Sword of the Stars Part 25
Day of Destiny
Duo groaned and forced his eyes open, finding himself staring at the dirt. He was lying on cold, barren ground on his stomach. Where were they now? He pushed himself to his knees and brushed himself off. He looked around him for the others. They were lying on the ground as well. Yohan and Quatre stirred and began to rise. Duo reached over and shook Wufei's shoulder. With a moan, he opened his eyes and started to rise.
"Where are we?" he mumbled.
Duo didn't answer. He looked up ahead of them, and gasped. They were lying in front of a great, dark castle, made entirely of powerful gray stone. Turrets rose from the top of the castle, and ornaments of dragons and gargoyles adorned the roofs. Duo shivered, and the cool breeze of the wind had nothing to do with it.
"We are here," Quatre said in a tiny voice. "The Netherworld."
"Is it really?" Wufei asked fearfully. "I expected something... larger."
Yohan gestured around them. It was then that Duo realized exactly where the castle was located: at the top of a mountain. Below them was a vast, dark world that went on for miles.
"It is large," the mage said. "Large enough to have forces to easily conquer us."
Duo swallowed and stood up, staring at the immense structure before them. "Heero... he's in there, isn't he?"
Yohan nodded. "I can think of no other place grand enough to house the Dark Lord."
"Where is everyone?" Quatre asked. "The Netherworlders, I mean. Shouldn't there be swarms of them here to fight us?"
"Perhaps..." Wufei said. "Perhaps the Dark Lord wishes that honor to be his alone."
Duo stared at the great doors to the castle. His friend was in there, waiting to kill him and conquer both worlds, and then others. Unless Duo killed him first.
With a deep breath, Duo started walking toward the castle. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Quatre, Wufei, and Yohan fall in beside him. Together, they climbed the stairs to the doors. When they were in front of the heavy doors, they realized there were no handles. Duo frowned.
"How are we supposed to--?"
He was cut off as the doors creaked and groaned, moving slowly open. Mist gathered around their feet. Duo's heart quickened. When the doors were open, Quatre put a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you really ready for this, Duo?"
He shook his hand away. "I have to be." He forced himself to step into the castle. The others followed him.
When they were all inside the castle, the doors swung shut behind them. Torches on the walls and candles on stands and tables lighted, Wufei bringing light to the dark and musty castle. When they could see, two of the strange lizard men ran toward them.
"Glory to the Dark Lord!" they shouted, raising their blades.
Duo heard Yohan sigh. The mage thrust two fireballs at the advancing creatures, searing them to a crisp. Yohan straightened his robes and chuckled wryly.
"The Dark Lord will need to have better sentries than that if he wishes to stop us."
MY, MY, AREN'T WE CONFIDENT?
The booming voice of the Dark Lord filled the room, causing everyone to jump. Duo unsheathed the Star Sword.
"Heero!" he cried without realizing it. "Where are you?"
YOU IMPRESS ME, DUO. YOU'VE MADE IT THIS FAR WITHOUT MUCH DIFFICULTY BUT YOUR LUCK HAS RUN OUT. THE WORLDS WILL BE MINE. YOU CAN'T STOP ME.
"I can and I will!" Duo shouted. "Show yourself, my friend, so we can put an end to this!"
I'M AFRAID I CANNOT DO THAT, *MY FRIEND*. I AM OCCUPIED WITH MORE IMPORTANT MATTERS. YOU ARE WELCOME TO COME TO ME IF YOU WISH. I SHOULD BE FINISHED BY THE TIME YOU ARRIVE. WE SHALL SEE WHICH OF US IS STRONGER THEN. COME, DUO. I'M WAITING FOR YOU.
As the Dark Lord's voice faded, a flash of silver light filled the air. Duo covered his eyes. When the light diminished, he looked around, and gasped. The others were gone.
"Yohan!" he shouted. "Quatre! Wufei! Where are you?!" There was no answer. "Answer me! Where are you?!" Nothing. The only reply was the crackling of flames on the torches and candles. "What happened to them?" he asked himself. The Sword pulled at him, tugging him onward. With no other option, he reluctantly started forward, making his way to the Dark Lord, using the Star Sword as a guide.
~*~
Quatre opened his eyes and remained still, wondering where he was. Wufei was lying next to him. The Cleric' eyes opened and stared at him.
"Where are we?" the Healer mouthed.
"I don't know," Quatre mouthed back. He turned his head slightly, moving his eyes to see if anyone was near them. They were alone. Quatre bounded to his feet, and Wufei followed his lead.
