Collapse: Coming Home

Black reigned supreme in the sky; rain sliced into flesh shredded by blades of steel, and wind pummeled the only two left standing. The merciless cold numbed the bones beneath the raging blood and tissue even as it stiffened the dead carpeting the battlefield.

This tormented landscape reflected centuries of mindless war and abuse. As with most things, the wars began in hopes of spreading something positive, but with that hope came greed. With that greed, hate. With that hate? Death. Endless death and torture.

She had not wanted to get involved with another war, especially one this pointless. There's not much a person can do when they're dumped litterally out of the blue and into the middle of a military base to avoid getting involved, unfortuneately.

There was little choice but to try reasoning with these strange people. She won her life, but with the price of battling on their side of the conflict.

Over the following week, she watched the camp fall in upon itself.

This morning had dawned a red as brilliant as the curls cascading down her shoulders. The omen fulfilled itself before the sun was halfway to its apex, when the enemy army attacked.

The storm sprang up as the bodies fell, and her sword shimmered into existence.

Her remaining adversary now swung his gory machete at the bloodied woman. When she simply slipped out of the way, he growled with frustration and lunged at her.

The sharp SHING of metal striking metal was nearly lost to the howling winds.

After hours of battle that day, he found himself unarmed and staring dumbfounded at the woman he towered over.

Her eyes held a brilliant green fire when they met the pale blue of his. That flame of insanity any who have finally snapped after too many years of stress and pain cut a part of his soul never before touched.

Unthinking, he fell back a step, and fear leapt into his chest at the sudden amazon scream ripping from this small statured woman's ruined throat.

Was this what the people he'd slaughtered felt just before their deaths?

The fierce wind and his own frightened back-pedal cheated the blood-lust seeping into her eyes, however, when he fell back onto an up-raised pike wielded in death by one already fallen. His life bled into his shirt; his soul swept away on the fury of victorious wind.

And she stood alone. Stunned back into herself. The flame dulled in her eyes as they tracked over the carnage, and her throat tightened painfully with emotion.

Her body jolted at the sudden, sharp tingle shooting up her sword-arm and she looked to the beautiful, but dripping katana held at her side. It glowed.

Her free hand joined the other wrapped around the leather bound hilt, as lightening spider-webbed across the sky. She breathed deep the electric air and drew the blade up. With a sharp exhale, she sliced it savagely down.

The furious wind slammed itself into a vortex around the black gash she opened in the very fabric of reality.

One bracing breath later, she gathered the last of her energy and leapt through.

Hot cement greeted her soaking body on the other side. As the glittering wound hanging in the air knit itself back together, sunshine caressed her battered body with its gentle warmth.

With an exhausted gasp, she managed to roll herself onto her back and stare at the buildings towering high above the alleyway she lay in. The flawless blue of the sky peeking between the rooftops nearly brought a grin to her face.

A man and woman both clad in deep grey soon appeared over her. They knelt on either side, and the woman smiled.

Her voice held a strange kindness, "Welcome home, Diana. We've been waiting for you."

The man pressed a gentle hand to her gorey brow and before any questions could manifest from her split, bleeding lips, soothing darkness descended upon her. She knew nothing more than blissful numbness.