Chapter 4: Love's Guardian
Brooke poked his head over the top of the hatch as he finally cleared the ladder. "Up on that pedestal, is the blue crystal." The broken clouds above them had let some sunshine flow right on to the crystal, making it sparkle in front of them.
This place was in a valley, surrounded by arching cliffs and rocks. Snow dripped off the cliffs landing on the rock floor below making a soft thud sound. Zidane still glanced around all the surroundings, searching for something that could make the crystal hard to retrieve for him. "I don't think it's safe to get it though… something could happen." He glanced back at the crystal one more time and looked at them searching their faces for an answer.
Garnet shrugged, letting out a sigh. "It doesn't look like there is any danger but there's always a possibility…" She turned to Brooke looking for support on Zidane's question.
He stood there for a second, thinking. "Let's give it a shot, there is no sense in standing here thinking it out, we'll never know the answer 'till we actually retrieve the crystal."
Zidane nodded and they all started striding to the pedestal. A stairway flowed up to where the stone was on the large pedestal, covered by a roof supported by four detailed pillars. Zidane took a look at one of the pillars walking up, seeing a warrior with his spear, about to engage an enemy. "Hmm…" He thought to himself as he walked up the steps. "Stop!" He held out his hand and blocked the other two from going up the stairway. He took a look at the other pillar to the left of the one he saw, seeing that the blue crystal had been carved into it. The next pillar gave all the evidence he needed to know that they were already in danger. It showed a large dragon flying right from the ground into the sky. The last showed the warrior, dead with his own spear inside him.
"Zidane?" Garnet touched his shoulder with her hand as he turned to her. He looked very frightened. "Run. Run as fast as you can!"
A giant uprising through the ground and uproar of rocks flew high into the air as the creature came out from its slumber. Its head pointed up to the sky, but eyes completely focused on Zidane.
"Go!" He shouted, grabbing the crystal and pushed the other two down the stairs.
"What is that!?!?" Brooke cried out as he ran furiously back to the hatch. Zidane saw Garnet running too slow so he picked her up in his hands and went full speed. "I don't know! It's some kind of guardian! It was a trap from the beginning. We should have taken a look at the pillars. It's all my fault…"
The dragon swept down right down in front of them, stopping them dead in their tracks. "No...no, no, no." Garnet whispered to Zidane as he gently put her down taking out his weapon.
It spread its wings to full length, the snow from under it melting away. It spoke suddenly, catching them all off guard. "I am the Guardian of the Crystal, Telemacys. Now return the crystal, and you will not be harmed."
They both turned to Zidane, wondering what he was going to do. He didn't know what this creature was going to do, but he did not want to risk either of their lives…
A thought came to him. "What if I destroy the crystal?" Zidane smiled at the dragon in front of him.
"That would not be wise, for that would kill us all." The guardian said.
Zidane looked at Garnet, and then to Brooke, then they nodded their heads for they knew inside them what Zidane was about to pull off. Garnet took her stance, and then Brooke began focusing his magic into the glass ball above his staff. Zidane turned his head slowly back to position facing the monster, but held his head low staring at the ground. Then in the flick of his wrist the crystal left his hand and flew above him in the air.
The dragon was caught off guard, startled at Zidane's action. It gained back its senses and jumped from the ground straight towards the crystal to retrieve it. Just before the dragon was about to retrieve the crystal, Brooke unleashed Stop right on it, freezing it in the sky in time, temporarily. The crystal drifted back down from the sky into Zidane's palm, he clutched it. He turned to Garnet who closed her eyes and pointed her racket to the sky.
An eerie roar was heard, and the most powerful eidolon appeared breathing fire as it flew past their heads. It took a look at its prey, and snorted, as it knew it had already won. Energy gathered around Bahamut's mouth, creating a giant ball. It aimed it down at the Stopped dragon, and released its fiery rage from its mouth.
At the last second, the dragon broke free from its Stop spell. It was completely unbelievable. The beam missed rushing straight into the ground, penetrating the earth. "No!!!" Garnet yelled as Telemacys swept around Bahamut in the sky, and then thrusting him straight into the ground. Bahamut fell face first knocking dirt and gravel from all around into the air.
