Big Eyes, Small Mouth (BESM): Nexus Earth - Ikaris, A Clash of Champions

[Justin OOC]

(Full heal on HP and EP for everyone, and I need you all to roll initiative as well.))

[Georgi]

He watched in horror as Kai went down. His own heart sank as his promise to the young man was obliterated in a second when Gilgamesh blasted a hole through his chest. In many ways, Georgi suspected it was a sacrafice, and that Kai knew it had to happen. When Gilgamesh spoke of blood and the grail, Georgi knew it was true. Kai would not die in vain.

Initiative: 21

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1816046/

HP: 155/155

EP: 140/140

[SalmonMax]

It all happens too fast to stop. First Ryoko, then Kai.

Lily's mouth falls open in a silent, unvoiced scream, and her whole body seems to go completely numb with shock. Somewhere deep inside, she feels safeties tearing open and fears that had held her in check dissolving like smoke in a hurricane. After all this time, after fighting so long and so hard, after sacrificing so much...this was how it ended?

Init: 20

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1816053/

[Justin OOC]

(((Posting order is Georgi, Lily, Gilgamesh, Saito, Valerie. now, battlefield set up Code 999, Ready Fight!)))

[Georgi]

Kai had given him the energy and the will to do what he had only imagined. An opponent as formidable as Gilgamesh, would only be defeated by drawing upon forces that threated the very fabric of the universe.

As Georgi brought the sniper rifle out, he took a deep breath and raised it into the sky. After what seemed like an eternity, a gutteral, verging on the primal, chant came from Georgi's mouth.

"I challenge the laws of Nature and Reason,

I summon the power of destruction,

Veluta aeim, quifa quifa,

Samda Maa kaav,

MagnaBlast, EXIST!"

As he uttered the last two words, he brought the rifle to bear on Gilgamesh. The air around him began to swirl, buffeting those around him. Bluish-yellow energy built up around his body and moved down the rifle like a lightening rod. From the muzzle, burst a 10 diameter incandecent ray that left a deep furrow in the earth, widening as it blasted towards Gilgamesh. Even the very air it passed though, screamed, as if it's very existence was threatened.

(Attack 1: 22 {Total attack, weapon accuracy})

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1816748/

(Magnablast Dmg: 500 {Area 4, Range 9, Negates armor, halves all force shields})

(defense 1 and 2:12, 11)

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1816756/

HP:155/155

EP:90/140

[Justin OOC]

The unholy strike from Magnablast actually hits Gilgamesh squarely, melting some of his golden armor. A mask of Rage clouds his face as Enkidu begins to spiral and radiate death again then Entire world trembles. Blood flows from the corner of Gilgamesh's mouth. "You DARE? You DARE TO USE FORBIDDEN ALCHEMY IN MYYYY PRESENCE?!?!?!?" I will turn you to DUST and ASH!"

He looked to be charging for the same attack that killed Kai, an attack that shook the very ground itself.

Archer alone had the presence to speak. "Run you fools."

His soft whisper was answered as Suzuka laid a hand on his shoulder. We must remove Kai's body beofre it suffers manaburn or he will be lost completely to us. Do you have strngth enough to do it?"

"No."

Then we can only pray that one of them thinks of it.

For Lily it was surreal. Gilgamesh was struck with an attack that should have slain him. It didn't. What was needed to bring him down?

A single pink petal blade landed on her hand and she heard a word whispered with a lover's softness. Kai's voice uttered two final sylables "Bankai."

[SalmonMax]

Lily closed her eyes for a moment at the momentary touch. She knew she was standing at the edge of a high precipice, and she wasn't sure what would happen when she leapt. If she would fly, or if she would fall. She did know that staying there wasn't an option...when the winds of this fury finally blew through her, nothing would stand.

"Bankai," she repeated softly.

Then Lily opened her eyes, and each one blazed with blue light. Under her blouse, lines of light began spidering out from her heart, following her veins and arteries as if her blood itself were glowing so brightly it could be seen through skin and muscle. Out along her arms, up her neck and throughout her body until the flesh seemed a pale shadow on this new skeleton of energy. As this transformation took place, Lily rose into the air.

