The soft melody of the harm soon came to a close as Sondi made a deep heavy sigh. Cole and Aslalo sprawled out on the floor, dripping sweat, exhausted from the hundreds of do overs. With a swipe of his hand, Sondi floats the harp to the side to stand over the downed boys. The look of disappointment sent the embers of embarrassment into Cole. A dance so simple, so easy a child could do it, someone who has trained their entire life couldn't do it nor could someone with such high class could be so sloppy. WHat were they doing wrong? What were they missing?
Sondi "Are you two done?"
Cole "*Huff huff* Nah, we are going to do this."
Sondi "If I had to guess, we've been in here for a month or so and you guys still have not gotten this? Maybe you two should return home. You're not ready."
Cole "SHUT UP! WE ARE GETTING THERE!"
Sondi "No, you are nowhere near close.Your aether is unbalanced. I'm just surprised you aren't in agonizing pain."
Cole "I AM. IT HUrts...It hurts so much. It feels like I'm being ripped apart on an atomic level. My bones are barely holding themselves together. Every move is like jumping into a pot of boiling water, but I can't...No, I can't give up here. I have a mission, a purpose, a reason to push past the pain."
Sondi "Oh and that is?"
Aslalo "To punch you in the face."
Streaking through the air Aslalo cracks Sondi across the face, sending him into the barrier surrounding them. Barely able to recover, Sondi moves out of the way. The barrier cracking under the weight of Cole's fist. Sondi tried to counter but was quickly overwhelmed by Aslalo's lightning fast onslaught of attacks. Aslalo gave it everything he could but Sondi blocked each attack with ease. Sondi could feel the passion in the boys as they fought on. No matter how much they fought Cole and Aslalo couldn't get push much more than keeping Sondi on the defensive, or so they thought. Suddenly a burst of energy pushes the teens into opposite sides of the barrier. The power so immense it sends cracks all through the barrier.
Naiomi "HEY! I CAN'T KEEP THE BARRIER UP LIKE THIS CALM DOWN!"
Michael "They are not going to listen."
Jasmine "Micheal! Stay back."
Michael "Hush you, If i wished I would have your skeleton by my feet before you could even think of fighting me."
Jasmine "What do you want?"
Michael "I wish to help actually."
Jasmine "What could us with?"
Michael "You? Haha nothing, but Ms.nguyen here however, I can make her more powerful than she could ever reach on her own."
Naiomi "How?"
Michael "Aether, I'm sure you experienced the power cliff during the tournament? Weren't you the least bit curious how my brother's failed host could possibly match you in power when days prior he could barely make a puff of smoke?"
Naiomi "Why? Why help us when you've spent the last few hours trying to capture us? What if we want to attack the capitol again?"
Michael "Why? Don't you already know the answer? Oh it's for them."
Naiomi "So you know too? Then you understand why you must explain."
Michael "Why? Hmmm...I know everything. I know what you will be, when you will be, how you will be. I know all things. I also know you are and what you are to do. Besides I have a personal reason."
Naiomi "Oh? And that is?"
Michael "Simply I want to get back at my brother. Call it an angelic joke, like how you used to change the timeline to make someone defecate on themselves. What would be the best joke to play on the embodiment of destruction other than to take his failed host's finance on as a student? He'd be so pissed that I made someone stronger than he has. Hehe"
Naiomi "It sounds like you are jealous. Of Cole or Samael I can't tell."
Michael "Well ya know you are speaking really loose for someone who is getting a deus ex machina. Maybe I'll take my assistance else where. I do have other things to do. I'll just take my Jokes and help with me. Good luck with falling off Cole's good side because you're weak."
Naiomi "You say you know everything, but you don't know that Cole will fall in love with me."
Michael "Will he? How can you be so sure?"
Naiomi "The blue thread of time says there's only five timelines we end up together…"
Michael "Three of which you get a divorce, one caused by you, the other caused by cole, and the last although you don't want to admit it is caused by your first child. The other two timelines are quite similar but you know which one you'll get. They all lead to that same point in time."
Jasmine "Naiomi, what is he talking about?"
Naiomi "Nothing, I don't have time for this. I have to keep the barrier up."
Jasmine "Naiomi? What's up with you?"
Naiomi "Nothing drop it."
