Wildfire

"Amazing," Cooper breathed, staring at Ozai as the light from his constructs slowly faded before dissipating.

The battlefield was now completely pitch black, the only illumination coming from the fires spreading rapidly from tree to tree.

Most of the civilians had already evacuated, making their way through the forest until they found the road that led to the only other building in the city still lit:

Orpheum's facility.

Only three remained behind—Cooper, Ozai, and Zero—along with the young girl, who slowly got up from the ground, her arms and legs scraped and bruised.

Zero tried to rush toward her, but the wound on his leg flared up again, causing him to stumble and collapse.

Cooper noticed and ran over quickly, helping him up.

"Hey—are you okay?" he asked, steadying Zero.

The girl bent down, reaching for the teddy bear on the ground. Her fingers grazed it.

Something felt wrong.

Ozai was the first to notice, immediately snapping his gaze away from the fallen monster. His eyes shifted to Cooper, helping Zero to his feet—

Then to the girl, as she lifted the bear.

His eyes widened.

"Ugh, thanks," Zero muttered to Cooper.

"Don't mention it," Cooper said, turning toward the spreading flames.

"The fire's growing fast. We need to move, or we'll be trapped." he turned to the girl, extending his hand.

"Take my hand, little girl. It's okay—I'll get you out of here," he said with a warm, reassuring smile.

Then Ozai shouted.

"GE—-WAY—!"

His voice was nearly drowned out by the roar of the rain.

"What?!" Zero shouted back.

Ozai repeated himself.

"—T—A—NOW!"

"I think he's telling us to leave!" Cooper said.

"Understood! We're leaving, effective immediately!" Cooper grabbed the girl's hand and slung Zero's arm around his shoulder for support, moving fast.

"—NO!" Ozai's voice roared over the downpour as he sprinted toward them.

"I SAID GET AWAY FROM HER—NOW!"

His voice echoed with urgency.

But before Cooper could react, a black tendril shot out, piercing through his armor and into his chest.

Zero turned, eyes wide in horror, as he traced the tendril back—to the little girl.

She smiled.

The tendril erupted into a massive black wing.

Cooper looked at Zero one last time, and in that moment the wing tore through his body as it unfurled—killing him instantly.

"W—what the f—fuck?!" Zero gasped, collapsing to the ground as fear overtook him.

The girl laughed maniacally. A black, ink-like substance surged around her, encasing her in a cocoon as she began to transform.

"NO!" Ozai roared, constructing a massive crimson greatsword as he rocketed across the field in a streak of red.

The laughter intensified.

The cocoon shattered.

Standing where the girl had been was a woman—with long black hair, pale skin, glowing violet eyes, and two massive wings that unfurled from her back. The Ouroboros symbol glowed on her chest.

She caught Ozai's greatsword in her fingers, smirking. With a wicked grin, she shoved him back with a burst of force.

He slammed the sword into the ground to catch himself.

"Long time no see, Orion," she said with a giggle.

Ozai's jaw clenched.

"Aquila," he yelled.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" 

Aquila paused, her silhouette stark against the blazing fire.

"I was simply giving myself a tour of our new home. Is that so bad?" she replied, voice calm and laced with amusement.

Her black wings flared slightly, feathers drifting down like voided snowflakes.

"But then you showed up. And I couldn't just leave without saying hi to my old friend."

Zero's heart pounded. His skull throbbed, pain crawling deeper with each beat.

Ozai's tone sharpened. "What are you talking about, 'our new home'? Don't tell me you're behind this."

"Aha, far from it, actually…" Aquila's expression darkened. "This is the work of our beautiful goddess."

"Lady Lilith…?" Ozai muttered, then shook his head. "No. I refuse to believe that. She would never do something so cruel. And besides—you've lost your faith, just like I have. You shouldn't be able to hear her voice."

He rose, lifting his greatsword and taking a battle stance. "So how do you know she's the one behind all this?"

Aquila smiled, placing a hand on her chest. "The goddess doesn't need words to speak, Orion."

