~No more support. It's our own effort now.~

On Our Own

It's come real... it's come real...

It wasn't a nightmare at all...

What has happened to me... in that nightmare, speaking into that camera, I felt that I wasn't really myself. But I spoke those words with conviction, meaning to tell everyone to beware of all of us...

Unless the Fallen were making me become some sort of a ringleader for this supernatural appearance, and I was some sort of a spokesperson to make the humans have a reason to attack me and whoever protecting me... which was the Protectors.

"Michael... there's something that I need to tell you...but I believe he has already escaped," I admitted.

"What? To make an excuse for your ultimate mistake? Elise, I can't believe that you-"

"Michael! Just calm down - I know you're angry, feeling like killing me right now to spare the trouble. But no. Remember when I said I got conked on the head after going with the white-uniformed guy back in Heaven? I woke up in a room desolated and saw this guy I first recognised with a White Mask. He told me he was sent by Xandor to regulate my forms. I lost my senses not long after because he made my other half awaken. And this nightmare... that was real, he was the one behind it. I have no idea why I was appearing in front of him during my dream. No way will I know the reason why... I'm sorry for not telling you." Michael, listening to my words, had paused, and as he heard, his eyes seemed too... dazed.

"Not even in the holy sanctuary in Heaven... They have planted spies within our forces..." As if his strength was being sucked away from him, Michael sunk to his knees and then lied on the floor facing the ceiling of my room...

"Look. You came and caused all these... I really wonder what Lord Wayne is planning to do about this... he hasn't made a move..." Lord Wayne! He could give an answer to all of this.

"We might need his close support now, Michael. You and Varus can't handle on your own now, that's for sure. Now get up. We need to go find him." I pulled Michael up from the floor and asked him to teleport us to Heaven.

Back up in the clouds, we headed towards the shimmering palace, where the sun shone on it and reflected off the walls as if they were diamonds. We went past the guards without any problems and headed up the long flight of stairs to the long hallway that would lead us to Wayne.

"Never have I ever went through such trouble just to see something like a leader or boss... the highest rank I've ever encountered on earth was just... the discipline master." Oh, how embarrassing.

As we arrived at Wayne's throne, we couldn't find him at all. All we found was a turned throne... that wasn't facing us.

"You came." A voice boomed from behind it.

"Have mercy on the girl. She was forced." Michael pleaded with Wayne.

"She shall not be entertained. Let her life continue. She must learn the consequences of every event that is related to a decision that she makes, forced or not." Why is it that he's not facing me when passing his verdict? This doesn't feel respectful, even on...

"You don't deserve my respect for this right now, halfbreed. Be thankful you are still being protected... free of charge." I was outraged. Not facing me and not respecting me just because of a mistake? I stomped right up to his throne and spun it around, to see a white mask replace the face of Wayne.

"Is there a problem with my verdict, Miss Taylor? I believe it is potentially correct." He smirked.

"Wayne... you have lost all respect from me." He pulled me to his face, and I felt that I was reading his mind...

As if his mind was open to let my mask gather data, for the Fallen.

"Halfbreed... you are naïve. You are gullible. You are weak. That is a fact. You must become stronger. No one can help you but yourself." I couldn't help but stifle a laugh. He was the weak one. He gave me all the information willingly to the enemy. I should have warned him.

"I don't care, Wayne. You permitted this to happen. You should tell me what exactly I have."

"You really want an answer?" He clasped his hands together, angling his head.

"Yes." I stayed firm, as Michael was still on his knees, and I, still atop of Wayne as I continued standing.

"Imagination. The universe's fate could lie in your hands. You possess everything, from a Protector's powers to Fallen's. The ultimate human. Happy? I believe the humans are now running to your house and assassinating your dear parents. I can't help you. Most of this battle is yours alone. We will not sacrifice our troops for a mistake you made."

My parents...

"Michael, we shall leave this place, for good. But before that..." I made a big decision. I removed my mask, and with my power, I sent a jolt of electricity towards Wayne, making his mask crack and fall.

"That's for not believing me. I will see your true self." I saw a slight red in his eyes. Not from any blood, but the red you see in the Fallen.

I hope I was dreaming. I will raise my alertness to him next time... Now, I must check on my parents.

"Let's get Varus and save him from this... dictating leader..." Michael murmured as if something was wrong.

"Let's." We found Varus in his room, in a daze more than Michael was. We said hi, but he looked at us, like a stranger.

"Varus... vice-captain of Seventh Heaven. It's Michael."

"Lord Wayne has never mentioned such a captain. I am captain of Seventh Heaven. You must be a Fallen... and I will kill you." I blocked Michael's advance and imagined Varus as he used to be, a living, breathing entity that was Michael's right-hand man.

"Michael... what the heck happened to me?" He dusted his arms as he kneeled down to acknowledge Michael.

"You must be under hypnosis. You couldn't recognise us. Said Lord Wayne told you there's no me." Wayne's quick... he turned a Protector into a person he could control. And I... my mask was off. I was walking normally and talking normally like all the data was gathered...

I'm... free?

"The halfbreed... she's Fallen." Michael shook his head and laughed at Varus.

"You've been missing out. She has been facing this form for a while." But Michael was different from his usual self...

I see dark patches on his body. Not from vitiligo. The dark black patches seemed to feel like leather.

