Xibalba

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

He shrugged. Heh. That's entirely up to you. Graces adapt to their host, their desires, and the bonds they cultivate. They're just a pen, the potential depends on how you use it.

But what is necessary to wield them is a strong heart, a compatible body... and an irreplaceable bond. Anything can do, really. The most common is obviosly the tie between God and its soldiers, but that's just one way to go about it. So what would she draw with that pen?

Why waste my breath telling you...

That same darkness erupted once more, and his hand reached out for Aruna's head- as the demon was pulled in closer. His bod- his vessel pulsated and throbbed with forbidden energy. His eye glowed. ...when I can show you!?

[yinsukin]

Aruna

So then that thing... what she did in Meal's world.  That is what she chose to do.. Bonds?

Denizen's of the dark thrive off the bonds of others, exploring them, stealing from them, doing everything in their power to make them fall apart.  The light... those in the light strengthen themselves with those bonds, good or bad.  I suppose it makes sense he would know, considering what he is.  But what was the value of learning from someone who treated bonds like that?

Wait! I-

And it was too late.  She was already swallowed.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Within Aruna's Mind

In the beginning, there was Time [時間 Jikan]

Then came Life [生活 Seikatsu]

To test it, let this life brave the Storm「竜巻 Tatsumaki」

To temper it, let them endure the Flood「大海 Taikai」

Those who fight, let them yearn to reach the Sun「太陽 Taiyō」

There is but one future for those who fail. The End [死 Shi]

Fear us! Worship us! We are the seven Archangels! Let no soul endure without our grace! For we are the greatest! We are the almighty! Even the lord of demons, ______ , is no match for our ilk! For we march behind the back of the greatest Archangel! The wielder of Purity! Fear his name! Love his name, second only to our Lord! His name is ______!

The Seven Archangels. YHWH. The Void. Forbidden memories recorded by the grace slammed straight into Aruna. It was like if Zeke hit a pressure point, and was forcing her to sync with it even harder than before.

But it was wrong.

The memories throbbing and flowing from the grace into Aruna were an illusion. A poisoned knowledge. Incomplete. Why wouldn't it be? That thing was nothing more than a shard to begin with, it had no right to know. Let alone the right to be. What Aruna saw was even more terrible than the devastation of these archangels. It was their sarcophagus. An ominous tower within the stars, and seven coffins where they rested. A chamber where the life forces of humans and their prayers were drawn to.

Soldiers of the new world, forgotten by time, but not by prayer! They found solace and purpose in the prayers of man! This was their bond.

A network of PATHS, linking them back to their own planet, the one where they originally landed. Yet one of these branches had strayed from its network. Now, these roots mingled and crossed. Now, one of them had torn its way into this world. It split into a beastkin, a soldier of God, a demon and a forest. Because of her actions, this network of control was spreading. It was different from Zeke's assimilation in every way possible, yet there was an unshakeable feeling that it was similar in more ways than one.

Because the void came before everything else. Fakers should just die, you know?

Do you understand now? What you inherited isn't something as lofty as a divine gift. That thing in your arm is a weapon of mass destruction. A familiar voice floated around her head. No, inside her head.

[yinsukin]

Aruna's Mind

Aruna could feel it, the light on her arm calling out to her whispering to her.  This wasn't Zeke alone, it was whatever connection he had to this... grace.  The light occasionally called out to her, asked her to give into her will to dominate, to conquer.  To think that that night it had a mind of its own, its poison spreading this far.  Grace... the demon had already seen it before.  The squirrel girl, she had the power.  The light was spreading like a disease clinging onto anything it could touch.  Its like long ago with the humans.

But this time, its my fault, even though I was trying to save him....

The light on her arm shined like the brightest sun, blinding her to everything before her.  For a moment that seemed to stretch on for ages, Aruna became engulfed in the light of her arm, the thing she stole.  In the wake of that light, her body was reduced to nothing but shadow, a simple silhouette, something to be manipulated and controlled by the light like a marionette.

FINE!  Then come down here, teach me!  I refuse to be a puppet of the light any longer!

Once upon a time, humans were gifted with the power of light in the form of fire.  This fire spread into the pleague known as humanity.  However, like her, they were merely gifted with the light.  So was she seeking the power of a human?

You hear me false demon!  Come down here!

[Kotomine_Rin]

Inside Aruna's Mind - Zeke

I am already here... Are you ignoring it? Or have you closed your eyes for so long you can't even tell...

Darkness. Neither evil, nor good, sprouted from within her. It grew, it consumed, and surrounded everybody in equal measure. People ascribed their own meaning to it, and from that meaning, darkness changed. But was it wrong to consume? To follow its nature?

