"Holding My Last Breath..."

[Talon]

Lora sighed, standing in the midst of a good 500+ foot clearing. Her hands and ankles were all seperately bound by a sort of dark-colored, metallic clasps, of which were causing the skin beneath to turn a fiery red in color, obviously irritating it, for blood was starting to ooze forth from between skin and manacle. Said manacles were staked to the ground on either side with short, silver-colored chains. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing calm, despite the fact that... she was surrounded by at least several dozen of her kind, all in their Gauru forms. They encircled her completely, yet stayed their distance (roughly 70 feet away), save a group of three 'older'-looking lycanthropes (about 10 feet away). Near those three was a familiar black werewolf, Lora's uncle, of whom bore a solemn look of resignation on his muzzled face. The eldest of the three werewolves nearest Lora, a gray, wizened creature clutching on a gnarled wooden staff and bearing one white eye, took a step closer towards Lora, giving her a disgusted look before barking in a deep, yet raspy tone,

"Lora Ravenloft... also known as Luna of the Darkwood Pack... do you know why you are here...?"

Lora sighed heavily, facing the ground as locks of hair drifted about her face.

"Yes... I am here to be executed."

The second elder, a brown female with yellow-green eyes, wheezed,

"And you are aware of what grounds are you to be executed?"

Lora nodded, then replied in a firm, though quiet voice,

"Yes... I have endangered my pack... by failing to determine my Aspect in the amount of time set upon me by the pack elders... and have begun to attract hostile, otherworldy attention by doing so."

The third and final elder, a darker-gray than the first and bearing reddish-colored iris's, stepped forward to join his compatriots, slowly nodding.

"It seems all is clear to you, Luna. Now... before we initiate the execution... would you mind telling the pack... why you have failed to determine your Aspect?" He asked

Lora's eyes slowly opened, glittering with moisture at the moment, and she muttered in a hoarse tone,

"I... do not have an explanation for this... I apologize."

The center member of the elders shook his head, then barked,

"So be it. Luna of the Darkwood pack, you are hereby sentenced to execution. Due to a request from your... 'illustrious connection', you are to be executed in the fastest, and most 'honorable' fashion."

The female elder turned towards Lora's uncle, spreading her arms before clasping them before her in the air, asking,

"Packleader Ashen, do you have nothing to add to this verdict? She is of your own blood..."

The black Gauru stepped up next to the elders, avoiding looking at Lora, his eyes downcast. With a heavy sigh, he shook his head and replied in a loud, stable tone,

"I do not, Elder Gale. I have failed her enough as it is... that is all I can say."

I'm sorry, Lora... I'm so sorry... I should've known, should've helped... he thought, giving her a look that said so, before turning his back on the scene and walking back to the crowd.

Lora simply watched him walk away, the same solemn look on her face as she did so. The eldest of the three lycans before her then proclaimed,

"So be it. Elder Argus, bring forth Le maître de Mort Eternelle..."

The dark-gray werewolf turned towards the crowd as it split, allowing two werewolves, one a dusty brown-red in color, and the other a dark tan, both holding a long object wrapped in thick brown cloth, heavily enscribed with markings of a peculiar nature. They delivered the object to Elder Argus, then nodded and retreated back into the crowd. Argus unwrapped the object, slowly revealing a 5-foot long, ebony-colored wooden pole, ending in a smooth-edged, silver spearhead. With this, he handed it to the oldest elder, of whom leveled it at Lora's chest, muttering hatefully,

"By verdict of the Elders of pack Darkwood, you are to be slain by Le maître de Mort Eternelle, ensuring a short but agonizing end... of which is surely too good for you. May the Ancestors of our Pack be kinder to you in the Great Beyond than you were to your packmates..."

As the spear was thrust forward, Lora leaned her head back and closed her tearful eyes once more, thinking,

Everyone... thank you... thank you for what you've done for me...