"Hahahaha, your eidolons are weak summoner," Telemycus proudly stated above her in the sky.
Garnet was completely shocked at how easily the dragon had fooled them. Its power was overwhelming, even beating Bahamut. "I can' t believe this…" Garnet cried as a tear fell down to the ground, fearing that her death was soon to come.
*************
Bahamut breathed deeply on the ground, it had failed. Garnet's tear struck the ground, and Bahamut felt it inside. Throughout its whole body, magic swept through it at a faster than normal pace. In the mist of the dust Bahamut had created when it had hit the ground, two eyes of his shown blue, penetrating through the rock and dust it was surrounded by. Bahamut stood up straight, and spread its magnificent wings out, causing all the dust surrounding it to flush away from its body, revealing the whole body of Bahamut.
"What?!" Telemycus let out a roar.
Bahamut shifted its eyes toward Garnet, who was still crying but smiled at her most magnificent eidolon. It then shifted its eyes back towards its enemy. Its glow shot right threw it, showing that it was not going to give up.
"An eidolon in trance?" Brooke muttered to himself, looking in awe.
Bahamut left the ground; everything went into slow motion as it flew up towards the Guardian of the Crystal, Telemacys. Bahamut swept by cutting straight across the chest of the guardian, it flinched back in pain for yet another strike, as Bahamut swung across for a second round.
"Foolish eidolon, feeling pity for its summoner... hahaha. Your power is still no match for mine even if you are in trance!" Telemycus struck Bahamut across the head with its massive wing as he flew up for the third hit.
Garnet gasped as Bahamut started to fall from the sky once again, to the ground. The legendary eidolon, beaten by a guardian. At the last moment before hitting the ground, Bahamut gained control of its freefall and used the down force to re-enter the sky once more. Blood was dripping from its wounds, but it was not going to lose this battle.
"Bahamut! Thank you…!" Garnet cried into the air as Bahamut flew about twenty feet away from Telemucus, straight in front of him.
Zidane and Brooke stood an awe watching Bahamut relentlessly rip Telemycus to shreds. Bahamut grasped Telemycus with its arms so it could not move, and released its fury right into it. A wave ripped into the sky, causing everything to go silent. A blue ball formed around the two dragons, and then completely blew apart causing a massive explosion in the sky.
"Garnet!" Zidane jumped and pulled her to the ground to move her out of the way of the explosion. He looked back over to where Brooke was standing, and noticed had taken cover as well behind a rock.
Garnet sat up crying tears in Zidane's hands. "Why did Bahamut sacrifice himself for us? I didn't think he would care… just to destroy the enemy and not get himself killed as well. But… he saved us." Garnet choked on her own tears, pulling in Zidane even more.
Brooke wasn't watching them; he had walked over to where the two massive bodies lay on the ground. He noticed Telemycus dead on the ground, head blown off and all. Brooke's eyes traced over the creature and then met that of Bahamut, barely breathing, but still alive.
"G-Garnet, Zidane!" Brooke shouted at the top his lungs. "Bahamut is still alive!!!"
Garnet jumped completely out of Zidane's hands as she ran over to Brooke who was aiding the crippled Bahamut. "Bahamut! You're alive! Thank God!" She said, placing her hand over the head of Bahamut, using Cura to heal the large gash across his face. "He has lost quite a lot of blood, Garnet… I still don't know how he survived that." Brooke shook his head in disbelief.
Trance faded from Bahamut's body, letting the rage it had created fade away. "I'm still wondering how Bahamut went into trance." Zidane said walking up behind Garnet, examining it. "It must have been trying to make up for what happened in Alexandria for you."
"Well whatever it is, I'm glad you helped us for what you did Bahamut." She placed her hand on Bahamut, and returned it to its resting place she had summoned it from.
They all stood there facing the lifeless body of Telemycus. As the wind blew across their faces, and chilled through their bodies, they regained senses of their quest.
