[center][h1][b]Confrontation[/b][/h1]Feat. [@Aristo] & [@Crispy Octopus] & [@Vec][/center][hr][hr]In the vast void that exists between Spheres, disturbances are rare and few in between. However rare though it may be, the occasional energy current resulting from the essence diffused from the Spheres' mingling and merging with one another or the divine traces of a god's journey through space, are still nothing compared to the sheer magnitude of disruption that Melantha's action brought upon the upper layers of the universe. Travelling as she was through space, passing by, and in some cases through, other Spheres, with no consideration of potential consequences for her actions meant that the current situation was indeed very dangerous, potentially even catastrophic. Nevertheless, Melantha was not in the right state of mind to think about said consequences. Acting based mainly on instinct and anger towards Asceal and her actions, Melantha's clouded mind could think of only two things that would alleviate her distressed psyche: Destroy the source of light, or if that is not achievable, at least make Asceal pay dearly for her transgression. The distance from her Sphere to Asceal's was quite large and considering Melantha's delayed response - due to her being busy with the creation of Norsvold and the definitive binding of the Sphere to herself - made for a quite a long journey for the dark goddess. However, with her godly sight in play, Melantha did not once lose sight of her target, one could find it hard to do so anyway for the light coming from it seemed to be able to pierce everything in its path. With the distance slowly shortening, Melantha could feel the strength of the light beam increase exponentially. She could not imagine how Asceal could create such a thing so soon after being summoned by the Architect. With her destination now very close, the contrast between the sizes of the conically shaped rock and the goddess that was riding it made for a very impressive image indeed.[hr]Aelius narrowed his eyes as the chariot sped through the cosmos. He was still getting used to his godhood and hadn't entertained the possibility of conflict with his fellows so soon. But when he peered through his mind's eye at a wrathful Melantha and the rocky missile speeding for Heliopolis, some primal instinct told him to fight. He risked a glance at Asceal beside him. Her eyelids were heavy, shoulders slumped. The counstruction of the Lustrous Gardens - without his help - had taken a toll on her. Stopping Melantha would be Aelius's prerogative. In the distance, Heliopolis came into view, as did a dark object, hurtling towards the sphere. Aelius gasped as his chariot sped closer. His mind-link with Heliopolis had shown him Mel's approach, but only now, seeing with his own eyes, did he realise the size of the mountaintop she rode. The damage would be considerable. Worse still, what would happen if it collided with the Furnace? He'd taken measures to contain its power and focus its light in a singular beam on Galbar, but if Melantha broke through the dome... The god of virtue swore and snapped the reins hard. [color=F0E68C][b]"Melantha!"[/b][/color] Aelius's voice boomed across space. [color=F0E68C][b]"Turn back!"[/b][/color] [color=DAA520][b]"Huh?"[/b][/color] Melantha's eyes widened as her ears picked up on the unfamiliar voice calling out to her. Turning her head around, her eyes scanned the distance until she pinpointed a tiny speck of light that was slowly gaining in size. Only after zooming in on the light did she realize that it was actually a glittering chariot speeding towards her. The light from Asceal's Sphere was reflecting off the surface of the chariot combined with the sheer distances involved gave the illusion of shooting star whizzing across the night sky. [color=DAA520][i]"Is that... Aelius?"[/i][/color] Melantha frowned when she realised that the one driving the chariot was actually not Asceal. Gears turned in her head and she quickly put two and two together; Asceal and Aelius had actually collaborated on the creation of the light beam. [color=DAA520][i]"Not entirely unexpected, however..."[/i][/color] Considering what information she had of the two deities, Asceal and Aelius shared many similar traits, and thus an alliance between the two wasn't outside the scope of what was possible. However, Melantha had long resolved herself to finish with what she had started. One more god joining the fray not only not scare her away, but actually fueled her rage even more. Nevertheless, she swallowed her anger and closed her eyes, and at once her divine sense was sent out towards Aelius. [color=DAA520][b][i]"Turn back? Did you really just tell me to turn back? And why would I do that now? You did not think about the consequences before you made your little toy here that sniffed out half of all the darkness in the universe. Did you really think there would be no retaliation?"[/i][/b][/color] Melantha sent telepathically, the link between the two gods projecting both her thoughts as well as her emotions, her boiling rage threatening to overwhelm the opposing deity. Darkness was Melantha's prerogative, and Aelius realised his and Asceal's efforts must have seemed offensive. But he was all too aware of the good that would come from them that the goddess did not account for. [color=F0E68C][b]"Don't be naive,"[/b][/color] Aelius replied. [color=F0E68C][b]"Do you think all those souls are content to wander Galbar in darkness for the rest of their existences? Could life exist without light and warmth to nourish it?"