It burned. Everything burned. Her whole body burned. Falling to her knees, Ashe held her head as she felt the light begin to slowly consume her.
No...No no no!!! It wasn't supposed to be like this! Covering her mouth as she slowly felt the bile rise into her throat, Ashe couldn't even move to cover her mouth in time as she began to cough and puke up the 'pretty light vomit'.
...She was never meant to contain the light, was she?
Ashe was vaguely aware of her friends yelling and Alisaie getting ready to head over.
"The combined power of every Lightwarden is too terrible a burden for any one soul to bear..." Ashe looked up from her puddle of light as the Exarch made his way towards her.
"????"
"And so I shall relieve you of it."
"EXARCH!! What are you doing?"
Ashe looked around her as a circle of magicks began to form around her and the Exarch. What was...?
Smirking as he began his spell, the Exarch began to speak again. "I will channel this profusion of power to the Crystal Tower and use it to travel to other worlds. As I have dreamed of doing ever since I first learned of their existence! Who would choose to remain here, in this dying realm, when they might go elsewhere and begin anew? Not I. And thus…thus did I use you!"
Ashe looked around the area as her gaze fell onto the Exarch once more. Where was Emet-Selch? Where...What was going to happen? Why was the Exarch lying to her again? He was going to die... And her comrades had begun to figure that out as well. This was all a ruse...
A stupid ruse.
This stupid...
"At journey’s end, an opportunistic thief makes off with the hero’s prize," he said as he began to take the light from Ashe. "A paltry way to end a chapter, I concede. Yet your tale will continue, and my role in it will scarcely be remembered."
Ashe's eyes widened as the hood fell off to reveal a red-headed Miqo'te. No...No no no. It was...It fucking was...
"G'raha!!!" She yelled, trying to stand up before falling to her knees again.
Fuck...
"Worry not. Whatever should become of me, I will be happy and free, safe in the knowledge that I have played my part."
And then he gave her the saddest smile he could, if that was possible.
"Thank you for fighting for this world. For believing. Fare you well, my friend. My inspiration."
He made his final preparations to cast his spell and....
BANG.
Ashe watched in shock and horror as the Exarch slowly fell to the ground as everyone began to yell.
"...."
