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Everything was over.
Terra stood at what seemed to him like an eternal abyss of chaos. The ruins of the Stardroid temple, and the rubble of the satellite that free-floated in the void of space surrounded him, rubbing the salt deep in to his battle wounds.
He stood there with a melancholic expression on his face, staring at the pile of dust and rubble on the asteroid that used to be their home.
It was a while before Terra moved. He stood up, straightening his posture and inhaled. He raised his hand and with one quick flowing movement and plunged it in to the newly opened cavity in his chest armour. He pulled his hand out, and in his grasp was a crystal. The same crystals that fuelled the Stardroids lust for chaos and destruction sat in his hand. Terra knew that the crystals gave them great strength, but it also lead to their corruption and destruction. He wouldn't have that. Not again.
As soon as the crystal was tugged out, Terra instantly began to feel very unsteady, like his strength had been sapped from him instantaneously. The black tint in what were supposed to be the whites of his eyes slowly began to fade and become pale again. He swayed and saw it best to not be standing while his body reverted to normal. He dropped to his knees and his breathing became more intense. Terra rubbed his face, covering his eyes with his hands as keeping them open made him feel physically sick. He had been so used to the crystals that he had forgotten what it was like to feel mortal, to feel emotion other than anger and rage, and hate again.
After moments had passed, Terra slowly began to feel better. His body got used to the change, and he slowly attempted to stand up. He looked down at the crystal still clutched in his hand tightly and frowned, he snarled and crushed it. It had brought him and his comrades nothing but trouble and pain and he wanted nothing more to do with it. He then silently swore he would extract every crystal from the others if it meant holding them down and forcing it from them.
Terra wasted no more time and ran to the temple where he remembered some of the others had fallen. He jumped up and looked around frantically for any sign that the others could be alive. Panic surged through him when there was no immediate sign of life… until…
His internal radar started bleeping, it was a distress signal, and it was close! There was one, just a few meters ahead. Terra scrambled over, and began digging frantically at the rubble. After shifting some rocks, an arm came in to view. Terras energy pulse skipped a beat. He dug faster, not caring for his own wounds that ached and stung. He had to save the others; he had to fix what he had done.
The final few rocks had been shifted, and the dust floated off and thinned. Terra wafted it away, pulled the figure out and took a closer look.
"Saturn…" he whispered, looking suddenly grief-stricken as he remembered what he had done to his comrade. He stared at his left eye socket and gritted his teeth. "I-I'm so sorry."
He instantly began to extract the crystal, and ceremonially crushed it like he did to the one previously inside him. Thankfully, Saturn was unconscious while the change happened, which Terra was thankful for. He didn't want him to suffer further.
Terra looked around and spotted a piece of altar cloth stuck in the rubble. He darted over and tore it from its hold and ran back over to his friend. He removed Saturns helm and ripped up the cloth in to strips and tied the makeshift bandages on his head to cover his eye. He then mustered up the strength, and picked Saturn up. He walked out from the ruins quietly, limping and struggling under the taller bots weight.
Terra perked up, as Saturn groaned, and awoke slowly. He stopped, and set him down.
"Hey." Terra greeted. He wondered how Saturn would react to see the same man who gouged his eye out looming over him, and began to worry. He backed up a couple of paces just in case.
The moment of truth arrived and Saturn opened his eye and quietly gasped for breath. He looked up slowly, and his now normal eye suddenly widened and his expression turned to dread.
"It's fine. It's over Saturn." Terra said.
"C-Commander…." Saturn stammered. His voice sounded forced.
"The crystals are gone and I took the liberty of removing yours too. They did nothing but turn us in to monsters." Terra explained, looking down to him with a kind smile, probably something Saturn couldn't even remember. Terra just hoped he didn't pick up on his remorse. "Get some rest. You need to keep your strength up."
"But… you…" Saturn began. His expresion mellowed down and he became calm again.
"But nothing. I need to get you some help, and then I'll find the others." Terra interrupted. He picked Saturn up again and continued to walk.
"Because I will be DAMNED if I let any of you die."