"True blood of Tsunami, burn!"

Her aura, her shield of energy, seemed to explode outward from her and grow to massive proportions. The ground underneath her was compressed into a shallow bowl, cracking and sizzling as the solid wall of energy shoved rock and soil aside.

"Avatar of Light!"

There was a flash of radiance too bright to look at, that left green afterimages on the retinas. When those present looked back, they saw the seven meter tall figure of a female in some kind of battle armor hovering in midair. The woman, the armor, everything...were defined by bright blue outlines only...they were completely transparent aside from those. As if an extremely talented artist had painted in actinic azure, the form and figure that now hung where Lily had been. And where the heart would be in that, in its chest, was suspended a small ball of brilliant light. And within the ball of light was the silhouette that could only be Lily herself.

"There will be justice!"

The voice boomed, and it seemed as if TWO voices were speaking in perfect unison. Lily's, and another woman's voice that was crystalline and pure, and consumed with wrath.

The apparition that Lily had become lifted a hand, and truly mammoth blade of solid energy took form in it. Energy blazed from the sword in a wide swath towards Gilgamesh as the Avatar swooped down at him with startling speed for such a monstrously sized thing, the great sword cleaving rock and ground and tree alike as it lashed out again and again at its prey!

(Summary: Blast at range, to hit 20 for 375 damage, negates 12 armor.

Close the distance and attack twice with sword.

To hit: 23 and 23. 415 damage, negates 12 armor.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1816845/

Three "free" defenses: 25, 22, 22

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1816851/

-2 to these figures if he attacks with ranged attack rather than melee.)

[Justin OOC]

There was a regal majesty of watching Lily manifest her Bankai, the ultimate potential of her inner strength. The blasts caught Gilgamesh full on and caused him to divert his wrath. He immediately shifted to Lily and Cut loose. "ENUMA ELISH!" The massive spiralling attack missed by less than a foot, coring a hole in the mountain behind her. They close and twice her sword peirces his melee skills and hacks into his sides. His own is met by hers both counterswings, and he was immediately put on the defensive. Blood flowed from both his sides and a hairline fracture in his skull. "Such Power... How can you have such power?"

[Saito]

Saito saw Kai fall through his view screens. He instantly knew that the acting president had died from this blow. No, it couldnt be, Kai was not a soldier he did not desearve to die here like this. Saito then suddenly remembered where he was, this was a world of magic maybe there was some manner of spell that could revive his false commrade.

Saito could see explosions where his friends were firing off their magical powers. No, this was no good if this kept up Kai's body would be destroyed by the magical backlash. Saito then knew what he had to do but he would have to move fast.....inhumanly fast. Saito cleared his mind of all external thought, placed his hands on the controls of the Meteor and began to chant.

"I challenge the laws of Nature and Reason,

I summon the power that is forbidden.

Socom Socom ra

Asp heluke unt,

Kotsf peo cois,

asp asp asp ran,

Accellerator, EXIST!."

Saito had no idea what this would do to his machine but he knew that Kai Morisato must survive this battle and the only way to do that was to get him into the Meteor's secondary cockpit.

[Justin OOC]

The Meteor's structure strained as the mecha moved with speed that should have been impossible. It was so fast it left afterimages in its wake. The veins of Saito's entire body bulged, surging with alchemical magic. The pain was immense. Deftly he scooped Kai's fallen form in the Meteor's hand and brought it to the cockpit.

Risking everything he opened the armored hatch and drug Kai's body inside, strapping him into the secondary seat his brother Ryo had always ridden in. The massive Armor hatch slid back down and the Meteor rose. Kai would be safer hear than on the ground, now all Saito had to do was make sure he survived as well.

[Valerie]

Valerie described a perfect Arc above the mess, her height giving her an eagles-eye point of view of the whole battle field, Gilgamesh had destruction raining on him from several directions while the Meteor had miraculously picked up the lifeless body of Kai. Lily was in the firing range right now, but she is a warrior and knows when and how to dodge.

