The Luna Legacy
Darkness Rising

One week ago

It was the morning after Atlas had run into Lotte again, the two headed out to the docks to catch the ferry to the Western Continent, but the docks had fallen silent. A lone ticket man was sat reading a book in the booth, by the entrance of the terminal. Atlas headed toward him to replace out what was going on.

"Excuse me" Atlas said as he approached.

"Hmm? Oh, hello" The ticket man mumbled.

"When is the next ferry to the Western Continent?" Atlas asked.

"They're all cancelled mate, sorry" The ticket man grumbled.

"Cancelled? Why?" Atlas was getting annoyed at the man by the point. The man sighed and put his book down.

"Pyre and Crystech are withdrawing from this continent, and that means they're taking everything with them" The ticket man replied, he pointed toward a nearby television screen and went back to reading his book.

Lotte looked over at the television screen, which was footage from the night before, showing dozens of large airships flying away from Rosefall.

"What is Rychard playing at?!" Atlas yelled, as he punched a wall, shattering a couple of the pristine tiles that lined the walls of ferry terminal building.

"Calm down Atlas!" Lotte said as she approached him. "We'll have to replace another way across..." she said as she sighed.

"Got any ideas? Because I don't" Atlas shrugged.

"There is one other nation that has airships powerful enough to cross the whole ocean" Lotte winked.

"Oh no" Atlas waved his hands in front of him, "No way" he added.

"Do you want to reach Pyre and reunite with your niece?" Lotte asked, pointing angrily at Atlas.

"Well, of course yeah..." Atlas replied.

"Then this is the only way" Lotte said, as she exited the terminal building, Atlas sighed and followed. The ticket man watched them leave and shrugged, and continued reading.

One week later.

The Imperial City of Aranei was bustling, the newly restored darkness had brought life back to the city. Two hooded figures walked across the main plaza in the city centre, which was decorated with a huge fountain in the centre, topped off with a statue of the First Emperor of Aranei.

One of the figures looked up and rolled his eyes, it was Atlas.

"Prick" Atlas grunted.

"Keep it down" Lotte shushed Atlas, and grabbed his arm, she and Atlas headed toward a nearby building, which used to belong to Crystech, but had been repurposed as an Imperial Airship Depot. Lotte handed Atlas a fake ID.

"You know I'm pretty famous right?" Atlas asked, with his eyebrow raised.

"Not as famous as you once was, old man" Lotte smirked.

The two approached the security gates, and handed their ID's to the guard by the gates, he looked closely at them both and shrugged.

"Go on through" The guard said, before yawning.

Atlas and Lotte headed into the depot, and toward a nearby airship. It was a small but powerful model, enough to get them to Pyre.

"I don't like this, this is too easy" Atlas said, as he looked around as they approached the airship.

"It's fine, it's going according to plan" Lotte smiled, the two reached the airship, but as they were about to board, the sound of someone clapping echoed across the whole depot, followed by the sounds of nearby guards saluting, Atlas looked back to where they had come from.

"We meet at last, Slaughterer of Skarlit Skies" Abyssia clapped as she neared the airship.

"And you are?" Atlas said, as he summoned his Celestial Blade.

"I am the new Empress of this fine nation, and it is good to make your acquaintance" Abyssia bowed as she approached.

"I somehow doubt that" Atlas said flatly, he motioned to Lotte to board the ship, she sneaked aboard.

"I have yearned to meet one of your kind in battle again for so long, Luna" Abyssia's smile turned to a frown. Atlas turned to Lotte.

"Go!" He shouted.

"What about you?" Lotte asked, as she got into the pilot's seat.

"Look after Roisin for me... I'll try to catch you up" Atlas frowned, Lotte sighed and nodded, she started up the airship and made a quick exit.

"Good, now I have you all to myself" Abyssia smiled as she summoned her Celestial weapon, two elongated katanas, burning with dark aether.

"Who are you, really?" Atlas asked as he prepared himself for battle.

"I am The First Emperor of Aranei, I am Death, I am War, I am the Headmaster of Abysial Academy, I am the Lord Chancellor of the Great Nation of Pyre, I am the Celestial Harbinger." Abyssia smiled as she introduced herself.

"So you're Andre Spectra" Atlas frowned.

"Yes" Abyssia said, "I take no joy in what I am about to do, I assure you" she continued.

"Then why the show?" Atlas shrugged.

"Because I have a role to play, for the people of this city" Abyssia sighed regretfully.

"I've never hurt you, and would never have gone out of my way to hurt you, so why do you wish to kill me?" Atlas pleaded.

"Because you would object, and get in the way" Abyssia frowned.

"In the way? I don't understand?" Atlas growled.

"Your niece... unlike you and her brother, she has not been corrupted by this world, I seek to... convince her to join me" Abyssia explained.

"Join you in what exactly?" Atlas gripped his sword tightly.

"In killing my sister, Lumina" Abyssia sighed.

"I think she's already got that idea in mind, you don't need to take her to do that" Atlas shrugged.

"It's what comes after that you will oppose" Abyssia replied.

"Oh yeah?" Atlas growled.

"With Lumina gone, darkness would threaten to consume this star..." Abyssia began.

"No... you can't..." Atlas yelled, at last realizing Abyssia's endgame at last.

"So in her place, I would make Roisin the new Celestial Harbinger, her mind yet unpolluted by the darkness of man, she would be a fair ruler until the end of days." Abyssia revealed. Atlas screamed and charged at Abyssia, in one swipe of one of her blades, she flung him across the room.

Atlas got back to his feet and readied himself for battle.