The War of Transgression.

Gun fire laced the sky over Oran's head as he run at a crouch. The smell of ash assaulted his nostrils as the sky turned black, darkened by smoke from a thousand fires as the endless sound of screaming and gunfire pierced the air.

All of which the white haired man took with a smile as a lead slug passed inches from his nose. The projectile, spinning at impossible speeds, flew high through the air and crashed into one of the myriad highways of the Hanging Edge.

"Hurry up!" Oran shouted over his shoulder gleefully. "It's time for them to know true sorrow."

Shadow leapt down from a crossroad above. His black hair and body conforming trench coat flapping in the breeze as an RPG soars centimeters from his head.

The man lands easily in a crouch, holding a weapon shining black out to his side. With a dead glint in his eyes he looked up where Cocoon soldiers were taking cover, probably about to open fire on him again.

"I." Shadow stood slowly raising his glowing black blade to the sky. "Command you all, Die!"

Gripping the sword in both hands Shadow swung down with a guttural growl, pure hatred flashing black across the white of his eyes as a darker then sin slash soared from the blade and towards the distant soldiers. Who turned to run as fast as they could, scrambling in a panic across the roadways rubble strewn form even as the dark slash hit.

The black energy ate into the road way, pulling all the mater around it in towards it's core. Then, with the force a million bombs, exploded in some odd variety of nuclear fission. The explosion, instead of sending black clouds to the sky and setting fire to the ground, turned everything it touched into fiery red plasma. The concrete of the roadway, and the human body's it impacted, turned to slag as they disintegrated.

"Overkill much?" Pyros called as he ran low across the highway, throwing fireballs up at the soldiers and roadways. "If you keep that up then we'll have the entire military breathing down our necks."

"Then so be it." Shadow all but bellowed. "I will show them the hell that is my heart." Shadow dropped his left hand to his side as his fist clenched painfully. "I will take everything they hold dear from them, coat this unabashedly hateful place in the blood of those that love it."

Oran laughed as he ran past Shadow after Pyros. His general enjoyment of the fight showing in the wicked smirk on his face and undeniable shine to his eyes.

"Don't get poetic on us, we still have an objective to complete. To avenge Sam." Oran said.

"For Sam…" Shadow turned and ran after his compatriots.

The trio covered ground across the Hanging Edge's highways fast, with the Cocoon military hot on their tail.

"Well…" A trail that they seem to have finally caught up to. "I didn't know they had any Myrmidon's left."

The Myrmidon's armor gleamed as a chain saw like implement on it's right arm came to life, the heavy gun on it's left charging with energy.

"Shadow, Oran, go." Pyros said as his scarlet blood swirled around his thin arms. "I'll cover you."

"God it." Oran replied as he and Shadow ran forwards. "Don't you dare die on us!"

"Trust me, you two are the last people I would die for." Pyros threw a ball of flames as the Myrmidon started to train it's gun on Oran.

The blast of flame caused the pilot to pull up and reorientate himself on Pyros. Who grinned like some kind of animal.

"Let's dance…"

Pyros ran diagonally from the Myrmidon as it's energy rounds sizzled through the air, the flames encompassing his arms slowly growing in intensity.

A Myrmidon was created to put normal soldiers on par with their L'Cie counterparts. Pyros thought as he rolled low under a barrage of the energy munitions. Which means it's armor is resistant to fire, and with it's aerial ability's Shadow and Oran would have a problem hitting it…

Pyros threw another ball of flames at the machine, which responded by nimbly sliding across the air to the side. It's advanced thrusters and AMP enhancements allowed it maneuverability that was unmatchable, well almost.

"Let's make this a quickie." Pyros said with a grin as bright blue energy quickly flowed over his body.

A moment later Pyros was a motion blur as the haste spell spread throughout his body. A blur that the Myrmidon failed to get a lock on, even as it approached him.

Pyros made a beeline for the machine, even as it's hot plasma like rounds flew close around his body. Though even the white glare of the plasma was starting to be outmatched by the now blue flames that caressed Pyros's arms.

The sheer heat from the fire started to cause the Myrmidon's targeting computer to fail. It's bullets spraying around randomly as Pyros leapt into the air at the Myrmidon.