... even- no, especially you... O'Malley... you were cold most of the time, but you lent me a caring hand... something no one had done for me in a long time... I wish I could've thanked you properly, but... it seems fate is against me...

... O'Malley, I...

[Azure_Ghidorah]

The silver spear head never reach its target, as a similarly-colored armored hand grabbed it.

"What. The. f***. Is going on here!?" a very pissed off Kyokan asked, as he glared at the werewolf holding Le maître de Mort Eternelle. Whether or not the glare unnerved said werewolf remained to be seen.

"Here I am finishing with surveying the surronding area of the world I've somehow landed myself in, and by the end if it, I just so happen to stumble upon an act of, as far as I can see, undeserved murder. I want answers, and damnit, I want them NOW." the Eva finished.

To be honest, he had no clue why he, upon discovering the execution, had rushed in with all the speed afforded to him to save the life of the one who was about to be killed. He held no connection with pretty much anybody in this strange world. Still, he did what he did... might as well go all the way...

[Talon]

The werewolf holding the spear was obviously unnerved, not by the glare, but by the fact an entity almost two feet taller than he, of which appeared to be constructed of/covered in the material lethal to all lycanthropes, had just barreled in out of nowhere and stopped his hand. Growling, the emaciated Elder snatched his hand away from Kyokan and rumbled, hackles raised,

"I don't know who the HELL you think you are, abberation, but if anything, YOU are the one to be answering questions here! This woman has commited an atrocious crime that will affect us all if we do not slay her here and now! You've no right to interfere in our judgement!"

Almost all lycanthropes in the area crouched down, positions forewarning an all-out rush... were they not held at bay by the Evangelion's coloration. All hackles were raised, teeth bared, yet none of them made any motion pertaining to moving forward towards the silver beast. Even the three Elders put some distance between themselves and Kyokan, before Argus barked,

"H-he's correct! You've no right to interfere! Leave us be, and none shall be harmed!"

Ashen himself seemed unwilling to move forward, but was secretly thankful towards the eva for saving his niece from Le maître de Mort Eternelle's point. Lora herself was surprised at Kyokan's entrance (and force of will for facing down a full pack of werewolves), and was in stunned silence for several moments before something clicked in her mind.

"You... you were at O'Malley's party... weren't you...?" She asked breathlessly.

[Azure_Ghidorah]

"Don't feed me that 'None shall be harmed' crap! The second I leave you're gonna fucking kill her! Isn't that a bit hypocrital of you to say!? Don't try to play some 'Holier then thou' card on me, cause I'm not buying it! Have you ever considered trying to find a way to resolve this 'crime' you claim she has commited!? Have you!? I damn well have a right to interfere if I see a pointless slaughter about to happen!" Kyokan roared back to the elders.

He then glanced back at Lora and whispered to her, "Ya, I was... I find it ironic what situation we're in when we manage to see each other again..."

He returned his gaze to the lycanthropes around him and barked out, "Now damnit, I want answers, and you'd better give them to me, or else"

Kyokan, mentally, though, was nervous, 'I hope they can't read minds... because I'm kinda bluffing... I don't know if I can take them if it comes down to a fight... I'm seriously out-numbered here...'

[Talon]

Lora shrugged, giving a bit of an embarressed grin as she did so.

"Eheh... it's, uhm... these kind of encounters are sort of frequent here..." She muttered.

Meanwhile, the main elder suddenly howled at Kyokan,

"HOW DARE YOU INSULT OUR WAYS!! THERE IS NO HOPE FOR THIS WOMAN, AS HER OWN PROBLEM SHALL DESTROY HER IN THE END NONETHELESS!! NOW LEAVE US BE OR BE TORN ASUNDER!!"

With this, every one of the lycans took a step forward, bolstered by the Elder's zealous words as the circle closed in tighter around Lora and the Eva. 'Luna' looked about with an unsure expression on her face, then pleaded to Kyokan,

"Please.... Elder Zahn is right... they have every reason for this, and... I'm not sure you could take them all on at once... so please, leave while you still can..."

