You shall be defeated by the apathy that plagues you…
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You shall be consumed by the cowardice that binds you…
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You shall be twisted by the envy that drives you…
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You shall be overwhelmed by the arrogance that disfigures you…
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You shall be burned by the hate that controls you…
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Alain stumbled into the side of the entrance to the strangely marked room as the echoes rang in his ears like explosions. The distant sounding voices battered around the large rounded room with a pit of murky energy around it. They refused to stop and seemed to get louder until he screamed out at them to leave him alone. In the moments that followed, in a haze of dizziness, he saw five figures in black armour standing in the middle of the room for just a few seconds. Then everything seemed to return to normal and he regained composure.
He walked across the room without caring that small shards of crystal scattered around smashed under boot. Reaching the other side he turned and looked back at the short distance and realized it felt three times as long. He could not be sure what the room was, but he knew what he had heard and felt. It had something to do with the Arc Angels. Whether they had been defeated somehow or not he had heard their voices speak to him. It reminded him of Zeid's words and made him smile with hopelessness.
"Ha, I don't have the taint of apathy that all other Humes have? That's a lie, Zeid. I have it. Not only that, but I have all the other taints as well; maybe even more so than the Galka, Elvaan, Tarutaru, and Mithra. …You liar…"
-
Catherine was the last to enter the horrible feeling entrance. The power that seeped through into the dim red corridor beyond Purgatory made her skin crawl. It was otherworldly energy not meant to be felt by their kind. Yet they insisted on pushing forwards to find and stop the last surviving Zilart. That meant more fighting and more chances to be injured. She wished they could just run away.
They were greeted with a gargantuan room, the core of the palace they had explored. In its centre was a raised platform littered with consoles cast in white marble. Around the edges of the room thick blue energy crackled running along to a mammoth crystal of equal shade. Its tip stuck out of a deep pit down a small ramp in the centre and seemed to be working in conjunction with the platform above. Strange dark grey hexagonal shapes conjoined together hung vertically across the roof in a pattern spreading all the way round.
Directly before them lay three injured bodies. The largest was barely recognisable as Zeid. His armour had been torn to shreds and much blood had been spilled. His black bladed Great Sword lay nearby. To his sides were Aldo and Lion. Aldo seemed seriously injured as well, whereas Lion seemed able to move at least. She found her body acting on its own as she ran to them, instinctively preparing White Magic. Hanaa was by her side to help as Gerdinus dragged the Dark Knight closer to the door.
"I…couldn't lay a finger on…him… Verena…" Aldo managed to whisper before losing consciousness.
She looked over to Gerdinus and asked how Zeid looked.
"Unconscious and seriously wounded in numerous places. He requires more healing than my limited skills can provide."
Again her body moved without thinking and she went to him to begin casting. A child's laugh rang around the room as they cared for the wounded. The remaining Champions turned to face the figure of a boy standing at the edge of the platform before the tip of the giant crystal. She did her best to ignore his mocking and carried on treatment.
"We need to move them out of the room, Gerdinus!" she shouted.
"Not me," Lion said, and with a wobble got to her feet. "The little brat sucker punched me but I'm not out of this fight yet! Get them to safety and I'll help you out. Trust me, I'm fine."
Neither she nor the Paladin could force the Pirate King's daughter to do anything and accepted. Catherine turned to make sure that Eald'narche had not attempted to attack them while they moved the injured and was surprised to see that he now had his back to them and was pushing buttons on one of the consoles. He did not care about them. They were that weak. None of them could match Zeid's strength, especially not her, so why would he even bother to acknowledge them? Her heart burned with anger, but she knew the priority was saving Zeid and Aldo's life.
"You…" she heard Gerdinus stutter as he stopped moving Zeid's body towards the exit.
