Picking up the pieces

Elaine was tiding up the wreckage of her home. The past few days had been incredibly hectic. The town was in the process of rebuilding itself after the incident with the sea monster; Azurius was most likely in the process of rebuilding himself after the fight against Lillianna. Elaine was still pretty shaken from the whole thing, she had finally seen what it was like for the whole mark to corrupt someone of holy power and it was terrifying. She had a broom and dustpan in her hands as she was sweeping up the bits and pieces of broken glass from the windows. Bellow it she picked up a photo or her and Azurius that was taken the night of the ball; she was slightly red faced and Azurius had his simple signature smirk; that was as well smashed, she picked it up and removed the photo, when there was a knock at the door.

She sent a cautious look to Azure before stepping towards the door, opening carefully to reveal a middle age woman with dark and a black mark on her shoulders. Elaine's eyes widened as she looked back to Azurius and then back to the woman at the door.
"Yui! Hi!" She smiled at her old teacher. The woman returned the smile, bringing the young girl into a hug, over the little girl's head she sent Azure a look as if to say; Oh, you're still here? When they parted Yui went back to smiling as Elaine lead her through the slight wreckage of their home "I'm sorry it's so messy, we had an.....issue, a few days ago. But it's been resolved."


"Oh I know dear. There isn't much the spirit world doesn't talk about, you know that. They also happened to mention a little trip to Assylum.....?"Yui glowered. Elaine took a step back and smiled sheepishly. "But, lucky for you, that's not why I stopped by."She grabbed Elaine's wrist and lifted the back of her shirt, exposing the black mark on the small of her back but much much smaller than the original. Elaine shrieked and side stepped, Yui releasing her shirt and wrist while Elaine looked down at the floor like a child in trouble. "What the hell were you thinking?! You can't just go handing out that mark like its fucking free candy?! Do you know how much trouble you caused upstairs??" Yui screamed, she used the word upstairs as a reference Heaven and the Holy Armoury. She wasn't yelling at Elaine to be rude, but mainly for the reason that she was afraid that the mark may have had to much power over her.

Elaine looked up, glaring at her old master, "I did what needed to be done. I trust Azure with the mark. And I took it back when he couldn't handle it." She replied in a voice so calm it was almost terrifying. Yui sighed and shook her head. "What am I gonna do with you, kid? Now that idiot angel took away the majority of your mark you can't use your armour anymore. If you want, I can put it back on you...." The older woman said, all seriousness in her eyes. Elaine sent a quick glance to Azurius, bit her lip for a second then nodded. The mark was a part of her. What made her a strong Mage, what helped her fight and what made her stronger every day.

"Okay. Let's do it." Elaine said. Yui looked a bit surprised then smiled, putting one arm around her then looking up at Azurius. "Listen kid. As much as I hate you for putting her through this hell. Dragging her into this angel business of yours and stealing the one thing that made her a Mage, you're gonna wanna be here for this. It's not really ice cream and butterflies to get this thing put on."She said. Elaine tensed at the thought of the last time she had the mark put on. She was little and a lot weaker, she wasn't allowed to pass out because if she didn't fight the init mark, it could take over and kill her. She looked at Azure and gave him a small smile of reassurance.

"I'll be okay."

(Yui: https://videogames.desktopnexus.com/wallpaper/912260/ )

Yui stepped back, looking slightly appalled, "Little concern for her....? You have met her haven't you? Of course, you weren't there for the first few years after she ran away. Her parents had this thing, be normal or be killed. Elaine spent years, years , trying not to get killed. The psychological damage she suffered? Don't even start me on the physical-"

"Enough." Elaine's voice echoed through out the home. She couldn't meet anyone in the eye she stared at the floor boards with her fists clenched. "You have no right to speak to Azurius like that. You don't know how much he cares for me, he's put everything on the line for me so he's allowed to be cautious, you can't keep making every choice for me." She told her old teacher. Yui looked shocked at the sudden outburst, she made an attempt to speak but Elaine quickly cut her off. "And you." She faced Azure, "You don't understand the feeling of helplessness. Or maybe you do, I can't be sure. But I feel so useless hiding behind you in battle. Do you know how difficult it was to sit there and do nothing while you and Lillianna fought?! I wasn't anywhere near you rank. If I got hit once, I would die. I need to be stronger, so I can finally protect you. I feel as though I can't stand my own when you and Suriel are out there throwing your lives away. I can't stand here and watch. I'm taking the mark back. And I'll be fine." She said firmly. Yui smiled slightly, she was happy that Elaine was finally sticking up for herself. She slapped the young girl on the back and chuckled.

