Chapter 11 - Sehnsucht:
Author's Note:
I was actually convinced to change the story a bit from what I had originally envisioned. Someone brought up an excellent point and ultimately made the story better, in my opinion. Oh, by the way. I don't have my 3DS with me at University, so I cannot look up what the Shagaru Magala armor set looks like. And google was dreadfully unhelpful. So I'm improvising, relying mostly on my memory, but I'm giving it a bit of artistic liberty when I describe the set. So here we go, let's begin. Please, enjoy!
XXX
Sehnsucht: An intense yearning for something far off/indefinable.
The first thing Zim did when he was released from the chair was punch Malakai in the stomach. He doubled over, but did not make a sound. He knew he deserved it. Zim, a grin firmly entrenched on his mouth, left the Wycademy and headed down to the main village. He picked up the armor set from the smithy and swapped it with his Rathian set.
The armor fit well. It was white and gold steel wrapped around his torso, it was thin but strong. The shoulder blades were fashioned into short spikes and a cape connected to the back of the armor. Out of the entire set, he was most impressed by the cape. It was clearly made from the section of tail he had taken from Shagaru, not the wings as the usually were. It gave the cape a bit of weight, despite the overall lightness of the armor.
The smithy had taken the length and flattened it out into a cape that ended just above his knees. You could still see the scale pattern on the cape, unlike on the rest of the armor, but it was more than that. Small spikes ran up and down the material, dotting it randomly. The cape didn't end uniformly; the smithy had torn it up a bit to give it the look that it had worn many battles. A stylistic choice Zim most approved of.
The greaves and the leggings were fairly standard as far as steel plated armor was concerned, but the boots were surprisingly comfortable. It was hard finding comfortable boots when it came to steel plate armor. The only problem, and Zim had no real complaints otherwise, was the lack of a helmet. The smithy didn't quite have the material to make a good helmet, but Zim would do without. The armor was mainly for show anyways, his frenzy enhanced skin could weather most blows.
Zim then set out for Dundorma, leaving his friends behind. They had whined and begged, but Zim forced them to take a separate balloon to Val Harbor. He wanted them nowhere near Dundorma. The letter had explained that they were holding a G-Rank meeting for all those willing to fight the Fatalis. Zim knew that they would only end up sending four out on the hunt, he would have to convince them to send him alone.
The last thing he wanted was for some poor excuse for a hunter to get blasted because he wasn't paying attention. Or, Kami forbid, they find out he could talk to Fuun. Thoughts of how to convince the Chancellor to send him alone flowed through his mind during his trip. The only saving grace he could think of was that the top ten G-Rank hunters likely wouldn't bother with this assignment.
He had managed to convince the guild that Fuun had been significantly weakened, and she wasn't gone for long. Perhaps that would be his selling point. He didn't need anyone else to throw themselves into danger when he could do it alone. Though he wouldn't be fighting Fuun.
The balloon eventually landed and he was greeted by the Chancellor himself, flanked on both sides by guards. Zim raised an eyebrow, he was not aware anyone was noted of his arrival. "Ah, Zim, excellent. Now we can begin. This way please," the Chancellor said and turned to walk away, guards following him.
Zim was led into a small room, filled with people. G-Ranks, Zim noted when they all turned to look at him. Zim walked up to the front of the room and took a seat next to Ruby. There were no tables, just mats and pillows for people to sit on. Ruby glanced at his new armor and rolled her eyes.
The Chancellor walked up to the front of the room where a podium waited for him. "This is everyone, I guess. With Malakai busy and number one not needed we'll start the meeting," the Chancellor explained. The crowd of G-Ranks began to mummer among themselves and he waited for the noise to die down before continuing.
"As you all know, a Fatalis is heading for Dundorma once again. We believe that this is the same Fatalis as last time, which our very own Alexander lost his life to fighting," he said. The room burst into an uproar, clearly upset about Alexander's death. He must've been popular, Zim noted.
Once again the Chancellor had to wait for the noise to die down before continuing, "After the Fatalis has finally been slain, we can hold a funeral for our fallen soldier. Now, who is willing to volunteer for this quest?"
