Rosetta in disbelief as she watched the black soil raise up and take on slender humanoid forms. It would squirm about moulding itself into something more. Occasionally a bolt would plough through one, shattering it into a cloud of sparkling purple dust before it turned black again as it fell back down.

Then each mould picked up its pace and burst into a vibrating boom of activity until in a sparkling flash of pink light a deamonette broke through into reality. Thus spawned an endless horde of vile beasts of dark indulgence.

The Legionnaires themselves grew few in number but little mattered to them now. They felt the ecstasy of the dark prince's presence upon and indulged in all manner perverse and vile obsessions as they rampaged through the horde.

One was shot down with a bolt round blowing through his helm's left lens and pulping the flesh within. Instantly dead, his body and equipment both disintegrated into the black soil as he fell.

Rosetta watched Mimir as he stepped forth into battle. He strained as he concentrated and his coat set ablaze as he summoned all the local power he could muster. He began to growl and then like the spark of a flame his entire person was ablaze with wild white-hot flames.

As his robes combusted and burned away revealing a body of overdeveloped muscles that had atrophied due to his old age. He began to roar as his on flesh was reduced to cinders and peeled away to the bone.

Rosetta noticed the single amber gem that sparkled and glowed at the centre of his ribcage. His roar was applied until echoed throughout the fortress as he launched himself into battle. Growing to a colossal twelve feet tall he trampled upon the daemons.

Rosetta was about to follow but a flash of warmth made her freeze.

I have little time Sister. Here is what we must do to end this nightmare.

Rosetta hid as she listened to Aura's instructions.

His mere presence vaporising hundreds as they spawned. A terminator stepped into his way. Stormbolter in hand and Sororitas bolts pinging off his venerable armour. In but a moment the Astartes all joined in and as one they unleashed all the firepower their bolters could muster upon Mimir.

Alas for all their might it proved pitiful as each bolt unleashed upon Mimir simply dissolved before him. Without hesitation, he smashed through the terminator, vaporising the armoured giant within an instant.

Mimir roared with pride and joy as he relished this newfound power of his. Secure in the realisation of this unbridled might he hurled himself into the daemon horde. With every strike, his flames blew away his pathetic enemies by the dozen.

He roared again, his deafeningly loud voice took on an inhuman nature, sound ever more like the creatures he slaughtered all around him. He growled with anger as he saw Mirabel trade blows with Arcanus.

He took in one almighty breath and spat fire onto the mountain of bodies. Seeing the oncoming doom the Canoness and the Warlord lept for their lives. as molten matter splashed upon the dissolving bodies, vaporising everything it touched.

-//-

Hiding at the edges of the courtyard, Rosetta Watched the battle unfold. Now lacking all of her former power she doubted she could do anything. Yet Mirabel was close. Once a rising star of the Adepta Sororitas, now a raging madwoman who flailed in the dark.

Then the black earth gathered up in one titanic mould. Forming many pairs of arms and a tall torso held up by massive yet slender digitigrade legs. Then came a horned head and a blade in one hand. A Keeper of Secrets had come.

It roared as it hurled itself at the Sisters, drawing fire and collapsing the gun line. All the while a loose alliance of Mordians and Repentia started pouring into the fight. Eviscerators revving, chewing through daemonic flesh, gunfire cutting down friend and foe alike, hell had come.

With passions running wild men and women hurled themselves to their deaths. Fighting, seeking and destroying they all indulged in the passions of warfare, taking delight and pleasure in each other's mutual demise.

Rosetta wondered in awe. Frozen by her dismay at the absolute carnage and the horrifying realisation that it all served Slaanesh. Even now she could sense Aura's pain throbbing in her beating heart and a hint of the vile laughter of the dark prince.

She despaired. This was a world that evolved without her. She dropped to her knees. She dreaded the inevitable fall of this world. This world, its people will suffer anew the horrors of aeons past.

Rosetta desired an end. She shed tears as angry eyes found her. She felt a presence lash out at her from her left side. She rolled to the right, dodging the strike. She looked up and Mirabel panting in pain.

"Coward! Whimpering child! Is there no end to your weakness?!" Mirabel roared.

"What is this madness? Why do you still fight?" Rosetta barked the questions

Mirabel lashed out again and again but Rosetta fell back, keeping out of reach. Then a trio of repentia charged the Canoness. The first swung overhead, her attack, Mirabel dodged with ease followed by Mirabel swiftly lopping off her head.

The others followed suit without hesitation. swinging wildly in their desperation to draw blood. Their heads were next. Then Rosetta struck swinging overhead at Mirabel's back but the Canoness was fast. She dodged left and spun about for a counter attack.

Yet again Rosetta was forced back. However, for her, a perplexing haze had fallen upon the world. Everything seemed light, silent and time slowed. She felt that familiar warmth within her again and rejoiced. Aura had regained their connection.

Look inside her.

"What?" Rosetta asked.

Focus. My power still flows within you.