"Duo?" Quatre called, searching around. "Yohan?" There was no one there. They weren't in the foyer of the castle anymore. They were in a hallway, lined with torches and carpeted. A staircase led up to the next floor.
"Where are Duo and Yohan?" Wufei asked, looking around.
"I don't know," Quatre replied. "Where are *we*?"
The Cleric folded his arms. "Did the Dark Lord do this to separate us?"
Quatre frowned. That was a possibility. "If he did, then Duo and Yohan must be trying to reach the Dark Lord. We should do the same."
"Are you sure?" Wufei asked. Quatre nodded. "Where is the Dark Lord, then?"
"Where else?" Quatre asked. "The top of the castle. Let's go."
As the boys walked, Quatre noticed that the halls of the castle were too quiet for his liking. The only noises were the flaming torches and the sound their boots made on the carpet. They went down many halls and climbed several flights of stairs, all without one encounter.
"I don't like this," Wufei said. "No one would let intruders walk all over the place unless they were prepared."
"I agree," Quatre said. "Something must be wrong." They climbed another flight of stairs and came to a long hallway. Quatre gasped when he saw what awaited them.
Ahead of them was a large door guarded by a lizard man. Quatre narrowed his eyes. "I'll handle this, Wufei." Taking his staff from his back, Quatre ran down the hall toward the lizard. The lizard raised its blade and urged him forward.
"Come, human vermin!" it hissed. "I will show you the meaning of pain and bring glory to the Dark Lord!"
It slashed with its sword, and Quatre parried the blow with his staff. Twirling his staff wildly, Quatre knocked the sword away and struck the lizard's shoulder, chest, knee, chin, and throat in rapid succession. The lizard gagged and fell forward onto its stomach. Blood oozed from its mouth.
Wufei appeared at Quatre's side. "Well done. You did that fast."
Quatre smiled and gestured to the door. "Let's see what's waiting for us behind here, shall we?"
Wufei nodded. Quatre reached for the handle and turned, opening the door and letting them in. When they were through the door, Quatre froze at the sight of who awaited them.
General Talpa sat in a high-backed chair in the middle of the room, one leg crossed over the other. He was staring straight at them, his ugly skull mask looking right through her.
"Talpa," he breathed.
"Hello, Prince Quatre, Cleric Wufei." The General stood and bowed to them. "I am honored to be the one who will kill you."
Quatre glared. "Don't be so sure of yourself," he growled. He would have to fight him, he realized. Behind his chair on the other side of the room was another door. If he wanted to go on, he would have to go through him.
Talpa unsheathed his black blade. "I am confident because I know I will win. I will help the Dark Lord achieve his goal and rule at his side! I will not allow you to ruin our chance to rule the cosmos!"
He laughed wickedly and strode toward him. Without fear, Quatre twirled his staff and met his sword. Talpa advanced on him, but he stood his ground, parrying every blow the General sent him. He had to use all the speed he possessed to avoid being sliced apart by his blade.
They circled the room, slicing, thrusting, and parrying. Quatre kept his eyes locked on the General, allowing nothing to disrupt his concentration. He gathered his strength and sent a barrage of quick attacks upon the General, but he parried them all. He panted heavily from the power the fight was demanding of him.
"You fight well for a child," Talpa said. He wasn't even out of breath. "But the time for playing has passed."
With one hand, Talpa swung his blade over his head and brought it down upon him. Quatre gasped and held his staff length-wise above his head just in time to block the blade from reaching him. As Talpa's sword came in contact with his staff, a sharp, agonizing pain filled his stomach. He screamed and faltered, falling back several paces. He brought a hand to his bleeding abdomen, staggering backwards across the room. He glared defiantly at the General. He was holding a knife in his other hand, covered with his blood. Talpa smiled at him viciously.
With a start he realized he had fallen to his knees. The pain from the knife-wound was too much. His shirt was soaked with blood, and his hand was covered in it. The world was spinning, and he felt weak. He saw Talpa striding toward him, ready to finish him off.
"Quatre, get up!" he heard Wufei scream. "Get up!"
He remained on the ground, his dizziness and weakness fading to give way to anger. He couldn't be beaten here, not while he still had to help Duo. He couldn't let Talpa win after he'd used such a dirty trick to wound him. Adrenaline rushed through him, giving him the strength he needed.
