Greyashe chapter 307 is entitled 'Two beings's inconsequential love affair. X'

Previous chapter 306: Two beings's inconsequential love affair. IX

Next chapter 308: Selflessness

Summaries page.

-Short summary-

The two factions fight with their beliefs on the line. Who will remain?

-Long summary-

Ambriel and Sadariel stare each other down as flames of blue and black hues dance around them. The flames illuminate the dark forest around them, and accentuate the determined features in the crevices of their faces. Sadariel closes his eyes, the power of the Youngest filling his entire being. The Silent one stands far enough back that he doesn't get in their way, but close enough to watch the spectical begin to unfold. His expression is still mute, remotely studying his two friends come to the aid of the two angels. The irony doesn't escape him, as he thinks to himself how curious it is things ended up this way...the Native and Youngest had been pretty good friends up until now, and from the looks of it so had the two angels. Despite this, they look upon each other about to commence what seems to be mortal combat. Had the change in their demeanor come from an outside faction? Or is this simply the logical conclusion to awakening feelings that slept dormant within their bodies? They'd probably never really know the answer to this, but in the end does that really matter? The Silent one knows that at this point his friends, both of them will not simply submit and surrender. They have too much on the line at this point, and if they allow even an inch to the other they will take it and more. The Silent one sighs and sits down, humbly admitting his own helplessness in the matter. If all he can do is watch then he will.

Ambriel can hear her love's voice in her head which to her own surprise doesn't surprise her. He asks if she's holding up okay, and she simply nods. He quietly apologizes to her, asking forgiveness for forcing her to fight a friend like this. The little angel shakes her head, replying quietly that she asked for this. If she were to back out now, she's be breaking their promise, and although she'd really like to do just that....

The Native quickly reminds her that they don't have that luxury, and that they did agree on this path of action if nothing else works. He says this in a firm and gentle voice, which chokes Ambriel's emotions. She asks how he could be so resigned to this fate? Couldn't there be another option? One that wouldn't end this way? She can hear the smile in his voice in his reply; 'If you can't be happy, then make someone else happy'. Isn't this what they had both decided on? They will bring each other happiness. Ambriel sniffles and nods slowly, replying in kind that she loves him and will bring him happiness. After this exchange her next look at Sadariel is devoid of almost all sadness. She promises not to let him down, and he replies that by being here with him she already has guaranteed that she won't.

Sadariel can hear the Youngest as well, and he simply asks the native if he can defeat them. The Youngest replies matter of faculty that his friend has always been the soft type. As long as the angel doesn't hold back, there should be no issue in defeating both of them. Sadariel just needs to follow of his instructions faithfully, and victory is theirs. The angel asks the native how he can be so sure, and he replies he can tell while they are thinking the same thing, one or both of them doesn't fully agree with this current situation. As long as there is that 'rift', they will continue to sap at each others power rather than complimenting one another. Sadariel asks if he believes the two of them are on the same wavelength? The Youngest replies 'obviously not', but they both have the same mindset in one key area, and that's the two of them 'must be stopped'. Sadariel nods slowly and turns to Ambriel asking her if she's sure she wants to do this. Deus has always taught forgiveness and redemption, and he only wants to stop her from going down a dark and lonely path. They are friends, no? So why does she not believe him when he says he only wants to save her? Ambriel's eyes soften for just a moment as she forms an answer and she replies sadly 'You don't want your happiness, mine or anyone else's.' That's why she cannot allow herself to be saved by him, as he is simply acting on what it is he lost rather than what he can gain. Sadariel looks hurt for a moment, but then nods and says in a clear voice that he will stop her by force then if need be.