Jasmine "Those timelines...What is so difficult for you to say? You aren't like this normally."
Micheal "She won't tell you because if she does, it would lead to one of the three divorce timelines. I however don't care because it always leads to the same point."
Naimoi "Michael, shut up please. You know damn well I could change that point in time."
Michael "Yeah, and I also know that you won't. You are worried if he would truly love you if you interfere. Coly-woly won't be cole if you went along with your plan."
Naiomi "Shut up!"
Michael "No...It isn't that...I know! You are afraid to share him with her. Naiomi, you know what happens at the end of even that timeline? You die rather tragically I might add."
Naiomi "I KNOW! I KNOW I WILL DIE, I KNOW COLE WILL NEVER TRULY LOVE ME, I KNOW EVERYTHING THAT HAS, IS HAPPENING OR WILL EVER HAPPEN TO ME. I know okay. Can humans ever just enjoy the bliss ignorance brings?"
Michael "Bliss from ignorance? Why would there be happiness in stupidity?"
Naiomi "Of course you wouldn't understand. You know everything, but sometimes step down from your throne. Try for once in your miserable existence to understand the human heart."
Michael "As I stated before I know all things. I know why humans act out the way they do, I know why you are saying no, and I know the absolute truth in Cole's heart."
Naiomi "You may know all, but you don't understand a damn thing. It's not worth my time to explain it to you either. As you can see I'm busy. So shut up and leave me alone."
Michael "Fine, I'll go on a walk I guess… However, before I go. Please note my offer has no time limit."
Naiomi "Fine, just go away."
Naiomi turns away from Michael to focus on fixing the barrier. With a snap of his fingers Michael disappeared. Naiomi pushed all the power she could muster up to fix the barrier when the cracks vanished.
Naiomi "*huff*huff* The barrier is stable now. I don't need to keep it up as much anymore."
Jasmine "Wow you're really strong. A lot stronger than I thought you were."
Naiomi "I didn't do it. I don't have nearly enough power to put twelve days into one day. Do you understand how much focus it takes to bend space to such a degree without killing everyone within that circle? I have to unwarp space around those three moving at speeds that exceed from what I can tell the return stroke of lightning. Please tell me how you would do better."
Jasmine "Hey, I never said I could do better. I don't have space-time magic."
Naiomi "Whatever, just heal me every hour. They should be coming out soon."
Inside the barrier Cole and Aslalo are in no better position than they were before. Their powerful strikes shaking the barrier around them. As the battle continued Sondi became more and more noticingly bored. With a tap of his toes Sondi sends the boys careening back once more.
Sondi "Cole, GO HOME. You aren't ready for any type of training, status, or anything you think you're entitled to. You fight like a child, wild and full of emotion. Your motivation is weak at best and I really don't appreciate you wasting my time with childish games."
Cole "Is that all you got to say? Think I don't know that? What can I do? I have no magic, get treated like an outcast for it, I then GET STRONGER and suddenly I'm shit because i have a different color eye."
Sondi "This is an embarrassment. I don't care about your school yard plights. Results are all that matter. That has always been your problem. You want things easy, when you get it easy you don't like what that ease cost. Cole you can't have your cake and eat it too."
Cole "Is this some sort of joke? You think I wanted this? I never wanted power. I never wanted to be student council president and I swear on all that I am. If i knew what pain this eye would cause me. I would've never taken it. I didn't even want to be her friend. YOU! You made me and now you are punishing me for doing what YOU told me to do. Why should I be disregarded because I am trying to fix YOUR mistakes? HOW IS THAT FAIR!?"
Sondi "Fair? What does it being fair have anything to do with it? Let me ask you something. A man praised god all his life, never being unfaithful. Not one time. You know how god treated this man? He allowed Satan to test him as he ignored his prayers. Sickness, poverty, death, loneliness afflicted this man with a vengeance. Was that fair? He could have easily ended his suffering by cursing god and dying but he didn't instead he prayed and that prayer fell on deaf ears once more. Is that fair?"
Cole "No, it isn't."
Sondi "He never complained about it being unfair."
Aslalo "Your point? Cole is an individual who has feelings!"
Sondi "And how exactly does that matter?"
Aslalo "That is your SON!"
Sondi "And he knows not to waste my time with his childish nonsense."
