"How long have you been at this?"
The insides of his cheeks burned. He fought many battles, protected friends and liberated a kingdom, so he should have been prepared to take responsibility for a serenade. However, he was ready to cast himself off a cliff to conceal embarrassment. That behavior wasn't suitable for a Crown Prince, but at the moment, he couldn't afford to care.
"J-j-j-just a few months, mi'lord."
"Doesn't seem like it."
His cheeks became darker. His lyre almost fell out of his hands. Every word the Seraph said caught him completely off-guard, even though the angel seemed to be perfectly innocent. "Th-th-thank you, mi'lord," he stammered, hands fumbling to keep his lyre in check. "I'm glad my performance delighted you."
The old Smasher's laughter made him think of rushing waters. Waters coursing over a bed of glittering rocks. "You can cut the whole 'lord' thing out," he said, still stroking the head of his Pidgey. The Pokemon had been in his lap the entire time, draped in the white petals of Peach's garden. The Seraph himself was covered in white petals, as all three of them were inside a flower cascade. The sky was a soft, creamy blue, the sun was blissfully radiant, and the angel pretty much put everything to shame, wearing a gorgeous white-
"And by the way, you've got a really bad staring problem."
The lyre almost flew out of his hands. "S-s-sorry, mi'lord-I mean, um-"
More rocks glistened like diamonds, graced by crystal liquid. "Don't worry about it," Snake said, taking him by both hands. "I don't mind at all."
Hal fluttered onto the younger male's shoulders, laughing. Frail blue eyes spread across his body, heart and soul, painting a picture of star-strewn angel wings. The young prince could say nothing, sitting in a field of inexplicable beauty. The Seraph said nothing, his Pidgey continued to laugh, and flower petals continued to fall.
Snake's hands were over his hands, so soft and delicate. He couldn't stop blushing, but at least the Seraph accepted his clumsiness. He was comfortable yet nervous at the same time, facing the only one he had ever-
"Firion. Firion!"
His eyes, just as Red's had done, flew open. Instinctively he slapped a hand to his forehead, trying to make sense of things. White light momentarily flooded his eyes, but several familiar faces softened the light's brutality. Wincing, he realized just what the situation was. He wasn't in Peach's flower garden, wasn't near the Seraph-
"You too, huh?"
"What do you mean?" the young warrior asked, still holding a hand to his head. His voice had the texture and strength of a leaf's surface.
Fox's ears flattened, as they usually did in times of sagging spirits. "Your life flashed before your eyes," he said, sounding as if they had all fallen into a graveyard. He looked grave and pensive, but managed to retain his natural, comedic warmth.
"Or should I say your 'dating life' flashed before your eyes?"
Frowning, Firion opened his mouth to respond, but Zephyr beat him to the punch. "I'm the only one that couldn't see home movies," the young, slender bandit said, head bowed. His eternal travelling companion, a pair of black sunglasses, had come in handy for the occassion. To shield himself from violent bursts of light, he had cast them over his eyes.
"I'm still on the same page, though. Someone asked me what I would sacrifice in order to tread ahead."
Uncomfortable with Zephyr's dismissal of his own cinematic adventure, Snow frowned. And his frowns were the frowns of a puppy: heart-wrenching and far too painful to acknowledge. "Rosalina saved all of our lives," the blonde stallion said, pacing through the group. Fox took Falco by the arm, Red swept a restless Pikachu into his arms, and a pensive Zephyr exchanged a glance with Firion.
"Auvlin wanted to hold us all back, but she got us out of there! And she knew, in order for us to proceed, we would have to remember just how much the Seraph means to us!"
Fox's eternal travelling companion scowled. He might have been in it on the 'friendship' level, assisting a member of the home team, but he wasn't immune to the joys of the journey. He too had images flash before his eyes, and none of them were tea parties. "I'm guessin' we should dub this purgatory," the Lombardi said wearily, using a hand to shield his eyes. He and his friends were in a seemingly eternal field, one cloaked in the white radiance of angel wings.
