Until We Fly

Chapter 41: Eclipse

-Köleil-

Köleil was afraid.
Her Warrior, James, he'd completely disappeared.
He hadn't hit the ground.
So where could he have been?

Nim and Köleil's other friends were all desperately fighting Jūx.

Köleil panicked, standing up as her breaths grew faster.
She turned and saw her friends desperately fighting against a force much stronger than they all were.

They were going to lose.
Again.

Why...
Why was this happening?
Why couldn't it all just stop?!

Köleil knew she had to do something, but what?!

Her fists clenched tightly as she began to cry silent tears of empty desperation.
Because there was nothing.
Nothing she could do.

Nim got a small glance of Köleil while dodging an attack.
"Köleil! Where's James?!"

Köleil wanted to reply.
She really did.

But she couldn't open her mouth.
So she just closed her eyes and let the tears flow.

Hearing the familiar name, Jūx paused and turned too.
"...what? You're not dead yet? Hurry up, child. No one wants you here anyway. Child of Sun and Moon. Ha, pathetic. No one will care if you live or die!"
He smirked.

Köleil's hands shook.
"...y...you..."

"Speak up, child."
He taunted, leaning forward.

Köleil's eyes shot open and her back glowed brightly as two, familiar shapes began to form.
"YOU ARE WRONG!"

She opened her arms, letting the power and energy surge through every part of her body.
This was new.
This was different.
This was stronger than what she had before.

Nim stared in amazement as Köleil took on a form she never could have dreamed to see.
Her new wings...they were just...unimaginable...

Slightly larger than her old ones, these wings looked far stronger and much more capable.

From her back, the wings faded in as black then to white. Though this only came out to the shoulders.
After that, the rest opened out into their main silver colour with shiny, golden tips.
Her armor was pure white with silver linings and a golden plate resting over her chest.
Her left wrist had silver plating while her right had gold.
It was the same for her ankles however the other way around.
The plate, her wrists and her ankles all bore the same symbol.

An Eclipse.

This was her strongest form.
The Sun, the Moon, the Dark, the Light all in one.
And it was incredible.

Köleil leaped into the sky, flying gloriously above the scene.
She smiled down at Jūx.

"...am I still pathetic then?"

"But...how?! I took your wings away! You should be powerless!"

"A Guardians power doesn't come from their wings or their crystal. It comes from them. I understand that now. All of you, you can still do it! You can still fight! Just source your own power, deep down inside you! Only you can bring it to life again! Come on, you can do it!"