Which swung it's chainsaw at Pyros, mechanical speed enough to nearly cut through the fire, but ultimately failed as the flames turned it into molten metal, dripping down to the floor like magma rain.

"Heh." Pyros punched the Myrmidon square in the chest, and for a second nothing happened. Until a vortex of blue flame consumed the machine, melting it into nothing more then a pool of scrap. "Guess they don't build these things like they used to…"

Pyros was cut off as an RPG exploded next to him. His body was sent airborne, spinning like a top and crashing down hard into the ground. With a pained cry Pyros started to get up, only for a soldier to put his gun in the mans face, the sound of a dozen other soldiers boots filling the momentarily silent air.

"It's over L'Cie." The soldier sounded panicked as his finger started to squeeze down on the trigger, shame he never got the chance to fire as a crystal spike burst from the ground next to Pyros and through the mans throat.

"Shoot him!" A soldier screamed as he fired his RPG at Pyros from point blank range, the explosion ripping his own body apart.

The air was silent as the dust started to settle. The soldiers cautiously approached where the L'Cie had been, trying to see something through the smoke as the spread out to surround it.

"I think we got him.." One of them says.

"I guess we really can kill them." another reply's, heavy swallow audible in the still air.

"No." The soldiers look up in the air to see Shadow falling down at them from the highway above. "The only people dying here, are you."

He landed in a wide stance, blade slashing through the throat of the nearest soldier. With an easy twist of his body Shadow avoided the bullets the surprised soldiers fired and leapt towards one.

Shadow landed, and with a hop to the side, cut both the mans arms off at the elbow simultaneously grabbing his gun out of the air. He spun low as he fired the weapon, turning the remaining soldiers into fresh corpses.

"Oran, are you alright?" Shadow stated as he stood up, turning towards the smoke cloud.

"Yeah…" Oran grinned as the smoke started to clear. "Just need a couple heals…"

The RPG had blow Oran's left leg and most his lower stomach away. Oran's luminescent blood was splattered across Pyros's frowning face.

"Idiot." Pyros said as he channeled holy magic through his body and into Oran's wounds. "I told you to leave.."

"Sorry." Oran winced as bone re-grow and his flesh and organs knitted themselves back together. "But I can't leave you behind, we're brother's aren't we?"

Pyros gave Oran a scowl at that, which was nicer then the hard smack in the head Shadow delivered to the white h aired man.

"See, Shadow disagrees with you." Pyros muttered. "You two have a mission, you should have just left me behind to…" Pyros was cut off as Shade kicked him crushingly in the ribs. "Eck, what the hell was that for! Pyros shouted at Shadow as pain shot through his body.

"We are bound together." Shadow stated simply. "If one of us falls, then we will all fall. We swore to fight together, to stand united against this place." Shadow looked away from Oran and Pyros. "We will change this place. Together."

"We're blood brothers." Oran flashed a cocky smile. "That means no matter what it takes, we will change the world…"

Present day.

"What's wrong?" Oran asked with a tilted smile as Mateus stood at his side. "Did you lose your nerve?"

"Not quite…" Pyros swallowed hard as he looked at the intimidating form of Mateus. "You could say my nerves been slightly… unnerved by this turn of events."

Oran's eyes sparkled with delight as he could practically smell the fear coming off Pyros. Almost a tangible force to the eccentric white haired male, swinging back and forth between a first kiss and soured mustard greens.

"Heheh." Oran chuckled as his grin spread maniacally across his face. "Prepare yourself, the curtain is about to fall."

Mateus's feet slid apart as she sank into a fighting position. Her spear held up high, dark blue energy coalescing around the weapon like a spiral.

Well… Pyros swallowed once as he eyed the spears deadly sharp point. This is bad.

Pyros put his arms out to his side, bloody fire swirling about his arms in a raging inferno. His left foot scraped across the ground as he took a slow deliberate step backwards, arms raising in a defensive boxing stance.

"Let's hope." Pyros smiled cockily. "That they call me back for the second act then."

