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Yes. He'd been gone for much too long.

Aidan, trembling slightly, clenched a fist tightly. This Abel--he could already tell that this Abel wasn't the same one he'd left behind. Had something really changed him so much over the course of a few short weeks?

"I-I'm fine, Abel," he choked, his body straight and rigid under the folds of his green cloak. "I don't think you are..."

His eyes darted away from his friend's. I just got here and it's already time for the Get Ahold of Yourself Man, scene? He gulped. Gotta make this good if I've been gone for the whole event.

"You...this..." he began, his gaze returning to Abel's, "this isn't you! The Abel I know...the Abel I know didn't WANT to kill, at least when he could avoid it! Look at yourself, man! You get stronger and you go on a rampage?!"

"Do you think Cain would have liked to see his only brother become a monster?!"

Ephraim was ready for the attack but Large suddenly stumbled in the middle of his charge thanks to the wound Ephraim gave him. Taking his chance, Ephraim took on the offence once more. He sood up, wincing a the pain for a moment and dashed toward he swordmaster. Taking his spear he slashed in the direction of the wrist where he swod was. Rather then ct the hand, Ephraim rotaed his spearso the flat part hit the wrist and slid it swiftly against he hand, knocking the sword out of Large's hand. If h had any other weapons, it would be the knives that were hidden. Once the sword was out, Ephraim drew his arm back, curled it ino a fist and smashed it against Large's face, using every ounce of strength he could into his left arm, sending Large o fly back against a couple of rotting crates that shattered when it came in contact with Large's body. If that didn't knock him out, then it would leave him with one helluva headache if he decided to stand up again.

Ephraim stumbled to the ground, shaking his head as his visions soon began to blurr just a little. If Large decided to get up, he would need to be ready again. Quickly deciding to take this time to treat he stab on his leg, he noble untied it and reached for a vulunery, uncapping it and rubbed a bit on he wound. He winced once more, it hurt like a b***h alright but Ephraim ket reminding himself that others have been through worse....MUCH worse. The vulunery only stoppd the heavy bleeding on his leg and it wasn't enough to completly heal it. He tucked it in his pouch once more and used his spear as support to help him stand.

((Whether Large decides to get up again or stay down is up to you xD, either works for me))

Thwap! A fist of frequency hit Rappahannock with an uppercut in the jaw, breaking a few teeth, and making his signature gaping mouth a bit broken and open. His jaw had broke, and blood was spilling out, but he was driven by this musical madness to make it stop. He got to his feet, dropped to the left, rolled forwards in the direction of the violin player, and made a stab for his foot.

Anyone could dodge a stab to the foot if they're actually paying attention, but it wasn't his intention to make it hit, he wanted the blade in the ground with a certain quickness. With the blade in the ground, he pulled with his arm, whipped his feet around in the form of a front flip, and launched into the air as soon as his feet made contact with the dirt like a spring-loaded mechanism. This was only to make it to Ganon fast and confuse him, and when he got there, Rappahannock made use of his right hand, now jabbing at Ganon. The left, which was holding the blade again, was dodging the aerial anomalies.

(You are going to kill me for all the alliteration and consonance.)

Blossom had been able to breathe thanks to what work Ganon had done to unearth her from the heavy rubble that had collapsed on top of her, but there had still been some work to be done to fully clear her free of the stones. Her chest was shuddering as she breathed in now, like her lungs were having trouble holding onto the air long enough to use the oxygen. The blood trickling from her mouth had ceased, but a sticky puddle of red was slowly growing below her broken wrist, and she shivered as if cold, still covered in cuts and bruises. A rather large bump was developing on the side of her head, eyes still closed, eyelashes flickering once in a while, as if struggling and unable to awaken.

As if sensing Aidan's presence, her fitful shivering increased. Her breathing was still labored as he worked at the stones, eyes closed.

Cold dark hurts... help...

Vaguely, a noise from very, very far away, despite such close proximity, scraping boulders falling down cliffs and labored breaths reached her ears. Who? What?

