The Moonlit Graveyard

[PandArsonist]

The Moonlit Graveyard was formerly known as the Moonlit Ruins. However, after the disappearance of Naru and his followers 15 years ago, the landscape changed drastically. It is said that these ruins, once sacred to Naru before his transformation into the Master of Darkness, altered themselves at that time. Other rumors have recently surfaced that the last traces of Naru are hidden here, and that should anyone find them, they'll receive traces of his once massive power. However, just as it was 15 years ago, the Moonlit Graveyard exists only in certain conditions, and can only be found by a select few; thus it is rare indeed for anyone to be able to locate them, and even more rare for someone to have the power to enter them.  

[PandArsonist]

Zero looked around cautiously as he entered the place that had assumed that, until now, existed only in rumors. but it seemed that his research had paid off; this area certainly reeked of both darkness and traces of good Intentions. A smile crossed Zero's face as he thought back to the stories he had heard of the man who had once been the Master of Darkness. He had created this area as a place of training for his first follower, back when he was just a traveling mage; a visitor from a different realm. He had imbued his spirit within the ruins, but as he became tainted and corrupted, so had this once sacred place. Afflictions and Horrors and minor Nightmares ran frequently through this land now, and they would make great training targets. For though this place was born of dark energy and magic, it was not inherently evil; rather, it was simply a state of being.
Zero looked up to the sky, smiling as he saw the full moon casting it's glow upon him, encasing him in it's light. "Tonight...Tonight I shall train. Tonight I shall discover what it was that gave Naru's first disciple his power. And then, perhaps I shall be closer to inheriting the power I need to achieve my own goals..."  

[PandArsonist]

In the darkness of the ruins-turned-graveyard, Zero had been busy. Ever since he had arrived, Elemental Shard has been gathering and attacking the intruder. Some in tiny swarms, some coming together to form makeshift golems, and some simply flying towards him as bolts of elemental energy. Wave after wave he fended them off, adapting his battle tactics to suit the situation. The shadow elementals, he simply blasted away with his own Light energy., and the others he quickly dealt with, using his staff. Despite SpellReaver being weak still, it's inherent abilities proved useful against some of the more diverse elemental shards. However, just as Zero felt that he had dealt with all the shards, he sensed something a bit more dangerous looming, coming slowly closer.  

[Awesome Sensei]

"Here we are Venustas!" Circling around the area, Lethe looked at the ground beneath him. It was so close, his dream, his purpose for life.

"Dig up this grave. This one, right here. Ya ya hurry up will ya?" He was growing impatient as he started smacking the gravestone.  

[Evol Bear]

♫Of course I'm beautiful.♫

"What is the meaning of this?" Looking at the gravestone, Venustas frowned and her wings twitched, the feathers shuddering against each other. She knew she didn't have much choice, so slowly, she knelt down and began to dig the grave away.

This is ridiculous. There has to be some kind of great meaning beneath this grave. Her hands were getting covered in dirt that also got beneath her fingernails. It seemed she had reached the end of the digging process and she rose slowly. Venustas glared at Lethe. "Will you tell me what I have just done?" Her eyes were quivering, fear filling them despite the glare.

♫Just as an angel should be.♫

 

[Awesome Sensei]

"Good good!" The creature floated to the bottom, where a pure white coffin lay. The sarcophagus before him was devoid of dust, even after the fifteen years it had laid there. "Here lies. . .the child of Teran and Byakuren. . . and the spawn of origin. Holding the strength of the creature!" Running into the grave, the child within was silent, but tears strolled down its eyes, as it looked like a normal baby. The floating ball had no mouth before but now it opened up large white teeth which began to eat the baby, that did no resistance besides its crying. As Lethe slowly devoured the child, bones and everything, he was growing in strength. After the child was completely devoured, he moved up towards the woman.

"Thank you . . .would you like to find a genesis? Well. I promised to tell you. I am a genesis. I am the origin of the feelings within the forest, and can create negative feelings. But now. . . I am above that, because in my simple few days of life, I have grown to the strength of Teran, or even Origin! I am superior to Origin, with beauty a body and . . ." Moving back and forth, his body formed, into its magnificent black skin, silver eyes, and wings of bone. "I had planned to steal yours, but I like this better." He moved away.

"By the way, you should probably pick up Ruo, we left him alone. The angels might have killed him by now."  

[Evol Bear]

♫Of course I'm beautiful.♫

"No!" Venustas screamed angrily as Lethe suddenly began devouring the child. "No no no!" Her voice was loud enough to be heard from far away, her seething body tensing, her wings expanded. It was all too late.

