair was wooden and hadn't been cleaned since the last interrogation. The coppery smell of blood still lingered. Her legs were bound to the legs of the chair, and her arms to the chair's arms. Pikar bent down and started tracing the outline of her kneecap with the blade. "Anything you'd like to say?" He offered her another chance. He was delighted when he was answered with more silence. He lined up the rusty length of metal with the side of her knee. The knees were always a good place to start. Slowly, ever so slowly he inserted it into the flesh that connected her leg to her knee. With each centimeter he pushed she cried out louder. Once it had gone all the way through, protruding evenly on both sides, Pikar mentally rated her cries with some of his previous victims. He found them to be disappointingly mediocre. "I'm sure you heard the question this time."

Instead of silence an almost inaudible whimper whispered through the room.  "I'm afraid that's not going to answer my question." He got up, the heavy thud of his steel toed boots filled her brain. He was back at the table picking out the mate to his knee skewer. While he was there he picked up 10 crusty acupuncture needles. He placed the skewer behind his ear, much like an accountant might wear a pencil. "I think we'll do your nails next." 

"WHERE DID YOU GET THE DUST!?" He shouted. One by one Pikar inserted the needles under her finger nails, after the fourth nail he got a breakthrough. "We were allotted a certain amount of dust." She spat through gritted teeth. Sweat and tears soaked her blindfold. "Doesn't sound like us." He stated cooly as he completed one hand of her twisted manicure with a 5th needle. Her screams were much improved at this point, but still not even close to the best he'd heard. "You're going to get every bit you give me and WORSE when the Forge finds out about this insolence! Keep that in mind imbecile!" It was laughable, but Pikar was not the laughing sort. The next hand was done and her nose was broken before she spoke again. He knew that once he started on her face she would open up. Women tended to be predictable that way, or at least that's how Pikar saw it.

"We stole it...We started revolts in the mines. We took advantage of them and stole what we could." a broken Elise whispered in between breathes that now had to go through her mouth. "Better... Unstrap her and clean her up," Instant relief washed over her face. There was nothing more he wanted. It was over.  "leave her hands bound. Oh... one more thing." He paused after reclaiming his acupuncture needles. Taking the skewer from behind his ear he jammed it through her other knee. Now they matched, they definitely needed to match. That last shriek was the most satisfying of the entire session. "Carry her and leave the blades in, she won't try to fight, unless she's tired of having kneecaps. Put her in a cell and inform the Lieutenant General." Brun would be happy to have the report. He'd been looking for a way to sever ties with the Forge and this would be the perfect excuse. Pikar almost grinned at the knowledge that he may have to interrogate her again, he loved repeat customers.

Now for the main event. Pikar cracked his neck and knuckles, that last session left him hungry. He needed a lot from this one. Sometimes it was hard to keep his job fresh, stab, maim, punch, kick, there had to be more to life, and there was... Drill 

A diamond bit wasn't necessary when you were drilling human flesh, but why not? Pikar was nothing if not classy. Having the drill at the ready, he started his line of questioning. "Who are you working for?" the man was twitching violently. He wasn't even capable of answering. Situations like this were always disappointing. He sighed a heavy sigh. "Tell Lt. General Brun there's no interrogating this one. We'll have to wait it out."

 Brun sat at his desk looking over documents when word arrived. "Sir Pikar has successfully interrogated Elise of the Crimson Forge. She confessed that they've been inciting the revolts and taking dust. Unfortunately the other prisoner isn't able to speak yet. Also, reports are coming in about a camp 2.3 miles from the center radius of satellite 5393's range. The camp is giving off large quantities of energy." Brun looked up from his work. "Perfect, the forge has been a thorn in my side far too long. Send in a squadron to overtake whatever remains of their forces. We're going to need that dust. What progress has the refinery made?" He stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Everything's ready to go sir. The special units have been fitted with their canisters and the bomb is ready." He smiled, everything was running like clockwork. "Deploy some of the special units to the newly discovered camp at midnight. Make sure the damage sensing self destruct is activated for each of them. I want that dust spread no matter what.  Delay the bomb until we have a better understanding of what's going on out there."  The informing soldier saluted. "Yes sir."

As he felt himself be drawn, and attempting to be quartered, all Luke could do was roar as he began to flail in the binds. He had just begun to calm himself as he'd been thrown back into mind shattering pain. Out of the frying pan, into the fire. His hollowed out, burnt over eyes locked angrily onto his duplicate, now looking at him with a clear state of confusion and concern. It thought it was doing the best for all. It thought it was being the better man.