Aslalo "Don't you care about your child's feelings? His emotions are important. Now more than ever he needs you. Would it kill you to help him?"
Sondi "I am helping him. His emotions got him in this position. His emotions got his friend murdered, made him act out during the tournament, and led him here to be disappointed. It is not my responsibility to make him think before acting out like a petulant child. His emotions got him here, I'm sure they can get him out."
Aslalo "It's not some switch you can turn on or off. He didn't have a choice in how he was born. What's so hard about accepting who he is?"
Sondi "I see the growth my child has made and I'm rather disappointed this is the best he could do."
Aslalo "You as…"
Cole "Aslalo stop...There's no point. Let's go home...we'll figure it out I guess."
Aslalo "Cole do you really have nothing to say?"
Cole "What's there to say? He said it clearly. He doesn't care, move on to the next mission."
Aslalo "NO! I did not travel all the way here just to leave."
Cole "I am your superior, I said the mission is over. LET'S GO."
Cole hardened his heart to the verbal assault levied against him and began to walk away from it all. His heart cried for things to be different, for his father to give him the time of day for once, to finally acknowledge him and everything he has gone through. Instead it was met with the cold icy wall of his father's stare. Aslalo grabbed Cole's arm firmly to try and force him to stay, but one look into Cole's teary eyes made him let go. What Aslalo saw in those eyes was nothing more than a dying flame. A flame that fell to nothing, not the cursing winds, the knives that cut him everytime he fought, or the demons that haunted him. A great, all consuming, ever expanding fire so easily stamped out by the very foot that gave him life.
Aslalo "FINE! Whatever…This was a waste of time anyway."
Sondi "I always knew you were weak, nothing more than a let down."
Cole "I know...thank you for your time father. I will be taking my leave now sir."
Aslalo "I didn't know you could be formal."
Cole "Shut up."
Angelos "Hey, do you really think we should go home?"
Cole "What choice do I have? Father won't train me and he's right. My body is in agonizing pain."
Deablos "Don't you want to punch him in the face just one time before we go?"
Cole "It's no use. He will just dodge and yell at me."
Angelos "Yea, but…"
Cole "NO, I'm going home. That is the end of it."
Samael "Hush little ones. It will be fine."
Angelos "But Saint Samael, I've never seen his emotions like this. His light has gone out."
Samael "No, not out. Like any other flame Cole needs air, fuel, and a spark..."
Aslalo "No...It's not right...I'm not leaving. I WON'T LET HIM GET AWAY WITHOUT PUTTING HIM DOWN!"
Cole "Aslalo, I gave you a direct order."
Aslalo "I don't listen to losers."
Cole "Aslalo, this is insubordination. Stand down and fall back NOW!"
Aslalo scoffed as he ran towards Sondi, being instantly knocked to the floor. Aslalo jumped right back onto his feet to attack again, just to be put back into the floor. Cole stood by watching as Aslalo got mercilessly beat into the ground. Cole couldn't understand why Aslalo kept fighting. He knew his father's hits had to be getting heavier as time went on. Cole knew Aslalo was no match, perhaps even aslalo knew he was no match, but much to Cole's surprise aslalo fought on.
Cole "Aslalo why? Why do you keep fighting?"
Aslalo "I have to."
Cole "No you don't. It's over...there is no reason to fight anymore."
Aslalo "Fuck you, I don't need a reason remember?"
Cole "Why? He knows that he won't win...so why?���
Samael "Isn't it obvious? He's defending your honor."
Cole "But why? I didn't ask him to. I didn't want this."
Samael "It hardly matters what you want. Asslahole is going to defend your honor because his was disrespected also."
Cole "How? My father hasn't said a single thing about him."
Samael "Isn't it obvious? He's your friend. Bad enough for him to consider being friends with you, let alone let someone publicly humiliate you while he is standing there. Humans are selfish like that. He protects you so he can protect himself."
Samael's words and Aslalo's electric tenacity reignited the fire inside of Cole. This time his flame wasn't fueled by anger, hate, sadness, or anything of the sort. This time his fire was fueled by Hope for the future, hope for his victory, hope samael is right. Gritting his teeth Cole barreled through the pain to bury his fist five knuckles deep into his father's cheek. Sondi tried to counter but had his hands held by Aslalo, allowing Cole to slam his father into the ground. Cole stamped his boot into his father's chest with all his might, making Sondi vomit his lunch and chuckle.