She turned and gasped as they all looked upon Alain standing in the doorway with his arms at his sides. He seemed awkward and embarrassed. It was no wonder, it was the first time everyone other than her had seen him since accusing him of murdering Rost. He managed a half wave and then looked to the floor. A swift blow of air shot by her leg as Nokum-Akkum broke into a run and leapt at him, catching him off guard and knocking him onto the floor. Sitting on his chest he pointed at Alain and ordered him to go back to the Highwind.
"Sorry…" was all Alain said.
He eased his friend off his chest and stood back up. Hanaa was next to greet him. She grinned with her sharp teeth as he got embarrassed again and then embraced him in a hug. She whispered something in his ear, but she never caught what it was. Gerdinus stood tall before him with a stern expression, but out stretched his hand.
"I am sorry for what we did to you, but I still believe it was the right thing to do."
"It wasn't," Catherine interrupted. "Rost is alive, I saw him."
The Galka said nothing else and turned from Alain to carry on moving the injured. He stopped him and called them altogether. Did he have some plan to defeat the Zilart Prince? How could he? He had to still be recovering from the wounds he had after fighting with Rost. Even the healing from Benediction could not have made his body one hundred percent by now.
"Listen closely, we don't have much time. If Zeid and Aldo lost this badly, what chance do we have?" They were all shocked and tried to interrupt but he carried on regardless. "We aren't as strong as they are. Even with the power you discovered Gerdinus, do you really think it is enough? Look, I don't even have a weapon. We would be throwing our lives away."
"Then what do you propose?" The Paladin demanded.
"I propose that Catherine teleports us out of here. We can't stop Eald'narche. But he isn't destroying the world; he just wants to see Paradise. When the gates open something will be called to Vana'diel, a monster of some kind, and I know something is spreading across the land…but that would happen with or without him eventually. He's just trying to escape it. Look…we should escape. The Kindred will be battling with San d'Oria by now and they'll need all the help they can get."
"This has to be some kind of trick," Hanaa uttered, shocked by his words. "You can't be the Alain I know."
"Tell me I'm wrong."
They were all silent. They all knew none of them were match for the prince. But did that mean they should not even try? Alain was right; they probably would just be throwing their lives away. She had never seen Alain seem so serious, but there was no doubt in her mind that it was him. Nokum-Akkum was shouting abuse at him, calling him an impostor, and drew his axes. Alain bent down on one knee to look at his tiny friend in the eyes and out stretched one hand.
"Forgive me, Nokum-Akkum."
There was a tiny flash of white light and then the Tarutaru swayed from side-to-side before falling on his back. A few seconds later there was loud snoring. Hanaa pulled him to his feet and slapped him across the face, demanding he dare to try to do that to her. He sighed helplessly.
"I don't want my friends to die…" he sighed.
The Red Mage's anger seemed to disappear in an instant of looking at his sad expression. And then she too sighed. She knew just as well as the rest of them that they would not win but she did not want to admit it. Renene tugged her side and exclaimed that throwing her life away would make her cry. Hanaa turned to Gerdinus and her and asked what they thought.
"We…we can't win…" Catherine stuttered. "We should leave…"
"It is a Paladin's duty to protect…yet I cannot see victory in this even with my new found strength. The people fighting the Kindred back on the land…they are the ones I should be protecting. ...But to come so far…to come this far to turn away?"
"What's the matter with you people!" Lion shouted. "You're giving in just like that?"
Gilgamesh's daughter stumbled as she attempted to walk towards them and almost fell over. She was more injured than she was willing to let on. Catherine spread her hands out to her sides and began to chant a teleportation spell. Everyone was close enough to be taken up in it. Though subconsciously each person affected would have to give permission, those asleep or unconscious would be taken without fail. Alain walked right in front of her and bowed his head. He believed she was doing the right thing.
All the while Eald'narche paid them no heed.
As she neared the end of her casting Alain moved even closer. As she spoke the magical words she could feel his breath on her lips. He smiled at her and then their eyes met.
He spoke in a whisper, "I'm sorry."
