Chapter Text
I didn't truly understand, not then at least. But now, now I can finally understand, just what it means to..fight an Aeon. To try and destroy a thing that was once believed to not be capable of being killed by mortals. To kill an Aeon.
How does one truly kill what brings destruction, to destroy what allowed things to be destroyed. How?
Nobody really knew. But if Aeons could rid the universe of other Aeons then why can't mortals? That was the thought process of the groups helping during this fight.
I shouldn't ponder on these things during such times, I need to-
BAM
Sunday blinked a few times in surprise before focusing back to the road ahead of him, one foot in front of the other, faster, faster.
Run, he needs to run. That was what Mr Yang told him to do. To run and run to find Caelus.
Dan Heng had seemed to want to be in Sundays place from what the Halovian saw, however his presence was crucial to the battle field. Sunday, however, was far back enough to make a quick escape to find the trailblazer.
Find Caelus and keep him away from the Aeons. Those were the words Mr Yang had shouted before his voice was drowned out by the soldiers of the alliance.
Faster, he needs to run faster.
It didn't matter if he was exhausted, he needed to run faster to get there on time.
Using tuning while running was quite a tiring process, he didn't have his mask of elation which would've made this a whole lot easier on his body, but he needs to find Caelus fast.
He needs-
I can't see..
THERE!
Sunday took a sharp right and booked it through the different floating islands, they were floating pieces of the rocky battlefield below that had been shattered and thrown up into the floating abyss of space by Nanook.
Sunday pushed his legs faster, gasping and fighting for air as he moved from platform to platform.
Caelus, Caelus, Caelus, Caelus, Caelus..!
Sunday slid to a stop, bending over to catch his breath. His tuning has subsided. The Halovian stood up straight and stared ahead, Caelus.
He was standing on a higher level on the platform, they were behind the aeon. Behind Nanook.
"Caelus-!"
He stepped forward slowly, one after another.
"Mr Yang- he- he said that I needed to find you, we need to get out of here..it's not safe- THEY could-"
He came to a stop and stared at him, something felt off.
"I remember...I..can see it now.."
Sunday blinked and tilted his head at the words the trailblazer spoke.
"What? Caelus-"
Sunday started walking once more, step by step getting closer. He picked up his pace and began making his way up the jagged stone and crystal mound.
"Caelus-"
He took a breath and stepped closer, reaching out for his shoulder.
"Cae-"
His eyes shot wide is shock, he didn't understand what happened. Suddenly he was face to face with the gray haired man, a hand was on his lower back that tilted him back slightly. He felt something in his chest, it stung. The trailblazers eyes looked off, they were still gold but...such as bright color of gold that seemed to fade into red. As if another conscious was sharing his body.
"..what.."
His eyes drifted down..oh. That's what stung. Caelus had stabbed him, in his chest and was holding him at a tilt.
Sunday placed a hand on Caelus's wrist that had stabbed him. His eyes slowly made their way back up to stare at the trailblazers.
Caelus just stared, he looked as if he was filled with the emotions of every soldier on the battlefield at the moment. Yet he kept his composure.
He brought a hand up and pressed it against Caelus's chest, not enough to shove, but gentle, as if he was simply touching him.
He didn't understand why but whatever part of his tuning was whispering to him, it was encouraging him to forcefully use that stelleron inside Caelus's chest against the man.
So he did the thing he does best.
He listened.
Thorns from his other hand that was gripping Caelus's wrist formed and wrapped around his and the trailblazers wrists and arms. Spiraling around the dagger tightly.
He took a shakey breath and pressed his other hand harder before forming a burst of energy, he took these last few seconds to stare at the trailblazer before the blast blew right through the stelleron.
Before the stelleron could do its job and become the bomb it truly was, something dragged his conscious from himself.
"You can't win like that!"
Sunday awoke inside a black void, he was seated on his knees and staring wide eyes in front of him.
The Halovian blinked and was brought back to his senses, where was he.
"Winning in such a boring way shouldn't be how it ends! This does nothing but dull the ending!"
Sunday blinked and stared down at his hands, he already figured out who was speaking to him. Aha's voice could be recognized anywhere.
"No this joke is so boring, Akivili should have an ending far more eventful!"
His gaze relaxed as he took in the words echoing around him.
"This is too dull, even for you Dominicus!"
Sundays eyes widened at the name. He hadn't been called that since Penacony. Since his failed ascension, he wasn't an Aeon so why did Aha call him that.
Something hit the ground in front of him, causing the Halovian to shift his gaze slightly ahead of him. A mask, it looked like the masks from the phantasmoon games but.. different. It had symbols under the eyes, small circles. It's facial expression changed every time he blinked, as if it was toying with him.
"Here! Take it! Take it! Redo that fight! Don't let it end in such a dull way!"
Redo...?
With a blink he was back, sitting on his knees on the platform. Laying in front of him was.. Caelus.
Sunday blinked and took in what was in front of him. Caelus, lifeless dripping with blood. A blackened charred hole in his chest where the stelleron would've been.
"..what?.."
He took a breath, his eyes blinking several times before widening and moving from every injury over and over.
"Wh..what..?!"
His breathing picked up and his hands finally moved from his sides to Caelus's body.
"Caelus!? Caelus! Hey, hey!!"
He shook him, over and over. Attempting to tune to no avail.
His hands shook as he placed two fingers against the trailblazers neck to try and feel a pulse. There was none. There never would be a pulse.
Why wasn't he dead with him!? Did THEY heal him when they dragged him into their void?
Why didn't he die!?
The sound of some sort of laughter filled the noises of battle, he looked up and stared. Finality. That's what IT looked like. Was that where Caelus was now?..He was that. His body was here but..
A clatter.
The Halovians panicked and frustrated gaze shifted to his right, laying on the floor was that mask. How ironic it was smiling at a time like this.
"...redo..."
Sunday took a breath and moved a shakey hand over to grab the white mask. Bringing it close and staring down at it. The constant noises of the battle had long been drowned out by his emotions.
"...I..I wanna go back. I wanna go back to when this all started and redo it again..I..I was ignorant and too focused on perfecting things back then..and.."
He blinked and noticed tears hitting the mask.
"...I wanna stop this. Instead of everyone having to fight. I want to be the one to take care of everyone. Just like before! But this time I'll do it without controlling them!"
There was a loud inhuman noise above him, he glanced up towards IT. Finality was going to destroy everything. Time itself would be in ruin.
With a panicked breath he shoved the mask onto his face, the world seemed the warp around him. When he removed the mask he was back in Penacony. In his room, in pajamas and alone.