He then disappears right before their eyes, and suddenly appears behind the two. His flame pulsates and then bursts knocking the angel girl off her feet and causing the flame made of the native boy to flicker and blow out briefly. Ambriel lands on her side harmlessly, and quickly rights herself before Sadariel manages to land another blow. His fire bursts around him causing the ground to quake slightly and burn black. He then stretches his arm and with a wave sends a volley of dark fireballs at the angel girl. Ambriel braces for impact, but the native's blue flame covers her and disolves the flames. Sadariel then activates his wings and takes flight, launching a massive fireball at the two below. The Native's flame prepares to take this one as well, but Ambriel surprises him by activating her wings and extending her hand. The Native's flames dance around her arm and into her palm extending outward in a shape similar to a lance. She shatters this fireball and flies directly at Sadariel with the flame lance, but he simply moves aside and grabs the angel by her left wing. His eyes flash briefly, and then to her surprise the wing explodes in black flame and the angel falls back to earth with extreme force. Ambriel lies unmoving as Sadariel looks down at her mercilessly. He then coughs and looks down in horror at his hand which burns an unearthly blue. Recoiling in pain, the angel realizes Ambriel had intended to give up the wing the entire time. The Youngest thinks to himself that their suicidal fighting style could very well be their salvation, as while he has experimented with this power longer than they have, they are willing to sacrifice everything to stop them. In return he has a burning desire to live, and will have to fight much more rationally....which requires time and most of all strategy. Suddenly a blue jet lunges at the two and hits Sadariel square in the chest sending him flying into the trees with a crash. Ambriel is up again, and she has painfully ripped the burning cinders of her wings from her back. Her breathing is labored, and her eyes unfocused, but the angel wearily gets to her feet as the blue flame pulsates around her. The Silent one watches in awe, coming to the same conclusion his young friend had. Between their willingness to sacrifice themselves to stop them, and his experience this fight might be a complete deadlock. Though there's something else neither faction had thought of....and that's the angels themselves.

Sadariel's black flame incinerates the trees in a circular dome around him. He is bent on one knee and breathing heavily but still manages to get up the strength to activate his wings and fly low towards the blue flame and the angel that it protects. Ambriel's eyes widen, but she doesn't step back. Instead she turns and focuses the blue flame so that it is in the shape of the wing she lost. She then takes flight and the two angels grapple in the air, black and blue flames nipping and tearing at each other, barely avoiding lethal blows. The Youngest revels in the ability he has to control his angel host's power, and increases the power input. Sadariel retches back in apparent pleasure, then creates his own flame lance but with two hands. He then brings it down on Ambriel and the Native who barely manage to avoid being incinerated. The resounding crash is so deafening that it feels like the forest might be rended apart by it, and the Silent one is forced to lose his incorporeal form for a second to get to a safer spot. The Youngest takes note of this and turns to the blue flame which seems to have doubled in size. He balks and realizes they've been saving up power for a larger scale attack, and tells Sadariel to move or he may fall victim to it. Sadariel replies in a hushed whisper that he's doing all he can do to remain in the air, much less avoid a large scale attack. The Youngest screams at him the sound of which echoes in the angel's cranium. Does he intend to putter out here of all places? If he does then they win, and it will spell doom for the two of them!

The blue flames spread from Ambriel's missing wing to the rest of her body, and she breathes in deeply while closing her eyes. The flame recedes for a moment before exploding into a column of blue light. She then looks up at Sadariel and the Youngest and with her right index finger points up at them, all while keeping her left eye shut. The Youngest then pours more power into Sadariel which gives him the strength to zip forward at the angel and native with a black flame so dense that it appears almost solid. The two are feet, centimeters, then inches from Ambriel and the Native, until finally the heat from the solid black flame causes the surroundings to become hazy and distorted. Ambriel falters from exhaustion and the heat and falls to her knees. The Native boy changes shape and covers her instead in a burst of blue flame energy. The solid black flame pierces this blue flame energy and pierces into it like a drill through butter, though not without a temporary delay, which allows Ambriel enough time to dart out of the way and begin a counterattack, but even this is too late against the power of the Youngest. Sadariel simply turns and fires a flaming gell bullet at blistering speed toward the angel. The blue flame bursts around her again but is neatly shattered by this bullet and she isn't completely safe from the flames that erupt around her. The angel lies in a heap surrounded by walls of black flames, unable to muster the energy to even move. Sadariel suddenly appears in the midst of the fires his silhouette flickering and wavering courtesy of the flames distortion. Ambriel tries to stand again but cannot, her energy is completely drained. It is just as the Silent one had thought, the angels may have the will but they don't have the strength to wield them long. Sadariel himself is breathing heavily, unable to keep the froth from his mouth and the drool from escaping his lips. He steps closer to the fallen angel who can only curl up helplessly. The blue flames begin to die away, and Ambriel quickly realizes what this means for her love.

