Act Eleven: The Epopt's Tale | The Forgotten
Palom clenched his jaw. "I knew it."
Leonora pressed her hands to her mouth. "You felt it too, Palom?"
He nodded. In his dream, had cold, foreign object in his arms been Crystal of Earth? He couldn't remember, but…it mattered not anymore. "Where is the crystal?"
"Beyond the Epopts' chamber."
"Let's go!"
Leonora and Palom left the infirmary, racing down the twisting tower stairs to reach the castle keep. Leonora clutched her skirts to keep from tripping as she tumbled downward, glancing back at Palom as they ran.
"You looked as if you had seen a ghost when I came in. Did something happen?"
"I-I had thought that perhaps I should get going, but…change of plans, right?"
Leonora smiled sadly, turning away and shoving herself against the massive double doors that stood between them and the Epopts. "I've brought Lord Palom with me!" she cried as the doors groaned open. The seven Epopts were present and accounted for, and each one had a matching mask of discontent on her face. Palom wished at that moment that he could be anywhere else in the world other than a closed chamber with seven distraught women – and Leonora, whom he now knew was the scariest of all when upset.
One of the Epopts came up to Palom, the corners of her eyes crinkled in concern. "Lord Palom, I'm afraid I have some distressing news. A number of airships from Baron are approaching Troia as we speak. Our lookouts just delivered the news moments before you two arrived."
"What!?" Palom cried. This can't be happening…how could Baron have been assaulted by monsters and be out and about taking joyrides to invade their neighbors? Something isn't adding up!
"It seems clear that their objective is the Earth Crystal we possess," another Epopt said, shaking her head. Leonora and Palom stared at each other, and Palom swallowed the lump forming in his throat.
"…So you want me to fight back against them?" he asked reluctantly. Leonora's eyes widened.
The Epopts shook their heads. "We are not asking that. We must wait to see what their next move is. If you want to escape…now is your best chance."
Thank the gods, Palom thought. Because there is no way I would have been able to say yes – not without having seen Cecil myself to ask what is going on.
But he had also known the moment Leonora had burst into his room that he wasn't going to be able to run away, either – something inside of him had put the brakes on that as soon as he had seen the tormented look in her eyes. He crossed his arms. "Look... you're underestimating what Baron could do. Let me keep the crystal for you."
Leonora pressed her palm to her chest. "Palom!? What…what are you saying?!"
"What are you going to do with the crystal?" the Epopt who had delivered the bad news about Baron asked. Palom could tell by the arch of her brow that she was already suspicious.
"I'm not going to do anything with it. Just do not engage Baron's soldiers, okay? Tell them some bandit stole the crystal or something."
The Epopts all looked at each other. Yeah, like that was really going to work again. "But..."
"I'm going with you!" Leonora declared, and Palom frowned.
"You'd just get in my way."
Leonora raised her chin obstinately, her cheeks still flushed pink from all of the running they had done.
"I am an Epopt who serves the Earth Crystal. I know I don't have much experience, but...but still! I have a duty to fulfill! A duty to protect the crystal!"
Palom sighed. "You've said it now..."
The Epopts were murmuring amongst themselves, and the one closest to Leonora rested her hand upon her shoulder. "Very well. Leonora, we will entrust the crystal to you."
Leonora's eyes widened – she hadn't believed anyone would have actually taken heed of her reasoning. She nodded, reaching up to straighten her miter. "I will make sure it is safe!" She gestured for Palom to follow her, and crossed through the Epopt chamber, making a beeline for a beautifully decorated door that Palom had originally just mistaken for a panel of gaudy, bejeweled wallpaper. The Epopts watched warily as Leonora groaned from the door's weight, sliding it open just enough so that she and Palom could slip through to the other side.
Inside was a resplendent crystal chamber, just like the one Palom knew so well from Mysidia – and it also looked just like the crystal chambers he had visited in Damcyan and the Sealed Cave when he was a child. Their footsteps echoed against the glass, mirrored floors as they approached the dais, at the top of which was the deep blue Crystal of Earth, spilling upon them the reflections of the dazzling light from throughout the chamber.
"I will go get the crystal," Leonora said, and Palom nodded, watching as she carefully climbed up the steps of the dais and reached out to grab it. He stared up at himself in the ceiling, which was also made of mirrors – noting how much paler than usual he looked, and realizing he had the same dark circles under his eyes as Leonora. His braid hung limply over his shoulder, half-undone, and his bangs had been smashed by what must have been constant tossing and turning in bed – he had definitely had better days.
I wonder how all of the crystal chambers got to be the same? he mused. The crystals are spread all over the planet – both on the surface world and underground…and yet somehow, every realm has managed to build an identical shrine for each one. There are even shrines in the Underworld that were never inhabited by humans or dwarves. How could that have possibly come about?
Leonora had stepped back down from the pillar, the crystal tucked under her arm. "We need to hurry."
Palom snapped out of his daydream, and Leonora began to make her way back to the Epopts' chamber. A chill zipped down Palom's spine, and he swore that he heard a pair of new footsteps making their way toward them. He grabbed Leonora's sleeve and jerked her back so hard that she fell into his chest.
"Stop! Not that way!" Palom hissed, and Leonora blinked, clutching the crystal as she looked up at him.
"What?"
He responded by clasping his hand over her mouth, slowly dragging her to a spot in the crystal chamber where they could just see out the sliver of open doorway they had left in their wake. Leonora felt her hot breath hit her face as she exhaled into Palom's fingers, and felt as if her knees had taken on the consistency of the Red Mousse they had fought in the Tower of Trials – it was a good thing he was holding her aloft.