Drawing on the energy around herself, the area around her loses color and the space itself seems distorted at the amount energy being pulled in, rapidly spinning lance heads become brighter and pulsate with energy, poting the SdZ directly infront of her every lance shoots a thin cord of energy to the tip of the lance and as the cords twist around the SdZ, Valerie lines it up with Gilgamesh.

"Zerbricht Sterne: Drill Rain mode" the blast itself consisted of 3 different layers of energy, the first one was from the outer lance heads a solid looking blast of pink energy that looked almost like solid light, the second one was all the energy stored up in the twisted cables, a twisting purple and black energy not unlike the one in the Dragon Slave, it looked like fire contained by the first layer. Lastly the third layer was a bright red sphere of energy, that looked like the core of a star or a dalaaran reactor.

The beam traveled at an astounding speed descending towards Gilgamesh, very differen from the rough blasts that Valerie usually throws, this was a completely uniform and shaped line, uncomparable to nothing but the purest form of laser beams.

Valerie in her cold rage had given up on trying to reason with herself, the only solution she could agree with was the full destruction of Gilgamesh, this was all her power and rage focused on a single blast, this HAD to kill Gilgamesh, nothing could remain of him and if it did, she would have to do 'That'.

-------------

HP: 145/145 (Regeneration 1, 38 Armor, 28 FF)

EP: 160/195

Passion Used 2d6+19

3 Attacks: 23, 30, 27

1 Zebrithc Sterne 330, Ignores 20 Points of Armor and 40 of Force Field. (Passion)

2 Göttlicher Schuss 115, Ignored 20 Points of Armor and 40 of Force Field.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1817701/

3 Ranged Defense: 2d6+17

24, 19, 24

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1817702/

Used Passion on the Zebritch Sterne blast.

[Justin OOC]

The two outer parts of the blast do little to Gilgamesh. however the core of the blast cracks and peirces the armor over his left shoulder.

Insolent Children! I will teach you to mess with a God!'

The Gate of Babylon manifests behind him, and thousands of swords begin appearing. It's clear he means to end this with a single combo as Enkidu begins spinning up, shaking the ground and making the the sky seem to bleed red.

[Georgi]

Georgi saw that Gilgamesh was launching a massive attack. At whom, he didn't know. What he knew, was that he might be able to survive such a blast. He was not sure if his comrads could. He was their teacher. It was his responsibility to protect them. Right then, he knew what he had to do.

Raising his voice so that Gilgamesh could hear it, he taunted him. "You are a has-been god, Gilgamesh. You were so pathetic as a god, that everyone stopped worshiping you." Georgi laughed. "You are obsolete. All that is left for us to do, is take you out to the scrap heap of history."

Meahwhile, Georgi looked for an opportunity to plant a bullet squarely into his forehead before the attack hit. He also pictured a shield; supple like spiderwebs, yet hard as diamonds. With luck, he would be able to deflect much of the blast around himself. Then he would strike at the fallen god once more.

Attack 1: 14 {called shot to vital, accuracy}

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1819574/

Attack 2: holding action

Activating Guard for 80 ep

Defense 1 and 2:18, 13 {guard}

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1819575/

Attack 2: 14

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1819577/

HP: 155/155

EP: 10/140

[Justin OOC]

(OCC check your math Georgi your spell is only 50 ep.. you still have 10 left, otherwise you'd be unconscious.)

"Talk Trash while you can human. It would mean more if you actually hit me." The bullet whizzed by his ear as he smiled.

[SalmonMax]

"Let it be a god against a goddess then."

The shining energy Avatar with Lily at its heart takes advantage of the opening, darting in with a nasty thrust of its energy sword in an attempt to impale him through the abdomen. She left the energy blade buried there in his body as she whirled away, aiming a slash at his flank as she did. The Avatar then leapt into the air above Gilgamesh and another sword formed in her hands.

"Your sword has pierced my heart," the Avatar snarled. "Now mine will do the same for you! DIVINE RETRIBUTION!!"

She fell from the sky like a streak of lightning, plunging with her sword first. Instantly it was apparent that her first two blows were meant just to slow Gilgamesh down enough for this last finishing stroke. This second sword was bigger...and rather than transparent like the first, it blazed with a fierce inner light that spread around the descending Avatar like a halo, or the corona around a comet.