"Alright Eli. I can see you care for this boy here a lot. So maybe I'll let him off the hook."Yui smiled slightly and Elaine released a breath of relief. "As for you dear-"Yui pointed at Suriel, "interesting how you would call her your master, considering when we last met you wanted very little to do with her.....also, I'll have you know that I'm a lot older than you think." She waved her hand dismissively. "Now, Eli. I doubt you wanna do this here, so I can bring you to the spirit realm for a while, but, you know how time works over there." Elaine gave Azuriua a slight look. He obviously knew that a day in the spirit world was three months real time.

"W-what do you think Az.....?" She asked him.

As soon as Azure gave the signal, Yui smiled and pulled out a silver key, it was laced around the edges with a sparkling substance that gleamed like diamonds. "Alright Orion, let's go." Yui called at the key. A gold magic circle appeared underneath them all, followed by a bright flash of light and finally the three arrived in the celestial plain. Elaine staggered, still never liking teleportation and grabbed for Azurius; steadying herself. Yui looked around and noticed that they had not arrived where she had wanted, "What the hell-? Orion, I thought you were gonna take us home."Yui commented, looking around a man appeared behind Yui, a hand poised on her shoulder, standing much taller than her.

"I did. But something negated the teleportation."The man, obviously another spirit, commented. He looked up and sighed. "And....that explains it, Sybil, Aries, even an angel. Ya that's enough to override the switch through." He said, giving the few other spirits a quick run through. "Celestial King's not gonna like having so many outsiders in one place. He agreed to Elaine on a special occasion. Not an angel, Yui." The older woman sighed and rolled her eyes at the big gun show of spirits.

"I know, I know, but he's stubborn. Besides. Not much the old man can do about it now, he'll have to put up with it." Yui waved it off and returned her attention to the big group in front of her, placing her head in her hand she groaned. "Stop being so goddamn heroic. You don't even know if you can take the mark. Last time I heard you used it Eli had to stab you in the chest and that was just with a simple transaction." Elaine then grabbed Azure's arm and shook her head fervently.

"I can't let you do this! It's my burden to bare. If something were to happen to you....I don't know what I'd do. It'd be all my fault. Az, I can't lose you to this; not again." She whispered, remembering the horrors of what had happened on the ship. During this time Yui had already forcefully shoved Sybil out of her mind. "Listen girly, if your master wants this mark, I'll give it to him. But you aren't allowed in my mind. Got it?" Yui said, Elaine turned to protest but they had already gotten transported to another place.

A home, it was small and in the middle of a field, surrounded by a plethora of shiny stars and mythical creatures. Yui was quick to step inside, followed by Orion. But Elaine held Azure back; if he let her, she would regale Yui's past.
"I honestly thought you two would get along better....she doesn't mean to be rude. She cares so much for me, I'm like her daughter. But, you two are more alike than you let on. Yui, before becoming a requip Mage, used celestial magic, obviously. This was a long long time ago. Back when dragons roamed the earth freely and the earth and sky had not been so cruel to one another. Yui, practicing her magic, had gotten her hands on a key, a special key that signified the constellation the Hunter. Orion." Elaine gazed to the window of the small cottage, where Yui and Orion were busy making food as well as preparing what looked like potions. Yui could be seen laughing as something exploded in Orion's face.