A new figure had entered the Epopt chamber unannounced. From the distance, Palom could see it was a young woman, but beyond the turquoise hair that spilled down her shoulders in shiny waves and the white, practically see-through gown that was hanging from her bare shoulders, he couldn't make out many more of her features. Her bare feet softly smacked against the tiled floor that was not protected by silken throw rugs, and her face was completely devoid of emotion as she approached the Epopts – Palom couldn't tell if she was happy, sad, or seriously pissed off.
"Where is the Earth Crystal?" the new arrival asked, her voice as piercing as the strike tone of the bell in a church tower. Palom noticed there was no emotion in her words, either – they were as empty and blank as her face.
"What purpose do you have for the Earth Crystal?" they heard one of the Epopts ask.
"Is there a reason why I must tell you?" the girl replied, and the Epopts glanced at each other confusedly.
"The Earth Crystal is a symbol of Troia itself. I'm afraid we cannot simply give it up to someone so easily. Is this what Cecil, the king of Baron, has in mind?"
At the mention of Cecil's name, both Leonora and Palom inhaled quietly, and the girl gave the smallest crack of a smile – it was more like a twitch in the corner of her mouth.
"I have no need to answer to an inferior species."
"Inferior species!?" an Epopt barked. "Are you trying to insult us!?"
The girl shrugged, looking around as if she was noticing for the first time that there were seven of them, and only one of her. Her immediate reaction appeared to be…boredom. "I am not here to argue with you. Where is the crystal?"
"We're too late," Palom whispered in Leonora's ear. "There's no place to run!"
Leonora reached up with one hand, tugging away Palom's fingers and whispering back. "...This way!" He slowly released her, and she turned, still clutching the Earth Crystal for dear life as she tiptoed to the northeastern corner of the chamber. Kneeling on the floor, she dug her fingers under one of the floor tiles, pressing her lips together as she felt around for a few seconds. Finally, a distinct "click" could be heard, and the tile loosened, revealing itself to be a trap door.
"A hidden passage!?" Palom gasped. Leonora nodded, still speaking in a whisper.
"The Epopts built this escape route in case anything like this ever happened."
Palom was thoroughly impressed. Even Mysidia didn't have anything like that. "They thought of everything, didn't they?"
He let Leonora go down first, taking the Crystal of Earth from her hands so she could slide down the ladder that was waiting below. When he heard her feet hit the floor, he gently tossed the crystal down, watching her catch it in her arms clumsily like an oversized loaf of bread. He then followed, reaching up and quietly shifting the panel back in place before sliding down the ladder himself. He landed on the stone floor beneath, now in a long hallway that was dimly lit with candles but otherwise unoccupied. The air was mercifully cool, but tasted and smelled stale – like a basement.
"I'm sure it won't be long before they find this passageway," Leonora said, relieved that she could at least use her normal tone of voice again.
"Then we'll just have to run as far as we can before that happens," Palom shrugged. "So where's this path lead to?"
"It runs underground to an exit near the castle entrance."
"Well, that's nothing I haven't dealt with before," Palom said, thinking of the ancient waterway he had once had to slough through with Cecil, Tellah, Yang and Porom to break into Baron Castle when Golbez had taken over. "Let's keep moving until we get out."
"Just one moment," Leonora said, handing him the crystal and reaching up to her shoulders to pull off her ivory stole. She fashioned it into a sling, taking the crystal back from Palom and wrapping it up in the stole before tying it over one of her shoulders, like a sash Palom would see mothers in the village carry their babies in. "There…now I have both my hands free in case we run into monsters."
"I'm afraid there will probably not be an "in case"," Palom frowned. "If it's an underground passage that isn't used very often, there's going to be some beasts who have decided to make it their new home."
Leonora bit her lip, but then looked back up at Palom and smiled weakly.
"Ah well…I guess I'll just consider it more training!"
Palom watched her as she bravely marched forward, one hand protectively covering the sling hanging over her chest as she took a long, shaking breath, raising her eyes to the ceiling. "Crystal of Earth, please bestow your blessings upon us, your humble servants…! I will do whatever it takes to keep the peace in Troia..."
Palom followed behind, watching her ponytail bounce against the silky sheen of her back. Leonora…No matter what you may think, this is why the Epopts chose you.
The underground passage was even more reminiscent of Baron than Palom had anticipated. He had secretly hoped that they just needed to go slumming through some old basement tunnels and maybe kill a giant rat or two, but when they finally exited the castle proper and arrived in the depths, his optimism for the ease of their escape plummeted. The two mages were greeted by a twisted mess of bridges and rocky footpaths that rose above a constant current of frothy green and brown water. In addition to the roar of the water's flow echoing against the slick, slimy catacomb walls, Palom could also detect the croaks and whistles of plenty of nasties that were probably waiting beneath the surface of the rancid water for some fresh prey.
"My word, it's a waterway," Leonora gasped. "Why does it look so…"
"…Gross?" Palom interrupted. "It's probably Troia's sewer system."
"Irk…" Leonora raised a droopy sleeve to her face, wincing. "It certainly smells like a sewer, now that you mention it."
"We'll stay out of the water as much as we can manage," Palom offered. "But considering this place doesn't look like it's been kept up too well, I have a feeling some rotting bridges are in our future."
"Can't you use a Blizzaga spell to perhaps turn it into a skating rink?" Leonora smiled. Palom laughed, shaking his head. The laughter sounded foreign coming out of his own mouth, but it had calmed some of the nerves he had been too rushed to acknowledge until now.
