Legend of Parocaav II: Against the Darkness (rough draft)

Chapter L: Friendly Fire

There's no time for Tao to react before he is struck with a scatter of electricity. Fireballs shoot from Roku's hands toward him, exploding on impact. The force from the blast throws him down onto the ground. He looks up into her yellow eyes and sees the rage in her heart. All those years have passed, he has seen thousands of years worth of history, but nothing has brought such hurt to him.

"Drayk's elements," Tao quietly says.

"That's right," Roku says with a smirk on her face, "You will die by his magic."

Roku strikes at him once more with a blazing flame. Tao uses a blast of wind to shield him from it. He jumps back away from her, blocking and dodging her attacks. With him not striking at her, rage builds up inside her.

"Fight me Tao!" Roku yells.

"I will not. Kill me if you must, but I will not harm you," Tao sternly replies.

"So you kill Drayk, but you draw the line of betrayal with me!? Why won't you fight me!?"

"Like I was saying before.... I cannot tell you right now."

"Enough Tao!!! I'm finished! I am tired of that answer! If you won't answer my questions.... I will have no choice but to kill you!"

Anger peaks with Roku as she charges at Tao with her blades drawn. She slashes at him and he quickly moves out of the way. He has not even drawn a weapon, he only dodges her as fast as she can strike. After a moment, she gets even more mad and kicks him in the chest. Tao goes flying onto his back, slamming the ground hard. He swiftly recovers to his feet as he blocks another fireball.

Roku slams her right foot into the ground, causing the ground to split open under his feet. Tao leaps into the air and uses winds to levitate above her. Her immediate reaction is to follow him up into the air. She zaps him with electricity before he is able to react. A brief moment passes before he can move again. By then it's too late, he his hit with a giant fireball. The explosion sends him flying through the air until he falls to the beach below.

Meanwhile ~

"My old friend, it has been nice having you here," Bahemyth says.

"Likewise," Leon agrees with a slight smirk, "It is almost time."

"Indeed it is. Right now, in the present that is, Riinah is fighting Tao. All is as it should be."

"I know you won't say, but I really hope those two can pull this off. Once Lady Parocaav has absorbed all of Gaia's power.... I have faith in them."

"As you should, you are their master, Leon."

Meanwhile ~

A powerful explosion launches Tao into the air, then falling hard onto the ground. His body is badly wounded, covered with bruises and cuts. His vision is going double as he looks up at Roku. If only he could explain everything to her, his mind boggles over various scenarios. Deep down he knows he can't. There is such rage in her eyes.

"Ro....ku," Tao manages to say while mildly healing his wounds, "You don't want to kill me."

Roku doesn't even reply, she just strikes at him with a spray of fire. Tao moves out of the way while using a strong wind to divert the flames. He uses wind to push Roku back as he heals himself a bit more. Now more energized, Tao uses Shadow Magic to seep down into the shadows beneath his feet.

"You cannot hide from me Tao!" Roku shouts.

She takes a deep breath and focuses her mind on his energy. It's not long before she can sense where he is within the shadows. The palm of her left hand glows white as she pushes it into the dirt at her feet. All around her, the ground glows a bright white. After a moment, a darkened spot is seen several feet away. Roku uses her other hand to go into the shadows. An explosion occurs causing the ground to shake heavily. Tao is shot out of the shadows and lands flat on his back.

Before he has a chance, Roku charges at him with her hands sparking with Storm Magic. Just as she reaches him, she opens her hands facing him. Tao is shocked by the magic and finds himself unable to move. A fireball explodes on impact with him. He screams out in pain as he drops to his knees. Her power seems to be more focused than ever before.

"I'm impressed with how much you've improved," Tao tells her.

"Shut up!" Roku roars, "No more talking! It's time to end you!"

Roku envelops herself with a white aura as she thinks about the visions when she received the Ultimate Magic. Her body levitates off the ground as she focuses her mind. As soon as she is about to attack, Tao disappears with a flash of light. His presence is no longer able to be sensed.

"Tao!!!" Roku yells as loud as she can, "We're not finished here!"

Suddenly, the winds change direction and she can hear a whisper being carried through them. Her aura dissipates while lowering herself back to the ground. It takes a moment, but she soon realizes that it is Leon trying to communicate with her. She puts her ear to the wind trying to hear him better.

"Roku. Tao is not our enemy. He did not betray anyone," Leon explains, "He was following his orders from me and Gaia. As he mentioned, it cannot be explained right now."

"Leon.... you and Gaia had Drayk killed!?"

"Please do not fret my dear Roku. Everything is going according to the plan Gaia came up with so many ages ago. You've always trusted me before, so please trust me now."

"Alright. I trust you Master Leon. What do I do now?"

"Calm your nerves, rest up and prepare for the finally fight against the darkness. The time is almost upon us. Lady Parocaav has almost absorbed Gaia's power. You need to be there before that time comes. You need to stop her before she can control those powers."

Leon's voice fades away, leaving Roku alone once more. All that is running through her mind is that she doesn't know what to think or believe anymore. Tao killed Drayk under Leon and Gaia's order. What in the world is going on? She shakes these thoughts from her head as she sits down, staring out into the sea. It's almost time to confront the Goddess of Life.