Swan Song

The Unquiet Grave Part 2

Vanitas was gradually pushing his opponents back. Nimue was the most exhausted, and barely able to stand up.

Robin realized the angel was looking to kill the water elemental first, and used her as a distraction. When Vanitas' attention was no Nimue, Robin flew up from behind him, put her palm against his back, then blasted him away.

The impact was enough to make the already unstable wall collapse. As it shattered into rubble, Robin suspended herself, Lock and Nimue mid-air, hoping the impact from the wall would crush Vanitas. All around Camelot, the walls caved in, completely demolishing the houses near them, as well as further shaking the rest of the city. Once the rubble had all fallen, the three landed on top of it, but not before Robin gently blew the dust away.

"Is it over?" Nimue asked, and Lock had to bite back the insult that formed on his tongue.

"Of course not," he said, then heard the elemental gasp.

He turned to her, and immediately saw the blade of Excalibur sticking out of her chest. It twisted, and Nimue gave another pained yelp, then turned into a puddle on the ground, revealing Vanitas behind her. The effect on the world of Azteca was immediate, the results of both the earth and the water elemental showing themselves at once. The sky went from red to a pure white, as though it had disappeared entirely, and the sun's warm glow became cold, its color going from yellow to black. Plant life died all over the realm as the lands became infertile, turning the world into a sunless desert.

Somewhere away from the ruins of Camelot, a hidden passage opened from the now soft earth, and the city's citizens started shuffling out, accompanied by the knights who'd managed to survive both the dark pixie dust and the collapsing of the wall.

Vanitas smiled darkly, extending his hand toward Robin. "Only you now, sister."

"Don't call me that," the girl snarled, kicking a gust of wind his way. The fallen angel grew a pair of black wings and flew out of the way, completely unharmed. Once in the air, he spread his arms, looking at the perversion of the sun.

"I quite like this look. Perhaps I'll make the new world like this once this is all gone. I can feel myself getting stronger and stronger as the darkness approaches." He gestured toward the people of Camelot, Ted among them. "They fear me." He then gestured toward himself. "This boy fears me." He nodded at Robin. "You fear me." Finally, his gaze landed on Lock, who glared right back. "You remain stubborn."

"I see nothing to fear," the boy replied. "You're a joke."

Vanitas swung Excalibur, its power traveling through the air toward Lock, who managed to create a block of ice in front of himself just in time. It shattered, and he had to take a few steps back, but he survived. As he regained his footing, he caught a glimpse of Allen, who was running at him, a screaming Arthur yelling something at the knight.

"Ah, there's the fear," Vanitas commented, landing on the ground. "You fear that I'm going to kill your man, don't you?" Arthur was running after Allen now, still screaming something, but Lock couldn't make him out. Vanitas effortlessly jumped out of the way as the knight tried to slash him from behind, and Allen ran toward Lock. Arthur froze some distance back, not daring to approach the angel.

"You're safe," Lock muttered, and Allen felt a great deal of his anger slip away. He'd been angry at Lock for what he'd done to the fairy army, but that anger, like everything else bad about the world, seemed to subside when he was in the other's presence.

"If I don't make it out of here," Allen started glumly, "go find my mother, please."

Lock titled his head in surprise. "What are you-"