"W-wait!" Gwen stammered as Jason bolted out of the room. She reached forward out of habit, only to realize that her sister was unusually not at her side. "Ah..." she mumbled in fear. She quickly turned to Lea and grabbed onto the girl's arm. "Don't leave me! I... Please, I..." She lowered her voice to a near-whisper. "I don't want to be alone..."

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Mars narrowly dodged the angel's slash. It was thanks to the blade's shimmer, like a ray of starlight against the dark, that she could react in time. "Stop!" she shouted, but it was but a drop of diplomacy in a sea of rage. He swung and she dodged again, their dance of death completely unaware of the rest of the world.

The blue-green glow around the scythe's blade brought Silas back to his senses. When he came to, there was a stranger blocking the way to his opponent. The memories of his friend seemed a thousand miles away, drifting further still. When he realized this, he lowered his katana and it gradually de-materialized.

Mars breathlessly huffed in relief when Rei stepped in. She accepted her scythe and nodded. "Okay." Then she stepped ahead of Rei toward Silas and extended the scythe sideways with one hand. The two of them stared in silence as they caught their breath. At last she spoke up. "Hold onto this for me."

"I'm sorry," Silas said. With palms toward the sky he accepted the weapon. Mars shook her head.

"I should be saying that," she insisted. She watched curiously as Silas touched his palm to the flat part of the cutting edge. A current of kyanite blue joined the electric blue-green in helix aura that surged around the blade. One strand of cyan and one strand of kyanite. Just like their eyes, she thought to herself as she watched the unspoken greeting illuminate the vicinity. Briefly she wondered if he would do something rash, but a moment later the aura dimmed to its usual glow, albeit slightly calmer, and he removed his hand from the blade. Doesn't that hurt? she wondered as she turned to walk toward Arael. His eyes followed her like a hawk but he said no more.

"Let's go," she said to the youngster on the ground as she extended her arm toward him. "We need to get out of here."

Seamus blinked as she listened, thinking about how to navigate the situation without casualties. She needed Solias to leave now so she could shoo Mars & co. toward the shrine and get the little ones inside to safety, but she was careful not to make haste lest he catch on. "Is the little one really the only reason for your visit?" she asked.

YumeBott:

((Gaaah, I can't believe how long this took me ;~;))

Lea brought her arms around Gwen when she latched onto her arm, and tried to sooth her by gently running her hand over her hair. "I'll not leave you, Gwen." She murmured softly, petting her hair and slowly lowered the two of them to sit on the floor in hopes of soothing her.

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Rei stood quietly as she watched the three of them, Mars, Solias and Silas. She sighed in short relief as Mars extended her arm to Arael, who slowly reached for her in return and slowly stood with her help.

Rei turned to Solias as Seamus addressed the angel warrior, having no intentions in leaving Seamus.

Solias glanced to Seamus and nodded. "He is the only reason." He spoke calmly, lowering his weapon in hopes of showing that he meant them no harm.

"However, if I leave now.." He spoke, his words trailing a bit as he glanced off into the distance. They would have company regardless.

(( No worries c: I'm still here and happy to write ))

Gwen stumbled, lost in the dust of her racing thoughts until she found herself secure in Lea's hug. It was familiar and pacified a deep-rooted sense of grief and abandonment that would hijack her mind every so often. It was a feeling she couldn't trace back in memory, but it permeated her sense of self nonetheless. Gwen's momentary panic subsided in Lea's grip and she felt exhausted all of a sudden, but she also felt grounded and generally glad to be in good company. She turned her head to the side, outward from the safe haven hug and toward the window. Then she noticed the distant lights.

She had heard old stories of large-scale battles between the guardians and the shinigami. If it weren't for the state of affairs between the two factions, their picturesque descent might have felt more like a fairy tale rather than a nightmare.

"Lea," she whispered. "A-are those...Guardians?"

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Silas followed Mars's movement until she reached Arael. He felt hopeless, but refused to admit defeat. There was still time. Broken and alone my foot, he thought. Then, he noticed Jason take flight from the balcony a ways off and spark of courage re-ignited in his chest. He had failed over and over before, and he wasn't sure if he would have a second chance, but under the grace of the opportunity ahead he vowed to not go down without a fight.

"Are you sure?" Seamus replied. She didn't take her eyes off of Solias, but Mars got the hint and looked up.

"Shit," she swore under her breath. Then she raised her voice and habitually summoned her wings out of the shadows of the fading light. "What the hell is this?" she demanded. "You tell us to f**k off with one of your own so that you can sic reinforcements on us when we turn around?! Agh―forget it. Rei," she said as she turned to look at her companion. "We need to go fetch the little ones, we're not safe here. I can do it, I should be right back. If something happens, we can meet at the shrine, okay?"