Rosetta did as she was told, squinting her eyes and opening up her mind. Soon she exhibited a newfound sense of sight. She scanned Mirabel's organs and found something embedded in her spine.

A gem.

It is another of my fragments. My Fear.

"Is that the cause of her... Madness?"

I would not be surprised if it is... Regardless... Take it! End this!

-//-

As the battle raged on the dead grew in number and the vile black earth drowned the place until the ground itself shuddered and rumbled as it cracked upon. Huge crevasses opened up, dropping many a victim into the depths of the warp.

An enormous hand reached out into reality and slammed into the earth crushing daemon and human alike underneath its mighty palm. Then its fingers dug into the ground as it pulled a massive body up on to the earth.

Next came the horned head and slender body of another Keeper of Secrets. With one gigantic sword, it lashed out. The colossal blade swooping down to crush, pulverising flesh and armour. It was not long before it charged the Sororitas gun line.

All Sisters turned their attention to the charging giant. Bolt shells blew away patches of flesh and flamers scorched skin but for all their efforts the monster crashed into their line like a hammer blow from hell.

The Order of Divine Light crumbled away as they were overrun by the chaotic hordes. Beacons of human defiance were drowned out and silenced by the dark hordes. With that, the world drowned in chaotic energies as another monstrous titan clawed its way out of hell.

Mirabel caught up to Rosetta and leapt into the attack. Rosetta swerved to her right dodging attack and swung about for a counter that forced the madwoman back.

"Can you not see it is over?! Give up Mirabel!" Rosetta barked.

Mirabel snorted as she regarded the hell unfolding around her.

"I have faith! Emperor willing, I will have the strength to end this. I will end this with that power locked up within you!" Mirabel answered.

"I do... I mean I... Listen! We can end this! All tha-"

"No! I've enough of your playful games!"

Mirabel almost broke down as irresistible tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"Why? Why me? You were destined for so much more!" Mirabel cried.

Mirabel looked at the blood-soaked pelt of fur on her back. With a groan of frustration, she tore it off. She showed it to Rosetta.

"Th-this s-should have been yours. You were ever the leader but when glory offered itself to you... What did you do?"

Mirabel lashed out again. This time with the pommel of her sword. The metal striking flesh and bone. Rosetta staggered back as white-hot pain flashed through her head. Shocked, she felt the pain linger. She touched her lip and found her own blood flowing from a busted lip. Mirabel smirked.

"Where is your healing now Rosetta?" She teased as she launched herself onto the attack. Forcing Rosetta back with a flurry of attacks.

"Why do you always have to run? You ran from responsibility. You ran from your sins. You ran. You always ran when you should have stayed!" Mirabel ranted as she lashed out again and again.

Rosetta kept running as she did before. Evading Mirabel's blade and counter-attacking when she could. Even then, for all their strengths and effort, the fight ground into a stalemate.

Rosetta tried to think of a reply but Mirabel was right. All she had ever done was run from her demons. Mirabel was right and she was wrong but not anymore. Rosetta gave it her all and now one last thing remained. The only thing that mattered.

Rosetta gave up. She stood before Mirabel and made a decision. She had always run when Mirabel had always fought on yet again and again they met.

'No more' she declared.

No more shall she run. No more shall they fight. Tis time to end this.

She dropped her eviscerator and spread her arms out to offer an embrace. Suspicious, Mirabel raised her guard.

"You are right Mirabel. You were always ever so steadfast when I cowered. Come now. Let us end this."

For a moment there Mirabel flinched as hesitation rushed down her spine but immediately she shook it off. She charged forth with a roar as she raised her blade. Her foot slammed into the earth in front of her and for Rosetta, the world slowed.

The falling gems shattering like fragile glass without so much as a tickle upon her skin sparkled like the stars of the night and for a moment she found peace. She held her arms in place and welcomed the coming end.

Mirabel drew back her arm and pointed the tip of her blade at Rosetta's breast. Aiming for the heart. A quick death. Fitting for a runaway. Now she will not run, she will not hide, she will face what she had set in motion and end it all once and for all.

Mirabel pushed forward, thrusting her blade onward before her. Rosetta beheld it, she savoured its sight and found beauty she had not known. There was this grace to it. The writhing bolts of lightning, the elegance of a fine blade the tiny explosion of energy everytime a sparkling gem shattered upon it.

Here she found herself at the end of all things. Contempt until the end. She took heart in that. She closed her eyes and welcomed the blade as it ploughed into her chest. Immense energies destroying her body molecule by molecule as the blade passed through her ribcage.

She felt the white-hot pain flood her senses. She felt blood gargle and fill her lungs and her throat. She felt it boil as it touched the blade. She felt every organ shut down one by one in what seemed like aeons.

At long last, she felt the black kiss of death upon her lips as Aura's heart was shattered and the blade burst out her back. With her last breath of life, she died wrapping her arms around the woman who killed her.  This, she welcomed with a warm embrace.

-//-