???: If that's how you truly feel then I can't change that can I? If you really think that all we've done to help you was for nothing then why did I even try in the first place? Why did I ever get so attached to you at all? Why, what dumb word. All it does is either confuse you even more or make you think you're confused. I mean, all I've ever done is act like I didn't need anything and yet I always needed you. Didn't I?
The noon sun had came down to the evening glow now, the sky was a mix of pinks and oranges on one side and on the other, darkness. Hera couldn't notice the light falling backwards as the darkness made it's way towards her even though she was running away from the light behind her, she hoped someone would come and tell her she was right. Hera's eyes were gushing out tears and light while her vision was clouded with despair, she couldn't see where she was going at all now. She just ran where the strange feeling in her chest told her to go and that was it, she didn't bother to think or decide on anything.
Hera: Why? Why would you say that you idiot?! What the hell is wrong with you huh?! Why can't you just think for once in your life and stop being such an idiot Hera? Wha- gyaah!
Hera found herself floating in the air, barreling towards the ground in front of her without anyway of stopping herself.
Hera: W-what hit me? I couldn't have tripped on-
She threw her question aside and put up a pathetic attempt at gathering herself which failed horribly and ended in a flat back slam into the ground.
Hera: Gyaah! Tch, ah that hurt more than it should. Pretty deserving though, maybe this is karma coming to get me.
Yasu: Hera! Hera! Are you out here!?
Hera: Inconsiderate little. . .why does he have the audacity to follow me after what I said? Dummy.
Yasu: Who's out there! I can feel you out there! Show yourself now!
Hera turned back to see Yasu through some bushes around the bend she had come through. He looked genuinely distressed about something other than her but she couldn't figure out what he could be so worried about.
Hera: Does he think that little of me? Not like I'll get hurt or-
An oppressive feeling tied itself around Hera's neck and ripped her backwards before slamming her back into some weirdly shaped structure.
???: Always keep one eye behind you Witch.
Hera: Guh, You're-!
Hera's mouth was covered before she could see his face but she was sure she had heard that taunting voice somewhere before, the overly cocky nature of it. It hated her and it loved her at the same time. "I can't believe master didn't kill you Hera. It's so strange that you had the strength to fight even after beating me? I commend you".
Hera attempted to get out of his death grip but was unsuccessful after several attempts. She sat there, slowly trying to charge he mana but couldn't seem to do it.
Shade Prince: That's right, I can feel it Hera, you know who I am and why I've come for you. You know just how much you mean to me now right? You know exactly how much I'd love to fight you again.
He brought his voice to her ear.
Shade Prince: Right?
Hera: I-I no I don't. Why do you want to fight me again? I just, I just want to go away ok, I don't want to fight anymore, I don't want to do anything anymore. Just leave us alone, I hate myself enough and I don't think I can handle hating myself anymore.
Shade Prince: Then come away with me if you wish to leave, you can love yourself when you find true with me Ms. Mizuki. I assure you, not a single day will be boring.
Hera: H-huh? What does that-
The sound of grinding metal played in Hera's mind. "He has a knife-".
Shade Prince: I promise, this will only hurt for a second Hera, I'd never hurt you for real after that day.
Hera: W-what are you gonna do?
The Prince brought his other hand around to reveal a syringe with a purple substance inside of it and a drop of some green liquid on the tip of the needle. The substance inside moved on it's own and almost seemed like it was alive. This sight sent chills up Hera's spine and made her legs feel like pure steel, she couldn't move and could barely speak.
Shade Prince: Please don't struggle, I could end up killing you if this misses your blood vessels. You'd do better as my slave rather than as a trophy. So please, just let yourself join us on the happier side of hell.
Hera: N-no wait-
???: Hey Asshole!
Shade Prince/Hera: Huh?
???: Hands off of my SISTER!
Seemingly out of nowhere, someone landed a heavy roundhouse kick on the Prince's face sending him flying into the woods surrounding them. Bursts of air explode from the impact, tearing pieces of the Princes, Hera's and The mystery man's clothes. His face was concealed by the shadows of the now full moon light. "Don't you dare touch Hera ever again you bastard".
Hera: R-
???: Anemos Ultima!