[/b][/color] The chariot was close now, and Aelius could see Melantha's face brimming with anger. [color=F0E68C][b]"You can't be so selfish. The Architect entrusted all of us to give [i]something[/i] to Galbar, and you choose to destroy our contribution because you find it offensive? I implore you to reconsider, Melantha."[/b][/color] Reconsider... Melantha could see the chariot approaching and could now distinguish the faces of the riders. Yes, there were two riding on the chariot. Aelius' facial expression and words surfaced in her mind once more and for a moment the dark goddess hesitated. [color=DAA520][b]"The Architect..."[/b][/color] An image of the arch-deity came appeared in front of Melantha, His eye full of scorn and judgement staring right through her soul. Melantha brought a hand to her face, the other one clutching her chest as if she was experiencing pain. The mountainous asteroid's acceleration slowed down during this time. Evidently, the mentioning of the Architect had struck Melantha's chords. With a grunt, the goddess of darkness brought her hands down, striking and digging into the mountain peak. Instantly the asteroid pulsed, and the purple and black halo around it brightened even more. Melantha's rage was like a fire stoked up by Aelius' words, and she no longer cared about what the god of virtue said or did. She homed in at Asceal's Sphere, and the asteroid picked up speed once more. The journey hadn't been nearly long enough for Asceal to recuperate, and exhaustion had kept her silent, but upon seeing Aelius's words only aggravate Melantha she straightened. So Melantha wouldn't listen to reason then? Disappointing, but not surprising. Asceal trusted in the Architect, believed in his power and wisdom, but she could not even [i]fathom[/i] why he had permitted such a callous and destructive creature into his domain. As Melantha sped towards Heliopolis Asceal's form grew brighter and brighter, until she and Aelius were lost in the glow. From the brilliant light that obscured the two gods, Asceal spoke, her voice audible in the minds of all those present, [color=C5FAFF][i][b]"I should have known you would turn to violence, shadow. After all, what else is there for darkness? Very well Melantha, charge into Heliopolis and see what happens when you stand alone against your betters."[/b][/i][/color] She paused and let the message sink in as Aelius chariot propelled them towards his sphere. For all Melantha was a god, for all darkness threatened, Asceal trusted in the simple truth that they were two and Melantha was one. Still, she was not ready for a fight. With that in mind, and before any could reply, she offered Melantha a chance, [color=C5FAFF][b][i]"Or if you've any sense at all, leave this place before we are forced to make you."[/i][/b][/color] A bright light, almost rivalling that emitted from the Sphere in front of her emerged from behind her, and Asceal's voice entered Melantha's mind. Melantha could feel her darkness being pierced by the light with every passing second, diminishing its power rapidly. Alas, if words were enough to stop Melantha, Aelius' would have been enough. No, the goddess was determined to send a message, that she would not let attacks on her domain go unpunished. A portion of Asceal's words rang true, however. In all of her fury, Melantha had retained enough clarity of mind to understand that going against two gods would not be in her favour and as such devised a simple and effective plan that would allow her to deal the most amount of damage while at the same time giving her a sure-fire way of escaping the two deities. With her hands deep inside the rock she rode upon, Melantha poured her power into it with renewed vigour. Vein-like patterns, the very same patterns that appeared back when she had been creating the landmass from which the asteroid originated, appeared once again on her face and skin. The patterns quickly spread outwards, latching onto the nearby rocky surfaces as well as digging deep inside the asteroid. For an instant, Melantha and the asteroid fused together, and the dark goddess deposited a seed of her power inside the rocky missile, before retracting the patterns back to herself. Rising up, Melantha opened her arms wide, her body facing the rapidly approaching Sphere in front of her. A smirk appeared on her face as she readied herself for the imminent collision. When words had failed, there was only one option left. Aelius handed the reins to Asceal and with a roar of defiance, climbed over the lip of the chariot and hurled himself into the path of the asteroid. In seconds, it was before him. With all his might, he slammed fist-first into the projectile. There was a burst of light and chunks of rock flew in all directions. Aelius gritted his teeth as the momentum pulled him through the core of the asteroid. Rocks sliced and bruised his skin. It was over in seconds. Aelius cleared the other side, emerging into open space. Of the goddess Melanthia, there was no sign. In fact, there was no sign of anything. He blinked, once, twice, then wiped his eyes. He could see nothing but pitch black. In rupturing Melantha's seed of power, he had exposed himself to pure darkness, and it clung to him like oil. Frantically, he reached out, hoping to grab hold of something, anything, to stop his momentum. [color=C5FAFF][b]"Aelius!"