It didn't know shit about the man it claimed to be. If it did, it would have known the fires that burned in his heart. It would have known the searing heat, the bottled rage kept beneath the surface. It would have known beneath the fear and uncertainty was something far darker, and far more dangerous than any of the above in the mind of a leader. It would have known the man behind the glass, the beast beneath the all-seeing eye.

And above all of this, it would have known not to let that beast out, only to try and trap it again.

"YOU THINK YOU'RE HOT SHIT?! YOU THINK YOU'RE A LEADER?!" He shouted as he felt his limbs begin to creak. Much more pressure and he knew he would break, in more ways than one. But he wasn't done. Not yet. The fires had dimmed in his mind, but he could still see them clear as day, engulfing everything before him, emanating from that bastard with his face. He didn't know what he saw anymore, and it didn't matter in the least. All he knew was the pain was there, it was trying to take his attention, and it was starting to get unbearable.

"YOU'RE NOTHING!" He lurched forward as far as his torso would let him, his arms still wriggling to free themselves from the tendrils as more burnt flakes of skin began to fall to the ground, the friction of trying to fight his restraints only adding to the burn. The more he fought, the tighter they held, and the hotter the burn, oh by the gods how that burn grew, driving him mad with a pain he'd come to know so well in the past minutes he thought he would never experience again, but how wrong he was.

He started throwing his weight, trying to flail against the restraints as the friction picked up and he felt himself dislocate an arm, biting his lip hard as he muffled a scream from the intense pain that shot through his horribly burned body. It didn't matter, the pain was inconsequential so long as he could get his hands on the smarmy little shit standing in front of him, stealing HIS face. He lurched in the other direction, a loud *SNAP* echoing in the silence as he dislocated and snapped his other arm, blood beginning to drop from his lip as he bit down even harder, no longer able to contain the pain as he screamed, his voice clearly beginning to break as his throat grew hoarse.

"YOU'RE NOT ME!" He roared, his voice carrying with such intensity that it could have nearly knocked Michiko off her feet if she wasn't prepared.

"YOU'RE NOT ME!!!!"

Lucas was on the doorstep of oblivion. He was tearing himself apart, his vitals were once again wildly unstable. "Will you die today Lucas?" The voice questioned him.  The beast was holding steady, but had stopped pulling. "We will stay like this forever. We will be bound to each other in death just as we were in life. You will never have to make another decision again. We will have peace." It whispered sinisterly.

Michiko felt useless, there didn't seem to be any point to her presence there. Despair was over taking her when she heard Lucas cry out. She started thinking that she might be able to help more if she disconnected. "Watch." The voice commanded. "Watch as we've watched for millenia."  

Suction cups latched to where the ground would have been. The beast was digging in. Things were shifting again, what would it be this time? "You're almost out of time."  the voice reminded. Suddenly the beast's grip loosened a bit. Something was happening. "Not me..." It repeated the phrase. The reaction had been very delayed. "Of course I'm you..." The sentence didn't make sense and the beast was bewildered. 


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Diye prepared for the strike. He'd been put in charge of this mission as his first act as a commanding officer. The promotion had been sudden, he'd only been part of the army for a few months. Though he wasn't completely surprised, he had been in the top of his class after all. Unfortunately for him, that was a very naive point of view. This mission, important as it was, had been staffed with very capable fodder.  None of them would be missed least of all Diye. He was a child soldier and an orphan, not a soul would spare their tears for him.

"Lt. General Brun, we're successfully in position in the 6 point formation. What are your orders?" Diye waited patiently for a response. "Good, advance and remember to send all the information you and your units gather AS it comes. Remain undetected as long as possible. If you're detected engage." Brun commanded. 


The dusting units had mirrored outer panels like the Aurora, but unlike Aurora the quality left much to be desired. They often needed to be replaced after only a few battles. That's why the unfeasible technology was only used in specialized missions. Aside from blending in, they were smaller, quieter, and faster than most of the other Vezdasterian mechs, but definitely not as sturdy. They headed noiselessly to the center of their 6 points and began spewing clouds of dust in every direction.

Kyuba smiled as he grabbed the roast leg of some local beast his men had hunted down for the feast. "Killing may be our specialty...but no one said you can't do it with style." As he grabbed his large goblet of wine and started to down it thirstily as if it was nothing more than water. "Eat up, Arkon was it? Yes...you have earned it." He sat back in his chair suppressing a groan at the extreme pain he was feeling from the number Arkon had done on him. "You have earned your right to refuse...but the offer still stands. You would do well in the-" Kyuba was cut off by the sounds of panic coming from outside the tent. One of his men burst inside bleeding profusely from several wounds. "Sir! We are under attack!", was all he managed before falling dead before them. In an instant Kyuba was up on his feet, all pain forgotten. "SOLDIERS! BATTLE FORMATIONS MARCH!" He motioned Arkon to follow and lead him out a back flap of the tent. 

