Earth and Sky

Chapter 25

Scarlet

Shadows water ribbons tie my friends together so they are unable to stop my wedding. They try fight but it is no use. As I stare at my friends fearful faces, I feel my heart break. The truth comes to me then, I love these people in front of me so much, they have become my heart. Whether we were born together, or our parents were friends, or if it was a simple twist of fate that brought us together, these people mean so much to me, they have become me.

But there fear came from my decision. My heartbreak came from me. It's a vicious cycle that was about to break. Because now I made a choice, finally every person I care about will be happy. Just because I look like a bride, doesn't mean I have any intention of leaving here Shadow's wife. But I do have full intentions to leave here a new, young widow. Even though the thought of marrying someone as repulsive and sick as Shadow made me want to hide in a corner, a part of me found it so funny that I am going to marry somebody just to kill them.

That's the part of me that made Shadow seek me out in the first place, and now it would be that part of me that will kill him.

I have to do this because I am a princess. It is my duty to protect my people, even if I don't inherit the crown.

As Shadow holds me, my will to go through with this marriage strengthens within me. I will do this for everybody I care about, no matter what they think of me afterwards.

Shadow takes my hands in his, and the ceremony begins.

We skip all of the fluffy vows and 'I do'. The priest hands us the marriage paper that will bind us together. Shadow roughly signs the paper, pressing down so hard he almost rips the paper. He shoves the paper in my hand and groans as I begin my slow, neat handwriting. As soon as my pen leaves the paper, Shadow tears it from my hand. He rolls it up and hands it to the priest.

The priest dully takes the paper. "You may now kiss the bride." He says in  monotone.

Shadow leans his face down towards me. "Go on darling."

I roughly grab the collar of his shirt and pull him closer to my face. At the last second, I move my face so it's next to his ear.

"I don't think so, darling."

His eyes widen as I push him away. He stumbles and falls backwards. He looses his concentration and the watery ribbons holding my friends breaks. Zeru is the first off the ground, landing on his knee before rocketing off. He grabs a sword from his back and within seconds is in an epic battle with Shadow.

Sharon's face transforms. It takes on its eerie smile, and he easily blocks every swing, swipe, jab, and cut Zeru makes towards him. But, Zeru is very skilled. he jumps and does an aerial before landing behind Shadow. As Zeru fell, he ran his sword down Shadows back and as I watch, a river of blood appears. Shadow cries out in pain while hunching over. In pain, Shadow strikes the but of his sword against Zeru's head before kneeing him in the stomach. the impact is so great, Zeru is lifted off the ground before falling back a few feet away. Zeru struggles to stand up and clumsily blocks Shadow's next blow, one so hard it dents Zeru's own sword. Even though I wish to help him, I need to help my friends. I run to them to gather them up. But one of them was missing...

"Araquiel!" Lace say, pointing behind me.

I turn around and see her sneaking up on Shadow, who is steadily backing away from Zeru's frantic attacks. Laec starts to do something strange. He lifts his hands and begins to move them back and forwards, and Shadows blood starts to follow. I gasp in surprise and stumble backwards as I watch the weird phenomenon in front of me. Shadow notices his blood rising but cant defend himself when it wraps around his throat. Since Zeru was thrown back blocking one of Shadow's terrible strokes, Araquiel steps in. She uses the water left over by Shadow's water ribbons and makes a long, gleaming sword. She swings it down towards Shadow but, by some strange instinct, he knew she was there. He quickly flicked a thick knife from under his sleeve and blocked her lethal swing. He blocked Zeru on one side, who had risen while Araquiel had assaulted him, and Araquiel on the other. Even though his own blood was wrapped around his neck, it wasn't effecting his fighting, although I could see his face start to pale. and Araquiel on the other.him. Thankfully, since he was being attacked in three ways, he wasn't paying attention to me and the knife easily slid into his stomach. The forest turns silent, nether creature or man making a single noise. Shadow slides to the ground, injured but not dead. Araquiel made the killing stroke. She swung down hard and cut off his head. It rolled to the side, before landing at Zeru's feet.

"Well, I'm never eating again." He says, covering his nose from the putrid smell emitting from the decapitated head.

"Hm..." I wonder out loud. "That was easier then I thought. Maybe I should become an assassin."

Even though, or maybe because, we had gone through so much, we all burst out into laughter and started the long trek home.