Hurts...

The rocky sounds were getting closer. Someone was shouting from far away... her name... that voice was so familiar, but who...

"Blossom... Blossom!!"

Aidan...
It hurts...
Help...

His arm was useless, and he was bleeding on the ground, blade lying in front of him. The blood loss was getting bad, and the scorpion sting he received from his own kris was impeding heavily on his options on how to win. He weighed them out for about half a second, it doesn't take long to find out you're going to die. Musical notes rained on his like acid rain, until he couldn't fight the music. "Weird seen things upset frontal balance to stop," murmured the madman. He reached out with the only hand he could, severed the knife from its holding place, and stabbed his ear, leading the round tip into his skull, killing him quickly.

His blood, tainting the street, rolling out of his orifices too fast, was very noticeable. His suicide-- not in vain; was it not more noble to take your own life rather than let your opponent take it from you? It's said that you should take life into your own hands, and Rappahannock held onto that with a long knife.

When the girl jumped between him and Aidan, he stopped his movement, not fully understanding why. He recognized who she was, and this time, he knew who she was.... it was that girl again. Alihi. The one who made him act weird and cease action, when he didn't even want to. And she was doing it again!

Why?! Why does she make some internal force react and cause hesitation?!

Because.... She gives me strength....

It had been a voice from nowhere. Perhaps somewhere deep inside. Wait... I recognize- You! Why are you still around?! You're not needed anymore! I did away with your weak a**!

Abel heard Alihi speak again, after giving Aidan a vulnerary. A-Alihi... I'm here....!

SHUT UP! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DORMANT!

Alihi continued on, and the faint internal muttered words turned into clear whispers, to stronger boasts, egged on by Alihi's words of '...I miss you, Abel.' and '....Please'. One of her tears fell from her cheek, as if in slow motion and hit the ground.

----------

In that moment, when the tear hit the ground, a symbolic world came alive within Abel. Inside, a familiar boy hung chained by his arms to the darkness surrounding him. His head was down, and his breath was heavy. A ways away, atop a platform, his darkened self coveted over his remaining flickering light, surrounded by a forcefield of the power of darkness, slowly trying to put it out for good. The boy looked up, and saw his darkened self, and was afraid. The chains grew tighter. As the boy began to look back down again, a voice rang through the world.

"...Abel." Abel looked up and around, hardly recognizing it. "...Do not simply live, Abel.... thrive. Your life is your own. Take it back." The voice vanished.

Abel stared, as if in a daze. "....Thrive.... my own..... ta... take it ba......" The chains loosened a little. His darkened self, turned around, sensing that the chains had loosened a little. "What's this?! Do you really refuse to just give up? It's pointless! You're weak! That's WHY I had to take over!"

"....Shut up!"

The chains loosened. The darkened being gritted his teeth. Abel couldn't keep quiet anymore. "I know I'm weak... I had been on my own for a couple years, stumbling, trying to stay alive. But that's... that's why... I have to get stronger. But I won't do it your way! I can't... I can't lean upon my own understanding. I can't hold it in, and deal with it on my own. I won't do that anymore!!"

Abel looked up, with fire in his eyes. Various visions began pouring through his mind, reminding him who he really was. "I was given all I needed! I had a brother. A wonderful brother, who raised me, when our parents died. Even after he took him away from me, I still had all I needed. I was given friends. They consoled me. We got into trouble together. We goofed off. ..Then I came here... and I met her. And she changed me. I don't run away anymore!" The chains slowly kept loosening. "I'm not afraid. Not when they're all here, backing me up. YOU'RE the perfect example of what happens to people who try to do everything themselves and won't let people in so they can help you! I won't do that!" The chains grew very loose and Abel slowly stood upon two legs, still bent over. "I refuse!!" Abel swung his arms upward, and the chains burst, and scattered into the darkness. Spirit-like images of Alihi and Aidan passed through and stood by Abel, each catching one of his shoulders. A sword imbued with wind magic then appeared on Abel's back, and he stood straight. "So you... get out of here! I won't let you... CONTROL ME ANYMORE!"

