Sanctuary

Nevall returned through a small rift to his hidden HQ, where he was holding Abyssia and Araneia. As soon as he'd stepped through the portal he heard Abyssia.

"I swear to the Gods, I'll kill you! I'll end you!" She roared.

"Yes! Let that anger consume you!" Nevall laughed with glee as he danced around the room.

"Calm down, Abyssia... don't take the bait" Araneia whispered.

"Hah!" Nevall laughed as he stopped and looked down at the two. "I have an idea!" He smirked. Abyssia gave him a glare of death.

"Not interested" Araneia shrugged.

"You see, little Araneia, you do not have a choice in the matter" Nevall smirked as he knelt down to Araneia. "I control the path of this star and all bend to my will, even the Senior Partner's themselves" Nevall declared.

"I highly doubt that" Araneia shook her head.

"I'll prove it, in... hmm, let's say a minute, you will kill Abyssia with your own hands" Nevall cheered with glee as he jumped in the air.

"Not gonna happen" Araneia said as she looked at Nevall. Nevall laughed as he released her binds.

"I'm sorry, darling, it has to be, the winds of fate dictate that it must" Nevall winked. Araneia began walking toward Nevall as he looked at the clock, she had ten seconds left before she killed Abyssia.

Araneia grabbed Nevall's arm, he tried shaking it free, but he felt energy leaving his body. Five seconds remained.

"What... what is this?" Nevall asked as he watched the clock hit zero.

"Fuck fate" Araneia uttered as she took half of the Fate Aether from Nevall. As she absorbed the energy, her skin began to show for the first time in eons. Her long black hair fell among her shoulders and her true face was revealed.

"You... you're...." Nevall gasped as he fell backward. He quickly scrambled toward a rift.

"I am Aran Luna. The first, the one who stopped the harbingers in their tracks and who the gods saw fit to bestow the blessing that lives on in my family to this day. The selfsame blessing that renders us immune to fate, time, dreams or any of the Crystalla's powers. The blessing that the Gods gave us to save us for people like you. Each and every one of us is a Crystalla of Life, we always have and always will be" Araneia, or Aran, revealed.

"No! The Gods blessed ME!" Nevall roared.

"The Gods made a mistake entrusting you with that power. They let their blood be spilt so that mankind could continue. This was the price they let themselves pay" Aran smiled, as she looked at Abyssia. "You never betrayed them, friend" She smiled, tears rolled down Abyssia's cheeks.

Nevall continued crawling toward the rift, as Aran walked slowly behind him.

"Run, child, for we Luna's do not have to obey the Crystalla laws. We can hurt you, and we can kill you" She smiled as she watched Nevall crawl through the rift.

The rift gate closed behind him, and Aran ran to Abyssia and untied her, Abyssia jumped into Aran's arms and the ancient friends enjoyed a long hug.

"Araneia... how did you hide this?" Abyssia asked.

"It was difficult at first, until you... you know, 'cursed' me" Aran smiled.

"I'll be eternally sorry for that mistake" Abyssia smiled. "You know... you look a lot like..." Abyssia began.

"Roisin, yes" Aran nodded. "We're ancestors" She shrugged. Abyssia's mind raced, until she had an epiphany.

"That's it!" Abyssia said as she clicked her fingers. "I'd always wondered why I cared so deeply for her... it's because... she's a lot like you" Abyssia smiled.

"I'm sorry to have deceived you for so long, my main mission was to put a stop to the Crystalla of Fate, but for so long it was impossible" Aran began explaining.

"Because of the shield around the island?" Abyssia asked.

"That was kind of the easy part, the hard part was not alerting him, which I finally managed to do, until Treleva crapped all over that plan by hijacking the dreamscape" Aran said.

"So that's why everything went to the hells so soon after we broke out of the dream" Abyssia nodded.

"Yes" Aran smiled, she looked at a door to the small room.

"Right, let's get outta here, and see if we can't track down our Half-Crystalla" Abyssia nodded. Aran smiled as the two headed to the door, she punched the keypad and the door slide open. Aran was taken aback by the view in front of her.

The Deadlands.

She was home.