Her hand rose to complete the spell and white light rose from the ground surrounding them all. His lips moved again as they gazed at one another but there was no noise. She read his lips and felt tears run down her face. The white light enveloped her and all detail vanished. The sensation of movement took over as she and everyone else was taken far from Tu'Lia.
-
Alain wiped his eyes and looked at the empty space around him where his friends had been standing. As his hands pulled away he saw the fist coming towards his face too late and was struck to the floor.
"You bastard! What have you done!" Lion screamed at him. "You lied to them! You made them believe you would go with them! You heartless scum!"
He did not reply.
"At least defend yourself, you selfish coward!"
Still he did not answer.
"Fine, sit there and watch. I stayed because I know this isn't over. Not until I try my hardest anyway. My father didn't raise a coward. Why did you stay behind anyway? You should have gone with your friends if you care for them so much. Like you said; you don't even have a weapon!"
Alain got back up and rubbed his bottom jaw. That would definitely leave a bruise. Walking a few short steps down the ramp he reached onto the floor and took up Zeid's Great Sword in his hands. Its bulk and weight was greater than any Hume sized weapon, but he would have the strength to wield it. Lion watched and scoffed. Undeterred, he finally responded to her.
"I believed everything I told them. We don't stand a chance of beating him even if they all were here. I wanted you to go with them as well."
"Then why did you stay behind?"
He did not reply and walked forwards towards the platform on which the last Zilart stood with his back to them. Forever conscious of where everyone in the room was, the Zilart's head turned partly to look behind and he smirked at him.
"Hi, nice to see you again," Eald'narche smiled. "Alain, was it? Or should I just call you Emissary of the Dawn? Quite a sweet thing you did for your friends back there, sparing their lives like that. But why throw yours away?"
The Zilart Prince turned to face him full.
"Or is it that you want to come with me? Do you want to see Paradise? That was the wish of the other, the Emissary of the Dusk. But you knew that already, I suppose. How is he anyway? I can't seem to sense him anywhere on Tu'Lia. Still trapped in that parallel world I made for you perhaps?"
He had no intention of telling the Zilart anything or listening to any offers that he would make. All that was left was to try his hardest to stop Eald'narche. He could not remember where or when, but the Dawn maidens had explained something to him. It was knowledge that just seemed to be there. Perhaps it had carried over from something Rost had been told. Eald'narche would not see paradise as the path he took was the wrong one. That, however, would lead to a greater catastrophe than that depicted in the ancient Chamber of Oracles.
All that was left was for one person to wait for that catastrophe and stop it. That is what he believed. But he saw no way out for that person, no way to avoid the inevitable. So he chose the best path to save his friends and stay behind alone. It was selfish just as Lion said, but he wanted it to be him rather than one of them. Was that so wrong?
"Am I to assume that your silence is a no? How can you be so stupid? The chance to be almighty…and you're just throwing it away. You people truly are the plague of Vana'diel."
"You won't see paradise, Eald'narche," was the unemotional response.
The boy frowned, "I won't? And I suppose you'll be the one to stop me. Do you realize that my Exoplates disposed of a Dark Knight far stronger than you? Humph, no matter. The Crystal Line is nearing completion. The gathered energy in this crystal will open the gate and I will pass through to be reborn as a God. I will escape this rotting world before it is consumed by Emptiness. There is still some time. Let's see the depths of your resolve. Exoplates!"
Lion backed into him as they were surrounded by large squares of a dark brown shade that seemed to phase in and out of one another forming a pillar. Raising the huge Great Sword he bore its weight across his shoulders while holding its lengthy hilt in both hands, watching for an opening. There did not seem to be one, so they would have to smash their way out. The corners of the squares seemed to catch the pale blue light of the rim and reflect it, suggesting a concealed blade of some kind.
"These are the things we fought," Lion stated from his back, "No matter how many we smashed more and more appeared. We couldn't reach Eald'narche to even attempt hurting him. The reason I didn't get as injured as Aldo and Zeid was my speed was just enough to avoid most of these…but there was so many."
