FicWad

Ness lay on the ground. The sound of thunder rolled overhead, indicating the lightning's passing, but Ness had no interest in it. His hand came up to touch his eyes, to check to be certain they were still there.


His fingers brushed his eyeballs. They were still there, and still intact. Unfortunately, he couldn't see anything. That flash had blinded him. A normal person might be weeks recovering his sight; for Ness, it would take only minutes. Unfortunately, he wasn't going to get those minutes. The fight was over. He'd lost. He would never be able to defeat Pokey now, not weakened and with no sight.


He heard the crunching of large feet on broken asphalt, and he turned his body to face it, though he could see nothing. A dark chuckle came from the same direction.


"Foolish, foolish man...you were never a match for me."


The footsteps continued towards him, and Ness began scrambling in the opposite direction, trying to put as much distance between Pokey and himself as possible. The footsteps continued forward calmly.


"If you could see yourself, Ness...you've lost. You've failed! I should just leave you alive, blinded and powerless, so you can live with the knowledge that you were this earth's last hope, and you failed them." Pokey's voice was now much too close for Ness' liking. He scrambled backwards off the edge of the highway and felt the earth tilt below him as he tumbled into the ditch. He landed in the muddy water with a splash, and then slowly pulled himself into a sitting position, keeping his face above water. There was another splash as Pokey leapt into the ditch. "I should let you live to see the slaughter, to see the look in their eyes as we kill each and every last one of them. And in each pair of eyes, you would see reflected there only your own failure!"


"I should let you live," Pokey continued, "But I won't." And now Pokey began walk forward once more, still taking his time. Ness struggled to his feet.


"What? You still mean to fight?" Pokey asked incredulously, and Ness realized he could see him. Not well-only a shape with edges.


It'll have to do. Ness thought as he lunged forward.


Pokey, caught offguard, made a whuff of surprise as Ness' fist collided with his jaw. He stumbled backwards, and Ness pressed forwards, delivering a pair of roundhouse kicks to the torso and temple and then whirled, delivering a powerful back kick to the chest. Pokey flew in a parabolic arc through the air and landed further down the ditch with a loud splash. He was on his feet immediately, eyes ablaze with unholy light. Pokey growled ferally, then charged forward. Ness too began running towards his opponent.


As they met, each brought a fist around with reckless abandon. All defenses were abandoned-all of their power was put behind these blows. Pokey's fist burned with arcane light as it plowed through Ness' ribage. The fist ripped through Ness' chest, burning lung and muscle.


But not before Ness' fist, glowing with psychic light, amplified by the Æsthetaron that were now glowing blindingly on his forearms, found Pokey's throat.


The psychic light expanded from Ness' fist as it struck bone, and the rest of the neck vanished. Pokey's head sailed off and landed a short way away. Pokey's decapitated body fell.


Ness, too, collapsed into the water, clutching with his right hand at the wound. He propped himself up with his left. He wanted to see what came now.


Light began pouring out of Pokey's dark body. This light was not like the dark, unholy light of the magic Pokey had wielded, but rather a warm, purple color. It pourd forth, releasing all the energy Pokey had stolen. And as it left the monstrous body, so did the souls of those he had slain. They gathered around him, wispy shadows of their former selves. One by one, they approached him, and although they could not speak, he could feel their thanks before they vanished, gone to wherever souls go after death.


As their light vanished, Ness looked up at the masses of dark creatures that had been huddling at the edge of the trench. There was an incresed rustling amongst them. There seemed to be some sort of debate raging. But the result was inevitable; they had lost. They began slipping away, vanishing into whatever darkness they had stepped out of.


And with that concluded, Ness turned his attention to the hole in his chest. It was too large, even for his powers. Pokey's last strike had torn a large hole in his lung, and it was collapsing. Soon the other would follow suit, and then he would die. The thought bothered him less then he'd thought it would.


Funny, Paula, he thought as a cascade of pain overtook him and he fell backwards, I always imagined us together when the time came.


With that thought on his mind, he closed his eyes and let death claim him.