When The Phoenix Rises From The Dark Ashes [Open]

"Defensive strategy!" Hocus called out. Abra fixated his power to defenses. Kaisses' Earth Shell formed over Hocus, whom imbued his own energy into the earth and created a tight knit defense. Hocus bubbled himself while Shi created offensive cannons identical to Michael's mimicking the blasts and canceling the ne fixated on him out. Shi's instincts took hold and he turned, slashing out with his Scythe a grimace on his face as he shadow stepped away from the conflict, a higher power calling him away but not before leaving a powerful Nether shielding over Silus.

    Abra conjured a barrier, as did Silus noticing that the wolf whined and winced in pain, still recovering from the battle with Shael. Silus' eyes tremored as he watched everything happening. One blast being thrown close to him and three at Abra. The wolf looked to Silus and nodded. Silus shook his head, jaw trembling as the spheres closed in the distance. "ABRA!!!!" Silus screamed, Nether augmentation kicking in, his own enchanting strengthening him to higher Durability. Without even needing to say the Spell, Silus activated Energize and swapped places with the wolf, closing his eyes. Abra's shield was blown away and the wolf took damage, heavy damage...but there was the chance he could live. Blood oozing on it's rainbow fur as it whined and looked to Silus. The Nether shield was nullified and the two blasts absolutely destroyed the small child, causing a crater in the ground. Abra let out a loud whine, as Kaisses and Hocus emerged with minimum damage...but still a rather good portion of damages sustained. The three wolves stopped and looked to Silus, laying there in the middle of the crater. Abra whined as he began to move forward, realizing that his hind legs weren't working, a large stone severing his spinal column Abra didn't stop, his only though was the same thought as it always was.

   Silus. I need to help Silus. I have to save Silus. I will protect him.He kept chanting to himself as the lame wolf began to drag it's useless half over to the crater where the boy's body lay. The wolf shined as it placed it's body over top of the boy. The creature had just been crippled, beaten and battered.... but the first thing it did was slide itself over and laid upon the young Ethereal...using himself as a living shield to protect the child. Abra's head lowered eyes fixated on Michael with a low growl as he nuzzled himself against Silus' cheek and licked the blood trailing down his heat. To even Kaisses, the thought was confusing. Why did Abra...even after his current misfortune... he gave not only all of his energy...but when that energy had run dry he used himself...total self-sacrifice. Silus' eyes opened as he looked to Abra, finding Abra clothed in drying blood as the wolf began looking weak.

     "Abra...?" Silus asked, voice breaking slightly as he woke from his daze, but still able to understand the feeling of the warm wolven blood on him. He looked up, eyes watering as the dog's eyes began to close, opening about half way...only taking short, hollow breathes. Silus squirmed, and pushed the dog over and knelt over him a hand on the prismatic bloody shoulder, wet fur drying with hematic clotting. The Wolf looked to Silus and smiled slightly at the sight of the boy being alright. "A-a-Abra? C'mon... we...we're gonna go...Michael can win...just...get up and we'll go." Silus said, eyes watering, trying to barter with the wolf as if that were going to give him the incentive to carry on. Abra chuckled and moved his head forward, weakly nudging the boy in the tummy.

     "Hey now....that's not the heroic thing to do." Abra said, as he lay there, looking up into the watering Indigo-blue eyes as blood cascaded down the young face.
 
 "I-I don't wanna be a hero...I-I just want my family...I want my pack." He whined, voice cracking as he tried to wrap his arms around the wolf, not caring he just buried his face into the wolf's blood as he pressed his cheek up against the wolf's cheek. "Please...just please Abra...I-I don't wanna lose my friend." Silus said. Abra let out a little whine, a weak front arm coming up and resting on the boy's back, as if trying to hug him. he was fading quickly, and honestly he would have transformed...but he lacked the energy...too much blood loss.

  "hey-hey-hey...no...you're not losing...we're just playing hide and seek...and I'm hiding...far away." Abra let out  little whine. Silus looked up to the wolf, eyes crying as he sobbed a little. The wolf hated to see him like this...especially as one of the last thing's he'd see.
  "I...I'm gonna miss you." Silus managed to say between sharp inhales and shaking breath. The wolf smiled.
   "I'll miss you too...but I'm not crossing the bridge without you..." The wolf said, his own eyes watering slightly as he
   "I love you Abra." The little kid gasped as he buried his head back into the wolf.
    "Love you too Alpha..." He replied, licking Silus on the cheek. "I'll be...waiting..." He said with his last breath, letting out a little whine as he rested into the ground. Silus didn't know what to do...he just cried, getting up and trembling as he walked forward.

