"Good morning, Lord Bahamut."

Bahamut's eyes immediately shot open. Last he remembered, he was covered with sweat, his heart racing a mile a minute, and nearly hyperventilating. All of his senses and will had been bent to getting the group to move, and he thought that all was finished. That was a moment ago. But now, his body had suddenly changed. His heart was beating normally. His breathing was regular. His brow was free from sweat, and only now, in his new frame of mind, did his body register any anxiety at all. However...that wasn't all.

To Bahamut's surprise, he looked around himself. He saw pale white marble caves around him, carved and polished and reinforced with columns. A wide sunroof covered with glass and several glass windows were in the room, and sunlight was pouring in. Birds sang and flew outside. The smell was different was well. Although Bahamut had never seen a chamber like this before, and was surprised to be there...he realized where he was. The artchitecture was unmistakable although it was much newer than what he had seen. Somehow...he was right back in Terratopolis. And it appeared he was in a chamber designed just for himself, but though it was new to him already had to be hundreds of years old.

The great esper looked around for a moment, before turning his head and spotting his attendents. They were at least still there. Khan and Singh both looked up to him expectantly. As always, they picked up on his emotions and sensed his distress and confusion, and they too were puzzled as a result. However, they too were different. They looked much more refined and well-tempered, as if they hadn't spent years upon years living with a wilder race, and that they hadn't been crammed under the earth for so long. It was as if they had never breathed of a world of Chaos, and the whole world looked brighter as well. Nevertheless, they did stare at Bahamut with some surprise.

"Master? Is something wrong?" Singh addressed.

"Lord Leviathan was expecting you for breakfast in ten minutes." Khan added.

Bahamut blinked at this. Leviathan? He hadn't talked to Leviathan in over a thousand years. He stared about in further puzzlement for a moment, before turning back to the two of them. "What is this? We are back in Terratopolis? When did we leave the Dragon Isles?"

To this, both of Bahamut's attendents looked puzzled. They turned to each other to see if the other knew what he was talking about, it appeared. When there was no response, they merely looked back and shrugged. "Sir," Khan began. "You've been in Terratopolis for the past four hundred years. You said you didn't like being around the dragons because of the way they treated you."

"I suppose we could schedule a meeting..." Singh offered.

Bahamut blinked in puzzlement. He hadn't? What was going on? And yet...he felt a bit strange. He felt as if he already knew what Khan had just told him. Somehow...he felt the memory of being in Terratopolis for four hundred years. And of making that appointment with Leviathan. For some reason, he had those memories. But why did he have them? What about all that had transpired?

"What of the Four Fiends?" Bahamut asked next. "And the Temple of Chaos? And the Light Warriors?"

This, however, only made the two react in more confusion. They seemed a bit unnerved now, and were growing more anxious about Bahamut's behavior.

"Sir...we really don't know what you're talking about." Singh finally shrugged. "Odin destroyed the Temple of Chaos over two thousand years ago. You destroyed the Four Fiends even later than that. And we have never heard anything of any Light Warriors."

"Are you feeling ok?" Khan suggested.

Bahamut paused at this, his face still clouded with doubt and puzzlement. He thought he was beginning to understand what was going on, but this didn't make sense. What it appeared to be, he realized, was that there was success. The Oblivion Stone had to have been destroyed. And with its destruction, all of the horrors in the future were undone. The great kingdoms of men never fell. Elves and dwarves continued to prosper. The Lufenians still dwelt in their palace in the sky. The Four Fiends were again locked in their prisons. And though there was still evil in the world of men, it was diminished now and countered by the good of humanity. And because Tiamat had never awakened and made that grim revelation to Bahamut, he realized that he had never seen a need to leave Terratopolis. Therefore, two thousand years after the Temple was destroyed, he was still here. However, that all didn't explain what was going on right now...

If the future had been replaced, then that also meant that the same future in which the Light Warriors would eventually assemble to fight the Fiends had also passed. That meant that no one in the world had ever heard of them. Wherever they were in this world, they were back to their young ages and never having to fulfil their prophecy. And yet, Bahamut realized that wasn't so. He saw what was happening now. He remembered being here and talking with Leviathan because the new timeline gave him those memories. But then, why did he still remember the old timeline as well? He could still remember the Light Warriors coming to him, presenting him with the rat's tail, training with them for five years, sending them off, rejoicing with dragon kind over their victories, and even seeing them go back in time to finish off the Chaos beast. Why did he still remember this when everyone else did...

