The light of a golden heart!

The rays of the sun shone brightly through the clouds, as Aven and Nessa made their way toward the guild hall. They'd just become an official team, and the possibilities lie stretched out before them. What could they accomplish together, Aven wondered, their wills and resolve combined? Deep down, he hoped to one day steer Fairy Tail in a better direction, toward a path that led them far away from the darkness of the human condition. He'd grown up to admire wizards, and even then, he could not shake the dread in his chest every time a dark wizard was mentioned. It was as though something was gripping his heart, amplifying his deepest fears, his greatest insecurities.

Having Nessa around, however, helped him immensely. It was truly a blessing to have a good friend by his side that he could confide in, and thus, it came as no surprise when she'd suggested they take a more difficult job on. They needed to grow stronger, for sure, and the best way to do so would be to push their limits, finding their inadequacies and bolstering their weak spots. The two
were strolling slowly along the canal, the day normal as any, when the unexpected appeared before them, exuding light that Nessa would be fine with, but Aven had to squint: it was an angelic figure, robed in white, with six beautiful golden wings that beat in harmony. Aven stopped, so startled that he almost fell into the water. "Wha-"

The angel smiled gently, his visage a near perfect middle aged version of Aven. His voice was silkier, however, smooth and light, like a ripple over a calm pond. His aura washed over them, an overpowering warmth of comfort. "Greetings, young ones. I am Aviel, the Seraphim of Light. Do not be afraid, for I have come to guide your path."

Aven was stunned, his breath frozen in his throat. He felt the strangest connection to Aviel, and even through his surprise, it was as if he'd known the angel his entire life. Visions in dreams, the warm comfort out of nowhere when he'd felt alone. Meeting Aviel was like seeing an old friend, but for the first time, a foreign, but not unwelcome, experience. At the proximity, a small golden light shown through Aven's suit, which he failed to notice. "Aviel... what... what path do you mean?" Words were difficult in this situation, the frog in his throat refusing to budge.

Aviel gestured forward, as the light emanating from Aven's chest became steadily brighter, slowly enveloping him and Nessa. "The path to your destiny, young one, the road you were born to walk as a Seeker, and the inheritor of will's golden light." The light became overwhelming, and magic surrounded them, thick as water. With that, the two of them disappeared from Magnolia, leaving behind nothing but an afterglow in the midday sun.

When their vision returned, the two of them were standing on a barren hillside, not three hundred meters from a dark fortress looming over them. The walls barely stood, massive holes and cracks from a fierce bombardment of old scattered along the stone. Forlorn and broken, the ruins radiated an powerful energy, unlike anything the two had met before. It washed over them like a miasma, the primordial force of a power long forgotten. Aven shivered, the light in his chest fading ever so slightly. He knew this place, seen it echoed in his dreams, his nightmares. Somehow he knew, it held an ancient evil, one that had existed since the dawn of time, a gateway to the abyss.

Aven shook his head in shock. "I... I don't know... but it's, familiar, somehow." Why had Aviel brought them to such a place? He couldn't fathom the angel bearing any ill intent to them, so why? Interrupting their bewilderment, the energy from the fortress intensified, and the gates blasted open, a massive flood of energy nearly forty meters high rocketing toward when at impossible speed. Aviel appeared before them in an instant, extending his hand to counter with a beam of pure golden light, the two meeting in a catastrophic bending of space. Wave after wave of pure force pulsated from the epicenter as the two opposing energies collided, bending space as they vied for supremacy.

Aven's feet skidded back as he dug his them into the gravel just to stay standing; unable to move, or even breathe. The magic pressure was suffocating, a clash between two powers his current scope of magic couldn't entertain, couldn't accept. His eyes traced every movement, threads of energy spiraling off as the struggle continued, Aviel's light pushing further and further back, before the dark energy concentrated inward, likewise matching the intensity of the light, halting the light's advance. A figure could be seen behind the dark energy now, his hand outstretched as his presence grew steadily more powerful, and his magic in turn, driving the light back toward Aviel. A chilling voice echoed from afar, reverberating around them and assaulting their senses, the words themselves laced with malicious intent. "Well, if it isn't Aven Kilandre-Alveron, what a wonderful surprise! Have you come to replace the Seraph you stole in our last bout?" A smile spread across his features, heartless and cruel. "Hakon is dying to see you again."

Aven was confused, unable to answer. For the first time, Aviel's gentle smile faltered, and became a hard line across his face. Anger could be felt in his aura, and the golden light faded in intensity, falling back even further toward them. Aviel closed his eyes for a brief moment. "She will never bend to you, Castor, not as long as the Alverons stand!" Seemingly steeling himself, the anger subsided, and his aura radiated a fierce, all consuming passion. His light surged, and the two beams broke each other, the resulting shock-wave obliterating the ground between them.