[/b][/color] Asceal cried as her friend collided with Melantha's asteroid. The God of Virtue's impact smashed the vast stone to pieces and he vanished inside what was rapidly becoming an expanding field of debris. With a curse, Asceal steered the chariot closer to rubble. Her light dimmed back to normal and, ever aware of the speed at which the shattered stone was hurtling towards the city below, she searched frantically for Aelius or Melantha. After what seemed like an eternity she found Aelius, covered in sickening darkness, but Melantha seemed to have long since fled. Without wasting another moment Asceal piloted the chariot towards him and grabbed his outstretched hand before pulling him onboard and, much to her disgust, getting Melantha's darkness on her own glowing form. She brought the chariot to a halt and watched as the fragments of stone pelted Heliopolis below, demolishing buildings across the city but leaving the Furnace and its host palace intact. With a sigh, she turned to face Aelius, [color=C5FAFF][b]"The detestable shadow is gone Aelius, and the Furnace is safe. Now hold still while we deal with this... This filth!"[/b][/color] [color=F0E68C][b]"Heliopolis,"[/b][/color] Aelius rasped, [color=F0E68C][b]"it still stands?"[/b][/color] Though he couldn't see beyond the cloud of darkness that enveloped him, Asceal's voice and touch were a comfort. His chest heaved up and down with laboured breathing. [color=C5FAFF][b]"It does,"[/b][/color] Asceal paused, [color=C5FAFF][b]"Not unscathed though. There will have to be repairs."[/b][/color] Aelius's head bent low, but he nodded. He'd done what he could in the heat of the moment. [color=F0E68C][b]"Where's Melantha? Is she gone?"[/b][/color] [color=C5FAFF][b]"I believe so,"[/b][/color] Asceal took a moment to survey the space around them, and the city below, [color=C5FAFF][b]"The shadow must have fled when you attacked. I'm sorry I wasn't more helpful, I hadn't expected her to go to such extremes even then."[/b][/color] Aelius waved a hand. [color=F0E68C][b]"Neither of us did. If this is how it's going to be, we'll need to be more careful. As for this..."[/b][/color] He ran his hands over his skin, slick with Melantha's darkness. [color=F0E68C][b]"I can't see or feel a thing. To the Furnace - I have an idea that won't require you to expend yourself any more."[/b][/color] Asceal nodded, hesitated when she realized Aelius couldn't see her and spoke as she brought the Chariot into Heliopolis, [color=C5FAFF][b]"We're heading to it now. I am worried though, my sphere sits unguarded and I hadn't the foresight to ward it against intruders. If it isn't a burden to you I would like to depart to ignite my own Furnace once you've cleansed yourself of Melantha's influence, and before she realizes another exists."[/b][/color] [color=F0E68C][b]"Agreed. We'll have to play it safe now that we know at least one of our peers is against us,"[/b][/color] Aelius said. The chariot stopped in front of the palace and Asceal guided him to his feet. The pair slowly made their way up the stairways and halls until they reached the dome on the roof. When Aelius had gotten his bearings, he clamped his eyes shut and stumbled forwards into the beam of light. Aelius's whole body tensed as the heat of the Furnace shocked his nerves. It was like walking into an inferno. He fought back the urge to leap away, though the alarms ringing in his body screamed for it. Though his eyes were shut, his vision went red, lit by the Furnace just on the other side of the lens. The aura of darkness around him ebbed and crackled before it finally gave way. [color=C5FAFF][b]"Aelius, that's enough!"[/b][/color] Asceal cried. At her cue, the god leapt out of the beam and sank to the floor. Ribbons of steam hissed from his skin, darkened by the heat, but the oily blackness was gone. [color=F0E68C][b]"Go,"[/b][/color] he said weakly. [color=F0E68C][b]"Your sphere needs you. I'll be fine."[/b][/color] Asceal's brow creased in concern, but with a nod, she did as he asked. Melantha, for all she was a vile creature, was no fool. She had already gone so far as to attack Heliopolis, and it was only a matter of time until the dark Goddess realized there were two furnaces. Impelled by that thought Asceal hastily made her way to the Chariot outside the palace and departed Heliopolis for her own sphere. Her Furnace awaited her.[hr][hider= Summary] Mel tries asteroid surfing. She thinks she's attacking Asceal's Sphere. Aelius hits that, is covered in black goop. Solar showers. Just sibling stuff. [center][img]http://i4m032imkie3gak4u536h719-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/1121.jpg[/img][/center] [hr] [b][h3]Might Expenditure[/h3][/b] [list] [*][b]Melantha:[/b] -1 MP (powering up the asteroid for impact) [*][b]Aelius:[/b] No MP spent. [*][b]Asceal:[/b] No MP spent.[/list] [b][h3]Might Chart[/h3][/b] [list] [*][b]Melantha:[/b] 4 MP & 12 FP [*][b]Aelius:[/b] 3 MP & 4 FP [*][b]Asceal:[/b] 5 MP & 8 FP[/list] [hider=Deleted Scenes] "Is that bitch with you?" Melantha asked him. "I'm looking at the only [i]bitch[/i] here," Aelius retorted, staring daggers at the dark goddess. "But Asceal is with me. What do you want with her?" "I want to lick her cheeks." "Hot." Asceal muttered to herself, cheeks flush. [hr] "Is that... Aelius?" Melantha frowned when she realised that the one driving the chariot was actually not Asceal. She hadn't had time to do her hair, or put on makeup. She panicked inside - she'd look awful in front of her crush! [hr] Aelius's whole body tensed as the heat of the Furnace shocked his nerves. It was like walking into a bath that was actually way too hot fuck why did he leave the tap on full heat after buying a new water tank? Oh god it hurt so much. [/hider][/hider]