Mateus's whole body became a blur for a second before settling out with her arms dropped to either side, spear missing. Pyros blinked for a second before a piercing pain shot through his left arm, the smell of friction burnt skin filling his nostrils.

How the hell? Pyros glanced behind him, eyes resting on Mateus's spear, smoke coming from the weapon is it glowed lava white. I see, she threw it fast enough to superheat the metal…

Pyros snapped his head back towards Mateus, just in time to see her cover the ground between them faster then a bullet, fist tearing the air apart as it flew towards his head.

But years of endless training seemed to be paying off. Pyros's flaming hand deflected the blow away, giving him an opening.

Pyros hit Mateus square in the jaw, the flames surrounding his arm exploding into her face like a jet engine. Though as impressive as the spinning vortex of fire that burned at Mateus's face was, it failed to hold a candle to the sickening sound her fist made as it glanced off the side of Pyros's stomach.

Her fist had torn his stomach wide open, flesh sizzling from the seemingly limitless friction it applied to the red heads now ruined skin.

Damnit… I didn't even see her move. Pyros's thoughts were interrupted as Mateus grabbed his head and threw him away from her.

Pyros could feel all the molecules in his body vibrate as Mateus touched him, creating incredible amounts of kinetic energy Energy which was released as she threw him, causing his body to break the sound barrier as he bounced cross the black top.

His shoulder was the first thing to hit pavement. Making a wrenching sound as it popped out of it's socket, and forcing his body to spin through the air. His head hit next, cracking in what was at best a concussion, followed by his back, which merely slid across the pavement tearing away his shirt until it peeled the skin on his back raw enough to bleed.

Pyros lay on the ground, teeth gritted in what could only be quantified as pure agony. But he was a strong man, a stubborn man. With a hissing sound, that was border lining a sob, Pyros staggered to his feet, tears of pain streaming down his face.

"Sorry." Oran said as he leaned against one of the few standing light poles. "I wish it didn't come to this."

"Heh." Pyros spat blood out of his mouth, one eye closing in pain, as he looked up at Mateus, who was leisurely pulling her spear out of the ground. "Show's not over yet, wait for the curtain call to critique the actors."

Yeah, that sounded like a cool thing to say before I die. Pyros thought as he eyed the dark blue magic that was surrounding Mateus's spear again. The only way I can even compete with that is if I give it everything I have, and if I do that I'll burn out… The read head sighed mentally as Mateus pulled the spear back, about to throw it again. Guess I don't have much choice do I?

Mateus's body became blurry again as she threw the spear, aimed for one last deadly blow. A blow that never came.

Pyros's hand moved instantly, literally disappearing from sight as he caught the spear between finger and thumb. A goofy grin splitting his face, even as his teeth ground together in pain.

"Sorry." Pyros crushed the spear in his hand, fragments of brilliant dark blue floating around him from the shattered spear. "But your way to slow."

Pyros vanished in a flash.

Mateus looked around, trying to figure out where he had gone, only to turn around and Pyros's foot impact her head. With a shattering sound Mateus's body was propelled through the air like a rail gun, easily shattering the speed of sound as her body soared past Oran, creating enough wind to blow Oran's white hair back.

"Nice." Oran said as Mateus hit a building. "But." Causing the structure to collapse on top of her. "Not anywhere near enough."

"Oh." Pyros vanished in a flash, reappearing in front of Oran with his fist drawn back. "Shut up!…"

Pyros's fist stopped in mid air as his eyes widened, Oran's devil like grin reflected in eyes that were slowly growing wide.

"I really… wanted to hit you…" Pyros coughed blood, the red filled flem flying past Oran's head.

"I know."

A thousand shining dark blue spear fragments burst of Pyros's body. Tearing the flesh of his un-socketed arm to shreds even as it tore through his body and out his stomach, chest, legs and neck. Blood seemed to slowly stream out of his body as he started to fall backwards/

"Oh no." Oran slugged Pyros in the face, sending his riddled body soaring slowly up into the air and away from Oran. "I don't want your body and it's ugly blood around me."

