Chapter 8

It Never Ends

Brilliant red eyes stared down an arrogant smirk.

Richard - no, Lambda - flexed his fingers, sparks of dark eleth flaring with each movement. The power wasn't so vast - his time connected to the Lastalia had been brief, and much of the absorbed eleth was lost when his foolish host decided to throw a tantrum - but it should be enough. It had to be enough.

Meanwhile, only paces away, Hubert, Malik, and Pascal stood ready for battle, while Cheria and Sophie rose slowly from where they had been crouching. Asbel was still unconscious; they failed to reanimate him. They did not know if he would ever wake, and this knowing weighed them down as much as the enemy standing in front of them.

The eleth particles around Lambda's hand condensed into a sword, a rapier similar to the one Richard usually wielded. He twisted his wrist, weighing it, and smiled in approval. Then, not allowing another instant for his foes to prepare, he dashed to attack.

Hubert met rapier with dualblades, deflecting the blow and taking a step back to recover. Cheria and Malik moved away to cast, while Pascal stood by Asbel's side in order to protect him with her glyphs. As for Sophie— she ran towards Lambda, her eyes filled with anger for her fallen friend.

Lambda sidestepped her attack, and blocked Hubert's following assault with his eleth rapier. Hubert was taken aback by his enemy's quick reaction, and Lambda took advantage of the opening to unleash a barrage of eleth against him. The arte sent Hubert flying to crash against the floor, where he groaned, coughed blood, and failed to stand again. Cheria broke into a run to heal him.

Before Lambda could revel in his small victory, Sophie was on him again. A flurry of kicks and punches fell upon him, but every blow was evaded or deflected. The offensive didn't last long before Sophie took a backstep— and as she did so, Malik's cryas arte exploded over Lambda.

He resisted the fiery arte by protecting himself with an eleth barrier. Once more, he recovered quickly, and used his foe's surprise to his favor; in one fast motion he was upon Sophie, slashing at her with the eleth rapier. She attempted to mitigate the damage by dodging, but it was too late - Lambda's attack left her with a gash across the chest. She staggered and fell, pink eleth particles emanating from her wound.

Lambda raised his rapier for the final blow, but a loud bang sent him tumbling back. Pascal got him with her shortstaff, and she was already preparing another shot as Lambda tried to regain his footing.

"Cheria!" she yelled while aiming, "How's little bro doing?"

"I'm almost done!" Cheria exclaimed back.

Hubert sat up and hastily brushed Cheria's hands away. "That's enough! Go heal Sophie, I'll hold him back!"

Cheria attempted to recast, "You're still not fully healed, Hubert!"

"I can manage. But if we fail to reanimate Sophie, we'll have no chance at winning. Go!"

Eyes downcast, Cheria turned and ran towards Sophie. Hubert managed to stand, but his legs struggled to hold his weight; he knew that, in his state, he wouldn't be able to keep Lambda at bay for more than a few minutes. But as long as he bought enough time for Sophie to be healed…

And then what? He will knock her unconscious once more. It's only a matter of time until no one is left standing to heal the fallen. His eyes turned to his brother, motionless on the floor. He's going to die, either way. Why bother?

Lambda rose, finally recovered from Pascal's assault. His eyes shone with hatred, and he cast a longing glance at the Lastalia before turning towards Hubert, eleth rapier swirling with dark energy.

No… if we fail, it won't be just Asbel. Every other human…

"Everyone!" Hubert's voice broke the silence, resounding in the void. "Even if we cannot save my brother, if we fail now, every sacrifice we have made will be in vain. We'll not only lose Asbel and Richard, but all those we hold dear. After we have done so much, can we allow all our efforts to be wasted, and this… creature to win? Because that thought does not rest well within me!"

Lambda stopped and laughed, his expression growing even more contemptuous. "You believe words can win your battle? You humans seem to become more foolish by the moment!"