Sondi "So weak and disobedient? And my lunch is coming out of your allowance by the way."
Cole "Says the one with my boot in his chest."
Sondi "HAHA you think you did something don't you? Cole you are a few decades too young to even challenge me."
Aslalo "One more time?"
Cole "One more time."
Aslalo "Chafer style pseudo sky god thunder dragon."
Cole "Keep him distracted. I need three minutes."
Aslalo "You got one at best."
Cole "Fine hurry."
Aslalo rocketed towards Sondi giving his best shot but ultimately doing nothing much more than keeping him from Cole.
Cole "Guys we are going into double time. We have to craft the strongest blade yet, something so powerful it could harm my father."
Angelos "Hell fire has high potency against heavenly beings."
Deablos "No, we don't know what type of magic his father has. Holy water would completely neg that. What about embedding the phoenix inside the blade?"
Angelos "It would take too long and besides the amount of heat the blade would produce would just melt it."
Samael "I know what could hurt him."
Cole "And that is?"
Samael "My power, let me free. Atleast unbind some of these chains."
Cole "No, I misstepped once and now I see the lock on your cage is gone. I can't trust you."
Samael "And that's your problem. I could just take your body with no regard to your physical limitations."
Cole "But that would kill you too."
Samael "Exactly, so why not have a symbiotic relationship?"
Cole "Fitting, you are sort of a parasite."
Samael "hahaha that's awfully rude. I like to see myself as a guardian angel. Come on, the worst thing that could happen is you lose and get kicked out."
Cole "Fine...What do I have to do."
Samael "The cage is open, we have established contact, you have a basic understanding of aether, all that's left is balancing your aether and mine, oh and breaking some of these chains. They hold quite a bit of my power back."
Cole "This seems suspicious."
Samael "Ugh, I'll tell you a secret then. You can put them back on anytime you want. Does that make you feel better?"
Cole "How?"
Samael "Nuh-uh. I preach fairness. You want information, I want something in return. Let me out of these chains. Hell once you do, you won't even need to bother with your aether anymore."
Cole "Okay...I guess. Whatever."
All the chains binding Samael except around his neck fell to ground. Samael stretched out as much as he could, cracking each joint free to move. Realizing the chain around his neck is still on Samael scoffed as he tried to pull it off, to no avail. Instead of turning to ash, breaking, or even slightly bending, the chain instead started to burn him.
Samael "What gives? You said you would take all of the chains off."
Cole "I did and?"
Samael "The one around my neck is on."
Cole "What chain around your neck?"
Samael "Don't play dumb with me. You know exactly what chai...You can't see it? It's not a mental block you put...Damn it. Fine, this should work just as well. Come join energies with me. I will loan this to you, just win. With everything you got. Just win."
Cole "Heavenly forge: hammer, heat, hammer, heat, quench in angel tears, hammer out the kinks, sharpen, sharpen, attunement destruction. Come Blade of destruction!"
Sondi "Cole you didn't."
Aslalo "Hey, pay attention to me."
As Aslalo kept Sondi distracted, Cole reached into the forge and pulled out a blade as black as the night sky and rusted as if weathered for centuries. With a single swing he cut cleanly into the concrete flooring like it was nothing but air.
Cole "Oh yea, I like this."
Samael "Okay, our energy output is balanced. One more thing, be careful not to cut yourself or you won't feel so good."
Cole "Huh, okay."
Aslalo "One minute! Cole where's my follow up?"
Cole "Right here!"
Cole swung his blade at his father with the intent to take his head off but was blocked by Sondi's trench knife. Aslalo, not missing the opportunity for attack, kicked Sondi in the back of the head and reached his hand out to Cole. Grasping Aslalo's hand Cole swung him around for another devastating kick to the face, breaking Sondi's nose. Wiping the blood from his nose, Sondi popped his nose back into place.
Sondi "I see, if this is how you are going to be fine. I won't hold back any more. Holy magic: Omnipotent light."
A beam of light whizzes past Cole's face, a singular bead of sweat dripping down his face. The beam of light bounced off the barrier back to Cole. Aslalo thinking quickly pushed Cole out of the way, the light burning some of his armour and clothes off of his skin.