I just can't win… Pyros thought as his looked up towards the sky. I wanted to protect so man people… With a thud he hit the ground solidly on his back. Vanille… His arms and legs splaying out beside him, the un-socketed one bending oddly as it did so. Hope, Lightning… His mouth fell open as he started to feel weak from blood loss. Fang… I really wanted to protect her.

"Fang, I'm sorry." Pyros closed his eyes as the wind started to howl. "Please, forgive me…"

Oran looked up at the sky as Pyros's body struggled to breathe. His smile fell for a moment, his face falling like an angel from heaven. But as Mateus pulled herself from the rubble his smile and glee returned, deadly eyes lowering to Pyros like a gun sight, cold and efficient.

"Mateus, finish him off." Oran said with a chuckle. "No need to let the Cocoon Dog suffer any longer."

Mateus nodded once as she strode forward. She raised her hand to the sky, dark blue energy coalescing in her hand. Energy that moments later solidified into a new spear, which in turn started to create a spiral of energy around it as she approached the prone man.

Pyros opened a single eye as Mateus stood over him. His tired eyes couldn't help but see her in an unfocused blur. His eyes were so unfocused the even seemed to be casting a black spot against the sun.. a black spot with sari and spear at it's side.

"Hey!" Mateus looked up at the sky as Fang's shout filled the air. "I didn't give you permission to die yet."

In a burst of white wind Fang's spear flew down from the sky, causing Mateus to hop back away from it as the weapon impacted the ground like a tigers claw. The wind slashed up the earth around it, sending it flying up into the sky as Fang landed Nimbly beside Pyros.

"Did you miss me?" Fang asked, eyes locked on Mateus as she pulled her spear out of the ground.

"I have to admit. " Pyros muttered through the pain. "In certain situations you have your own… charm."

"Ah, your so sweet." Fang pointed the tip of her spear at Mateus, the wind swirling around her like a barrier of dancing white swords. "Give me a moment to get rid of our guests and we can have some alone time."

"Take your time dear." Pyros breathed in slow as fire started to cauterize his wounds, stopping the bleeding. "Forgive me if it takes me a moment to join you…"

"Don't worry." Fang's eye's narrowed as her body lowered into a bestial stance.

Oran put his chin between his finger and thumb as he eyed Mateus and Fang. Part of him was moderately impressed that Fang had defeated Beast, even more so that she had somehow leapt over the wall. There was no doubt Fang was an exceptionally talented Pulse warrior.

But I killed Pulse Warrior's by the thousand. Oran sighed boredly. One more won't be a problem.

"Mateus." Oran called as he cast one hand out towards Fang, finger slowly rising up to point at her. "Kill her."

Without another word Mateus threw her spear at Fang. The weapon disappearing as it left Mateus's finger tips and flew in what was most certainly a deadly path towards Fang.

A path that was interrupted, the spear impacted the wind surrounding Fang. It's momentum almost instantly failing as it was held still in the wind storm.

"Nice trick." Fang's lips parted in a feral smile. "But I can do it better."

Mateus's spear started to spin faster then a bullet, wind flowing away from it with enough force to tear into the concrete of the street.

Mateus burst forwards as the winds picked up. Body moving at blinding speed, closing in on Fang in less then a second, which was a second to slow.

The spear flew forwards just Mateus as she closed in on Fang. The weapon spun like a drill as it impacted Mateus square in the chest, slowly pushing her back as it made a horrid screeching sound against her armor.

Well. Oran watched as Mateus grabbed the spear, the rotating weapon making even shriller sounds as it ground against her hands. Fang one, Mateus nil.

The spear started to dig into Mateus's armor, eliciting a guttural growl from the depths of her throat as dark blue blood started gush from the wound. But slowly the spear started to stop, leaving the putrid smell of burnt flesh fresh in the air.

As Mateus started to pull the spear from her chest Fang leapt atop it and plunged her spear deep inside Mateus's neck. White wind started to surround the two, and just as an ear splitting was heard it obscured both women from view, the sound of tear metal and flesh barely audible over the roar of the wind.

"Damn." Oran whistled. "That's one pissed off women."

Oran's cold eye's saw Fang flip backwards out of the wind storm, landing with the grace of a cat beside Pyros. She was strong, Oran couldn't help but to admit, though she wasn't strong enough.