I was touching his arms, so slender and smooth. The transition from skin to leather was a gap...

Like something was preventing the black leather from expanding.

I bit him and chewed off some flesh before. My body was Fallen at the time. Could I have infected him?

"I see, Michael. We need to protect her from the onslaught."

"Agreed. Elise, we need to see if your parents are alright." The three of us headed down, to see my house surrounded by soldiers. The Air Force. The Army. All pointing guns. Somehow, I saw my parents, in the house, contemplating whether to show their powers.

"It's time we stopped the humans from getting involved. It is I that made them fear." I made myself visible to the soldiers as I landed, making a crater.

"You want to destroy my house, just because I declare myself to be an all-powerful person that you possibly can't defeat? Have I ever done anything to hurt you? I've been staying in this house for a bloody 18 years. You're alive, I'm alive. No attacks were done. So, get out of my house!" Obviously, it didn't faze them. Something spurred them to become even more angered at me and started charging.

I had no choice. I unleashed Sylvian Arrow, the most practised skill I have ever had and killed them all, one by one.

And while my spell continued attacking, I went to the dying soldiers to find out if they were true to their mission. I found one, and his hand was clutching something in the... dirt?

"Hey... I'm... sorry about this. I gave you fear in such a way that made you attack me." He pulled out the object that was wedged within the dirt...

A... mask.

"No doubt, we have the army at our disposal. Soon, we will get the army to corrupt the rest." The army... they're too fast.

"Michael! Varus!" Desperately calling out to them, they landed at my side and faced the rising soldiers, that all transformed into their respective Fallen forms...

"Looks like they're desperate for you until you are with them forever." My parents rushed out as well, and revealed their real selves.

"Father, Mother... no... don't get involved!" They all surrounded me, as the never-ending waves of Fallen seemed to engulf us.

Fear of losing my family and comrades pushed me to the limit. My halfbreed form took over and I could only let my emotions guide my way through.

Michael

"No! Don't!" My sword held back a Fallen as Elise transformed. I felt powerless again, having to make her do so much for her own sake.

"Varus! I believe Wayne doesn't trust us so much anymore. As your next in command, I allow you to transform!" I had no choice. Wayne seems to act too much like them...

"Knight form, release!" The gold armour found its way back to me, and I let out another high pitched scream that pushed the soldiers back, with Elise destroying them her own way.

Baron and Jeanna... they were... combining every attack, it's phenomenal. It's really the first time I've seen this happen.

Varus, wielding the element of fire, disintegrated the Fallen one by one.

Sending my sword through one Fallen by instinct, it cackled, "Lord Xandor is omnipresent. You will never leave his sight. He will turn every human on this planet into Fallen and the world will be one."

One? The world? Dictated by such a ruler?

It's... despicable. But as soon as I saw Elise, and what Xandor might plot using her, an all-new fear crept into my soul.

Her power of imagination. Her transformations, she could help Xandor if she changed sides.

That's what the data gathering was for. Xandor could tell her what to destroy once she becomes evil.

But my thoughts were interrupted when Veil appeared.

Elise's senses perked up and headed towards Veil, hoping to talk to the man behind the mask.

A song, huh? Mine, to be frank.

"Weiss!" I heard her say. That man... he wasn't serious the other day in Fallen form...

Could he actually be controlled?

"Elise!" He called back, as they went into an embrace. Sounds like they were a couple before, but they broke up and found each other in these tumultuous times.

"Xandor is very agitated right now. Lupus couldn't get you, and now he sent... me. Ahhh..." He clutched his chrome mask as Elise started getting nervous, asking him what she could do.

And all I did, besides Varus and Elise's parents as the Fallen waves died off with Veil's command, was just watch them. We had nothing else left to do.

Veil pulled Elise into a long kiss after removing his chrome mask, his gloved hand quickly brushing through her hair.

What a weird couple. If I was them I would have done it somewhere else.

Elise

"You have to leave, Elise. They're... really gonna turn me and make me go for you. Your school is no longer safe. Nowhere here is safe anymore. He's turning everyone. You won't know they are Fallen. You can't take the risk of staying." Weiss held onto my arms tightly, as I heard what he has to say.

"I have already expected to be on my own. Betrayal by the Heavens is nothing. The worst so far has already happened."

"It's not that... your friends... they all really admired you actually... when they arrived in headquarters for the turning... they all wanted you to help liberate them once they realised you were their only hope..." My classmates? Schoolmates? Even the ones that hated me? Mira... Helena... Zayn...

But Ash...

"Ash... he currently is brainwashing them. They will soon transform into their normal selves, turn their parents and soon all will plot an ambush towards you. The war has already been set in motion."

"I... understand. If you can, provide me with more information some other way." My grip on his hand grew tighter at the same time.

"No... I think this is the last time we may talk like this. Xandor... he's been suspicious. This visit might already cost me my humanity. The next time you see me... liberate me. Farewell..." He locked his chrome mask in place as he pushed me away. Michael and the rest watched him leave as I couldn't help but cry.

"Weiss!!!!!"

Author's Note

June 25th. I decided to publish a chapter.

This is dedicated to Michael especially, but really, this is all but fiction. However, this chapter has been specifically long today.

We all miss you Michael, it's been the 8th year. It's been difficult, but we're all overall doing fine. Please don't worry too much. We'll all protect your legacy.