The red moons bathe the Rot mountain in crimson light. Flames roar all around, racing through the land of Theta. The trees, bushes and grasses are swallowed up by the hungry fire. The animals flee, rushing before being caught up in the Alphas' never ending flames. Villages and temples, abandoned by their people, ignite and burn to hills of ash and soot. The sacred Thetan forests are engulfed in the insatiable fires of war. At the base of the crumbling wall, the deafening sounds of gunshots, clashing swords, screams and war cries boom. Candyfloss engage, fight, die, and kill for the sake of their better tomorrow. Each and every soul among them wishes for it to end, but the promise of change fuels them to keep fighting until something breaks. Denki Inoue scales the wall.

"I told you to stay in the Castle!" Derek puts a strong hand on Kawamaru's shoulder and tries not to let himself panic.

"The Castle is-" the boy huffs, catching his breath, "Under attack!"

"Damn it! Damn it!" Derek quickly takes off his uniform jacket, and wraps it around the boy.

Kawamaru pulls on the fire proof jacket. "King Derek, I'm scared," he says.

"Just stay where I can see you, kid. Everything is going to be alright." Kawamaru nods, trusting the King's words.
Derek feels something in that moment. It's hard to quantify the sort of sixth sense that develops when you are as skilled a fighter as Derek. His power is great, and he is able to sense the Thetafloss when he tries to, even if they are not visible to the eye. Whether it's the slight change in the wind, or the heat of their bodies, or the very energy of their souls, he can feel when they're close. He pushes Kawamaru back, knocking the boy into Kathari who catches him.

 Derek moves back at the same time and narrowly dodges being sliced with a blade.
Inoue is here.

"Fuck!" He stiffens, the fires on his body flare up with adrenaline and he moves again as the sharp shiiink of a sword swipes where he was standing. He can just barely make out the figure standing amidst them.
"I know you're there!" He roars, "Show yourself, you coward!" Derek releases a bolt of fire towards the figure and it leaps back.

 
Inoue reveals himself, as he lands on the edge of the wall. He is a frightening figure, so filled with hatred and rage that it permeates through him. He holds Haruka Hiyashiko at his side, tied with ropes and gagged. She is bleeding and bound, and the light in her eyes has dimmed. Her will has been broken, and she has given up on the fight.

Inoue gives a dramatic bow, "What an honor to finally meet you, Your Magesty!" he provokes Derek. 

Without skipping a beat, the Alphan King comes at Inoue with a plume of searing fire, blasted with the speed and ferocity of a raging Flogasaurus.
"Woah!" Inoue barely moves out of the way of the attack, pulling Haruka with him.

The wind in the wake of the flames is hot enough to kill a floss on it's own.
"Slippery bastard!" Derek barks, without giving his opponent a moment to recover, he fires at Inoue again. This time Inoue doesn't dodge, but instead he lifts up Haruka to shield himself with her body.

"MOM!" Kawamaru cries out in distress and tries to move but Kathari pulls him back. In the last possible moment Derek adjusts his aim and narrowly misses hitting Haruka with the bolt.

Inoue scoffs, "That's what I thought," he says. Harukas weary eyes come back to life and widen with shock when she hears her son's voice. She sees him there with Kathari and she starts to panic. She struggles against her bonds but Inoue shakes her and growls under his breath. His hold on her is too strong.

"Enough of your games Inoue!" Derek steps forward, his intimidating presence is almost too overwhelming for Inoue to stand. "Fight me like a man!" Derek beats his chest with his fist and then lights up all four of his palms, beckoning Inoue to come at him.

"That's where you're mistaken," Inoue says. "I didn't come here to fight you, Pendragon. I'm not an idiot. I know I can't kill you. I came to talk."

Derek clenches his teeth, anger boiling inside of him. "Alpha doesn't negotiate with terrorists," he snarls.

"Oh really," Inoue looks passed Derek to Kathari. "That's rich," he says.

 Derek doesn't take his eyes off the rebel leader.  "This is between you and me now, leave them out of it. You wanted violence, didn't you?! Well, here it is! Come get it!"