The wind started to die. Revealing Mateus's torn apart form, skin and armor hanging raggedly from her haggard body. Dark blood pouring out against the dull pavement, pavement which she slowly fell down towards. Landing with a thunderous racket the great warrior fell to her side as the last vestiges of life faded from her now shattered form.

Oran stared down at the shell of Mateus's body. His smile once again slipped as her blood soaked the ground.

"Hey." Fang asked Pyros over her shoulder. "Ya still alive?"

"I'm probably dead…" Pyros coughed as he slowly got up, moving much like the injured man he was. "Just to stubborn to admit it."

I can't help but agree. Oran watched Pyros pop his arm back into it's socket, which made a gullet wrenching sound. Part of me's glad that it's delaying your demise, the rest of me accepts that I can't wait any longer.

."Forgive me." Oran raised his left hand. "But I can't waste any more time here."

A crystal spike shot from his hand and towards Oran's enemy's, who both moved in opposite directions away from it. The crystal spike sunk into the ground making a low hissing sound before hundreds of crystal arms extended outwards, chasing after Fang and Pyros.

Damnit. Pyros concentrated fire in his hands a moment before launching it behind him and into the storm of crystal that was quickly gaining ground on him. I'm not going to last at this rate…

The flaming projectiles hit, sending up a column of smoke and crystal particles. But it wasn't enough as more of the crystal limbs burst from the smoke, hands wide open, and extended out towards him again, only to be met by another fireball thrown from Pyros's now shaking hands.

"Come now." Oran jeered cheerfully. "Are you two really so helpless?"

The white haired man raised his hands up to the sky like some kind of cultist priest reaching out to self defiling gods. White energy slid down his arms, his flesh slicing open as they passed down towards his chest.

"Maker, hear my call." Oran's eyes closed as both Fang and Pyros ran at him.

"Not so fast you bastard." Fang yelled as she drew her spear back, the wind spinning the weapon mesmerizingly in her hand.

Fang leapt through the air, spinning the spear above her head as she fell down towards Oran's closed eyed, grinning face. The smiling man opened his eyes as the spear plunged through his forehead, the skin around the impact peeling away as he fell backwards in a seeming slow motion.

In the moments it took him to fall Fang planted her boot in his chest and flipped backwards away from him, spear making a wet sound as it left the cavity of Oran's skull. A sound followed by Oran falling to the ground on his back, the crystal arms he had been controlling falling to the ground lifelessly.

"Hah." Fang smirked at Pyros, running her thumb under her nose in a cocky gesture. "He wasn't so tuff after all."

Pyros frowned as he cautiously approached the body, frown tugging his lips downwards. This didn't seem right, something was off..

"Fang get back!" Pyros called as he surrounded his body in bright flames.

Fang attempted to leap back, but she wasn't fast enough. From Oran's lifeless body a spike burst from the hole in his head. Twisting it's way through the air at subsonic speeds and tearing through the soft flesh, tender muscles and hard bone like nothing before swinging Fang's body around like a rag doll.

"What's wrong!" Oran's mouth clacked open and shut as blood leaked coated his pale skin. "It's beautiful you know, your blood is so beautiful." His teeth clattered together hard, chipping some of them as his uncontrollable cackles rose to a vollume louder then Fang's animalistic screams of agony. "You should share it with the rest of us."

"Just shut up!" Pyros called as flames burst from his hands, consuming Oran's body in a raging blue inferno. "Shut up you freak!"

"Freak?" Oran's flame covered was obscured by flames as he stood, casting him as a black figure with glowing white eyes in their midsts. "I may be a freak, but you're a traitor." The spike whipped around fast, flinging Fang from it's sharpened end and into the ground where she lay, grasping at her now ruined shoulder.

"What we were going to do isn't right!" Pyros shouted, tears mixed with blood coming from his eyes. "We were wrong, we were so wrong!"

