Chapter The Last Day
Meteors rained down across Crystalla as the chimera began harvesting the lands. The cities erupted into chaos as the foul beasts began charging through the city streets. Forests burned and the skies turned red. Ash rained down as the final day dawned upon Crystalla.
"The teleporters are no longer working" Lotte sighed. "The signal just isn't going through anymore" She shrugged.
"Then it is likely that the Underworld is no more" Aran frowned as she pondered. Roisin approached Aran, who looked at Roisin in surprise.
"Who even are you?" Roisin demanded to know.
"I..." Aran stuttered. "You probably know me better as Araneia" She admitted. Roisin frowned, and shook her head.
"You expect us to trust you? You worked with Abyssia and Lumina..." Roisin grunted.
"Roisin" Aran said, as she looked at the grand windows of the council chambers. "We have 24 hours until this world is gone, 12 until the damage is irreversible. At this point you have to trust me. We don't have time for doubt or suspicion, we need to enact the plan that the ancients made and seal the rift for good" Aran explained.
"I will be the one to hold the Light Matter" Atlas volunteered.
"No" Aran shook her head. "The sins are mine to bear, I've spent millennia walking this star. I will be the one to seal the rift and give my life" She added.
"The Light Matter, from what I understand, is the power of creation, how do we know you won't use it against us?" Ariel asked.
"Because, I have nothing to lose and nothing to gain. This will be my final act, to guarantee a future for this star" Aran said, as the ground shook from the chaos outside. She paced back and forth for a moment, before looking at all the Crystalla who were stood before her.
"I will not lie to you, the energy that the power of creation demands..." Aran began. "It... may consume more than myself, not all of you will survive" She added.
"If at all possible, consume our power first" Brannam offered, as she looked at Memoria and Tristal.
"We have lived long enough, it would be unfair if our lives were spared while others were taken" Tristal nodded.
"We shall always live on, either way, as dreams and memories, in the flow of time" Memoria nodded solemnly.
"We understand the price we may all have to pay, myself included" Roisin nodded. "As long as the world survives, it will be worth it" She explained.
"Alright" Aran nodded, before walking toward Roisin and Keegan. "The Crystalla of Dark and Light... are slightly different, and may not appear as you expect them to do" She explained. "Do not worry about them, they shall make their appearance when they are ready" Aran nodded.
"Excuse me" Seb said, raising his hand.
"Yes?" Aran replied raising her eyebrow.
"How exactly will this work?" He asked.
"We will need to get to the source of the rift, in the center of Utopia, atop the Floating Continent, the throne room of the Lumina Academy" Aran explained.
"Of course it would all come to an end in a damned Academy" Dex joked.
"Yes" Aran smirked. "If there is one thing the Academies were good for, it was to prepare you all for this day. The day when we would stand outnumbered, out gunned, broken, tired and battered. But not without hope" She smiled.
"Whatever happens, it all ends today" Roisin nodded, Aran smiled. Roisin walked over to the doorway and opened the doors to see the chaos outside, all of the fighter airships had been deployed to protect the main cities, leaving the Council Chambers almost undefended.
The Wild Rose II sat waiting for everyone to board, Roisin looked in the distance at the floating continent, as a Dreadnought fell to the ground in flames. The day of judgement had begun, this would be the day that the fate of Crystalla would be decided at last.
Everyone boarded the airship, as Roisin, Dex, Ariel and Ashe stepped aboard the bridge of the airship.
"One final flight" Ashe sighed, as she ran her hand across the weapons console.
"I doubt this will be the final ship that goes by the name The Wild Rose" Dex smiled, as he sat behind the tactical console.
"If we pull this off, no doubt we will go down in the history books" Ariel chuckled as she walked over to the communications terminal.
"Well I want a damned statue if we manage this" Roisin laughed. "Right in the center of Sanctuary" She smiled, as she took her place at the pilot console.
"Hit it" Ariel smiled, Roisin nodded and powered up the engines.