Celestial Saga: Exiled To Earth III 22 Stage Twenty Two: Celestia Versus Celestia

STAGE TWENTY TWO: CELESTIA VERSUS CELESTIA

The man with long, crimson hair locked eyes with the astonished Freyja, his eyes intense and resolute. Freyja clenched her fists and refused to waver. She shot him an equally blazing glare.

"Afra, right?" Freyja recognized him immediately, based on the countless stories Astrid and Avice shared about the remaining two guardians. "Let us out of here." She ordered.

"Avice, Aria and Astrid… have you all stooped so low as to bow before this little girl? Have you all forgotten our one and true mission?" Afra began talking to the celestial guardians inside Freyja's medallion, completely ignoring her command. Seeing no reaction from the three, Afra summoned a ball of fire from his bare hands and threw it straight at Freyja, who didn't move an inch. Astrid emerged from the medallion, in his human form, and blocked the fireball with his palms. "Pay your respects to the Lenfiare, Afra. I won't tolerate your insolence even if we are brothers.���

"Respect? You're telling me to forget our mission and bow before this girl who couldn't even dodge the attack by herself?"

"Afra!" Astrid was about to attack him, but Freyja held her hand out, ordering Astrid to stand back. "But Lenfiare…" Freyja shook her head, and gave Astrid a rea.s.suring nod. Reluctantly, Astrid stepped back.

"This true mission you speak of, are you talking about that prophecy? That I will destroy Celestia someday? Is that it?"

Afra did not answer.

Freyja sighed.

"Either way, I guess I have no other choice. We have to get out of this oblivion." Freyja called Astrid back in the medallion before removing it from her neck. Then, she threw it to Kirin for safekeeping. "Hold it for me, Kirin."

"Hey! What are you planning to do?" Alaric panicked. They could definitely tell she's about to do something outrageous.

"We will get out of here, even if I have to drag Afra with us."

Freyja turned to Keon and pointed at the short sword on his belt. Keon pulled the sword out and tossed it over to Freyja. "Thanks, I'll be borrowing this for a bit."

"Well then, shall we settle this?" She confidently stood before Afra, holding nothing but a plain sword.

"IS SHE SERIOUS!? How can she win without using her guardians!? That is a celestial guardian she's up against!" Alaric was the only one shouting, but their feelings towards this match were all the same. "Think this over. I know you are smart, but that person is someone you cannot defeat using wit alone so—"

"So are you saying that I am helpless without my aura?" Freyja cut off Alaric's sentence with a serious look. Alaric was taken aback. "No, I mean I…"

"Actually, I am… but I really want to get everyone out of here... even Afra." Freyja smiled at him, signaling her friends to trust her on this. And they did. They have to.

Afra didn't wait for their little chat to finish. At once, he summoned an aura sword and attacked Freyja without hesitation. Freyja was able to jump back and block the attack, but she immediately sensed how unequal they are in strength. "s.h.i.+t, I shouldn't have tried to act cool. Oh well, I don't have a choice but to do as I say." She thought with a confident smirk.

This time, Freyja went on the offensive. But, Afra effortlessly blocked all her strikes. Afra saw an opening and counterattacked. Freyja was. .h.i.t, she was flailed to quite a distance. Despite her defense with her aura, she still ended up with a bleeding knee and a broken rib "d.a.m.n, he's strong." She thought, standing up and wrapping her aura around her injured parts.

"Astrid is the best meele fighter among us. Why don't you order him to—" Afra was cut off by Freyja's sudden attack. Like the others, her attacks were still useless and very predictable against him. Yet again, after a few minutes, Freyja earned another dislocated shoulder "How pathetic."

Blows after blows, Freyja never stopped her attacks. Afra is quite surprised. "Is she dumb or just immensely proud?" He sighed.

"Of course, I am proud. Or have you forgotten?" Freyja readied herself for yet another attack. "I am a Lenfiare of the Leafen clan." She charged at him another time, faster and way more precise, her attack almost got through. Almost. Afra was able to deflect her attack another time, flailing the girl yet again.

Kirin could feel the medallion burning. Astrid emerged, his usually stoic face is warped with frustration and anger. He was prepared to come to Freyja's rescue, but Freyja ordered him to stop.

"Astrid, stand back!" One command, and the celestial guardian froze. Afra's eyes widened in surprise, refusing to believe that the immature little princess is still planning to continue the fight. And without help from her celestial guardians, at that. "Anyone of you… do not interfere…" She ordered, contrary to her usual kind tone. It was an order. Astrid, Aria and Avice, even Kirin Alaric and Keon, they couldn't bring themselves to take a step forward even if they wanted to.

"If you think that I won't kill you, you are wrong. I will kill you, if I must." Afra's eyes were just as fierce. "We cannot let you return to Celestia."

Freyja sighed, and smirked. Freyja closed her eyes and took a deep breath before charging straight at Afra yet another time. Afra immediately blocked her attacks. "For a human, she's fast, and strong…" Afra thought. "And she's not even using her celestial aura…. But of course, this level of skill is never enough for a celestial, much more for a Lenfiare."