"And we swore to do it. For those we loved." The crystal spike sank back into Oran's head, his entire body starting to glow. "We swore it as brothers, as family." Oran convulsed and fell down to his knees, his blood and flesh finally becoming smoke in the fire. "We swore to make this place right, to make a better world." His back arched as his arms splayed out wide, shaking wildly from side to side as his voice broke and twisted. "Nothing will stop the new dawn, no one will keep from the promises I made to my sister, no man, nor angel, not even the goddess herself will stand before me.. Not until I have kept my word to her."

The fire burst around Oran, like a bubble of energy had just exploded from the man putting the roaring flames out. And in their place stood something that made Pyros take an involuntary step back.

Oran's body had either changed into pure crystal itself or covered his ruined skin with the deep shining blue. His chest was shaped like the muscled body beneath, cracks running the length of his new abdomen and becoming deeper as they ran down his left leg, past the spiked kneecap and even over his slender foot.

The mans left arm was still human in shape and form, but his right had become a long blade from the elbow down, a massive hinge in place where his wrist should have been. Though neither his body nor arms were as striking as his head.

Long strands of crystalline hair shone purest white as they fell in delicately thing strands down his back, his eyes glowing what could only be described as a hate filled white, even his teeth glowed otherworldly white as his lips parted and closed, chips of teeth sprinkling down from his mouth mixed with drops of what had been blood, now ever incased in a crystal casing.

"What… are you." Pyros's mouth fell open as his eyes comically widened. "Just what in hell are you."

"Fifteen percent." Oran's voice reverbrated softly inside his own mouth as he spoke. "It's time for you to step up your game."

Pyros made a 'heh' sound as he looked down at the ground. Part of him had a hard time believing it had come to this. All those years he had fought alongside Oran, all the promises they had made, people they'd lost. And yet it still came down to this. Another futile struggle that no matter who won, they both lost.

"I'm sorry old friend." Pyros closed his eyes and let fire surround his body. "But there's someone I need to protect now… even if it costs my life."

The fire surged around Pyros, expanding outwards. In moments his eye's opened amidst the flame, shining a violent red.

"I am the hammer." Belias's voice rumbled from deep within the flames. "The one to bring the judgement of the Maker. Guardian of Etro." Belias breathed in, the flames seeming to be sucked into his body through his mouth and nostrils. "Prepare yourself mortal, death has come to greet thee, repent now and you may yet survive."

"Repentence is only for sinners oh guardian." Oran stood with arms spread wide, crystal like body gleaming under the setting rays of the sun. "And I am nothing if not this places greatest savior."

Belias snorts before he charges forwards, flames swirling about his god like hammer as it was raised high above his head. Oran responded by running at the menacing form of Belias, raising his blade up as the hammer came down in a slow, but horrendously powerful, blow.

The weapons met in a shockwave of energy, blowing Oran's crystal white hair back away from his head as the man slowly stood up even under the megaton force of Belias's hammer. The manic grin on Oran's face only increased as he slowly stood up, forcing Belias to slid ever so slightly backwards.

"Your nothing compared to me." With one mighty shove Oran sent Belias staggering back. "You never were." Oran's crystal blade cute deep into Belias's armor. "Never will be." Followed by a punch that lifted the hulking armored form slightly off the ground. "So just…" Where Belias elbowed Oran in the head, sending the man crashing into the concrete

"Shut your filth filled mouth." Belias said ever so calmly as his hammer crashed into Oran's back with the force of a neutron bomb, sending the man flying down into the earth as a crater extended out from the impact. "I have no interest in your machoism.."

A crystal fist shot out of the crater like a rocket. Hitting Belias square in the chest, cracking one of his armor plates, and sending him spinning out of control into the air.

"And I have no interesting in your breath generation." Oran called as his extended limb retracted back to his body, which was laying down calmly in the epicenter of the crater. "Let's take care of that, shall we?"

Oran put his hand on the ground and the limb extended again. This time letting him soar into the air as it retracted behind him.

"Hmmph!" Belias turned in the air as wings made of fire formed on his back. "Your arrogance grows tiresome." And swung his hammer in a might arc, lightning like flame flying from it's edge and exploding around Oran as he practically flew across the sky at the red armored warrior.

"Arrogance." Oran smashed against Belias's chest, crystal arm blade cutting down at him before Belias's swatted him away with his free hand. "Implies I can't live up to what I'm saying." Oran extended his hand towards Belias, who put his hammer in the way to block only for Oran to grab it and vault over him, spinning as he went.

