"Rhen…"
(I'm bleeding. I'm dying. Rhen's dying.)
(Corvessa and Meowfunction are dying.)
("Hey, fire mage.")
He flinched.
(Someone was… talking to me? In my head?)
He looked to the side. A sword at Rhenvar's side was glowing, flickering. And it was speaking.
("Take me.") It said.
"What are you?"
("What? You mean who! I'm Amorignis, the legendary sword of heroes.")
Willow curled up against Rhenvar. The perfect place to die.
"What do you want?"
("I want you to use me. Kill that evil creature.")
"If you haven't noticed," Willow muttered, "I'm about to die. So let me die with the man I-"
"Willow!" A half dead voice. Rhenvar moved.
He shifted under him, barely alive, and pressed his hands to Willow's wound.
"I'll keep you alive…"
(He's pale. He's barely breathing.)
"No! Rhen, no!"
"I- Viir is feeding me souls- this is all I can do- for now."
(He lost so much blood magic. He gave it to Corvessa. Now he's giving it to me?)
"Rhen…"
"Willow… shut up."
Blood was pouring into him, his blood.
"I told you- and Sylvia- I won't let my friends- die-"
He felt it.
Warmth. Lightness. Like a fire caught in his chest. He wasn't dying anymore.
"But Rhen you know I hate swords- "
"This sword- I was going- to give it- to you. Please- trust me- trust it." Rhenvar unbuckled the sword from his hip. "I just need a little time to recharge."
(Say no more.)
He stood and took the sword.
("So, he's the one you love?") Amorignis said. ("That… thing? He's who your soul burns for?")
"Yes," Willow whispered, strapping the sword to his hip. "Forever and always."
("…We'll talk about that later. For now, you need to kill it.")
"Are you sure you're enough?"
("I'll be depleted,") the sword said. ("But you burn brightly. I'll survive and recover. Trust in your fire.")
(Should I trust this weapon?)
He looked at the battlefield.
(No.)
"I'll trust Rhen," Willow said drawing the sword.
The sword pulsed in his hand.
Amorignis. The weapon of legendary heroes. It was heavy, with meaning. With history. It was as if Willow himself felt its acceptance and importance.
Yet he looked at the sword in his hands. Memories of his childhood flashed.
Willow trembled as he held the divine blade. Fear seized his chest. His breath left his throat faster than his heart pulsed.
("Willow, don't focus on the past.") Amorignis soothed his mind. ("Do not let the past haunt you, not now.")
Rhenvar groaned and Willow swallowed his emotions.
Amorignis and Willow connected. Soul-deep. A flash of golden fire burst around Willow pushing the air around him away.
Calamity turned toward him, sensing the magic. His colorless molten body radiating heat with the view like a collapsing star. Cracks glowed across his chest, still bleeding from Urithax's strike. He was smiling again.
"You," Calamity's voice thundered. "You're already beaten."
Willow stepped forward, feet trembling. But he swallowed again. The ground burned under his soles.
"I'm the one who's going to stop you."
Calamity tilted his head. "You? You are nothing. A girl with a toy sword."
He didn't bother to correct the insult.
He raised the divine sword.
Golden fire bloomed along the blade's edge; his fire, merged with its will. It shined in the air, bright and beautiful.
Amorignis whispered, ("Let him mock. Just burn him to the ground.")
Then-
Willow ignited his feet charging.
Calamity stomped forward, too fast, slamming a massive arm down to crush him.
Willow blasted his own fire to dodge and then rolled, flame trailing behind him. The fist obliterated the ground. Shards of asphalt flew in every direction.
("Don't stop. Move.")
He leapt again, with fire beneath his feet, vaulting him skyward.
"DIE!" Willow shouted, flame exploded from his hand, launching him over Calamity's head.
He gripped the hilt of his blade with two hands, slashing downward.
The blade carved into the monster's shoulder, just a spark, but it made Calamity flinch back.
Willow hit the ground hard. His knees screamed. But he stood, shacking.
Calamity turned slowly.
"Who are you," Calamity growled. "You're not Firefight, you carry divine flame."
