Chapter 6: The Ambush!
{Reopen on Moon Castle, with Zero walking out onto the balcony.}
Zero:
Okay- I have to tell her today. Oh... where do I start? "Elise... Galaxia had a plot- and I was part of it. But I don't wanna be, because- it's because I love you. {sighs} Oh, she'll never believe me. But I gotta try.
{He goes into the main castle, where Elise and Duke are waking up.}
Zero:
Elise... I need to talk to you.
Duke:
{sternly} Elise... I don't want you talking with him. {softening} I want to talk with him.
{Elise's face brightens; Duke winks at her, and he and Zero go out onto the balcony and down onto the field.}
{Scene switch to where they are walking through the newly burnt section of the Moonlight Kingdom.}
Duke:
Sephiroth couldn't let go of his hate... and in the end, it destroyed him.
Zero:
I've... never heard the story of Sephiroth that way. He truly was a killer.
Duke:
Fire is a killer. Sometimes, what's left behind can grow better than the generation before...
{He puts his hand down and raises some dust; when he lifts it, a young plant is there. The two men lean down, head to head.}
Duke:
...If given the chance.
{We hear an evil chuckle from the dust surrounding them. Zero gasps as he realizes what's happening. Many dark maidens appear from the clouds of dust, surrounding them. The maidens' eyes glow a bright, sinister yellow.}
Zero:
No... oh, no... no...
Galaxia:
Why, Duke Fleed...
Duke:
Galaxia.
Galaxia:
What are you doing out here, and- so alone? {the maidens encircle Duke and Zero} Well done, Zero... just like we always planned.
Duke:
{turning on Zero} You.
Zero:
No! I didn't have anything to do with this!
Galaxia:
Attack!
Zero:
No!
{The maidens attack. Duke is fighting off several at once. Zero tries to help Duke, but is battered off by a Outsider and falls to the side, hitting his head on a rock. Duke is thrown to the bottom of a ravine; maidens slide down the slope towards him.}
Galaxia:
Yes! We've got him!
{Leona and the other outsiders attack again, forcing Duke to flee down the canyon.}
Galaxia:
Remember your training! As a unit!
{Duke is trapped; he tries to climb up the walls of the canyon, using the piled-up logs to gain purchase; Zero is above him on the ledge.}
Zero:
Duke Fleed!
Galaxia:
Kill him, Zero! Kill him! Do it now!
{Jadeite jumps from the crowd}
Jadeite:
I'll do it- for you, Mother! {he bounds up the logs, laughing} Mother- are you watching? {softly, to himself} I'm doing it for you... and I'm doing it for me!
{Jadeite chases Duke up a slope with several broken logs strewn across it. Just as Duke reaches the top, Jadeite grabs his foot.}
Jadeite:
This is my moment of glory!
{The log on which Jadeite has his foot breaks, causing Jadeite to lose his grip on Duke's feet and begin to fall. Duke reaches the top, but the pile of logs rolls down the slope with Jadeite among them; they all land in a heap at the bottom of the ravine. Jadeite lies trapped under a large log. He looks up to the top of the slope to see one final log rapidly falling in his direction. He grimaces, terrified, as the log hits him. Zero rushes down to help free Jadeite, but he is swatted aside by Galaxia, who pulls enough logs aside to see Jadeite's face.}
Galaxia:
Jadeite...
Jadeite:
{gasping for air and coughing} I'm sorry, Mother... I tried...
Galaxia:
Ssshh.
Jadeite:
Well... I finally got your attention, didn't I...
{Galaxia smiles tenderly at him and cradles his face in her hand.}
Jadeite:
Didn't I...
{Jadeite dies. Leona appears next to Galaxia on the edge of the logs.}
Leona:
Jadeite...
{Scene switch to the middle of the Moonlight Kingdom, where Duke is walking wearily back to the castle. Elise sees him from a distance off.}
Elise:
Father... {realizing} Father! Tails, get help!
Tails:
{flying off} Oh yes! Help... at once! Of course!
{Duke is walking with great pain. Elise, Sonic, and Joey reach him.}
Elise:
Father...?
Sonic:
Duke! Talk to me! What happened?
Duke:
{Duke coughs, wheezing, having a hard time speaking} Zero... {a painful breath of air} Ambush...
{Duke collapses on his side, groaning in pain.}
Elise:
No...
{Joey grab Duke on his back, and they start to drag him back to castle.}
Sonic:
It's all right, buddy... we're here for you.
{Scene switches back to the Outlands, where the maidens are gathered in a memorial to Jadeite.}
Galaxia:
Sephiroth... watch over my poor Jadeite. {she turns on Zero} You!
{Galaxia slashes Zero across the face with outstretched nails.}
Zero:
Gahh!
{Zero looks away in pain, but soon turns his head, glaring at Galaxia. She recoils at the sight, shocked; Zero now has a scar over his left eye just like Sephiroth's. Galaxia recovers quickly.}
Galaxia:
{menacingly} What have you done?
Zero:
I-I-I didn't mean to... it-it-it wasn't my fault, I... {forcefully} I did nothing!
Galaxia:
Exactly! And in doing so, you betrayed your pride... betrayed SEPHIROTH!
Zero:
{shouting} I want nothing more to do with him!
Galaxia:
You cannot escape it! Jadeite is dead because of you!
Zero:
No.
Galaxia:
You've killed your own brother!
Zero:
No!
{Zero turns and runs out from among the maidens, many of whom are growling and snarling at his departure.}
Galaxia:
Let him go. Duke Fleed has hurt me for the last time... now he's corrupted Zero! Listen to me... Duke is injured and weak. Now is the time to attack! We will take his entire kingdom... by force!
{The Outsiders all snarl and cheer in reply.}
To be continue...