"We don't have a choice, concentrate on taking them out and if an opening presents itself take it. We just need to hold on long enough."
"Hold on long enough…? What are you-
The squares bent backwards slightly so the sharp bases pointed directly at them. Alain swung down with the huge blade of his weapon cutting a gap long enough for him and Lion to leap through. No sooner had they landed on the ground the Exoplates broke apart and began swooping at them from all directions in an attempt to cut them. They phased in and out to confuse and disguise the approach they would take in an untraceable pattern.
Swinging wildly resulted in slashes cutting through more. They would splinter or break in half and then vanish, only to be replaced by a fresh set almost instantly. He could not trace their origin or find any way to stop them. Eald'narche was not casting spells or even paying attention to them anymore, yet the things followed as if being controlled.
One slashed across the side of his leg tearing straight through his thick breeches and drawing blood. He bent sideways as it caught him and another narrowly missed the side of his face. Pulling the Great Sword over his shoulder again he gathered together energy to unleash an ability.
"Spinning Slash!"
The collected power formed a thin white trail of light around him that drew in surrounding Exoplates. As he completed the swing, the gathered power along the length of the Great Sword released in the form of a blinding explosion, removing every one of the strange devices in sight.
Lion knew instantly to choose this moment to attack the undefended Zilart Prince and shot towards him with a dagger drawn. But as she reached him a wall of Exoplates appeared before him and resisted her attack. She was forced backwards at tremendous speed and came to a stop next to him. They were once more surrounded by a pillar of the squares.
"Speed isn't needed here…" Lion whispered. "It's strength. That's what we did wrong. Look, I'll draw as many as I can to me and you attack him. Break through the wall he'll form with a strong slash and I'm sure you'll reach him."
"What about you?"
"Don't worry about me. Just do it!"
This time it was Lion that broke through with twin daggers allowing them to escape the pillar and burst back into the barrier. She did her best to move quickly between as many of the scattering squares as possible and struck tiny sections off each, causing many to twirl after her. Using this time, Alain broke into a run towards the Zilart Prince, letting the Great Sword scratch along the floor as he went sending sparks up into the air.
As he approached he saw the wall of reformed squares begin to appear and realized that should not be his target. He looked sideways and up at another set of consoles. The Exoplates were summoned by Eald'narche but he was not controlling them, they were acting independently. They had to be getting controlled by the structure itself, but the consoles he had been toying with before any of them arrived.
Changing direction at the last moment he leapt for the upper console. The Zilart's attention was immediately drawn back to them as the wall sliced forwards and struck nothing. The blade of the Great Sword fell on the series of consoles cutting straight down the middle of one and causing smoke to billow out from it was the white marble was cracked. Its screen smashed like glass and blue lines appeared on the nearby monitors.
There was a clatter as every Exoplate still in the room fell to the floor and was smashed. He ran to the edge of the upper platform to look down at where the young Prince had been standing and found that he was still there, glaring up with his one good eye with a look of contempt. The look, however, seemed then to turn into satisfaction despite Alain raising his weapon to attack.
"So you have some brains after all. The Celestial Nexus defence system has been destroyed. Still, was stopping the creation of those annoying little squares really worth the price?"
He tilted his head towards the room. Alain turned to look and saw Lion's body in a bloodied heap against one of the walls. He immediately jumped from the platform and ran towards her, but was stopped as the Prince appeared hovering mid air in front of him and with just a swipe of his arm sent him flying in the opposite direction.
Zeid's Great Sword had fallen from his grasp as he was thrown. Still hovering in the air, Eald'narche outstretched a hand and seemed to control the weapon. It swayed into the air just out of reach of his hand. He then pulled his hand into the air above his head and dropped it forwards as if throwing something. The Great Sword reacted as if it had been held in his palm and fired forwards. Alain moved to the side and it struck the wall he had been thrown against before falling to the floor. He took up the blade once more.