"Words can encourage and move us!" shouted Hubert. From the corner of his eye, he watched as Cheria healed Sophie. He never expected that his speech would buy him time; apparently, he underestimated Lambda's pride. "Conviction gives us the will to fight, and with will comes strength. Determination—"

"I tire of your rambling!" With a sneer, Lambda started in his direction, rapier read to attack.

Hubert took a defensive stance, and blocked every single of Lambda's furious blows. Lambda's rage robbed him of any finesse, making his slashes predictable and easy to deflect. Not only that— Hubert's words also held true. With newfound determination, his arms were quicker, his legs firmer. The pain from his wounds faded under the conviction that Lambda had to be stopped.

Unable to overpower his adversary, Lambda's frustration grew. His assaults were now accompanied by curses and snarls, and their forcefulness increased. Hubert began to fear that he wouldn't be able to stand the attacks for much longer, but before uncertainty could overtake him, Sophie ran to his side.

To see her healed was even more uplifting than receiving aid, and now that Hubert was no longer alone, he could attack as well as defend. Lambda began to strain under the pressure, and whenever Malik, Pascal, or Cheria unleashed their long ranged artes, he weakened.

Hubert would never have guessed that his blindly optimistic words would have such an effect on his companions. Words that barely suited him, and which were much more likely to be professed by his brother…

He hoped Asbel would survive.

Suddenly, one of his attacks managed to cut a deep gash across Lambda's chest, who staggered back, barely supporting his own weight. With wide eyes, he looked down at the gaping wound, his expression contorting into a snarl of fury and pain.

"Curse you!" gasped Lambda, as the eleth rapier flickered out of existence. His breathing was heavy, his arms trembling. "Curse this body! If I had been able to absorb more eleth… That foolish, damned host, and his needless resistance… Even now he forces me to hold back…! Curse him! Curse all of you!" As he shouted, a storm of dark energy surrounded him, eleth spinning furiously, expanding every moment.

Hubert's eyes widened in alarm, "He's going to release all the eleth he has left!"

Before he could finish uttering his words, the explosion unleashed. Gasping, Hubert dug his dualblade into the ground and held on to it as tightly as he could. Sophie was thrown back by the merciless wave of energy, but Hubert was able to take her hand before she was blasted towards nothingness. He tried opening his eyes to look for his companions, yet it was all but impossible; the powerful currents of air forced his lids to remain shut.

There was vague screaming in the distance, but Hubert could not put a name to the voice. His world was reduced to Sophie almost slipping from his hand, to his unsteady footing, to his weakening grip on the dualblade. Everything raged around him, the storm so relentless he thought the Ghardia Shaft would collapse.

And then, it stopped.

Ears ringing, Hubert dropped to his knees. Sophie fell beside him, panting and struggling to sit. For a moment, Hubert could do nothing other than try to catch his breath and wait for his head to stop spinning - but as soon as he realized the situation, his eyes frantically scanned his surroundings. What if his friends had not been so lucky?

Thankfully, he found Pascal crouching by her shortstaff, which was buried in the ground much like Hubert's dualblade. Like Sophie and himself, she was considerably shaken, but she seemed to be uninjured. Malik had his back against a large rock; he must've been pushed against it, and it kept him from being swept away. Cheria emerged from behind that same rock, completely unharmed. She must've been the quickest to react to Lambda's attack, seeking cover before the storm was unleashed.

As for Lambda himself, he - or Richard? - was lying motionless on the same spot from where he created the eleth explosion. Given the energy he had released, he would probably be out cold for a long time. Another thing to be thankful for.

And Asbel…

Hubert froze. There was no way his unconscious brother had been able to escape that attack. Any chance they might have had at reanimating him…

A gasp. Asbel had not been swept away - he was in the very same place he had been before the explosion. Not a single strand of hair had been ruffled by the blast. And, above all…

Asbel was moving.

Hubert labored to stand and staggered towards him. Sophie ran past him, as if the sight of Asbel recovering consciousness gave her strength; Cheria also ran to his side. When Sophie reached him, she knelt by his body and shook him, shouting "Asbel! Asbel!"