The room was quiet for a moment as the G-Ranks deliberated quietly, trying to figure out if they were ready to fight a Fatalis. Zim stood, however, and addressed the Chancellor, "That will be unnecessary, I am fully capable of fighting the Fatalis alone."
Shocked whispers spread throughout the crowd as Ruby's eyes widened. "Are you insane?" she hissed, Zim was the only one to hear her, however.
Zim ignored her and continued to convince the Chancellor to send him alone, "I was the one to drive off the Fatalis in the first place, now that I have G-Rank armor, I should be able to be more aggressive. I can slay this beast alone, there is no need for anyone else to risk their lives."
The Chancellor chuckled, "Perhaps you are right. Very well, if you are so confident in your abilities then the guild will sanction this quest for you alone, Zim." Zim bowed his head slightly, acknowledging that the Guild Master likely specifically ordered a team of four to engage Fuun. The Chancellor was likely going against a direct order.
"Please, follow me," the Chancellor said, opening a door in the back of the room. The two of them stepped through the door, Zim paused to take a look behind him. He saw Ruby's furious gaze before the door shut behind him. Then it was just him and the Chancellor.
It was an even smaller room than the one he was previously in. It was more like a broom closet than an office. In the center of the room was an altar covered with thick cloth. The Chancellor walked to the other side of the altar, while Zim stood opposite of him.
"Zim, you are without a doubt one of our most accomplished hunters. But you still pale in comparison to our number one rank hunter. I would hate to have to send you off to fight a Fatalis alone without some sense of security," he explained. He then pulled off the heavy cloth from the altar.
To Zim's surprise, under the cloth was a sword. A longsword that glowed with golden light. It was a beautiful, magnificent blade. "What is this?" Zim asked, wondering if the Chancellor was going to give the weapon to him.
"This is the number one hunter in the world, the God Slaying sword. Whomever wields this blade takes that mantel so long as they hold this sword in their hands. Tell me, what makes monsters difficult to hunt?" the Chancellor grinned.
Zim thought for a moment. They were fast, strong, and usually very difficult to kill. But their defining trait had to be… "Their high speed regeneration," he answered.
"Exactly," the Chancellor chuckled, "This is the absolute peak of human engineering. It completely negates a monster's regeneration. Imagine how easy it would be to hunt even the strongest monster with this weapon."
Zim stared at it in awe, reveling in the golden light it gave off. It definitely had a God-like appearance. "Is there any others of its kind?"
The Chancellor chuckled again, "If there were, do you think that we'd give this weapon the moniker of best hunter in the world?"
Zim looked at the man, "Are you letting me take this?" The Chancellor nodded, amusement dancing in his eyes as Zim grasped the hilt of the sword. He lifted it free from the altar and brandished it, swishing it, testing its balance. The sword was, without a doubt, the most perfect blade he had ever come across.
The Chancellor handed him a simple sheath made from leather that extinguished the blade's holy glow when placed within. Now it just looked like a simple longsword. He took his previous sword from his back and replaced the blade with the golden longsword. He handed the cruel scythe to the Chancellor who promised to return the weapon when Zim did the golden blade.
And then Zim set out for his quest. He headed towards the balloons, eager to speak to Fuun again. Despite having the most powerful weapon in the world at his disposal, he knew he would not be using it. Despite desperately wanting to at least seeing if it really did eliminate a monster's regeneration.
He was nearing the balloons when his path was blocked by none other than Ruby. She had her arms crossed as she glared at him, daring him to ignore her. "I'm coming too," she demanded.
Zim rose an eyebrow and looked her up and down. She was using the same mystery set that she had used the first time against Fuun. "No," Zim said simply, and walked past her. He didn't get far before he was stopped, she had grabbed his arm.
"I wasn't asking," she hissed. Zim rolled his eyes and freed his arm from her surprisingly strong grasp.
"Why do you think you get to come along?" Zim growled.
She scoffed at him, "You upstaged me last time, I deserve a chance at redemption."