The shower of debris rained down on them, chunks of rock and soil scattering in all directions. Through his numbed senses, his pounding heart, Aven saw the approach of a large chunk, it's trajectory headed near them. It didn't look like it would hit him or Nessa where they were standing, but as instinct, he raised a hand to create a displacement circle... to no effect. The density of magical energy around them, it's pure viscosity and nature, prevented the use of his lesser magic. He glanced to the side, to ensure that Nessa was safe, but to his horror, she was not there, instead knocked onto the ground behind them, directly in the boulder's path. Aviel seemed exhausted from his exertion, what... what could he do?!

Aven knew that whatever was happening, it was his fault. He'd gotten Nessa into this, and he wouldn't let her get hurt, he couldn't! Aven whipped around, and dove to protect her, wrapping his arms around her in a desperate act to absorb some of the blow. The rock came hurtling in at astonishing speed, but was deflected, the golden light from Aven's chest extending out around them in a small bubble. Many smaller rocks and clumps of dirt echoed off the shield, and as the onslaught ended, so the light retracted, and Aven slowly unwrapped his arms, still unsure what was happening. The light he'd summoned felt just like Aviel's, though several leagues weaker.

The figure in the distance shrugged. "Unfortunately, we'll need to end this quarrel here, I can only channel so much power through a projection. When you're ready to become my slave, be sure to pay me a visit, Angel of Light." His haunting gaze flickered to Nessa and Aven. "And next time, leave the fodder behind." With that, his form vanished, along with his presence, making the air breathable once more, Aviel's calming aura surrounding them. In the distance, a smaller aura could be sensed, similar in origin to the evil they'd just faced, but much weaker, the fortress masking it's appearance. Aven stood shakily, offering a hand to Nessa. "Are you alright, Nessa?"

Aven's mind was still reeling from the experience, his senses slowing as his mind tried to make sense of everything that was going on. He had felt his magic energy dip as the orb of light had surrounded them, which pointed to, somehow, it being his magic that produced it. He'd never learned to do such a thing, and had all evidence not pointed to it, he would have simply assumed Aviel protected them, like before. Aven shook his head at her questions. "I don't have answers, Nessa," His brow furrowed in bewilderment. "Only more questions."

Aviel glided toward the two. "I have the answers you seek, Nessa Cordelia Lux, Aven Alveron. That man is an Avatar of Void; once human, his rage at the unfairness of the world drove him to loathe humanity. Forsaking his humanity, he used the Void to create a foul ability, which traps other beings inside card-like prisons, enslaving their bodies to his will. As of two hundred years ago, he has imprisoned Hakon, the Avatar of Justice, slowly bending her to his will." The Seraph's eyes fell. "So long as Hakon is bound, there is nothing I can do to harm Castor; thus, he has been free to travel the cosmos, collecting powerful warriors and breaking them with unspeakable torture."

Aven was baffled. Was he expected to fight that monster? His very presence nullified his magic, the gap was insurmountable, surely! Aviel gestured between the two of them. "Young Aven, you carry within you the Light of Will, a blessing passed down from your great ancestor and namesake. And Young Nessa, you carry the Light of the Stars, a magic born of the heavens. To unlock your full potential, you must learn from Young Nessa what it means to control the Light." His wing fluttered, turning his body to face the fortress in front of them. "This place is the Sanctuary of your heart, the source of your light. It was been suppressed since your birth, tainted by the energy of Hac'hal, a demon under Castor's control. You must cast it out if you hope to reclaim your birthright."

Before the could ask any questions, Aviel's body began to fade, revealing his form to also be that of a projection. "My power has waned, thus I must go for now. Become who you were born to be, Young one." With that, the angel vanished, and the two of them were left alone. The faint pulse of dark energy from the Fortress beat a steady rhythm, awaiting their approach.

Aven nodded his head solemnly as Nessa spoke. He knew he would need to put his faith in her that she could protect herself without him, especially as they grew stronger as a team. That kind of confidence would come with time, he hoped, his instincts having driven him to action so abruptly before. He hadn't stopped to consider how it would affect Nessa's confidence, a blunder on his part. What he really needed was to learn how he accomplished that golden shield bubble: if he could use such magic, throwing himself in harms way to protect others would be unnecessary! The idea of being able to shield others so easily brought a bit of excitement to his eyes."I do trust you, Nessa. Next time, I believe you can handle it, no problem!" He wore a genuine smile, he really did mean it.