Belias punched up towards the spinning form of Oran, only for the man to kick his hand with enough force to crack his hand forcing it away from Oran, letting the white haired man descend towards Belias's head with his blade.

The crystalline sword left a shallow mark across Belias's menacing face before the hulking giant smacked Oran in the side firmly with his hammer.

Which only made the white haired maniac laugh as he skid across the ground, coming to a stop by a now mostly unconscious Fang. With a look of glee in his hate white eyes he picked up her body and held it high in the air as Belias started to descend towards him.

"Come on you air bag!" Oran shouted. "Come and smite me."

Belias replied by standing on the ground, staring loathingly at Oran. Deciding not to risk an attack because it might hurt Fang.

"To scared?" Oran's blade extended and impaled Belias's shoulder. "Afraid to hurt someone?" The crystal blade pulled out of Belias's shoulder and stabbed him again, and again, across the giants body.

"I'm not afraid to hurt someone." Oran's eyes slid down to Fang as she put a hand over his bladed arm. "Especially not you."

Gashes spread across the crystalline arm as though a hundred powerful claws were slashing it to pieces at the same time, chunks of the ever so slightly luminescent crystal spraying the air in a majestic swirl as Oran started to struggle.

"Gah!" He screamed as his crystal arm practically torn off his body from the wind torrent. "You witch!"

"you bitch." Fang retorted, smiling in the tiredness of near death as she stared into those cruel white orbs. "You shouldn't worry about me so much."

Oran's eye's snapped to Belias, just as his giant hammer smashed into the side of Oran's face. Like a feather in a strong wind Oran soared to the sky, letting go of Fang as the sky seemed to swallow him hole, the white haired maniac's body soaring well over twenty story's up.

"In the Makers name." Belias plunged the head of his hammer into the ground. All the blood that had been shed in the battle rising to swirl about him, igniting into flames and becoming a hundred thousand marble sized balls as they touched and combined.. "I command you to burn in the deepest recess's of the abyss!"

The marble sized fire balls shot towards Oran like bullets from a heavy machine gun. The sound they made was even similar, save it seemed to grow louder the further away they got from Pyros and the closer they were to Oran.

"Just what are those supposed to do?" Fang nearly whispered from where she lay next to Belias.

"They will create blasts stronger then the most powerful explosives the human race has ever created." Belias spoke calmly, staring cooly up at Oran. "There is no mortal who can survive."

The first of the marble sized balls hit Oran in the side, it's explosion so great the clouds were pushed aside. Folowed by another, and another, until the deafening sound was one continuous note, the cloud of hyper heated atoms created a vile black cloud in the air as the last of the projectiles exploded.

Moments later crystal pieces showered the world bellow like rain, glinting ever so lightly in the suns final ray of redish sunlight.

The sun had finally set, now only the light of the moon illuminated the world bellow, casting the crystal fragments in a celestial type glow. The distant ruins of Cocoon glowing beautifully in the nights ever so gentle radiance.

Fang dragged herself to lean against Belias's leg and stare up at the sky. The scarlet blood from the massive hole in her shoulder had final stopped flowing, and from Belias's attack it had all been pulled from her arm leaving an eerily clean hole. Even the dark stains of sari were gone as she closed one eye in exhaustion.

"Hey." Belias looks down as he hears Fang's voice speak painfully. "Did we get him this time?"

The great warrior kneels down beside Fang, gently laying her down with his hulk like hands. As Fang lay on the ground, semi motionless, Belias touched the side of her face tenderly with one of his larger then life fingers.

"Rest young warrior." Belias said soothingly. "You deserve to have peace now."

Fang stared up at Belias as the crystal shard glinted in the moonlight all around them. Her hand ran up his, feeling the worn grooves in his gauntlet, the carcks and abbrasions of what must have been countless battles. Fang smiled faintly as she looked up at Belias's head.

The cracks that ran along the helmet allowed red hair to spill forth, the ghost of pale white skin and the depths of passionate eyes.