Kyuba stopped short and listened straining his ears for sounds he knew he should be hearing but wasn't. Instead of the sounds of battle he heard nothing, complete silence. Then his world became hazy and he was almost brought too his knees in a fit of coughing. He brought his cloak in front of his mouth to do his best to block the unknown gas and motioned for Arkon to do the same. As he crept around the tent he came upon a scene that made his blood boil. His men, HIS MEN, were acting like fools. Some were rolling around on the ground like animals, one man was stripping his robes off and screaming about peace and love. What surprised him the most was there were more men in robes marking them as members of the order but these men were not his. They wore gas masks under their hoods as they systematically moved from man to man killing each in their hallucinated state. Kyuba roared and charged at the enemy, all attempts to avoid breathing the gas abandoned. He managed to dispatch several of them before the coughing started. Forcing himself onward he managed to kill a few more before he collapsed to his knees in a fit of coughing. A short but exuberantly robed member of the attack force moved forward and readied her scythe. Kyuba stared into her eyes and managed to stop coughing long enough to growl. "So....the council has finally decided to do away with me? I know that is you Teintra...." He broke down into another fit of coughing.

Teintra laughed through her gas mask, the sound muffled making it sound more like a wheeze. "Foolish Kyuba," she began to stroke his hair almost affectionately, "I will enjoy wearing your skull...but this hair of yours...a shame it will have to go." Lost in her victory gloating she failed to see that Kyuba had stopped coughing and was laughing. In a flash he brought his scythe up cutting a deep gash diagonally across her face from mouth to brow, slicing open her mask. Teintra screamed in pain and rage but quickly fell into a fit of coughing. Her remaining men surrounded her and carried her away. Kyuba laughed and coughed as the dust settled over him. His world began to fade to black as an eerily familiar voice crept into his head. "Kyuuuubaaaa Heeeeeelp me!!!" "Esperanza?, was all he managed before falling to the ground.

Arkon nodded as Kyuba explained his fighting skill away as he saw a man come in sliced to shit. Kyuba got outside and arkon followed him out and he barked out orders. he then realised no one was listening. every one was coughing and dying. He began to cover his mouth and motioned for arkon to do the same. Of course it didn't take too long for kyuba to lose his calm to anger and went to rush the person with what seemed to be a gas mask and confront them. Arkon managed to cover his face with his jacket like a scarf but he was already beginning to feel like he did during his fight with kyuba

With kyuba a good couple feet away he let out a telekinetic shock wave trying to clear the dust but all it did was knock away the people near him. some of which were wearing those damned maskes. His view began to get hazy again. 

He saw more and more people with masks come towards him and he pulled them off their faces as best he could with what little focus he had. He began to worry. Unlike in the area, he could use his powers out here. if he lost control his powers could lash out in his confusion. That was his last coherent thought before he felt the full effects of the dust.

Every thing seemed to melt away around him and light became darkness. It was as if he was home again. Only the world was on fire, all around him people were suffering at the hands of the order and his father. There were members of the order cutting down innocent people and he needed to stop it. 

He blasted back a group of order members that had scythes and swords and pinned them to the walls and crushed their throats with his mind. He wouldn't let them get away with this.

He walked through the burned out city and began taking out every order member he found ruthlessly. He sliced through some of them and crushed the others with his power. He found what appeared to be a general and he levitated the bastard and telekineticly ripped out the mans heart from his chest and watched the life escape his eyes. There was no laughter from him, no enjoying the fight like there had been with his fights with Kyuba. This was pure revenge. Cold and ruthless, he slaughtered every member of the order he found. He wouldn't stop till he found the source. Till he found his father, the man who let these people into his home. "I will kill every member of the order on my planet. Nothing but death awaits all who oppose me. I was raised to be a weapon, and now my father will feel the wrath of the weapon he himself made."

The beast was no more. There was nothing left but a charred pile of dust and bad memories. Michiko had watched, just as she'd been bid to. The display of power and will was both horrible and beautiful. "You've chosen well. You've both chosen well." The sweet tone assured. 

