Neo Dissidia: A New World, A New War
Chapter 10: Conflict's Beginning
Author's Note: 6/3/13: Here it is: the long-awaited tenth chapter! This took a while to write- mostly because school kept me really busy, but also due to the fact that the day after it was finally over I had to get my wisdom teeth taken out... that wasn't fun, but it was planned for then so as to not take any time away from my summer. I had a bit of a learning curve with action scenes as well as working with some characters, but that's all behind me, now! It looks like I've gotten a few more favorites and followers since last chapter- best not disappoint, then!
Word of warning: this puppy's a long one!
Without any further to do: Enjoy!
Well, well, well… look what we have here- a flashback from your favorite neighborhood friendly Hooded Man: EnigMa!
…All right, not even I believe it's really THAT big a deal- I just thought you readers may enjoy seeing things from a possible bad guy's point of view… I'll leave whether you think I'm a bad guy up to you- in my eyes, I'm just a man doing his job… even if some people do get hurt- I haven't killed anyone, have I? I thought so.
This was a day or two ago- I'm not sure. Time doesn't exactly flow normally between worlds right now. Apparently it has to do with the magic of Miss Branford's world being absent… I'll need to take care of that soon in the present. Back on track: this was in Firion's zone.
If you remember from last time, I had given Firion some ex-lax chocolates for the laughs… I know it's hard to believe, but I'm not usually a prankster most of the time. It's just… have you ever had so much power that you didn't know what to do with it? That's why I've been tormenting some of these people- ESPECIALLY Firion… I don't hate him, but I for some reason there's something I don't like about him either… that, and he's really fun to pick on.
I'm getting off-track, aren't I? Sorry about that.
As Maria and Guy stood near the outhouse waiting for Firion, I decided to approach them… they weren't happy with me, needless to say.
Maria narrowed her eyes at the sight of me, "You." She took out her bow and aimed it right at my heart while Guy armed himself with his axe. "What did you put in those chocolates?"
I can't say I was all that phased by their threats, so I waved the question off, "Nothing lethal, don't worry- he'll be fine come tomorrow. He'll just need to eat and drink more after this." I paused, taking in their now lowering glares, "More importantly, I'd like to ask you about a job offer…"
"You don't join." Guy responded… I didn't expect any of them to come to that conclusion, but wasn't important.
I laughed at what he suggested, pointing at them, "Are you KIDDING? I wouldn't join your little team if you paid me…" I scratched my chin at this thought: "I'm already not being 'paid' to do to do this shit, granted, but still." I shook my head, explaining, "I come as a hired ambassador from the Kingdom of Baron to extend an olive branch to the Kingdom of Fynn."
"Really, now?" I heard Firion moan painfully from the crap-shack… I didn't think he'd be able to hear us- the guy was made of tougher stuff than I thought. His tone, ignoring the pain in it, was incredulous and rightfully so- I kind of did a lot of lying and trickery to make this not a lie… sort of.
"Mm-hm; recognized by Queen Hilda herself." That was true… given, I lied about being an ambassador to her, but that was beside the point. I pulled out the treaty document she handed me with her signature to prove it. After seeing Guy recognizes the handwriting (can't say I expected the muscle-man of the group to be so perceptive), I continued, "Head east of here past the mountains and you'll find it…it's a big place- hard to miss."
Maria seemed to trust me now and gave me a smile that almost made me feel guilty for the lies I was using for this… almost- everything should be dandy once Firion and Cecil (and if I can get anyone I'm still missing) meet up again, "Thank you… and I apologize for doubting your sincerity- I can't say I enjoyed you tricking my brother, though." She added in mild distaste.
Though she couldn't see it, I smiled, "No problems… give Firion my apologies and I'll on my way." I could have sworn they all thought "Thank god" at that, but I couldn't fault them for that. Firion I'd imagine was still peeved and Maria and Guy still weren't 'happy' with me either, so the sooner this was over, the better it would be for all of us.
After she told me she would, I calmly walked away from the scene before breaking into a full-blown run once I was certain they couldn't see me; I didn't want them to see me open a portal and I hadn't figured out simpler teleportation yet. Once I left, it was time for me to pay the Gullwings a visit…
Or, rather, I was.
I sensed something nearby… and ran like hell when I recognized what it was, "Oh fu-"
Right on time a mass of black space began to consume a mile-long and wide stretch of land. Time seemed to have stopped all the while…
Then, as quickly as it came, it vanished… but it took that chunk of earth with it- likely gone to the Rift… it is as if that space never existed.
The boss told me about this: because the worlds composing this one aren't stabilized yet, bits and pieces of space were being consumed by the Void. No one would even notice- not even Warriors of Cosmos or Chaos (well, except that tree-guy and the hot-cloud woman).
So far, it isn't very frequent and the spaces aren't horribly populated, but until the boundaries still separating the worlds have dissolved fully it would continue…
…Which is why I need to get that one job done: No world, no shoes, no service.
The Warrior charged at Garland with Excalibur and shield in hand; Gill charging him with Protect, Shell, Temper, and Haste spells to boost his chances. Garland prepared to swing his gigantic blade to break through his guard with ease, but the Warrior flipped over him and tried to slice at his helmet. Garland ducked under his slice and turned his sword into a whip-form, trying to strike him from behind, but the Warrior blocked with his shield. It sent him back to the ground, but he landed gracefully and clashed swords with Garland, who then turned his blade into two smaller ones.
Garland turned his sword back into its default shape to block a shield toss by the Warrior, but was momentarily caught off guard when it was aimed upwards and allowed the Warrior to strike him with three upwards slashes to send him into the air. Garland grunted, but used his position to swing his sword and slam the Warrior back with a strong bolt of lightning when his nemesis tried to continue his assault.
The Warrior grunted as he fell to the ground, but Garland chose not to strike him while he was down (following a part of his twisted code of honor). Instead, he remarked: "I've been waiting for the chance to fight you once more, my fated rival, in a setting beyond an endless chain of conflict."
The Warrior got back up- feeling surprisingly more active and warmed up after this first part of the battle, glaring at Garland, "So… you do remember that world now."
Garland laughed, leering at the younger knight behind his helmet, "More like the version of myself you're facing now is the present most Garland that has experienced everything you remember me for."
The Warrior shook his head, muttering, "Time Travel…"
"Time Travel…" Garland raised his sword once more, "That was merely the warm-up- can you stand THIS!" He closed the distance between them with a spinning attack of his greatsword that the Warrior flipped over. Garland chained his attack by turning his sword into an axe and smashing the ground- which his opponent only barely blocked by infusing his shield with Light energy. It still knocked the Warrior into the air, but the shield stunned Garland downwards just long enough to keep him from taking advantage of the opening. The Warrior landed on his feet and crossed blades with Garland once more. "Are you prepared for more endless war?"
The Warrior shook his head, "Not at all… I'll simply fight to end it!"
