The Red Moon Always Shines

Chapter 58: Brother magic

Lady War looked out at the people gathered before her, fighters and non-fighters looking up at her with determination in their eyes. They for sure weren't the deadliest army she'd led or seen, but they were the most determined, "Listen up mortals and listen well, today is the day we strike!" By her side Monres stood proud, head high as he loomed by her side, "We are going to wherever Fallacy is and we're killing them, getting your little friend back. Now remember you all, this is not like your own world. If you die, then you will not come back," her eyes hardened as she said the last sentence, "so. Don't. Die." Scattered nods answered her, most keeping still and just watching with hard faces. "A battle is no game, so if you treat it like one then don't expect to live long." Satisfied with that she walked away from the center, motioning for Conquest to take it from there.

"As my sister said, this will be a fight that's do or die, and we will fight. You all already know about the deal with the sword, so I will not have to go over that, but we still need to go over the last of our plans." He looked down at all of them, "My siblings and I will fight the masses, you all will focus on the main ones."

"Why?" Asked Doc, his new armor shining in the sunlight, "Wouldn't it make sense for you, the five most powerful out of us, to be the ones to go for the big ones?"

"How big do you think Fallacy's army is?" Wondered Conquest, looking the creeper in the eyes."

The hybrid didn't falter under his look, to the surprise of the horseman, "I do not. But I'm assuming big?"

"Massive." Conquest confirmed coolly. "And since this Hill's person is a Shadow, we're pretty sure there might be more. We can handle them in masses, you can not. This is the safest way we can fight with the smallest chance of losing anyone."

There were no more arguments after that about who would fight who.

The group of Hevoits (Mumbo picked and after hearing it Lady War wouldn't allow him to change it to something else) were then allowed to go have a meal before they leave, their last meal, Famine had joked, which had earned her an elbow in the ribs from Death.

"The day is finally here." Iskall said, drumming his fingers against the table, "We can finally save him!"

"Then the easy part will be done," Joe agreed, taking a sip of his water, "Then comes the long road to getting better."

"Right," agreed EX bitterly, lips pulled back into a sneer, "I'm so beating the shit out of Fallacy's dead corpse, after all the trauma they will have caused I feel like that's the least of what they deserve."

Calls of agreement echoed around the table, some even adding onto what they wished to do to the snake once they got their hands on them. All the while Iagos, Antlia, and Liz we're quietly talking to each other.

"So it's almost over, huh?" Chuckled Liz, eyes looking at the top of her hand, "Soon everything will be worth it."

"Not everything." Hissed Antila bitterly, dark green eyes glaring holes onto the table, "He didn't deserve it."

"Orion made his choice, Tila, and maybe it wasn't one with a good end, but he fought for himself." Soothed Iagos.

"He shouldn't have died!" She cried, silencing the room around her, "He had so much more to do, to live for! But the idiot got himself killed and now what? I've lost my brother, and Pa has lost yet another child! But we shouldn't have! He didn't need to do it, he couldn't do it, but he still did!"

She let out a sob, tears spilling down her cheeks, days worth of pent up grief splilling out, "It's not fucking fair!"

A scoff was heard from the doorway, "Welcome to life kid." All eyes turned to Famine, the one who had walked in, "The world is out to kill you, so there is no way anything will ever be fair."

"Are you disrespecting Orion's death?" Hissed Liz, claws digging into the table.

She huffed out a breath, "I mean nothing ill with my words, but I'm saying that not everything will go like you want, and at times like these you'll do good to remember it." She walked by the group, to retrieve a pile of blankets, before turning back and walking out. Once again she stopped at the door, "And kid, feel proud, your brother died a fighter, fighting for what he believes until he could no longer. Be proud of that." And then she was gone.

Seeing that Antalia was still worked up, even if Famine's words had helped calm her down a bit, Iagos and Liz escorted her up to her room, giving the rest of the group a wave on the way.

"Poor girl." Said Netty mornfully, "I can't imagine what losing a brother feels like."

"Be glad you don't," Doc muttered, "It is not nice."

"I'll take your word for it."

Slowly they left the table, until all who were left were Xisuma and EX. The two sat in silence for a few seconds, even after a long time of reconciling they still weren't fully there yet.

"Do you remember that old story Dad used to tell us?" Xisuma finally asked, "The one about the universe?"

"How could I forget?" Asked EX, face lighting up as he remembered the story he was told as a young kid, "'The universe was a mother to all of which is, as well as all that is not'"

"'Just like with the humanity it gave us, it showed its own humanity to its one and only child'"

"'It loved this creature it had made, just for itself to enjoy and cherish, but like any child, the son of the universe one day left home'"

"'No one truly happened to him, if he lived the life of a mortal, if he's still alive, or if he was long passed, but we do know he was the one to bring void beings the world'" X smiled as he finished talking, "Dad always showed the void magic he had, even if it wasn't much he was the first in generation so everyone always cheered when he did."

EX regarded his brother for a second before holding out his hand, inviting him to take it. Xisuma did so without hesitation, though he was wondering what his twin was doing. "Close your eyes and focus on light and the times you've felt love, only open them when I tell you too."

X gave a sound of understanding and did as asked, everything was still for a few seconds before until he felt a tingling feeling at the top of his. He wanted to open his eyes, but had said he wouldn't. Thank heavens EX told him to open his eyes, and as he did so he couldn't help but gape at the globe of light over their conjoined hands, "Did-did we make light?"

"We did!" Smiled EX, letting go of his brother's hand and letting the light die out, "Cool right?"

The brunette of the two nodded, "Yeah, so cool. But how could we do it?"

"I'm glad you asked!" Said EX, sitting prouder in his seat, "You see, the story didn't end there, and I managed to find the original! 'Whilst he brought the void he also brought the love of the universe, or as we now call it: magic. Magic, in its purest of forms, is love', and reading that got me thinking, since we are technically related to him, could we also use love as magic? And if this little test was anything to go by, we can!"

"That's so cool!" Awed Xisuma, gently tracing the hand where the light had been, "Do you think we could do it without each other's love?"

"One day maybe, but for now this is all we got." Hummed EX.

Outside a call came, battle time. The two raced out so fast both completely ignored the fact that they both agreed, outloud, that they now loved each other again. Both had forgiven the other, and had been forgiven in turn. They were getting better.

<This is out later then I'd wanted it to be, but sickness has been kicking my ass so I haven't had much luck. Anyways, next chapter might take a bit to make due to shit finally starting to really happen. Also somewhere in the future a bonus chapter will be up, it'll be before the net update so withing a week.

Anyways I'm going to bed now. So stay safe and have a wonderful time everyone! See you soon!>