After Aviel informed them of the situation, and promtply took his leave, Aven was completely at a loss. So much information had been poured upon them, sorting it took more than a few moments of collecting his thoughts. In his concentration, he almost didn't hear Nessa's question. He blinked a few times, before meeting her gaze. "Huh? Oh, what now... um... give me a moment." It was all he could do to sit down and interlace his fingers on his lap. Time seemed to slow as his mind began it's task of filing, sorting, and piecing together everything that had occurred. In a way, many things had been explained from his past, all in one fell swoop: his uneasiness around the demon, Hac'hal, and it's constant attempts to overthrow his sanity, even past instances of strange comments from others about a golden presence.

In other ways, however, an entire new saga had been unveiled, a larger picture that he'd yet to fully grasp. He had many of the pieces, though, some given to him by Aviel, some inadvertently by Castor; he put his focus into fitting them together. They were inside a spiritual realm existing within Aven himself, brought there through Aviel's magic. Castor appeared to stop them, an insanely powerful Wizard, capable of casting 'H' rank magic from a mere projection, while also exuding an aura that stifles lesser magics. Aviel is similarly powerful, and an old enemy of Castor's, as it was made clear they'd had several previous battles. The last battle, is sounded, resulted in Aviel's partner, Hakon, the Avatar of Justice, to be taken hostage by Castor, and used as a kind of shield against Aviel's attempts to neutralize him. Aviel, in turn, was turning to Aven, who he'd passed on the Light of Will, assumedly the golden magic he'd used before, to train to free Hakon so they can finish off Castor. Finally, Aviel was requesting Nessa teach him how to utilize Light magics, as she uses the same archetype, so that they can expel Hac'hal from his body and unlock use of the magic outside his spirit.

After about ten seconds, events were in order, and he opened his eyes, glancing up at her. "I suppose all we can do is follow his advice. Nessa, will you teach me how to use Light magic?"

Aven closed his eyes at Nessa's instruction. Relax my body, breathe deeply, slowly... He found tranquility quite fast, the exercise not one he regularly practiced, but it coincided nicely with the kind of state he naturally assumed when meditating on a problem in his studies. Much of his development of Circle Magic had been trial and error, countless issues and flaws in execution and glyph writing that had resulted in various catastrophes and hurtles. He felt the flow of air into his lungs, and tried to envision it searching his body, finding that source of power. Quickly, he felt that resistance than Nessa was hinting at, and he became excited, but less than a moment in, he realized that pressure was his usual magic, not at all related to the light they were searching for.

Aven's excitement dipped, and a wave of discouragement hit him. He'd read about another region of the body that housed additional magic power, the Second Origin, but he wasn't nearly at the level it would take to unlock that naturally, searching for it even with meditation would yield no fruit. He opened his eyes, glancing at Nessa. Before he could say anything, though, their eyes met, and he realized she was so close. A load thump in his chest signaled the emergence of a golden glow, emanating from his heart once more. He looked down in surprise, having obviously found the source they were seeking. "The source, it's my heart!" He looked ecstatically at Nessa once more, who, strangely, looked a bit different somehow. What was it? His head was woozy for a moment, and Nessa seemed to have a wonderful aura, one that made him want to be closer...

Aven nodded quickly, his anticipation growing. He focused in on the warmth growing in his chest, trying to coax it out to his arms. It was a slow process, he realized, as the light did not want to expand in any non-circular shape. For the next ten minutes or so, golden light waned back and forth around the area, expanding and detracting from Aven's chest, as he struggled to channel it elsewhere. The problem was, Aven was so used to using glyphs and writing circles, the prospect of controlling a magic that could be quantified on a scale of magnitude was daunting.

Perhaps, he was trying too hard to calculate the amount? Aviel had called it the Light of Will, referencing that it would assumedly be regulated by his thoughts and desires, not a strict pathology of words like he was used to. He attempted to let go of his doubts, to wish the light to flow, imagining it like a breeze, drifting over his skin. With that imagery, the light spread over him, causing his body to glow lightly, the magic visibly focused in his arms, and more locally, his hands. Coupled with his body brightening, his expression lit up further. "Alright, I think I've got it. How do I manifest it, like before?" His exhilaration was palpable in the air, the slow realization of a power he'd been born to wield. It was a difference feeling than the accomplished satisfaction of developing his own, but in essence, they held similar value.

It was coming along so fast, he could barely contain the growing sense of pride within himself, an emotion he didn't usually deal with. Quelling it as best as he could, he envisioned the breeze gathering around him in a bubble, swirling and maintaining itself. Just so, the light formed that same golden bubble, catching Nessa within it's boundaries. Aven opened his eyes, to see the previously dreary world through a golden lens. His mouth gaped slightly, completely in awe. He'd done it!