Then, it suddenly struck him. Of course. He had seen them go back in time to finish off the Chaos beast. He was in the hourglass chamber when this all took place. Because of that, he remembered what everyone else did not. He existed out of the flow of time when the timelines reset, and so he remembered what had transpired. However...that reminded him of something else. If now was the natural flow of time...then that meant that the Light Warriors themselves had been out of the natural flow of time when things had changed. They were in the past. Because of that...that meant...

Bahamut struggled to keep his face from lighting up. He drew in a deep breath, and calmed down somewhat. Afterward, he turned his head out to his two befuddled attendents. He gave them a nod. "Thank you, you two. I will be out in a moment. Please leave me."

Khan and Singh, however, were even more puzzled by this slightest change. They still looked uncertain. "Master...are you sure?"

"I just had a vivid dream, that's all." Bahamut calmly addressed. "I'll be along shortly. You may leave me."

The two looked to each other and shared a disapproving gaze. They paused for a bit longer as they looked back to their master. However, it didn't last long. After all, they were still obedient. In the end, they both sighed and turned, and then began to walk out of the chamber. Bahamut watched them go, almost earnestly wishing them to go faster. They seemed to take forever to finally leave. No doubt, they would soon vent more worry and might report to Leviathan. But that didn't matter. At last, they exited the door in the back, and pushed it closed again. Bahamut paused for a moment to make sure that all was silent.

Then, he quickly closed his eyes and focused. He had no idea where they were from or if he could find them like this. As he stretched out his mind, he began to feel all over the consciousnesses of the world to try and discover his old friends. Luckily, it was easier now. With the shadow dispelled, his own mental presence flowed through the Planet much more freely. It still took a few minutes. There were more people in the world now than in the old timeline, and there were much stronger and optimistic emotions. Bahamut felt some happiness inside as he felt other pure souls on the world, no longer blocked out by the darkness of Chaos. But that only made it harder to find his friends. He searched for quite some time, gazing for the strongest lights in the darkness...before he finally found them.

Far away in a distant land, among one of the wilder tribes of the world, Bahamut found them. These people were savages and outcasts to the regular kingdoms of the world. Bahamut, however, knew better. In these small gatherings of nomads and wanderers was the last blood of Palad and the Dragoons. Here they came together in this people, and though weakened they continued to exist. It was from here that Bahamut sensed them, and he knew that these were the people they had come from. The last noble races of mankind. It was fitting that they should come into possession of the crystal shards. Bahamut would have guessed this earlier had his mind not been clouded by delusions and lies. But that was over now. Now, he sensed them.

The esper hesitated a moment. In truth, he didn't know if they remembered him. They had been through so much already, and there was a chance that they died before the timeline reset. Bahamut might be the sole survivor of that forgotten world of chaos. It would be painful if they didn't remember him, for he considered them his friends just as Palad had once been his friend. Still, he had to know. If they were there, and if they did remember, then he had to at least explain what had happened...

And say goodbye.

"Darwin...Tuck...Harbaro...and Lucinda... Can you hear me?"

A fateful pause went by, in which Bahamut imagined no response, fear, or bewilderment. He held for a few moments and found himself praying that they would still answer. But after a moment, a tentative mental reply was sent back.

...Master Bahamut...?

The great esper breathed a sigh of relief. They did remember. Their thoughts were intact. After a pause to be happy about it, he spoke again. "Yes, I am here. And so are you."

What's happened to the world? Another warrior asked, puzzled. No one else remembers this. No one even remembers us getting the shards. And we're all five years younger again, like we never trained with you.

"Of course you never trained with me!" Bahamut cheerily answered, a smile forming on his mouth. "Just like you never received the shards! Because the Crystals were never darkened! Everything that ruined this world and killed millions of innocents is now undone. The end of the Oblivion Stone stopped the cycle of destruction from beginning before it even started. And everything that issued forth from it is also changed. I wager that even Garland is back to his old office in the kingdom, for he was never seduced by the evil of this world. Only the five of us remember, because we alone were outside the flow of time."