"We're hovering in the middle of nowhere, and can't get out unless we pay a price."
"I know you're not one for spiritual things," the McCloud snapped, glaring at him. "but don't peg us down like that. It's not like we've been dragged clean into the underworld's bowels."
"Who do we pay our sacrifices to?" Pallet's representative asked worriedly. Pikachu echoed his question with a set of 'pikas'.
"You pay them, right here and now, only in front of yourselves. You don't have an audience."
All eyes peered Heavenward. "Lady Rosalina," Firion asked fiercely, hands balled into fists. "just what are we supposed to sacrifice? Is Ridley asking for anything?"
"You may give up whatever you wish. Just don't sacrifice everything, colt. Otherwise, you won't be able to see your Seraph again."
"You have me read like a book, milady," the colt said with a smile, scratching the back of his neck. "And, before our beloved Snow takes the floor, I'll be the first to forfeit a part of my life."
The Villiers, remembering Firion and Zephyr's plot to assassinate him, threw the warrior a roguish smile. Firion returned the smile, then shut his eyes. Out his arms went, stretched out underneath the pure white heavens. Faces covered in concern, his comrades watched as his sacrifice began.
Minutes passed, and even though Firion's eyes were shut, he knew his friends were right behind them. All of them were making their sacrifices, arms outstretched and bodies engulfed in ribbons of sapphire light. In no time at all the ribbons vanished, revealing each Knight in a new form.
Firion's eyes fluttered open, but only darkness welcomed him. "Dear Firion," a maiden cooed. "you have sacrificed sight. As an exceptional archer, you have dealt a devastating blow to your battle techniques. But you will endure the same plight Snake endured, during his final missions."
"Brave Snow, you have sacrificed age. By doing so, you have given up your youthful beauty and strength. You wish to experience life in a broken, withered body, in order to gain insight on Snake's condition."
"Bastard," Basel's bandit whispered to Firion. Standing no more than an inch from his partner-in-crime, the blind archer snickered. Quasimodo's twin brother threw them a playful glare, one laced with love and adoration.
"Zephyr, you have sacrificed flesh. You are no longer flesh and blood, but a wraith. As such, you are vulnerable to darkness. If you are unable to unite light and darkness, you will face defeat at not only the Organization's hands, but at the underworld's hands."
"Red, you have sacrificed air. No longer will you breathe in pristine, fresh air. Oxygen to you will now be a poisonous fume."
Before Rosalina could compare Red's plight to the Seraph's, Snow stepped in. "My lady," he said, fifty years older than he actually was. Already uncomfortable with the choices of his other friends, Red's sacrifice was the first set of icing on his cake.
"If he can't breathe, how is he supposed to-"
"I'll pull through," Pallet's trainer cut in, his voice barely above a whisper. Hands clasped to his heart, he drew in sharp breaths. "I have to. I will pull through. I'll be all right."
Whimpering, Pikachu tugged on his suffering friend's collar. Red fell to his knees gasping, panting, hands wrapped around his throat. "This has to be it," the young trainer growled through his teeth. Deep anxiety slathered itself across the faces of his friends.
"This has to be the way he felt. Has to be the way FOXDIE felt."
Fox, Falco and Snow rushed to the youngest male's side. "The young McCloud has sacrificed hearing," the maiden of the stars explained, heard but not seen. She accompanied the rest of her words with sign language, one of the many languages Fox had mastered at a young age.
"He has chosen to be in tune with the earth, instead of relying on his ears. Snake gave up hearing at times, but not by choice. Your choice will give your greater insight on the Seraph's ailments."
"Falco, you have sacrificed your voice. You're no longer able to convey emotion through words. Not only have you put your bond with Fox on rocky terrain, but you have captured the Seraph's past inability to express happiness. While you gain greater knowledge on our angel's life, you must put your bond with Fox to the ultimate test."
So. Pikachu was the only one with original characteristics intact. Realizing this, the Pokemon refused to sit still. Red wasn't the only one having his sleeves tugged on. "Beloved friends," Rosalina cooed, as the whimpering mouse ran from Knight to Knight.