    "K-Kill me too...He...he's waiting for me...DAMNIT! He-he-he's waiting...for me...." Silus cried out, grief-stricken as he dropped to his knees and throwing a fist into the ground sobbing, neglecting the pain caused by the large gashes on the side of his leg and on his head. Hocus drew back an arrow, eye blood shot as he fired it off at Michael. Kaisses remained unable to react at the moment.
* * * * * * *

  Ouroboros sat there elbows on his thighs, leaning forward with his unique eyes fixated on nothingness. Shael and Jordan stood there, Sean likely nearby though where was uncertain. Zell Atterrius stood up from next to Ouroboros, tears streaming as he walked away, shock written all over his face. Ouroboros' hceeks were red, the eyes fading away. Shael walked up to Ouroboros and stammered.

   "D-dad...what did you want to tell us?" Shael asked. Ouroboros' emerald eyes darted off to the side as he remained there, his glare upon the boys. The words Ouroboros said next made Shael immediately panic, so much so that in a moment he would begin his plan of intervention. Jordan was quaking in fear and sorrow, the feeling of pain and sorrow radiated form the Ethereal King, even the mentally retarded and the mundane could feel it radiating off him. Shael's eyes widened when Ouroboros spoke, saying only four words with an intense and near sociopathic glare...

"The Titan is mine."

Spoiler:

The four blasts shot out from the ethereal male, powerful beams that would have destroyed those that he aimed them at without a problem. This great expenditure of energy tired Michael slightly, but not enough to impair him, not when he was dealing with his brother and his damn pack. His optics allowed him to view everything that was happening around him, nothing beyond his field of vision and so he would be able to follow the counter measures that were being played against his own attack. None of them were powerful enough, none of them could stop what he had unleashed and that was well within his knowledge. If they wished to die so badly, he would gladly oblige him. While Shi, Hocus and Kaisses seemed to for the most part succeed within blocking the powerful attacks, it was Abra that he noticed took the most damage.

Even with the barrier created, the blast of pure ethereal energy tore through it like tissue paper, and then he was next. The prismatic wolf growled at him, that was something that even from here Michael could see that expression forming along the wolves face, yet he could not really smirk. The smirk had died, along with every other emotion that was once within him, all he felt was a certain coldness, a void that made him feel hollow. Silus was damage for sure, but nowhere as nearly as bad as the ether wolf, the one that was now only a crippled predator, dying and still trying to protect the child. It had given its life up for… a fool. ”How….stupid.” He muttered crossing arms over his chest as the blade within his hand seemed to fade away within a grey powder, back to the energy that it was composed of.

Along with that his own tendrils faded away, glittering dust that blew into the wind and Michael descended towards the ground. Feet pressed against the desiccated landscape, smoke rising from the ground that had borne the brunt of the attack that he unleashed. The void armor seemed to shift, reforming the clothing that it was before being formed, as if he was simply done with this, yet the eyes remained as they were, looking upon the grieving ethereal coldly. He noticed the arrow coming his way, and with a simple movement he dodged it, as if the weapon were something so easily avoided, approaching the small child holding so tightly to the carcass of the wolf. Even now his footsteps felt so loud, within his own ears like a dirge. ”Kill you? You don’t get it.. you just don’t get it at all.” He chuckled, rubbing the bridge of his nose. ”I’m not going to kill you.” He said simply, lips forming a rather intense expression.

”Death would be too good for you.” And so he turned away from the male, and yet his eyes were still upon him. ”Come on Raziel, I know you’re here somewhere.”  He muttered lightly, that familiar ethereal energy could be felt within the air, he was somewhere around here. Why was he around here at any rate? Did he come to watch siblings trying to kill each other, or was it something else entirely?