With another step forward, Ashen stared at Kyokan with uncertainty as well. Not as an opponent, but as... something else. An ally, perhaps...

I'm grateful he saved her, but it's true.... his attempt is rather... fruitless, as it would seem... he's outnumbered and probably 'outgunned'...

[Azure_Ghidorah]

Kyokan tensed up, anticipatng the free for all fight that would inevitably break out. As he did this, he whispered back to Lora.

"T'is not a matter of whether I can take them or not, I'm not leaving..."

Returning his attention to the lycanthropes surronding him, he made what could possibly his final speech.

"You claim and claim, but you show no concrete proof that she is doomed! I've yet to receive my answers, and at this rate I seriously doubt I'll get them."

His eyes narrowed with tints of red.

"AS FOR BEING 'TORN ASUNDER,' YOU KNOW NOT WHAT YOU CURRENTLY FACE. I WAS MADE TO FACE BEINGS STRONGER THEN YOU, I WAS MADE TO UTTERLY DESTROY THOSE BEINGS, WITH MY BARE HANDS IF I MUST. AND AS FAR AS I STAND CONCERNED..."

Kyokan paused long enough to raise his right hand and flip Elder Zahn off.

"YOUR WAYS CAN GO SCREW THEMSELVES FOR ALL I CARE!!!!"

Kyokan lowered his hand, and geared up fully for the fight that was now guaranteed to break out, all trace of nervousness gone, only the prospect of the fight remained.

'Time to do or die, Kyokan...' he thought.

[Talon]

"WE WILL NOT TAKE SUCH BLASPHEMY STANDING IDLY BY!! KILL HIM!! KILL HIM!!" Zahn roared, literally frothing at the mouth.

After several seconds of uncertain silence, the horde of lycanthropes all charged forward towards Kyokan, issuing bloodcurdling howls into the night sky as they did so. Some sprouted spikes made of razor-sharp bone or grew bony armor, others summoned forth the elements, and others took on ghostly blue-white glows. The raging horde of furred monstrosities cme down on Kyokan like a hail of cinder blocks, slamming their bulk into him, slashing at the beast with tooth and nail, carving deep gouges into the silver armor, their fury doubling upon the discovery that it wasn't actual silver. Several seconds passed, and plates started tearing off of Kyokan under the mob, the Eva's flesh and blood discovered soon after...

Lora could only look on in horror as she muttered,

"I told him to escape while he still could..."

Her eyes fell again as she added in a hoarse whisper,

"S'what seems to happen to everyone who wants to help me for too long..."

[Azure_Ghidorah]

"GET... OFFA ME!!!" Kyokan suddenly roared, and seconds later the lycans were all thrown off of the Eva when the AT-Field activated at Full Power, sending a fair few of the werewolves into the trees. Kyokan let out a roar from his clamped jaws as he charged the nearest lycan, who had just recovered from being thrown by the AT-Field, and punched him back to the ground. He gripped the downed lycan's tail, noticing another closing in fast, before throwing the first lycan into his bretheren, knocking them both back, sprawled on the ground in a minorly tangled mess.

At that second, Kyokan's left shoulder pylon opened up as he charged at his next target, and he drew his progressive knife, activating it in the same drawing, as he cut the side of another lycan's stomach open before turning around stabbing it into the werewolf's shoulder, through the bony armor with little to no resistance at all, before pulling it down and ripping it out. Finally, Kyokan kicked the knifed werewolf in the head, sending the lycan sprawling on the ground as blood started to pool lightly near the stomach wound.

The Eva wheeled around, extending his free hand out as the hexagonal AT-Field stood in the way of two lycans that were jumping at him.

"Be gone!" the Eva roared, as the AT-Field pulsed and threw the lycans back again. He glanced back, noting another lycan was rushing him from behind, and elbowed the werewolf in the snout without turning.