"Be calm, Sophie," Cheria gently murmured, "Shaking him won't do much. He's waking up already."

As Hubert approached, he asked, "Won't he wake up faster if we heal him?"

"He's not injured," Cheria replied, with Sophie nodding confirmation. "Now that I think about it… maybe he wasn't injured to begin with."

"Cheria's right!" Pascal exclaimed between pants, falling down to sit next to the group. She gave a tired sigh before continuing, "I saw it. When Lambda was about to go ka-boom, I saw an eleth dome around Asbel. It protected him from the blast, but it didn't come out of nowhere… it was already in him! Lambda was keeping him unconscious with it, but now that he's all knocked out, that gimmick must've gone poof!"

"So that's why healing was useless," Hubert noted.

Sophie looked up at Pascal, her eyes wide. "But if Lambda used an arte to protect Asbel… Does that mean Richard…?"

"Hey, don't ask me!" Pascal crossed her arms. "Not gonna make assumptions!"

"It doesn't mean anything," Hubert broke in, "It could easily be another ploy to fool us. Lambda knew he would be defeated, so once more, he's attempting to dissuade us from killing him."

"Hubert may be right." It was Malik's voice, and they turned to see him limping towards them. "But may I ask for some healing first? My right leg isn't very cooperative at the moment."

Cheria ran towards him and held out her hands, the soft glow of her healing arte appearing immediately. Soon, Malik was standing upright with ease.

"Thank you, Cheria," he smiled briefly, and then turned to the party once more. "As I was saying, Hubert may be right, but we can't kill Lambda now. Not here."

For a moment, Hubert seemed ready to protest, but then he paused in thought. Pascal was the one who spoke, "Yep, the Captain's right. If we do, he might retreat to the core again."

Hubert nodded in agreement. "We should take him to the surface, then, and deal with him there."

"Then…" Sophie muttered, eyes downcast, "It wasn't Richard all along…?"

"I'm sorry, Sophie," replied Cheria, placing a hand over her shoulder, "But… it seems he was a puppet created by Lambda."

Sophie's expression was pure misery. She looked at Asbel, who was shifting slowly on the ground, very close to waking. "He's going to be so sad."

"He's going to have to deal with it," Hubert spat, his tone cold and harsh.

Almost in response to Hubert's comment, Asbel grumbled, moving an arm to cover his face. He let it fall slowly as his eyes began to open, and he blinked continuously, trying to get used to the strong light of the Lastalia. When the people around him finally came into focus, he jolted up.

"W-What are you doing here? Richard… Where's Richard?!"

Voices rose in a jumble attempting to calm Asbel, nervous arms tried to hold him in place, but he ignored the words and slapped the hands away. He stood quickly, surveyed his surroundings, and upon finding Richard lying motionless on the ground, broke into a run. In a moment, he was kneeling by Richard's side, eyes wide with terror at the sight of his injuries.

"What did you do to him?!" Before waiting for an answer, he leaned down to listen for breathing - it was there, faint, but steady. Asbel sighed in relief, but his face still showed concern. The party had reached his side, and without taking his eyes from Richard, he muttered, "Heal him. Please."

"Asbel…" Cheria looked down at her hands, and after a moment, raised them hesitantly. Hubert, however, pushed them away, doing the same to Sophie, who had also been preparing to heal Richard.

"Do not heal him," he blurted. "Asbel, that creature is Lambda, and he nearly killed us."

Asbel's fingers closed around the front of Richard's clothes. His gaze was still on Richard's unconscious figure. "Please heal him," he repeated, ignoring Hubert's words.

This time, there was no response from the rest of the party. Sophie and Cheria shuffled uneasily, but did not raise their hands; Hubert clenched his fists, but did not utter a word.

"Heal him, dammit! Do I have to beg? Are you going to make me watch Richard die in front of me again?" This time, he turned towards the rest of the group. Tears were forming in his eyes.