When Talpa was over him, he screamed in rage and swung his staff up, striking the general between the legs. As Talpa doubled-over, Quatre struck his neck, shoulder, knee, and back of the head. Talpa fell to his knees and shook his head. As Talpa turned his head to look at Quatre, he twirled his staff and thrust it into his face. He heard a sickening thud and cracking sound when his staff made contact with the General's skull mask. Before he could do anything else, the General roared in anger and reached for Quatre. He seized Quatre's arm and his pant-leg and threw him away. He didn't have time to scream before he hit the wall and slid to the floor. It was then that he realized what he'd done. Talpa's hands were pressed against his face, with mist seeping through the fingers. Scattered on the floor were the pieces of his skull mask.
Quatre gaped and stared at Wufei. The Cleric shrugged. With curiosity, Quatre pushed himself to his feet and crept over to the General. When he was standing over him, he shrieked and leapt at Quatre, shoving him to the ground. Talpa's hands went for his throat, and he stared up at the General in horror. His own face was a skull, with several pieces of dead skin hanging off of it. His face was ghastly white, and his eyes had long-ago sunk into his head. His head was covered in thin, white hair, long hairs hung out of his nose, and his jaw was slack. He was undead.
He was suddenly aware of Talpa's hands around his neck. He gasped for air. "Wufei!" he croaked. "Wufei, look at him! He's a *skeleton*!"
He heard his friend gasp in surprise. As Talpa tightened his grip around his neck, he heard Wufei's footsteps coming closer.
"Stop!" Talpa stopped at the command of Wufei's voice. "Sleep, lost one. The heavens will welcome you. Go to them and sleep."
There was a moment of silence. Then, Talpa laughed. "I don't intend on 'sleeping' anytime soon, little boy. The Dark Lord kept me alive after my death in one of the battles centuries ago. I chose to remain this way to strike fear into the hearts of people I fight." He released Quatre and stood. "The Dark Lord will rule the cosmos, and I will be there to enjoy what I've fought for."
Wufei glared and stood his ground. "Sleep, lost one, or you will be put to sleep."
"Bold words, young man, but I am not afraid of you." He started striding toward him.
The white crystal around Wufei's neck began to glow. He raised his arms in front of him. A wave of blue light spread through the room. Talpa froze.
"What are you--?" he began, but then he glared. "No! No, I will not go!" He glared at Wufei. "You will never take me, Cleric, I am no lost one!"
"Since you choose not to sleep, lost one," Wufei said solemnly, "you must be put to sleep." He thrust his arms out, sending a beam of blue light toward Talpa. When it struck him, he screamed.
"No!" he shouted as he began to vanish. "No! I am not a lost one! I am not!" His cries continued as the blue light filled him. Soon, he was silent. The blue light vanished, and Talpa collapsed into a pile of bones and armor. His black blade sticking in the center.
Quatre swallowed. "Is he...gone?"
Wufei nodded. "He's gone to sleep," he said with a grin. He knelt down next to Quatre and healed his wound.
"Thank you," Quatre said. He stood and picked up his staff. "We should go onward. There is still much to do..."
"Agreed." With one last glance at the pile of bones, Quatre and Wufei left the room and continued onward through the castle.
~*~
Yohan lifted his robes as he stepped over the body of a wart-hog, impaled with a large icicle, as the creature's blood oozed onto the floor. Where was he now? How many floors had he gone up? He'd faced many sentries and other servants of darkness since he'd woken up and found the others gone, and he was growing weary of them.
"I don't have time to play around with these cretins," he said to himself in frustration. "I have to find Duo." The boy was more than likely headed for the Dark Lord's chambers while being driven by the Star Sword. Yohan wanted to be there when Duo and Heero faced one another.
He crept up the steps one at a time, searching the area for any more enemies. There were none. He was at the end of a long hallway. At the other end was a lone door. Yohan frowned and reached out with his mage senses.
He could sense danger on the other side of the door. /Danger or no, that door is the only way up./ With a determined look set on his face, he strode down the hall, opened the door, and entered.
The first thing he noticed when he walked into the room was that it was dark. The door slammed shut behind him. As he quickly created an invisible magical barrier around himself, a ray of silver light shone on the center of the room. Yohan stood ready.
Illuminated by the silver light was Sorceress Ling, standing with her arms folded underneath her breasts. She was dressed in a black wizard's robe, which complemented her slim form.
"Greetings, Stardragon Mage," she said in what almost seemed like a warm voice.
Yohan glared at her. "Sorceress Ling," he spat.
"I trust your visit to the Netherworld has been amusing," she said with a smile. "It is a shame it must end so soon."
"Such confidence," Yohan mused. "Do you truly think you can defeat a Stardragon Mage?"
