A Star Goes Out

Aeryn’s ears are ringing. A Dire General construct lays on the ground in front of them, passed out. Aeryn isn’t sure how long it’s been since the other Guardians had been drawn off by their own Generals. They don’t know where, and now there’s no time. High buildings surround them on all sides, so even if the others are looking for them, it’s unlikely they’ll be found. Across a burning and rubble-filled courtyard, Pyretic Finality has her arms outstretched. The chained double door that magically keeps the Dire locked away in its dimension, preventing it from fully emerging into Earth and finally winning this eternal battle, is in front of her. Even with its chains fully intact, the dark wood emits an unnerving aura, solitary and ominous and wrong. Aeryn can almost smell the oppression of it. The sickening physical sensation of being close to the Dire makes them want to retch, but there isn’t time for that, either. 
Something wet and warm hits Aeryn’s cheek, and they look up. It isn’t raining. The warmth comes away red on their fingers. Ah. Right. The construct had gotten them pretty good. Their magic, which usually keeps them looking pristine, or nearly so, throughout fights, isn’t keeping up. With a deep breath and a quick, silent supplication to the Great Star, Aeryn’s feet leave the ground and they fly toward Pyretic Finality and the door. One of the chains holding it closed falls, turning to ash before it hits the ground. A few swear words flash through their mind, but there’s still too much of Ethereal Brilliance’s training left in Aeryn to actually let any of them slip. 
The air feels more like molasses, the oppressive power of the Dire making it harder to move. To focus. To have any hope for the future. Even with everything Aeryn has been through, all the times they’ve fought the Dire, they feel despair creeping in. This is it. This time, they won’t make it. Their whole life will have been a waste. All the years separated from Randi and their family will be for nothing. 
Another chain falls, and another blast of Dire energy hits Aeryn. They see their failures. The times they messed up. They see their last fight in Aurora Bay, Ethereal Brilliance shining and then falling as she saved Aeryn’s life. How they hurt everyone by leaving in the first place. How Hal is gone and there’s no way they’ll miss Aeryn. How heartless they are, that they couldn’t return Sami’s feelings. How the team won’t even notice that they’re gone. How they’ve failed Tasha. How everything that happened to Randi was their fault, really. If they hadn’t vanished…
Something bumps their ankle, and Aeryn shakes their head. Altair is there beside them, knocking them back into the present. A tear slips out of their eye, but they’re focused again. They brandish their staff. Altair’s horns glow. They send out their strongest attack against Pyretic Finality. The General is blasted away. The final chain crumbles and falls. 
“No no no no no no no!” Aeryn screams. 
Another blast of Dire energy hits them, but they surge forward. The doors are open at least a foot, but they grab hold and try to force them shut again. 
It’s no use, Guardian, It’s never been any use. This has always been how you’ll fall. You know it, you’ve always known it in your heart. Death was always an option. You welcomed it. It would mean that you did a hero’s duty. Died a hero’s death. All real Guardians fall before me and my army. 
Aeryn shakes their head, gripping the doors tighter. The voice sounds almost soothing. 
The thing is, when Aeryn came back to Halcyon, they were prepared to die. The possibility of it had been with them for so long that they hadn’t even thought it strange at the time. It was part of why Ethereal Brilliance warned against connections. There was less at stake. Sure, friendships make you happier, but they’ll only hurt the people you care about when you die. And here they were, about to die. About to be taken from their family and friends again. Was this worse? To lose Aeryn a second time? Would it have been better if they’d followed Ethereal Brilliance’s teachings better and never reconnected? Aeryn doesn’t know. 
You’ll be remembered, during the short time the world has left. Mystic Radiance, a true Shining Guardian. A DEAD GUARDIAN, AS ALL GUARDIANS BEFORE.
No longer soothing, voice nearly blows Aeryn back. Their boots skid against the cobblestones, but they regain traction. 
What Aeryn does know is that if they are about to die, they are going to at least take a big chunk of this monstrosity with them. 
Aeryn feels more than sees Altair take his place beside them, putting his paws up on the door. His horns glow purple, radiating light and sparkles. Aeryn summons their magic. They step forward, pushing against the doors. The Dire’s anger is boiling the air around them. Their hands burn against the heat of the door, even through their gloves. Rainbow light erupts around Aeryn, as it had done lately when they’d done something especially powerful. And that gives them hope. The rainbow light starts to form into chains. Another step. The doors are nearly closed. New chains, made of their own sparkly rainbow magic, hover around the door, waiting for the doors to click. But they won’t go. It isn’t enough. This door took a complete team of Guardians working together to seal last time. A team who knew how to work together, not the ragtag three that the Guardians were now. And especially not one single Guardian who’s been having trouble controlling their powers.
And then Aeryn thinks of Ethereal Brilliance again, saving them in Aurora Bay. What she had sacrificed. The decision hurts more than Aeryn would ever be able to express, but they know what they have to do. As soon as the idea is there, they know it’s the right one, no matter how much it’s going to hurt. 
Altair is made of Aeryn’s magic. He is in sync with them, so they don’t need to explain. There isn’t time. Nor time to apologize. Altair looks up into Aeryn’s eyes, and they know he understands. This isn’t a normal fight, not normal stakes. Aeryn can’t think about it too hard, can’t think about the life they’re resigning themself to by going through with this. Altair nods up at them, gazing into Aeryn’s eyes. 
Aeryn screams, and puts every single last drop of their magic into this door, into making it close. It snaps shut, the chains lock, and the Dire’s screams of rage abruptly cut off. The door fades, and Aeryn drops to their knees, slicing them on the cobblestones. They’re just in shorts again. Just themself again. Their transformation is gone. Altair is gone. Everything that had made them, them, for the last eight years is gone. 
It’s an emptiness they could fall into and never reach the bottom.
=== That night ===
It took hours and hours to convince everyone they were okay and get them all to leave Aeryn alone. Buddy was especially persistent. Admittedly, they also wouldn’t believe anyone saying that after finding them magic-less and near catatonic in the middle of a destroyed courtyard. On the one hand, they loved their friends and family. On the other hand, they really just wanted to cry in peace. This wasn’t something any of them could really understand. They would try, because they loved Aeryn, but that’s not what they needed right now.
Altair. 
Their awful, angry bunny. Gone. Aeryn had known if they ever lost their powers, they’d lose Altair. Losing two such important things at once was more than they could bear. No more being a Shining Guardian. No more Big Team. No more magic. No more of the little stuff, like pranking Randi with sparkle bombs. No more of the thing they’d dedicated the last eight years of their life to. But they were finally alone, finally feeling something beyond a gripping numbness, and they could finally just sob. So they did. They cried until they fell into a restless, exhausted sleep. 
When they woke up, their eyes were so puffy that they could barely see. They thought…no, it must have been a dream. But then it happened again. A little head bumping into their back. Aeryn rolled over so fast that if the creature behind them hadn’t been quick, they would have crushed him. There, glowing slightly in the darkness of their bedroom, was Altair. He chittered at Aeryn angrily, butting his head against them again in a clear admonishment. It hurt to cry again, but they didn’t mind. Aeryn scooped Altair into their arms, where he huffed, but nuzzled into their neck. If Altair was back, would their magic come back as well? Or at least Aeryn thought it would. Wanted it to. Raising their hand, they couldn’t summon so much as a spark. But…maybe in time? When sleep came again, everything didn't seem so hopeless. 
Category:Mystic Radiance
Category:Scenes