"The things you have sacrificed will be returned to you...if you are able to bring Ridley to his knees. You must work together as one unit. Combine your remaining strengths, and bring an end to Ridley's reign."
No questions could be asked. A fresh wave of light struck all pairs of eyes, transporting them into the night. Surrounded by dark brown mountains, and underneath a silvery blue sky, the Knights were unable to determine what the future held in store. They were already unhappy with each other's sacrifices, but not an inch of mercy would be accepted. "Call out your Charizard," Zephyr said to Red, his voice a hollow shell of its former self. "Ask him to-"
The Hanabishi tore himself out of Snow's protective arms. "No! I'm fine," the youngest Knight snapped, chest heaving. Zephyr looked to Snow, who looked as if he'd fall over, crumble up and die at any given moment.
"Then have him-"
"I'm all right," the stallion said with a small salute, smiling. "Don't worry about me. Heroes can pull through anything. You should worry about yourself, Sir Phantom."
"The air smells of rain. Moist soil, too. We're in the mountains, are we not?"
"Indeed we are," Zephyr said softly to Firion, translating Fox's sign language. His misinterpretation of the response's second half earned him a playful slap.
"We're surrounded by gumdrops, rainbows and-OW! Violent, are we not?"
"We've got to be in the Mountains of Eden," Red said breathlessly, hands about his heart. Pikachu perched himself on the trainer's shoulders, and Snow (as feeble as he was) ignored the Hanabishi's wish to be left alone. The trainer took several deep breaths before he continued, instinctively latching onto Snow.
"Rosalina said grief...the clouds of grief...were born here. Sorrow was born here...and darkness thrived off of it. Maybe...the k-k-key to..."
Red's world fluttered before him, then it suddenly became black. Pikachu cried out to him, but then something surprising happened. The Hanabishi's eyes fluttered back open, allowing him to acknowledge Fox. The McCloud, realizing he was on the verge of falling apart, had swept him into his arms. Trainer and pilot shared a smile, then Red pressed on. "Perhaps the key to bringing down Ridley lies in sadness," he said, pulling from Fox's strength.
"You mean Snake's sadness."
"Right," Pallet's Knight replied, nodding at Firion. Feeling as if he wished to vomit, he buried his head in Fox's chest and said nothing more. Watching Red was bad enough, but catching Snow's condition put the final nail in Falco's coffin. The wide-eyed Lombardi pointed at the Villiers, who had fallen to his knees while coughing and clutching his heart. Pikachu released a loud 'PIKA!', and Firion bolted to the stallion's side. His diagnosis of Snow was quickly made, but none the less enchanting.
"He's dying. His aging process had quickened to a deadly pace."
Zephyr groaned. "Oh great. I wanted the louse to die, but not like this! I was supposed to kill him!"
Fox swept Red off his feet and bundled him into his arms. "Red's not looking too great either," he said, surprised he was still able to form words. "It's as if Snow and Red took the worst parts of Snake's condition and split them in half!"
The roar of a beast split their eardrums. Falco wrapped his arms around Fox and Red, preventing them from falling as tremors shook the earth. For what seemed like a century, the world was nothing more than a series of tremors, its treasures rattled by horrors unknown. Firion and Zephyr kept themselves at Snow's side, Pikachu frantically patrolled the area, and everything quickly fell silent. Glances of confusion were exchanged, but the silence was painfully ephemeral.
Clutching Pikachu to his chest, Red gasped. A behemoth had emerged from the mountaintops, unleashing his wrath onto the silvery blue heavens. "That's got to be Ridley," the trainer whispered, unable to take his voice higher. "He already allowed his sorrow to consume him! There's nothing left but a towering, screaming monster!"