"You don't need redemption, this is my fight," Zim argued, walking away once again. He made it to the balloon and was about to step on when a blur passed him by. He looked up slightly to see Ruby's smirking face already on the balloon. "Fine, your funeral," Zim growled as he boarded the craft and prepared to take off. She only kept smirking.
Progress to Zim's explosion: 30%
XXX
The two of them landed without a hitch. They entered Castle Schrade in the same fashion as before, however, Zim was noticeably without caution while Ruby was on high alert. She had drawn her bow and nocked an arrow, preparing to fire the moment she saw the beast. Zim had remained absolutely calm while moving forward at a steady pace. Ruby fell behind with her constant looking behind her. She didn't want to be ambushed again.
"So what's the plan?" she said as loudly as she dared.
"There is no plan," Zim admitted, wondering if he should just let Fuun kill Ruby, or knock her out again, so that they could talk in peace. But that would be unlikely to happen, she was ready to fight, with or without Zim's help.
"Improvisation, good, I like it," Ruby grinned. Zim suddenly stopped, causing her to nearly crash into him. She wasn't watching where she was going, she was too busy scanning her surroundings.
Zim let out a loud sigh, He had to face the facts, there was no way to get rid of Ruby, short of killing her himself. And he didn't want to kill her. "Put that weapon down, goddamn it," he said.
She looked at him like he had grown a second head, "So I'm not ready when the monster attacks? No fucking way!"
She flinched when he whirled around and hissed, "Put the weapon down before you embarrass yourself." He paused, for a moment before saying more calmly, "We aren't fighting her."
She looked at him, absolutely confused, "What do you mean we aren't fighting her?"
"I mean just that. We. Aren't. Fighting. Her," he said slowly, as if speaking to a child. She stared at him suspiciously for a moment before agreeing to his request. She loosed the arrow, letting it fly true into the wall of the castle before placing her bow on her back.
"Fine, your death wish. The moment she attacks, though, I'm killing her," she growled. "How are you so sure the Fatalis is a her?" she asked after a moment of thought.
"I think it would be best if I showed you," Zim said, gesturing towards Fuun who was coming in for a landing. He approached her without fear, while Ruby followed a few feet behind him, cautious as she could possibly be.
She watched him walk right up to the terrifying beast and offer a greeting in the form of a small wave. The Fatalis regarded him for a moment before turning to stare at Ruby. The monster's crystalline eyes bore deep into her soul, fear set deep into her gut. She shouldn't have come along.
"Why did you bring a Ningen?" Fuun hissed.
"I apologize, she tagged along against me wishes. There was very little I could do, I'm afraid," Zim explained.
"Does she understand what's going on?" Fuun asked, looking down at Ruby. She had frozen in place a few feet behind Zim, unsure of what to do or say. Her blue eyes twitched occasionally as she attempted to comprehend her situation.
"Give it a minute," Zim sighed.
Ruby eventually snapped out of her trance and turned on Zim, stomping up next to him and snarling, "You can understand her!" she pointed to Fuun.
"Her name is Fuun," Zim said carefully.
"I don't fucking believe it," Ruby trailed off, refusing to look at the massive Fatalis. "Why didn't you mention this before?" Zim opened his mouth to say something, but she kept talking, "I think it'd be something pretty fucking important to mention, you know… being able to talk to monsters!"
Zim waited a moment to see if she would interrupt again before turning to Fuun and saying, "It's going to be a minute, do you mind?"
"Be swift, my patience is waning," Fuun hissed before lying down to observe Zim's uphill battle in explaining what was going on. No easy feat, even for Zim.
"When did all this," she gestured to Fuun, "fucking happen?"
"When not how? Very well, after Elm ran and you passed out… I managed to pin her to the ground. I had heard her voice throughout the fight and I wasn't able to confirm that's what was going on until we began talking after she was pinned," Zim explained.
"That's just great, I fucking pass out and you go and lose your mind," she sighed. She paused for a moment, "You pinned her to the ground? She must be weaker than I thought."