"I carry more than that," Willow said, teeth gritted. "I carry love. Will. And my own selfish desire."
The sword pulsed with approval. ("Again.")
Willow sprinted.
Calamity roared, swinging a backhand, too fast to dodge. He raised the sword to block.
The impact shattered the concrete behind him, but he didn't fly. He held.
His arms screamed. His chest burned. But he held on.
And then, he pushed Calamity back.
"YOU HURT RHEN!"
The sword burst with flame and cut across his left arm. This time the arm dangled, the fire clung to him, eating at his exposed flesh.
He snarled, tearing his useless arm off.
"I HATE THIS DAMN WORLD!!!" Calamity yelled in frustration stomping the ground. A fissure split the battlefield, lava bursting beneath.
Calamity in a fit of anger blindly casted spells of unknown origin.
Willow dodged ice, fire and chunks of boulders. Even magic he never witnessed before whizzed past him.
Willow using fire, leapt, dodging upward. The flames bent with him.
Above him now.
"Fallen embers!" He used his own fire with control to burst himself down.
The gold fire swirled around the blade, concentrated, tight, and he drove the blade right into Calamity's chest.
The sword hit true.
Calamity screamed.
The fire poured inside him, his fire. Lighting up Calamity from within, like stained glass breaking under pressure.
But then-
Calamity grabbed him.
Massive clawed fingers clenched around Willow's body.
Willow gasped hard. He couldn't move. The pressure was too much. Willow was getting crushed.
"Enough!" Calamity bellowed.
He raised him overhead like a broken doll.
"I'll end this annoying world, none of you can protect it." Calamity threw him down.
The ground rushed up-and something caught him.
A pink blur. Static. Laughter.
Meowfunction.
"Tag. You're not dead yet, fireboy."
Calamity moved so fast Meowfunction couldn't react, slamming both fists into her.
"Oops aggro!" Meowfunction went flying.
Willow hit the ground, groaning. Alive.
Calamity snarled.
But Willow was already standing again.
Barely.
His knees shook. His vision blurred.
The sword flickered.
"I'm not strong enough," Willow whispered.
("Then burn hotter.")
He lifted it one more time.
"I won't die until he's safe."
Flames surged around him, not just from the sword, not just from magic but from inside. From him and all the fires around the city trailed to Willow as if summoned.
Absolute fire.
(All the warmth I had left. All the love I have for Rhen.)
"I'm not Sylvia," He whispered.
His fires dimmed.
(Sylvia… you knew, since the shadow fortress didn't you?")
His grip tightened.
(You always beat me, you were better. Knew everything. Knew me.)
He closed his eyes as the dim fires brightened and engulf him.
(That's why I know, wherever you are, I'll bring you back.)
(Because you protected me and I-)
"Don't you see it sword, how unfair it is? To be born in a world where you are enslaved to another's expectations and ancient rules? A world where even if your love is true, for some reason others view it as a poison?"
Willow opened his eyes.
"It's my love thats viewed as a curse that needs to be cleansed. As if I'm some kind of abomination. When all I ever wanted to be, was to be true to my heart."
(Sylvia, you never treated me different. You put up with me and my selfishness.)
Willow's hands tightened the sword's handle, almost like he was trying to break it.
"So, legendary sword… you say you can do this with my love?" Willow shouted. "Then show me!"
("This has to be a one shot effort.")
"I'll burn so hot, you won't even remember your own name, sword."
Willow glanced back and saw Aucteros.
(That asshole. But it looks like he is working out a plan with Sin and Veronica. I should-.)
("Focus!")
"Right, I'll trust our companions. I'll give you everything and in turn you give me everything. Understand? One shot! All of our power. We kill him!"
("You deserve true love but, your flames eclipse any doubt. Let's end this!")
Willow smiled because he knew his friends are here and he was not alone.
So he burned. His skin looked like it lost shape. He became fire itself.
The sword's golden fire mixed with him.
Calamity stopped as if admiring the beauty.
It didn't matter. Not to Willow. His flames grew hot and gold.
(I love you Sylvia and I miss you so much…)
The world around him burned.