Afra became impatient. He gathered his aura in his sword and slashed Freyja's chest. But she saw it coming. Freyja held her bleeding chest. She sighed in relief seeing that it only grazed her.

"Lenfiare…" Astrid called his master, pleading. He knew Afra's powers more than anyone, and he also knows that Freyja is just beginning to awaken as a Celestial, and is no match for him without their help.

"Tell me again, why we have to stand back?" Keon pulled his sword out, shaking. "I don't want to see it like this! I've had enough!" Just as when he was about to charge, Kirin pulled him back.

"Kirin!? Do you want me to watch her beaten to a pulp!?" Keon shouted angrily,

"Didn't you hear her?" Kirin seriously stated, "She said DON'T INTERFERE."

"Keon is right," Alaric joined in, "I can't stand this…"

Kirin summoned his blade out all of a sudden, "Then, you have to go past me first…" Kirin glared at them with murderous eyes. He was serious. He will stop Keon and Alaric at all costs. "Even if we kill that celestial guardian, if he doesn't dispel this sub-dimension we still won't get out. Do you really think I enjoy this?" Blood dripped from Kirin's palms, tightly clenching them ever since Afra appeared. Keon sheathed his sword. "Freyja! Go an make him cry!" He shouted, forcing himself to sound as cheerful as possible.

Freyja was continuously beaten, thrown from one side to another, her head spinning, bleeding, it was getting more and more impossible for her to defeat Afra. Even so, clearly, there is no shred of regret, nor worry. She was so certain of something they all could not understand what.

"You can use Avice." Afra suggested, admitting that the fight was unfair to begin with. "All rulers of Celestia originally possess guardians from the start. Fighting the Lenfiare in this state is no different from fighting an ordinary powerless human."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I can manage…" Freyja stood up, wiping the blood off her mouth. "Besides…." She explained, "It would make no sense if the Lenfiare is weaker than the guardian right?"

Afra was silent.

"If I died here, then it only means one thing." Freyja was using this little idle time to recover, "That I am not… that I am not fit to be Lenfiare."

Kirin watched her. She was beaten, and yet, there is an air of victory and certainty around her. It was both awe inspiring and terrifying. The more Freyja acted like this, the more she felt distant. For the first time, he wanted to recover his memories as the Aethelmaer Phantom. He wanted to know what happened in the past and what it is that makes Freyja so terrifying to Afra, to Celestia, and to him.

"Now," Freyja stood in a fighting stance once again, "I intend to be the Lenfiare…. At all costs!"

Freyja charged, head on towards the guardian Afra. Her white aura surged, her golden eyes turned white. As she got closer and closer to Afra, the aura wrapping her entire body grew more and more radiant, it blinded Afra, it burned his eyes. In panic, Afra winced, conjuring a barrier to deflect her.

Freyja felt warmth envelop her body, stronger and stronger, until she could not feel her limbs nor her entire body at all. It was exactly the same when she was thrown underwater six year ago, when Aneurin 'killed' her. But this time, curiously, she can sense everything around her even better than before. Her eyes were closed, and yet she can see better. Her limbs were gone, and yet, she can perfectly control her movements. She feels no pain, except for the burn inside her.

They all watched as Freyja's strike shattered Afra's barrier, pinning him down to the ground. Afra struggled, he conjured fireb.a.l.l.s, lightning, blades, anything. But everything that he conjured would immediately shatter in contact with Freyja's aura. She grabbed his throat, Afra feeling the excruciating burn. He winced, in defeat. Ready for her final strike. And then, it disappeared.

Freyja's unconscious body fell over him. Afra slowly opened his eyes, looking at the drained Freyja, who is still trying to get up. And from her lips, he heard her utter…

"I want to go home." Tears on her eyes.

She fell unconscious. Unable to move anymore. And so is Afra.

Astrid rushed to his master's side, grabbing her away from Afra. "Lenfiare! Lenfiare!" he held her in his arms, but his body began to disappear as well. Kirin took her from Astrid, knowing that unconscious Freyja will not be able to maintain Astrid's form for much longer. Astrid handed her over to Kirin, and took one last look at Afra before disappearing.

"Freyja! Is she okay!?" Keon felt her pulse. Surprisingly, she was fine. "How in the—"

Alaric sighed in relief. "Hah! She's using her white aura all along to heal her injuries as they fought. Goodness, you're gonna kill us Freyja. I seriously thought you're minced meat!"

"Is that true, Kirin?" Keon confirmed, not letting go of her hand. Kirin nodded. "She's pa.s.sed out, but her aura looks fine. She'll wake up soon."

"Why, didn't you force me in?" They heard Afra speak. Slowly, he began to disappear as well. "Wait, what's with him!?" Alaric rushed to Afra's side, but he just closed his eyes and vanished. "Wait, what's going to happen to us now? The dimension?"

