The Three (DC Comics) [Chapter XX]

[DC Comics]

"Miracle, stop!"

Yahweh sprint into a run for Miracle but he was too late. The attack had hit and Legion stood there unscathed. She was touched by the Arashi. Had the child not been then that would have surely killed her on impact if she was just an unholy being. Sincara had already protected the High Priestess from Legion's attack and so he took that time to grab Miracle and get her away from a potential follow-up by the demon child.

"Miracle, are you all right?"

[Miracle]

"Th-that's not possible!"

Miracle stood there in shock, her arms trembling and barely able to hold the staff. When the tendril came to impale her the High Priestess was unable to move even if she wanted to. Thankfully Sincara had thrown herself in the way, of all people, saving her from being impaled while Yahweh grabbed her and brought her away from the monster.

"I-I... I didn't make her. I swear. I didn't make her!"

[Legion]

Legion tendril connected with the energy barrier Sincara had put up. To the demon child's surprise however she was unable to break through it and continue her attack. Her eyes gazing upon the barrier in intrigue and upon Sincara's words Legion pulled the tendrils away and stood down. Conceding to the words which were uttered by the hunter in brown.

“If we are nightmares then the defeat of The End will see us dissolve into memory...”

A tragic end to a tragic existence, assuming of course she was in fact the result of Miracle's own affliction with The Essence. If Yahweh did not have the answers she sought then the only way to know for sure was the defeat of The End itself bringing about the end of The Essence and all things connected with the Arashi. Legion would accept either fate.

“We will assist you.”

[Sincara]

Sincara lowered the Six Shooter in her hands and looked towards Legion in surprise. The surprise didn't come from the fact the first person to see reason was the less pure among them, that actually became the norm around Genesis. The surprise came solely from what the demon child had said about the Nightmare. If we are nightmares then the defeat of The End will see us dissolve into memory. The Waking Nightmare, the epidemic that had plagued Genesis since the arrival of the Night Angel into this world, something there was no cure for. Even those with a resistant to it has always been victims in the end. It would finally be gone. Sincara felt a whole new surge of motivation empower her as stopping the End became even more important. That being even possible was mind boggling to the hunter.

"And what about you?"

Sincara asked as she looked towards Yahweh and Miracle.

"Will you fight or... if you're truly content with dying..."

Sincara tightened her grip on the revolver.

"I'd be glad to assist you."

[DC Comics]

"How can you possibly know that?"

Yahweh wasn't questioning what Legion had said, he knew very well that the Nightmare would no longer exist if somehow the Arashi were destroyed. A feat he didn't believe to be possible unless committed by the Creator itself. But how could Legion know? It was far from public knowledge in Genesis. That was proof alone that Legion was the real deal and if she was not created by him, Miracle or anything else involving the Nightmare then that would only leave her as a man made creation. And if she was a man made creation then how much did man know of the Arashi now? His pondering would be interrupted as Sincara demanded to hear their answer and he was quick to stand in front of Miracle to protect her should the hunter decide to pull the trigger.

"You are a fool. When The End appears there will be no victory. The most logical conclusion is to accept fate. But I will not stand in your way should you insist on this futile mission. Nor will I dictate Miracle's action in this. The High Priestess may make her own choice to stand by me or help you."

Yahweh then turned his head towards Miracle.

"The choice is yours."

[Miracle]

"Are you serious?"

The Waking Nightmare and everyone who has been affected by it would finally be free? There would be no more worry of terrible images haunting their minds? Those in death would finally have the peace they've longed for? Never again would anyone have to be fearful of Aper, Veran or anything related coming after them ever again? A world without the Arashi. Amoura's dream. It was almost too good to be true. A fantasy. And yet the High Priestess had already made the choice long before Yahweh had gave it to her. She had to fight for a world without the Arashi. A world no longer plagued by nightmares. Miracle stepped away from Yahweh and now stood next to Sincara.

"Forgive me. But I cannot stand idly by and allow this to happen. Not when the rewards are so great..."

Tears started to fill the child's eyes as she went on:

"I must defy you."

