Wonderful. More meaningless blabber: Woot, finally some action! Not much, but I hope it'll get more intense later on. Anywho, come on, guys. You don't have an excuse to not try to guess who's who's kid. They're all introduced now. So make a guess on ones you do think you know. And don't forget to review. Reviews make the world go 'round, anyway ;)
-::Ingenero: Final Fantasy::-
-:Chapter II - A Giant's Plot:-
For Lea, it seemed the entire world had been flipped upside down.
Well, it actually was flipped upside down, as she was dangling helplessly as she and her friends were tossed around, thrown to and fore, as their enemy took complete advantage over the trapped, harmonic warriors.
And for what probably seemed like the tenth time to herself, she thought, Tentacles. Why did it have to be tentacles?
Thankfully, even with the blood rushing to her head, she was still able to think, and thus gave a joyful cheer when she noticed moving figures heading towards her and her friends.
They did not gleam in the crystalline light like the manikins, and upon seeing Harmony's cape waving in the wind like a flag, Lea could not help but utter a squeal of relief.
The others must have noticed them as well, because they began hooting and cheering as their allies came storming in full force.
On the front, Harmony marked her targets. The source of the tentacles, a serpent-like creature with a flat head, covered head to foot with gleaming fish-scales, stood center-stage, calmly regarding the approaching foes.
Tilting its head, the creature hissed slowly, "Warriorssss of Cossssmossss, if you wishhhh to ssssee your friendssss again, you will ssstep assssssssside and allow Jupiter to finishhhhh hissss work."
Glancing over her shoulder, Harmony noticed that the giant Jupiter, an ominous being wearing orange, yellow, and red colored armor. The juggernaut sat some way away, large gorilla arms resting by his side with his short legs tucked in, as if waiting for something to occur. Harmony glanced back at the creature, eyes narrowed. "And what is Jupiter wishing to finish that my allies need to be held captive for, Hydra?"
The Hydra of the Sea hissed again, this time, sounding more like a sigh than a noise of offensive. "Thissss war issssss endlesssssssss," the creature moaned. "We do not wissssssh to continue sssssuch an aimlessssssssss fight. Jupiter wishhhhhhhhesssss to dessssstroy Sssssanctum, killing Cossssssmossss asssss well."
"What?" Harmony slashed her sword through the air angrily. "You know as well as I do that killing Cosmos will not alter the cycle! She has no hand in this game!"
"No hand, you sssssay?" The Hydra tilted its head once more. "But we have yet to try sssssuch an endeavor. We might yet ssssuccsssseed."
"You are a fool for trying!" Harmony readied her stance. "We will not step aside!"
"Then we must fight." The juggernaut known as Jupiter rose from his hunches and towered over the warriors. His frame cast a large shadow, blocking out the sun, and Harmony, standing at 6 feet tall, was dwarfed by the monster's 12 feet stature. Reaching for the large axe on his back, Jupiter growled in his deep, monotone voice, "I did wish not to fight. Fighting is a senseless act humans do to end problems that could easily be solved civilly."
"Under normal circumstances, I would agree with you," Harmony retorted. "But when innocent lives are put in danger, I cannot stand down."
Jupiter was silent for a moment. Then, the black slit of the visor in his cylinder shaped helmet focused on Harmony. "You, warrior, are one of high morale and decent understanding of life. I can respect that. Very well, if you truly care about your comrades' safety, like you say, then accept my challenge to do battle!"
Harmony hesitated for a moment. Thoughts raced rapidly through her head as she puzzled over the request. One option is to refuse Jupiter's request and fight as a team against the giant and the creature. The other option was complying, yet even with the promise of no harm to her allies, Harmony felt she could not trust the opponent so easily.
Sighing, she lowered her sword to her side while bowing her head. Jupiter spoke, "Have you made your decision?"
"I have." In a sudden change of demeanor, she readied her blade and pointed at the large man before her. "I will fight you, under the condition you release all my friends and let them return to Sanctum."
"Hydra," the juggernaut commanded. "Release the warriors."
The Hydra hissed with slight displeasure, yet did what was instructed of it and uncoiled its tentacles and released them.
Lea looked up, her long black hair following in her face as she gasped, "Harmony…"
"Take them to safety," the warrior instructed Cecilia. "Heal any wounds they might have."
"Guess that's my job," Quincy said, cracking his knuckles. "Leave it to me; I'll have everyone up and running in no time."
"I have no doubt." With that, Harmony turned to face Jupiter. "I will give my friends so time so they may depart unharmed."
"Very well. I shall wait five minutes." Jupiter set his axe down, waiting as Harmony's group aided the others to safety.
"Is Harmony gonna be alright?" asked a boy with rusty blond hair, goggles covering his eyes and soot covering his yellow overalls. Pulling his arm over Cecilia's shoulder, she nodded and stated, "Fear not, Jet. Harmony has the skill to back her talk. She will not let us down."
"But that dude is huge!" another blond haired boy retorted, his bangs wiping over his brow as he whirled to look at Cecilia, even though Quincy was attempting to help him up. "There's no way Harmony can take him on!"
"Kaz, you need to have more faith in Harmony" Tor replied, smiling while holding up Lea. "She is strong. And I believe Cece; there is no way she can lose."