"Teran. . .? Byakuren. . .?" She had heard the names before but they had meant little to her. Venustas was suddenly silenced as she fell to her knees before this new dark lord. Another innocent being had perished because of her, and this time she couldn't avenge them because she lacked the strength. "No. . ." Her lips formed the word but it refused to make a sound. She was trembling so much that she couldn't comprehend the situation.

Then as this beast mentioned Ruo and the angels that were possibly attempting to avenge their fellow angel, she rose again. Nothing but anger consumed her as she stared deep into the eyes of the monster.

"You will pay. I promise."

Without another word, Venustas turned and with one powerful motion in her wings, she took flight back to Ruo.

[exit back to wide open sky]

♫Just as an angel should be.♫

 

[PandArsonist]

As Zero defeated the last of the elementals that had been gathering, a dark force had been building, and increasing in power, and yet, for every elemental that had been defeated, 2 more seemed to take its place. A deep darkness emanated from the center of this force, and slowly, it took shape and form. As Zero fought, he noticed something. It seemed that with each elemental that he defetaed, the source of the darkness grew stronger and stronger, almost as if it was being nourished and fed through the darkness being wrought. Still, Zero fought on, only partially aware of what his actions were doing. he knew that defeating the elementals was causing the force to grow, but he did not know how or why, or what it truly was. All he could detect, was its intention to destroy, to ravage, to kill, and to claim. A hundred elementals had met their end by the time the Darkness had assumed a basic shape, two hundred by the time that the shape had refined itself into a vague outline of a figure. Three hundred elementals marked the introduction of a will to the creature being formed, and then, when five hundred had met their demise, Zero could clearly detect a consciousness behind the whatever it was that had now manifested before him. The being appeared to be a man, though long robes covered the body and hid its face, so Zero could not be sure if it was man, demon, or something else entirely. It raised a hand and snapped it's fingers though, and a flash of dark energy flooded the area, stopping all the elementals in their tracks. The being gazed down at Zero, and spoke. "You...Wielder of the Light. What is your name, what is your purpose here?" The words the being spoke came out with an aura of power wrapped around them, and Zero felt instantly compelled to reply, so much so that he felt his life might shatter if he dared to refuse. And yet, something seemed so familiar about this being. As if Zero ahd been searching for it his entire life.
"My name is Zero. And I seek the relics of Naru, that I might obtain a portion of the power that made him so great, so that I might shape my own destiny, just as he once did. And if at all possible, I seek to resurrect him, that I might learn from him, and grow ever stronger."
The figure looked down at Zero and smiled, sending a terror beyond belief straight through to Zero's very core. "Funny. You say it is the power Naru, Master of Darkness that you seek. So very rare it is, in this world, for one to ever find exactly what they are looking for. And yet...You have done so much more than that. Behold! Standing before you, is the very one they once called Master of Darkness. Tell me, Zero. Are there any that stand to challenge this title?" The being reached up and pulled down his hood, and almost instantly, lightning began strike down from the heavens, as if removing the hood were a sin against the earth, that the god themselves dared to punish. But none of the strikes managed to reach anywhere close to either man; all they did was provide light. Light that revealed this strange being to be exactly whom he claimed to be. The years had done nothing to alter his appearance, and Zero paled as he gazed upon the very man he had for so long dreamed of learning from, despite the odds.
"No, Lord Naru, there are none that stand to challenge you. And should you accept me as your apprentice and follower, I shall devote my life to making sure that none ever shall. Permit me, and I will spread the word of your return. All I ask is or your training."
Naru smiled, he felt, of all the possible things, more powerful then he had ever been. And this young mage in front of him had much potential, especially given that he was a user of Light. Oh, this would be very fun indeed. "Very well, Zero. But you need not depart so soon. Times have changed, I am sure. And if I am back, then so might be some of my old...acquaintances. Let us return to the city, where the end once began." Naru looked around, very much aware of the Elementals that had still been gathering. he felt like showing off a bit of power, as well as testing himself, to make sure he still had it. He moved to the middle of the clearing, hovering just above Zero, and gestured that Zero should pay close attention, which he did. A dark gray glow surrounded Naru as he outstretched his arms, and mentally targeted every last elemental, a grand total of one thousand by this point in time. "From beyond the realm of life and death, and past the veil of Oblivion. It is my decree that your existence must come to an end! INFERNAL DEMISE!" With that, Naru cast his most powerful spell, one that annihilated all of the elementals in a matter of moments. The sheer number of targets left Naru a bit weak, but it's effect had been made clear on Zero: Naru was still a being of immense power, and any that dared cross him would be sorry, if they were fortunate enough to even survive the encounter. A few moments later, Naru had regained his spent energy, and wordlessly motioned for Zero to follow him. Slowly and without words, they made their way back to the city of Ethral.