They hadn't expected it, even Alvis and Shulk hadn't expected it...this completely threw things off track.
"I don't appreciate being made to do all the hard work! Come on out!" Dickson shouted and Shulk looked at Alvis, only to see Alvis wince and look confused...was he...just freed?
They heard footsteps, and turned around, only to see Keyara, of all people, walking toward Dickson, a sorrowful, yet blank look in her eyes.
"N-no...it...it can't be." Melia whispered, dropping her staff, and holding a hand to her mouth.
"Keyara..." Willow trailed off, red eyes wide...why was she walking toward Dickson?
"Keyara, answer us! Why?!" Dunban demanded, but she didn't respond.
"Haahaahaa, none of you knew, eh? Keyara has been on our side the whole time." Dickson said as Keyara stood before him, and then turned around, and backed up, standing beside a Telethia.
"Keyara, why would you side with Zanza?! I thought you hated him!" Reyn shouted, anger obvious within his voice.
Shulk looked at Alvis again, only to see his wide eyes, the horrorified expression, before fury and rage took over.
"What's the meaning of this?!" Alvis shouted, bringing his sword out.
"None of you truly knew then, eh?" Dickson questioned, before he chuckled.
"Keyara has been Zanzas' loyal slave since the war ended! She went to fight him, lost, and became his slave." Dickson said, and they gasped.
"You mean to tell us that Keyara has been around since the time of the war?" Dunban questioned, shocked...she was that old?
"None of you know her true past, eh?" Dickson said, but Shulk sighed.
"I knew...she told me after I questioned her knowledge." Shulk stated, and Willow sighed as well...she felt Keyaras' ether wave of permission.
"I knew as well, she told me after I questioned her about the Monado." Willow stated, and Dickson grinned.
"Then you knew she was a Goddess before this, that she was Meyneth's most trusted person, and that Zanza holds Keyaras' life in his hands?" Dickson questioned, and Willow only growled, while Shulk seemed confused.
"I didn't know anything about Zanza, but I knew she was a Goddess at one point." Shulk stated, before Sharla growled.
"What do you mean Zanza holds Keyaras' life? Why does she say she's allied with Mechonis, yet is on Zanza's side?!" Sharla shouted, and Keyara growled.
"Because she doesn't have a choice!" Keyara shouted, her eyes now storm-blue, and everyone gasped...those were Zanzas' eyes.
"She finally submitted?" Dickson questioned, and Keyara nodded.
"Yes, wretched woman, she puts a stronger fight up than usual...due to him being here." Keyara stated, and pointed at Alvis, who growled.
"Why...why is Keyara with you all?! What's going on?" Alvis demanded, and Keyara chuckled.
"After the battle between the two Titans, Keyara asked Meyneth to fight me, Zanza, in her stead. Meyneth allowed, and Keyara went to challenge me, and had a wager. If I lost, I was to leave everyone on Bionis and Mechonis alone, as well as remove the Telethia gene; but if I win, Keyara was to die...plain and simple." Keyara stated with a shrug, her voice obviously echoed by Zanza.
"Then what happened?" Fiora asked, anger in her green eyes...this was Meyneths' secret.
"Keyara lost, but she had a use. Seeing as she could do just about everything with ether...I took...this." Keyara said and held up what looked like a phantom of Keyaras' heart.
"You literally took her heart?" Melia questioned, horror in her blue eyes.
"Yes...and no. No because this isn't her real heart, but yes because it's connected to her heart and acts like her heart. If I squeeze it like this-!" Keyara trailed off, and squeezed it gently.
"Then she suffer's...slowly and painfully." Keyara said, as her purple eyes returned, and the phantom disappeared.
Her eyes widened and she feel to her feet, clenching the area where her heart was, and began screaming in pain. Dickson laughed as she continued to scream, even as the others were frozen with horror...this is what she meant by Zanza ruining her life. Keyara stopped screaming, and slowly stood, and they saw her eyes were storm-blue again.