Cecilia's demeanor suddenly changed, stiffening but did not halt in the path she was taken. "Tor," she growled at the white haired boy lethally, "we'll talk later."
Jet shivered, the danger in her blue eyes very much apparent. But Tor continued on cheerfully, as if he had never heard the threat being made.
Harmony silently waited as the figures disappeared, their conversations fading with them. Turning once more, she stood at the ready, nodding. "Make your move then."
"Ladies first," Jupiter said, a ping of humor in his otherwise monotone drawl. Harmony allowed a brief smirk before charging, swinging her blade in a graceful arch as pillars of light erupted from the ground.
Feathers flying, the pillars barreled towards the juggernaut. He did not hesitate nor stagger as the waves collided into his mighty axe, disrupting the waves in a waterfall of sparks. Heaving his axe high with one hand, Jupiter then brought the weapon hammering down at sickening speeds. Harmony felt herself being propelled back, even though she had managed to dodge the attack skillfully.
His power is great, she thought as she struggled for a proper footing. Too great. Did I overestimate…! She managed to back-flip away just as another huge jab of Jupiter's axe drove into the ground. Just as before, Harmony was sent flying through the air.
Jupiter lunged forward, bringing his axe down once more. Harmony gasped as the blade barely missed her shoulder, her shield uselessly bouncing off the huge metal.
From afar, Lea and the others could see how the battle progressed.
"She's being pummeled!" Creon shouted. "We can't just leave her!"
"Remember that she allowed us time to escape!" Cecilia fired back angrily. "We cannot let her sacrifice be in vain!"
"You make it sound like she's already dead…" murmured Jet, watching as Quincy hovered over his wounded leg, white magic slowly working through the injury. Lea clashed her hands in front of her, biting on her lower lip as she looked occasionally to see Harmony be completely dominated by the much larger warrior.
"She's far from dead," Tor stated. "Remember what I and Cecilia said. Harmony is no easy opponent to take down."
"Don't you think we should help, though?" a curly-haired boy asked, his pale blue eyes shifting between Cecilia and the fight. "I mean, there's no way any of us alone could take on that guy. So we just tag-team against him and beat him that way."
"Harmony agreed to fight him, Reks," Terran stated bitterly. "We can't interfere."
"N-not really," a soft voice spoke. Everyone turned to look at Zeke, the mostly silent black haired boy in dark clothes. Brushing aside some shaggy bangs, Zeke stated, "I-I-I mean…Ju-ju-jupiter never s-s-said anything on-on-on one-on-one only…"
"That's right…" Creon stated slowly. "So then…"
"Creon, no!" Lea begged. "We shouldn't interfere, like Terran said! What if we get in Harmony's way—?"
"Look at her!" Creon gestured towards the woman being beaten before them. "Does it look like we'd get in her way? The only getting in the way is getting in the way of her being killed!"
"I don't think so…" Reks pointed out one tan finger towards the battleground. "Look."
Harmony was on her back, panting heavily as Jupiter hovered over her, watching her carefully through the single slit in his helmet.
"You fight well, I'll admit it." The giant then rested once more on his hunches and set his axe to the side before crossing his arms. "But you still have much to learn if you should wish to succeed in this conflict."
Harmony sighed, closing her eyes. "If you are done fighting, why not kill me now?"
"Because I see no point in restarting the cycle," Jupiter grumbled. "I grow weary of being revived only to be stuck down."
"That's why you wished to destroy Cosmos?" Harmony found herself asking. She knew she wasn't in any position to question anything, yet she could not stop herself.
Jupiter merely hummed before glancing over at the Hydra, who stood by patiently. "There are some of us on Chaos's side who simply wish to return home. Darkness is not as, and excuse the pun, black as it seemed."
"I was told something like that before," she murmured. Her brow furrowed as she racked her brain for the familiar wisps of memories that currently floated over her head. "Still, killing Cosmos is wrong. She has done nothing to ask for this conflict. She is just as much as a prisoner of this war as you and I are."
"Be that as it may," Jupiter stated, "a smart general is willing to sacrifice a few innocent civilians for the lives of many people."
"Jupiter," hissed the Hydra, "we must depart. Morgan calls."
"Of course." The giant stood up, taking his axe and replacing it back on his hunched back. "A word of warning, child of light," the brute stated as he began to fade with the Hydra, "not everything is as it seems."
And then they were gone.
Harmony gave a sigh of relief. Her whole body ached, and she found it difficult to move. Still, she pushed herself up on her feet and staggered a bit before making a footing. Someone she faintly heard in the distance called her name, and she turned to see Creon running towards her, leaving the others behind.
And just when it seemed quiet again, the war broke out once more.
A spear slammed into the ground, aimed directly before Creon's feet. He barely had enough time to stop just before the blade reached his toes. He grunted angrily and glared up, eyes narrowing at the figure standing over the pillar directly above Harmony.
Harmony followed Creon's gaze and found herself staring up at yet another Chaos warrior.
Drake.
"Well, well," the spear-wielding man sighed, crossing his arms over his chest, "did I come at a bad time?"
A/N: I'm evil. I stopped at the cliff-hanger.
… I think I'll do this more often.
