The battle raged on as everyone on the base scrambled to evacuate. Dr. Borg and her followers continued causing chaos as Oyed dueled Elgrad. “Your child’s on life-support!” snarled Oyed.
“And you’re not taking her off it!” replied Elgrad.
“Give it up! She’s been a vegetable for half a year! I thought it was kindness to pull the plug!”
“I am NOT sentencing Arsha to death!” Oyed then decked Elgrad into a wall.
“I was under the impression,” he purred, “that medical law requires comatose people to be taken off life support after a certain amount of time had passed. You’re breaking a law to satisfy your own ends; some King you are!” Elgrad didn’t respond. He just resumed slashing at Oyed. “Mister, it was Arsha who caused me pain, both physical and (as of late) mental. So, be a good little King and step aside!” Still no response outside of sword-swinging, trying to kill him dead. “Fine then, I guess Hanako’s gonna be a widow as well as a grieving mother!” Oyed began attacking more ferociously.
Arsha still stayed in bed, breathing normally. Inside her head, she was at a fjord near the sea. She and her lovers were happily laughing and enjoying life. She was leading them on a merry chase, her skirts slowing her down even as they were hitched up, not that she didn’t want to be caught. Foresna managed to catch her, then Falnii got both of them, then Malnar, then Lardeth, and finally Gorfanth. They all fell to the ground laughing. As the wind blew over them, Arsha looked to her lovers. “This is perfect,” she sighed.
“Like a waking dream,” replied Lardeth. Just then, explosions of light lit up the sky.
“Look! Fireworks!” called Falnii.
“…A new addition,” remarked Arsha. She then grinned at her lovers. “I bet you guys can’t catch me!”
“Oh, I bet we can!” challenged Malnar. Arsha then sprang up and resumed the chase. Her lovers then followed her around the fjord.
Outside her mind, the Endeavor was continuing the evacuation. Thangred, Elmar, and Orthena oversaw the equipment being moved. “No, no, over HERE!” snapped Orthena. The Pixie then moved his load to the right location. “Now put that one over here!” Elmar then interjected his opinion.
“That would fall too easily! Bring it over here!” The ship then rocked. Thangred then made his way to the intercom.
“Cargo bay to bridge! What’s happening?!”
“The Scorpion just decloaked!” explained Denstra. “It’s firing on us!”
“Well, that’s gonna make the evacuation interesting!”
“Where’s Arsha?!”
“Too many Trinnies are getting between us and the people trying to move her!” called Rellmeer as she ran up to the comms.
Inside Arsha’s head, she was at a fjord near the sea. She and her lovers were happily laughing and enjoying life. She was leading them on a merry chase, her skirts slowing her down even as they were hitched up, not that she didn’t want to be caught. Foresna managed to catch her, then Falnii got both of them, then Malnar, then Lardeth, and finally Gorfanth. They all fell to the ground laughing. As the wind blew over them, Arsha looked to her lovers. “This is perfect,” she sighed.
“Like a waking dream,” replied Lardeth. Just then, explosions of light lit up the sky.
“Look! Fireworks!” called Falnii.
“…A new addition,” remarked Arsha. Just then, the waters at the shore of the fjord shook as if a stone was thrown into them. “…And that.”
“An addition?” asked Malnar. “It’s always been this way, hasn’t it?”
“Yeah, we’ve always…always…Gorfanth, kneel down for a minute.” Gorfanth was confused but did so. Arsha then moved across his front until she matched his horns to a pair of rocky protrusions coming out of the fjord’s middle. Arsha then realized what was going on. “…No. …No, not here!” She then saw a small scene on the beach. It was a smaller version of the fjord, but it looked like the rocks were tumbling away to reveal small versions of Arsha’s lovers. As they rose, an even smaller Arsha was facing a demonic version of her. “…It is! This is all a dream!” Arsha collapsed and sobbed. Her lovers’ images then knelt to her.
“I’m sorry,” sighed Falnii, “but the Final War isn’t over. Oyed hurt you so bad that your mind went to a loop of your ideal day with us. Arsha, we’re simply not real and neither is the fjord.” Arsha continued crying in frustration.
“Why couldn’t I have kept this scene up?!” she demanded. “Why did I have to figure out it was all a dream?!”
“And who’s to say that you can’t make this dream a reality?!” asked Gorfanth.
“Who’s to say I can with Oyed around?!”
“Who’s to say Oyed needs to be around?” asked Foresna.
“Arsha, think about the real versions of us,” urged Malnar. “Do you think they’ll want you to stay in this dream forever?”
“You’re probably hooked up to a life-support machine in the real world,” supplied Lardeth. “You have to admit, that’s no way to live.”
“And Oyed won’t rest until the Realms are dead,” reminded Falnii, “including your family.” Arsha’s sobbing softened until it stopped. It was then her face contorted into rage.
“Oyed…Oyed…NOT ONE FINGER ON THEM, OYED!” roared Arsha. The scene then faded, and a bright light filled her vision.
The fight between Elgrad and Oyed continued, although Elgrad was starting to tire out. “Frail feeble human!” growled the Titan. “How you managed to become dominant is beyond me! When I’m done with the Realms, I’ll create a new one! A new world that only understands bounty, not poverty!”
“A world without change!” panted Elgrad.
“A world where everyone knows their place.”
“A world I would hate!”
“Me too, Daddy!” called a voice. Elgrad and Oyed then turned to see a figure approaching them. It soon became clearer as the figure stepped forward. The shape was a woman’s, the ears were foxlike and pointed, the skin was Elgrad’s tone, her hair was done up in a pony-tail, and nine, long, fluffy tails came from her waist through the hospital gown. Her slit-shaped pupils directed her glowing yellow eyes to Oyed. Her face was contorted into a snarl. “You got the jump on me last time! I won’t be so off-guard again!”
“ARSHA!” cheered Elgrad. Oyed laughed and tossed Elgrad aside.
“Then I shall make sure I do the job properly!” chuckled the Destroyer. Arsha snapped her fingers, and her armor replaced her gown. Mithril mesh-mail and arcanium plating enveloped her as her helmet’s visor was raised.
“Come! Let’s dance!” Arsha lowered her visor and the two combatants charged at each other!