"You can kill me if you wish," Inoue puts his arms out, "But the unrest and anguish of the Thetan people will not die with me! This was never about me, Pendragon! This is a revolution! Since the dawn of Theta, we have been mistreated, starved, silenced and tortured at the whims of Beta and the Unity! The people of Theta will keep fighting with or without me! They will keep being violent! They will keep being a thorn in your sides unless you see fit to slaughter every last one of us! I am only one of thousands of voices that cry out for justice!"

"You're insane!" Derek's flames flicker brightly, the whole area around them grows hotter and hotter. "The Beta and Theta are both in the Unity of Clans! They are allies!"

"Is that really what you think?" Inoue narrows his eyes at the King. "Or is that just what's convenient for you to believe?"

That was the final straw. Derek rushes towards Inoue, forcing the rebel to move. With fists lit ablaze and the skill of a trained combatant Derek reaches Inoue and forces him to dodge his attacks. Kawamaru watches from only yards away, tense with fear and anticipation. Inoue tries to use Haruka as a shield again and Derek, expecting this puts out the flames surrounding his fist and instead grabs a strong hold of Haruka. In a show of strength he rips her out of Inoue's grasp and casts her behind him. Haruka skids on the stone of the wall, tumbling away from the two men.

Kawamaru tries again to run to her but Kathari is stronger than him. She pulls him back.
"Let me go!" He struggles to release her grip on his arm.
"No! Derek knows we are standing right here, he wont hurt us with his fire if we stay put!" Kathari says. "Haruka will be fine!"
"But-" Kawamaru stops struggling but still wants to go to her. He can see the blood of her wounds staining the stone.
"She will be fine," Kathari says again.

Derek and Inoue fully engage in combat.
Derek is fast and his hits are intense. He lands searing hot blows against Inoue's body, knocking him around, but the shinobi is quick on his feet.
Derek intersperses his hand to hand combat with blasts of fire, narrowing missing Inoue each time.
 The rebel moves in swift jolts, dodging, blocking and when he sees an opportunity he takes swipes at the King.
All his cuts are shallow, unable to make a clean hit.
 
 Inoue flits in and out of visibility as he fights but Dereks hits keep landing and finally he knocks Inoue back and the two separate.

"Is that all you got?" Derek flexes his fists up ready for more.
"I don't want to kill you, Pendragon," Inoue threatens, gripping the Sword of Pnevma in his fists.
"Don't worry," he spits, and his searing hot saliva sets ablaze on the stone. "You can't."

Inoue grits his teeth and rushes at Derek, he vanishes, feints, and swings his sword at the King from behind.
Following his senses, Derek anticipates the attack and swivels around. He doesn't move out of the way of the blade though, and instead he catches it in his hands. Inoue, visible now is astonished. He tries to force the sword down but Derek's grasp on it is strong. His hands cut open, bleeding on the golden blade but he keeps a strong hold of it.
 Derek steps forward, forcing Inoue to step back. He lights up his palms, heating up the metal to an insane degree of heat and Inoue cries out in pain as the hot hilt sears his own hands. He can feel the fur on his face start to burn away from the heat of the King. Inoue is forced to let go of the sword.

Just like he had done with Haruka Derek tosses the sword aside, stained with his own blood. Derek doesn't flinch as he approaches the now disarmed shinobi.

Kawamaru watches as the golden blade clangs on the ground and skips to a stop nearby him.
 He pulls against Kathari but her hold on him is tight.
He kicks her in the shin, and the shock of it causes her to cry out and let go.
"You little shit!" she snaps but he uses the opportunity to run away from her.
He passes through a wall of flames, holding up his arms to shield himself from the fire.

He reaches the discarded sword but he can still feel it's lingering heat. Wrapping his flame prood sleeves over his hands he takes grasp of it and struggles to lift the heavy weapon.
He's able to wield it and he can feel a strong power within the metal. It flows into him from the sword and makes him feel strong.
With all four hands he lifts the blade and with it he runs to his mother.