"Nice try, but even I can't do that. But speaking of Blizzard…let's talk about the kind of monsters you'd find in a place like this. Consider this part two of your training – and don't think I'm going to go easy on you just because you somehow managed to become an Epopt. Now, cave-dwellers all generally have the same elemental weaknesses…"
"Fire?" Leonora asked hopefully, and Palom shook his head, groaning.
"No! I just gave you a hint. Get it together, or I'll let you figure it out on your own when something attacks you."
"Er, p-please don't glare at me like that…I'll do my best…"
It was afternoon when Palom and Leonora finally emerged from underneath Troia Castle, unscathed but exhausted and drenched from the last leg of their journey, which had unfortunately consisted of a surprise attack from a family of Giga Toads that had grabbed them unawares with their tongues and pulled them into the water.
Palom hauled himself up the final flight of stairs that took them over the moat of the castle via a hidden walkway that had appeared to just be a solid wall if you were standing on the drawbridge. The clear blue water below was such a stark contrast to what they had just been forced to swim in that he was tempted to throw himself into the moat and stay submerged until every trace of filth left his body. Instead, he reached up to wring out his braid as Leonora stumbled out behind him, grimly pulling off her miter and making a disgusted face as she tilted it upside down, a gush of brown water spilling out. "Any pursuers?" she asked softly.
Palom raised his hand to shield his eyes from the glaring sun, and spotted the same two guards he had met the day before still holding their post. "No. If anyone else came with that girl, it looks like they're still in the castle. The guards at the entrance look unperturbed – and I don't see any airships."
Leonora chewed her lip anxiously. "What about the Epopts?"
He turned to her, shaking his head. "They aren't stupid, you know. I'm sure they won't do anything to escalate the situation."
Leonora looked away, placing the wilted miter back on her head and fastening it with a loud click of her hairpin. She looked utterly defeated – between her soaking wet robes swallowing her petite form and the sorrowful pout that was etched into her features, she looked one setback away from throwing herself in front of a stampede of chocobos. Palom sighed, giving her ponytail a feeble tug – they didn't have time to start feeling sorry for themselves now. She yelped in surprise, glaring up at him as she smacked his hand away and kept it raised should he try anything else stupid.
"You respect them, don't you?" Palom asked, and Leonora blinked, her fingers curling as she dropped her hand to her waist. She hadn't expected the quiet, almost genial intonation of his words.
"Yes..."
"So have faith in them."
Leonora smiled slightly, feeling as if she had just stepped into a sunbeam. So...did that mean Palom had been listening to her on the balcony last night? She reassuringly patted the crystal strapped to her chest, lifting her eyes to his. "...I will do that."
Palom whirled around embarrassedly, scratching the back of his head as he felt his stomach flip-flop. What the hell was up with this girl? He cleared his throat, motioning toward the opposite end of the drawbridge.
"Come on. We need to leave the castle before anyone catches us."
Fearing that running would only draw attention to them, the two instead settled for an inelegant power-walk, fleeing the castle grounds and not looking back until they had reached a distant meadow that brought them to the edge of one of Troia's many massive forests.
"So where's a good place for us to run to?" Palom asked, and Leonora gazed down at the crystal, pressing her lips together. It was only after a few minutes that she finally replied, a hopeful gleam in her eyes.
"How about the Lodestone Cavern? We'll have a way to keep the pursuers at bay there."
Palom shrugged. He had never heard of it, but it sounded like she had an idea – he had no other choice but to trust her. "Where is that?"
"It lies northeast of Troia. The journey can be made by black chocobo from the northern reaches of what we call the Chocobo Village."
"Sounds like a plan," Palom nodded. "I'll take point and take care of anything that gets in our way. You protect the crystal – no matter what."
They made their way north, their footsteps dampened by the blankets of pine needles and overgrown greenery on the forest floors as they cut through. Every time a twig so much as snapped, Leonora would whirl around to see if they were being followed, and Palom would ready a Bio spell underneath his breath. As the sun traveled further across the sky, long, draping shadows began to dance within the forest, sending their paranoia skyrocketing to greater heights.
A musky, sulfuric smell drifted past Leonora, and when she looked up, she saw the familiar curved dirt path that was lined with multiple sets of pronged claws dug between some of the trees – they were almost to Chocobo Village.
"Palom!" Leonora whispered. "There are definitely chocobos here! Can you smell them?"
Palom inhaled deeply without looking at Leonora, his nose wrinkling. "Ugh…yeah. That's…fresh."
"There must be a good number of them around," Leonora said eagerly. "Let's hope one of them can fly us out of here!" She bolted forward on the path, disappearing between the trees. Palom huffed and resisted calling out for her, instead breaking into a run to catch up.
Palom burst into a clearing, nearly tripping over a massive nest of broken branches, decaying greens, and bright, shiny white chocobo eggs the size of a child's head. Deeper within, in a sun-dappled throng of golden and white-feathered birds, was Leonora, smiling happily as they nuzzled her with their beaks and squawked anxiously.
"Hold on, I have enough for everyone!" Leonora exclaimed, reaching into her pockets and pulling out a satchel of berries tied with a delicate blue ribbon. She plucked one out at a time, holding it in her hand and letting a chocobo snatch it away while another one stepped in to take its place. She looked up at Palom excitedly. "I think the chocobos smelled these on me…" She was interrupted when a white chocobo head-butted her impatiently. She plucked out another berry and held it in her palm, offering it to the bird.
"None of these chocobos look black to me," Palom frowned. Leonora's smile faded as she lowered her hand.