What stared right in front of Aruna was none other than the abyss. It was herself. It was himself. It was everything yet it was nothing. She... he... the darkness... Zeke smiled at the demon.

That dark mirror slowly walked towards Aruna, with a playful sway of its hips. And when it was so close they could feel eachothers breaths-

Zeke hugged Aruna.

It wasn't your fault. You followed your path, as I followed mine. Why do you hesitate?

Love yourself.

[yinsukin]

Aruna

Aruna closed her eyes as the arms embraced her.  At first, her breathing was fast, her human heart pumping.  Eventually, their breath synced up together, sharing the air that came in and out.

No.. It is my fault.  Even so, I stand by what I did.  But... your right.  I do need to love myself, but that doesn't mean I have to love what I've done, or my own weakness.

Spikes emerged from her body, skewering the shadow.  I won't follow your path Ezekial.  You will help me with mine.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

Well, to each his own. Thorns pierced the shadow, and was ripped apart piece by piece. The entire illusion, this whole world, was pierced and broke down into a flock of ravens, which merged to reveal Zeke's own body, only slightly punctured by her spikes. But despite the wounds, he smiled in acceptance. He looked cocky, confident, and utterly unapologetic to the end. Because he was.

And because his fist already rushed to her gut.

[yinsukin]

Aruna

The darkness fell away, shattering like a puzzle.  As each one fell, the natural light of the world returned.  It was hard to tell which one was worse, the overwhelming light or Zeke's stupid grin.

Ow.

"So is that how all of my lessons are going to be?" she said with a sigh.  Her body began morphing, changing, at the moment taking on the appearance of nothing more than a blob.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

Too slow! You can't let your guard down in the battlefield. He crossed his arms and looked down on the blob, only to tip it a thumbs up. Always expect the unexpected.

He frowned at the fact it wasn't a cute girl anymore, pouting sadly. But did Aruna think it'd stop him? As if.

[yinsukin]

Aruna

Light.

Darkness.

Angels.

Demons.

Men.

Women.

The binary of identity is nothing but a distraction in the end.  Asmeal wasn't evil for being an angel, no more than she was good for being a demon.  That light, the grace is a terrible force, but it also grants power.  At the end of the day light is power, an all-consuming one, weilded by humans and god.  Was it good?  Was it evil?  It was the other conspiritor towards Asmeal's death.  If she was the gunman, it was the gun.  In the end, it was her that pulled the trigger, even if she didn't know what she was doing.  Even now, she was just a fool walking around with a gun she only recently learned how to load.  Although, maybe it wasn't a matter of competence, instead the sin of not caring.  If she had cared more sooner, the dark angel wouldn't have died.  Maybe...

"Yeah.  I know.  I was too slow...." she said, morphing into a combination of her male and female form.  The male side took over her right side, with her arm glowing with light.  The left was her female side, horns and all.  The light from the right arm spread to the entire part of the male form, while the female form darkened, her skin turning tan, then blacker than the deepest void. 

Its just like their fight.  It doesn't matter which side is right or wrong.  Both are needed to move forward.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

The void draken raised an eyebrow, and for a second he looked absolutely dumbfounded by that incredible transformation. Gradually, it changed. It was almost beautiful, like a total trainwreck you can't take your eyes off of. So that's your answer?

Isn't that a bit greedy?

A chortle escaped his dry throat, like a searing curse. He slapped Aruna's back jovially and had a gooooood look top to bottom at what he was dealing with. Zeke then whistled in surprize and chuckled, then smacked the demon's back again for good measure. Eventually, he'd even had to shake his head and pace back and forth not to just fall over out of sheer laughter. This demon was a riot!

He didn't even have words for that. He just wheezed and wheezed...

[yinsukin]

Aruna

The girl then changed, transforming back into the form she took when she first awoke, a redhead with horns and modest feminine shape.  Staring at Ezekial she asked,  "Alright now, whats the next lesson?"

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

Instead he just rolled over, howling in laughter. It was too much, even with his destroyed throat and vocal chords, he still managed to force down a horrible, mocking, feelings crushing cackle. He had to use Aruna's arms to wipe the tears, it was too much! Oh no! His ribs were litterally splitting! Ow ow ow ow!

[yinsukin]

Aruna

Aruna simply stared at Ezekeial, her eyes anticipating what he would do next.  There was no reaction other than a simple curiosity at his own.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

Argh! Wow! Okay, not good! He wasn't stopping to laugh any time soon! Vessel or not, undead or not, he was feeling every inch of his lungs bursting like a ripe melon on a hot, hot summer day. Hah! Hah! Ahhhh!

Boom.

Suddenly he stopped with no warning, and took off to the skies. No words were necessary, but the intent was quite clear. Follow the leader.