Hubert stomped forward, but Cheria raised an arm to silence him. "Asbel…" she started, with her gentlest voice, "We're sorry. We're so sorry, but… this isn't Richard." She looked down, muttering another 'I'm sorry' under her breath.

Asbel grit his teeth. "You're wrong," he mumbled, and then, more forcefully, "You're wrong!"

"You can't deny the facts, Brother!" Hubert yelled, furious, "He attacked you, didn't he? You were unconscious when we arrived; who else could've done it?" Asbel did not reply. "And while you were unconscious, he attempted to kill us. If luck hadn't been on our side, some - if not all - of us would be dead!"

Asbel was silent for a moment. The sight of Richard's eyes shining red flashed in his mind, and he had to shake his head vigorously to make it go away. "Richard is alive," he muttered, biting his lip. A little louder, he continued, "Maybe Lambda is within him, but he is Richard. That only means I have to save him. I… I failed him once. Never again. I'll save him, even if it is the last thing I do!"

Asbel looked up at Hubert, defiant. His hands gripped Richard's body tightly; it was clear he meant every word he spoke. He would take his own life if it could save Richard. Whether it was the real Richard or not, Asbel would defend him with his dying breath.

Hubert opened his mouth to protest, but Malik spoke first, "Pascal, Lambda depleted most of his eleth, did he not? So, even if we healed his host, he would still be too weak to do anything, right?"

The party looked to Malik with wide eyes, and when he finished speaking, they all turned to Pascal. She blinked a few times and then began, "Yeah, I figure Lambda isn't gonna be able to do much for a while. So I guess it's okay to heal… Richard, or whoever it is. Ya know, just in case it's really him?"

Hubert frowned, but Asbel's hopeful glance at Sophie and Cheria had them holding out their hands almost instantly. The glow of healing appeared, and in a moment, Richard's cuts and bruises faded, only the drying blood remaining.

"Thank you," Asbel breathed, gently lifting Richard and holding him close to his chest. He stroked Richard's cheek with one of his hands, wiping off the blood. "Do you know how long until he wakes?"

The party was silent for a while, until Pascal realized the question had been addressed to her. "Um, there's really no way to know, I think. But he's all healed up, so he's gonna be okay!" She attempted an encouraging smile, but Asbel's gaze was still on Richard.

"We should leave this place now," Hubert announced, refusing to look at his brother. "It's dangerous to have him near the core."

Everyone nodded. Malik knelt next to Asbel, and said, "I'll carry him, Asbel."

Asbel stared at him, brows furrowing. "No, thanks. I'll carry him myself."

"You're tired, Asbel, and he's as heavy as you are. It will be a lot easier for me to carry him."

Ignoring Malik, Asbel slid one of his arms under Richard's knees, and holding his torso with the other, lifted him off the ground. He was careful to keep Richard's head resting delicately against his own shoulder. Asbel's arms didn't seem capable of carrying Richard in that position for long, but from his eyes it was clear he would refuse to let go of him even if his muscles cramped painfully.

And so, the group began walking towards the teleporter, hearts heavy with the knowledge that their trials were only beginning.


Author's note:

First of all, thank you for reading thus far! This chapter concludes what can be considered the first arc of Fade Away and Rise Anew. However, before the second arc begins, the fic will be put in a small hiatus, as I will be going on vacation for two weeks - during which I won't be writing. I'm sorry to leave you hanging; I hope the next chapter, when it is released, will make up for it!

Since I haven't been leaving notes recently, I'll also use this opportunity to thank everyone who has been supporting me. When I published my first one-shot, only a year ago, I never expected such a warm reception, and it was thanks to that encouragement that I kept writing ever since. Even though I don't usually reply to reviews (I'm sorry, I'm pretty shy!), it is your feedback that keeps me going. After all, there would be no point in writing if there was no one eager to read.

And so, thank you everyone, for being so wonderful. I hope you enjoy this story, and the ones yet to come.