So...that's it?

Everything we did...everything we fought for... It never happened?

The liberation of Cornelia... The saving of the mermaids... All gone?

But...that means everything we worked for never mattered to this world...

Bahamut sat up a bit at that. "Didn't matter?" He responded. "Young humans, everything that this world is, every life that came that would not have been, indeed every breath of fresh air, cool drink of water, rich feeling of earth, and warm ray from the sun is because of you! This world never had such a dark history because of you! You've saved everyone on this world from a horrible fate. People can live in peace and grow and develop because of you, and this planet still lives because of you. Were you expecting honors for all of this? Acclaim? Praise? Were you not rather fighting for a destiny where a man and woman can live on a fertile land and grow their own harvests in peace and security, raise their families, and have the promise of a brighter future?"

The four paused at that. It was true, that was what they were fighting for. And despite everything they did having never existed, that was ultimately the truth.

"Now you have liberated both past and future for this world and for all free peoples." Bahamut continued. "Now you see your own lives turned back, and once again a bright future is before you. And now, it is not dimmed by the darkness of an age that was erased from history. So make your futures a bright one, for you four alone, out of all humans on the Planet, now have the power to realize that you have a second chance. Indeed, all of this world has a second chance."

The four didn't answer, but heard what Bahamut had to say. However, he could sense them. He felt them grow lighter of heart and stronger. He felt their happiness take away their confusion, and their passions soared once again. Now, they no longer had to toil and ruin. The next five years would not be one of hellish training, but would be theirs to do with as they pleased. And Bahamut already knew that what they had experienced would make them improve this world for the better. The memory that they held in their heart would guide them in this next chapter. The true Age of Humans had begun now.

Thank you, master.

For everything.

"Do not thank me." Bahamut flatly answered. "I thank you. You have done what no esper could, and you have brought hope to a dying race. You restored my faith in humanity, and I shall not forget it. And now..." A pause from the great dragon. "...Our time has come at last to part."

Bahamut sensed a change. A great sadness came among the four heroes. Each of them grew downcast and silent. They didn't protest this. After all, they knew that this day would come. Espers forever lived apart from mankind, and they would not intervene. That was the way of things. Still, he sensed their sadness. He inhaled deeply at this...and felt a great pain within as well. He did not wish to part with them either. He had grown to love them too much. He had spent years with them. He had changed as they had changed, and they had taught him much about faith and courage. To lose them would be like losing a piece of himself now. He would miss seeing them from day to day, constantly waiting for reports, and of basking in the purity of their small yet powerful spirits. But he too realized that he couldn't escape the way of things either, the path that he had set out. In the end, he had to do this no matter what he felt. It would be hard, but he would manage. The separation between humans and espers would remain, as it had always had, so that what had transpired over 2,000 years of darkness would never happen again.

"For thousands of years I have watched the human race with fear and disgust." Bahamut continued. "Now, as you four go forth, I look on it with hope. May your days be blessed, and all the days of mankind."

A pause, but then a quiet voice replied.

...We'll never forget you, Lord Bahamut.

Slowly, the great esper cracked a smile...struggling to keep a tear from rolling down his eye.

"And neither will I...my dear friends. Farewell."

With that, Bahamut cut the mental signal off...and never talked to them again.

The great esper leaned back after this. He opened his eyes and inhaled deeply. So much was due to them. Any happiness or glory that he felt in the next few centuries would be because of them. And they had been good friends...making him feel young and light-hearted again to be with them. But...all things had to pass. That too was the destiny of an immortal. Even if he stayed with them, eventually they would have died. For now, they had earned the right to decide their own futures free of his own hand. And so, he had to let them go. He sharply exhaled, struggling to push all of his sadness and despair away from himself. He raised a claw and wiped his reptillian eyes free of the salty tears that had started to well in them. No use crying now. No one else would understand...although he felt Leviathan might in time. But for now, he had to keep this to himself. He too had to adjust into this new world of light, and to try and make it last. The curse of Hades was gone now. Everything was over.

However, as Bahamut relaxed and prepared to move...he realized one last item was left.

No...it isn't over.

...One thing remains.