"Well, this is a fairly large forest…we'll surely find one somewhere."
"This isn't the time to frolic," Palom lectured, turning and shoving his way through what appeared to be two hearty juniper bushes. Leonora watched him go despondently, ignoring the white chocobo that had started head-butting her again. As he cut through the bushes, his feet stumbled over something warm and oafish, the branches of the bushes scratching at his face and eyes as he went flying face-first over the surprise roadblock.
"Ugh!" Palom groaned, spitting out pine needles and twisting around so that he could yank his legs down from whatever had tripped him up. The crowns of the trees surrounding him completely blocked any traces of sunlight, plunging him into total darkness. He nearly cried out when he saw two large, glaring blue eyes staring straight at him from the depths of the shadows, and felt a rush of sour, sticky breath smack his face. As the eyes floated upward in the darkness, looming over his fallen form, Palom bit his lip and tried to scuttle back on his rear to put as much distance between himself and the beast as possible. He could just barely detect it, but a monster's stench was wafting in the air…a fishy, rotten smell, like garbage left sitting out in the sun.
"Palom! Are you OK?"
"Y-Yeah…!" Palom stammered. "Don't come back here…!"
But it was too late – Leonora had parted the bushes and peered over, her eyes wide as they fell upon the creature Palom had tripped over.
"Thank the gods! You found a black chocobo!"
"What!?" Palom grimaced, having to halt himself just as he was about to let a Thunder spell loose. Leonora stuck her hand through the bushes, offering up a berry. The orb-like eyes turned away from Palom and blinked in Leonora's direction, gobbling up the treat and squawking for more.
"Fire!" Palom called, and a small flame burst to life in his open palm. Holding his hand up, he could see that he had indeed fallen over the abdomen of a massive chocobo – it had to have been at least twice the size of its largest brethren in the clearing just beyond the juniper. Its neck was so long that it hadn't even needed to stand to reach Leonora's hand – it was still sitting on its haunches, with tail feathers twitching irritably while she frantically reached into the satchel to secure another berry.
"You were almost fried chocobo, you big jerk," Palom glowered, blowing out the flame. "What are you doing loafing about here while all your little friends are getting snacks, anyway?"
"WHARK!" the chocobo snorted, cutting Palom a side-eye as it greedily pecked at the berries Leonora presented. Leonora laughed and shook her head.
"Oh Palom, you're so…"
"There they are! After them!"
A disgruntled voice could be heard from the clearing, followed by thundering footsteps – Leonora gasped and dropped the satchel, berries spilling over the black chocobo's form as a pair of gauntlet-clad hands wrapped around her waist and ripped her away from the bushes.
"Leonora!" Palom cried, scrambling to his feet. Her screams ripped through the forest as he leapt onto the chocobo's back, vigorously kicking its side and nearly crying with relief as it rose and dutifully abandoned the snacks that had been let loose over the forest floor.
"After her!" Palom begged, and the chocobo squawked, bursting through the bushes with such a violent burst of speed that Palom nearly tumbled backwards. As he clutched tighter to the bird's neck, it began to gallop through the clearing that acted as the entrance to Chocobo Village, and he could spot Leonora being dragged away by a group of Baronian soldiers – dragoons, from the look of their uniforms. She had been tossed over someone's shoulder, one hand desperately clutching the crystal and the other beating relentlessly on the soldier's back. Despite all of the commotion she was causing, none of the soldiers tried to sedate her or even looked at each other – it was extremely unnerving the way they just continued to march in silence, eyes locked straight-ahead.
Something isn't right with these guys… Palom gritted his teeth. That horrible smell from before – was it them? Has Baron's soldiers been turned into monsters again!?
"Palom!" Leonora cried, reaching out toward him. Palom kicked the chocobo harder, and it spurred forward right as she clenched her eyes shut and let out an ear-piercing wail.
"POISON!"
The soldier holding Leonora began to seize and gag, dropping her as unceremoniously as a sack of grain. Leonora rolled to the ground with outstretched arms, and Palom reached down to scoop her up as the soldier fell to his knees, face purple, bloated and shining with sweat. The other soldiers that had been walking ahead only noticed when it was too late – the chocobo burst past them and began to spread its wings, its feet lifting from the ground. Moments later, the three of them were gliding in mid-air, breaking through the canopy of trees and soaring northeast toward the open sea.
"Thank you!" Leonora cried, pressing her forehead to Palom's back as she sobbed and snaked her arms around his waist. He could feel the Crystal of Earth pressing into his spine painfully, but didn't pull away. "It was so sudden – I didn't know what to do!"
"You seemed to be just fine on your own," Palom blinked, glancing back at her. "And since when do you know the Poison black magic spell?!"
"I…" Leonora shook her head, still clinging to him. "I-It just came to me…I was just picturing something – anything – happening to him so that he would let me go…" she sniffled. "But I didn't mean to poison him…"
"Oh jeeze…" Palom shook his head. "Listen, don't worry about it. Those guys…they weren't human."
"What…?" Leonora blinked, lifting her head. Her eyes were watery and red, and snot was dripping from her nose. "Are you sure? You're not just saying that to make me feel better?"
"I don't tell people things just to make them feel better," Palom offered dryly, and looked away, the tips of ears turning red as he unraveled his scarf and held it out. "I don't have a handkerchief…you can have this. You're a mess."
"Irk…" Leonora sniffled and took it, wrapping it around her neck once so that it didn't fly away in the breeze and then pressing one of the ends to her running nose, mumbling against the soft fabric. "Thank you…"
Palom leaned in, giving the chocobo a gentle nudge with his foot. "Hey, you know where you're going, right chocobo? We need to head to the Lodestone Cavern." The bird ruffled its feathers and snorted, which Palom hoped meant "Aye-aye, captain".
