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A shape rose from the ground. It was Zethriel, laughing. "I am still immortal, fool! You may have killed the demons within me, but I am still alive." Aleta noticed a bleeding wound on his chest that was healing.

"You know... I wanted to fight you, just you in person anyway." The Lightbringer picked up her blade again, ready for a fight. "That monster was to easy.

"Then I get another chance to kill you!" He chuckled, that rose into a loud cackle. His eyes had an insane light to them, he was crazier now than he was before... like his posessor being torn away from him, his vioce and guilde also ripped away his last shred of sanity.

Aleta noticed he seemed shriveled, weaker, older. This would be to easy...

Zethriel went on raving, "I'll kill you like I killed your brother! Do you remember that? I do, it was fun."

A look of revulsion mixed with unexpected pity formed on Aleta's face. He's sick... sick and twisted. Abomination... I need to be rid of him, once in for all... and put him out of his insanity... and misery. He really is miserable... what am I saying? Goddamn murderer!

"So are you going to fight me, or what?"

As soon as the words left her lips, he jumped up as quick as a wild animal with a sword in his hands.

As Bishop was talking, Zethriel and Aleta clashed blades, the sound of metal against metal sent and ear-splitting echo through the cavern.

"Yeah, but I doubt I will give in! His life is mine!" She hissed.

"No, your life is MINE!" Zethriel jabbed at her, but she flicked his weapon away, and swung at him.

"Shut up!" Aleta turned around so the pit wasn't behind her anymore, thier blades clashed again, the enemy was stronger than he looked, although weakened significantly. All Aleta wanted was his blood to be spilt. Right now, she didn't care about saving the world, only revenge.

Aleta protested, "No! I promised vengance! It is my duty to avenge those I have lost, don't take that from me!" She looked like she could bite his head off, ferocity in her voice. Aleta darted past Bishop to get at Zethriel again.

He still had that insane 'Muahahahaha' laughter giong on, but it was more shrieking... disturbing actually.

"Now, let's finish this!" She attacked aggressively, and Zethriel was backed up, slowly toward the pit...

((GTG, sorry to leave this at a cliffhanger! I won't be on tomorrow either, I have a school dance to go to, and I'm bringing my boyfriend as my date. ^^

Miracles happen... his evil stepmother is letting him go to the ball! rofl My sister called him Cinderella once...))

((I'm giong to put my ending right here. We'll tie up any loose ends, and end the story properly in the Aftermath chapter))

In the final battle to the death, Aleta had a plan. She would back the enemy toward the pit. Their blades clashed, the sound of metal against metal echoed through the cavern. Zethriel laughed euphorically, still thinking victory could be his, Aleta snarled, and kept telling him to shut up. “Make me!” he said.

It was to late, as soon as Rafeal drew the bow, “Aleta, no!” he saw the flicker of metal, the dagger plunge into her chest. Aleta yelled, “ Get… off of me, damn you! Go away!” The arrow missed.

Aleta yanked pulled the dagger from her chest, it had missed any vital targets. A numbness and then pain spread from the opening it created. A purple liquid excreted itself through the tip, mixing with Aleta’s fresh red blood. “Crap…“ She turned her attention to her enemy, ignoring her fatal wound. “Any last words Zethriel?”

He laughed, “Shouldn’t I be asking you that question?”

She felt light-headed, but still full of fight, adrenaline. The young drow relished his look of terror as she turned the dagger on him. He had expected her to die instantly.

He stopped laughing immediately, “Wha-”

“Just… go away! Die! Go to hell, damn you!” Aleta snarled, and pushed him off the edge, and down into the pit. As he fell, he clamored for handholds on the wall, and found purchase.

Voices rose from the pit, demons were climbing the walls, saying Zethriel’s name. His face turned from fear to rage, then determination as he began to scale the wall. “YOU’RE DEAD, YOU HEAR ME! I killed them all, including you! And don’t you think I’m done! You think you have had your revenge, but you’re wrong! There are ways to return Aleta Rose! My brother hasn’t seen the last of me I- AHHHH!” He screamed as a clawed hand grasped his ankle, and dragged him down. “I’ll be back, I swear upon the gods!”