Kawamaru comes to her and Haruka looks at him with fear and shock in her eyes.
"It's okay! I'm gonna save you!" He says and he pulls the gag out of her mouth.

"You need to get out of here!" Her voice is harsh and pained. "You can't be here!"

"Don't move, I'm gonna cut the ropes."

"Kawamaru!" Haruka cries out, "Leave me and run!"

"No! I won't!" He shouts, holding the heavy blade up. "I won't run!"He brings the sacred sword down with all his strength and it slices through the chains that were holding Haruka's hands bound. She is freed.
Haruka struggles to sit up, her wounds aching and her body weak.
"Mom? A-are you okay?" Kawamaru asks. Haruka nods, she tries to speak but her voice is caught in her throat.

Kawamaru's grip on the sword weakens and it clamors to the stone beneath him.
His fear returns to him and he collapses into Haruka's arms, hugging her tightly.
 
She holds him back with all her strength, but her body stiffens as she feels someone coming towards them from the darkness.


Inoue scrambles away from Derek and turns invisible but the king lunges at him, snatching him out of thin air. Derek is overflowing with mighty power and anger. He holds Inoue by the front of his kimono and readies his other fist, lit ablaze, prepared to end the man's life.

"Listen to me!" Inoue struggles, "You'll regret this! This won't be the end! Theta will no longer be ignored!"

"I've had enough!" Derek pulls back his flaming hand and prepares a massive ball of fire to engulf Inoue but just before he does, he feels a cold wash over his body. His fires flicker out and weaken then smolder out into smoke. Derek knows this feeling; negation. He looks and finds the Iotafloss responsible.

Rocco Ritchie steps out near where Haruka and Kawamaru are. He's pointing his gun towards the combatants. "Simmer down, hotshot," he says. "You're gonna wanna listen to him."

"You! Iotan traitors!" Derek roars. Inoue takes the opportunity to break free of Derek's grasp.
 
"Ounch, my delicate pride," Rocco responds sarcastically. He turns his weapon towards Haruka and Kawamaru and fires off three shots.
Haruka leaps up, still holding her son tightly and the two narrowly miss being shot by the gangster.
He walks to the sword and with one boot he kicks it up into the air "Heads up!" He says and launches it back towards Inoue. The rebel shinobi reaches up and catches the sword by the hilt.

Derek forces himself to focus. He knows he can break free of Rocco's negation if he tries. He feels his heat returning, burning away at the Iota's power and forcing it out of his system. It only takes a moment for him to light up again, back to his flaming glory.

"Yikes," Rocco winces, uncomfortable from being forced back. He raises his gun and shoots at Derek.

Haruka stands up, shielding Kawamaru behind her. She winces but takes a deep breath, ignoring the pain in her body.
"Kawamaru, are you hurt?"
"I'm okay," he says.

"Haruka!" Kathari comes up behind her. "You crazy psycho! You should sit down."

"Don't talk to me, princess," Haruka doesnt look back at her. "I'm not getting into it with you."

"That's incredibly rude," Kathari pouts. Haruka shoots her a deathly glare. "If you must fight, then here, take this." Kathari pulls a long pin from her hair, letting her locks fall down around her. She unsheathes a long thin dagger from it.
 
Haruka takes the weapon hesitantly. "Why are you doing this?"
 
"I know we don't get along, but I don't want you to die," Kathari says. "You're better off with this than I am."
Haruka nods then she turns to Kawamaru.
 "Stay with her. Don't rush in again," She commands.
"But-"
"I mean it."
"Okay..." he gives in.
Haruka steps away, leaving Kawamaru with Kathari again.

Even injured, broken, tired, starved, even in the worst state of her life, Haruka Hiyashiko is a marvel to behold in battle. Armed with the small hairpin blade, she comes at Rocco, deflects his speeding bullets, kicks away his firearm and stabs him through the solar plexus. It's over in an instant, and she kicks him away to bleed on the stone. "D-damn that's hot..." The Viper falls unconscious.