Garland let out a chuckle, "Try it- if you can! Already this town is burning to cinders- even if your comrades come to aid in rescuing civilians, they'll still have to face my own!"
Gill attempted to join in the fight, casting a Blizzaga ice storm at the Fell Knight's exposed backside… only for it to be dispelled by a ball of fire that created a huge explosion on contact. The result mist obscured her view, but the Red Mage wasn't concerned about THAT.
She drew her rapier and held it above her head in a two-handed stance, closing her eyes, 'If this is who I think it is…' After a few moments, Gill opened her eyes and swung her sword to the right…
…Blocking the cursed staff of the Dark Elf King, Astos, "Hello, my dear… did your little Sauber like his present?" He asked- his voice a raspy medium-high and tone sickeningly sweet but sinister.
"I see you introduce yourself in the same fashion as always- using illusions to deceive." The Red Mage responded curtly, tone laced with hate towards the ex-monarch that implied something deeper that happened between them than had been seen so far.
The foul king was a gaunt-faced, lanky, scrawny-looking man with long, messy, pitch-white hair. While his teal gray skin was normal for his kind, his yellow irises and blood-red pupils was an abnormality that signified a much darker part of his character. He wore heavy black, regal looking robes, a silver crown with a blood-red jewel it the center, and wielded a thick heavy wooden black staff with what appeared to be a freshly obtained skull on the top… you could still see the blood staining it.
Astos sneered, "As tactful as always, Red Mage of Light." He wagged his finger, "I'll have you know that once I'm done here, I intend to give Sauber the rest of the gift I gave the rest of his kind…"
Gill eyes widened in horror from a second before narrowing fiercely, "I see he wasn't exaggerating…" She parried his staff, rolled around him, and gave him a slice on the back as he registered how quickly she moved.
Astos shrieked in pain before turning full glare back at the mage, "I see we've gotten faster…"
"And I see you're just as strong as before."
Astos slammed his staff- a ring of Thundaga bolts making Gill back off more. He grinned, "You'd be right- I haven't gotten stronger… I merely have access to all of my strength now compared to that feeble amount I had in the old timeline."
Gill charged forward once more, jabbing her rapier at his heart only for Astos to conjure a barrier of yellow magical energy at the spot-letting the Dark Elf King jump back and do a twirling motion with his staff. The twirl produced a circle of red magic and once it stopped spinning the skull on top suddenly opened its mouth and shot off a fierce jet of fire that Gill was only barely able to avoid with a flip to the right.
The spell, however, did hit a tree the forest behind them only a few yards away from the village- the magic flames quickly spreading to cause a full-out forest fire.
Gill gaped from behind her cowl at the damage this was causing, and turning to the Dark Elf with a venomous glare, "What spell was that?! It takes only very strong Fire Magic to for spells to spread THAT quickly and severely!"
Astos grinned wickedly, giggled creepily, "Ah that was an Astos specialty: Arcfire! A spell that requires some blood to have been shed…" He wagged his finger at her, "That's why it's called Blood Magic!"
Gill's froze at the words, moving only to avoid another Arcfire from Astos that hit a house. She narrowed her eyes, "Blood magic… Astos, you have truly overstepped the boundaries of Human, Elf, and even Dark Elf morality…"
The Dark Elf King cackled madly at her words, "Oh, I crossed that line a long time ago. I lost my pretty Blood Magic when I was defeated in the Elven Civil War 200 years ago… do you want to hear the story?"
The pink-haired woman sped towards the town-trying to outrun Prishe so that she wouldn't be required to interact with the trio behind her. However, Prishe proved to be much faster than her when she needed and easily kept pace, "Are we going to work together or not?"
The pinkette scowled at the girl, "In all fairness- no. I have my own mission to complete and I no intentions of letting a bunch of kids tag along and slow me down."
The immortal Elvaan rolled her eyes, "Yeah… you do realize I'm keeping up with you-OUTRUNING you, pace to pace, right? That's a fucking terrible excuse!"
The pink-haired woman looked down behind them, "You can't say the same for those two- that's for sure."
Prishe took a glance behind them and had to agree with that- though Vaan and Penelo were keeping a steady pace behind them- they were still several meters behind them…
But the White Monk shrugged that off, "That's because we had a massive head start- I doubt they'd be trailing behind if you didn't bail on us so fast."
The pinkette went silent at this; Prishe was right… so she would have to admit the true reason she doesn't want to associate with them (they were both still running). "Look- as soon as this is over I'll desperately need to get somewhere I doubt any of you could ever help me get to… and once I do, I'll have to do it alone. So I repeat: I do not ask for or want your damn help!"
Since the two had slowed down their pace during their little talk, Vaan and Penelo were able to catch up, "Hey, girls- don't we need to do some rescuing stuff?" he pointed to outskirts of Crescent- were survivors had taken shelter from the enemies' wrath. None of them seemed healthy and many looked like they would die soon if they didn't get any help, "You know… like over there?"
Penelo nodded, "Leave them to me-I'll take the healer role while you, Prishe, and the pink-haired woman help rescue the remaining villagers."
The other three (including the pink-haired woman- who seems to have chosen to go along with this for now) nodded in agreement. When they arrived, they saw a brawny man in a purple Gi bring in another survivor to the encampment. He noticed the quad's approach and waved them over, "Hey, you guys- are you here to help or hurt?"
"Help, of course!" Prishe answered for the group. She and Penelo quickly started casting healing spells on the injured. After healing a young woman and her child, the girl thanked the White Dancer graciously, "Thank so much, kind madam…" She coughed a little- still coughing up a little smoke from the fires, "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be standing here now and my child would be an orphan…"
"..And she still will." A cold voice echoed out in the distance.
The pink-haired woman's eyes widened in shock, "It can't be…"
Suddenly, a barrage of magical energy blast bombarded the crew- the woman from moments before was struck down before Penelo's very eyes, "No…"
The pinkette looked at the skies in fury, "Barthandelus! Show yourself!"
A dry laugh was heard throughout the air, "Very well…" Suddenly, the Fal'Cie Primarch appeared right behind her- firing another Ruinga from his staff, "It's a wonder to see you again… Lightning Farron."
Lightning dodged the blast and spat in his direction, "The feeling is FAR from mutual."
Suddenly, Prishe leapt up at the seemingly-elderly man and attempted to dropkick him from the air, "Eat this, you crusty old bastard!"
Barthandelus simply bent out of the way at the last moment- making Prishe just spin in the air and leave her open to attack, lecturing with a wag of his finger, "You'll find surprise attacks will get you nowhere with me, child." He attempted to take advantage of the window to blast her out of the air…
…Only for her to be saved by the bell by a small storm of lightning bolts (Thundaga) cast by Lightning stunning him long enough for him to lose focus. Said ex-l'Cie turned to Prishe with a stern expression, "If you want me to hel-"
Prishe landed on her feet and succeeded in hitting Barthandelus with a Light-infused uppercut attack. He grunted when the White Monk followed with a charging punch flurry and a dropkick to send him crashing down. She landed next to Lightning and grinned, "'If you want me to help you anymore, you have to prove you can actually fight, right?" the Elvaan pointed at the slowly raising Fal'Cie in human guise, "I was just warming up before- the real fight begins now."