The man's hand came shrouded in green flames that spread over the rest of his body, the moon light left a beam of white running across his eyes reflecting off of his mana. The trees and plants around the 4 of them began to shuffle and shake furiously as cloaked men exploded outwards towards the man. "She's isn't some plaything, she's a Witch now get that straight you filthy shade. I've been out of it for 2 months and now I come back to say hi and I see you assaulting my sworn sister? I guess you really want to die".
Hera: Ryker! You're-
The pulsating ball of Wind magic in his hand shot off a bright light as it eradicated 3 of the 12 men dashing towards them, annihilating them in their entirety. Only a cloud of blood flung at Ryker as he jumped above the men and spun around in a helicopter like kick, knocking 4 of them away.
Ryker: Release My Storm!
The ball reformed once again and exploded towards the Princes last location, totally annihilating the area and all that remained was a crater filled with toothpick like branches.
The remaining 5 shades formed a Pentagon around Ryker and Hera as they spoke in dark and scratchy voices. "Does your love push you into action? Is it your Lust or your Passion"?
Hera: Huh?
Yasu: Hera!
Yasu: R-Ryker!
Ryker: Hey Yasu! Long time no see. Tehe.
Yasu: Don't act nice right now, sensitive subject with us.
Ryker: Huh? Alright, guess I gained popularity after that self sacrifice.
Shades: Answer us fledgling! Your response is. . .
Ryker: Tch, damn right I love her.
Hera/Yasu: What!
Ryker: I love the hell outta her and that won't ever change.
Hera: What are you saying Ryker? Why haven't you-
Ryker: But it isn't the kind of love you seem to think it is. I don't Lust for her or want her body at all even though she may be pretty damn attractive. I love her like a sister and if you or that thermonuclear accident over there think I'll let you touch her, heh, well your totally stupid or really suicidal.
Yasu: Hmpf, I thought you were for sure going down the harem route Ryker. Wouldn't be above you in any way.
Ryker: I mean, I guess I wouldn't mind it if I didn't feel like a piece of-
Wooosh! Two of the shades swung their blades at Ryker, barely missing him by only centimeters. Yasu immediately moved to help but was cut off by 4 more Shades jumping at him from the tree line.
Yasu: Great, this is just great. Why can't you let me fix my problems without dealing with you people! Fire-
Ryker/Hera: Stop!
Yasu: Dang it, there's trees everywhere.
Yasu and Ryker step away to face the shades so Hera isn't caught in the middle. The two of them find themselves vastly outnumbered and the petrified Hera didn't show any signs of moving any time soon.
Shade Prince: Now look what you've gone and done Itsuka. You separated me from Hera mid dose and now she's terrified. You can be so clumsy sometimes, in all the years I've been watching you, you always act like you care about other people but you never actually do. Yasu on the other hand, he's different from you. Yasu loves the world, he just hates YOU and you alone. But I guess he shares that with the rest of the world. Everyone hates you.
Ryker: I don't care, I have Hera, Yuri and Kiyoshi with me. I don't need anyone else. I've always had Yuri and I don't think Hera ever gave up on me so I'd say I'm doing just fine. How about you though, pretty weird for a thousand year old guy like yourself to be into a 16 yr old isn't it? I don't even need to ask that, you're a straight up weirdo.
Yasu: Can't say I'll disagree on that first part out of you Prince, but I can say that it's straight up gross to be this weird.
Ryker: Yet another thing we agree on.
Yasu: Stop that weird ass smirk.
Ryker: Tch, Whatever you say Sir Kenshi.
Shade Prince: Does that idiot really think he can handle this much?
These comments pissed Yasu off quite a bit and now he had balls of water forming around him with Incredible speed and intensity. "We doing this or what Ryker, I don't think we can do this separate".
Ryker looked back for a second and returned his gaze to the Prince, Ryker's body lit up and his hair spiked up to it's normal style.
Both air and body were displaced by Yasu's boiling rage that climbed ever higher every second he look at the Prince. Flames exploded over his body for a moment before water washed over them and exploded into wall of ice crystals. His eyes flashed a light of red for a moment, signifying something brewing deep inside of him.
Ryker/Yasu: Ready!
Just as they said this, the shades disappeared without a single trace. Their mana had almost entirely dissipated and their presence was totally gone.
Ryker: Guess they knew they were outmatch- GyaaaH!
Hera: Ryker!
Yasu: The hell!
