Crushing Defeat and Winter's End

*Boom*

An explosion sounds off from the school, Rain and Antarc look in the direction it came from.

"What was that? It came from the school's direction"

"I don't know, but it should be fine, after all sensei is still at the school"

*WIZZZ* *Clank*

A fishing hook like object whizzes past Antarc taking off his already cracked hand in the process before it sharply retracts hooking his gloved hand and pulling it back to the center.

Antarc and Rain look at the center of the ship in shock, at the appearance of the new weapon that just took Antarc's hand.

"Give that back...."

"WHAT IF I FORGET ABOUT SENSEI?!"

"Antarc calm down!!"

Antarc Readies his weapon in furry ignoring Rain he charges at the new Lunarian weapon, jumping up to avoid the weapons coming at him, they wrap around his sword, he tosses it aside as it suddenly explodes.

*Clinck* *BOOM!*

Getting blown back by the explosion, Antarc lands on all 3's as shards fall off him, Rain rushes to his side, grabbing the back of his shirt before he can rush forward again.

"HEY! GET A GRIP!"

"LET ME GO!!"

"I CAN'T! I WON'T LET THEM TAKE MY MEMORIES OF SENSEI!"

Antarc struggles out of Rain's grip and rushes forward again, he jumps grabbing onto his still floating sword that's been entangled by the Lunarian wires, landing he notices that more wires are entangling him, but he doesn't care, pulling with all his might *Clank* his other arm begins to break, but he keeps pulling.

*Clinck*

*BOOOM!*

The pins on the weapon are pulled just as Antarc rips the new weapon from the ship, the ship begins dissipating as Antarc falls towards the beach and exploads but thanks to his momentum he gets off with a missing foot arms and severe breakage all over his body, rain on the other hand fared far better only suffering light cracks here and there.

*Thud*

*Thud*

Antarc gets up from the snow and staggers to a standing position as he drops his guard, Rain landing shortly after begins to pick Antarc's pieces up, while Antarc starts talking out loud to himself.

"...Well"

"Good enough"

"I suppose..."

Antarc smiles.

"I made one of the new models withdraw, Sensei is sure to praise me"

He closes his eyes in contemplation.

"Ah, then again, I fought without permission, so maybe I'll get punished instead"

From the distance, Rain and Antarc hear phos' scream for attention.

"HEEEEY"

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYY~"

Antarc turns around and walks up to a cube type object in the snow, as rain walks to where she left the cart full of gem pieces and put's Antarc's Hand, foot and sword into the cart and turns around to start walking to phos as well.

"Heeeey"

"Whoa...."

Antarc looks at the cube in shock and awe.

"You've sure changed..."

"Yup she sure did"

Rain says as she walks up from Antarc's side.

"No, no. I'm inside."

Rain bends forward to get a better look at the cube, while Antarc proceeds to kick it with his broken leg.

*Thunk* *Thunk*

"I"

"Can't tell if your inclusions took a liking to it or not..."

"I'd say they did"

"I can't mooooove, GET ME OUT!"

Antarc's foot goes between one of the bars as he starts pulling to try and break them open to get Phos out, while Rain continues to study the golden cube.

-------------------------------POV change to Phos-----------------------------------------

"Hmm"

Phos sees Antarc's heel come through the gap.

*Thunk* *Thunk* *Thunk*

"Hold on...! So violent! Do it a bit more gently!"

"Just deal with it! I'm full of cracks over here."

"Rain help me out too"

"KAY~"

Antarc and Rain begin bashing and pulling at the cube to get it open, unaware of the danger that lurkes behind them.

"But, Welllll..."

"I'm just glad you guys are okay..."

*WHIZZ* *WHIZZ*

Two arrows fly from behind Rain and Antarc, one decapitates antarc and breaks their remaining hand off, while the other hits rain's leg breaking it off.

Phos watches from between the gaps in her cube with a face full of shock as the liquid gold-platinum alloy covers her mouth, she see's Rain and Antarc tell her to be quiet.

"I don't want"

"Sensei to get lonely"

"So take care of winter"

"For me"

Antarc falls to the ground, Rain looks at the legion of Lunarians in both shock and rage, She staggers to get up, holding her sword in the ready position, her scabbard feels heavy, so she cuts it off, standing on one leg all she can do is hope to hold out as the Lunarians let loose more arrows.