Lightning seemed almost impressed, "Guess we have a deal, then…" The two women got into fighting stance, "He's just warming up too- don't lower your guard."
Indeed, as the man rose up, it became apparent Prishe's melee didn't harm him as much as it looked- there wasn't even a scratch on him, "She's right, you know. I merely gave you simple test of reaction time…" Sensing something behind him, he didn't even turn around to grab Walz out of his attempted aerial attack and used him as a shield against the stream of bolts Vaan aimed at the Fal'Cie from his crossbow, "...And happened to lured you into a false sense of security…" He threw the monk at the Sky Pirate with a magical force- knocking the latter of his feet.
Vaan and Walz got back up and faced Barthandelus from his left-hand side while the girls faced his right. Lightning nodded, "This is more like the monster I faced three years ago…"
With a flash from his staff, more of the ex-Primarch's power was released and a golden aura surrounding him, "The destruction wrought in this hamlet is only the beginning of our much greater plan… I look forward to seeing you play your roles- starting here."
Luneth and Arc (in their Job Class outfits they wore outside of home) had now arrived at the small town near a small desert not too far from either Castle Sasune (their next target after this) or the duo's hometown of Ur.
Luneth and Arc stepped towards Takka the Black Smith's hut and could already hear he and his daughter, their close friend and fellow Youth of Light, Refia hard at work. Luneth knocked on the door…
…No answer. 'I guess they must not be able to hear me over pounding the metal into shape…' Luneth figured, shaking his head.
Arc knocked as well, only harder and more repeatedly.
…Still no answer. Arc stuck his tongue at the door, but frowned and turned away, "I guess we just need to wait, don't…" He turned towards his brother only to find him running until he was several feet away from the house, "What are you doing?"
Luneth answered with a smirk, "I got an idea…"
Arc didn't like that tone. While Arc could be rather absent-minded, Luneth had his moments of recklessness and impulsiveness at times when he was usually the opposite… and those moments tended to involve dangerous ideas.
It was too late to stop him though- Luneth launched a fireball into the air that blew up in midair- disturbing the townspeople until they saw who did it and just shook their heads in annoyance.
It certainly got Refia's attention, because as soon as she heard that she rushed to the door to see what happened… and groaned in irritation when she saw Luneth out there, "You know, you could have just came in- the door wasn't locked…"
Both Luneth AND Arc looked embarrassed at that, "Sorry…" Luneth muttered as he rushed on over- standing next to his adoptive brother at the doorstep.
Refia sighed, "Still…" She gave the two boys a hug, "It's good to see guys again."
Refia was the same age as Luneth and had silver hair and red eyes. Besides the different hair color and younger age, she wasn't that different from her DS/iOS counterpart… well, her vest is purple instead of blue, but that's about it.
After she let go, Luneth nodded vigorously, "You too… even if it HAS only been a week!"
Refia shrugged, oblivious to Luneth's reaction, "True… but I don't any friends here…" She took another look around and frowned a bit when she noticed someone wasn't there, "Where's Ingus…?"
"He isn't coming…" Arc answered, "We already went to see him- he's held up with Knight Duties…"
"Dark Knight Duties." Luneth mumbled- only to get a slap from Refia in return, "What?! He DOES use the Dark Knight Job class… it's a joke!"
"I know." Refia grinned a little… but that faded when she realized Ingus wasn't coming, "Just us, huh?"
Refia still seemed disappointed to Luneth's confusion but Arc knew why… Refia had more than a little crush on Ingus as their adventure moved on, though she kept it well hidden. While Luneth didn't notice this, Arc was mature enough in this regard to see it… that said it was also apparent Ingus didn't exactly feel the same towards her. It would seem that Princess Sara Altney had a liking for him as well- one which Ingus DID reciprocate.
Arc knew to keep those thoughts to himself, though. Refia seemed to then register the fact that they had offered something and asked, "So what's this 'chance' you mentioned?"
Arc got the map out and opened it up to show her. At the silverette's confusion, Luneth explained, "Some guy gave Luneth this strange map… it looks like there could be some places we've never been to before."
Refia continued to examine it until she'd seen everything she needed to. She gave the two boys a dull stare, "You realize this could just be a fake- right?"
"…"
"…"
At the silence, Refia shrugged, "But sure- I'll come along!"
"Boredom?" The two boys asked.
"Boredom."
"Sounds good enough to me!" Luneth said- sharing a high-five with Arc. He turned back to the only girl among the four Youths of Light, "I'm sure there's going to be something..."
As he said those last few words, he felt as though he lost some steam. He became lost in thought- eyes glazed over.
Seeing the de facto leader of the group suddenly lose steam worried the other two. "Luneth?" Refia asked- waving a hand in front of him to get his reaction.
That did the trick, "Eh?" He snapped out of it and smiled lightly, "It's alright… I just got this weird feeling…"
Arc looked at his adoptive brother with curiosity, "What kind of feeling?"
"A feeling like I'm about to meet people I thought I'd never see again… it's like if Aria suddenly came back to life- only I don't think the sources of this feeling were-are-I don't know…"
Arc and Refia shared a knowing look. It was common knowledge among the young heroes that Luneth had been head-over-heels with the shrine maiden in the time she had spent with them… anyway, they also wondered what he meant by that.
One thing was for sure- they knew not even Luneth had an answer…
EnigMa here again! Got say- I really like the codename I've given myself… very fitting. Anyway, we have a Blitzballer and his Charlie's Angels to cover now, right? This isn't going to be directly from my perspective, but it will be a bit more general.
…Honestly, I didn't really have to do anything here- kind of like how I didn't need to do anything to get Cloud and the others to Mobliz, so not quite the chore getting Prishe, Vaan (and Penelo… though only Vaan was my intention), and Lightning to Crescent-granted, the former two were FUN, but getting Lightning there required bypassing a really fucked up barrier twice… knocking Lightning out before she could see me was ALSO hard.
I can't say I liked Thunder Bitch- it's like she's constantly on her p- whoops! Almost went tasteless there… but yeah, she's so uptight and acts like she has a stick up her ass 24/7… given, I'd imagine she's a lot nicer when she isn't stressed, but from what I understand- that's a myth. Why was her world so hard to get to, anyway?
I went off on a tangent again, didn't I? This happened minutes after I left Firion and friends…
The Celsius was sailing smoothly on its way to Besaid to drop Tidus and Yuna off for some 'alone time'. Tidus himself and YRP were hanging out on the deck...
…The one completely exposed to the gale-force winds generated by the ship moving yet no one seems fall off- that one.