"The crystal, Zidane." Brooke turned to Zidane holding out his hand. Zidane took it out from his pocket; it showed blue right through his hand. Brooke took it from his hand and examined it. "There is something engraved on it... it's in old Gaia language. Hold on a minute."
Zidane and Garnet peered at the crystal, watching its magnificent glow reflect everywhere. "That's weird, it says: 'Love.'" Brooke glanced up at Zidane and Garnet; they shared blank faces as well.
"What does that mean? This crystal signifies Love?" Zidane pondered his thoughts aloud.
"I don't know, but come on we must leave for the next crystal now. We can't waist any time!" Brooke said putting the crystal in his pocket.
They all nodded and Garnet pulled out the map. Her eyes scanned across it, trying to find what direction they should depart to. "Okay... we head east, to Canyon Forge, for the brown crystal."
"This time we should use caution though… the guardian of the love stone was truly powerful, almost killing us all. We have got to find another way of retrieving the stones without awaking the guardian." Zidane said as he took his first step east. He had used the sun as a reference point for direction, and the other's followed his lead.
"Wait! We're unprotected right now, the blast knocked out our shield!" Garnet said grabbing his arm to halt him from walking.
"Whoa, sorry Garnet. I didn't think about that…" He said looking dumbly at his feet.
"It's okay, you don't have to get upset. Come on Brooke, let's cast the spell." She held her rod up high waiting for Brooke to walk over.
"Yes Sarah, I'm coming." He walked over to her, and then halted in amazement of what he just said.
"Sarah… how could it be? How do you know that name? Wait… it's coming back to me! I remember now!" Garnet's eyes light up, "Brooke your my brother!" Garnet flew to Brooke, hugging him tightly. "What happened… to father… to you? It's been a long time. I remember us having to part at Madain Sari… how father took you with him as he told me and mother to run."
"Yes, I remember now as well. It has been a long time, but of course I'll tell you."
Zidane was already right by them listening to the reunion. He wanted to see what happened on the other side of the family. Brooke and Garnet took a seat on the ground and Brooke started his story.
"Father and I ran to try and help some of our friends in the village to escape after we sent mother and you in the boat. We went to Shakiea's house to find that it had been totally destroyed. After that we were running to get in another boat to try and escape as well seeing we could not rescue people if we tried… the twisters were coming down everywhere. That's when it happened… father was a little farther in front of me when we were both sucked in to a twister landing to the right of us. I grabbed a rock clinging on… but father was unfortunate, and was swept away… and… that's the last I ever saw of him." Brooke took a deep breath as he remembered that frightful day. He didn't like to talk about the city being destroyed or the death of his father, but Sarah deserved to know. "I lost my horn in an accident coming here, I tripped on a root slamming my horn into a rock. It was utterly broken, so I completely removed it. But Sarah, how was your name changed to Garnet? Why do you not have a horn as well? What has happened to you for the past years?"
Garnet was still piecing together the tragedy of Madain Sari in her head, but then she began telling her side to the story. "Well, after I washed up on the shores of Alexandria…"
She spoke for awhile, explaining how she lost her horn, her mother's death, becoming the princess of Alexandria, her adventure with Zidane and others, and finally becoming a queen.
"That's completely amazing what you've been through… a princess, becoming a queen, saving the world…" Brooke was amazed at the highlights of Garnet' story.
"Yes, but I'm afraid we must save the world again, and with your help this time Brooke." Garnet said.
"Of course, but one question before we leave on our way to Canyon Forge…" Brooke glanced to Zidane then back at her.
"Will it be Garnet or Sarah?" Brooke asked.
Garnet took a moment to choose. "Well, let's stick with Garnet… my true name is not known by many, just us three. Now let's get going!" She stood up, Brooke and Zidane followed after.
Zidane winked at Brooke, who took the hint. They both recited the phrase, "Yes, your majesty." She laughed and hugged them both.