*SWISH* *SWISH* *SWISH*

*Clank* *Clank* *Clank*

---------------POV change Rain-----------------------

Rain blocks some arrows, but two get by grazing and ripping her uniform and taking off one of her arms, Rain continues blocking arrows losing ground at a rapid pace, things look bleak, but she doesn't give up, getting on the ground like an animal holding her sword in her remaining hand she charges like a rabid lion, rapidly closing the distance on the Lunarians she cuts two down that were focused on picking up Antarc's pieces continuing forward she cuts down three more, if Phos where to see her face she would shudder in fear, Rain with the rage of 1,000 Lions let out a scream that sounded more like a beastly roar.

"ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRR!!!!!"

Invigorated by her scream once more, she rushes forward once more getting enough speed she leaps while swinging her sword she hits 4 more Lunarians. But like all things this too came to an end with the sound of arrows being let loose.

*Swish* *Swish* *Swish* *Swish*

Rain's charge ended as 1 arrow hit her remaining arm, another hit her leg, and 2 more hit her torso shattering her as, her pieces fell to the ground with a *THUD* Phos looked on in absolute terror.

-------POV change Phos---------------

"Why?"

"I have new hands"

"But they won't move"

The Lunarians being picking up their winning from the fight.

"You're my hands.... So fight"

"Please... My..."

"MOVE IT! YOU PIECE OF SCRAP!!!!"

Phos yell's out in rage as the Lunarians stop to look at her, as they look on the Cub begins to bloom like a flower, the Lunarians shoot arrows at her.

"It's so heavy... I can't sta"

"-nd"

The alloy spreads out into a sheet, decapitating the Lunarians that are carrying Rain's pieces and one of Antarc's feet, as Phos struggles to stand the alloy spreads thought her body making it stronger it flows down her legs as it gushes out her heels replacing her shoes' heels, some alloy comes out of her eyes like tears, as she stands up with her bolstered strength.

She starts running sluggish at first but gradually picking up speed as one of her arms stays in a liquid like state blocking arrows, she passes by the pieces of her comrades, the Lunarians relentless in their attacks as they begin to withdraw, Phos stretches out one of her arms and grabs Rain's sword, catching up to the Lunarian ship Phos jumps up about to swing her sword, but before she can the Lunarians launch 5 more arrows but Phos blocks them, as she does, she loses her momentum and falls back to the ground as the Lunarian ship continues forward.

*Thud*

"JUST LEAVE THE LITTLE GUYS! WE'RE GOING AFTER THEM!"

Phos gets into a crouching position and begins sprinting again.

"These are new"

"Strong hands"

"I won't give up"

"And I'll even go too far"

"I'm brave, too"

*Clank* *Clank*

"But!"

Phos loses more shards as the alloy makes space for its self in their place.

"WHY!"

"WHY ARE YOU GETTING FURTHER AWAY?!"

Phos stops at the edge of the cliff, as she switches the grip of her sword to that of a javelin's she pushes off the cliff alloy boosting her into the air as it grips and holds onto the cliff, she throws the sword with all her might, but it falls short like the sword she too falls back towards the ground she goes limp in defeat.

Phos soon lands, but it's not the ground she lands on, rather she lands in Sensei's arms, while Sensei looks in the direction of the fleeing Lunarians, Phos begins to speak.

"Antarc and Rain took my place, but I stopped them from taking her too"

"Yes"

"It's my fault"

"No it's my fault"

Sensei turns to look in the direction of the voice, Phos jolts from surprise at the voice and looks as-well.

"RAIN!"

"If I hadn't let my guard down, Antarc would still be here"

"It's okay Rain"

"NO! IT ISN'T! ANTARC WOULD STILL BE HERE IF I DIDN'T LET MY GUARD DOWN!"

"I'm sorry sensei..."

Rain's decapitated head closes its eyes, as she continues to beat herself up on the inside.

-----------------Time skip Winter's end------------------------

Phos is standing in the plains as the remaining snow melts and gives way to the grass and flowers, staring at the sky a sunspot appears, Phos turns on her heels and walks back to the school.

"Report..."