A shrieking whistle ripped through the air, and next came the explosion – it burst a couple of yards above their heads, and Palom could feel the burning sting of dying flares rain upon his scalp. Leonora looked behind her shoulder, her fingers digging deeper into his hips.
"An airship from Baron is right behind us!"
"Damn, they found us!" Another explosion rang out, this one much closer, and Leonora murmured a Protect spell that wrapped them in a temporary shield of golden light. Palom clung tighter to the chocobo, which was starting to squawk nervously and lose altitude – but there was nowhere for them to make a landing except for the middle of the ocean. "Hang on, you crazy bird – you've got to get us to land first!"
Leonora bit her lip as she kept an eye on their pursuers, trying to focus her efforts on striking the oncoming cannon fire with her magic so that it would burn out before reaching them. Palom laughed bitterly as he tried to soothe the stressing bird with uneven, shaky strokes of his hand. "Are those idiots actually trying to hit us!? What are they thinking!?"
"King Cecil wouldn't possibly do this, right?" Leonora whimpered between spells, and Palom shook his head.
"No way – these aren't his men. The Red Wings would never stoop so low…"
"But they sure look like the Red Wings…" Leonora trailed off. Palom briefly flashed back to the day Mysidia had been invaded by Baron – the Red Wing soldiers responsible for the slaughter of the mages who defended the crystal that day had been human – as human as their captain, Cecil Harvey. He stared into his lap, his breath caught in his throat.
He was acting under orders that time…there is no way he would do this on his own…right?
A few harrowing minutes later, a stretch of green could finally be seen in the rapidly-fading sunlight – it was a small island, mostly saturated in forest save for the mountains that lined its border. The black chocobo had needed no encouragement – it practically took a nose-dive as soon as the island came into view, and Leonora and Palom clung on for dear life, their hair whipping behind them and their stomachs leaping into their throats. The oncoming darkness had become a boon – they were a small target to begin with, but they had begun to blend into the sky with their ebony steed and became even harder for the Red Wings to lock onto. The rotors of the airships and the blitz of canon fire faded away as the very tops of the trees of a shadow-draped forest started to come into clearer focus, and soon the chocobo had broken through and dizzily wove through a maze of outstretched branches before spotting a clearing and settling in for a landing.
Leonora and Palom climbed off of the chocobo, pausing to listen for footsteps or the sound of airships from above. Palom knew that even the Red Wings – if it really was Baron's elite air force controlling those ships – would have difficulty landing in a forest as dense as this. But for all he knew, they might just be willing enough to set the whole island aflame to hunt them down, considering the effort that had been expended for one measly crystal so far. Leonora hugged the black chocobo's neck, letting out a shaky sigh.
"Thank you, chocobo! You need to get out of here, now!"
The black chocobo nuzzled Leonora's cheek and turned away, sprinting into the depths of the forest. Leonora and Palom stared after it until it had disappeared, and then turned to each other.
"Do you know where we are?" Palom asked. Leonora nodded.
"This way!"
Breaking free from the confines of the forest, they found themselves at the base of the mountain range they had spotted from the sky. The mouth of a cavern was only a few yards away, and Leonora pointed toward it, beaming.
"This is it – the Lodestone Cavern," she looked Palom up and down. "When we get to the entrance, do not go any further. Got it?"
"Uh…OK," Palom shrugged.
When they reached the entrance, Palom suddenly felt as if his head weighed a thousand pounds – like someone had dropped a cloak made of lead upon him. He groaned, massaging his temples and gritting his teeth from the effort. Even just reaching up to do that ached terribly – like every muscle in his body was strained under enormous pressure.
"Ugh…what is wrong with me…?"
"Here…" Leonora reached up, gently unfastening Palom's mythril headband and sliding it away from his forehead, her hands brushing past his bangs. Next, she reached for his accompanying shoulder guard, and he watched her fingers deftly work through the leather straps to unweave them from his coat, not understanding why it felt as if his heart was about to burst.
As she silently stepped away with his accessories in-hand, he realized that the sudden weight in his head and around his shoulders had disappeared. As if to demonstrate, Leonora casually tossed his headband into the entrance of the cave. Palom watched with amazement as the headband came down in a straight line instead of the curved trajectory of a toss, clinging to the floor of the cavern and not bouncing even an inch from the force of the fall.
Palom blinked. "Whoa-ho! That is a serious magnetic field!"
Leonora nodded. "Any who draw near donning armor of plate and chain become unable to move." She dropped his shoulder guard and reached up to her own hair, unclipping her hairpin and reluctantly setting it down at her feet. Her miter tipped a bit as she stood back up, but she didn't each up to adjust it. Instead, her hands embraced the crystal once more.
Palom pressed his lips together in thought. "I see. So, that is why the soldiers will be unable to follow us."
"Yes, that's the plan."
Palom started toward the entrance of the Lodestone Cavern. "Well then, you ought to start back to Troia. Hand over the crystal, and I'll take things from here."
Leonora blinked. "What!?"
Palom ignored her as he stepped inside to survey his new surroundings. The cavern wasn't anything special other than the obvious magnetic field – it was otherwise dark, dank, and freezing cold. It didn't look terribly deep, but he had the unpleasant feeling that something nasty was waiting inside – it was best at this point to solo it so that he didn't have to risk anything else happening to Leonora. The scare in the Chocobo Village had provided enough impromptu training – and as far as he was concerned, his mission would only be considered complete if he not only got an Epopt ordained, but kept her alive as well. Surely the Elder wouldn't fault him for that rationale if he ever made it out of this mess?
