Chapter Seventeen: requiem denied.

"nobody dies before their time, that's what 'their time' means"

-Unknown.

"all life is precious, be it a diety's or an insect's, no life isn't worth saving!"

-emperorwolf's human self.

Dylan Corvit stood a few miles from the celestial gates of the heavens.
the saint stood waiting at the entrance.

his life had ended, he'd crossed through the light.
this was the absolute end.
"it's finally time... i can finally rest..."
he began walking.
in his time as Aeon Khyber, he'd seen many things, some good, some bad.
it was comforting to know that he could finally rest in peace.
"it's time..."
someone grabbed him from behind.
"Wait!"
he turned to see the human from moments earlier, Ian, one of his son's friends.
only now, he had large black wings sprouting from his back.
"you can't leave!"
"i'm afraid i can. what are you, anyway?"
ian stepped in front of him "at one time, i was the angel called Kenziel... but... i'll admit, i'm a Fallen Angel now..."
"are you trying to lure me to hell?"
"NO! ... no. i'm not. i'm here to beg you to return to life."
dylan smirked "and i'm supposed to believe that?"
"patrick knows! he knows i'm a fallen, if i was evil, wouldn't he have discarded me?"
"no, patrick would try to change someone like that."
"just listen to me!" ian fell to his knees and begged "if not for me, then for your family!"
dylan turned away "they'll manage without me."
"oh really!? you've only JUST come back into your son's life, and you're just going to LEAVE him again?!"
"b-but..."
ian stood and grabbed him "don't tell me you're okay with this?" he said angrily
"i..."
ian pushed away "forget it, there's no helping you. i should've guessed you cared more about yourself than your family."
"how DARE you?!"
"i dare, because you clearly do not care about your family! you get murdered, and you just accept it? i offer you a second chance at life, and you say no?"
"i've struggled enough! ... who're you to decide my fate!?"
"i'm not, YOU are... and YOU are just giving up."
dylan punched the angel "SHUT UP! I NEVER ASKED TO BE AEON!"
"but Aeon has a son, a loving family. Dylan does not, Dylan has nothing but a room in an insane asylum, he never had anything."
Dylan kicked him "GO TO HELL!"
"i wont. not while you let such an unjust action go on. i know you were forced into being Aeon, but doesn't Aeon have a better life than Dylan did? better than wrongfully being put in an insane asylum?"
there was no right way to respond to that. but...
"there's no right way to decline an offer from the heavens..."
ian smiled "then do it the wrong way, say, trip over... down to the mortal world, guided through limbo by an angel?"

dylan smiled, and Aeon's features began to appear.
he crossed his arms in front of his face.
"let the blades of the world cut through the soul..."
the winds whipped up around him "AEON!!"

---

back on the surface, the emperor watched as Aeon's family stood helpless while the fallen angel tried to revive the old dog.
he had traded Aeon's soul for his power, there was no way he'd return, he'd have to be cursed again...
his arm began to sting
he looked down at it, as it began to tremble violently.

a blue light seeped out of him, and flew up into the sky.
"the duke of blades power... NO!!"
he reached for it, but was too late.
the light was headed for it's owner.

---

a blue light collided with Dylan's body, and his human features regressed.
Dylan was gone, and Aeon was back.
"take this lost old dog back to his home, angel!"
ian smiled and grabbed Aeon's arm.
then they dove beneath the clouds.

they plummeted through the air, falling at beyond breakneck speed, Aeon figured they'd have broken the sound barrier if they had physical bodies.

their planet came into view, all three continents turning with the globe.
they cintinued falling, aiming for Virada.
they pierced the atmosphere, and at their speed, they soon saw the strells, and seconds later, the crater Heritos had left.
and a broken old dog with a glowing man on his chest.