"There you are." She couldn't but stare up into his eye. "I know you were in there you bastard."

"Don't speak, you're tired." Belias's voice slowly dropped, his chin falling to his chest. "You fought well warrior, now close your eyes. Know peace."

"In a second." Fang muttered, smirk starting to spread across your first. "I just wanted to tell you I lov…"

A crystal blade pierced Fang's throat, literally just appearing out of thin air. Fang's eyes widened hysteralically for a moment before her body convulsed, blood coming out of her mouth as her body made a horrid gurgling sound.

Belias stared down at her body stunned, until he heard the sound of boots landing on shoulder.

"Sleep well." Belias had barely managed to look up at Oran when the mans glowing white had touched his face.

With a yell Belias fell backwards as Oran leapt from his shoulder and landed on the ground, the crystal gone from his skin.

"How." Belias yelled as he grabbed at his face, a bluish white substance sizzling like acid across his helmet. "How did you survive!"

Oran stood up, back to Belias, as the giant swung it's hammer down at the white haired male. A swing that Oran gracefully sidestepped, spinning ever so slightly as white light consumed his hand.

"It wasn't hard." As Oran's spin faced him towards the hammed he flicked his wrist, a ball of energy tearing the handle in half, causing the head to fall harmlessly against the ground. "You can't break my armor." With another flick of his wrist energy burst from his hand and tore Belias's left arm off. "And I." With a final cast of his hand Belias was armless, fire like blood gushing out and staining the ground with flames. "Never surrender."

The giant fell to his back. Finally defeated and helpless. His energy spend Belias's started to fade, setting Pyros down on the ground slowly in the midst of endless whitish red sparks. The mans body, armless like his Edielon before him, rested on the ground staring tiredly up at the sky.

Pyros breathed heavily, his boiling blood starting to catch his body on fire. The pain was excruciating, but as he saw the look on Oran's face as the man moved to sit beside him he couldn't help but to wonder who was hurt worse.

"seventeen." Oran said softly, somberly looking down at his former comrade. "That's how much of my power I had to use against you."

"Wow." Pyros closed his eyes briefly. "Guess I really am stubborn, aren't I?" Oran snorted in amusement.

"Stubborn. No." Oran looked up at the sky as Pyros opened his eyes. "Your just one the best fighters Cocoon has ever seen. You should be proud, you came closer to stopping the New Dawn then anyone else ever has."

"Not that it matters." Pyros could feel the eating his knees like a glutton. "I lost, and that means I'll burn here to ashes." Pyros laughed once, painfully. "I spent all my strength and still I couldn't save anyone. I've always failed to protect people, haven't I?"

Oran didn't say anything. He merely looked down saddened at Pyros while he summoned white magic to hands he was starting to believe were cursed.

"You deserve a proper burial." Oran moved both his hands out over Pyros's body, the red haired male looked up at the moon in a final bliss. "Do you have anything left to say old friend?"

"Two things." Pyros breathed in once heavily, the feel of boiling blood sliding down his throat making him cringe. "Protect my sister." Oran nodded once, watching as Pyros stared into the full moon. "And I think I loved her…"

A blade of light severed Pyros's head and legs from his torso in a flash of crimson boiling blood sprayed out, staining Oran's pale as death skin and bone white hair in hot scarlet as he sat their, letting the artieral spray coat his hurting form.

If there had been anyone alive to see, they wouldn't know which poured down his face the most. Silent tears or hot blood.

New beginnings. They are never free, the price is always high. And even if we believe in our hearts we are right this question always remains. Just how much are we willing to sacrifice for a New Dawn?

(A/N)

Thank Saranghayo. She messaged me, it wound up in my inbox, I reset my password, spent the last three-four days trying to find what I'd written for this chapter threw out a lot of it and wrote it the best I could, edited it twice, almost threw it out again, but decided to post it before I lost my nerve again. I've been gone awhile, things came up and I got away from almost everything that had to do with writing.. but my fiancee wants me to write. She says I'm less depressed when I write so I'll try to finish this before I burn out on writing... and, well, if your part of the angry mob I imagine is about to murder me for disapearing, again, then let's give me a five hour head start shall we..?