Tidus walked around with abandon, "Even a year after joining the team, I'll still never get used to this…"
"I don't think anyone would be able to get used to this- only somewhat used to this." Paine offhandedly commented, "In all fairness, it looks like we should be falling off and becoming bloody smear marks on the ground, but the hidden guard from that is trippy."
Tidus froze there- not sure what to think. He eventually settled, "Y'know, since joining the team I've only heard you speak more than a few words twice- and both times the content was kind of morbid…"
Yuna raised her hand to interject, "Actually, Tidus, that's only been around you…" She looked at her teammate, "Don't ask me why, though… that's something you only you can answer, Paine."
Said black-leather-clad woman shrugged in response- having no real reason for it. Rikku, however, wanted to keep things moving around, "Ssssssssssooooo… any news on that machina we recovered from Yadonoki Tower- that miniature of the one we got working?"
"Same as usual." Paine answered, "It looks like it's supposed to be a globe, but several pieces are missing."
Rikku's mood deflated, "Oh…" She looked around the bridge to the other two, "Anyone have ANYTHING they want to talk about? Because I can't think of anything the silence is driving me nuts…"
As if on cue, a large rumbling came from below- almost knocking the crew off-balance…, "What was that?" Yuna hesitantly asked.
Answering her question, Brother's voice could be heard from an intercom, "Hey! Yuna, Rikku, Paine, Tidus: you better get yourselves down here quick! That machina you put in the bridge is going haywire!"
Rikku grinned widely, "FINALLY- something interesting!" She raced over to the elevator and went down by herself before the other three could catch up.
With irritated sighs, Tidus, Yuna, and Paine had to wait for a minute before the elevator could come back up. Tidus kicked the door in frustration, "Does she always have to be so impatient?!"
Paine shook her head, "You're one to talk…" That earned a giggle from Yuna and a slight glare from Tidus… soon followed by him sheepishly scratching the back of his head when he sees her point.
When they got downstairs, they saw Rikku and Brother (the only other person on the ship) peeking behind the couch in excitement (behind the couch in case the machina explodes). The thief beckoned them over silently as water began spiraling around the machina.
Once everyone was gathered, they saw the machina beginning to somehow… repair itself. Before, the machine resembled a broken silver inverse triangle with a serpent-like figure that resembled Sin curled in a ring that cut off part of the top half. In the middle this ring was a (comparatively) small globe that missing large chunks.
Now, however, the holes seemed to be filled up and it was glowing white and gold. The globe expanded and turned into a sphere of white fire that shot out a beam of light through the bridge and into the sky.
The Gullwings looked at the sight in astonishment and (in Rikku and Yuna's case) wonder. The young Al Bhed jumped jump and down in the air in excitement, "Yes Yes YES!" She high-fived Yuna (and tried to do the same with Paine… didn't work), "I KNEW it was worth bringing onboard- I KNEW IT!"
Tidus whistled, crossing his hands behind his head, "Not a bad light show at all…" He turned to Rikku and Brother, "But what do you figure it's pointing to?"
"Eh?" Rikku turned around- calming down and turning towards the machina, "I'm not sure- let me check…" She found a button on the triangle that summoned a holographic menu to open up, "I'll have this cracked in no time- I'm used to digging these kinds of things up…"
"Rikku's 'business mode'…" Yuna commented, "She can be so bubbly most of the time, but when it comes to this kind of thing she's serious."
"Honestly, I didn't know she had a bubbly-mode when I first met her…" Tidus reflected, "THAT was what threw me into a loop…"
"Oh!" The former Summoner turned to Tidus with a grin on her face that screamed happiness and excitement, "This is going to be your first real adventure with us, isn't it? I'm excited already!"
Tidus grinned back with the same expression, "I know, right! IT's going to be fun going on another road trip…"
Paine rolled her eyes when the couple embraced for a kiss, "Love birds…" She walked up to Rikku and Brother, "Any luck, yet?"
Rikku had small frown on her face, "Well, it looks like this thing has a map… but it doesn't resemble ours in ways that leave me getting a weird vibe of this…"
"Weird how?"
"Weird in that it looks like Spira is just a large island in the midst of a much bigger one…" suddenly, a huge grin erupted on Rikku's face.
Paine raised an eyebrow as she recognized that look on her face, "What has you so happy all of a sudden?"
The Al Bhed girl giggled, "Don't you see? If this map isn't just screwy then we have a WHOLE NEW WORLD of countless adventures and places to find!" She turned to her friend and teammate, "Aren't you excited?!"
Paine gave it some thought for a few moments, before nodding her head in agreement, "That could be interesting…"
Meanwhile I had had watched this all happen behind a Vanish spell- my jaw dropped to the floor. I didn't think I wouldn't have to intervene, but what really surprised me was HOW that happened. I don't think even the boss thought the machina could do the job… or maybe the boss just hadn't put that in place at the time- I didn't know what was (I still need to ask that).
After doing a brief check on my phone to make sure they were headed in the direction of Baron, I departed as quietly as I could… but in the brief flash of light signaling my exit I think that Paine chick noticed me… eh; she seems like the type to keep things to herself anyway…
Unfortunately for Squall, the Ragnarok was being used for a Garden mission at the moment. Since that was the only real way to get there as fast as possible that Squall had available to him, it seemed as if it could take weeks until he'd be able to rescue Rinoa…
Laguna threw his last card down, "Boo yah! This game is MINE!"
Squall's expression didn't change from its usual stoic, but he had to admit he was frustrated with his current losing streak. The SeeD Commander sighed and reluctantly allowed his father to take one of his Triple Triad cards, "At this rate, I'll be out of cards…"
The Gunner grinned, "Hey, you may have beaten the King, but you can't beat the GOD." He did his victory animation from Duodecim... or stood up and did a victorious fist pump.
"I DID beat you before when you were President of Esthar- remember?"
Laguna froze in mid-pose at that, "Oh… I forgot about that…" He relaxed and reclined on the chair he'd been sitting on before, "Eh, I was out of practice- I WAS in politics, son… didn't have any free time for things like that."
"Sir?" A flight attendant spoke up, "Your transportation has arrived."
"All right!" He got up again and gave the young man a pat on the back, "Thanks for getting ready on such short notice."
"No trouble at all, Former President Laguna." The Estharian replied with a salute before returning outside. Laguna prepared to follow with a wide, excited grin (like a child given a new toy) and gestured to Squall to follow.
The SeeD Commander followed and widened his eyes at the sight, "What… is this?"
Laguna threw his hand up in a celebratory manner, "Feast your eyes on the Ragnarok Mini!"
True to its name, the Mini Ragnarok was… a miniature Ragnarok. It didn't seem like it would be able to hold as many people as the full-sized Ragnarok, though. "This baby was a recent prototype for mass-produced Airship models back in Esthar, but while this one works, the country didn't exactly escape the Lunar Cry completely unscathed so those plans had to be scraped so more resources could be used in repairing the city." Laguna continued, "The good thing is that I was allowed to test it and this puppy can fit up six people at max so we'll be good."