Zim immediately stiffened as Fuun narrowed her eyes at the smallish human. "Tell the ningen that I am more than willing to knock her out again, so that we may continue in peace," she growled.
"What did you fucking say?" Ruby said, stepping forward, only to be held back by Zim. A vicious grin was present on her face; she was losing it.
"She said that she would knock you out again if you don't calm down," Zim said, pushing her back. The last thing he wanted was to pick up what was left of Ruby's body when Fuun blasted her to pieces. "As interesting as it would be to see the two of you fight, I doubt you'd be able to win."
"She hasn't a chance in hell," Fuun smirked.
"Fuck you," Ruby said to her, then turned to Zim, "And fuck you too. How were you able to pin her then? Huh? Did she just roll over for you?" She crossed her arms and glared at Zim, only for her gaze to soften when Zim's hardened, bright-red eyes pierced her soul.
"I'm not human anymore," he growled. He wasn't sure if he was ever human to begin with. It was a deep sound, almost mirroring Fuun.
Zim's explosion: 50%
Ruby's eyes widened when she understood what was going on, "Your eyes… they're red. How did this happen to you?" She dropped the cursing and the tough exterior, now concerned that her comrade was dangerous. She might have to kill him… if he could even be killed anymore.
"I've been having… a hard time justifying all of this recently. I found a Gore Magala youngling a few weeks ago… and I kept him. I didn't realize that as I held onto him, he was infecting me with the frenzy virus," Zim explained. "Now my only hope is to go apex, otherwise I'll die. But the frenzy has an… unexpected side effect, I can understand the monsters now. And they me."
Ruby ran her hands through her dark brown hair as she tried to process what was happening to Zim. She came to a single conclusion, he wasn't dangerous. At least not yet. "So what? Now that you can talk to them, they're no longer the enemy? Newsflash, the guild ain't gonna buy that," she sighed.
"I am aware of that. I discovered something important when speaking to Fuun, some monsters can be negotiated with. Some are willing to turn back. I understand that not all monsters are going to be like that… but Fuun is," Zim said, gesturing to the Fatalis, who was patiently waiting for them to finish talking.
"The guild ain't gonna buy that either," Ruby sighed. She thought for a moment and said, "You broke guild law, Zim. I'm not sure what I'm gonna do about it, but goddamn it…"
"I bested Malakai earlier today in one-on-three dozen combat, I slaughtered nearly thirty men. You cannot beat me… Ruby," Zim growled, feeling the frenzy well up, but he beat it back, thinking of something better to say. "How about, you and I say… fuck the guild and their laws. Can't you see? Fuun is willing to sit there and wait for us to finish speaking, she could have easily killed you. And I would've helped."
Zim's explosion: 63%
Ruby thought hard for a moment, rubbing her temples as headache set in. She shut her eyes tight as she pondered the implications of ignoring guild law. Finally, her eyes opened slowly and she regarded Zim with a small smile, "All right… fuck guild law. But I want in on this, Zim. I want the frenzy too."
"I had thought you might say that. I'm afraid that, despite a large group of people's efforts, I have been the only success concerning contracting the virus," Zim admitted, hoping that she would change her mind.
She snorted, "Of course you are… well in that case, I guess I can only ask for the next best thing. You got yourself a goddamn partner." Zim raised an eyebrow, but before he could complain, she growled, "Don't try and worm your way out of this one. I'm sticking by your side, whether you like it or not."
She held out her hand, which Zim reluctantly accepted. He was being strong armed into something, but at least she might be able to keep up with him. Unlike Rose, Wolf, and Eve, who would only fall behind. "Very well, partners it is," Zim sighed. She only gave him a vicious grin.
"Are you quite done?" Fuun said, noticing that the duo seemed to have come to an agreement. Just in time, she was a bit worried for Zim for a moment. She was about ready to snap up the annoying ningen and get their conversation rolling again.
"Yes, quite done," Zim said, turning around to face her. Ruby took a few steps forward to stand at his side, they were equals now. "What is it that you wanted to talk about?"