The kingdom of Cornelia was still a minor kingdom in this new timeline. However, it mattered little to the people. They were free of the wars and conquest of the Northern Kingdom although they had such power. They could govern themselves and go about their business. Their main concerns now were in living up to their tradition of being the city of dreams. They specialized in agriculture and music, development of the arts, and architecture. They were a great cultural center in the world, predating a time when such things were valued. In time, what they discovered and specialized in would reach value to the world and to civilization. But for now, conquest was still valued. People were only now starting to settle down and develop a culture built outside of war. Cornelia, free of such conflicts, had managed to do so, and soon their influence would spread. But for now, it remained a minor kingdom, peaceful and tranquil and without any cares.

As night fell on the city, the citizens went to sleep to dream once again. No nightmares or fears were among the populace. The only thing that could scare the children were ghost stories about the mysterious hill of cobblestones far outside the main city. One felt a small chill whenever they passed on the hill, and wild animals seemed to come there, but there was nothing else of note in that place. It was no longer dark and cursed as it had once been in the past timeline. Now, it was merely a myth and legend, and it had passed into nothingness along with allelse that was once dark and wicked in the world. No invading armies would come here. No great armies from over the sea. They were secure with their own force of knights to defend them from any other danger. And their captain, Garland, was perhaps the greatest knight on the face of the Planet. And so, one by one the lights of the houses went out. The young princess and her older sister turned in as well, and the peaceful kingdom began to slowly fade out as the stars began to appear.

At the top of one of the castle towers was the main room of the knight captain. It was alone and solitary here, leading up a large circular stone staircase to the chamber. No other guards were posted here, and all other attendents had turned in. Thus, when the echoing footsteps of a single man came up, there was no one else to hear them. In the dim torchlight leading up to the room, a single armored man made his way forward. He shook and jingled a bit in his dark suit as he ascended, but no other sound came out. It echoed throughout the tower up and down, to the ceiling and to the floor far below. His own face was dark, hard as flint, and silent as he ascended. At last, he reached the top. There a great wooden door loomed in front of him, shut with a heavy padlock. The captain calmly reached down into his cape, and moments later emerged with a heavy iron key. He quickly slid it into the lock as he approached, gave a turn, removed the lock, and passed through the doorway. Once inside, he quickly shut it and replaced the lock, fastening it again.

Garland turned to his interior, and saw that his balcony was open. The curtains were drawn aside and moonlight poured in, granting some illumination to the chamber. It was well furnished, much more than any other knight's chamber. It had various items of furniture and flatware to make it more cozy and home-like. It was carpeted and had the walls filled with tapestries to make it more comfortable. The room had its own fireplace, and the bed was covered with actual sheets and a mattress rather than loose animal articles. A lamp was by the bed as well. It was very classy as far as the human race went. Garland paid it no mind, however. He had seen it all now. He simply made his way over to the bed and reached up to his helmet. He unfastened some iron clasps, and then set it down. His head was revealed, sporting a black mustache and a black head of hair. It was darker than any other human hair color was, and almost shined with an unnatural power and strength. But it was all the same to him. That done, he ran his fingers through his hair and paused a moment.

At that, however, he noticed that the moonlight suddenly vanished. Something had come forth and suddenly blocked it, and the room was shrouded in darkness. The knight frowned, and turned around behind him to see what cloud had arisen to cover it.

However, he froze the moment he did, for it was no cloud.

It was a massive esper.

Garland didn't change. Clearly, he was frozen in surprise. And a measure of fear gripped him as he stared up at the beast, four times his size, looking over him. His eyes enlarged, and he stared at the massive beast without moving...without daring to even breathe. The room went deathly silent, as the great esper growled deep within its throat. And yet, Garland was not like others. Regular humans would cower in fear. Others might pass out from sheer fear and awe. This one, however, was standing his ground. Despite his own awe and fear, he was enduring it. He stood up and did not shake before this great creature. He acknowledged his surprise at seeing it, and the power of the great beast. However, that was all.

As for Bahamut, he did not relax. He flexed his powerful wings and fanned them throughout the room, blocking out more of the light. He drew up his energy into himself, rippling his powerful muscles. He exhaled a powerful breath of hot air. Then, he curled his great serpentine neck down and glared hard into the eyes of the humanoid below him. His reptile gaze burned with yellow light.

His voice boomed out in a shaking tone, making the room quake and reverberating through the man's flesh.