"Soul Eater."
Black smoke surrounded him as power was drawn from the Darkness. His hatred brought it fourth in waves that empowered him and the blade. This did not impress his enemy and Eald'narche simply smirked and said that he had seen it all before. The boy urged him to attack and he gladly did.
They both warped around the room clashing and exchanging blows. Each swipe of his sword seemed to be caught and deflected by invisible force surrounding both Eald'narche's hands. The same energy seemed to be allowing him to hover and teleport. He did his best to keep up and kept swiping at different angles to try and cut through. One good hit would be enough. The boy seemed to be knocked back by the force, by the anger behind each strike, but was not injured.
Knocking his blade into the floor, the Zilart Prince moved next to him and shoved his fist into Alain's chest. No contact was made, yet he was struck with immense pain and sent reeling across the floor. He refused to let go of his weapon that time and caught the next fist coming at him with it. The fist stopped just above the surface and the invisible power was applied, almost making him lose his footing. He forced them to part by moving sideways and cast Stun. The bands appeared but the Zilart simply teleported out the way before they could tighten.
He put some distance between them to recover from casting, but was thrown straight back into the fray as he crossed the room instantly. He was knocked into the far wall and then to the floor. Once more he lost grip of the weapon, but got to it in time. He needed more power if he was going to even get close to breaking whatever protective barrier was saving the Prince from his attacks. He drew everything he could from the Darkness.
"Last Resort."
Red sparks spread across the black shroud around his body, granting him even more power. He charged at Eald'narche and blow for blow they matched one another, each refusing to be pushed back. Swinging upwards with the huge blade he got what he was waiting for as both the Zilart's hands flew into the air to deflect the blade. Ramming forwards with his shoulder he made contact through the barrier. He then twisted and felt his blade meet the target.
Eald'narche was thrown across the floor, blood spilling onto the ground as he went. He coughed and started getting up. As his head rose, his eye patch fell from his face. Alain knew it was not a helpless injured boy he looked upon and readied the final blow. He had to end it now the chance had presented itself. He could not hesitate. He charged forwards.
One of the boy's hands snapped upwards and caught his blade as if it were made of wood. A purple aura wavered around the boy's body filling the room with a terrible feeling. A dark purple gleamed from the side of his face as he turned to look up at Alain. Where his eye patch had been covered, where an eye had once been, was a dense crystal lodged deep inside the socket spreading purple veins under the skin. This was the source of the greater powers he had been drawing upon.
Unable to resist the power the Prince now had, Alain was shoved into the air and collided with the ceiling before being knocked across the floor. He lost the sword after the first attack and it still hung in the air with just the tip in between two of Eald'narche's fingers. And then in and instant it was gone, consumed by dark purple light.
"Ha…ha… I underestimated your abilities," the Zilart said in a much older voice. "You fight well for such a lowly life form. But there's no more time for playing games. Prepare to witness my true power."
Instantly the Prince was hovering in front of his hunched body with both hands outstretched. It felt like a thousand blades slashed across him as he was forced deeper into the wall and then thrown around like a toy. The black aura from the Darkness left him and his body gave out as Last Resort took everything that was left. He could barely get to his feet in order to receive the next blow each time. Eventually the ability to do even that left him.
Just as Eald'narche was moving again he looked to his side in time to raise a hand to stop a wave of energy firing towards him. It collided with invisible forces and exploded, shaking the room violently. Alain looked up towards Lion, but saw that she still lay still where she had fallen. Then he looked to where the blast had come from and still saw no one. Someone grabbed his shoulders and forcibly tugged him onto his feet. He turned around and saw who it was.
"I can't trust you to do anything," Rost muttered.
"You'll forgive me if I don't even pretend to care about that," Alain replied and hunched over again. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to make sure you won."
"I'm stronger than you and I still couldn't kill him. What do you think you can do now? I think that's a piece of Magicite stuck in his face, it's the real source of the power he uses."