---

the emperor looked up, and saw the bolt falling "no, no, no, NO!"
he tried to put off their descent, but Neowolf put his katana out to stop him
"no, sir, this must happen."
Aeon's wife and son looked up in wonder as the bolt of light collided with Aeon's body.
the canine's legs regrew in a blast of golden light, his arm followed.
he quickly drew in a deep breath, and coughed.
Aeon was alive.

the angel looked weak.
his left wing fell apart, the feathers rising into the air before disintegrating.
but the other remained intact.
"what? shouldn't he have lost both wings... and more?"
ian looked like he was going to be sick... but then a brand new, pure white wing sprouted where his left one had disintegrated.
the emperor sensed the influence of the heavens, someone had forgiven the fallen angel, at least a little bit.
"damn... it... damn it all."

Aeon was breathing normally... he felt a ton of little footfalls race up his body, someone stopped by the downed angel on his chest, but the other two leapt onto his muzzle.
he opened his eyes.
and saw them
"hello verona, patrick... i'm..."
verona stopped him "you're home, Aeon. you're home."
he looked past them to the angel collapsed on his chest.
"looks like you're not truly a 'fallen' anymore..."
ian gagged "y-yeah... i'm ... i'm gonna pass out now..."
and he did.
Neowolf knelt beside the angel as his wings retracted.
he cringed a little as they folded beneath his flesh "eurgh... that's ... that's creepy."
the emperor sneered "take back the power AND keep his soul, will he? ... you know what? fine. i'm outta here. KIERRAN, RETURN TO GREY ROOM!"
and he vanished.

Neowolf stood, and grinned "that's good."
Aeon smiled at him "what will you do now?"
"i'll leave the order."
"but... what about 'collin' ? ... if you don't drink the tea..."
"i know, i'll go full form, and i'll never be able to change back into Collin Bolt. i won't be able to use the suppressant tea. but... if living as one of these people is good enough for you, i guess it's good enough for me too, sir."

verona smiled at him "when we have a home, you'll always be welcome."
he bowed "thank you."
Aeon looked at his son, he nodded, his son had a question for Neowolf
"what're you going to go by now?"
"well... i'm not Neowolf anymore... i think i'll go back to using my human name."
"collin?"
he nodded "Collin Bolt."
and then he leapt away, leaving the Khybers and ian behind.

he heard Kierran's voice "Neo-"
"not Neowolf, Collin, and i'm quitting... and if i catch you dragging me back there, i'll tear you apart."
kierran's voice whimpered "b-but without the tea..."
"i know, and i don't care. and PS: i'm keeping Neowolf's power. now, leave me, or i'll go there and kill you right now."
bordos' and helior's voices intervened "you can't be serious! Neowol-"
"COLLIN."
"- fine, collin, you can't do this! you'll go full, and-!"
"i told you, i don't care... maybe you three should tell that damn wolf not to hijack people's lives!"
and he cut off the transmission.
the order was dead to him.
soul or no soul, he'd still take down the shattered light, AND the order, in the name of justice.

it was a new lease on life.
his life.
free from control.
just... free.

(let the fear in white cloak itself in darkness.... let the enemies fall before my blade.... NEOWOLF!)
(Neowolf is Collin... and Collin is Neowolf...)
(the fear regresses from white, taking with it the shadows, into it's heart... i am collin bolt.)
neither incantation changed him back, and he didn't care.
(it's time i did something about that masked idiot's plans)
a crazy smile spread over his face
(but only because i WANT to make my friends' world safe! not because i'm told to!!)

he leapt from tree to tree once he reached the forestline, and vanished from sight.
it was time to get ready... to attack the source of draco's power.
he would remove 'Conduit' from the equation.

AUTHOR CHALLENGE!
in the next chapter, we'll find out how ian was forgiven, and find out how the girls are doing.
but first, i have a challenge: collin's left the order, and therefore is their enemy, but he still doesn't have his soul, my question is; if you were in collin's postion, how would you go about getting the soul back?

try and sum it up, unless you want to write a mini - story as a reply. which is fine.
the best planned soul retaking scheme gets bragging rights!