Derek's heat is almost unbearable. He comes at Inoue but the slippery shinobi is hard to pin down. He lands a kick on Inoue's midsection and the ninja skids back. He catches himself, and readies the Sword of Pnevma.
The two relentless fighters rush at each other with cries of anger and hatred and just as they are about to collide Haruka comes between them.
Derek has to stop himself from hitting her back as she catches the golden blade on the edge of her dagger.

Haruka forces Inoue back and she stands tall, her weapon ready.
"Stand down Inoue," she speaks in a loud even tone.
"I wont!" Inoue cries, finding the hot air harsh on his lungs.

He knows he will die here, and he's ready to die. He knows the war will wage on without him.

"Derek, lower your fists," Haruka says.
"Your cease fire ended the moment they touched the wall, Haruka," Derek responds, "The world is in a panic, floss are being killed in droves! I can't sit back and let this go on any longer! This self-righteous nut case is going to destroy everything! This ends now!"

"No Derek. Inoue is right."

"What?!"

"He isn't the only one rebelling. All of Theta is waging this war. Not one man." Haruka takes a deep breath, "I haven't been honest with you."

"Haruka what are you saying?" Derek steps back.

"Theta has fallen into ruin long before the war started. I didn't tell you because I thought It was my burden to bear." Haruka keeps her gaze locked on Inoue. His eyes burn into her with intense contempt. "My unwillingness to admit my shortcomings, my honor and hubris caused my clan to suffer. I refused to admit that I couldn't handle things on my own."

"That doesn't excuse this violence," Derek was starting to calm down and listen.

"I understand that," Haruka says, "But the blame is not on Inoue, or on the people. It's on me."

Inoue's anger boils over, "Admitting to your crimes does not shed you of blame, Hiyashiko!" He snaps.
"You can never be forgiven for the death and depravity you've caused!"

Haruka lowers her blade. "I know," she says.

"The Spirits have chosen me to save the people of Theta from your oppression!" Inoue steps forward, the golden blade lifted.
 The blade shimmers in the red light of the moons and begins to glow brightly.
The immense power from the blade is staggering.
"You will submit to the will of the spirits!"

Haruka drops her dagger. She closes her eyes but does not flinch. Inoue brings down the golden blade with the force of a raging wind and it cuts through her crown and through her soul gem, and clean through her chest and body.
Kawamaru cries out for her and she hears the anguish in his young voice and it breaks her heart.

Suddenly the power of the spirits blast forth from her, and Haruka is enveloped in the spirits' lights.
Derek staggers backwards, forced back by the winds of the spirits powers.
Inoue too is forced against the wall's edge.

"W-what is this?!" He shouts, but he knows it is the will of the spirits.
Everyone in the battle field knows. Everyone in all of the land knows in that moment.

They can feel it - the will of the spirits.

Haruka is released from the torrent of spiritual power, her body tingling and glowing with the energy of the spirits.
 Her Theta gem was split into two with a clean cut down the center.Kawamaru falls to his knees, as his own body is filled with the spiritual energy again. The same feeling he had when he held the sword.
It's not painful but it overwhelms him. "Mom!" He cries, "what's happening!?"

Shouts cry out from below the wall, on the battle field the Empire Shinobi each become filled with this power, their bodies wrapped up in spiritual energy.
The battling stops as they are lifted off the ground and caressed by the spirits of Theta.
 The power flows across the whole land, reaching it's magicks across the flaming planes of Theta.
The power snuffs out the fires, as it spreads and in a rush it consumes Thetans up in it's power.
 Shinobi, civilians, refugees, all filled with immense unbearable energy.
The spirits make change within them, choosing them to be made new.
The rebels step back, agape in shock as the Empire's supporters are swept up in this strange power.
The spirits release them, as it released Haruka and Kawamaru and all of the Empire's supporters.

The spirits have displayed their will to all of Caramella. The Empire has become a new clan - separate from the Theta.
Haruka falls to her knees on the ground, fully expecting to have died by the blade, but untouched by it.
 She can feel the will of the spirits guiding her from inside. She reaches a hand to feel her gem, split in two.