"As I have promised, I brought your armor back with me," she said, sliding forward the slightly battered Agnaktor set.
Zim waved his hand at the armor set, "Don't bother. I've gotten an upgrade." It was at that moment that Ruby noticed that Zim was indeed wearing a set she did not recognize. She decided she would question Zim on it later.
"Indeed, I like the lack of a helmet… it's more tasteful, I think. I heard you bickering with your mate and I heard a word I recognize, but cannot place. Frenzy… it sounds so foreign, yet so familiar all at once," she said, her tongue flicking out of her mouth before darting back in.
"What did she say?" Ruby whispered. Zim rolled his eyes, it was going to get annoying translating for her very quickly.
Zim decided to ignore that Fuun had deemed Ruby his mate, and focus instead on explaining the frenzy, "She asked about the frenzy. The frenzy virus is… well it's a virus that affects monsters, it makes them behave irrationally and eventually kills them."
"I know that… but why can't I remember the source of the virus?" Fuun said, her eyes narrowing. Zim debated on whether to tell her about Nova or not. Eventually he decided against reminding her, it was his job to protect Nova at all costs… and he wasn't sure what Fuun's reaction would be.
"It's not important," Zim said, waving her questions away. "Is there anything specific you wanted to talk about? Or did you come to attack Dundorma again?"
Ruby's eyes widened when she realized that Fuun may still be a threat. But, to her credit, she didn't immediately reach for her bow. Fuun let out her hissing chuckle before saying, "Actually, my aniki is not far behind me. He should be here any moment to speak to the ningen that convinced me to turn away from my goal."
Zim stiffened, Ruby noticing immediately. His hands curled into a ball as he considered his options. He wasn't sure how dangerous Kami would be, for all he knew, the white Fatalis was angry he convinced his younger sister to turn away. Perhaps he was here to kill him and then move on to Dundorma. But Zim steeled himself against that possibility, he had the God Slaying Sword, not even Kami could stand against it.
Ruby opened her mouth to ask what Fuun had said that put him on edge, but the words fell from her lips as a great shadow covered the castle, and the rest of the world. The sun became blocked out as a massive vortex appeared in the sky, heralding the arrival of the Elder One.
The massive white dragon, only slightly larger than Fuun, but twice as intimidating, landed gracefully in the center of the castle's yard. He immediately stood up on his hind legs and walked over to greet his sister. His entire body was white, the only thing on his body not white were his black claws and horns… and his blood red eyes.
The two Fatalis rubbed their heads together briefly before separating. Fuun backed away, giving her brother plenty of space to speak to the ningen. He lowered himself on all fours, but did not incline his head so that he was on Zim's level. The white god would be above Zim at all times.
He eyed the two ningen with equal parts amusement and contempt, "Which one of you can speak to me and my imōto?" His voice was unmistakably masculine. There was not the slightest edge to his voice at all, no anger, no hate, nor love. It was the voice of a king upon high, who held all others below him as unworthy of his time and emotion.
Zim stepped forward, shoving the trembling Ruby back behind him. She had never faced a white Fatalis before, and she knew that they were considered the most dangerous monster in the word. Rare as hell, but extremely difficult to kill. "I am the ningen that can speak to you, Kami," Zim said respectfully, bowing his head slightly.
Kami snorted, "At least you have manners, ningen. No… Demi, half human. I cannot say the same for your companion, however. Will she not kneel before me?"
"Get down on your knees," Zim hissed to Ruby. The fire returned to her eyes as she opened her mouth to give a resounding fuck no, but Zim managed to prevent her outburst by snarling, "Do it." She grumbled, but got down on her knees and lowered her head to the great white monster.
"Excellent. Now, Demi, what to do with you…" he said trailing off. Their red eyes connected and Zim could swear he saw the Fatalis smirk, "I can smell it coming off of you in waves, Demi. You have been, without a doubt, infected by the frenzy virus."
Zim nodded slowly, admitting that he was indeed carrying the virus, but he did not say anything. He didn't dare say anything. So the Fatalis continued, "Which means that those vermin are still alive."