They were safe at the moment, but completely oblivious to the hazards waiting in Canyon Forge. It was going to be a total different fight than they had fought with Telemycus…
Brooke poked his head over the top of the hatch as he finally cleared the ladder. "Up on that pedestal, is the blue crystal." The broken clouds above them had let some sunshine flow right on to the crystal, making it sparkle in front of them.
This place was in a valley, surrounded by arching cliffs and rocks. Snow dripped off the cliffs landing on the rock floor below making a soft thud sound. Zidane still glanced around all the surroundings, searching for something that could make the crystal hard to retrieve for him. "I don't think it's safe to get it though… something could happen." He glanced back at the crystal one more time and looked at them searching their faces for an answer.
Garnet shrugged, letting out a sigh. "It doesn't look like there is any danger but there's always a possibility…" She turned to Brooke looking for support on Zidane's question.
He stood there for a second, thinking. "Let's give it a shot, there is no sense in standing here thinking it out, we'll never know the answer 'till we actually retrieve the crystal."
Zidane nodded and they all started striding to the pedestal. A stairway flowed up to where the stone was on the large pedestal, covered by a roof supported by four detailed pillars. Zidane took a look at one of the pillars walking up, seeing a warrior with his spear, about to engage an enemy. "Hmm…" He thought to himself as he walked up the steps. "Stop!" He held out his hand and blocked the other two from going up the stairway. He took a look at the other pillar to the left of the one he saw, seeing that the blue crystal had been carved into it. The next pillar gave all the evidence he needed to know that they were already in danger. It showed a large dragon flying right from the ground into the sky. The last showed the warrior, dead with his own spear inside him.
"Zidane?" Garnet touched his shoulder with her hand as he turned to her. He looked very frightened. "Run. Run as fast as you can!"
A giant uprising through the ground and uproar of rocks flew high into the air as the creature came out from its slumber. Its head pointed up to the sky, but eyes completely focused on Zidane.
"Go!" He shouted, grabbing the crystal and pushed the other two down the stairs.
"What is that!?!?" Brooke cried out as he ran furiously back to the hatch. Zidane saw Garnet running too slow so he picked her up in his hands and went full speed. "I don't know! It's some kind of guardian! It was a trap from the beginning. We should have taken a look at the pillars. It's all my fault…"
The dragon swept down right down in front of them, stopping them dead in their tracks. "No...no, no, no." Garnet whispered to Zidane as he gently put her down taking out his weapon.
It spread its wings to full length, the snow from under it melting away. It spoke suddenly, catching them all off guard. "I am the Guardian of the Crystal, Telemacys. Now return the crystal, and you will not be harmed."
They both turned to Zidane, wondering what he was going to do. He didn't know what this creature was going to do, but he did not want to risk either of their lives…
A thought came to him. "What if I destroy the crystal?" Zidane smiled at the dragon in front of him.
"That would not be wise, for that would kill us all." The guardian said.
Zidane looked at Garnet, and then to Brooke, then they nodded their heads for they knew inside them what Zidane was about to pull off. Garnet took her stance, and then Brooke began focusing his magic into the glass ball above his staff. Zidane turned his head slowly back to position facing the monster, but held his head low staring at the ground. Then in the flick of his wrist the crystal left his hand and flew above him in the air.
The dragon was caught off guard, startled at Zidane's action. It gained back its senses and jumped from the ground straight towards the crystal to retrieve it. Just before the dragon was about to retrieve the crystal, Brooke unleashed Stop right on it, freezing it in the sky in time, temporarily. The crystal drifted back down from the sky into Zidane's palm, he clutched it. He turned to Garnet who closed her eyes and pointed her racket to the sky.
An eerie roar was heard, and the most powerful eidolon appeared breathing fire as it flew past their heads. It took a look at its prey, and snorted, as it knew it had already won. Energy gathered around Bahamut's mouth, creating a giant ball. It aimed it down at the Stopped dragon, and released its fiery rage from its mouth.
At the last second, the dragon broke free from its Stop spell. It was completely unbelievable. The beam missed rushing straight into the ground, penetrating the earth. "No!!!" Garnet yelled as Telemacys swept around Bahamut in the sky, and then thrusting him straight into the ground. Bahamut fell face first knocking dirt and gravel from all around into the air.