Palom approached the first rope bridge that would take him across a crooked ravine, and paused. "Look, things are getting serious here. This is nothing like your training before."
Leonora's jaw dropped, and she shuddered with rage. "If you really believe that, then you can say it to my face, Palom." She marched forward, planting herself in front of him on the bridge and narrowing her eyes, her palms protectively pressed against the crystal. "I'm ready for whatever comes my way! Besides, you're going to need my white magic!" She tilted her head to try to catch his gaze, but he refused to look at her, his hair falling over his face.
Palom stared down at his feet. Unbelievable – she's just like Porom. Which means I'll never win, not in a million lifetimes.
"...Is there a written rule somewhere that says all white mages have to be so stubborn?"
Leonora snorted. "What was that?"
"…Nothing."
"That's what I thought," she smiled. "Anyway, you wouldn't have gotten too far without me."
"Yeah, yeah," Palom rolled his eyes, gently pushing her out of the way as he moved forward. "Keep up, or else I'm going to fail you."
"You can't fail me – I'm already an Epopt!"
"Maybe so, but until this is over, you're still my student."
It was some time later that the two mages found themselves at an impasse. Leonora was standing a few feet away from Palom, wearing a secret smile as she watched his frustration slowly blossom. At first, he had just looked confused, the usual frown twisted on his lips as a sudden bout of fog ushered in upon them, completely blanketing their path in a sea of white mist as they attempted to cross yet another ravine. Beyond this particular bridge there was a suspicious door that appeared to have once been hastily nailed to the cavern walls, and was now just half hanging-off. It was crudely fashioned by either an untalented man or a careless beast, furnished with rusty slabs of metal that appeared to have been fished out of an industrial accident, broken screws that stuck out of seams, and rotten planks of wood that had been layered on top of where rust had eaten its way through the original materials.
As soon as they stepped upon the bridge, the fog would swirl about, blinding them so thoroughly that they needed to retreat for fear of neither of them remembering the exact condition of the bridge and if it really would get them all the way across. As they stepped backwards, the fog began to recede – but it washed over them once more as soon as they dared to go forward again.
Palom didn't notice that Leonora hadn't said a word the entire time. He next tried running across the bridge, but the fog not only raced him and won, but also formed a barrier that he smacked into with a howl and a string of curses. Next, he tried burning the fog away with a Fire spell, freezing it with a Blizzard spell, and finally trying to split open a path with a Thunder spell. With each failed attempt, his face became redder and redder, and Leonora finally decided she had had enough fun when it looked as if his head was going to use his shoulders as a launch pad and explode into space.
Palom threw his hands in the air, letting out an even more explicit curse that made her blush deeply. "What the...!?"
"This is a deception put up by the Epopts," she finally said, and he whirled around, his jaw clenched. She smiled, wagging her finger. "You didn't believe me before when I said you wouldn't have gotten far without me, huh? Consider this a lesson in teamwork. Or humility – either one is appropriate."
"Teamwork!" Palom spat. "I bet you think you're hilarious, huh? So where's the real path?"
"This way!" Leonora chirped, and gestured for Palom to follow her. He nearly cried out as she appeared to step over a ledge to their left – but instead of plummeting to the darkness below, she stood as sure as someone on solid ground. Waltzing over the invisible path, she crossed to another waiting rocky platform and waved.
"Come! Don't worry about falling off the path – there are walls to keep you in place."
Palom hesitantly lifted his foot over the darkness, his fists clenched to his sides as he slowly lowered it onto the path Leonora had revealed. Relief flooded his features when he felt his boot hit solid ground, and he quickly crossed over in a half-run that made Leonora giggle behind her hand.
"Aha..." Palom glanced back at the ravine. "That really messes with you. How could you just cross that like it was nothing?"
"It's been a while since you've been challenged like that, hasn't it?" Leonora smiled, not bothering to answer his question. He stared at her as she turned away and started crossing into the passage before them, her voice echoing softly as she disappeared into the darkness. "This will take us to the other side, and then we'll be in the safety of the crystal chamber. We can rest and make a plan there."
Upon reaching the other side, they heard a terrible pounding shatter the stillness of the stale cavern air and a chorus of furious voices shout from the other side of the bridge.
"...There they are!"
Leonora and Palom whirled around just in time to see a company of Baronian soldiers burst from one of the tunnels they had traveled through earlier, pointing across the ravine toward the two of them and shouting unintelligible orders amongst themselves. Leonora stood frozen in place as they ran across the cavern and attempted to cross the bridge directly in front of them, only to be stymied by the fog that rolled in once more.
"Palom...!" she gasped.
"They must have taken off their equipment!" Palom cursed, grabbing Leonora's hand and tugging open the disaster of a door in front of them. It let out a protesting shriek, but miraculously stayed on the remaining hinges it had left. "Let's go before they figure out how to make the fog clear!"
Sliding inside the crystal chamber, Palom shut the door behind them, pressing his weight against it as he closed his eyes and urged himself to think. Leonora ran to the crystal dais that looked just like the one in Troia Castle, unbundling the crystal from its sling and holding it aloft. There was a soft flash of light, and the crystal floated above the dais, glimmering with restored luminesce as it silently shed its light once again. Leonora groaned and let herself collapse on the steps of the dais, gasping for breath as she pulled her knees to her chest.