"I don't think, I know." Ling laughed. "I have the power of the Dark Lord on my side, Yohan. I cannot be defeated."
"You also have a bad habit of expending your magical energies without letting them completely recharge," Yohan countered. "In fact, you've been doing that quite often lately. Your powers must be weak now."
Ling's calm face broke into a glare. "You *dare* to mock me? Let us see how powerful you are, Yohan!"
"I will not allow you and your Lord to take the cosmos, Ling."
"And *I* will not allow you to ruin my Lord's dream! I will rule the cosmos beside the Dark Lord, after I get rid of you! Prepare yourself, Stardragon Mage!"
Without warning, Ling sent a barrage of red and black bolts of lightning hurtling toward him. His shield deflected them all easily. In return, he spread his arms wide apart and sent a swarm of icicles flying toward her. Her shield came up instantly and blocked them. They shattered and sent pieces of ice scattering across the room. Next, Ling tried fire. A stream of flame burned against his shield, coming close to breaking it. As a counter, he raised a hand and sent a thick bolt of lightning raining down on her. But it wasn't enough. Her shield still stood strong.
Yohan sent a wall of fire sweeping toward her, but it was countered by a wave of water she created and sent his way. As the water swept uselessly over his shield, he sent a dozen bolts of lightning her way. She countered by raising a wall of earth, and sent a gust of strong air. He countered that spell with an air spell of his own. He sent a bolt of lightning wrapped in air toward her. It sliced through her gust of air and struck her shield. When he saw her stagger, he knew her shield was broken.
Without mercy, he threw fireballs, lightning bolts, and razor-sharp discs of air flying toward her. She deflected them with her magic, but sweat beaded on her forehead. He'd been right. Ling was not as strong as she usually was.
After enduring several of Yohan's attacks, she screamed in outrage and thrust her arms in front of her, sending a bar of pure red magic his way. He gasped as it came toward him. The bar of magic smashed against his shield, battering it down almost immediately. Yohan staggered and gasped again.
Ling heaved, glaring at him with hatred. "You will not win, Yohan."
"The victor has not yet been determined, Ling."
"Yes, it has." The Sorceress raised her arms to the sky and closed her eyes, shouting out words of an arcane language. Yohan backed up uncertainly. A red aura enveloped her, and golden sparks began to crackle around her.
"I will be a ruler of the cosmos!" she shouted, bringing her arms in front of her face. "You will not stop me!" As she thrust her arms into the sky again, Yohan brought up a magical shield and held it there with all the strength he possessed. Out of the darkness came a pillar of silver light accompanied by black lightning. It landed directly on him. He fought with all his strength to keep his shield up as the magic threatened to close in.
It was several minutes later when the pillar vanished. Yohan opened his eyes. Ling sagged in exhaustion. Yohan smiled in satisfaction. Whatever evil magic she had cast, it had taken up the rest of her energy. Her magical powers were exhausted: she was powerless.
Wasting no time, Yohan raised his hands and called upon the full power of his magic. From out of the darkness came a white bolt of lightning, striking her in the head and going right through her body. She screamed in agony as the lightning shocked her violently.
When he halted his spell, Ling toppled forward on her face. Yohan, his powers completely exhausted, staggered over to her and looked down. She rolled over on her back and stared up at him.
"Forgive me, my Lord..." she whispered, near tears. "I...I have failed you" ...
Her eyes glazed over. Within seconds, she began to age. The young-looking, beautiful woman was no more. Her skin wrinkled, her hair turned white as snow, and she thinned. Soon, she simply shriveled into nothing and vanished in a puff of smoke.
Yohan swallowed. The darkness faded away and revealed where he was: a small room. There was a door in front of him, waiting to be opened.
He made his way to the door, pausing once to turn and look at the burnt dress lying on the ground where Ling had been. The Sorceress, the Dark Lord's most valuable servant, was dead.
"And soon," he said to himself, "her master will be, too." He opened the door and continued on his way through the castle, shutting it behind him.
~*~
Duo pulled his glowing Sword from the skull of one of the lizard men and kicked it away. The body tumbled backwards down the stairs. Impatiently, he continued his climb. How long had he been here? Were the others all right? Another sentry interrupted his thoughts. He easily slashed the glowing Star Sword and severed its head from its body. Using the Sword was vastly becoming easier as he fought. He'd killed dozens of Netherworlders in the castle, and each one became easier to dispatch.