Zim's explosion: 76%
The frenzy swelled within him, how dare he… his thoughts trailed off as he reigned himself in before Kami could catch a hint of his anger. There was no need to provoke the old dragon. "One survives, yes. And her son. Tell me, Kami," Zim couldn't help but hiss, "She had said you did something to them. She refused to elaborate, I was wondering if you would deign yourself to my request, and explain."
"Careful, Demi, you might lose your tongue," Kami hissed. "The false ones were a race that believed themselves to be gods. I allowed them to live because I saw no harm in their actions. I had started to grow concerned when they began to draw followers from the ningen."
He paused for a moment before explaining, "The ningen did not worship what they deemed to be monsters, and I had allowed that for I care not about the pathetic ningen. However, I was confused as to why these golden beings were drawing human worshipers."
He seemed to think for a moment, as if remembering what he had done. It was at this point Zim realized how impossibly old Kami was. It is said that the Godbug lived to be 1000 years old, but no one had lived long enough to prove it… but it seemed as if Kami had outpaced even 1000 years. Zim had begun to grow curious to how Kami came to be, and if he knew he was not really God.
"I had discovered their secret. They released a toxin into the air they called the frenzy virus. At that time, the toxin served no real purpose. They used it to threaten people with plagues and feral monster attacks if they did not bow to them! It was despicable, so I punished them," he explained.
Zim could feel his frenzy going out of control. Did that really happen or is he making this all up? he wondered. Nova had sounded legitimately distraught… and Malakai and the Knights of the Wolf really believed in Nova as their true God. Zim wasn't sure if she and Shagaru actually strong armed humans into worshipping them.
Zim's eyes glowed ever brighter as he could feel a growl escape his lips. The white Fatalis lies. He is no god, he is but a being stronger than the rest. A bully that forces his will upon others. He had no right to interfere in Nova's species' lives.
Zim's explosion: 85%
"So I cast a shadow over the sun for three years straight. In the darkness, they began to mutate into what they truly were. The young lost their eyes and their golden sheen. The virus became a way for them to see and it lost its potency, no longer able to affect humans. I did not know it was still possible for the golden ones to live, I had thought I destroyed them," Kami said, grin now fully present on his maw.
A red haze descended upon Zim's vision, the frenzy was winning again. "Nova had said that she was suffering. If that is true, then the golden Magalas are rare, she is the last one. You condemned an entire species to death, didn't you?"
"Parasites are remarkably hard to exterminate, aren't they? I hadn't necessarily hoped they would perish, rather that they would fade into obscurity," he growled, showing signs of anger. But Zim did not flinch in the face of his wrath. He had the God Slaying sword. "But now I see that they have a champion. Has she sent you to plead for mercy? To hope that I can reverse the eclipse?"
Zim's red eyes blazed at the Elder One, "I'm here because of her, not you," he said, pointing at Fuun. "Nova, as she is named, is more than strong enough to outlast you. You are no God! You pale next to her!"
Anger welled in both of them, no longer able to contain their hatred for one another. Zim was the embodiment of the false gods, and Kami felt the need to destroy him. Kami was the evil that Zim sought to eliminate in Nova's name, and he would not stop until Kami was but a bloody mess at his feet. "When I'm done with you, I shall fly out and slay your precious Nova," he hissed, standing up on his hind legs.
Zim darkened and placed a hand on the hilt of his weapon. "Aniki! Please don't!" Fuun cried out as both combatants released roars of epic proportions. Though Kami's roar was that of a true monster, Zim's was frightening in its own way. A human who had lost his path.
Zim's explosion: 90%
"Excellent. You at least sound like a monster, Demi. But can you fight as one?" Kami growled as his chest began to glow and thunder rumbled in the sky. Red lightning flashed, striking the ground around Kami and Zim, though both were completely unharmed.
"Zim!" Ruby cried out as he rushed forward, drawing his blade. Kami met him head on, completely oblivious to the golden glow of the sword. Lightning struck Zim, but he bushidoed through it, swinging his blade upwards, cutting into Kami's chest.