Lea glanced up at the window as Gwen spoke and felt her blood run cold. If they were here.. Jason didn't stand a chance. She didn't know what she would do with herself if anything happened to him. "Yes Gwen, they are." She spoke softly. "We've to stay here until the others return." She said softly, despite herself.

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Solias turned to Seamus. "Go, Seamus. They were not sent on my accord, but the loss of the captain." He explained, stepping passed the shinigami and stood in front of her, his own wings open and his spear in his hand. "Take the children."

Jason's wings folded slightly as he landed near the group, having felt the energy of Seamus's voice as she turned to Solias. The angel child moved slightly to stand closer to Mars. He slowly approached and held his hand out. "Come. We'll keep you safe." He said softly, having a feeling those guardians were coming for him.

Arael glanced from Mars to Jason and slowly took his hand. Jason however, paused as soon as their hands touched as if energy had been shared with him. Arael's energy.

Rei turned to the two and took Arael's hand and glanced at Jason. He couldn't withstand their energy yet, and Arael didn't have much left.. "Jason." She said, snapping him out of his momentary daze. "Let's go back and get my sister, and your partner." She said, calling her wings from the shadows in a similar way Seamus had, and drew the angel child into her arms.

Jason shook his head and turned to Mars. "Not without Mars." He said.

Solias turned to them, stance as powerful as a true celestial guardian. "Go now, young ones. Your siblings will follow, i promise." He said.

Jason glanced at the guardian, then Seamus and Mars and nodded lightly. "They better." He said, taking flight as Rei did and followed her back to the treehouse.

Gwen remained quiet but struggled to quell her mind. Stray thoughts and what-ifs threatened to wander off to infinity. Gwen knew she was a hat trick in combat at best, and that was only if she could place an arrow or needle well and only on the off-chance that she could muster up the courage to inflict violence at all. She was a much better fly on the wall but at this rate there might not be a single wall left by the end of the night.

She turned her head back into Lea's embrace and let out a hopeless whimper. "I hope that's soon," she said.

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Mars grinned faintly when she heard Jason's retort. "Right behind you," she insisted as he took off, and she watched the figures ahead shrink out of earshot.

Seamus withdrew her sword. "It appears we are on the same side today," she said as the dull hum of the blade quietened as she tucked it away in the scabbard. Seamus nodded toward Silas briefly. "Don't delay," she insisted.

Silas nodded in return. He offered the scythe to Mars next to him. "I can't fly with this," he admitted. Mars reached for the handle and blinked in surprise when she realized that Silas never let go. She stared at him, and he stared at the handle, and a moment passed between them in awkward silence. Silas close his eyes at some point and then finally resolved to let go. Mars continued to watch him, distress clear in his furrowed brow, and an unfamiliar sense crept up her spine. Eyes shut, Silas turned abruptly, summoned his wings, and took off toward the cabin. Guilt, she thought as he left. This is guilt.

"Do you need assistance here?" Seamus asked toward Solias. "The others know the way out already."

Silas frowned when he heard her voice from behind. It was difficult for him to accept the idea that a lie could protect someone. It was clear as day in war to lie to your enemy, but for Seamus and Mars to betray that they wholly intended to follow the children was a stab in the back at best. Still, he wondered. If they hadn't said that, would Jason and the other shinigami have left without them? He pressed forward.

"Hey!" he called as he approached the crew and landed.

Lea didn't know what else to do other than offer Gwen comfort by holding her in her arms and praying their goddess for the safe return of the others.

It didn't take long for Rei and Jason to spot the tree house and Jason flew a head of the shingami carrying the weakened angel child. "Lea!" He called as he landed and rushed through the door.

"Gwen." He said as he found the two huddled together in a tight hug. "Don't be afraid, okay, Mars told us to come back with a couple of guests, and one of them needs medical attention. Now." He said, locking eyes with his partner before glancing at Gwen. "He's fading." He said softly.

Rei was usually better at dealing with an angel's source of energy, but with Arael, it was so much stronger, even in his fading state. Once landed, she turned to the guardian, Silas. "Do you wish to save him?" She asked simply.

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Solias turned to Seamus and Mars as the children took flight. "Join your siblings, both of you. I will talk to them, and even if they still wish to fight, I am of the higher ranks for a reason." He offered calmly.

"They will have to face treason for fighting with a celestial." He said quietly. "I will guard these parts, watch over the forest and river and see to it no Angel finds you or your brethren." He vowed softly, glancing at Seamus. "Let's bring to life the treaty of old, starting with me and you." He said calmly. The treaty before the angels and shinigami were forced to fight, before the celestial's were forced to sit and watch from above the clouds. "I wish not to see anymore bloodshed."