Ryker dropped to his knees after he powered down and had bursts of wind exploding from his body causing agonizing pain from the influx of power suddenly smashing through his body. More mana spilled out over the coming seconds when his mana swapped from white to green, indicating the activation of his Intervention again within only seconds of it's last use.
Hera: Dammit, his body is going to be destroyed at this rate. I'm going to heal him Yasu so stand back.
Yasu: I can help you with that, you haven't used magic since he passed out.
Hera: Tch, the fact that you have to audacity to be here at all is beyond me. I ran away to get away from you, no because I wanted you to come apologize for what I said.
Yasu: Damn you and that blaming yourself for this stuff. I'm equally to blame Hera, I said some stupid stuff to you that just straight isn't ri-
Yasu reached down to help heal Ryker but felt his hand get slapped away. Hera was now looking up him with glowing purple eyes with a Violet tint over them.
Yasu: What are you gonna do? Kill me? That's not the indigo from before so I'm assuming this is the violent flare.
Hera: Heh, we Venra are only violent towards the source of our rage. If I was that mad at you Yasu, I would've already done something.
Yasu: Then what are you so mad at that you could kill if it isn't me.
Hera: Use your brain for something other than talking sweet to me and figuring out how to ruin Ryker's life and maybe you'll figure it out.
Hera turned to the now unconscious Ryker and brought her hands over his chest where they began emitting a deep blue light that fell like drops of warm honey on Ryker's chest. They then sunk into his skin and continued into his body where a barely visible aura formed around him.
Hera: The pain should have subsided and I got control of his mana for now, all I have to do is make sure I am touching him until we get is ignorant ass back to the hospital.
Yasu: Can you fly? I can fly you there.
Hera: When did you learn that? You shouldn't be capable of that without Wind and Shadow magic.
Yasu: I managed, how about you? You didn't answer my question.
Hera: Listen to me Yasu!
Hera got right up to Yasu's face with eyes as bright as flash lights now, her anger was swelling up and moving towards Yasu.
Hera: I don't care if you're being calm and speaking in that nice voice. Your real voice and attitude doesn't matter to me right now and I don't really feel like talking to you or needing you. So please, leave me alone.
Yasu: Uh, I didn't mean any of that stuff.
Hera: I don't care, you still said it so a part of you does feel that way right? A part of you genuinely believes that I'm nothing to you, that's not even the worst of it. That means Yuuta meant nothing since you still proclaimed that you were ALWAYS alone.
Yasu: H-Hera! Wait up, can't we just-
Hera: Can you please worry about something that's a little bit more important than our problems. I'm not the only person you've hurt and you're not the only person who's been hurt either. Get your priorities straightened out all right. I want to see you at your best, not at your fathers best.
This nearly blew Yasu off his feet and left him almost stupefied. "M-my fathers best? What does she mean by that.", is what ran through his head as Hera rose into the air and flew off into the distance.
Yasu: M-my father? Why would she bring him into this?
Yasu got lost in his thoughts for a moment as he pondered on why she would talk about his dad. No matter how much he tried to figure it out, his thoughts turned to her emotions towards him and what she was really mad at.
A voice played through his head when he figured out the answer to Hera's state of emotional trauma.
"I don't care, you still said it so a part of you does feel that way right? A part of you genuinely believes that I'm nothing to you, that's not even the worst of it. That means Yuuta meant nothing since you still proclaimed that you were ALWAYS alone."
Yasu: What the hell is wrong with me? Why would I say that, why would I don that to her? I knew the whole time I was talking that it was total bullshit, and yet I kept going? The hell is wrong with me right now? Why can't I think straight anymore?
Despite finding himself distraught once again, Yasu still couldn't shake his mind off of what Hera had said before, what she said when her eyes almost blinded him.
"Tch, the fact that you have to audacity to be here at all is beyond me. I ran away to get away from you, no because I wanted you to come apologize for what I said".
Yasu: What you said? What you said was the truth Hera. You've got it way worse than any of us, none of us could complain about our lives around you. We all have someone to turn to, well except for me now. But you, could you ever turn to me? Did I ever help you because it was you or because I-
"Heh, we Venra are only violent towards the source of our rage. If I was that mad at you Yasu, I would've already done something".
Regret crushed Yasu when he realized what exactly Hera meant to say with her clear vague words.
Yasu: You. Wouldn't actually do that would you? No, have you before?