Blood splattered the ground as Kami screamed and took a few steps back. Zim brandished the sword, flicking the blood off the golden blade, the red droplets painting more of the ground red. "Excellent hit… that actually hurt," Kami growled before his eyes widened.
A feral grin spread across Zim's features as Kami realized his wound was not healing. "Having trouble?" Zim taunted as Kami staggered backwards, completely confused to why he wasn't healing.
Zim's explosion: 93%
Ruby had placed a hand over her mouth, completely blown away by the pure power of the weapon Zim had in his hands. Fuun had a similar expression on her face, though she was absolutely appalled that her aniki could be harmed, and her eyes showed a fear they had been void of the last time she had fought Zim. He was actually scaring her.
Zim cracked his neck and pointed the blade at Kami. "Do you understand now?" he growled, "You are no God. You are no less mortal than myself or my companion." The white Fatalis growled lowly at Zim and prepared to release a burst of lightning, sure to fry everyone in the vicinity.
Zim could see the red pass from his tail up through his glowing chest and into his throat, when a massive ball of red lightning was spat from his jaws. Zim did not flinch, however, rather he charged forward, bushidoing though the attack once again. The ball of lightning barely missed Fuun when it slammed into the wall of the castle, exploding and electrocuting everything in a ten meter radius.
Zim rushed forward, the monster had lifted his head out of the hunter's reach, but that would not stop Zim. He charged passed his swinging claws and swing at his leg, lopping the limb off. The Fatalis screamed again, this time stumbling to the ground, laying down flat.
Blood from the severed limb splashed across Zim's face, highlighting the savage grin as he approached his downed opponent slowly. The Fatalis' eyes held so much fear and pain within them that Zim couldn't help but be in ecstasy. "This is the fall of a God," Zim growled as he swung the blade downwards.
Zim's explosion: 99%
Fear was unknown to Kami, as was pain. He would've groveled for his life if he knew how, but he remained silent, a plea for mercy not evident on his lips. He was… strong… in the face of death. After so many eons of living, the sound of his head being severed from his body echoed throughout the world. The Elder One had fallen.
Zim stared at his defeated foe for just a moment before he tilted his head back and let loose a hollow laugh, reverberating throughout the silent castle. He laughed and laughed before the sound was reduced to nothing more than heavy breathing.
He slowly looked down at his audience, breaths coming quickly, teeth bared, looking, searching, for his next opponent. His breathing slowed down and awareness returned to his eyes as he laid his sights upon Fuun.
Fear was evident across her face, as she cowered from him. She backed herself as close to the wall of the castle as she could, trying to get away from him. His eyes widened and softened, but the harsh red did not turn into the brilliant green. The frenzy still coursed through him, but he ignored it.
His grip on the God Slaying sword slackened and dropped from his hands all together. He approached Fuun, weaponless, in hopes of calming her. "You killed him," she said as he got closer. He reached out to touch her, but she flinched from him, backing away further, cracks appearing on the castle walls.
She repeated it over and over again as she continued to back away, Zim trying to get closer, "You killed him, you killed him, you killed him." What had he done? Eventually, her wings spread and she leaped into the air and flapped away. Zim stared at her fleeing form before looking down at his own hands. They were stained in blood.
XXX
That seems like a good place to stop. So there we have it. Zim's losing it, he's so very close to explosion, and Malakai and Nova are nowhere near him. What happens when he explodes? Will the frenzy start to deteriorate his mind until finally killing him? Will he gain control over the apex state? Or will something else happen? What did you all think of incorporating Ruby into all of this? And the whole partners thing? And, of course, Kami's death. Surely, Zim will be praised as a hero, but does he want it? Is this the tipping point, can Zim take any more?
I would like to make a note about Ruby. She's, personally, my favorite character I've ever written. You see, I like to curse, and I curse a lot. Most of my editing time is spent going back through and removing unnecessary cursing from characters who would not normally curse... but I get to keep Ruby swearing like a sailor. It's easily my favorite part of her character. Anyways, stay tuned until next time to find out how the death of Kami will affect Zim!