He went onward, running through the halls and fighting guards, without stopping for anything. Relief washed over him when he came to a straight, wide staircase leading up. This looked like the last one. Finally, after an hour or so of fighting and running around, he was where he needed to be.
To his surprise, there were no more guards. Slowly, he walked up the stairs and soon came to a pair of large doors. He reached for one of the handles, and pulled. The door opened enough for him to fit. The Star Sword pulled at him. The Dark Lord was very near. Duo took a deep breath, and went through the door.
~*~
"Quatre, stop! I can't run anymore!"
Quatre halted at Wufei's plea. The Cleric caught up and panted heavily. "Where are we now?" he asked as he tried to catch his breath.
"Who knows?" Quatre moaned. "We could end up wandering around this castle forever and not get anywhere!"
Wufei buried his face in his hands. "This is hopeless! How are we supposed to find the others if we don't even know where *we* are?"
Quatre frowned, getting frustrated. He grabbed Wufei's arm. "Let's go! We can't give up!" When they turned the corner, they gasped at the sight. At least thirty Netherworlders lay on the ground. Some were in pieces, some were whole. Some were the wart-hogs, some were lizard men, and some were creatures he'd never seen before. All of them were dead. As they stared dumbfounded at the corpses, a familiar face turned the other corner. Quatre jumped.
"Yohan!"
The mage clutched his chest. "Quatre! Wufei!"
"Where is Duo?" Wufei asked.
Yohan frowned. "I was hoping you could tell me."
Quatre shook his head. "He's not with us." He paused. "Do you think...he did this?"
Yohan considered the scene. "I believe so. He is on his way to the Dark Lord."
"Then let's go!" Quatre cried. "We can't let him go alone!" He started running onward, with Wufei and Yohan behind him.
~*~
The door shut tight behind him, but Duo didn't notice. He kept his eyes ahead. A stone staircase lay before him, leading up. The walls were lined with torches to light the way. The Star Sword tugged at him. The Dark Lord was very near. The hall was silent, save for the fire burning. So quiet, that Duo could hear his heart beating. He took a moment to build his courage. Was he really ready for this? Could he kill Heero? He liked to believe he could, but when he really thought about, he found it wasn't that easy. He and Heero were closer than friends ever could have been, and now they were enemies.
The Star Sword pulled again. Duo held the blade tightly. "I have no choice...It's for the good of the world...Heero, please forgive me..." With a heavy heart, he climbed the stairs, one agonizing step at a time.
~*~
Quatre, Wufei, and Yohan followed the trail of dead Netherworlders through the castle. Quatre silently thanked Duo for leaving such an obvious trail. It wasn't long before they reached a large room with a single, wide staircase. At the top of the stairs were two, large doors. The trail of corpses ended.
Wufei gazed up at the doors. "I have a strange feeling I know where those lead."
Yohan gasped and ran forward, bounding up the stairs and pressing his hands against the doors. "No! Duo, no! Can you hear me? Come back! Come back!"
Quatre and Wufei exchanged confused glances and joined the mage. "What is it?" Quatre demanded.
Yohan hit the doors hard with his fists. "The Dark Lord is beyond here. He went alone."
Quatre reached for the door handle. "Then we go after him! He needs us!" He tugged on the handle, but nothing happened. He turned to Yohan. "Get us in there. Duo needs our help."
Yohan shrugged helplessly. "I cannot...my powers are exhausted. I am powerless."
Quatre's heart sank. Duo was about to fight the Dark Lord by himself. "Oh, no... This can't happen! We've come so far! General Talpa is dead!"
"So is Sorceress Ling," Yohan added.
"All that's left is the Dark Lord! Duo needs us! We have to get in there!"
"Quatre?" Wufei asked. He and Yohan turned to the Cleric. "Perhaps this is best."
"What?!" Quatre exclaimed.
"This was how it was meant to be. The Warrior against the Dark Lord. They have to fight by themselves. No one can help them. This is a victory Duo must achieve on his own." Wufei clutched the white crystal around his neck. "All we can do is stay here and pray."
Staring at the doors, Quatre realized the Cleric was right. Yohan's magic was useless, Wufei's powers were ineffective against the Dark Lord, and he himself was no match for the Lord of the Netherworld. This fight was up to Duo and Duo alone.
He clutched his staff and held it to his chest. "All we can do is hope that he survives"
Yohan shook his head sadly and sat down on the ground. "The fate of our world is in the hands of the Warrior now," he said. "Duo, my boy...don't fail us...please..."
"I'm praying for you," Wufei said quietly. "Please come back alive."
