Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Time's Wheel ❯ Ch.17: Interlude ( Chapter 18 )

Dragon Lady

Time's Wheel

Ch.17: Interlude

Disclaimer: … MINE

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Relecos: Heaven's Gate

Aine stares up at the two stone pillars stretching up towards the heavens, their surface carved with runes that are glowing slightly in the fading light. On each pillar there are three slots, each meant to hold the golden medallions Riem had made to serve as keys. Between the two pillars was a tall silver door, a Celtic triple knot carefully carved onto its surface. It was strange to look at, a gate sitting on the edge of the human and demon realms on a lone island in the middle of nowhere.

"Riem, it's beautiful," she says softly, enchanted by the sight of the gate.

Riem turns around and smiles at her. "I suppose, but it's not built to be beautiful, it's built as an escape."

Iain nods and walks closer. "So, where exactly is this thing supposed to take us, and what will happen once we go through."

"Normally, the gate will take you to anyplace you can think of, or to whom you can think of, but in our case, since we don't know exactly where we want to go, it will be completely random. As to what happens once we go through, I will take the keys with me." Riem holds out six medallions, each carved with a different symbol on the back and front. "Without these keys, the gate can never be opened again. Once these keys are in place, they will open for us, but when I step through, I will gather them to me again before the gate closes."

Riem steps up to the pillars and begins placing the medallions into the slots, all but one, which he keeps in his hand.

"What about that one Riem, how come that one isn't going in with the rest?" Iain asks, staring at the talisman with a Phoenix on one side and an I Ching on the other.

"This is kind of an emergency key. In order to open the door, it would take either the other five keys working together, or this one alone, but this one will never leave my pocket if I can help it. Anyway, it's about time we were on our way, I don't want to be standing here all…"

An angry howl rises from the west, moving closer to the three companions. Against the background of a setting sun, a hoard of demons rides toward them, bright eyes gleaming in the coming darkness. They come by air, sea, and land, moving in one group, with one force.

"Damn, we've wasted too much time here, they've found us already!" Riem raises his arm and the five talismans, which he had just placed into their slots, return to his outstretched hand. After returning them to his pocket, he unsheathes his sword, the metal humming softly as it brushes up against the scabbard. "Under no circumstances are they to have these talismans, if they take them, there is no telling what they will do with them!"

Aine and Iain nod in agreement, following Luc's lead and removing their weapons, preparing for a fight that they can not possibly hope to win. The three watch calmly as the hoard moves toward them at a rapid speed, a blur of glowing eyes, horns, glittering claws, and membranous wings.

Finally, the small army comes to a stop and a wolf demon comes out to greet the companions. His grin is wide and feral, long, pointed, canines accenting it. His white hair is loose and swirling around his body, dog-like ears positioned on top of his head (okay, think Inuyasha here, and you've got a pretty good picture). His clawed hands curve around a long scimitar, a sword stained in the blood of his thousands of victims.

"Neka," Riem mutters, the word coming out as a harsh curse.

The wolf demon steps forward, looking at Riem with a cold, unyielding stare. "Riem, it appears I've arrived just in time. Now just give me the keys and I will let you go." His grin widens as his gaze shifts to Aine and Iain. "These humans however, will be staying with me. I have no use for the boy, but the girl however; she could amuse me for awhile."

Riem's grip on his sword tightens, his knuckles turning white. "Where you always this big of a bastard Neka, or did it just happen gradually."

Neka shrugs. "I was born this way, my mother hated it, but enough games already, it's time to go back to business. Are you going to surrender Riem, or am I going to have to use force?"

Riem steps forward, about to voice his answer when a restraining hand falls on his shoulder. Iain comes up to stand beside him, something clenched tightly in his right hand. "I will not let you destroy us. I will destroy you all before you even get the chance to draw blood."

Iain opens his palm to reveal a black talisman, the disk glowing faintly in a soft, violet light. He raises it above his head and his form is engulfed in dark energy.

"Iain no! Don't! You do know what you are unleashing!" Riem's face drains of color, watching as the evil leaks from the talisman that he had confined it in. When he realizes that there is nothing else he can do, he runs toward a stricken Aine and grabs her, throwing up a shield of light around them both, hoping that whatever dark power that had been unleashed would spare them.

Violet light sears through the army of demons, their cries echoing through the darkness, the power of pure evil too great, even for them. Riem's body buckles as the power hits his shields and he struggles to keep them up, even as he feels them beginning to crumble. Aine's arms tighten around his neck and Riem takes her hand in his, squeezing it tightly.

Finally, the power vanishes and Riem is able to release the shield. The two rise and stare at the destruction their friend had left in his wake. The demon hoard, which had stood before them with such malice, is gone now, nothing more than scorched earth left where they had been standing. Riem looks around, searching for Iain, even though he knows what has happened, knows that he is gone. The only thing that stands on the island now is the gate, the cursed thing that had started it all.

Riem feels a tugging at his sleeve and turns to look at Aine, who is staring up at the sky in awe. She points upward and Riem follows her finger toward the heavens and gasps in surprise. Three of the moons above them are know in pieces, debris falling from the sky like shooting stars, celestial tears crying for what has been lost and what is now assuredly a doomed future.

"Oh, Goddess," Riem whispers under his breath. "What have I done? What horror have I unleashed upon this world?"

Strong arms wrap around him from behind and he feels Aine's face burying into his back. "What do we do now?" she whispers, her voice muffled and choked with tears.

Riem stares at the only thing left on the island, the gate. "We make sure that this gate can never be opened again. We must hide these keys, making sure that it can never find them, for if it does, there is no telling what havoc it will reek."

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