Chapter 42: Chapter Forty: Burning Sorrow

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Mason hoped to God that B-64 was okay.

He and the others were dragged by Hexel and Render, who both utilized their powers to make a little safe area beneath the rock. There was not a single building left standing that they could hide in, and the nearest city was three hundred miles off.

Hexel had utilized his power to make them safe to drag across the surface, as well as safe from the radiation. It might not have damaged Axel or Marissa a lot, since they still had their upgrades, but Mason didn't.

Just a single pulse more and he would be catatonic, two more and he'd be dead. In fact, Mason was lucky enough to be somewhat aware about what was happening. But all he had on his mind was B-64.

In his nearly unconscious state, he barely noticed the countless explosions that rang out, nor the dramatic increase or decrease in temperature. He could only think about B-64.

Hexel had dragged them underneath a large enclosure of dense rock and molten steel. He cooled it down quickly, though Render had to keep applying layers of hard light to keep it that way due to the fight ringing outside.

"How do you think this is going to end?" Hexel asked, not being able to use his mind-speech due to the levels of Boson Energy outside the room they made, "I mean, whether B-64 wins or not, it'll definitely change a lot of things."

Render shifted anxiously in his seat, toying with his leg-fur, "I hope B Wins, I don't think that anything would exist anymore if he doesn't. Just scanning outside causes my sensors to get all screwed up..."

Hexel replied, "Well, if B does win, then the Council will probably be disbanded by B, or if he doesn't make it, Ion. There is no way anyone would want any B-Series captain in charge again. Not after this."

Mason turned his head at the wording, or if he doesn't make it.

"No, no that won't happen..." Mason thought. It can't happen...

Render flexed his claws in a nervous manner, causing several glitched renders of his male specimens to appear. Mason quickly looked away, well, as quickly as he could, "Sorry... But I agree. What do you think will happen after that?"

"Well, I'd guess that another council will pop up, maybe a little more diverse than it is right now. For the most part, I'd expect something big to happen to it. Don't know if the people would want that though. Not that it matters." Hexel told them, rubbing a spot on his neck raw.

Before Render could reply, a loud boom resounded in the artificial cave. White light poured into it like a wave. Mason had to close his eyes, but even then the light was far too bright.

Then another sound came, indescribable in any language. It was the sound of reality shattering, like thousands of swarming bees whizzing in a spiderweb as weapons clashed and waves exploded. There was no word to describe it.

What came next happened in a flash. Flashes of different colors appeared before their eyes: White, Black, Red, Blue came first and quickly, but it swiftly formed into others. Green, Yellow, Pink, and Violet.

Sound and Silence, Distance and Time, Space and Fullness, all these mere concepts had been given purpose in that explosion, arriving in the forms of light that resembled beings. Mason saw them, Render and Hexel saw them. There was no denying the shadows in the light.

And as soon as they appeared, thousands of them, they disappeared with the light, scattered across the universe.

The last shred of Mason's confidence left his body, his mind telling him that they were so far away from where they were fighting, and if that blast was powerful enough to cause that... Then B-64 would probably be...

No. He would not accept it. Not this, not here. Not after all this...

Mason's heart ripped at the very core. No. It did not happen.

Both Hexel and Render were silent, both staring at each other with blank faces on their visors. Mason struggled against the hexing binds, tearing his small rabbit claws into the strings and attempted to get out.

Hexel's last shred of strength also left with the blast, having not been protected when it had happened, his mind was pretty much nulled at this point. It would take a while before he got back to some normality.

Mason tore his way through, completely slicing through the weak hexing binds and getting up to his paws. Mason instantly felt the heat that surrounded the area, his paws burning even with just a second of contact.

No, there was no time to think "Please, God No!" Mason yelled, slamming deep into the ground with every step of his run. Please, not this. Please...

Mason rushed out of the artificial cave, his paws already having suffered intense burns. He couldn't care less at this moment. The air itself was burning up in his lungs, his black fur soaking it up like a sponge in deep water.

Mason towards the origin of the light, where the brunt of the blast was created and where the most damage was. The heat grew greater and greater as he approached, his lungs burning and his eyes watering.

Mason's eye darted around, trying to find something, anything that indicated that B-64 was still there. He encountered nothing but molten rock and metal, and terrain blasted all the way to hell.