Quatre and Wufei joined Yohan on the ground and waited in silence.
~*~
Duo walked higher and higher, coming to the end of the staircase. Another large door stood waiting for him. As he neared it, it opened, admitting him to a large room. The door shut behind him as soon as he was inside. The large chamber was mostly empty, with the exception of candles and torches to light it. At the other end of the chamber was a black throne.
Duo clenched the Star Sword tightly in his fist and stepped forward. The room seemed empty.
"Heero!" he shouted. "I know you're here! Show yourself!"
A few moments passed. Then, a silver silhouette appeared on the throne, sitting comfortably as though he'd been there all his life.
Duo stared at Heero, dressed in the black and silver clothes of the Dark Lord. His friend smiled at him. DUO, he said in greeting.
Duo lowered his Sword. "Heero..."
I'M IMPRESSED YOU MADE IT THIS FAR. Heero shrugged. BUT I SUPPOSE I SHOULD HAVE EXPECTED THAT. AFTER ALL, ALL OF MY MINIONS ARE A LITTLE OCCUPIED AT THE MOMENT.
Duo felt his suspicion rise. "What do you mean?"
Heero smiled and stood up. Duo tensed as the Dark Lord walked several paces toward him, stopping in the center of the room. YOU DIDN'T FIND MY NETHERWORLD UNUSUALLY EMPTY? Heero shook his head and waved a hand. A swirl of black mist began to circle around in the air. Within the mist materialized images of black shapes battling soldiers. Duo gasped at the sight. The soldiers looked to be Zendran and Triantian, while he recognized several of the dark shapes to be wart-hogs or lizard men, and other strange creatures. Heero laughed wickedly at Duo's reaction. SURPRISED?
Duo took a step forward. "You opened the seal already?! How?! How come we didn't notice?!"
Heero laughed a little louder. YOU ARE A FOOL, DUO. WHY DO YOU THINK I LET YOU COME ALL THE WAY INTO MY WORLD WITHOUT MUCH CHALLENGE? WHY DID I MAKE IT SO EASY? WHY DID I OPEN THE PORTAL?
Duo swallowed and shook his head in denial. "No..."
YES. *YOU* BROKE THE SEAL, DUO.
"No!" he cried urgently. "No, I didn't!"
DENYING IT WON'T HELP, DUO. IT WAS BECAUSE OF YOU THAT I WAS ABLE TO BREAK THE SEAL SO SOON. I WOULD HAVE HAD TO WAIT ANOTHER FEW DAYS TO WEAKEN THE STARDRAGON MAGES' SEAL BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO BREAK IT, BUT YOUR APPEARANCE PROVED USEFUL TO ME.
YOU SEE, YOUR STAR SWORD WAS MADE WITH THE ENERGIES OF THE STARDRAGON MAGES, AND THE SWORD WAS USED TO CREATE THE SEAL IN THE FIRST PLACE. BY USING YOUR SWORD'S POWER TO MY ADVANTAGE AS IT GUIDED YOU THROUGH THE ENTRANCE TO MY DOMAIN, I WAS ABLE TO WEAKEN THE SEAL AND SHATTER IT MYSELF. AS YOU FACED MY MINIONS IN THE ILLUSIONARY WORLDS I CREATED FOR YOU, THE REST OF MY NETHERWORLDERS, IN THE MEANTIME, MADE THEIR WAY TO YOUR WORLD.
Duo pressed a hand to his forehead. He knew it had all been too easy. This had been a trap. And he'd fallen for it. Now, because of him, Netherworlders were sweeping the world and doing away with any human they saw.
SO YOU SEE, DUO, I MUST THANK YOU. BECAUSE OF YOU, I CAN PROCEED WITH MY PLAN. SOON, THE COSMOS WILL BE MINE.
Duo sank to his knees. This couldn't be happening. After all he'd been through, all he'd done, it was going to end like this? His closest friend conquering the cosmos and killing anything that stood in his way? /No,/ he thought. /No. It will not end like this. That is not my friend. He is the Dark Lord. I am the Warrior, pledged to fight the Dark Lord to the death. My purpose is to defeat the Dark Lord, no matter who he may be!/
OF COURSE, the Dark Lord continued in a wry tone, YOU REALIZE YOU'VE OUTLIVED YOUR USEFULNESS. AND ONCE YOU SERVE YOUR PURPOSE, YOU ARE NO LONGER NEEDED.
Duo lifted his head in time to see Heero open his hands and send black wind toward him. Duo cried out as the black wind engulfed him.
TBC...
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