Michiko's eyes welled. Hope had returned, now that Lucas had conquered his doubt she was sure she could get them out, but first she had to know. "Who are you?" The fiery realm assumed it's former shape, the star pantheon. This time, Michi looked at her surrounding out of curiosity instead of necessity. The pantheon looked as if it had no end. Statues hewn from meteorites of men and women adorned on both sides of the edifice. They too were never ending.

The first one on the right was a beautiful woman with a long Opaline sector in her left hand. The one on the left was also a woman who was also very beautiful, though her bottom half looked like a snake. Behind the serpentine woman there was a bearded man holding an axe and a shield, and behind the woman with the scepter a crazy old man with a worm in his teeth. Those 4 statues began to glow. Transparent beings sprang fourth from their dark shells. 

Michiko stood shocked with her mouth hanging open. "I am your star Michiko Hoshi." The beautiful woman slowly approached her. Michiko's eyes grew wide. She threw herself down in an act of submission. "No star child, stand up, and look up." Michiko did as she was told.

"Why are you here?" she asked, not completely certain that this wasn't just another one of Lucas's hallucinations. "I am here to guide." The woman replied. "But this is Lucas's subconscious, he's an outsider, I'm certain he doesn't worship you." The star woman raised her scepter and brought it down hard. An energy field appeared around them. "You and the Eden dweller were both born under me. The stars have no prejudices." 

Michiko immediately thought of the cultists. "But the monks won't allow the cultists of Shira into the holy city." The woman shook her head. "That is the way of men not stars." she replied gently. She gestured at her companions "Each of these stars belong to one of your friends. Even your death priest, it matters not that they are not acknowledged. They are still watching, and always will." 

Michiko had so many other questions, like why were there 4 other stars there instead of 3, but she knew she couldn't leave Lucas for much longer.

He drew slow, ragged breaths as he rose from the ground, now completely encased by the ominous blue flames, more a creature of fire than a man. the entire world lay before him now, as the fires had wormed their way into his mind, a newfound clarity and enlightenment breaching his mental barriers. Yet still, beyond this enlightenment he was trapped. His doubts overcome, mind still blurred from the confusion of the entire ordeal, dazed and disoriented as the fires clouded his thoughts. He knew there was more to the world before him, but still he could not connect the pieces fully. Who could one trust if they knew they were their own enemy? Anything could be a danger, anyone could be a risk, and as he looked on the familiar woman once more, he stiffened as the flames around him began to flicker.

Was she really who she claimed to be?

Another step as he neared both her and the beautiful woman of the stars. Slowly the barriers were building in his consciousness, the fires growing larger and more pronounced around him like a lethal aura. He would not be fooled, he would not be controlled. Here in this kingdom, he was safe. here, he was master of all, and he would not give up that power, that security.

Not without a fight, and not without a damn good reason.

The star woman no doubt held a wealth of knowledge. It was ever so tempting to prolong this visitation, but the situation was too dire. "Thank you, this is information is a great help to our cause." Though that wasn't the whole truth. Even though the gods that the monks swore their lives to had no qualms with any variety of sentient life, they would no doubt defend the traditions they created to the death. The cultists would have to stay where they were...Wherever that was.

Michiko looked beyond their barrier to Lucas. He still looked hostile. "What do I do about Lucas?" She asked the embodiment of starlight. "You're going to have to convince him you are who you say you are. He's still entwined in delusion, although the worst is over and he'll be much stronger for it. If he makes it out." She replied. 

"What!? We are still dealing in IF!? Aren't you some kind of all knowing being!? Shouldn't you KNOW whether or not we're going to make it." Michiko was at a loss. She didn't even know where to start. After all, who on any earth knew how to reason with a mind on the brink of insanity?

"As your friend Lucas has already learned, your lack of confidence is not going to help." The woman saw right through her. "Then just please, tell me what to say or do exactly!" Michi pleaded. She felt something warm on her shoulder. The woman had placed her hand there. "I provide you with wisdom, it is not my place to tell your future, or dictate your every action. If I did you would never learn or grow." 

Suddenly a tremor shook the pantheon with a mighty force. The barrier the star woman set up immediately shattered. She seemed startled. "He's done it..." Michiko had no idea what to make of it, "Lucas, please! Stop!" The regal pillars began to crack and crumble, as did the pantheon's stone floor. "It's not Lucas my child, it's something far worse." Her gaze grew distant "In our darkest hour even our star will grow dim..." She whispered softly in an ominous tone. Michiko's panic was rising. "What!? What does that mean!?" She knew she'd heard it before... somewhere. The woman's light was beginning to fade as she fell away to nothingness with the other stars and the rest of the pantheon. 