.     "Oh really?" Shael asked, grabbing Michael by the shoulder, pulling him and turning him around. He ripped his arm acrosss and back-handed the being. He felt his strength rising as his anger fuelled through him. "Where's your ultima now, Huh? What's wrong, not so fun when it's you huh?" He asked mockingly. He pulled Michael up by the collar. The poor little bastard was useless, Shael soaked up every form of energy he tried to muster. He couldn't even generate the energy to manipulate. Silus broke down, Kaisses rushing to his side, Hocus as well.

     "Where the fuck do you get off? Look at you, you're fucking pathetic? Do you feel tough picking on him like that? I bet you feel nice and strong huh? Well Keep wearing that Armor Michael...it's can't soak up damage forever...but I CAN soak up your energy and I will NEVER get tired of throwing my fist into your smug fucking mug!" Shael said, relentlessly assaulting Michael's face. The sad part of it was it was true, and Michael most likely knew it. Shael could do this for hours, days and maybe even forever. His armor, unfortunately, could not. Shael twisted and threw Michael to the ground and put a foot on his throat. "I can't believe you... Silus just five hours ago was telling us about how he believes in you, how he has faith in you...and you almost fucking kill him. Then you berate him like that... What's wrong Michael? Ultima can't save you?" He asked, once again referring to the fact Michael was virtually powerless. Shael looked up to Silus, who just cried chanting about being worthless like it were a mantra, hugging the wolf and saying he was sorry. It was sickening enough to make Shale tear up. Michael had just blatantly broke the only thing that believed in him. Shael dropped down onto a knee, Imperium appearing an healing Michael before disappearing, and then Godsbane appearing in his hand as a sword.

    "Does family mean nothing to you? I spend months wondering how you were, trying to keep tabs and make sure you were alright...does it ever occur to you that Silus is literally the only thing you have left? Death is too good for him? Look at you, you're a worthless little bitch who can change his mother-fucking costume!" He said backhanding Michael with the hilt of Godsbane. "Come on Michael...where's this Raziel guy, huh? I'll bet he's your new family huh...the one that loved you enough to die for you.... Fuck man... I can't believe this. You were my best friend. Now you're just another punk ass bitch that let power go to his head." Shael snarled relentlessly beating Michael's head with the hilt of the ancient timeless weapon.

   "You know...I wish your son were here to see what you just did and said to Silus...i'm sure he'd feel safe knowing you beat up kids."
   "S-shale stoppit." Silus cried, sniffling. Shael looked to Silus and his heart broke.

   "Silus..." Shael said, looking back to Michael. "God if I didn't fucking love you." He snarled at Michael, obviously loathing the current situation. He walked over to Silus, Godsbane disappearing as he dropped down and wrapped the child in his arms. Silus just silently wept while in his older brother's embrace.

   "It's not your fault Silus." Hocus assured the child, tears along side his.
   "We never want to admit our idols are capable of wrong.... I understand it hurts." Kaisses explained calmly to the child. Michael may have thought he was in the clearing when a very unhappy man with black hair looked down at him.

    "What would your father think?" He asked Michael plainly.

Cruel as it may have seemed, that was just how it was. Yet he did not expect what happened next, a powerful hand clamping his shoulder, and within that moment he felt his muscles instantly growing weaker, no he was growing weaker. Yet all he could hear was that pathetic blubbering of the ethereal prince, and…..god damn it all. If any one would have appeared, it had to be Shael, the one who was supposed to be dead. Even if Michael could have been able to react, he would have not been able to, but why? The overwhelming strength pulled him up, then came the mental and physically assault, yet his body was nowhere capable of taking this damage. Bone shattered upon contact with the fist and everything seemed to blur together, nothing seeming to make sense other than that angry voice one that seemed to overpower all other sounds, even that of his own blood pooling into his own ears.

The process of bones knitting themselves back together, along with the damage done seemed more hellish than one could imagine and yet he could only think of one thing, the person that was reducing him to a bloody meat doll. He was alive, somehow he was alive and beating him down, yet Michael could not die. Even if Ultima were there to save him, he would not call upon it, he couldn’t. Raziel msut have been laughing at him, how pathetic he was, and the bastard knew exactly why he would not try to raise a finger against Shael, damn him. Something was keeping him from expiring and if he knew anything, it was likely imperium, that damn sword. It was however one voice that also appeared within that dim of pain, it was his brothers. With the beating ended, Michael found himself reforming once again, damage that was done healing over.

Amidst the ringing within his ears, Michael heard Shael say something...if only he didn't love him. "Yeah..if only." Michael found himself muttering bitterly to himself.