"Hahahaha, your eidolons are weak summoner," Telemycus proudly stated above her in the sky.
Garnet was completely shocked at how easily the dragon had fooled them. Its power was overwhelming, even beating Bahamut. "I can' t believe this…" Garnet cried as a tear fell down to the ground, fearing that her death was soon to come.
*************
Bahamut breathed deeply on the ground, it had failed. Garnet's tear struck the ground, and Bahamut felt it inside. Throughout its whole body, magic swept through it at a faster than normal pace. In the mist of the dust Bahamut had created when it had hit the ground, two eyes of his shown blue, penetrating through the rock and dust it was surrounded by. Bahamut stood up straight, and spread its magnificent wings out, causing all the dust surrounding it to flush away from its body, revealing the whole body of Bahamut.
"What?!" Telemycus let out a roar.
Bahamut shifted its eyes toward Garnet, who was still crying but smiled at her most magnificent eidolon. It then shifted its eyes back towards its enemy. Its glow shot right threw it, showing that it was not going to give up.
"An eidolon in trance?" Brooke muttered to himself, looking in awe.
Bahamut left the ground; everything went into slow motion as it flew up towards the Guardian of the Crystal, Telemacys. Bahamut swept by cutting straight across the chest of the guardian, it flinched back in pain for yet another strike, as Bahamut swung across for a second round.
"Foolish eidolon, feeling pity for its summoner... hahaha. Your power is still no match for mine even if you are in trance!" Telemycus struck Bahamut across the head with its massive wing as he flew up for the third hit.
Garnet gasped as Bahamut started to fall from the sky once again, to the ground. The legendary eidolon, beaten by a guardian. At the last moment before hitting the ground, Bahamut gained control of its freefall and used the down force to re-enter the sky once more. Blood was dripping from its wounds, but it was not going to lose this battle.
"Bahamut! Thank you…!" Garnet cried into the air as Bahamut flew about twenty feet away from Telemucus, straight in front of him.
Zidane and Brooke stood an awe watching Bahamut relentlessly rip Telemycus to shreds. Bahamut grasped Telemycus with its arms so it could not move, and released its fury right into it. A wave ripped into the sky, causing everything to go silent. A blue ball formed around the two dragons, and then completely blew apart causing a massive explosion in the sky.
"Garnet!" Zidane jumped and pulled her to the ground to move her out of the way of the explosion. He looked back over to where Brooke was standing, and noticed had taken cover as well behind a rock.
Garnet sat up crying tears in Zidane's hands. "Why did Bahamut sacrifice himself for us? I didn't think he would care… just to destroy the enemy and not get himself killed as well. But… he saved us." Garnet choked on her own tears, pulling in Zidane even more.
Brooke wasn't watching them; he had walked over to where the two massive bodies lay on the ground. He noticed Telemycus dead on the ground, head blown off and all. Brooke's eyes traced over the creature and then met that of Bahamut, barely breathing, but still alive.
"G-Garnet, Zidane!" Brooke shouted at the top his lungs. "Bahamut is still alive!!!"
Garnet jumped completely out of Zidane's hands as she ran over to Brooke who was aiding the crippled Bahamut. "Bahamut! You're alive! Thank God!" She said, placing her hand over the head of Bahamut, using Cura to heal the large gash across his face. "He has lost quite a lot of blood, Garnet… I still don't know how he survived that." Brooke shook his head in disbelief.
Trance faded from Bahamut's body, letting the rage it had created fade away. "I'm still wondering how Bahamut went into trance." Zidane said walking up behind Garnet, examining it. "It must have been trying to make up for what happened in Alexandria for you."
"Well whatever it is, I'm glad you helped us for what you did Bahamut." She placed her hand on Bahamut, and returned it to its resting place she had summoned it from.
They all stood there facing the lifeless body of Telemycus. As the wind blew across their faces, and chilled through their bodies, they regained senses of their quest.
