Ameria knew, stomach churning with a sudden sickness, this was the moment to act. She watched as Lina, Gourry and Phiria fought their way over to her...Zelgadiss following closely behind. Willow and Nyoko stood amidst the carnage, utterly still, their faces grim...they were forbidden to interfere at this part of the play. Of course, her friends gave it one last try, trying to ward Phibrizo off with a combined force field...but it would not hold for much longer. She swallowed, and in a quiet voice demanded them to let go of the spell...trying to banish her choking despair as she watched the Dark Lord's power beat into the "wall", attacking in needle like formations. All of them were aimed at her, and Lina promptly gave Ameria a look...clearly questioning the Princess's sanity. Before she could argue, her magic just quit working! In fact...the barrier collapsed completely and she watched in helpless horror as Ameria grunted, and was struck. She fell to her knees, and Lina was unable to gauge the severity of the multiple wounds crisscrossing her entire body.
Gasping against the incredible surge of agony, her gloved hands sliding down the metal staff as her blood trailed down her arms...stained her ivory robes with patches of crimson. Coughing violently, she forced herself to stand upright...then with a tiny smile faced Mei-ou. Pointing her sanguine kissed nodachi at his face, she grunted, "Check...mate...now...you...will...die forever..." He started at her grave words, squeaking out a baffled, "What're ya doin?"
"Blinding darkness, hailstorm of malevolent intent...
Shifting balances of power, crystallized hatred,
Deliver upon thy enemy the forever sleep of the damned
Blessed by the sacred blood of the holy servant
The inky darkness of the abyss,
Nothingness void that consumes it's victim whole..."
"T-that sp-pell...the forbidden incantation of L-sama's Priestess? How..." Phibrizo could no longer speak...terrified and trembling...a frightened deer caught in the headlights of a fast approaching car.
"Silvery moonlight, burning star's inferno...
Cobalt fire...blood bound twins who dance through the night sky,
Joined might...wipe my foe from existence...
Lock him in an unending prison for all of eternity..."
A shattering scream, and yet...there was no explosion...The Dark Lord yelling his frustration to the unkind fate. Then a seething fissure, gnawing at the nerve endings...a whispery hiss tickling the eardrums as the mind went blank. For a moment, the vision was clouded and unable to see. Seconds passed, then an eerie quiet settled over the land...Lina blinked, gulping as she saw the impossible. Phibrizo, he was not there! Completely wiped away, not even a fried carcass left behind. Her friend lay in a crumpled heap on the ground...tresses faded to a placid gray. An affect that was similar to what happened to Lina when she cast the Giga Slave.
Zelgadiss knelt over Ameria's still form, cuddling her in his arms, gruffly commanding her to hold on. She was deathly pale, weakened from the effort it took to cast the mysterious spell that only she knew.
"Fate has come to a close..." Ameria whispered brokenly, trying to reassure Zelgadiss with a trembling smile. His icy gaze was softened by a fine sheen of tears, the moisture leaking from the corners of his eyes to stream down his cheeks. Nyoko averted her gaze, hugging tightly to Willow...the enigmatic woman with the mane of glorious cobalt, stared ahead as...her lips moving, though no sound was issued forth from her blue defiled lips. A hazy glow spread around Zelgadiss and Ameria, someone murmuring softly, "You have done well Priestess..." Still no face was visible to accompany the words, and the phrase continued in a musing mumble. "Can destiny be altered, or is it's course unshakable?"
"Please...don't die Ameria..." Zelgadiss cried out hoarsely, unable to hear the speech. Phiria, Nyoko, Gourry, and Lina looked at the scene unfolding with baffled shock, whereas Willow appeared to take it all in stride. She quirked a brow, placidly stating, "Will you quit the theatrics?"
"Aw you're always ruining my fun! You seem to wish her to live though..." A melodramatic sigh. "I guess I can do you a favor just this once sister, she was a loyal Priestess after all and deserves a reward."
"You'll save Ameria?" Lina queried in a hopeful voice.
"We'll see...the tides are changing...the universe is slowly evolving once again..." There was a shrug in the phrase, then the omnipotent being gently asked Zelgadiss, "Would you die for this child?"
"Absolutely." He stated flatly, still clutching her against his chest...voice ragged with crushing emotion. "I...love her..."
"Interesting development, not what I was expecting...but pleasing never the less. Yes, things will work out for the best, but hardship fast approaches."
Lina gasped, unable to stop the events that occurred...why were Ameria and Zelgadiss so...filmy...and transparent? Their forms faded, blotted out...transported to god only knew where. Her eyes closed clever brain in a muddle as she puzzled over the complex series of questions plaguing her...begging to be answered. This was not the end as she had assumed. Nay it was only the beginning, what would happen next? Something big was about to occur, and this misfit group was embroiled right in the center. A murmuring hum of apprehension, the tearing claustrophobia... what horrific catastrophe was unraveling? Would mere humans, thrown together with a dragon and a Mazoku be able to stop it before things went too far? Ironically, Ameria's worst fears paled in comparison to this new danger lurking ahead...but the puppet master would not make the dreaded appearance yet... oh no, tomorrow was another day.... Soon, all the pawns would come into play...