In the ball of light at the Avatar's heart, Lily's Seal abruptly lit with its own light, and moving flat squares of energy began to circle and twine around the Avatar as well. They wove and swerved and drew together to block and blunt the counterstrokes...which was good because Lily, so focused on attacking, did little to try to defend herself.

While the first thrust was aimed low...this final strike was aimed directly a Gilgamesh's heart. An attempt to drive this burning sword straight through it and into the ground!

The Avatar pulls out of her dive after making the strike and walks a few steps away, not looking back at Gilgamesh, even though two huge energy blades are still buried in him.

(OOC - 3 attacks with sword, with the first and third Detonate, and the third Passioned. Rolls are 22, 18, and 25. Defense rolls are 18, 19, 16. Using Seal to activate Guard spirit command. Damage is 415 per attack, except the 3rd attack, which is 830. The first and third attacks will Detonate if he doesn't defend them.)

Rolls: http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1819601/

[Justin OOC]

The first two swings miss, but the third hits hard spearing Gilgamesh in Place. " Blood is flowing from his mouth as he smiles. Impressive now, TASTE MY WRATH!!!!

Ultimate Enuma Elish!!!!!!!

Before the attack was single target, now as he aimed his attack into the gate, The gate turned blood red, then a storm of black and red energy needles spewed forth from the Gate striking everything in the area, except for Gilgamesh and Archer.

((OOC Lily and Georgi are both hit, the attack does 400 damage before guard. Saito and Valerie you need to roll your deffense checks. Successful defense here does not mean you take no damage, only that you take half as per area attack rules. If your defense roll is not higher than or equal to 24 then you are hit. This is a ranged attack.))

[Saito]

Calling all of the magically infused power into his thrusters, Saito slammed the throttle forward and manipulated the foot petals which causing the Meteor to initiate at vertical burn that would hopefully take the mecha out of harms way.

((Defence Roll: 27))

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1820892/

[Valerie]

Valerie rose the ´Drill´ infront of her crossing her arms and exuding all the defensive power she could muster. "Probability of Death is 75%, Imminent threat."

Defense Roll 24

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1820962/

[Georgi]

Gilgamesh's attack was brutal and wide ranging. Georgi had no chance of dodging or of drawing fire at him only. He hoped his friends survived the savage, otherworldly, needle-attack.

For Georgi, the needles shattered his leg and removed his left arm at the elbow. All that remained was a jagged flat of meat that hung loosely from the limb. Surprisingly, the blood was minimal, as Georgi's extraordinary healing abilities took over. Amost instantly, the arm looked to be regenerating, much in the same way a new grows back a limb. Lucky for Georgi, the shield deflected enough of the attack to keep him alive. (82 damage done)

He gave Gilgamesh a big smile, half taunting, and half out of surprise.

As the last shot left his pistol, it shattered into undifferentiated fragments. He would have to use his regular and sabot rounds along with his training as a soldier. This is how heroes are made. He scolded himself for being so presumptuous. They could still loose.

He pulled his rifle free once more and prepared to engage the enemy.

(OOC: I Will post attack in next post)

HP: 98/165 (Regeneration 5, absorption 2)

EP: 20/150

[Justin OOC]

Georgi's last and final shot connected... blasting armor from Gilgamesh's right shoulder. Gilgamesh laughed. "You're all still alive.." Fine, we do this the personal way." He touched th energy blade in his chest, a gift from Lily... and it exploded. There was literally nothing left of him, not even a fine mist. Above them all The grail itself appeared, and began to slowly come down to eye level.

Archer looked at it. He was still an unbeaten champion. He could fight for it. "I yield this battle to you." His Master's seal burned brightly even as he spoke, and kneeled down. He was defying everything, and there was a good chance he could kill them all, but it was over and he knew it.

"Claim the Grail, fulfill your end of the bargain you struck and go. The last Amaha died today, and that saddens me in a way more profound than you could know."