"Who are you?"

Garland didn't respond immediately. He blinked a bit, seeming surprised at that. After a moment, he shook his head. "I...don't understand."

"Tell me who you are, what you're doing here, and why you came here." Bahamut coldly stated in reply. His voice was demanding.

"You...you're an esper, aren't you?" Garland answered, still sounding bewildered. "I didn't think you existed... Why have you come to me?"

"Play innocent with me, and I will kill you where you stand." Bahamut darkly retorted.

Garland looked a bit surprised at that. A further wave of fear went over his face, and he shrank back a little. However...Bahamut knew better. He could see into this man's mind. It was a lie...a fabrication...a performance. There was something deeper within. And as the world had changed, it alone had remained. Bahamut wanted answers. He remembered this foul man's words in the former timeline. And he remembered what he sensed from him. It had not come out in this timeline, but he could feel it still there. Still lurking beneath the surface...waiting for its next opportunity to arise. Bahamut would be damned if he let that happen. No more riddles or games. This would be cleared once and for all today.

"I...I don't know what you're saying." Garland answered, his voice pleading...yet a bit too controlled. "I've never seen you before. I'm a knight of this realm. What injury have I done to you? What evil have I performed? I remember nothing...but if it is something else, then I will gladly make restitution... But I don't know what you are saying."

At that, Bahamut drew himself up further. The air began to charge and grow dark. The air seemed to stop, and the light dimmed. Only the light in the creature's eyes remained. Garland's own eyes widened and shrank. He pulled back further, beginning to cringe from the great creature. Bahamut cracked open his huge mouth and snorted a blast of moist, hot air. It clenched its fists and extended its claws. It seemed larger, darker, and stronger than ever now, able to smash its puny audience with a single gesture. It spoke again, its voice angrier and darker.

"You begin to irritate me." It snarled. "I know more than you realize. I know what you are. You are not human. You are a Lufenian. And I can see your soul. I can see your sinister desires and your evil malice. I can see what wickedness you are planning, and I know what you would do if you had the chance. You haven't an ounce of love in your heart, and your mind is swimming with dark purposes of death and destruction. I have not seen such evil in such a person for generations. You are loathesome even to witness. I know you did not come here as a man, but for some other goal. If you don't wish me to smash you into dust this instant, you had better tell me the truth now. Answer my questions or I will end your life."

Garland froze at that. He said nothing in response...but he cowered no more. Instead, he stared simply back at the great esper. Bahamut himself gave another deep throated growl and waited. He exerted his great presence over the man and waited for a response.

Then, to his surprise, there was a change. Abruptly...the evil flowed out from within, and the cold nature of the man was revealed. It was not chaotic or wild as it had been before. No...it was controlled, cool and concentrated. Suddenly, his faux fear vanished. His eyes turned from shocked to calm, and slowly narrowed. His open mouth closed, and his lips twisted into a calm expression. Slowly, he drew himself back up, and flapped his cape down around himself.His dark armor too seemed to intensify. The shadow around him seemed to grow, and he too projected his own aura. The air turned cold around him...and the smell of death exuded from his form. It was strong, and soon it slammed into Bahamut's senses. It cut through his own nature easily and overrid his feelings, soon washing the dark feelings of death over him. Bahamut hesitated at this, and nearly betrayed genuine surprise. His wings shifted and nearly recoiled, and he had to struggle not to shift them. As for the man...his skin began to turn white and pale, another deathly shade. It stood out from the rest of the darkness around him, and grew stronger. A fire lit up in his eyes, and burned forward into the esper. Not even the illusion of fear was there now. No...only evil overrid this thing now.

"Well...it appears you creatures have finally begun to figure us out." The man calmly addressed. "But right now, as much as you think you may have deduced, you know precious little. After all...you haven't the mental capacity to understand. None of you can even fathom it."

Bahamut reacted a bit at this. The voice was sharp and cold, and it seemed to penetrate into him. It was a power that he had never witnessed before, not even from the past evils. It felt as if it was parting his flesh and diving into his very soul. He struggled not to swallow or shake. He couldn't show fear, not now. He had to endure it.

Garland merely gave a shrug. "It doesn't matter, you know. It is inevitable. Plans have been drawn against you and your world for thousands of years now. You cannot stop them from coming to fruition. None of you can."