Cole "Holy magic?"
Aslalo "You didn't know your fathers magic?"
Cole "No, we always fought hand to hand. No enhancements, no weapons, no magic. I know my mother used fire magic but that's it."
Aslalo "I see...Evanecence is there a counter to holy magic?"
Evanecence "Yes and no? Normally, dark magic or demon magic such as what Nichole and jasmine uses but this...this is powerful. This is the purest holy magic I've ever seen. It contains only .01 percent of evil."
Aslalo "Well isn't that great. Just how do we counter this?"
Cole "Like this!"
Cole blocked the beam of light with his blade, slicing it in half and causing it to dissipate into nothing. Feeling accomplished, Cole let his guard down slightly, proving to be his greatest mistake as Sondi rips Cole up by his hair slapping him across the face until his mouth, filled with blood. Sondi held up his son's near lifeless body with a disappointed face.
Sondi "Aslalo, Right? What is your motivation for fighting? More specifically what is your motivation for fighting me? I was under the impression you detest my foolish boy."
Aslalo "..."
Sondi drops Cole onto the floor like a sack of potatoes. Cole's eyes blurred as his vision slowly faded to black.
Sondi "Fret not, It's just us. No one outside can hear you, the only ones who will know will be us. So why fight me? I have done nothing to you."
Aslalo "Not that I need much of a reason to punch that peasants father, but it's deeper than that. You sounded a lot like my father. To him I am more of a daughter than a son. No matter the power I gained, no matter what I did, his respect was an achievement that stayed forever out of my reach."
Sondi "That's fair...I guess? But why would you fight with cole? Such a weak reason, I can understand why you would want to punch me, but why fight along with him? Why not just leave and serve the current head?"
Aslalo "The same reason you ask these silly questions."
Sondi "And that is?"
Aslalo "Curiosity. Simply put, Cole never wanted this. He doesn't like fighting, he doesn't want honor, hell he doesn't even want power but he keeps fighting. He took a position forced upon him because he knows no one else can or would do it. Who else would be dumb enough to storm the capitol to fight a high ranking official despite knowing full well he isn't going to win. It's entertaining to say the least."
Sondi "Entertaining? Perceived similarities? Huh, I told him to keep looking and to think he brought you three here. He could have just brought you to the house… My son is just a pain."
Aslalo "Like I would ever go to that house."
Sondi "Yeah yeah, whatever. Are you going to continue fighting me or not?"
Aslalo "Who said we stopped?"
Sondi "We?"
Cole burst up from the ground to kick Sondi in the jaw but missed by a few centimeters. Aslalo followed close behind, stepping off of Cole's boot into the air, crashing down as a lighting bolt missing Sondi again. Cole and Aslalo fought Sondi as a unit for the first time. The more they fought the more they fed off each other's energy. Their attacks, getting stronger and faster than before. Offence and defence became nothing more than a dance on the ballroom floor of battle. Sondi used his magic to no avail, whenever he would attack one the other would defend when he blocked that one the other would attack. A synchronization Sondi initially thought impossible became real in front of his very eyes. As the boys danced on their hearts could feel the beat of the music. It wasn't like the delicate song of the harp, It was harsh, it screamed and yelled, the melody was unruly, the pace was fast when wanted but slow when required. They could feel what the other would do and act accordingly. Their combined power finally pushed back on Sondi until he fell on his butt. As Sondi tried to recover Cole put his boot on his chest and pointed his sword at him as Aslalo pointed his fingers at him ready to blast him with lightning.
Cole "Five thousand, seven hundred, eighty two losses. Zero ties. One win."
Sondi "Congrats! You passed. It took you six months to master the Celestial waltz. Faster than most newborn angels...Were you pleased with the results?"
God "I will train them. They bore what's truly in their hearts."
Cole "Huh? SIX MONTHS? Asslahole, this is all your fault!"
Aslalo "Me? Do you have any idea how shotty your foot work is?"
Cole "Oh yea? Well do YOU know how hard it was to match your pace? You bounced around like a shitty ball."
Aslalo "Says the one who was stiffer than a corpse."
Cole "Screw you."
God "Children stop your bickering. You wanted to train? Prepare, these next six months will be brutal."
Jasmine "Hey Naiomi? You good?"
Naiomi "I would be if I got something to eat…"