The spirits have chosen to forgive her.

"Haruka...?" Derek steps towards her, but she falls over unconscious. "Haruka!"
Kawamaru falls as well and Kathari comes to his side.

"No... This can't be..." Inoue drops the golden blade to the ground. "How?! How could they forgive her?!"

"You of all people, question the Spirits?" Kathari chastises him.

Inoue furrows his brow in frustration and confusion.
He steps back, unsure of how to feel. Why would the Spirits do something like this? Wasn't he the chosen one?
Was there some sort of higher plan they had all along?

Derek holds Haruka in his lap. She's still breathing.
He looks up at the Rebel Leader. He tries to hold back his anger, conflicted now. He wants to be done with all of this, but there's more going on here than he knows.

"Inoue!" He snaps, and the shinobi stiffens.
"If what Haruka said is true... I will talk with you."

"What...?" Inoue stammers.

"Call off your army, and get out of my sight," Derek growls, he stands lifting Haruka in his arms.
"We will meet at the Summit in seven days. If you attack before then, there will be no peace."

"The summit," Inoue huffs. "Yes. Okay."

"Go!" Darek snaps and Inoue vanishes.

---------------------------
Haruka Hiyashiko woke in hospice care in Beihu, Beta. After the initial panic she remembered what had happened. Her body felt different, like the energy inside of her had changed. She felt her gem with a tender finger and traced it's odd new shape. She could still feel the strange tingling of the spirits' energy inside her veins. Kawamaru came to her, leaping up into her bed to embrace her. His Beta soul gem had changed as well, forming the same shape as hers was now.  It was unbelievable.  She was so relieved that he was alive and there in front of her for the first time in so many years. She wept as she held him close to her chest. He asked if she was going to leave him again, and she asked him what he wanted. He said he wanted to stay by her side. Derek came to speak with her and when she was healthy enough to travel, he called a summit meeting for the Unity.

The leaders met for the most impactful Unity Council meeting in many years- maybe ever. Denki Inoue was escorted along with a select few of his personal guards, and the recovering Vipers Leader Rocco Ritchie. All of the Clan Leaders listened to Inoue's story, his reasoning, and his methods. He heard out what he wanted for their peace treaty to end the war. Though, there was push back, naturally. The meetings went on from dawn until dusk for 13 days before they were able to all come to a conclusion.

Denki Inoue would call off his warriors and cease all attacks on the Empire and the other Clans, in exchange for the Leadership position over Theta. He would have all power over the clan to do with what he pleased so long as he no longer broke the Unity's laws. This decision was hotly debated, but with Haruka's support it was agreed to. Inoue however stated that he would like to pull his Theta away from the Unity. He would not fight against them, but he did not want to be held to their decisions, rules and whims. He stood firm on this point and eventually the Council agreed. But without being a part of the Unity of Clans, he would have to make allies, treaties, and agreements entirely on his own. If he made enemies with another clan, the unity would not be able to help him. He knew this all too well, and still demanded separation and full independence. It was granted. Many of the other clan leaders were bitter towards Inoue and were not able to overlook his actions in the war. Derek Pendragon warned them, that the treatment of Theta following the Great Rot also seemed justified to the leaders before them, but they are seeing the results of that hatred and deep rooted resentment now. He talked them down and they eventually all agreed to aid Theta for the time being. They did not want history to repeat itself.

The land that Inoue inherited, that would continue to be known as the Theta clan, was cut in two. As payment for the war and for the heinous acts he committed in it, he was forced to draw a border and give nearly half of his land over to Haruka. Haruka was opposed to the idea of continuing to lead at first, but with the overwhelming support of her people she agreed. She would lead the people who were changed by the spirits. They would form a new clan in this land that she decided to call Eta. The newly formed Eta clan would occupy the space between Theta and Beta, and would have full support of the Unity. As punishment for Haruka's negligence that led the Theta to ruin, she would be held to inspections and reports of her new clan's economy and state of being on regular intervals. She had lost the trust of her fellow leaders, and she accepted these terms.