Mason could no longer ignore the heat, doubling over as his body could not handle it. He felt vomit hit his mouth as he doubled over, his knees becoming scorched flesh as he fell to the ground.

His palms burned against the ground, but he wiped away the vomit with determination. He had to be here, he had to be. Not like this, not like this, not like this!

Mason grew desperate as he continued, barely able to keep a wobbling run as he got closer and closer to the origin. At first, he noticed nothing different on the ground before, but as he got closer, he noticed something.

Scattered around where thin, almost barely noticeable specks of black. He might have written this off as just dust, but the color was distinct. His mind raced again, going against his heart by saying that it could just be B-01's visor there,

But as he got closer and closer, it was apparent that it was not B-01's. Mason felt hot tears begin to form as he finally arrived at the epicenter of the explosion. He pressed his hand against his chest, grinding his sharp nails into it in a desperate bid not to cry.

Right there, among the remains of buildings and rocks, among the rocks and scattered soul, sat an emblem. The same emblem that Mason looked at countless amounts of time. The one with the signature "B-64".

Mason felt his heart shatter into millions of pieces as he observed more. There, right next to the scorched emblem, was the largest of the pieces of B-64's visor, shaped into a triangular heart shape that had ripped off.

And right next to it was the dusted remains of B-64's Conscience backup.

Mason couldn't contain it any longer, his wails echoed throughout the barren land as he landed on his knees, tears streaming down his face. He dug his palms deep into the scorched earth, attempting to feel the paint to stop crying.

But it didn't work, it only accented his deep wails of pain and anguish. Mason shook without meaning, without purpose. B-64 was gone... "Please, God No! No, please, please, not this! God... No..." His pleas and cries for help, for anything, was met with only silence.

Mason crawled towards the wreckage, his legs' flesh peeling off and burning him deeply. He couldn't feel it though, his mind was numb, his body was numb. Only tears and more tears flowed.

Mason cupped his hands around the scorched emblem, folding over both of his hands and holding it close to his heart. His cries continued, more pained and desperate than ever.

His wails soon awakened the others, so painful and powerful that the bindings got even looser. Marissa and Axel, though both severely tired and malnourished, recognized that sound. They shared a glance before running out as well.

They only reached halfway before collapsing to the ground, both hacking up their nonexistent lunches. Marissa nodded to Axel, telling him to keep going as she was going to try and wake up the others.

Axel nodded, clenching his fist. Ice particles began to form around him, though they evaporated rather quickly. Axel spread them around his body, and created a pathway of thin blue ice to get to Mason faster.

Axel stumbled as he reached the sight, Mason on the ground, barely breathing as the heat only grew more and more. He didn't have much time left. Axel understood what had happened, and his heart bled for Mason, but he needed to act fast.

Axel flung his hands out, creating a constant stream of ice to cup Mason. His hands began to shake as he used more power, barely able to reach Mason before completely evaporating. He was in the direct center of the blast, where the heat was the strongest.

Axel used more and more, taking on a blue glow as he finally managed to reach Mason. But by then, his heartbeat was barely there, and his body that was touching the ground was basically just charred muscle.

Axel tucked his arms in, fling his hands up with as much force as he could. He lifted Mason up in the air on a platform of quickly evaporating ice. There was little time left.

With as much strength as he could muster, Axel began his trek back to the others. He had to use less and less as he went, though maintaining the ice when it was being evaporated nearly instantly was hard enough already.

As Mason laid there on the ice, clenching both the B-64 emblem and charred remains of his Visor, Mason felt more pain in his body than ever before. He cried dry tears, and he wouldn't have minded...

He wouldn't have minded if his heart had stopped beating at that moment. He was barely alive, and he wished he was dead. He cried only harder, his eyes and face hurting from the extreme conditions, but he could shed no more tears.

And with that thought, the last of Mason's Energy evaporated like Axel's ice. His mind went blank as he fell into unconsciousness, only pain in his heart.

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Hello...

So, yeah. This actually kind of hurt writing. I'm not normally the crying time (When it comes to reading and books),  and I didn't cry, but I had to take a break in the middle.

It might just be me being the author, writing it for myself, cause I barely know how to write an emotional scene, or something like this. I hope I did the sorrow justice.

There really isn't all that to say. Another chapter, then the credits roll.

~ Candle