[SalmonMax]

Lily's Avatar stood where it had been after finishing the attack that had, in the end, destroyed Gilgamesh. The strange energy plates that had surrounded her pulled together to form another shield when his catastrophic final attack blazed...and between that and the glimmering blue field that enveloped the energy creature, it seemed to have taken no damage at all. The blast had struck her squarely, but parted around her; never touching the 'skin' of the Avatar.

Just after the sword exploded, she said in a voice thick with grief, "Scatter. Fall to pieces. This was for you, Kai." It wasn't doubled as it had been before.

The lines of the Avatar glowed more brightly...then broke up into glowing particles and blew outwards, quickly carried off on the wind. Still suspended where she'd been, several meters off the ground, Lily was closest to the Grail as it came down, and she stared at it with a mixture of loathing and wonder.

"All that suffering and death...for this."

She snatched the Grail up and shouted, "ARCHMAGE! We have your trinket! Do you hear me?! We have this thing that's so precious you were willing to pay any price as long as it wasn't YOUR price!"

Her voice quiets to a soft growl.

"Well we paid for it, so come and claim what's yours."

[Justin OOC]

Aurich Appears with a beatific smile on his face and takes the grail from Lily as if it were made of fragile glass. "You have done quite well, my champion." He looks over to the others and nods. "All of you have fought well." He nods. I have kept my end of this bargain. I have filled thirty canisters with the flower you sought, they await you with your comrade at the Hanafubuki Inn, under Shizuru's care. I can send you home whenever you are ready."

His gaze returns to the grail. This grail has the power to grant the wish of whomever can wield it. Baptised with the blood of two Scions of the Sacred Amaha it overflows with Magical power. Enough I think to make a second wish."

He looked to them all. "My wish I will tell as I make it, but for your sacrfice, for the debts paid by you, in time, and in your blood, I offer you the second of the wishes. If You could have anything at all before you now, what do you desire?"

[Saito]

Hovering in the air Saito watches as Gilgamesh is destroyed. Truly all of his friends had great power and they had only gotten stronger. Lily in particular had manifested a fantastic ability, Saito knew that her new power would come in very handy during the next series of battles.

Saito landed the Meteor in a kneeling position, opened the cockpit and placed Kai's body gently into the mecha's hand as both he Saito rode the hand back down to the ground. Saito stood on the hand with a solem look on his face.

[Valerie]

Valerie descended from her position in the sky like a hawk diving for prey, breaking her fall on the last couple seconds she landed softly next to Kai's body, kneeling right besides him Val took his hand between hers, it was still warm. She ignored everything going on around her as she looked at Kai's body.

"Will the flower bring him back Aurich?" Valerie asked in a soft voice carrying over the sound around them.

[Justin OOC]

Aurich looks at Kai and shakes his head. "He was slain by a magic attack, thus the flowers will not revive him."

He looks at them waiting to hear the wish they agree upon.

[Valerie]

"What do you mean it can't? It's a magical cure and it can't resurrect somebody killed by magic? What kind of logic is that?" Valerie had a pained look on her eyes.

"We came here to help somebody else heal, why does death follow us everywhere?" Valerie eyes finally start releasing all the tears she has been holding back. "Can we wish him back to life with his own blood? You said it might have enough power for a second wish."

[SalmonMax]

"Here's my wish," Lily says, landing beside Kai as well.

"I wish that everyone who lost their life fighting over this prize was alive again."

She looks at the others.

"That includes the ones we fought. This seems like such a...stupid way to die to me. Fighting like gladiators in some contest."

[Georgi]

Georgi gives Lily a virulently angry glare. Obviously she said something that set his anger off. Before she had to wonder, he broke in.

"I don't think those who tortured and raped Ibis deserve to get their lives back." He said as he spit some blood from his mouth onto the ground. "They will do it to someone else next time, and their mutilation will be on our consciences." Georgi put his hand on Lily's shoulder to reasure her. "Sometimes, it is necessary to keep the dead, dead."