"Is this all you've got!?" Kyokan asked with disbelief as his AT-Field strengthened to protect him from further attack, figuring that taking out, even temporarily, almost a fourth of the pack with little trouble would cause the werewolves to worry. The AT-Field only remained up on the chance that they continued to press the attack regardless of this.

[Talon]

Despite Kyokan's impressive attempts, it they would have seemed to be in vain... the fourth of the pack that the Eva had brought down was back on its feet, various wounds diminishing, unlike their current dispositions toward Kyokan. They'd seen what the AT-field was capable of, and weren't stupid enough to try and attack while it was still up, not knowing its full capabilities. Some of them eventually charged forward once more and assaulted the AT-Field itself, but to no avail. Zahn himself then took charge by staring down Kyokan and growling,

"You'd have saved yourself had you just left, cretinous beast..."

With that, the emaciated elder slowly raised both clawed hands, the night itself seeming to gather in about them more tightly. His yellowed teeth baring in a snarl, he released a hateful, raspy howl before throwing his hands forward at Kyokan, sending billowing waves of 'smoky darkness' smashing into the AT Field. every 'wave' seemed to have an adverse effect on the AT-Field- it... diminished it. The wave started coming in from all around Kyokan, diminishing the Field further and further, until, eventually... there was hardly anything left...

He's the only one in the whole pack with the Shadow Aspect... added to his backstabbing attitude, that makes Zahn one of the deadlier of us... Lora thought depserately.

She glanced at Kyokan, then sighed as the horde started closing in again around the Evangelion.

Poor guy just got here, too... She added.

Head bowed, she stared at the ground, biting her lip.

Why is it everyone has to risk their necks to save me?! Why do I keep losing people that care?!

The human-form lycan then fell to her knees, shaking her head slowly as she pondered this.

[Azure_Ghidorah]

Kyokan's eyes widened in surprise as his AT-Field was weakened by Zahn's attack. Seeing that his defense would soon be useless, he dropped the field and jumped out of the wave of the waves, landing on all fours at about a fourty-five degree angle to Zahn from where he originally was. Something was oddly different though... his knife was gone, having been resheathed in his shoulder pylon during the jump. The jaw clamps groaned as if strained, and Kyokan's eyes were completely red now.

The Eva rose up to his feet, his stance more beast-like now, before the jaw restraints gave way, and allowed the Eva to cut loose with a horridly demonic roar that grated the ears of all present. When Kyokan ceased with the roar, all those present who could manage to lay eyes on him would see that he was no longer wounded, even the armored plates had come back into existance on him.

Letting another roar escape him, the Berserked Kyokan charged Zahn, ignoring any and all attacks launched at him, his mind fixated on the target of his rage. Zahn's snout was smashed in by Kyokan's fist, and would have flown back from the force of the blow had Kyokan not whipped around faster then most could see, and kick the elder werewolf in the back, compounding the force from the punch against the force from the kick, and likely snapping the elder's spine. Finally Kyokan drop kicked him into the ground, got down on top of him and started pummelling Zahn, showing no signs of stopping until he either dropped out of the Berserker state, or until he killed the elder lycan. Every now and then, there would be a short pause for another grating roar, and soon after the vicious beatdown would be renewed again, the fury Kyokan displayed almost ever lasting.

[Talon]

Zahn was letting loose yelps and grunts of pain from each hit as his body attempted to regenerate the damage, only to have more inflicted upon him. A powerful gust of wind suddenly buffeted Kyokan off of Zahn as Elder Gale snarled at the Berserk Eva, growling,

"You seem to have lost control of yourself... I guess there's no turning back for you then!"

The hoarde rushed forward again, unsettled by the Eva's newfound strength and ferocity, but charged the Silver Titan nonetheless, burying him in a wave of muscle, fur, and claws once more. Meanwhile, as Zahn staggered to his feet, he rapsed,

"I... do not want to be... on the other side of that thing's fists again..."