Iota was put on trial for their interference in the war and for their betrayal of Theta. There were reparations to pay, but Iota was let off easy, thanks to Leader Clover's skill in negotiation and quick wits. The land that was promised to them was granted, with some stipulations. Derek wanted that land to really be used to better the Iotan economy, so he granted them the land with building restrictions, forcing them to use it as fertile farmland for the first 20 years. Iota agreed to these terms. They called their new land the Bugsy District.

The Beta clan was held responsible for the state of Theta. It took some time to bring all the evidence to light, but the oppression that Beta was subjecting the Thetans to was put on full display for all to see. The Leaders were appalled at how bad things had gotten without their notice. Even Kathari Li'Fan herself was shocked at some of the details of the problem. For many years before her reign, Thetafloss had been regularly being attacked, kidnapped, and sold into servitude for the Beta elite. They were tortured, starved and worked until death against their will. Kathari was ashamed at her ignorance of this problem. She could see how her lax leadership and her open disdain for the Thetans led to these extremes and she made a public apology and swore to right these wrongs within her borders. To start things in the right direction, Kathari agreed to a treaty with Eta and Theta both, to pay reparations and trade openly with them in ways that would greatly aid their recovery from the war. She reluctantly agreed to open her borders, and lift her embargoes on Theta. She sanctioned the removal of the Wall of Rot in it's entirety. During one of the nights between meetings Kathari came to Haruka and apologized to her for letting her biases get so out of hand. Haruka too, apologized for her treatment of Beta and Kathari herself. The damage had been done though, and the two of them had to move forward and hold onto these feelings to not let something like this happen again.

When all was said and done, the clan leaders celebrated the end of the conflict, and they separated back to their individual nations. Inoue immediately went to planning the Thetan's next move with his trusted officials, starting with the melting down of the City of Gold to be spent to better the lives of the Thetan public. He and his kinship had big plans on how to fix a lot of Theta's worst problems.

In Iota, Rocco Ritchie was hailed as a war hero. The people of Iota were overjoyed at the victory they achieved and the land that they had won would make a huge difference in their lives. In the heat of the celebrations Clover lifted Roccos hand in victory and declared her intentions to make him King. It was a shock to everyone. The Iotans rejoiced even louder at the announcement of the royal engagement.

Haruka came to her new Eta land, and looked out over the burned ashen landscape, holding her son close to her side. Her people stood by her, split off from the Theta and changed in mind and body. It would be difficult for her to build things back up from this scorched landscape but she was determined, so long as her people wanted her, to lead them to a brighter future.

Denki Inoue returned alone to the place where he had pulled the Sword of Pnevma so long ago. He held the golden blade in his hands. What once was so filled with magical energy and gave him such a rush of power, it was now just an ordinary sword. The spirits had left the sword, finished with what they wanted him to do. He hoped that he had done right by them. He lifted the sword and plunged it back down into the rock where it had come from and left it there. He would later build up a temple around the stone and the Sword would be hailed as a great historical artifact for Theta for centuries.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 THE WAR HAS ENDED!

Here are the final scores!

EMPIRE: 724.4/900 
REBELS : 828+ 26 community points for a total of 854/900

The Rebels take the Win!
And The War is Won by the Warriors of Pnevma!

Everyone worked so hard and fought so well for this event! I hope you all had a ton of fun! If you havent looked thorugh the War of Pnevma submissions in the Discord, please go look at all the amazing artwork that everyone has made! It's stunning! Check out the two links below for more!

The Etan Transformation Event!
Haruka as well as all her followers have been magically transformed by the spirits into a new clan! During the event only, you are able to create a clan hybrid with your floss' existing clan and the new Eta clan! Go check it out!

Transformation!

The Eta Clan 
Check out Haruka's new clan, the Eta! Also take a look at the Theta page to see how Inoue has been changing the Theta clan since he took over!  
 
 

 The Shinobi Memorial 
Check out the memorial page for the War of Pnevma for a run down of the event as well as a memorial for all the Floss who took part in the event!  

Visit the Memorial