Palom tried to listen for noises outside, but feared that the lack of commotion meant that the soldiers were either scheming up something, or had figured out where there was a hidden path. Either way, it was only a matter of time now. He sighed, sliding down the door until his rear hit the floor, and cradling his head in his hands. "Guess this it is for us."
"What?" Leonora peered up at him from over her knees, a bridge of pink streaked over her nose and cheeks.
Palom laughed quietly. "Think about it. How many soldiers are after us? We don't have infinite magic, you know. If they storm us with their superior numbers, we'll surely run out of energy sooner or later."
Leonora blinked, clutching her legs tighter and shaking her head. "No…!"
"We've gotta face the facts," Palom frowned, closing his eyes. "How long can we keep running?"
Leonora stood up, clamoring down the steps of the crystal dais, her voice quivering. "This is not like you..."
Palom opened one eye, staring up at her. She was drawn to her full height, her cheeks stained with streaks of tears that had blazed a trail through the dust and filth on her face, her lips freshly chapped and dotted with blood from gnashing them with her teeth. "Huh?"
"This is not like you at all!" Leonora insisted, another clump of hair slipping out of her ponytail as she took a step forward.
Palom closed his eye dismissively, turning away. "And what could you possibly know about me!? Don't think that only after two hellish days that you could even begin to know what you are talking about. You're still the same naïve girl who stumbled wide-eyed into the Epopts' chamber yesterday morning. The only difference now is that you have a fancy title."
Leonora paused mid-step, her fingers clutching at the green and white scarf still wrapped around her neck that had become yet-further stained with tears. A strangled cry escaped her throat as Palom suddenly lifted his head and stared past her, leaping to his feet. The crystal had begun to seize with a blinding light so painfully bright that he feared Leonora would be swallowed hole.
"Leonora! Get back!"
Leonora gasped as pulled her against him, her pupils narrowing to pinholes as a shadowy figure emerged from the center of the dais, bathed in the crystal's essence. A warbling, screechy voice filled the chamber, making the downy hairs on the back of her neck stand straight up.
"Yes...My prison has been unlocked..!"
The figure lumbered down the stairs, and both Leonora and Palom had to keep themselves from openly retching. It was a blue-skinned beast with knobbed joints holding together lanky, overgrown appendages, swollen knuckles dragging down each step and razor-filed, rotting black fingernails scratching over the mirrored tiles. A shock of white hair was growing from its lumpy head, a twisted, many-times broken nose hanging like a gnarled tree branch between closely-set lolling yellow eyes. A mishmash of yellow and green teeth made up its mouth, with a slimy pink tongue dangling out, speckled with white film.
"What the hell is that!?" Palom bellowed, and Leonora shook her head in disbelief.
"It looks like the Dark Elf that used to occupy this cave! But I thought the Epopts said he had been slain long ago…!"
The creature shook his head, his tongue flopping limply as it snickered. "I simply lost my body in the previous battle. Nothing more. But the crystal has given me physical form once again! That horrifying noise is also gone...This time, I will finally acquire eternal life!"
"What noise?" Palom blinked, and Leonora tugged him closer, thrusting her other hand in the air.
"Never mind that! Look out!"
She cast Reflect just as the Dark Elf cast a volley of Blizzara, Thundara and Fira spells on them, the magic bouncing off the rainbow light that had embraced their bodies and throwing his spells back at him two-fold. The elf screeched as he was thrown onto the top of the dais, his flesh festering and blistering apart as he tossed about agonizingly under the crystal's dazzling light.
"ARRRGH! This form no longer suffices!"
A sickening popping noise rang out as the elf's flesh began to tear, revealing rust-brown scales oozing with blood and oil. The elf screamed as he tumbled down the stairs, curling into a ball and emitting a rotten-smelling, pale black mist from his pores. Still clinging to each other, Palom and Leonora took a few steps back, eyes wide as a slinky, slime-drenched dragon emerged from the mist, coiling into a tower upon the dais and releasing a roar so powerful that the entire chamber shook beneath their feet.
"Bio!" Palom cried, summoning a nauseous green ball of gas that drifted in from the between the floor tiles, swirling about the dragon's form. The dragon inhaled deeply, sucking up the fumes of the spell and ejecting them in one magnificent spew of fire that reached the ceiling of the cavern, the flames tinged with a green core. Chunks of the ceiling tore apart under the pressure of the flame and began to spill down, narrowly missing Palom and Leonora by mere inches.
Leonora took a step back warily. "Palom…! Did it just absorb your spell?"
"Magic doesn't work!?" Palom gazed down at his hands, which he was startled to see were shaking frenziedly. "But why…?" There's nowhere to run! If we leave the crystal chamber, we'll be slaughtered by Baron's soldiers!
The door behind them suddenly slammed open, a rush of arctic wind blasting through the chamber and blowing up Leonora's skirts. Exquisite, glimmering snowflakes began to fall upon them, and the dragon paused mid-breath, tilting its head confusedly as the snow decimated its flame breath instantly. Leonora reached up, catching one of the snowflakes in her hand and staring incredulously as it refused to melt from the warmth of her flesh. When she pinched her fingers against it, it pricked her skin, drawing forth a miniscule bead of blood.
"It's as hard as a diamond…!" she breathed.
There came the delicate snap of a finger, and the dragon became encased in a solid block of ice. A teasing giggle danced in the air, and a lithe ice fairy emerged from the swirling ice crystals, her blue skin glistening like a sapphire and her ice-encrusted bustier practically painted on. She gave a slow wink to Palom and snapped her fingers once more, causing the ice sculpture before them to explode in a blast of ebony scales and hailstones. The remains of the mangled dragon slumped to the floor, and the fairy disappeared in a flash of light.