Squall had to admit that it was impressive and nodded to express his approval, "Will it get us there fast?"
"Yep! Everything's already packed and ready to go!" Laguna hopped to his feet and enter the airship- stopping at the entrance to wave his son over, "Come on, kiddo! We're burning daylight here; we can get to that Alexandria place by tomorrow morning if we're fast enough!"
As the former president of Esthar got into his seat, Squall waited a few more moments to collect his thoughts. He looked at his lucky white feather (A remnant of Rinoa's first use of her Sorceress Power) with longing in his eyes, "Don't worry, Rin… I'm coming for you; and nothing in the world is going to stop me. Those bastards are going to pay…"
Putting the feather away, he went into the Ragnarok Mini- determined to reclaim the most important person in his life…
As night came to Alexandria, Garnet, Zidane, Steiner, Beatrix, Vivi Jr., Vava, Vahan, Vini, Quina, Bartz, and Faris were all gathered at the grand dining table ready to eat.
Faris looked at Bartz with some concern… she doubted Bartz knew how to act and eat 'properly' for events like this. He would be able to get away with it in Tycoon or Bal since the rulers there are close friends (Lenna also being her sister).
Here, though, they'd need to make a good first impression to avoid trouble… trouble Faris wasn't quite as confident in her ability to get out of after losing her crew.
Seeing as Bartz was eating messily next to her and getting disapproving looks from Steiner and Beatrix, she knew she'd have to step up to the plate before Steiner tried to teach him himself like he had with Zidane.
Faris shook her head, 'With Bartz, it's in one ear and out the other when it comes to this kind of thing… well, I'd think he'd know better than to not listen to me by now…' He smacked the back Bartz's head.
"Ow!" He turned to Faris with an annoyed look on his face, mouth full of food as he whispered, "Whash as dash far?"
She whispered back with a critical tone, "One: you can't talk with your mouth full here; two: it seems you have no idea what proper table manner are. We need to fix that."
Bartz swallowed and looked at her with a quizzical expression, "Since when did you care about things like that?"
"Since how well we do here may affect our chances of getting another ship…" She reached over and grabbed his hands, "You should be thankful I had this crap nailed into me at such a young age…"
Garnet looked at scene with a smile; somewhat misinterpreting the now-ex pirate's action, 'Are you certain about that answer you gave me earlier, Faris?' She shook her head, 'I've been reading too many of those romance novels for ideas for me and Zidane…'
Zidane, meanwhile, was getting similar whispered lectures from Steiner after he caught him using the wrong spoon, "You fool! That's the desert spoon-not the one for soup!" he shook his right fist (his armor making a rattling noise as he did so) while the left one pointed to the correct utensil, "What would foreign diplomats think if they caught you make such a mistake?"
"Thank Gaia he's only the Prince Consort." The ex-thief answered cheekily- only infuriating the man more. In truth, he was more interested in the look on Faris's face- correctly guessing her true intentions, 'Ah… you want something from us, don't you? Sneaky…' The ex-thief smirked, 'I know that expression better than anyone… better tell Garnet so we can keep an eye on her.'
Hearing a tap on the grand door closest to her chair, Garnet remembered the announcement she needed to make. She tapped her wine glass with her spoon repeatedly until everyone's attention was focused on her, "May I have your attention, please?"
She took a glance at Steiner and Beatrix- who gave her knowing nods. She had already told them everything about the Hooded Man… but not about their new guest, "There is something important you all need to know…"
"Psst." Bartz whispered to Faris, "What do you think this is about? I'm clueless."
"We've only been here for almost two days- of course we don't know what's going on…"
Another series of knocks could be heard from the northern door. This time, everyone heard it. A female voice spoke from the other side, "Could you please get on with it?! I'm really impatient when I'm hungry!"
Garnet facepalmed, "I was just about to… I thought I had a servant deliver food to my room for you…."
"That guy? Oh…" The voice paused for a few moments before answering bashfully, "I kind of knocked him out- still jumpy from that jerk kidnapping me…"
Garnet sighed, "I was going to give you a more suspenseful entrance similar to one of Lord Avon's plays…" She turned to her fiancé, "You know the one I'm referring to, right Zidane?"
"Ah… The Count of Monte' Crystal…" Zidane grinned, giving her a thumbs-up, "One of my favorite roles I played in Tantalus- good choice!"
"Psst" Bartz whispered to Faris again, "What are they talking about?"
Faris raised an eyebrow at the couple, whispering back to the Mime, "I don't know… but they're certainly fond of theatrics…"
Steiner scratched his head in confusion, "Your Highness?"
"Your Highness?" Beatrix asked, getting up from her chair. She bowed slightly, "May I?"
Garnet nodded, and the General of the Alexandrian Army opened the door to let out the Sorceress Rinoa, "Hello!" She greeted cheerily before quickly walking to the empty chair to fill up.
The rest of the crew sweatdropped at this, but the Summoner explained, "She's usually more chatty; she's just hungry… now then, time to explain…"
Hidden with a Vanish spell, EnigMa smirked at the explanation she was giving…
…After all, the orders he had given her prior to this were to both reveal him AND let them know some bonus information as well.
Garnet had refused his original orders to keep it all secret, so he modified them to be more agreeable…
Knowing his will had been fulfilled, he exited as quickly and quietly as he had entered- preparing for business regarding a mage and child of Mobliz…
After Locke and Celes had come over, the rest of the day went along as always for Terra: a garden for food that needed tending, kids to feed, work on repairing the second house so things are less crowded (Locke and Celes would be able to bunk there alright, but it wasn't safe enough for Katarin), a bit of monster hunting by former Returners for meat, and- right now…
…Giving the dogs baths- it was the time of the week to do so. They had two dogs other than Interceptor with them: Sophie and Hyde. Jeckle was a Doberman Pinscher, Hyde was a Beauceron, and Interceptor appeared to be a mix of the two.
Terra scrubbed down Hyde with a sponge- almost ready to have him rinsed after, "You're such a good boy aren't you? Aren't you?!"
Hyde barked happily in reply- almost ready to lick her face before she poured a bucket of water over him to wash him over. Hyde shook the water off and got her cloak wet in process when she used it to shield herself. This made her laugh as the pooch licked her face happily afterwards.
Duane winced, "The dogs like YOU, sure…" He wasn't having nearly the same luck with Sophie- who didn't want anything to do with him.
Terra shook her head- Duane and animals didn't really click- it was always Katarin or Timmy that tried to care for them until she arrived… and they still helped her afterwards, "Well, at least you're trying…"
"Yeah…" Duane looked around the small rebuilding village in an attempt to find one of those other people good with the dogs, "Where's Timmy?"