The blue-skinned beast aimed a swipe at Red. The Pokemon Trainer stood rooted to the spot, but was shoved out of the way in a flash. Snarling, Ridley then focused his attention on the intruder: Firion. Out came his bow and arrow, laden with Heaven's light. In the blink of an eye, he notched an arrow, aimed it and fired. His arrow hit home, burying itself in the creature's eye. Shrieking, the former Organization member informed them of catastrophes yet to come.
"Dithering ants! You can't possibly kill me! Here I stand, as the embodiment of your Seraph's pain, and here I shall forever stand!"
"Not if we can help it," the Villiers said, rising to his feet (much to the surprise and delight of everyone else). "You may look bigger than we are, but we're actually much greater than you! We've got something much greater than your lust for blood, and it binds us together! Shiva!"
On cue, ribbons of icy blue water struck the air. Beast and Knight alike watched as ribbons quickly meshed to become icy blue maidens. They blew a kiss to Snow, Snow happily returned the kiss, and the sisters received their first order.
"Breathe air into Red's lungs for me, all right?"
The Shiva sisters turned to each other, then gave each other a high-five. As Falco, Fox and Firion batted away Ridley, Zephyr held a half-conscious Red close. Both wraith and trainer were mesmerized, watching as Snow's friends blessed ravenous lungs. Instantly relieved, a beaming Hanabishi rose to his feet-and a happy Pikachu returned to his shoulder. "All right, Vaporean," the young trainer said, far beyond happy over the restoration of his body. Out of his pocket came a Poke Ball.
"Let's return the favor! Help out the Sisters in every way you can! It's shooowtimeee!"
The aquatic Eevee appeared in a burst of crystal blue light. The Summon Maidens acknowledged her with a smile, then the trio simultaneously released their brand of ice beams. Snow directed the Shiva Sisters, Falco and Fox fired off simultaneous shots, and Pikachu directed Firion's actions. Quickly setting up a system of thumps and 'pika pis', the electric mouse proved himself to be Firion's perfect assistant.
Screaming at the top of his lungs, Ridley batted Fox off the cliff. With a yelp, the McCloud latched onto an edge-and immediately had his hand met by Falco's. Both pilots peered into each other's eyes, easily able to hear what the other was saying.
'Good thing you don't weigh any more than a feather, Foxy! If you had eaten any more of those cream puffs, we both would have been doomed!'
'Oh shut your trap,' Fox's eyes read, as the Lombardi pulled him back onto solid ground. 'Everyone deserves a treat once in a while!'
The monster aimed another swipe at the lingering pilots, threatening to break the smile they were sharing. Firion, bow in hand, leapt onto the beast's thick arm, ran up that arm and sent an arrow deep into the creature's eye. Surprised by the archer's swift actions, Ridley issued a cry so great, it threatened to tear the heavens apart. All Knights shielded their ears, hoping to keep their eardrums from bleeding.
"Hal! Showtime, front and center!"
The Pidgeot came out of Snake's ball in a burst of golden light. Shrieking its determination to the world, the bird instantly faced Ridley. An equally fierce Pikachu hopped aboard the bird's wings, the two of them exchanged a glance of fortitude, and then absorbed an order from Red.
"All right, you two! Give that creep a taste of your Phoenix Lightning!"
With a loud 'Pidgeooooooo', the aerial Pokemon soared dangerously fast towards the livid Ridley. Pikachu leapt several feet into the air, and with a cry of his own, released a thick wave of thunder. Hal complimented it by beating his wings, sending every last bit of Pikachu's attack to Ridley.
"Give those two a boost, why don't you?"
Snow's gentle order was quickly executed. Taking advantage of Pidgeot's winds, the Shiva Sisters issued a sphere of blue ice into the fray. Red happily threw a fist into the air, observing the Poke Sisters combo.
Ridley was sagging in his saddle, panting like a dehydrated canine. Seizing a perfect opportunity for attack, a slender black wraith bolted into the creature's mind. Pokemon, humans and pilots watched as the wraith burned himself into the craters of Ridley's mind. The beast of darkness writhed in agony, trying to tear his unseen nightmare out of his head.