Though the light of the bubble, a change could be seen occurring around them. Life was returning to the scenery, grass beginning to sprout over the hills, trees budding and growing on the previously devastated landscape. The fortress, of course, still emanated that dark energy, but it's power began to wane in the presence of Aven's light. It seemed that, because it was Aven's own spirit, his light had immense sway over the condition and status of the space. It became all too clear to Aven what needed to be done, as life struggled to rise to it's full potential around them, achieve it's true beauty. The evil needed to be purged, and the confidence to do so was fast on his heels.

Aven rose to his feet, the golden bubble still swirling around them. He gave Nessa a big smile. "You're such a good teacher, Nessa! We can delve more into this later, but for now, I think it's time to finish what we came for." Aven knew exactly what they would do, a magic coding from his various Circle Magic projects returning to his mind. He'd been working on a wide range magic, but he hadn't found a catalyst that could accomplish it well until now.

Aven walked silently alongside Nessa as they approached the fortress. It was ominous in appearance, not only it's aura, the decaying structure all too real around them as the gate shut on it's own. He didn't sense any magic enacted on it, rather, it must have been a manifestation of his resolve to end the matter, to free himself. It was high time to kick the evil out of his spirit, and if it had to be a physical kick, so be it.

Before them, the malicious energy congealed, forming a body both of them had seen before: a large muscular frame, nearly eight feet tall, with black leathery skin and crimson runes glowing, etched into it's chest and arms. The demon wore a malicious grin. "You've finally arrived to surrender your body, have you, little Wizard? Not surprising, you never have been any good at your job, losing time and time again to Dark Wizards. About time you just gave up, I was getting impatient!" He stretched, before firing a massive beam of dark energy from his palm, which dissipated harmlessly on their golden bubble.

Aven shook his head. "Not this time, Hac'hal. I don't need you or your power ever again!" He raised his hands to the sky, and focused as hard as he could, every fiber of his will pouring into his desire to destroy Hac'hal. He could never move on, and be a Wizard that sought to better the world, if he harbored such an evil force within him. A house divided cannot stand, and he was determined to stand for quite some time. A golden magic circle manifested above the fortress, parting the clouds as it did, and began to glow steadily brighter, before stopping. Aven gritted his teeth, a growing emptiness in his gut alerting him an insufficient magic power for the spell. It was likely he had enough energy to cast it were he practiced in the art, but as of the moment, the circle was imperfect, and was draining far more than would usually be required.

At the same time, Hac'hal fired off another two blasts, one after the other from his hands. The first dissipated on the bubble, but the second burst it, leaving them wide open. Hac'hal cackled, as he summoned an orb of energy as big as a house. "Correction, puny wizard: I don't need you anymore!" With that, he hurled the mass of energy at them, the ground between breaking apart as it traveled. Aven was at a loss, what could he do? His energy was all be funneled into his new spell, Radiance, he couldn't summon another shield if he tried. He closed his eyes, trusting with all his heart: Nessa could handle it, no, she would handle it!

Nessa's WC: 298
Nessa's Total: 3126

Hac'hal cursed as he flew backward from the impact, his wings unfolding and keeping him from hitting the ground. "Wretched human, you'll meet the same fate as Aven!" The hair on the back of Aven's neck bristled at the threat. Somehow, it made him so much angrier that Hac'hal was threatening her than when he'd threatened Aven himself. Even if she'd been dragged into it, he wouldn't allow Nessa to get hurt on account of his personal fight. In response to his passion, the circle above them brightened considerably, growing in power until it was almost difficult to look at.

Aven's brow furrowed in concentration, the spell was finally ready! He stared directly at Hac'hal, making fierce eye contact with the demon that had infested him for so long. "Goodbye." The single word was all he thought appropriate: to be honest, the demon's form had helped him on several occasions, it really had become a part of him in some way, so to dismiss that would be a lie. Still, it was time to move on. With a simple gesture, a pillar of light beamed down on the fortress, fully enveloping the area. To Nessa and Aven, the light manifested as a warm caress, and even though it was nearly blinding, it did not hurt to keep their eyes open. Hac'hal, however, was not so lucky, his body disintegrating before them almost instantly. For a moment, his form appeared as that of a human, in spectral form, a small boy with brown hair and green eyes, who waved with a smile, as if saying, 'Thank you', before disappearing.

When the light faded, they were standing in Magnolia once more, as though nothing had happened. Aven glanced around, a grin forming on his face. "We did it, Nessa! We won..." Suddenly, Aven became woozy, and staggered backward, his eyes drooping. That last attack had taken all of his remaining magic power, but it had been worth it.