The adoptive mother of this Village of Children looked as well, "He should be with Nicky…"
"You mean him?" He pointed towards the back of the big house where the black-haired boy was dozing off.
"…" Terra wringed the water from her flowery pink cloak and silently walked up right next to Nicky- putting a finger to her lips to signal Duane not to make a sound. Seeing Nicky fast asleep, Terra pinched the bridge of his nose…
A few moments later and Nicky woke up in a shock, "Wha-what?! Who's there?!" He looked around frantically until he looked up to see his very displeased Mama.
"Where is Timmy?" Terra asked sternly- her purple eyes staring directly into the young boy's soul.
Nicky gulped, "Um… somewhere?"
"I told you to keep an eye on him! You know how much he tends to wander off!"
Nicky held his hands up defensively, "I'm sorry- okay! I told him to go back inside…"
"Did you make sure he did?"
Nicky looked down shamefully at that. Terra let out a deep, frustrated sigh, "You'll have to go without supper tonight for this… for now though, you'll have to help Duane give Sophie a bath."
Nicky nodded reluctantly and walked over Duane- who was struggling to hold Sophie down as the young boy grabbed a wet rag with soap.
Seeing Nicky was doing his job- Terra drew out her sword, the Illumina, to make sure she was armed, 'This blade was special… though with magic gone, that 'special' element is gone… it'll get the job done if I run into trouble, though…'
Checking to make sure she had her emergency dagger as well, Terra started to venture out into the woods east of the small town to search for Timmy.
However, she only had to go a few trees into it to find something, a note of some sort, nailed onto a tree. Terra closely examined the note and read the neat but intense penmanship:
Dear Miss Branford,
I'm aware one of your children, Timmy, is missing. Don't worry- he didn't fall down a well. He's safe with me… however, if you don't come over at around 8:00 tonight- alone- his safety can't be certain… I'll be at a cave at the edge of the fog in the east. Be there, or be square.
Hugs and Kisses,
EnigMa
Terra raised an eyebrow at the "Hugs and Kisses" part, but knew what she'd have to do… but…
'If it's in that direction… he's trying to lead me to THAT power. If my senses are right, it's half an hour away…' She looked up to see the sun's position, 'given the season, that means it's about 7:00 right now… I have to thank Locke for teaching me that. While I'm sure I learned it in the Empire, my memory of that lesson seems to be one of those that were destroyed.'
The sun was setting and night would fall by the time she reached this cave he mentioned. First things she'd do would be to grab a compass from the larger house and inform Locke and Celes of the matter.
When she returned to the house, she saw that Celes was already at the front door with her arms crossed, wanting to know what happened. When Terra reached her, the former general explained, "Locke already went out to the west side of the woods to look around…" Celes noticed the note in the "sister's" hands, "I see… he was kidnapped, then."
Terra nodded and handed her the letter, "It says I have to go alone and be there by 8:00."
Celes read the note and frowned, "This man or woman has a twisted sense of humor…" She looked back at Terra, grabbing her shoulders, "Just promise me you'll be careful, okay? When Locke gets back, we'll come over as backup- hiding out nearby."
Terra smiled, hugging her friend, "Thank you, Celes…" When she let go, she asked, "Where are Duane, Katarin, and Relm?"
"Duane's preparing supper for the younger children; Katarin is resting after having hers, and Relm or either with the kids or working on a painting."
The adoptive mother of the kids nodded, "Just make sure Duane gets them to bed afterwards and that Relm gets to sleep as well." She looked down in thought, "I think she's going to have a sleeping disorder if she keeps this up…"
Celes nodded, "Understood- just go and find him."
Terra mouthed "Thank you" and rushed off into the woods- determined to get back Timmy…
As Terra walked into the cave in which the mysterious man claimed to have Timmy trapped in, she could feel the power she had been avoiding resonate with her dormant Esper side- beginning to feel shadows of the buzzing power that once crawled in her mind and gave her horrid headaches when it surged. That feeling disturbed her more than she'd like to admit.
'Now now, Terra- don't get paranoid...' The lavender-eyed woman thought to herself as she continued to walk through the dark and lonely tunnel. Thankfully, there weren't any monsters within, 'Calm down, Terra...that presence doesn't have to make home in you again- it's just magic... that power doesn't need be yours once more… nor the instability it brings...' She let out a deep, more relaxed sigh, 'And even so- this to save Timmy.'
While Terra did understand her Esper half and powers were a part of her... accepting them again wasn't exactly on her itinerary- mainly due to the whole "Lose control, destroy five-mile radius" thing.
She put any hesitation she had aside when she reached the bottom-most floor of the cave. Unlike the tunnels before it, it was well illuminated by a 4 ft. wide hole- the moonlight of the currently one moon in the sky making it quite lovely to Terra's eyes… reminded her of the Narshe Mines.
"Welcome, Terra Madeline Branford!" A voice rang out, seemingly disembodied. The owner of the voice soon made his appearance in a burst of light, revealing the now familiar figure of EnigMa. He thrusted his arms into the air in a triumphant manner, "So glad you could come to see me!"
The "Mama" spent no time messing around, and put a hand to her chest as she asked, "Where's Timmy?"
EnigMa paused, "Eh?" He brought his arms back down, his gazing shying away for a second before turning back, "That's a funny story- you see…"
He snapped his fingers and the tunnel Terra had came in from collapsed.
Her lavender-blue purple eyes widened in shock, 'What the- wait… if he's barring off the point I could have left with Timmy in, that means either he's either intending to kill me, has already k-' Terra choked on her thoughts- trying to suppress the images of such nightmare, 'or…'
"Timmy was never here in the first place… was he?" Terra realized.
Preparing to go after Terra, Locke and Celes stood a few meters outside of the front door- all ready for a fight if need be. Duane and Katarin stood at the door way- understanding exactly what the situation was and what was at stake.
Katarin looked at the older couple- a resigned look to stay behind on her face, "Just make sure both of them come back in one piece."
Locke nodded, giving her a reassuring grin, "Don't worry- we will…" He eyed Celes, who was making sure her sword was sharpened to her satisfaction, "After all- if they did do something with Terra while her 'big sister' is around… the last thing they'll remember will be seeing their feet once their heads hit the floor…"
Duane shivered, "Yeah, don't mess with Celes…"
"Mama Terra?!"
The four turned to the east. "Timmy…?" Katarin asked herself.
"Uncle Locke?! Auntie Celes?!"
Not a moment afterwards, a small figure could be seen emerging from the woods. The Adventurer and the ex-General dashed towards the boy that came out. The poor boy looked miserable and wet, but he seemed to have a blanket over him so it he'd hopefully avoid a cold. His eyes looked puffy and red- as if he had been crying not too long ago; but since the tears he seemed to have shed looked dry, he must have stopped a little while ago. When he saw the four outside, he brightened up immediately and dashed towards them.
