The world around her was chaos. It was bloody and messy, as battles tended to be. The Rangers had blitzed their enemy and, despite their inferior numbers, they had managed to push the enemy back and gain the upper hand, or so they thought. Astraia, however, knew differently. She had already foreseen this battle, as well as its end. Still, here they were, playing out the scene she'd seen before as she waited for what she knew was the inevitable turning point. She hadn't been able to see what exactly had turned the tides of the battle against them, so she didn't know exactly what to anticipate, but she knew it was coming, and soon.<br/><br/>While many of the Rangers grinned as they fought their enemies, knowing in their hearts that they had the upper hand, Astraia's usual smile was nowhere to be seen. In its place was an unusually serious, grim expression. She fought alongside her fellow Rangers nonetheless. If this was to be their end, then she wouldn't go down without a fight. She continued to push forward, her enemies falling beneath her might. Some found themselves crushed by meteors, others pierced by arrows of light, while others still were swallowed up by the water that had carried them to this place. No matter how many fell, however, it didn't matter in the end.<br/><br/>Before anyone knew it, there was a terrible sound, a loud crack that tore through the sky, striking terror into the hearts of those around her. There it was. A warp gate. This was it. This was the beginning of the end she had foreseen. Yet, even in the face of inevitable defeat, the Rangers never stopped fighting. Despite herself, she couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in her fellow Rangers. This made it both easier and more difficult to face the end.<br/><br/>Despite knowing that most of them would undoubtedly perish here, there was still hope. She had not seen every last one of them perish, so she wouldn't give up hope until the very end. As long as she was still breathing, she would do whatever was in her power to make sure that some of them escaped.<br/><br/>Thankfully, it appeared as though the Grandmaster had felt the same way, as he threw his arms in the air and began to create a portal of light. It was a skill he had taught her once upon a time, many, many years ago, when she had been his apprentice. It was a skill that they would only use as a last resort. It was incredibly taxing. It would drain everything he had. With the strength he still had, she knew that they had a few minutes, tops, to get everyone out. His portals lasted longer than hers would have, but they still wouldn't last forever.<br/><br/>With that in mind, she turned her attention to those around her, repeating the command given by the Grandmaster. "Let's go, people!" she shouted, heading towards the portal with the others who had been fighting alongside her. Alongside her were Seren, one of those few who she truly considered a friend, and a hand full of others. Not far from them, on a path to intersect with them very shortly, were the brothers, Kai and Ignius, as well as a few others who had survived thus far. "Seren." Astraia looked to the other woman, who gave her a smile and a wink, "You got it!" she replied, erecting a barrier around them as they headed towards the portal.<br/><br/>She looked past her to the brothers, who were now next to them, both of whom nodded. "Yeah, yeah." Iggy grumbled in the way he always did, knowing what she wanted him to do. He used his magic to hide them, while Kai used his magic to buff all of those close to him so that they could move more quickly. They were running out of time, so they needed to get to the portal as quickly as possible. While the three of them made sure they would make it to the portal safely and quickly, Astraia took care of any enemies in front of them, clearing a path to the portal for not only them, but the others coming from other directions.<br/><br/>Upon reaching the portal, Astraia ushered the others through, as she dared not go in first. She wanted to make sure everyone who could make it got through. Then and only then would she pass through. Seren lingered for a short time before passing through, keeping up the barrier around the portal for as long as she could, until Astraia insisted that she go through and save her strength to aid the injured on the other side.. Both Kai and Ignius also refused to pass through immediately, doing their best to hold off the enemies and aid what allies they could. "What a stubborn bunch of allies I have." Astraia smiled, her usual amiable smile, with a hint of fondness in her eyes, despite the circumstance.<br/><br/>Once Astraia was certain that they had made it through and the portal was due to close, she gave the Grandmaster a meaningful look. She got the feeling that he wasn't going to make it through. He was going to hold the portal open for as long as he possibly could, to save as many of his men as he could. That was what she truly believed. It was sad, knowing that it was the last time she'd see her old master. Even though they hadn't always agreed, he had still been her master. He was still a part of who she was today. Nevertheless, she wasn't exactly the type to show these things.<br/><br/>"You... You're the most stubborn fool of all," she said to him in her usual somewhat casual tone, her lips bearing that same smile, despite how harsh the words may have seemed. In reality, it was as much a compliment as it was an insult. In her own weird way, she was thanking him for giving the rest of them a chance. Rather than say anything else, or give any sloppy goodbyes, she took one last look around, then looked at the portal, which she knew would be gone any moment now, then glanced back at him. "Good bye, old man," was all she said as she gave him a wink and her token smile before she stepped through the portal and into whatever new future awaited her, as well as the other Rangers that remained.