Michiko was physically unaffected by the fissure. The ground she stood on remained. Tears ran down her cheeks, there was so much that was wrong, so much to fix. Lucas stood before her engulfed in flames. There was nothing separating them now. He was horrifying to look upon. If she hadn't known this world wasn't real she would have retched several times over from what she'd seen.

Convince him? Maybe she could convince him by knocking some sense into him. She'd tried everything else. After all they'd been through together. Perhaps she'd been going about this thing all wrong. Everything thus far seemed to be driven by instinct, it was becoming clear he wasn't fully aware of how much control he had.

She'd never been a grand fighter. She held her own in training, but this was a dream world, and it wasn't like she could die so why not? She wiped her face, and took a defensive stance. "All right, were not making much progress. I'm telling you right here right now, I'm a good friend of yours. I can understand your confusion, but we can't play around anymore. If you don't believe me then let's just get this over with." She wasn't very good at tough talk.

He watched as she entered her stance, slowly, cautiously. She intended to fight him, intended to actually stand in his presence, and try to do him harm, or worse yet, have him do the same to her? It didn't make any sense. The Michiko he knew would never be harmed by him, and she knew it. She was part of his team, one of his closest friends, he could never bring himself to hurt her. And yet she stood and faced him. A slow quirk rose in his eyebrow as he took a step towards her. Either this was truly the woman he knew...Or this shapeshifter was another fool. And he needed to know the answer.

"I could end you with a single thought in here...and you'd stand against me? You would fight me? Why?" He took another step, and then another, one by one the flames would imprint themselves in the floor beneath his feat, scarring the ground beneath him. He wouldn't play this game. He wouldn't be lulled into a false sense of security. But on the off chance it was her...He couldn't bring himself to hurt her.

"If you truly are Michiko...then show me." He needed proof. He needed some form of evidence, something only she would do, or only she could know to do. Not just a show of force. A genuine act.

"I'll stand here with you all day if I have to. If you are who you say you are, you know how this will end. I'm not going to make the first swing, I won't hurt you like that. But if you make the first blow....." 

His eyes flashed a bright blue, almost matching the flames around him. "...Then I'll know you're lying to me, and I will end you."

It wasn't working. The false show of bravado had done less than nothing. Her stance weakened, her body couldn't help but mirror her hopelessness. Part of her was elated that they weren't going to fight. The thought of that didn't sit well with her in any plane of existence, but another part of her was devastated that she'd failed. 

"All right..." her hands slowly dropped to her sides. "Then I guess we'll die here together. I have no proof Lucas. I have no magic words or definitive evidence I am who I say I am." She looked at him a smiled a bittersweet smile. This wasn't how she thought it would end. Not here, not now, not in a place that didn't traditionally exist.

"If there's nothing I can do, we will wait for death together." It would be her last act of loyalty, friendship...and maybe something more.

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"Naro, we're approaching a camp and there seems to be a lot going on. Maybe half of that foreign resistance they've been talking about, but they've got a lot of trouble on their hands." The old radio crackled an alert. "Well then fellas, it's a good thing I happened to pick you up on the way home." A gamesome voice replied. "Let's go and see if we can't pick up some more strays."

A ragtag team of poorly equipped miners flooded the camp. Immune to the liberal coating of dust that coated the flora and hung in the air, they began overtaking the area with large rusty mechs reminiscent of mine carts. "Who exactly are we going after?" The first voice questioned. "That's a good question, and since I don't have an answer just yet, corner as many units as you can. Chances are they've been fitted with self destruct devices, if the pilot survives they'll be thoroughly dusted and not in any condition to fight back. We'll sort them all out later." Naro radioed back while he put on a dust mask.

All that was only partially true. He had a very specific target in mind, and that was Kyuba Genrei. 

---

This was the second time Michiko faced death, though she didn't remember the first. It had never let go, and it was right to come back for her. To embrace her more tightly in it's cold dark arms once again. She wouldn't leave Lucas to face it alone.

She looked into his eyes while the world around them faded. Death made no sound as it creeped in closer, it only ebbed away at the things around them. Soon all that remained was Lucas. 

At that moment she saw everything in him. She felt everything for him, things that she never allowed herself to feel. She remembered her act of desperation, how she swore to herself it was just that, desperation, but now it was clear. On the brink of their demise, pride didn't matter.

She carefully stepped in closer, there was nothing left, nothing to lose except this moment she'd never get back. Michiko put her hand gently on Lucas's chest. She could feel his heart slowing. Then, not out of desperation, not out of necessity she leaned in past the remaining flames and kissed him...