"She grew, he never aged. He watched as the young woman he served grew older and older and he watched as he fell deeper and deeper in love with her. She denied it, it was unheard of for spirits to love humans, as its taboo for an angel to love a human...." She sighed and took his hand in hers. "One day, in battle, instead of Orion protecting her. She jumped in front of a blast aimed for his key, protecting it and keeping it from shattering. When he asked as to she did such a stupid thing, she said that she did it for love. To save her life, he took her back to the celestial realm; where he plead to the King of Spirits to save her. He was not so easily persuaded, he saved her life but at a cost. She was forever bound to the King. To work for him and live in this realm, never to return to the life of a mortal. Stuck between this realm and the next." She finished and dropped his hand, she gave him a small smile, "That's why I believed you two would get along well. You two have similar personalities, though, I seemed to have misread the situation." She grinned sheepishly.

"Hey you two! We're almost ready, get in here!" Yui called from the open window.

(Orion: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/30/f8/d7/30f8d7d49ab340d138a50a15698e3b7b.jpg )

Yui gave Azurius a quick once over, squinting slightly; turning to give a look to Orion then back to Azurius. "I changed my mind. I ain't giving this kid that mark. It's to risky for an angel." She quickly turned to his surrounding spirits and gave them a glare equal to something a mother would give while scolding her children. She gained an aura that was quite menacing, not leaving them to get a word in edge wise. "And it ain't because I don't like the idiot. So don't get your pants in a twist. It's cause if this kid holds on to this dark magic for to long, it'll infect him too. And I'm gonna go ahead and say that none of you can't take him down on that state. Unless you just happen to have another holy weapon at hand; because then Elaine can just kill him. And I doubt she wants that." She said, turning to Eli where she shook her head, mouth closed tight. Yui then nodded and herded everyone to the kitchen, where there was a large wooden table, cleaned and cleared of any food.

Elaine slid up on the table and laid on her back, taking a quick shuttering breath, sending a glance to Azure, she gave him a reassuring smile and reached out her hand for him to take it. If he did, she'd give it a small squeeze, she'd smile, even though she looked very scared. If he didn't take her hand, she'd bring it back to the table and stare up at the ceiling, both hands clenched. Regardless of what he did, she'd whisper, "I love you."

"So Eli, Azurius. What's gonna happen is I'm gonna transfer the remaining mark on Azurius body, on to you, easy stuff. The other.....70%? Needs to be replaced and remade. That's where it become less easy. If any of your spirits, Azurius, can set up a barrier around the house, it'd be nice; because if she goes out, that thing will take over and try to murder everyone, so-um-no pressure." She sighed, she tied her hair back, and pushed Azure a bit closer to Elaine. She leaned in close to him, "This is gonna be hell for her kid. Unless you're prepared to see her scream like she's gettin' tortured; I'd suggest you leave after the first half."She whispered to him, before giving Orin the okay; four magic circles appeared, two locking down her arms, the other two on her legs.

Yui have Azurius a look, as to say are you in or out kid? While Elaine, laid on the table, eyes unblinking, staring at the ceiling, a large magic circle, black as night, appeared over her body, there was a loud gushing wind, and Yui's spell chanting; as the black marks, identical to the ones Elaine always had, reached out of the circle. A second circle would appear on Azurius' chest, this one would mimic the larger one, but smaller in size. Before the mark could touch her, she tilted her head to the side, facing Azure. Her face was already slightly tear streaked. Over the noise around them she said a small string of words.

"I'm sorry...."

Elaine saw his look, he didn't want to be here. He didn't want to witness her pain or suffering, she was forcing him to. Her heart dropped as the first faze of the transfer was completed. His loathing for her master would not make this any easier. He squeezed her hand that much tighter but her pulled it away. Turning her head back to the ceiling and letting her hand drop. When the marks reached her body, the room was filled with silence and all that could be heard was Elaine's shuddering breaths. No wind, no voices, no breathing but her own.

And then, she screamed.

The wind picked up again and Yui grit her teeth, determined to keep the magic circle open. The makes enveloped her arms and legs first, she was thrashing and kicking against the restraints left on her body. "Let me out!!!! Let me go!!!! Please!!! Please!!! You're killing me!!" She screamed, her body arched and slammed back against the table. She had tears streaming down her face and her fists clenched. She turned her head to where Azurius was standing and reached for him desperately. "Az!!!! Azure!!! Please help me, make her stop! Make her stop!!!" She screamed in pain. She sobbed and kept reaching for him.