”Really Michael, you are just an asshole.” Raziel noted seemingly appearing out of nowhere, a diminutive blonde radiating a strange energy. ”Not that I really mind it or anything.” He noted simply, arms crossed over his chest, looking down to the battered ethereal, tutting lightly.”Wow look at this,the family is almost altogether, and only one death.” A single tendril of pure ethereal radiated form his back, lifting the beaten Michael up by his collar. ”Well we have to get you home Michael, little Shael won’t be too happy if you go out and get yourself killed.”

"I don't know what you've done to my son...but I will kill you for it. In the beginning you were benign and so I allowed you to go unmentioned, but do not think your actions have escaped me. Nothing escapes my eyes... I would have thought you learned that a long time ago." Ouroboros said with a little chuckle, turning and looking to the blonde Naes-looking Ethereal with a chuckle. Ouroboros held nothing in his heart. Michael had shattered any form of love he held and replaced it with bitterness. In fact to be honest If he weren't scared of what would have happened to the others....he would have allowed the God Eater to finish off Michael once and for all. But the little love he had left prevented him... it was his son.... and in a respect...the last piece of love within the Ethereal king died. Granted perhaps this was but temporary pain...something caused by the trauma of the petty things known as emotion.

    "You know that you've officially lost, don't you?" Ouroboros asked. His eyes changed, it was not his emerald eyes, and it was not his Occuli, but new altogether, one that had not been seen since The First Ethereal User. "You'll never be able to keep him. Michael is my son...and we have faith in him. I have faith in him, Silus and Sheal and Sean have faith in him. I created you Raziel... and here in second life...I will have the pleasure of unmaking you...on your own terms." Ouroboros said, chuckling. He went up to the beaten Michael, ran a thumb across his forehead and kissed him like when he was little. "We're still pulling for you." He said as he turned and walked away, towards the rest of his family.

The ethereal tendril lifted him to his feet, yet Michael could not stand yet it would seem and found himself falling upon his knees as soon as he was let go. He felt empty, hollow and empty and yet here Raziel stood over him with that cool expression that sent a chill through his entire body. He turned to Shael, and then turned away…ashamed was it? Whatever it was, all he knew was that something within his fathers voice as he spoke to Raziel was different, something that made him shudder upon hearing, it. ”I’ve lost?” Raziel noted simply with a small chuckle, cocking his head to the side. ”However where you are wrong is that last part. This time I will undo you.” He stated simply, watching Ouroboros movements with a certain wariness within them. It was Michael who was unsure how to react, after all he had done, they believed in him? Pressing thumb against his nostril and snorting, a spurt of blood shot from it as Michael pushed himself to his feet.

The Ethereal Arc immediately took them all away, leaving Ocean in it's wake. Shi and his disciples moved on and took their own paths, though the one who ended up fighting Shael ended up somehow liking him from the off handed conversations they were having in mid-combat. Though the children did have a rather useful fighting style that worked in perfect tandem. Silus ended up missing for the rest of the evening, and eventually it was Shael who found him, comforted him as best he could and eventually got him to go to the dining hall, where a human Hocus and a close-human were Kaisses were drinking and having a grand old time. Silus' heart was slightly uplifted, remembering now how Abra explained their "grieving" process. They did not mourn, they celebrated that another pet got to the rainbow bridge. It was almost fitting though. Silus ate a little, ended up celebrating too...though deep down he was scarred and alone.

He eventually would end up crying himself to sleep... only stopping after Jordan came in and slept beside him. He had a dream that night....one that would mark the beginning of the end. It was time... it all falls down...

It was over, the severing would have to begin if Raziel would have what he wanted. A small pup dashed to the downed ethereal, looking puzzled at the dazed male as the red haired Fera joined the small group. Something had changed within Ethereal King, he looked to his son with a blank expression, pulling him closer to him and nuzzling the little pup. Shael whined lightly, licking Michael’s face as if sensing that something was wrong with his daddy, that something bad had happened. Fera however kept her distance, simply looking upon Michael with a certain amount of pity. ”Well I think we should go, this place is depressing.” With a snap they were gone, everyone going their separate ways and Michael retiring to his bed room. In short, he shattered a mirror, his hand and ended up collapsing into his bed.