Then, a strong quake shook them. "There's your answer, Alaric." Kirin said, tightly holding Freyja in his arms. "The dimension is breaking aparts!"

Suddenly, rays of light appeared from above, and ice-cold water from below. The oblivion of darkness surrounding them began to crack, shatter, and the water started rising drastically. It went up to their knees in a matter of seconds, and to their necks, and completely submerging them. With all of their might, Kirin, Alaric, and Keon swam up, and up, and up, until they reached the surface.

Keon summoned a flying rune beast, which they all used to escape the sea.

"We're back… right?" Alaric asked, looking around. "There really was no island, it's all water."

"Yeah, that explains everything." Keon added. "That really was a sub-dimension."

~ o 0 o ~

"Lenfiare. Why did you not seal me? You could have made me submit with your power."

"I promised you, didn't I? that I would take you to an adventure. And we'll have lots of fun."

"…"

"I don't want to cage you any more than you already were.

I should know how horrible that is, more than anyone."

"You need me to return. And your missing memories—"

" I can find my way to Celestia either way, I am sure of it."

~ o 0 o ~

After flying for about 30 minutes, Freyja regained consciousness and they finally spotted an island. A real one.

As they landed onto a nearby sh.o.r.e, Afra re-appeared before them, much to Freyja's surprise. She was sure that he refused to acknowledge her, and he's finally free on his own. So why did he follow them? "What are you still doing here?" She asked.

"You are forgetting something, Lenfiare. You asked me what our 'true mission' is, right?"

"Yes, of course, I want to know."

"I'm here to return your memories."

They couldn't believe what they just heard. Afra willingly offered to give Freyja back a fraction of her memories of Celestia, and a very important fragment too. Unlike the other guardians, Afra seems to know something that they don't. Freyja took a deep breath and prepared herself for the revelation.

But, even before he could do so, "LENFIARE! Stand back!" Afra shouted, standing before her, blocking a strong, stream of phreinian aura that was meant for her. "Afra!" Unlike any other phreinian aura they encountered, this one was especially dense and strong, in amounts they have never seen before. It felt like it came from at least ten phreinians combined. Unbelievably, the phreinian aura bound Afra, and pulled him away from her.

"This is impossible!" She shouted in disbelief, "There is no way phreinians can defeat celestial aura!" Freyja's pupils dilated as she remembered the reason why the phreinian's managed to take over Celestia in the first place. It was because of a special kind of aura that both uses celestial and phreinian aura. The one that the Phantom Lord created and used against her father, the same aura that sealed the guardians, and the very reason she was exiled to Earth.

"Lenfiare!" Afra shouted, struggled, as the phreinian aura started dragging him further away. Freyja summoned Avice's wings and fled towards Afra as fast as she could, while Keon summoned his rune beast, for them to follow Freyja and Afra.

Freyja almost reached Afra. She summoned the celestial runeblade to cut off the phreinian aura binding and dragging Afra. But it didn't budge. "WHAT THE h.e.l.l!? I can't destroy it! Astrid!" She did it again and again, but the aura was too strong for the blade. "Lenfiare, escape! Hurry!" Afra pleaded, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. Freyja continued to chase after him.

"Wait! Freyja! Look at that!" Keon called, pointing to a dimensional rift right ahead of them. "What the h.e.l.l!?"

A gigantic whirlpool suddenly emerged from the sea. A flying rune beast, like a whale with four limbs, rose from underneath. On it were three phreinians.

And one of them is a phreinian with long brown hair wearing a long black robe with gold linings. On his head is a bejeweled band, a symbol of royalty. On his right hand is an orb, resembling Kirin's soul orb which Freyja destroyed seven years ago.

"That aura binding Afra, is coming from that orb." Freyja could tell. She tried to attack them, but she was repelled by an invisible barrier around them.

"AFRA! AFRA!" She tried to break the barrier, but it was very strong. The phreinian's...o...b..pulled the now unconscious Afra towards them, and began to descend into the dimensional rift again. Keon and Kirin threw aura daggers into the barrier, Alaric summoned rune icicles, but none of their attacks could even scratch it. "Keon, fly closer!" Kirin ordered, summoning his dark aura sword. Keon made his rune beast fly as close as possible to the barrier, without getting dispelled. Kirin gathered his aura in this blade and with one, strong slash, he made a crack on the barrier.

"AFRA! G.o.dDAMMIT! AFRA!!!!" Freyja summoned more aura, and the barrier continued to crack. "This is bad, she can break the barrier even with this...o...b.. Hurry, we have to retreat." The phreinian royalty ordered.

"Yes, Galun. We didn't capture the Lenfiare, but this is a guardian we just caught."

The phreinian rune beast hurriedly escaped through the dimensional crack. "AFRA!!!" Freyja and Kirin broke the barrier, but by the time they did, it was too late. The portal already closed, and the phreinians disappeared, holding the celestial guardian Afra captive.

~ o 0 o ~.