Bahamut forced his anger to come up. He made it push down his fear, and glared at the man. "...Who are you?"

"I am Garland." The man simply answered. "I am a product of years of selective breeding, subconscious tutelage, and genetic manipulation. You can't even begin to understand what those things are, but they were made specifically to make me the ultimate Terran. Lufenian, as you say it, is merely the name we received from this world. It is quite meaningless to us. I was the result of all of my people's greatest scientific achievements, all so that I could one day attain a level of power and intelligence and longevity that I might continue to accomplish the goals and devices of my race. The task will one day be dilleniated to me to accomplish the great work that has begun."

Indeed, Bahamut understood very little of it. It involved words he had never heard before. He did understand one thing, however, and it amazed him. The Lufenians were advanced for a good reason. They were from another world. Bahamut had long since considered the possibility that this was the case. Leviathan had introduced the possibility years ago that other worlds, far older and more mature than theirs, did exist. And if such worlds existed, then perhaps older and wiser races were on them as well. Perhaps there was even a way for them to interact. Bahamut had heard this, which was dimissed as foolishness by much of their own race, and considered it for a long time. He wondered if it was true for the Lufenians or other races that appeared to have powers and intelligence far greater than that which was naturally possible. Now, it appeared that he had seen it, and that it was proved true. And that knowledge surprised him, for despite his suspicions he had not expected it to be real. But that was why the Lufenians read so different from them. Their spirits...they were not native to this world. They were of another planet entirely, and the thought of that astonished him. However, he didn't show it. He wanted to know more now.

"You're working with the Lufenians, aren't you?"

"You understand already what is in my blood." Garland simply replied. "There is little else to expand on. You should know that I am with the Lufenians, or, more appropriately, the last of the Terrans. Scientists from a far and distant world that is fast passing away. Already, their people are feeling the final stroke of death. The few that are left struggle to sustain themselves long enough to make plans for future preservation. Within a few hundred years more, the last of the Terrans will go extinct. We came here looking for a way to survive."

Bahamut lowered his eyes. "And how did you plan that?"

"Why, quite simple actually." Garland calmly replied. "Our planet was dying. So we planned to take yours."

The esper's eyes widened at this.

"Surely, you must have suspected something by now." Garland calmly responded. "And yet you can't have done so, because it wasn't until now that you tried something. Ages ago, when we first arrived on this world, it was a waste. We waited patiently for it to recover, and over time it managed to regrow and regenerate. It promised to become something that we could use. However, such was not to be. Soon after, a new race of creatures emerged onto the world...a race that we, and you, both know now to be espers.

"The first esper that emerged was far more powerful than any of our calculations. Our war machines were little to nothing compared to the powerful creature that we encountered. We struggled to provide a defense against it, but it continuously unveiled new powers that were far beyond our estimates. It actually had enough power to dominate the races of this world and warp the climate. We were unsure of how to proceed after that moment. We attempted to develop a prototype, but before we could proceed with testing, you and your breathren arose and destroyed this esper. On doing so, you restored the planet and allowed the native populations to develop. Our hope was restored again that we could use this world.

"However, we also realized that your powers far excelled that of our own. Any attempt to try and resettle to this world would fail if we tried to contest your powers. We couldn't even begin to risk generating machines that could combat you, and we lacked the technology. We put everything we had into the prototype at that time none the less. We planned to try and destroy your race while you were still immature in power and knowledge.

"We tested you on one of our combat craft. However, you destroyed it, and our calculations were ruined. We were back to square one, and unable to account for your increase in strength. The device was meant to drain your power and use it to counter you, but it was unable to surpass your power and eventually fell."

"Ark..." Bahamut slowly uttered.

Garland raised an eyebrow. "You remember, I see. But you made the mistake of never following up on its origins. You never found where it had come from, which would have led you to us in the end. At any rate, our plans were thwarted. We struggled to perfect new technology to fight back, but it was useless. Soon your race began to breed, creating more dangerous and potential targets every few centuries. Each one needed a new combat strategy. What more, this world was constantly plunged in and out of a destructive cycle as more deadly creatures arose from your race. Each one threatened to ruin this world for our use. Fortunately, each time your race managed to do something about it, and our problems were solved for us. In the meantime, our race continued to dwindle and die on our home world of Terra, and we struggled to find a way to make this world, designate Gaea, usable.