[Legion]

The demon child watched as the realization settled in among the three that stood before her. For Sincara and Miracle, the realization that the Nightmare would become abolished with the destruction of the final Arashi that makes their way to the holy city as they speak. A world without nightmares to consume their minds and their hearts. For Yahweh he had come to realized that as far as the world was concerned Legion was the Fourth Aspect and her level of knowledge were on par with the other Arashi he had created. Man was already starting to understand The Essence. How it worked, how it could be used and their final stance of defiance came when they created her. Legion say nothing further as their conversation had nothing to do with her now. She stood there in silence as still as a statue.

[Sincara]

"There is no fate!"

Sincara spat, holding up her revolver as she turned away from Lord Yahweh. Even the hunter was surprised to hear the High Priestess finally listened to the voice of reason. A world without the Arashi and the Waking Nightmare being too great a reward for even Miracle to continue with her stubborn following of the Lord's command. For the first and most likely last time in history Sincara, Miracle and Legion were on the same page. Awaiting the arrival of The End in hopes they can stop it here at the holy city.

[Eos]

‘‘As it is appointed unto men to die.’’ Eos’ response came like a roll of thunder, her voice booming across the citadel.
The aurora that had taken the horizon had swallowed the sky now, and filaments of energy snaked throughout the walls of the city. The air chilled, the moisture freezing into the tiniest of crystals shards – casting a faint reflection against every surface of the holy capital. Wings of light surrounded Aircano in their cold embrace, and a lonesome figure was all that could be seen walking from its gates to the centremost cathedral where the group stood.

The eyes of the third Arashi shined like diamonds, and looked up to the heavens. It beheld the sun above, and the shadow beneath it. Long black hair danced behind her like threads of silk. The markings on her stone skin moved with every step she took, and yet even in the face of her terrifying form there was no mistaking who they saw.

‘‘The heavens and the earth, which are now kept in store by the same word are reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.’’

They saw her and remembered how once upon a time she stood among them against the wrath of the Arashi. Remembered how she had inspired awe in the hearts of those who knew her – a Night Angel – and fear in those who opposed her. She had saved Genesis time and again against countless foes. And now… Arms extended to the side, Eos’ palms rose to face the sky – and the gaze upon her cracked visage finally met that of Sincara.

‘‘And you are godless.’’

[Jehanne]

Jehanne extended a hand out through the air, touching the small crystal shards that fell from the heavens like snow. The disturbance generated from the other four were enough to wake up the trainee and by the time she got onto the scene her eyes would bear witness to the horror that leaked off the Arashi's angelic form. Recognizing the stoned face that stared upon them like diamonds before they shift their gaze to the heavens themselves. It was the face of the Night Angel -- one of many critical heroes that stood in defense of Genesis and hasn't been seen for months. Though Jehanne and Amoura had never met, she knew all about her exploits and Miracle spoke only kind things about her despite her origin as an unholy being. Now... Now she was the very thing she had sought out to destroy. A cruel irony.

Jehanne walked towards the others, her sword and shield already in hand. Her eyes unable to leave the terrible being with the gigantic wings of light that instantly turned anything they touch into glass. Steadily rising with thing they bathed in the light. Jehanne's heart pumped faster, harder, with each step she took towards the beast. Finally stopping at the side of the High Priestess, the woman she vowed to protect, and catching the last words to part the goddess' lips.

"We are not all godless here."

The knight stood in front of Miracle. The tiny crystal shards caught in her hair and worn on her skin and armor. Giving her a faint glow of her own, making her a true guardian angel of the High Priestess.

"But in the end, whether we are or not means nothing to you. Doesn't it?"

[Legion]

“After which, the judgment...”

Spoke Legion. She moved from her spot, feet of dried blood feeling the presence that trapped the holy city in a stranglehold from which there was no escape. The Three were here. Legion could feel their presence flowing through her veins. The Essence was the strongest it has ever been to her. Empowering the demon child with each step she took. Not even Legion could fathom what this empowerment was doing to The End as their eyes finally met for the first time in a lifetime. And Eos would be able to feel her brothers within distance. A feat impossible has became possible through the fulfillment of the prophecy back in Utopia. The Arashi were no longer bound to prophecy.

“Be not ignorant, one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

And there she stood, red eyes boring upon her sister of The Essence. The darkness around her body playing opposite to the light that bathed her half sister. Tiny sparks of the crystal shards stuck in her hair, granting the one show of light in an otherwise void of empty darkness. Darkness that no light has penetrated, until now. Alas there was a question that the demon child refused to leave unanswered even in the face of the destroyer.