"Don't touch her!" Yui warned. "Right now it's her versus that demon, it isn't her talking to you! Don't touch her." She screamed over Elaine's wailing. If he did free her, she would only smile, the circle would be closed and she would be taken over by the black mark, from head to toe she would resemble the angel of death itself.

If he didn't, the young blonde would continue to wail and scream.
"P-please! Azurius if you love me, help me!" Elaine screamed again, continuing to fight against the restraints. Her hands balled back into fists so tight that her hands began to bleed on to the floor, except it was black, and when it hit the floor it shattered like glass. Suddenly, the young blonde went limp against the table and Yui's face dropped. The mark receded back into the magic circle and it disappeared. Yui ran over to the table and pressed her fingers against Elaine's throat, checking for a pulse.

"She's alive." Yui breathed. She picked Elaine up and set her on a cot that was next to an extinguished fire place. Covering her with blankets. Orion placed a spell on her, a trapping spell that kept her immobilized. "And now, we wait." She then turned to Azurius and beckoned him over, pointing to the stairs. "Let's have a chat, shall we?" She said, walking up the stairs, if he followed her, she'd leave him to a room, filled with photos, a leave bed, a chest and a few clothes strewn here and there. The photos mainly consisted of either, Yui and Orion, Yui and Elaine or all three.

She sat on the bed and sighed, putting her head in her hands. "Alright kid. Spill. What's the deal? Why'd ya hate me so much?"

Yui allowed Sybil to speak to her, not giving her a reply but heeding her warning none the less, she tensed slightly, ready to summon a weapon of her were to attack her. Damn. This kid is seriously fucked. And he's worried about Elaine? She thought, as he listed to him chew her out in "warping" Elaine and changing her. Taking an innocent girl and making her some sort of monster. He spoke of Yui like she was some pretentious monster that cared nothing for her student.
There was a pause in the room and still air as she looked up at him from the bed, his eyes slits and all she could do was look away. She let out a scream of frustration and threw a pillow at his head. And another. And another.

"August 31. 3 years ago." She pushed out through her teeth. She didn't meet his eyes and balled up the bed sheets in her clenched fists. "August 31, three years ago. I watched her die." Yui said. She pushed herself upwards and stumbled over to the large trunk that was at the side of the bed. She was throwing objects out of the trunk, some of them landing on the floor, or bed, or even hitting Azurius unless he avoided them. She pulled out a crumbled sheet of paper, carefully unfolded it and placed it in his hands.
It had Elaine's full name on it, her date of birth, birthplace and the date of her alleged death.
"You're right. I'm selfish. I'm an awful person. I was such a selfish bitch that night. It was an easy mission. Just, she wasn't ready. I wasn't watching. T-they hit her. There was a lot of blood kid. Too much. I thought about taking her back to realm, but what kinda life would she live as a spirit? She hadn't done anything amazing with her life, like Aries. The King would never agree to it." She said, tears pricking her eyes.

"So the night they said she was dead. I came back. Preformed a dark spell on her. Brought her back. But not without a price. She went all out, that first night was the mark getting a feel for a human body. I was able to subdue her, regain a few of her memories, most came back over the years, some didn't. I told her the spell I cast was one to give her power, I mimicked it to put one on my back, make it look like a type of imitation. And she believed me." she stepped up and tore the paper from his hands, shoving it back in the chest and closing it.

"So ya. I care about my fucking precious mark. Cause without it. She dies. And I have no idea after all the shit she's done, and all the shit she's indued, that she'd be allowed upstairs with you. So for the time being, that thing keeps her alive. Gives her a bit of power on the side. But for the time being, unless it's gone; she can't die." Yui sunk to the floor, head in her hands, unable to look at Azurius in the eyes. "So. Would you still stay by her side? Even with her like that?"