Spreading her alloy behind her, she blocks countless arrows while slowly walking, soon reaching the school and going to Sensei who is looking at paperwork, while Rain is huddled in the corner still suffering from her failure to save Antarc.

"Sensei, It's the Lunarians"

Phos and Sensei reach the front of the school.

"Phos, which type do you see it as?"

"..."

"It appears to be the old type..."

"I'll go check"

Phos unsheathes her sword.

"Alright"

She places the scabbard on the ground and uses the alloy in her feet to float up to the Lunarian ship she stops just above it as she blocks arrows, she raises her sword and swings decapitating the giant Lunarian, she looks away as it dissapates.

"Sensei"

"As we thought, it was the old type"

As Phos is distracted, a Lunarian launches an arrow as it nearly hits her it gets deflected by Sensei, Phos being slightly suprised begins to lose her balance.

"Ah..."

As she falls towards the ground, Sensei catches her and puts her down on her feet.

"changing the thickness of your metal in accordance to the direction of the arrow was an improvement"

"Now you just need to work on maintaining your balance"

"Yes'sir"

"I'm sorry, I'll work on controlling it"

"How is Rain doing?"

"She is still distrought, but soon she will recover"

Phos begins to walk off.

"I see, I'll deal with the remaining Ice Floes"

"Rest a little"

Phos looks back at Sensei.

"I cannot move like I could before due to the weight of this gold and platinum"

"I need to hurry..."

"To support thoes heavy arms of yours, the alloy within them spreads out through your body and leaves small cracks behind every time it goes in and out"

Phos looks away.

"But, I need to do more work today"

"Before I can report back to Antarc, and check on Rain"

Phos turns to walk towards the Ice Floes as she talks out loud to herself.

"That day"

"I shouldn't have just thrown my sword"

"If I had reached out"

Her fingers extend towards one of the ice floes, as her fingers wrap around it she pulls her hand back shattering the floe and bringing some of it's shards back and looking at them.

*Clink*

"Yeah"

"I'll get it right next time"

--------Time skip Antarc's resting place-----------------------------

Phos walks up to Antarc's bowl with a flower in her hands.

"Antarc"

"I'm back"

"The skies were clear, so we had our first visit from the Lunarians in thirteen days"

"It was the old kind again, what a shame"

"I hope the next one is carrying you"

She places the flower down next to the bowl.

She touches her hair.

"...Refreshing isn't it? I wanted to be more like you and Rain"

"I had some bits missing, so I used the hair to plug those up"

Phos sits down with her back facing the table.

"It'll just be pushed out by the alloy again, but I was bored, so...."

"Recently, I've been able to stay up without sleeping at all, and Rain is still tearing herself apart"

"But it'll be okay no matter when the Lunarians come..."

"And anyway, I don't want to close my eyes"

"It's like it happense all over again... The time you guys...."

*Clink*

Phos turns around and looks at the image of Antarc that showed up in her dream, Antarc stares back as he begins to shatter, Phos exteneds her arms towards him.

"Phos"

Phos wakes up in a puddle of her alloy, as sensei crouches down.

"Sleep in your room"

"I"

"I don't really want to sleep... I'd rather be busy with something"

"Oh right"

"I'll fix your kimono"

"if you just leave it like that, Red Beryl's going to get angry when she wakes up..."

"...Are you sure it'll be alright...?"

"This is the only one I have"

"I managed to cut my hair right?"

"My arms are different now so it'll be okay!"

Phos and sensei begin walking towards Red Beryl's corner as they are walking Phos asks about Rain.

"so... how is Rain doing? Is she still in the corner?"

"No, now she is infront of the pond"

Phos grabs the sewing stuff from the shelves as Sensei takes off his kimono and puts on a robe.

"This is the first time"

"I've seen it change from winter to spring"

"Living things cchange so quickly"

"It's scary..."

Phos looks out the window.

"So did you"

"That's...."

"That's right..."

"You're right..."

Alloy starts leaking from Phos eyes making it look like she is crying.

"I'm scared"

Sensei walks behind phos and wipes the leaking alloy away.

"For some reason, the alloy that leaks out like this is the one thing I can't control.. I'm sorry"

"This is a flaw belonging to an ancient species. It isn't your fault"

"Go rest"

"No, sir"

"It's just a little longer so..."

---------------END-------------------------------------------------------------