Aleta saw the demon, it was one of the living, not the dead and defeated. A servant of the Underworld, the ones who delight in torture, nothing like the friendly Gatekeepers, who in Aleta’s point of view were almost human. “Yeah, that’s what they all say. Have fun in Hell Zethriel.” She smirked weakly. With her last act of heroism, she simply dropped Sentinel’s Box into the Hell mouth, and watched it disappear. The faintest flash of light flickered at the bottom of the pit, the object opening, its contents permanently trapped in the Underworld. It no longer needed to be guarded by Aleta’s family.

Ah, revenge… it felt so good, Aleta could taste it, sweet and cold.

“I did it…they‘re free…” she whispered. Her body swayed, the poison had reached her heart and brain. “Aleta!” Rafeal ran, and caught her as she was about to fall into the Hell Mouth.

He dragged her away, Duriono the others watched, they knew what happened. Being near the gates of Hell in death was a bad idea. Her weapons were in her hands, she clung to those possessions. Rafeal stopped, and knealt next to Aleta. He held the upper portion of her body to his chest, letting the wound bleed on him, as if he could hold in her life force. “Aleta… please…” Tears began to well up in his eyes.

“If it’s the way its supposed to be… then I have to die.” She let go of her blade, and put her hand behind Rafeal’s head, stroking his soft, long blond hair. “…. I’ll miss you. Why can’t heroes have a happy ending…. I wonder.”

It was just to much for her mate to bear, “I can’t go on without you… we can still have a happy ending… I can try to save you.”

She closed her eyes, and whispered, “Then do it…” After she spoke, Rafeal shifted her body, and kissed her gently, knowing it could be the last time. Salty tears trickled down his cheeks, Aleta tasted them.

Suddenly, she felt the presence of another person, a hand took hers, and picked her up off the ground, and she was now standing.

Her brother Ezekiel had her by the arm, a shimmering light behind him. Aleta wanted to go to that light. She looked behind her to see her body still breathing, shallow. Rafeal rifled through her bag, looking for the specific potion. She had to have another bottle of the stuff she gave Duri. “That is an antidote. And yes, it can bring the dead back to life.” He remembered.

Exiekiel held Aleta by the shoulders, smiling. “So you made it… I’m free. We’re all free now Aleta.” He hugged her, she smiled back. Their parents materialized, they stood, watching, not interfering.

Rafeal was looking through the medical bag, franticly trying to find the cure. “Its gotta be in here… somewhere… hold on Aleta, hold on. Don’t die on me… don’t die on me! Stay with me alright!” He touched her face, the girl’s pulse was slowing.

Aleta looked beyond her brother, longingly. The Light called to her, somehow. Not with sound, or words, something like instinct tugged on her.

Eziekiel looked at her, earnestly. “You can’t go, Aleta… you don’t want to leave him and the others, do you?”

Aleta shook her head, peeling her eyes away from the shimmering portal that was in stark contrast to he Hell mouth in the cave behind her. She looked back at her mate, Rafeal had found the potion, and was pouring it down her throat muttering, “Don’t die, don’t die! Stay with me, Aleta! I love you, remember that!”

“You still have much to do in this world. Now is not your time.” He placed his hand on her shoulder again, and she nodded. “I don’t want to leave anyway. I recognize that this is not my fate.”

Her brother smiled, “And revenge won’t be your legacy. Although I would like to thank you for that. He deserved what he got…” Something caught his eye, he was looking past his sister, to her body. Aleta’s heart must’ve stopped for Rafeal began chest compressions, and… was he kissing her? No, it was something else, the word for it escaped her. “You better go back, okay?” He took her chin in her hands, “Great deeds await you. You know what? You’re a hero now, keep it up, kid.” Eziekiel embraced her, and when he let go, Aleta started to cry. It was like watching him die all over again, never seeing his face, never hearing his voice anymore… Having his spirit around just opened up an old wound. “I’ll miss you… goodbye brother!”

Aleta stepped back, and felt the eerie sensation of her spirit re-uniting with her body. Rafeal had the upper portion of her torso in an embrace, holding her close. She felt his shuddering sobs, “Aleta… Aleta… no, no, no! I love you! I love you so much!”

The girl drew a breath, deep and sharp, her eyes fluttered open, “I’m not going anywhere…” she mumbled.

Joy replaced sorrow, “Aleta! I thought you were dead… I Couldn’t live without you…” He hugged her tighter, she raised her arms to return the embrace. She felt her wound healing, the poison antidote working.

She didn’t mind that he was squeezing her so hard it hurt, she was just happy to be there, alive and in his arms. “Well… I’m not. I’m going to be okay. Now, quit crying, please.”

Rafeal grinned, and kissed her.