"I make her submit to my will by controlling her heart. I also made her kill Meyneth!" Keyara shouted, and everyone gasped in horror.
"You mean to say that you made Keyara kill Meyneth?!" Fiora asked in shock, and Willow looked away in sadness.
'I may hate Meyneth, and don't care about how Keyaras' allied with Mechonis...but even Meyneth didn't deserve her own 'daughter' killing her. If this had never happened, then I wouldn't be the way I am.' Willow thought, and glared angrily at Zanza...it was his fault that Willow was like this, for if Zanza hadn't controlled Keyara and made Keyara kill Meyneth, Willow wouldn't be immortal.
"You'll pay for this!" Riki suddenly shouted, and charged.
"Riki!" Shulk shouted as Keyara looked at Riki.
She held her palm out, and a blast of red ether headed towards Riki, who gasped in shock. Reyn went into action and protected Riki, and Keyara smirked.
"So, you all still have the will to disobey, eh?" Keyara said, and chuckled.
"Let me truly see your will to survive!" Keyara shouted, and ordered the Telethia to attack.
After Battle: Keyara growled with Dickson, before Dickson stated something about 'either way fine with him', and Keyara just glaring at him. Keyara and Dickson then jumped onto Telethia, and flew away slowly.
"You know what this means...don't you?" Keyara asked, her voice still echoed...but her eyes had a purple tint to them.
"Yes...we will save you, Keyara!" Shulk shouted, and she smiled.
"Please do...but...you may be too late." Keyara said, and they flew off.
Once they where out of site, the group broke. Melia began crying, saying 'Why Keyara?!', and Dunban only hugged her with his good arm. Fiora only looked at her hands...realizing what secret it was Meyneth had been hiding. Reyn punched a tree, trying to control his rage, even as Sharla did her best to stifle her sobs. Riki was unusually silent, and Willow only glared at her ground...she was obviously thinking things over. Shulk composed himself, and looked at the others, trying not to cry.
"DAMMIT!" A voice shouted, shocking them all.
They looked at Alvis as he fell to his knees, and began punching the ground.
"Dammit, dammit, dammit! WHY?! Why Keyara, why her?! She's had to deal with enough burden's, and now Zanza has a hold of her?! Gosh dammit, why didn't she tell me?! Why didn't I notice it sooner?!" Alvis shouted in the sky, tears leaking past his eyes.
"Alvis..." Shulk trailed off, unable to say much else.
"I...I promised...I promised to protect her. I promised to help her no matter what...what good did that do? I couldn't keep that promise...I couldn't truly protect her. Everything I thought I did right for her seems to have been in vain." Alvis growled, and clutched the area over his heart.
"I'm a failure..." Alvis said, and everyone was silent, save for Melias' muffled sobs and Alvis' sniffles every now and then.
Nobody could believe how this had turned out...Keyara had betrayed them...not Alvis like Shulk and Alvis had spoken about. Shulk sank to his knee's as well, and looked at his hands, before clenching them into fists, and glaring to the sky. He'd save Keyara, he'd finally return the favor to her, just as she had saved him many times over. Keyara held a place within everyone's heart, helping everyone out and never asking for anything in return. He didn't believe he'd be too late like Keyara, herself, had stated. He knew he'd save her on time, he knew he'd be able to protect her and save her. Looking at his friends, he saw Fiora nod at him, determination in her eyes to save Keyara for Meyneths' sake. Looking at Dunban, he saw that Dunban had helped Melia compose herself, and the two seemed ready. He saw Sharla walk toward Reyn and nod to him, the two seemingly ready to help save Keyara. He saw Willow help Alvis up with Rikis' help, and after the trio exchanged words, they joined the rest of the group, and Shulk nodded as they returned the nod. They would save Keyara...they had to!
'Keyara...I swear, we'll save you. It's time you let us help you...time to return the favor.' Shulk thought, determined to set things right.