Glancing from side to side, the decrepit elder slowly made his way away from Kyokan, unwittingly staggering near Lora. Watching the pack tear into the Evangelion to no avail, he slowly glanced at Lora, then scowled.

"To hell with rituals, you've broken the rules, and this distraction may take longer to get rid of than originally thought..."

The eldest pack member then picked up Le maître de Mort Eternelle, of which had been dropped carelessly onto the ground. Lora simply turned a pair of hollow, resigned eyes at the werewolf elder as he raised the spear once more at Lora's chest, growling,

"You've always gotten through the rules because of your damned uncle... but... not this time..."

Lora glared at Zahn, then slowly closed her eyes as the spear was then thrust forward... and what sounded like the shearing of metal ensued.

"Wh... what...?" Zahn muttered in disbelief, blinking.

The end of Le maître de Mort Eternelle was currently lodged in an upper torso composed of black metal, a hand of similar construction gripping the shaft of the spear. Zahn slowly looked up to see a single visor-like eye, an angry red-orange in color, staring back at him.

"O'Malley!" Lora yelped, eyes gaining their luster again.

"Another one?! Where do you all come from?!" The Elder barked.

O'Malley's eye simply narrowed at the Elder, of whom was already suffering from frayed nerves thanks to Kyokan. Red motes of light started to slowly issue from O'Malley's various vents, and a seam ran along the front of his lower faceplate as he muttered in a low, hair-raising tone,

"Am I to understand... that you were going to harm this woman intentionally... with this object?"

Zahn scowled, then barked back,

"Yes I was goddamnit! Why must you people interfere with our ways?! Just leave us alone and let us be!"

The red particles drifted past Zahn, unsettling the lycan further as O'Malley slowly leaned forward, then hissed,

"So you were going to harm this woman..."

Zahn tried wrenching the spear back again, but his action was still futile. Angered by the machine's stubborness, he growled,

"How many times do I have to say it! She's broken a core rule of our pack's guidelines! I-"

Zahn then collapsed, his head nothing but a gorey mess as O'Malley's Plasma Stake retracted. O'Malley slowly turned his gaze at the other lycans, of whom were still attempting to maul Kyokan, but failing a bit in that respect. The droid simply stared at the incoming hoarde, then muttered to the shocked Lora in a cool tone,

"I seem to recall... back at Machinima, saying something that may have... how do you humans say it... 'hurt your feelings'..."

Lora blinked, taken aback by this statement, then scowled slightly.

"What of it...?" She asked.

Moments before the droid rushed into the fray, he muttered in a low tone,

"I... apologize for saying so. I don't hate you... and I pray you don't hate me... please.... forgive me..."

In a flash, O'Malley had already grabbed one werewolf by the snout and slammed it into his skull, creating a gory 'crater' effect, before whirling around and elbowing another werewolf hard in the neck, then running his bladed tail up the lycan's front, effectively disembowling the poor anthropomorphic beast. O'Malley's faceplate then split in half completely, the bottom half created a sort of 'jaw', both halves bearing two triangular 'teeth' fashioned much like fangs might be. A hellish red light began to seep forth from this opening, as well as from every vent on the droid's frame.

"Engaging All-Range Mobile Counterattack and Observation Array..." He chimed mechanically.

With that, the top half of each one of his back-fins suddenly rocketed off, then floated around the droid for several seconds. All six objects then flitted towards the cluster of werewolves... and one by one, werewolves started dropping as each 'fin' whirled about them, firing off short beams of electric-blue energy through their skulls with precise aim, even at their current speeds. Their assault on Kyokan slowed as they noticed their comrades dropping rapidly, only to also get a bolt through the skull and drop. Lora watched in horror as her pack collapsed on after the other from O'Malley's onslaught... then recalled something.