The Elvaan huffed. Reaching into a pouch on his belt he revealed two stones. One glowed white and the other black. Alain recognised what they were instantly; Prayer Stones.
"Where did you…"
"After our battle I found the Prayer Stone of Light and Dark on Catherine. I thought we might need them and so I…borrowed them."
"The strength they give still wouldn't be enough…"
"We are different to the others. We are Emissaries; we can draw far greater power from these stones. These will enhance weapons used by the Hydra Corps and create them from any meagre weapon. Even my broken blade will be renewed. Find one to use, quickly. Not a Great Sword, do not consider that. Make one. Use the powers you have learned!"
He looked at his bloodied hand and out stretched it.
"Blood Weapon."
The outline of a huge scythe slowly traced itself around his hand. He imagined it in his mind and the flowing blood took its shape. He could not fill the shape, but it would be enough. He took the Prayer Stone of Dark from Rost and looked at it in his free hand. The Elvaan raised the Prayer Stone of Light in time with him and simultaneously they crushed them.
Two explosions spread from the ramp, breaking apart the ancient stone and creating a huge hole as white and black light eclipsed every corner of the room. Eald'narche watched from a protective shell of dark purple and grew angry. The equipment was being damaged further and things were becoming unstable. The lights vanished revealing both Emissaries standing proud side by side with weapons touching. One clad in gold and black and the other in black and purple. One carried a golden scythe and the other a black bladed katana.
"Saotome Amanomurakumo."
"Abyss Apocalypse."
The Prince laughed in a deep voice and spread forward both hands. He began to gather energy as both weapons were raised in the air. The room quaked with the amount of energy being pulled in every direction. Stone around them cracked and tore as the collected powers reached their peaks.
"This won't be the end!" Eald'narche roared. "I am a proud Zilart and I won't be beaten by you, Yve'noile!"
"This is the end," Rost said from behind his golden mask.
"After we end this, we settle things between us!" Alain cried.
A wave of purple shot from the last Zilart as both summoned weapons crashed forwards collecting white and black light.
"Tachi: Kaiten!"
"Catastrophe!"
-
"But I'm…I'm a Zilart Prince…I'm a Zilart…King…"
Eald'narche appeared before the upper platform.
"If I can't…see that which I have spent my life…then I will wipe this planet out… I will destroy the vermin that brought about this… the energy collected by the Crystal Line… I will aim it towards Vana'diel. I will kill them all."
-
Lion rose from where she had fallen. She was shocked to see Alain in strange black armour lying next to an Elvaan Samurai on the floor. She then saw Eald'narche atop the platform and heard his words. She looked to the floor and felt her chest. Pulling one of her daggers from the wall she broke into a run.
-
"Stop…please…don't…Lion!"
-
The room began to collapse as an anomaly collided with the crystal, deactivating the ray of light heading towards the planet below and disrupting the crystal line. Lion was no where to be seen.
"She…that idiot why did she… No matter…I will drop Tu'Lia as well… I will have my vengeance…I…
Before the last Zilart appeared the spectre of a woman. With her arms outstretched he raised his to match hers and looked upon the Dawn Maiden Yve'noile dressed in the robes of his ancestors. She smiled at him and shook her head.
"Why did you stop me? Why did you stop me again? I only wanted…I only wanted to escape…Emptiness."
"Eald'narche, harming Vana'diel will only bid thee from attaining thy dream of Paradise."
The Prince looked to the floor.
"Was I… was I really wrong?"
-
All around them both the room was collapsing. Maybe even the whole palace and even the floating island. Everything seemed to be coming apart. Despite that Alain stood in silenced a short distance from Rost. Chunks of rock and hexagonal marble fell around them.
The Samurai's eyes met with his and the black and gold Hydra Corps armour he had obtained glowed. His own black and purple emitted a dark light to match the white coming from his rival. They raised their weapons in time once more, only this time directed at each other.
Things were not over yet.
-