Timmy embraced his 'uncle' as soon as he saw him and his 'auntie' coming towards him. He cried into Locke's vest, "I-I-I was so scared..."
Celes came over and touched the boy's shoulder comfortingly (for an Ice Queen like Celes could be, that meant a lot), "It's alright now…: She drew her sword with her other hand, "That bad man won't be doing anything to hurt you when we get our hands on him…"
Timmy, though still sobbing, looked at her in mild confusion, "Wha—wha-what b-b-bad man?"
Locke raised an eyebrow at that, "The one that kidnapped you…" He let the child go, "There WAS a man that kidnapped you, right?"
The orphan shook his head, "N-no…" He pushed back a few sobs before he could continue more clearly, "There was that hooded man from earlier, but he just gave me this child and pointed me back here…"
Locke and Celes looked into each other's eyes as they came to an horrible realization.
Katarin came over and grabbed Timmy's hand. The boy asked, "Where's Mama Terra?"
The two Returners got up and ran into the woods- Locke running backwards for a moment to shout to Katarin, "Get him inside- diner's still warm! We'll be back as soon as we can!"
The young mother nodded and dragged Timmy back inside- the boy getting the idea that something was wrong and fearfully went along with her- hoping his Mama was alright…
He shrugged, "Yeah- I'm a dick... but I couldn't actually bring myself to kidnap a kid…" He paused for a second, "Sure, I kidnapped three women and sent a airship into calculated crash-landing, but that stuff was planned out." EnigMa scratched the back of his head, "I kinda lost track of time… didn't want to bother you after seeing you with those kids, but what can you do?"
Needless to say, Terra was less than happy to hear what his reasoning was, but chose to indulge him anyway, "What is it you want from me."
He chuckled, "You know what I want- don't think I didn't noticed those occasional glances in this place's direction." He noted upon seeing the surprised reaction on her face. He folded his arms, "This isn't the exact same magic Kefka took control of before, if that's what you're worried about…" He grinned behind his cloak, "This is a whole new ballgame... kind of- stronger than the Triad- definitely, but more than just a source of magic."
"Stronger than the Triad…" Terra looked down in thought, musing to herself, 'If it's stronger than the Triad- I should be feeling a lot more than this right now...' She looked back up at him, "What is this 'source' anyway?"
EnigMa grinned from behind his hood, "More like 'sources'... and I was hoping you'd ask- BEHOLD!" He threw his hands into the air and fired a blast of blue energy from them and at the ceiling. She couldn't feel any magic from that blast, but did feel some illuminate for a second from another source before it faded again.
Suddenly, the earth started shaking around them, throwing Terra off-guard and off-balance as the shaking intensified. A square shaped rune with circles at the corners-the corner one closer to Terra red, to the left of her yellow, closer to EnigMa blue, and to the right of Terra green. A triangle shaped rune then appeared in the middle of it all- this one pure white.
But from the triangle in the middle...
'That mark…' She hesitantly stepped towards it, 'That can't be... it feels like it, but that can't be possible... I must be mistaken.'
As she approached, the room trembled once more…
"Behold- the true power of Gaia!" EnigMa roared. The shaking intensified until a bright flash broke the trance Terra had entered. When she came to, there were five new objects decorating the room. The Red circle now had a very dimly glowing red crystal shaped like a magicite that was about 4 ft. tall floating five above it above it; it looked like it was struggling to keep active. The blue circle had a similar gem of a blue hue and glow. The same went for the yellow and green runes as well.
Terra frowned, 'I can't feel anything from them... is it because I'm missing my Esper? Is my ability to read them limited?'
"The Four Elemental Crystals that maintain the world!" EnigMa declared. He paused for dramatic effect before turning towards the reader, "Yes, you should have seen that coming…" he turned back to Terra, "And now for the piece ala resistance…"
The central triangle rune let out a bright flash that both blinded the blonde, but also gave her a sense of pleasure she felt disturbed to feel. When that faded, a crystal the size of the block of ice Valigarmanda had been frozen in floated above. This one almost exactly resembled a shard of magicite… with two minor exceptions.
The crystal itself was the same blue-ish sea-green that the shards Terra and her friends had collected during the war against the Gestahlian Empire and, later, Kefka… but instead of the six beads of white light hovering around a glowing red core, this one only had three beads: one red, one blue, and one yellow. Terra knew this represented the Demon, Zurvan; the Goddess, Sophia; and the Fiend; Sefilos - the three gods that composed the Warring Triad (these names are derived from the names their designer, Tetsuya Nomura, originally planned for them). Instead of a glowing red core, another crystal stood in the middle that eerily resembled the one Terra received in Dissidia- only with a few small white streaks in its flame-like red and black design. It did seem to be cracked in a few places, though.
"This is the Crystal of Magic… also called the Magicryst. From its pulse are the four crystals are kept in balance and magic, the Warring Triad, and the Espers were born…" EnigMa told her.
Terra's eyes widened at the claim, "You're kidding! This power isn't as..." She shook her head, "Why would a crystal create a trio of gods? How do you even know any of this?"
"My boss is of a higher power, Miss Branford..." The hooded man replied with a disturbingly calm tone. He looked Terra directly in the eye- even if she couldn't see his, "My boss tells me you have a particularly strong bond with magic; though also refuses to elaborate on what this connection is." Seeing the girl bite her lip, he waved the un-asked question off, "I won't make you tell what it is... as much not knowing that kills me... but I will ask you this: can you tell me what you think is wrong here?"
Terra nodded, 'So he doesn't know about my Esper half… that's relief- if someone who could do this wanted to abuse the beast it can be...' "The power I feel radiating off the Magicryst… it feels like it should be much stronger than that, but it's… well, its feels like its core is out-of-balance and broken- which I assume is why the crystal appears cracked itself. I can't feel the Elemental Crystals, but I'm assuming they're running low- like they aren't plugged into their power source."
The mystery man nodded, "Quite… when Kefka destroyed the balance of power between the statues and changed the face of the globe, he discovered the existence of these crystals and turned them off since he wasn't able to find them and take their powers. The crystals were preventing the harlequin from doing more damage like poisoning the earth and seas, so this proved necessary for him. When you and your friends put an end to him, magic was cut off from the world since the Magicryst was damaged and unable to function properly. The Elemental Crystals, however, were reactivated and the balance of the world was restored…"
Terra tilted her head down, "Until now, I take it…"
EnigMa nodded, "The one thing every world involved in this has in common is that they all have four elements that take the physical form of crystals when necessary. The Elemental Crystals here have been running on the juice they had stored from before Kefka up to this point… I'd say you'd only have a little over two years until the earth will begin declining anew."
The Esperkin still seemed wary, "I think I understand what you want me to do. You basically want me use the Magicryst's dormant magic to repair the crystal itself." She hesitantly touched the crystal, but pulled her hand away when she felt her Esper half wake up again, 'But if that happens, I'd have to take up the burden of my powers once more… without some sort of threat to vent them on, I could easily hurt my friends and family if I'm not careful...'