Before when she had convinced him to explain the situation to her, he had also shown her a little bit more of his ability. He could become flame itself for her, though after an extended time this flame melds into him, and becomes something like a life force. He's not wholly sure of the possibility, but it is very likely if the flames were to disappear completely he may very well go with them. Ambriel quickly begs him not to talk that way, not to allow himself to entertain the thought. She would be fighting along with him so he can't give up! For himself, for his people, and for her....he can't talk about giving up! The Native boy assures her that he has no intention of doing so, but to defeat the Youngest he'll have to put his all into fighting his friend....if he will not see the error of his ways  the only way to proceed is to stop him permanently. The Youngest has more control over his power since he had been experimenting much longer than them. Cruel irony is that if they had trained more with Sadariel they might have stood more of a chance against the Youngest, but now they could only rely on the meager experience they have now. Despite this his resolve doesn't falter, and he proclaims that he'll bring both sides happiness even if it leaves his fate uncertain. Ambriel responds that she had heard of this 'uncertain fate' being spoken quiet among the other members of the choir, something that could destroy an angel completely though she isn't sure what it is. She is sure of the feeling of emptiness she has when she thinks of this fate happening to her love, and she'll fight against it, and even him if she has no other choice. The Native boy sighs and asks what they should do then? He doesn't want to leave her, and she doesn't want to leave him so...

Ambriel perks up and replies that they will act in accordance to what will bring the other happiness. If one cannot be happy, then make someone else happy. If she strives to bring him happiness, and he does so for her then even if they cannot be happy they can still bring happiness to someone else. That is what they will go into battle with as their flag, their rallying cry. The Native embraces her and professes his love for her and this idea. She nods and with a tearful smile returns his embrace.

Ambriel is too drained to even cry as she watches the remnance of the blue flames die out. Is this what Choir had meant about the uncertain fate? She isn't sure, but now there's nothing else that can be done. She apologies to herself, her family and her people that she could only go this far. Most of all she apologies to the Native who protected her with his own life force. Sadariel stands above her and slowly lifts the pillar of solid heat, it's flames crackling and whispering sweet death into her being. The remnance of blue flames rain down around them as he sweeps down with the pillar in an attempt to take the angel's head. A small blue flame lands on the pillar and suddenly it explodes in blue sparks rocking Sadariel and sending him to his knees. More of the blue flames appear in the sky and consolidate into a flame pillar of their own. The Youngest bellows at the Native boy and asks just how much does he want to betray everyone for this angel woman?! The wind whips around the little angel, and she hears it....the blue flame's last message.

If you cannot be happy, strive to make someone else happy.

The little angel's tears are waterfalls down her face now, and she can only nod and sob. The blue pillar of flame takes shape of a hammer, and bludgeons Sadariel's back. The angel yells out in pain as the black flames surround him too late. They completely cover and smother the blue flames until with a puff the blue flame is completely doused. Sadariel lies limp as the flame burns around his body, and for a moment Ambriel is not sure if he is still among them. She turns and sees his body black and burned, and can only lie on her side wallowing in exhaustion and sadness. Suddenly the wind whips around and Ambriel realizes it's coming from Sadariel's body. She feels sudden despair, and turns as two jet black flames rush at her. The Youngest's voice rings out in pure hatred that she hasn't won yet, and he'll finish her....the one who started everything. The little angel tries to get to her feet but still lacks the strength. She manages to get to her knees at an awkward angle, so the flames miss their intended target of her torso and instead hit her in the face. The angel cries out in pain, and lands on her side, covering her eyes which burn mercilessly. The Youngest laughs cruelly while taking form and prepares to finish her when a light comes from Sadariel, causing him to freeze in fear.

It is the same power Dio wielded earlier.

The fear of that experience still grips him, and he is unprepared to dodge this light which collides with the Youngest's form and seemingly erases him from existence. The Silent one sees this and oddly seems composed, but quickly makes his escape lest he be seen. Ambriel is still writhing in pain as her eyes burn with ferocity, but she hears something silent, apologetic. A tone not unlike her lover's. It is only a small sound, barely audible or syllabic, but all the same it's apology washes over her body. Through the pain Ambriel can tell that this last wordless apology is from Sadariel who had protected her with the last of his power. In the end, even though she had spurned him and he was hurt...he still loves her.

Two ends....one woman.

The sun is rising when the angels Dio sent to find the boys come into the clearing. During the night they kept away with the energy and flames being flung about, but upon seeing the coast is clear find their way to where Ambriel sits up alone. When they go to ask her what happened, one angel recoils in surprise after seeing the remains of Sadariel. The other goes to Ambriel and asks if she's okay. She doesn't look at him, and asks if it is morning yet. The angel's eye brow goes up as the sun is obviously illuminating the forest. He looks into the angels eyes and sees they are damaged, despite tears still streaming from them. Ambriel asks again, her voice breaking if it is morning, and the angel with an expression of pure empathy answers that it is.