[Justin OOC]

Aurich shakes his head. "No Valerie, the flowers are not magic, just have regenerative properties far beyond that of anything short of Divine Magic. Enkidu is a noble Phantasm, A holy magical weapon granted to an ancient warrior, one that can be passed along in a bloodline. Its ultimate attack, Enuma Elish, Is a force spike of sprial magical force that destroys all in its path normally. It did manaburn damage to Kai when it killed him. Because of this no regenerative herbs or means will revive him. The Grail is also a noble Phantasm, An object of extreme divnine power, that requires sacred blood to activate. Because two with Amaha blood in their veins died, two wishes may be granted. It is that simple."

Arich nods to Lily and Georgi. "A single life can be restored with the Grail easily, restoring all that have perished could rip a hole in this dimension, destroying everything just as surely as the Gigaslave and Ragnarok spells could do."

"If you were to wish them all back they'd return at full strength. In your weakened conditions, you'd not be a match for them."

There's a crackling sound a little ways away. Those who look see Ryoko move. Archer looks and dashes over to her. "Lily come quickly! Ryoko isn't dead!" There's alot of excitement in her voice. The Archmage looks intrigued and walks over to them casually. "And you two. This grail war is over, you have lost. What do desire to do now?"

[SalmonMax]

"Ryoko!" Lily cries out, and blurs over the blasted bare earth to her cousin's side.

"I thought we'd lost you," she says sorrowfully, yet her eyes shining with relief as she reaches down to carefully touch Ryoko's shoulder. "Thank you for resisting that seal."

She looks at the mage. "Then the wish...it can restore Kai?"

[Justin OOC]

"Yes, if that is the request you make of the Grail." Archer looks to Aurich. "Send us to our home dimensions. Not home, not through time, simply send us back to Prime."

"Easily done noble champion. Considering everything, I know you also resisted a seal to keep from intervening."

"Kai fought with more honor than anyone I knew. He fought Suzuka, defeating her and immediately drew his blade though already exhausted. Such a noble warrior deserves Vengeance for his murder, and a second chance to keep his contract."

[Justin OOC]

"Where is Suzuka?"

A sword appears just to the side of the Archmage and he smiles. "Damn."

The blade withdraws and she smiles. "I wish to see the young man raised. My Master has forsaken his claim upon me. I am between contracts. I figure a demonstration of skill could be useful."

Aurich smiles and then laughs. "Indeed Lady Suzuka of the Twilight. Was fighting against him everything you imagined?"

"He has much potential. In ten years I will not be able to lay a hand upon him, and his sword could kill me in a stroke."

[SalmonMax]

Lily looks at the others.

"Does anyone -not- want to use our wish to restore Kai?"

Her voice is strained...it seems clear she doesn't even want to ask that, but feels any dissent must at least be addressed before a mandate is claimed.

[Saito]

Saito stands on the Meteor's wrist slightly above Kai's motionless form and looks down at Lily.

"It is the code of many military outfits that no man should be left behind. It is the obvious choice to make. Besides we do not even know the limits of the Grail's power and anything that could be gained from this wish might leave us as we depart this world leaving us with no new benefits and no Morisato. I would prefer to go with the sure thing and leave this world as we entered....as a team".

[Justin OOC]

The others nodded assenting to the wish.

Aurich smiles. "SO be it."

He kneels down and takes the grail in one hand and Kai's head in the other. He deftly pours some of the liquid within into his mouth and chants "Blessed Grail of Holy Amaha, I invoke thy power. Make whole the body of this young man and restore him to life."

There's a flash of Light and Aurich stands as Kai's eyes open. "How...?"

Aurich smiles. "The bargain was kept Kai. Your allies have proven their strength, and emerged victorious. The blood of two Amaha was spilt, thus two wishes could be granted. One was used to revive you. The second is mine to make."

Kai nods. "Then we are free?"

"Yes, and as such I return your powers to you." Each of them felt as if bindings over their souls were broken, and each felt a little more whole now. He looks to Kai and hands him a stone. "This stone contains the spell power needed to send you all back, as after my wish I will no longer be able to do so. Now if you all would, stand back. What I do now might be horrifying to some, but it is nescessary."

Kai leads the others back a ways giving Aurich space, knowing the wish from a brief conversation held one night.