The cloaked man went silent for second, before answering, "Yeah- something like that… you'd know more than me- magic isn't exactly my strong suit."
Terra raised an eyebrow at that, "Then what was it you used to bring these crystals here?"
EnigMa waved her question off, "Eh… partly my boss's power, partly my own- I can explain that later." He pointed right at her, "The important thing is that you're trapped here without magic, and magic needs you even more."
The young woman drew Illumina cautiously in case things went bad, "Do you know how much chaos was wrought about this world by those who sought to control the power of magic? I don't want that to happen again...!" She shouted in defiance… though there was a sense of hesitation in those words.
The hooded man gave a dry laugh at her retort- humor leaving him, "Don't give me that shit- I know it's the burden of YOUR powers you are truly worried about… but guess what: you don't really have a choice!" He up to the opening in the ceiling, "There's a storm coming, Miss Branford, and the likelihood of everything you love being swept up by it is at about 95%... the odds aren't in your favor, are they?"
As much as she wouldn't care to admit it, Terra knew he had a point- she was being selfish, 'He's right… if people like him and creatures like that pink thing are appearing, trouble really will be coming.'
And it wasn't just that: Terra remembered that flower Tina had picked for her mother and how happy Katarin was to see it. 'If the Elemental Crystals were to run out of power…'
"So are we going to do what needs to be done?"
Terra hesitantly nodded and started walking up towards the Magicryst, 'Looks like I don't have a choice here…' She put her hand on the crystal, bracing her senses for the wave of power that would pass over her when she did. "I bore this burden once… I'll just have to do it again."
EnigMa grinned behind his hood and clapped his hands, "That's the spirit! Do this and you'll be prepared for the Chaos ahead! I won't be bothering you anymore!"
'I doubt that…' Terra still didn't like the fact that the burning beast at the back of her mind was going to return with a vengeance or the fact that she wouldn't be able to suppress them when needed without her father's help… but as she thought: there was no choice in the matter. He reached out to the dormant magic within and felt an incredibly strong healing magic that she had only felt something similar from a certain Cure-Focused Esper during Kefka's reign, "…Renew!"
With that word, a powerful flash of light sparked from the crystal that forced EnigMa to shield eyes. Every little strand of Terra's hair turned into a bright emerald hue; her eyes turning from a lavender-blue purple to a deeper shade of violet… just like what had happened moments before she turned into an Esper for the first time. Terra let out a sharp gasp as she felt that part of herself that been dormant for nearly three years begin to return to her, 'That was… intense- it burned as much I as I remembered… it doesn't hurt anymore right now, but this isn't over.'
Another flash appeared and when it faded, the Magicryst was glowing with life- the cracks no longer present. The other four crystals came to life as well and let out a simultaneous flash of light that completely blinded EnigMa.
Terra let out a silent scream as the power intensified and nearly made her lose her senses. Her fingertips sparked with light blue magical energy but that faded when it moved her upper torso with more intensity. It soon covered the rest of her frame as well, 'No… not again- not right now!'
Finally, the five crystals rose a few more feet into the air before diving back into the ground- flowing into it as if it were water. While it would be invisible to most, a massive white wave of power emerged from where the Magicryst once stood and engulfed the entire cave. But it didn't stop there- no…
Locke and Celes were halfway to the cave before Celes stopped all of a sudden. It was if she had literally froze in place.
Her boyfriend turned to her in concern, "Celes?"
"Get down!" She mouthed, and as soon as she spoke a white wave as bright as the sun appeared in the horizon. Locke did as she said and rolled to the floor; lying down and holding his arms over his head. Celes couldn't move, though- whatever spell seemed to be under had her frozen in place.
Locke tilted his head towards her and saw, "Celes? Why aren't you-"
But his question was stolen from his breath when the wave passed over them. Locke only felt a brush or wind pass over, but Celes was covered in a light wave of frost and static…
EnigMa felt absolutely giddy, "At last! FINALLY! I'm freed from the chains that bind me! Now I can go and do whatever I want; talk to whoever I want; and screw over who ever I want!" He let out a deep breath at that- wiping sweat off his unseen brow, "Granted- the power is nice, but the restrictions… not so much." He rubbed his hands together, "But now that the restrictions are gone… what am I going to do? Maybe finally kill that bastard dragon for its atrocities against the worlds... and for what it did to her…"
EnigMa had his back to the Half-Esper, lost in thought, "It is weak now, but... maybe I'll take a vacation first- I don't think I've had a real break in over a year for one reason or another…" Realizing he wasn't getting any sort of response from the other occupant of the room, he turned to her, "Miss Branford…?"
Actually taking the time to look at her after all of this was over, it was clear there was something wrong. Terra was breathing deeply as if she was suffocating under something. The aura surrounding body had not only intensified to the point that the young woman was hard to see, but it had changed from light blue to a hot pink that seemed close to turning red. As she floated a foot above the ground, she could couldn't think clearly- using the little sense she had left to try to resist what was about to happen.
As soon as that little bit of resistance faded, she let out a scream filled with a conflicting mixture of pain, joy, sorrow, and rage as the aura surrounding her flared to its peak and turned a frantic blood red. Her clothes were torn apart by the power involved, but the light surrounding her did well to hide her form. The nails on her hands and feet turned into sharp yellow claws and her teeth became small fangs. Her feet changed shape into something that was more like a dog or a cat's. Her limbs were long and supple with the slightest hint of muscle tone (though they likely weren't actually longer than they were in human form).
Her hair lengthened drastically to the point it reached to her lower back and its color turned into a light, slightly-pinkish lavender and turned light purple at the ends. Her body soon became covered in a coat of fur the same color as her hair…but it seemed so light it could be easily be mistaken for skin. Around her hands and growing lighter after they passed her wrists and ending near her elbows as well as her feet and growing lighter as well after passing her and ending near her lower thighs, however, this fur grew slightly thicker and took a light purple hue- with lighter tufts near the elbows.
Floating inches above the ground, Terra opened her now-glowing eyes to reveal that they had become a feral blood red with yellow irises. She growled bestially at EnigMa- baring her fangs at him and claws charged with magical energy as red-pink as that had been around the rest of her body.
"…Why do I have a bad feeling this is going to suck." EnigMa quickly leapt to the side when Terra flung two rounds of five medium-large light orbs that blew up at the cave wall behind him…
...Well, someone's going to die next chapter... everything is finally coming together just in time for the forces of evil to make their move. Next time it's Terra vs. EnigMa! The Warrior, Gill, Lightning, Vaan, Prishe, Penelo, and Walz vs. Garland, Astos, and Barthandelus! The conclusion of the Rydia and Ceodore Flashback! Most of this and more in Chapter 11!
Be sure to review: criticism is appreciated so long as it is constructive!