The Sun & Moon

19

Silence filled the room as those left mulled over what just occurred.

"Why did Sprite go with Ikaris?" Makkari questioned with a frown.

"Because she loves him."

The group turned to Kingo. He blinked in surprise at their looks of confusion and/or shock.

"What? Was I the only one who picked up on that?" he said. His face then fell. "He really fooled all of us, didn't he? Karun, let's go."

He turned to the doorway, his valet following behind obedient. Murmurs of confusion rang out as the others looked around at each other.

"Wait, where the hell are you going?" Phastos frowned.

"I can't help you guys. I still think Ikaris is right," he admitted shaking his head.

"So that's it?" Phastos challenged walking forward, "You're just gonna follow him?"

Kingo sighed and shook his head. "It's not that simple. I love the people of this planet. But if we stop the emergence, we'd be stopping millions of other planets like this one from being formed. I can't be apart of that. I still have faith in Arishem, but I will not hurt any of you for my beliefs."

He turned again to continue on his way out. Makkari stopped him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"We need you." she signed forcibly.

"Even with my help, we're no match. It's Ikaris," Kingo sighed gesturing after him vaguely, "We can't beat him."

"Dessa could," Makkari stated.

Both of them turned as everyone else's eyes then shifted to the young woman leaning against the wall fiddling with her sleeve. She seemed a hundred miles away from them though, her eyes focused on nothing. Makkari walked over and put a hand on her arm. She turned to look at the speedster with a vacant look in her eyes. She then looked at Kingo.

"Go then," she said, her voice hollow, "We will not force you to do something your heart is not in."

He nodded slowly. Then he turned and continued out of the room. Karun paused, however, turning to the leftover Eternals.

"Thank you for all that you've done for humanity," he said in Hindi, tears in his eyes as he looked at each one of them, "It's been a great honor. I will miss you all."

Druig nodded to the man with a small smile. They watched as Karun left.

"Look," Druig began once the man was out of sight, "If I'm gonna get myself killed fighting Ikaris, we'll need to have a backup plan."

"All of our powers, even if amplified, are not enough to kill a Celestial. Except for Dessa's of course," Phastos stated shaking his head.

"Unless you want the earth to become the newest star in this solar system, I would advise against trying that," Iridessa said with a small chuckle.

They smiled, more so at the fact that she was able to joke about her power so lightly than at the joke itself.

"Well, Sersi did turn a Deviant into a tree, so there's that," Druig replied.

Phastos, Makkari, and Iridessa turned to said Eternal with shocked expressions. She backed up a few steps, a look of uncertainty appearing in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, you did what?" Phastos spluttered, "Were you just not gonna tell me that?"

"You've never been able to do that before," Makkari pointed out with a look of awe.

"I don't know how it happened," Sersi said shaking her head, "And I don't think I could do it again, okay?"

Druig's eyes softened as he read her mind. He could see her fear at her growing capability as well as the horror she felt at having killed something. Phastos, however, plowed right on with the idea of her killing Tiamut. This only seemed to freak her out more.

"It's okay, Sersi," Druig said calmly, looking up at her, "I've got this."

She nodded taking a shaky breath. She then turned and quickly left the room. Iridessa sighed leaning against the wall again. Druig stood and walked over to her, his hands moving to rest on her waist as he looked down at her.

"She can do this," Iridessa whispered.

"I know..." he nodded, "But I won't make her. She's scared to take a life."

"As anyone should be," she agreed softly.

He nodded once again. They lapsed into silence.

"Ikaris knows the plan," she said, keeping her voice low, "The minute we start, he's going to come after you."

"I know. But I've got you watching my back," he smirked.

She smiled back at him nodding.

"Try not to get too hot," he murmured kissing her head, "You're more in control when you stay relaxed."

"You don't have to worry about me," she laughed lightly, "I can handle myself."

He chuckled and kissed her gently. He then drew away entirely to leave her to her thoughts. She smiled at his retreating figure, but it began to slip as he got further away. She didn't have to be able to read minds to know his was in peril.

She could see it in the way he stood, the way he walked. He was trying too hard to feign nonchalance. He was freaking out just like the rest of them. And he knew very well that Ikaris could and would kill him if given the chance. She let out a breath, running a hand through her hair. She wouldn't let that happen.

Phastos finished up the bracelets and passed them around. They each stood in their respective places standing still as their armor formed over their bodies. The bands snapped into place on each of their wrists. They had a plan. They knew their roles. As they neared the emergence point, they moved into position.

"Been a long time since I've worn this," Iridessa hummed with a small smile.

Makkari and Sersi nodded, smiling too. The group that would go down joined hands and Makkari raced them to the surface of the active volcano where the emergence was occurring. Smoke spewed out of it signaling that it was near eruption. Iridessa knelt and pressed her hands to the ground. Taking a deep breath, she focused on drawing the heat toward herself. The smoke began to thin and the ground grew cooler.

"Time to put a god to sleep," Sersi breathed.

Druig and Makkari nodded. All three activated their bracelets. The bracelets began to whir and hum. Then a strange thread-like golden structure appeared around each of them. They began to rise into the air as the golden fibers created columns over their heads then joined together. A brain-like shape emerged.

Iridessa gasped softly as the same golden strings formed around her and she rose from her kneeling position to levitate like the others. Two more streams of golden energy came from the Domo and connected with the others. As more of them connected, the brain grew larger. A sphere formed around Druig as he drew in the others excess energy.

His eyes opened and took on their golden glow. Energy exploded out from him as he connected with it causing the ball of energy around him to expand so that it encased all four of them. The volcano became dormant entirely. Then a blast of celestial energy struck Druig, sending him crashing to the ground and breaking the connection. He groaned in pain as Ikaris flew down.

"I should have done this five centuries ago."