"Blessed Grail of the Holy Amaha, I invoke your almighty power, grant my fondest wish. This world was once filled with Magic, and we Archmages gathered it up selfishly, created the grail and fought 700 years over it. I wish for you to give back all the magic we have taken to this world, Let us begin anew in a magical Eden, Let the grail wars end for all time." The Grail itself shined with rainbow light and began to disintegrate before their eyes. A wave of light epanded from it and reached out to bathe the entire world. Aurich was bathed in octarine light and Emerged a young man of thirty, without the magic that had made him an archmage. All around the world the weather did exactly what was needed for a moment, ecosystems rebalanced and people stopped as the spark of magic returned to everything.

He looked to Suzuka as the light faded. "I am now no longer fit to be an Archmage, or your master, Lady Suzuka, but If you would still seek to contract with me, I have a nation to run, I need someone of skill to aid me I can think of no one better than you to aid me."

She nods once and stands at his side.

"We part ways here, but you are always welcome on Ikaris and in Ahara, my nation. Farewell my champions."

Kai looks to Saito. "Let's go back to the inn. Do you think we can ride the Meteor if you take it slow?"

((OOC feel free to post your reactions to everything, I just wanted to move the plot some. I will wrap up the Ikaris Arc Friday night when I get off from work and return you to Prime then.)))

[Valerie]

Valerie was besides herself, the tears coming from her eyes had not stopped but they had switched from tears of despair to tears of happiness. "KAI!"

Filled to the brim with joy Valerie rushed to Kai, jumping in mid air and colliding into his chest and putting her arms around him. "You are not allowed to die Kai Morisato!" Valerie hugged him Valerie is still crying, her tears staining the already halfway ruined Amaha, deattaching one of her arms from around him, Val started hitting him in the chest. "You hear me? You are not allowed to die." with those last words, Valerie jumped to her tip toes and locked her lips against Kai's, and for a second that was all that could be registered by Valerie about her surroundings, the happiness of Kai being back, her arms around him and the excitement of finally going back home, after what amounted to hours in Val's mind (but her internal clock told her had only been a couple of seconds) she breathed deeply and once again told him. "You truly are not allowed to die."

[Justin OOC]

Kai was stunned speechless. "Valerie was like a younger sibling to hom. He'd never even thought she might harbor deeper feelings. That image was shattered as she forcefully exposed her feelings for him, in a way that would have been romantic if not for the others present. He did kiss her back though.

When she finally broke away he smiles. "Once was enough trust me." The hair on his neck rises, as he can almost hear Lily fume.

This may be unpleasant. Hopefully she can forgive me.

[SalmonMax]

Lily was standing near Aurich, overjoyed at Kai's return, but also deeply and personally touched by the archmage's wish for himself, and for the world. It had been exactly and precisely what she would have asked him to do, and what she would have hoped that she herself would have done in that position.

She beams at the old...now young...man and turns to look at Kai.

...and her mouth immediately drops open in a horrified 'O' on seeing Valerie molesting him!

"VAL..ER..IEEEEEEE!!!"

The Dalaraan princess whickers out of sight, reappearing instantly next to Kai and Valerie. Face set in a furious scowl, she puts a hand on Kai's shoulder...and both of them vanish from sight.

---

They appear not far away, actually, though far enough that the ground isn't all blasted and torn up by the titanic battle. Close enough that if you knew -exactly- where to look, you might see a speck where they were from where they'd left.

Once there, Lily gives him stinging, though quite light, slap on the cheek and demands, "What's the big idea, letting her kiss you like that?!"

[Justin OOC]

Kai looks at Lily and shakes his head. "Well I did just come back from the dead Lily. I think of her as a sister, it never occured to me I was more to her. She completely and totally suprised me."

His voice is even even though she slapped him he's staying calm. He looks at her with a certain fondness. "I had hoped it would have been you to do that though."

With that admission he exposed his real feelings to her, to judge as she would."

[SalmonMax]

In a complete reversal, Lily falls into Kai's arms and hugs him tightly.

"I'm so glad you're back," she says into his shoulder, near tears. "I thought I'd lost you...I thought I'd lost everything. I'm so sorry I couldn't stop him...I couldn't save you in time..."