“Are we nightmares?”

If not God, then there was no one better to ask than The End.

[Ashley]

Phebe was unable to control her own body. Shivers shooting up and down her spine and goosebumps spreading to her arms and legs in the face of the Third Aspect. The Priestess was hardly able to hold onto her own staff, sweat pouring down it as the other priests that followed behind her were just as nervous, if not more so. Terror filled up all their hearts and in some their faith were lingering. Phebe caught up to the others, looking at each person who were there already. The only other making her scared apart from Eos was Legion who looked to be cut from the same cloth. Phebe stood next to the Lord, trying to hide her fear as best she could but it was all for naught as any looking in her direction knew what she wanted to do.

She wanted to flee.

[DC Comics]

Yahweh looked on towards Miracle in shock. Though he gave her the choice, the last thing the God of Aircano expected to see was the sight of his most loyal and devoted follower defying him here on this day. If it was anyone else he wouldn't have been surprised in the slightest, but Miracle? Miracle was on a whole other league when compared with the rest of her followers. His anger grew and he raised up his sword as his voice boomed across the holy city.

"EOS! YOUR LORD COMMANDS YOU TO PURIFY EVERYTHING AROUND YOU! LEAVE NO ONE LEFT STANDING!"

The mere stature of what he had said was enough to bring any heart to dread. Despite everything that has happened up to this point, Lord Yahweh continued to demand absolute destruction at the hand of the Arashi.

"Those loyal to me will stand down and embrace the light. Those who oppose shall be an enemy of the Lord thy God!"

The gauntlet has been cast.

[Miracle]

The End was finally upon them. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. All the High Priestess could do was hold her ground and look forward as the rest of Aircano slowly joined the fight one by one. Her shield at one side while the priests followed in after her. When The End was within view of the child, Miracle was swept away by its beauty. Had it been an angel she would have embraced it and be enveloped in her wings, feeling safe and sound. But despite its look and origin as a creation of Yahweh it was no angel of heaven. However the worst to come was when she got a good look at her face and recognized it as the tragic heroine.

"Amoura?"

Miracle took a step forward, pass her bodyguard and got a closer look at the Arashi while at the same time staying a safe distance away. Though safe was relative when it came to being in the presence of the Arashi. The High Priestess didn't want to believe it was her, that the similarities was a coincidence. But she knew better than that. Amoura had gone off to rid the world of the Arashi forever, to stop The End. When she was The End all this time.

"We were such fools! We wanted to believe so strongly that there was a way to stop The End. That we never once stopped to consider it might be a lie. I'm sorry, Amoura. I'm so sorry for all of this!"

‘‘As it is appointed unto men to die.’’

“After which, the judgment...”

"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."

Recited the High Priestess by heart.

‘‘The heavens and the earth, which are now kept in store by the same word are reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.’’

“Be not ignorant, one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

“Are we nightmares?”

"Only if you choose to be."

"EOS! YOUR LORD COMMANDS YOU TO PURIFY EVERYTHING AROUND YOU! LEAVE NO ONE LEFT STANDING!"

Miracle spun around and looked towards Yahweh in shock.

"Those loyal to me will stand down and embrace the light. Those who oppose shall be an enemy of the Lord thy God!"

Tears welled up in her eyes and fell down her cheeks as she spoke, her voice shaking.

"T-then I... am your enemy..."

[Alex]

"You all can't go five minutes without quoting scripture, can you?"

Spoke Alex as she stepped up onto the battlefield with her sword and shield in hand. Sparing only a second's moment glance in the direction of God before looking over to the woman of the hour. The Arashi known as "The End" and dubbed Eos by Lord Yahweh. Giving a low whistle as she walked.

"You're one ugly bitch, ain't ya?"

No respect or fear came from the knight as she took her place by Miracle's side, opposite of Jehanne, and looked towards Yahweh again.

"Ya know, raising your weapon and beating your chest all the time doesn't make you special. It just shows everyone what you've been for the past ten thousand years. An asshole. When your most devoted follower is telling you to shove off you know you're doing something wrong. As for the stoner..."

Alex then looked back at Eos.

"If you'd like to avoid being reduced to a pile of rocks we use to bury big beard over here, I suggest taking your stoned ass right back to the bottom of the ocean where it belongs."