Seconds passed. Zephyr emerged from Ridley, encased in a sphere of golden light. Not in wraith form, but in his true form. Snow, wrapped up in golden ribbons of his own, took Red into his arms. The Pokemon Trainer, realizing his friend was returning to his original form, planted a thousand smiles on his face. The Shiva Sisters shared another high-five, then vanished in a whirlpool of radiance. Firion lowered his bow, Fox took a sigh of relief, and Falco performed a victory uppercut.
Zephyr fell out of the sky, caught by a relieved Firion. The two of them exchanged a smile. Their entire world was swept into an embrace of blue light, and once the light vanished, a completely different terrain was revealed. All of them were still surrounded by mountains, but they were much brighter than before, laden with glittering flowers and crystal waterfalls. The sky was no longer a dark shade of blue, but an invigorating fusion between azure and orange. Firion, happily peering into the sky, raised a hand to his eyes.
"This chamber is at peace. We have successfully quelled the fire, and initiated the reign of peace!"
"If we hadn't come together, things would have turned ugly. Rosalina asked us to unite ourselves, and by doing so, we were able to wipe Ridley off the face of the planet!"
Falco rolled his eyes, hands on his hips."Ugh. Don't you EVER shut up, Snow?"
"You'll marry me before that happens," Zephyr said playfully, initiating a push-and-shove fest between himself and Snow. "I don't think this guy ever learned how to push his own off switch."
Smiling, Red watched a laughing snowflake wrestle a bandit. A moment passed before he expressed light apprehension, though. "Hey guys," he cried above the roguish melee. "Aren't we supposed to be...I don't know. Battling each other? You know, for the Seraph?"
Fox looked at Falco as if Red had just asked for his name. "Uh...yeah?"
A choking Zephyr untangled himself from a grinning Snow. Snake's recently evolved Pidgey flew in circles with an awfully happy Pikachu. "Then why did Rosalina tell us to work together?" the Hanabishi asked, in response to Fox.
For a moment, the only sound anyone heard was Hal's laughter. "You got me," the McCloud said with a shrug, breaking the slightly awkward silence. Snow, Zephyr and Firion threw their hands up in the air, giving off a simultaneous groan.
"Oh, I thought you were going to say something insightful! Thanks, Fox!"
The young pilot, balling his hands into fists, was inwardly wounded. "Don't snap at me, 'Captain Snow'! We aren't all flawless!"
"We've got a long way to go," Basel's bandit said, putting a hand to his forehead. Red slapped him on the back, grinning.
"Hey hey. Don't look so down. The party has barely started! And before you know it, I'll be off and marrying Snake while you're moping in some doghouse!"
Pikachu and Hal continued tracing circles, a bandit chased after a laughing trainer, and a smiling archer shook his head. "I think you should scrape off your plate and start over, mi'lord," the young warrior whispered, clasping a hand over his heart.
White petals graced his hand, an aquatic Pokemon played with a butterfly, and he smiled.
Thank you for your support. This was composed to Desperate Struggle and The Gapra Whitewood of Final Fantasy XIII.
The white abyss and Firion's awakening was inspired by Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. In a particular area of that movie, Cloud Strife is floating through the Lifestream's white field. Aerith and Zack awaken him.
Eternia's battle style is inspired by Final Fantasy XIII's battle style. One of the battle themes happened to inspire this chapter's battle, bwa ha.
I have chosen an anthem for Fox. Now, don't turn your nose down at this, kiddies, but it's (supposed to be) a rap song: Jamie Foxx's 'Winner', featuring Justin Timberlake and TI. I'm open to countless music genres, and I listen to rap-when it makes sense. For example, Eminem's rap. As for 'Winner', it's an adorable song with inspirational, catchy lyrics.
Zephyr's wraith form was inspired by Sora's 'Heartless' form of Kingdom Hearts. Even though he couldn't spend any time with Snake, please cheer for him!
Stay tuned for upcoming action, adventure and friendship! I hope you're enjoying the rowdy, developing friendships between the Knights!