With that, Abel, and the images of his friends charged at the dark barrier. Another light came from above and zoomed passed them and pounded into the barrier. The image of Aidan turned into light and zoomed ahead as well, crashing into the barrier, then turning back into the form of Aidan. The other one took his form as well and swung his blade once more and finished off the barrier, shattering it into tiny pieces that sparkled against the ever growing light, before vanishing away. Alihi and Abel zipped passed them, and Aidan cheered them on. The other one, he sheathed his sword, turned away, smiled, and returned to where he came from, the same way he came.
"...Well done.. brother."
Abel and Alihi charged on. There was no hesitation. Their strength was together, and only together could they win.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! YOU THINK YOU CAN PUSH ME BACK?! I AM THE ONLY WAY WE CAN EVER ACCOMPLISH OUR REVENGE!! POWER IS FINALLY OURS! I WON'T LET YOU RUIN THIS!!!"
"BRING IT OOOOOON!"

------------------

As the duo lunged forward, the symbolic world faded away, and reality was restored. The darkened boy shook vigorously, fighting more than what could be seen. In desperation, and not even half realizing what his actions were, he raced around Alihi and grabbed Aidan, as he fled. He stopped not too far away from her, and threw Aidan to the ground. "LEAVE ME ALONE! I'LL DO IT! I'LL KILL HIM! DON'T INTERFERE! I WON'T BE PUSHED BACK TO THE SHADOOOOWS!!"

The darkened boy held out his blade high in the air, ready to swing down. Mysterious music played from elsewhere, producing unknown effects. The darkened boy could see his weaker self take a spirit-like form beside Alihi and held his hands around hers, which had a firm grasp on her sword. DAMN IT... DAMN IT!! The tactician charged. "RAAAAHHHHH ALIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!"

.....

........ .......

All was silent. The sword that Abel had wielded fell to the ground a foot or so away. Blood emerged from his body and ran down him. With head bent down, Abel put his arms around Alihi and held her there. Wind blew gently against them. Blood trickled out of his mouth and ran down to hide under his chin.

".... ....I... I understand now... why people have eyes in the front of their heads, instead of the back." He paused for a moment, as a tear mixed with the blood on his face "I'm sorry... I couldn't keep him back... ...But you made me realize... I couldn't stop him myself..."

The wind picked up. "...Thank you... Alihi.... I... ...l...." Abel's body fell limp on its feet and his arms dropped. The wind ceased to blow....

...but only because there was peace.

Dan dropped to his hands and knees, trying to beat out the flames on his undershirt, and, screaming in pain, tore himself out of his armor. He rolled back and forth, beating his own chest to put the flames out, and rolled onto his back, chest heaving. Speed and defense like nothing you'd ever seen, resistance like crap, that was Dan. He fell still soon enough, leaving Ghis to tend to his own.


Ganon panted heavily, strings still humming as he fell back on a rock, sitting heavily. The kris dropped out of his tail as he stared at the spreading pool around Rappahannock's head, and he set his bow and fiddle across his lap. It was over... the fighting had stopped. Dead and fallen men lay all around. Ganon's hand slid to his bleeding side while he clenched and unclenched the other, trying to get rid of the cramp radiating from his palm. Slowly, he reached around with his tail and secured his violin and bow once more to the strap on his back.

So much carnage... it had been difficult to keep the mus-- Blossom!

Ganon tripped over Rappahannock's corpse and fell to his knees before scrambling up and dashing over to help Aidan clear away the rocks. The massive snake was able to clear the area much more quickly, and soon he reached down, checking to make sure her back wasn't broken before he lifted her out of the rubble and set her down on the more solid street. "Goddess... Please, help her," he murmured, lifting his bloody claws to his muzzle, steepling them over it in silent prayer.