They may be cauterized wounds, but... they can still regenerate them... does he know that? ... from what he knows about my abilities, he should... She thought.

The fins flitted back to O'Malley and docked back into place, each snapping in with a satisfying hiss. O'Malley turned to the three he'd left standing, those being the two other Elders and Ashen, of whom were staring in horror at the entity that'd just felled their pack in a matter of seconds. O'Malley's vents all stopped emitting light and closed up once more.

"Now, here's another idea as to what to do with Lora here... you will spare her life and give her another chance to discover this 'Aspect' of hers. When she has done so, you'll all pretend like this never happened. Understand?"

The three stood there, dumbfounded, then O'Malley barked three times as loudly,

"IF THESE CONDITIONS ARE NOT TO BE MET, I WILL RETURN WITH THE PROPER INSTRUMENTS AND FINISH WHAT I'VE STARTED HERE!! DO YOU UNDERSTAND? I CAN FIND PLENTY OF SILVER!"

Gale and Argus took a step backwards, nodding rapidly. Ashen could do nothing but stare at the 'corpses' of his pack, then back at O'Malley, slowly letting the lump in his throat dissipate. He knew O'Malley had the skills and resources to carry out that threat...

"I-I understand... but... I have to ask you... why... why did you go to such lentghs...?"

He glanced at Lora, of whom was staring at the ebony droid. Ashen's eyes narrowed slightly, and he glanced back at O'Malley as the bot looked back at Lora and replied,

"Your niece is... a very close friend of mine, perhaps closer than I realize. Whether she realizes it or not, she's been a very big help to me psychologically... and has saved me from myself more than once. Were she to die, I... I don't know what I'd do..."

Ashen slowly nodded, then barked,

"So be it! Luna shall have another cycle of the moon to discover her Aspect, with my guidance, of course. Now, uhm... would... would you mind leaving so we can... 'clean up' here...?"

O'Malley nodded, then whirled around and approached Lora, of whom was staring up at him, wide-eyed. As he shattered the chains binding her to the ground, and eventually her manacles, she muttered in a hoarse tone,

"O... O'Malley... you..."

He shook his head and replied,

"No. Don't say anything. I owed you..."

Abruptly, she threw her arms around his neck and sobbed into his upper torso, yet... she was smiling.

"...oh, shut up, O'Malley... thank you..."

O'Malley mentally smirked, then wrapped an arm around Lora's waist as his jets all simultaneously flared. The two then rocketed into the air, and O'Malley whispered to Lora,

"You're welcome..."

Ashen gave a smile as he watched the two fly off, and noted his pack was all stirring 'back to life'. Argus paused, then turned back to Kyokan, eyes shrinking.

"What... what about this one...?" he whispered.

((One more Azure, then I wrap it up!))

[Azure_Ghidorah]

Kyokan, who had risen and regenerated from any damage the pack had done to him, scanned the area. Then, to everybodies relief, the Eva's eyes returned to normal and he shook his head, his stance returning from beast-like to humaniod again. Kyokan pushed his jaws back into a 'sealed' state, and the restraints magically repaired themselves.

"Um... sorry about that... I... I never intended to go Berserk on all of you... I didn't know I could... I've gotta watch my temper from now on..." Kyokan said, before he turned and ran from the area before all the lycans came too again and renewed their attack.

(OOC: All yours, Talon)

[Talon]

Ashen blinked confusedly, then turned to Argus and laughed,

"Problem solved...?"

As the pack all reverted to their human forms, Ashen stared at the night sky, in the direction O'Malley and Lora had left in, and gave a short laugh.

"An odd couple, but... it's her decision. S'long as she's happy with him..." He muttered.

It was then Zahn came about, and started ranting when the situation'd been explained to him...

Ashen sighed, and as Zahn assaulted him with insults about his leadership skills and intelligence... the black werewolf then knocked his Elder out cold.

"Shut up..." Ashen growled.

((End thread))