"However, a new problem has arisen. We are using all of our resources to cheat death now. But our minds are growing weak. Our bodies are aging. Our technology develops too slowly. Therefore, the Lufenians realize that they are reaching their zenith, and are now beginning to decline. The few survivors are falling into distress and weakness. Genetic bottleneck has already doomed their race to a slow destruction before Terra itself dies. The race will soon be obsolete, and unable to continue in their mission. To that end, they pooled their resources together and their greatest technological achievements to create a caretaker of their race, so to speak. They made a being that had the integrity and power to be able to sustain their achievements and complete the work of eventually finding a place for the people to reside in. The result was me. After being drilled with the full measure of Terran technology and scientific wisdom, I was sent to this world to learn the qualities of leadership and industriousness. I was also gradually to be given control of the Lufenians facilities on this world, and then the ones onTerra as well. I am to automate and speed up all processes, in preparation of the inevitable day in which I would assume sole ownership and direction of all Terran civilization. Yet shortly after arriving on this world and beginning to run the calculations, I encountered a new problem."

"What problem was that?" Bahamut darkly answered, struggling to restrain himself.

"A small yet statistically significant probability remained, even if we were successful in destroying the espers. We began to realize, with time, that the most populace mammal species on the world was growing in power. The human race has begun the elementary items of technological development. They are starting to unite under the first smatterings of true civilization. Their individual power is growing, and now they begin to realize the powers of their own chis and the planet's energy. For now, they are still far our inferiors. But we cannot provide a specific timetable as to how fast their development will proceed, nor a specific timetable as to when we shall be able to make our move and put our plans into action. They would be problems, in short, in the future. And so, I endeavored to do a new project.

"I inserted myself into human society. I would observe them and their dominate qualities. I would make mental profiles to be able to determine human lines of deduction and thinking, and would make myself an invaluable quality to a kingdom. As such, I would be in a prime position to be able to cause a disruption in human society, and ursurp their authority and powers so that they would be easier to conquer if they proved themselves too dangerous. In the meantime, I would be able to predict how they would react in the future, and in doing so I would be able to have an advantage over them and further manipulate them in courses of futility or self destruction. A weakness would be placed upon the human race, and eventually that weakness would be able to defeat them."

Bahamut glared hatefully at the dark being in front of them. So...he and his people were the reason for Ark. And they were the reason for the Age of Chaos. It made sense. This thing before him...it had no love inside it. No mercy. No compassion. It existed, but only in a limited sense. It had been bred to not feel tenderness or kindness. It was built only to kill. It was created to bring destruction to this world, to dispose of the races so that invaders from another world could conquer it. It would never feel the slightest bit of sadness or remorse for countless deaths. To them, they were only lives to clear out of the way for another race. That was why this Garland was the perfect tool for Chaos. He was a being who desired only to bring chaos to this world. He was a creature who served others only as a weapon of destruction. The Oblivion Stone had took him and drawn him back.

Then...they had made him self aware.

They made him care about himself. They made him think about his own existence. And when he saw that he was only a creature designed to be the slave of another race, it had broken him. It had warped him into darkness. Still, he could feel no love or care. He could only feel a desire to destroy. And at that time, it wanted to destroy both all life on this world and all life of the Terrans as well. It desired only absolute death for all races and all life, and had devoted itself to the mad notions of creating a world of nothingness. This demented creature and his selfish race...they had done this all. And Bahamut would hear no more of it. His anger flared, and it began to burn deep within him. He glared only a moment longer before speaking out darkly, his voice shaking the air again.

"...Alright...now you listen to me. You and your people are going to leave this world. Right here. Right now. Whatever technology you left I want gone. Then I never want to see you or another Lufenian or Terran ever again. I will give you two days to get out of my sight. If you don't, I will lead the whole host of my race against you, and we shall turn your civilization here into a ruin."

Garland endured this, even as the walls shook and dust began to rain down from the ceiling. The power pushed him a little, but still he did not shift. He waited until the great esper had finished, and listened as his voice slowly calmed down and faded. He never changed or looked the slightest bit afraid. At last, as the echo of Bahamut's voice vanished, Garland simply shook his head and uttered a small sigh himself.