"The crystal, Zidane." Brooke turned to Zidane holding out his hand. Zidane took it out from his pocket; it showed blue right through his hand. Brooke took it from his hand and examined it. "There is something engraved on it... it's in old Gaia language. Hold on a minute."
Zidane and Garnet peered at the crystal, watching its magnificent glow reflect everywhere. "That's weird, it says: 'Love.'" Brooke glanced up at Zidane and Garnet; they shared blank faces as well.
"What does that mean? This crystal signifies Love?" Zidane pondered his thoughts aloud.
"I don't know, but come on we must leave for the next crystal now. We can't waist any time!" Brooke said putting the crystal in his pocket.
They all nodded and Garnet pulled out the map. Her eyes scanned across it, trying to find what direction they should depart to. "Okay... we head east, to Canyon Forge, for the brown crystal."
"This time we should use caution though… the guardian of the love stone was truly powerful, almost killing us all. We have got to find another way of retrieving the stones without awaking the guardian." Zidane said as he took his first step east. He had used the sun as a reference point for direction, and the other's followed his lead.
"Wait! We're unprotected right now, the blast knocked out our shield!" Garnet said grabbing his arm to halt him from walking.
"Whoa, sorry Garnet. I didn't think about that…" He said looking dumbly at his feet.
"It's okay, you don't have to get upset. Come on Brooke, let's cast the spell." She held her rod up high waiting for Brooke to walk over.
"Yes Sarah, I'm coming." He walked over to her, and then halted in amazement of what he just said.
"Sarah… how could it be? How do you know that name? Wait… it's coming back to me! I remember now!" Garnet's eyes light up, "Brooke your my brother!" Garnet flew to Brooke, hugging him tightly. "What happened… to father… to you? It's been a long time. I remember us having to part at Madain Sari… how father took you with him as he told me and mother to run."
"Yes, I remember now as well. It has been a long time, but of course I'll tell you."
Zidane was already right by them listening to the reunion. He wanted to see what happened on the other side of the family. Brooke and Garnet took a seat on the ground and Brooke started his story.
"Father and I ran to try and help some of our friends in the village to escape after we sent mother and you in the boat. We went to Shakiea's house to find that it had been totally destroyed. After that we were running to get in another boat to try and escape as well seeing we could not rescue people if we tried… the twisters were coming down everywhere. That's when it happened… father was a little farther in front of me when we were both sucked in to a twister landing to the right of us. I grabbed a rock clinging on… but father was unfortunate, and was swept away… and… that's the last I ever saw of him." Brooke took a deep breath as he remembered that frightful day. He didn't like to talk about the city being destroyed or the death of his father, but Sarah deserved to know. "I lost my horn in an accident coming here, I tripped on a root slamming my horn into a rock. It was utterly broken, so I completely removed it. But Sarah, how was your name changed to Garnet? Why do you not have a horn as well? What has happened to you for the past years?"
Garnet was still piecing together the tragedy of Madain Sari in her head, but then she began telling her side to the story. "Well, after I washed up on the shores of Alexandria…"
She spoke for awhile, explaining how she lost her horn, her mother's death, becoming the princess of Alexandria, her adventure with Zidane and others, and finally becoming a queen.
"That's completely amazing what you've been through… a princess, becoming a queen, saving the world…" Brooke was amazed at the highlights of Garnet' story.
"Yes, but I'm afraid we must save the world again, and with your help this time Brooke." Garnet said.
"Of course, but one question before we leave on our way to Canyon Forge…" Brooke glanced to Zidane then back at her.
"Will it be Garnet or Sarah?" Brooke asked.
Garnet took a moment to choose. "Well, let's stick with Garnet… my true name is not known by many, just us three. Now let's get going!" She stood up, Brooke and Zidane followed after.
Zidane winked at Brooke, who took the hint. They both recited the phrase, "Yes, your majesty." She laughed and hugged them both.
They were safe at the moment, but completely oblivious to the hazards waiting in Canyon Forge. It was going to be a total different fight than they had fought with Telemycus…