"Do you feel it? —that strange dread gnawing at your heart? Any constellation can sense it. Faithed or not."

She twirled, her wings casting wide arcs through the heat-shimmered air. Feathers scattered like dying embers.

"It's a call of duty. She wants all her avatars to aid this conquest."

Her voice rang out, proud.

"Even the Twelve Zodiacs have been awakened!"

Ozai's eyes widened. His hands tightened around the hilt.

"Liar!" he roared, charging forward.

Aquila laughed. Her wings snapped wide, hurling obsidian feathers like daggers. They ripped through the air at blinding speed.

Ozai dodged the first volley, but the rest slashed through his coat, carving into his flesh. Blood sprayed as he pressed forward, driven by sheer force, and slammed into Aquila—knocking her back and creating distance.

"Zero, get up!" he shouted.

Zero lay on the ground, clutching his head. His vision was fading, and he was losing feeling in his limbs.

What's… happening to me?

"If you don't leave, she'll kill you!" Ozai shouted.

Aquila stood calmly, brushing off her shoulders.

 "Be honest with yourself, Orion. You know this is the best course of action."

"Enmida is dying. The Great War has forever poisoned our world. The goddess knows this more than anyone so she has chosen to save it—by merging it with this world, and we, her avatars, must aid with this conquest."

"The Ragnars are just the beginning."

She extended a hand. "You and I can find common ground."

"What are you saying…?" Ozai muttered, still trying to help Zero stand.

"I'm saying we should work together. As constellations, we must serve the goddess—no matter what."

Ozai scoffed.

"You don't care about the goddess. You just want your faith restored—something that should never happen."

"You betrayed the goddess," Ozai continued, pointing at Aquila. "You joined the Children of Lilith. You razed villages, corrupted towns, and killed countless innocent people with your signature,"

"You abandoned her—only to become a murderer!" His voice rose as thunder echoed in the background.

"You're a heathen, a traitor. You won't be accepted, even in this world!"

Aquila was silent for a moment, then smiled. "And you're any better?"

"You ran. Abandoned your goddess. Abandoned your duty—for a child."

She laughed.

"Shut up…" Ozai growled.

"What was her name? Mimir?"

Ozai's fists clenched.

"Ah, yes, poor little Mimir. You tried to run away with her— knowing full well the risk. And when they found you… when they ripped her head from her body and burned her corpse before the masses…"

"You ran again."

Zero slipped from Ozai's arms and hit the ground.

But Ozai didn't move.

"Shut… up…" he muttered again.

"I may be a traitor," Aquila said, stepping closer, "but you… you are a coward."

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Ozai roared, slamming his fists together. A red glow exploded from his knuckles—two spiked walls erupted, collapsing in on Aquila.

She shot into the air, avoiding the attack, then coiled through the sky like a serpent.

She dove—blitzing toward Ozai faster than he could react. She grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the ground, carving a crater into the earth. The shockwave hurled Zero across the field.

He crashed hard, groaning as he struggled to rise.

Aquila raised her wings, black feathers hardening into shimmering blades. Ozai conjured a shield of pure force just in time. Her strikes rained down like a storm, each wingbeat another hammerblow.

The shield cracked under pressure. Ozai rolled aside just as her wing slammed down.

But when he looked up—she was gone.

His eyes darted—

And there she was.

Standing over Zero.

"It's pathetic, really…" she whispered. Her hand curled around Zero's hair, lifting him like a broken doll.

"G-Gah—!" Zero groaned, weakly trying to pull her hand away.

"That witch made you soft. Your emotions made you weak. They've led to irrational attachments."

She raised her wing—its edge gleaming like a blade.

"And this—This is what happens every time."

She thrust her wing forward.

The feathers sliced clean through Zero's neck.

His body crumpled as blood slowly pooled on the grass.

Aquila held his head in her hand, blood dripping from her fingertips. She turned, raising it toward Ozai—who stood there, frozen.

Her face was blank.

"Understand?"