"You still understand nothing, I see." Garland calmly answered. "Why do you think I bothered to tell you all of these things...if I wasn't totally confident that you could do nothing to stop them?"

Bahamut, to this, finally showed something. His head snapped back in surprise.

"We have done many calculations of you, esper. And we have learned much. But most of all...we learned that your power is finite. The power of the other races of the world will either die or continue to grow. One day, it will surpass even yours. When that day comes, the espers will begin to fall. We don't know when exactly, but it will eventually happen. In the meantime, I will take charge of our research and I will develop new and powerful weapons. Already, I am discovering a new way to make your world ours without an invasion. I know more than you could possibly imagine. You still don't know the half of what we do. In time, you will fade, and in your place the Terrans will move in and finally make this world their own. It is inevitable."

Bahamut hesitated at this, but merely snorted. "...Believe it or not...I've heard you say that before."

"Believe whatever you wish." Garland simply answered. "But as you wish, I will depart. At least, until I know for certain that your power is broken. Until I am ready to unlock my next device on you. But rest assured, you will neither expect nor anticipate this next strike. This is only the beginning, esper."

Bahamut's anger surged. He gave a deep throated growl. He had taken enough of this. His claw balled into a fist, and abruptly he lunged forward and swiped right for the foul man before him. However, his fist sailed right into his stoic face...and then simply slid through. Bahamut's anger vanished at this, being replaced by surprise instead. But as he continued to look, he saw that the man was vanishing. His reality was blurring, vanishing as if into a cloud of mist or an illusion. A moment later, it vanished all together, as he became clear instead of opaque and vanished into nothing. Soon, he was swallowed up into the empty air, and was gone.

Bahamut hesitated, but then began to wildly look around. As he did, he stretched out his senses. But it was too late. Garland had vanished. He had some sort of technology or spell to make him teleport. Using it, he had already gone far away from there. His presence wasn't even within a hundred mile radius. It was likely that he was back at the flying fortress, and far from the reach of Bahamut. He was probably leaving now or rushing to hide himself so that he couldn't be found, along with the others. This frustrated the esper. He sneered and dug his talons into the ground, digging huge trenches into it. He flashed his tail out angrily, and without a care for who heard he ripped a large section out of a nearby wall. He swung his fist around to the edge of the window frame and smashed it in. It created a horrible racket, but he didn't care. As time went on, his anger only continued to grow, and his frustration at himself continued to build.

This had gone on right under his nose. This plot...this conspiracy...right in front of all of them. There was no excuse for hiding now. The Lufenians had done it all right in front of their face. This whole time they had endlessly conspired to take over the world and destroy its native species. The whole time they had been desperately seeking a way to kill them. For thousands of years, their race had been weighing and measuring them, studying them like lab animals in a cage. They probed all their secrets, abilities, and techniques, and this was what they had come up with. And even now, they were retreating to conspire and plot even more against them. Now, they couldn't stop or anticipate what was going to happen next. They would strike again when they least expected it now. Bahamut cursed himself. He should have outright killed them. He should have smashed their fortress to dust. But it was too late. And now, who knew what devilry they could bring?

Bahamut panted in anger, continuing to fume. Already, fear began to fill the castle, and he heard men rushing up to the room. However, he forced himself to calm down. He couldn't accept this. Garland had been wrong once already. He was a threat, yes, but he didn't know everything. And they knew much more. He didn't care how the man boasted. His destiny for this world would not come to pass. The espers would stop him. From now on, he and his people would be their sworn enemies. They would devote themselves to his destruction. If ever he returned, no matter what device he had planned it would be stopped. It would not be as easy as he predicted.As long as their was life in his body, and life in the bodies of all espers, this would be stopped. He would not let this new age that he fought so hard for fall so easily by the hand of one man.

The dragon esper resolved to this, and then gave himself a nod. Without anymore hesitation, he turned and walked back out the window, and in a moment was soaring away from Cornelia. The people behind were left to enter the room and wonder as to what horror had befallen Garland and his room. As for Bahamut, he pushed the dark man out of his head for now. He was one of the few people in the world who knew there was reason to celebrate, and for tonight he planned to do so.

THE END