Yui was impressed that Azurius didn't lash out at her, even though she was trying to push him to his limits. Most likely a wrong choice on her part, but curiosity would always get the best of her in these situations. When Sybil walked in and explained the situation, Yui looked away. She was sure as an angel that his ideas of death were far different from her own; especially as an angel.

Yui sat next to Sybil when she beckoned her over, leaning back she sighed, "I fucked up. Bringing her back, I fucked up. I was way to selfish to let her go; she was a daughter to me; when I found her all those year ago. Tough, strong, smart mouthed. When her accident happened; I couldn't part with her. She was just a kid, she had a life ahead of her. I couldn't end it there." Yui allowed herself to be pulled into a hug and sobbed into the spirits chest. "I-I fucked up Sybil, real bad this time...."


Meanwhile, downstairs Elaine was fast asleep, slightly wincing every now and then; looking like she was experiencing a nightmare. It wasn't soon after that her eyes shot open, she grabbed the arm that was around her and threw it away, quickly she rolled away from the person holding her. Her head was dizzying as she tripped, grabbing the railing of the stairs for support. Her eyes landed on the person who was holding her head, his eyes were slightly orange and slight gold, familiar. An unforgiving stare.... a voice echoed through her head. She stumbled back slightly; she wasn't sure of everyone in the room but the house itself looked familiar.

"I-I....where am I?? W-who are you? Why are you all here??" She asked, unknowingly summoning a small knife in her hand. Orion rounded the corner, placing a hand on Elaine's shoulder. She whipped around, knife at his throat.

"Whoa there Eli, put it down you're safe, you're at Yui's. You're safe." Orion said, slipping the knife from her hand and placing it on the table. Elaine fell into his arms, looking back at the people behind them. "Who are they....?" Elaine whispered. Orion smiled and moved Elaine's hair from her face. "Friends, Eli. They're here to help you." He chuckled and placed her on a chair at the table. Elaine looked at the familiar man sitting on the cot, "Unforgiving...." She whispered. Staring at him for just a moment longer, before getting up and making her way to the stairs, only to stumble half way, catching herself and giving the people around her a look as to say don't touch me. Then continued up the stairs.

Orion sighed and sat down on the chair adjacent to the fireplace. "Sorry. It happened last time too. She lost a few of her memories but they all come back after a few days. But she can be a bit hostile for the time being. She's still at war with that thing, so it'll be a rough few days."

Elaine was sitting on the floor, legs crossed in a childish manner, she was looking around the room that Yui usually called Elaine's. There were a few photos, a bed, a few stuffed animals. The walls a chocolate brown colour and white lace trim. Black trees were painted on the brown walls with white leaves. She had her eyes closed, a small brass dagger balancing on her fingertips. I won't accept it!! She heard a voice ring from downstairs. There was Orion's voice, yelling, telling the man, she assumed the one on the cot to stop.

Elaine opened her eyes, flipping the dagger into her hand as the man came barreling into her room. She allowed the man to knock her flat on her back, letting all the air out of her in one hit. She gripped the hilt of the blade, but something against her better judgment told her not to place the blade against the man just yet. He was screaming at her, telling her, no, begging her to remember something.

He had a mark on his face and the gold in his eyes seem to leak out and be replaced with orange. She stared at him for a second longer, looking into his eyes that looked so familiar, like a thought that was on the tip of her tongue but she couldn't quite formulate it yet. She wanted so desperately to remember because she felt above everything else that this person above her was so important. She reached her hand up, the place at the side of his face;

Unforgiving....

A voice echoed in her mind, making her hand stop midway.

Demon.....

Her hand clenched into a fist, slowly she brought it back down to her side.
"I'm sorry....I-I...." she started. What could she say? That she knew him, but was scared? That her memories were undoing as they spoke and yet she still couldn't mass the bravery to remember. The man then moved off of her, she sat up and watched as he summoned a blade; pointing it at her; then himself.

It all moved so quickly. She shot forward, falling on to him, grabbing the blade in her hand, which was now black, as well as a little more than half her body, the darkness crept up her face and turned her left eye black. Her blood on the blade was black and trickled down the blade on to the floor. The tip of the blade had just barely grazed his chest, but she clenched her fist tighter, determined to keep the blade from moving.Her breathing was heavy as she held the blade in her hand, "No.....no.....no. Please. Please. D-don't do that. Don't kill that part of you." She sobbed, surprised as why she felt so much sadness and how she knew exactly what to say. She picked up the sword and threw it across the room, not leaving his gaze for a second.

"I-I.... Don't remember everything. Pictures. Snippets. People. Places. A boat? Maybe....a castle....? I-ah.....there was something.....a saying.....something-something about a beating heart.....someone used to say something to me about their heart......" She winced at all the memories of the past year coming back at once, she moved off of him and leaned against her bed, shutting her eyes. "But all I know is that there are eyes. Golden eyes. In all my memories. And I know that you're important....you're important no matter what it's telling me. I know you're important to me....a-and I feel that I can't do this without you! Because some human part of me tells me that I need you to be here! S-so please don't leave....." Tears slipped from her eyes as the mark on her body receded down to her back once more.

The angel.....

"Azurius." She murmured softly, looking back at him, head lolling slightly forward. "An angel."

Elaine's eyes opened wide when she felt someone press against her, she opened them to see Azuirus, pressed against her and kissing her softly. To her surprise, her first reaction was not to push the man who had just held a sword to his own chest away. But to pull him closer.

She wrapped her arms around him, resting them lightly on his shoulders, closing her eyes and deepened the kiss. The one thing that felt extremely clear was this moment. She smiled into the kiss and was about to deepen it when a voice came from the other side of the room, near the door.

"Ahem." a deep voice cleared, Elaine's eyes shot opened and she pushed Azurius away from her, her hand covering her mouth slightly. Orion stared at the two on the ground, a slightly bemused look on his face with one eyebrow raised. Elaine's face turned red as she got up. "I-ah....it isn't, I mean- we weren't.....ah umm...." Her sentence tapered off as she bit her lip, unable to meet the spirit in the eye. Orion nodded and chuckled a bit. Giving Azurius a slight look, something along the lines of You've got balls kid and You're lucky I didn't stab you. Or she didn't stab you.

"I-um well, I have some of my memories of Azurius back....if that's anything." She coughed out, extending her hand to help Azure off the ground. If he took it she'd pull him up, but keep his hand in hers just to maintain the feeling of remembrance.

Yui appeared behind Orion, her face slightly tear stained as she saw the situation in front of her. She smirked slightly; "I see someone is up and moving....I wondered when she would wake up, and all this would....happen." she laughed. Elaine stumbled over to Yui, who caught her before she could successfully fall.

Elaine was still slightly red, as Yui placed a hand on her forehead. "You're still a bit feverish, you shouldn't have been up and around so much Eli." She ruffled the young girl's hair. Eli smiled and leaned against the older woman, in a childish manner.

A small gold magic circle appeared bellow her, changing her outfit. Her regular outfit was changed into a deep green dress that fell down to her knees. The small t-shirt sleeves were folded up with a few pieces of white edging the end. Her hair was up in a high ponytail and from where she was leaning against Yui, she extended her arm, reaching out.

"I'm going outside for a little while, will you come with me?"

Once Azurius took her hand, she lead him down the stairs and out the heavy wooden door. Leading him further from the house until they reached a large tree just north. It was several stories high and the leaves the sprouted from it were blue and pink, blooming gold stars for flowers. Elaine smiled and gripped his hand tighter, "It's beautiful, isn't it?" She asked him, extending her free hand to catch one of the falling star-like flowers.
"Sometimes Yui, would bring to the celestial realm to help train, and I'd always come here afterwards, it was so pretty and so quiet; I couldn't help but stay here for hours."

The sky had began to changed from the orange red to the darker blue, stars began to peak out from the clouds as she spent just one more moment completely still with nothing more than then sound of the wind. "I'm sorry. Things, they're still so blurry. Some things are there and some aren't. And it's like there's a constant battle, against this thing that's on my back; it hasn't started speaking, but when it was being put back on, it was almost screaming at me to the point where i couldn't tell what was the truth and what was the lie....I'm sorry that I was so hostile to you....."