The Dark Elf's voice filled the room once more, strangled and rasping. "Ergh...The noise is gone, and yet...Where...where is my eternal life? Aaagh!" The dragon burst into gray soot, scattering across the steps before the crystal by a final blast of bitter wind.
Palom shook his head slowly, a small smile curling on his lips. "That was the ice Eidolon, Shiva! That must mean...!" Rydia, you came to save us! He whirled around, and as expected, found a slender figure silhouetted in the threshold of the crystal chamber. But as she appraoched, he knew right away that something was terribly wrong. White, polished bare feet, not dragon-scale boots, slapped against the mirrored floor as a gauzy white gown dragged behind, and the air took on an ominous darkness that seemed to dim the very light of the crystal itself. The young woman who had invaded the Epopt chamber emerged from the shadows, her amber eyes locking hungrily upon the Crystal of Earth.
Leonora whimpered, and Palom instinctively took a step forward, blocking her from the girl's view. "Who are you!?" he demanded, trying to control the tremor in his voice.
The girl finally tore her gaze away from the crystal and looked Palom up and down She didn't seem that impressed by what she saw. "Give me the crystal."
Palom shook his head, inching closer to Leonora. "...You aren't from Baron." Leonora bit her lip, looking between Palom and the mysterious girl. If she wasn't one of King Cecil's soldiers, then who was she?
The girl tilted her head. "Didn't you hear me? Give me the crystal."
Palom clenched his jaw. "I'm asking the questions here. What happened to Cecil?"
She shook her head, almost smiling. "I don't need to answer that. If you won't give it to me, I will take it by force." Palom reddened, giving Leonora one last push back toward the dais and stomping toward the intruder. Leonora watched the girl and Palom stare each other down as she quietly slipped up the dais stairs, inching toward the crystal bit by bit.
"We'll see about that," Palom growled, and the girl's hint of a smile faded as she stepped up to him, letting out a low hiss.
"For a specimen of an inferior species, you seem to have some measure of intelligence…But you fail to realize the gap between your power and mine."
Leonora reached up, snatching the crystal and plunging the crystal chamber into darkness once more. She fled down the dais steps, grabbing Palom's arm. "Palom! Let's go!" She watched as the mysterious girl turned her malice-laced eyes upon her, and felt a scream of terror building in her throat. She was willing her feet to move – but she realized she couldn't bring herself to leave without Palom.
Seizing the distraction, Palom quickly flicked his hand toward the girl. "STOP!" he cried, and the mysterious girl suddenly froze in place, eyes wide and lips pursed. Palom and Leonora turned to each other.
"Give me the Crystal and get out of here," Palom demanded. "We haven't much time…a spell like that won't have much effect on her. I don't know what she is, but she is way more powerful than the two of us combined – and she can control eidolons."
Leonora looked away, her eyes watering. "I-I can't...! I can't leave you behind…"
Palom grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to face him. She choked out a sob, clutching the crystal tighter, terrified he would tear it away from her. "I'm your teacher, right? You've got to listen to me."
"But..."
"Don't worry about me. I've got the perfect plan."
"Really?"
Palom reached up, gently taking her chin in his hands and forcing her eyes to meet his. "Yeah. Trust me."
I've believed in you this whole time – despite you not believing in me. Leonora flushed at the caress of Palom's callused fingers against her skin as she gazed down at the crystal one last time, pressing it to her lips as she murmured a short prayer and silently handed it over to Palom. A threatening growl emitted from the mysterious girl, and her eyelid began to twitch menacingly. Palom hoisted the crystal in the air.
"Now! Leonora, go!" he cried, and Leonora cast Teleport on herself, disappearing in a flash of light. The mysterious girl broke free of the Stop spell, stumbling forward in disarray to try to grab Leonora's fading form before she registered that the crystal had now changed hands. She pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth and snorted as she turned her attentions back to Palom. No matter now that one louse was gone – the prize was still right where she wanted it.
"Finally ready to hand over the Crystal now?" she hissed.
Palom smirked. "You said I was one of an inferior species, didn't you?"
The girl raised her eyebrows. "Yes. At least your short-term memory still functions under duress."
"Well, you're about to be outfoxed by someone of that species...right before your eyes!"
She stepped forward, crossing her arms over her chest. He had gotten her – she was intrigued by this sudden surge of confidence where there had only been despair moments before. Just when she thought she knew everything about humans, a new surprise came along. First the half-breed, and now this little brat – it would make for wonderful data. "What do you mean?"
Palom held the crystal to his chest, grinning despite the desolate, pulsing ache in his heart.
Porom, Leonora…I'm so scared – but I know the pain is worth it…just like it was before. You have to find Cecil in my place – you have to find out what's happening to Baron!
"I mean this – Break!"
The mysterious girl watched in surprise as the boy petrified himself, the crystal forever entombed in his arms as the light left his eyes.
Leonora pressed her hand to her forehead, trying to stop the world from spinning around her. She hadn't been in her right mind when her body suddenly seemed to take control, ejecting her from the crystal chamber. She hadn't had a particular destination in mind when she used Teleport, and realized that she had only made it back to the final tunnel before the chamber. She could still hear the frustrated voices of the Baronian soldiers across the ravine – by some miracle, they still had not found the true path. Still, that meant she couldn't make her exit – she would need to summon the energy and concentration to teleport one last time if she had any hope of escaping Baron.
As she pushed herself up from against the wall, Leonora felt a violent constriction in her chest – as if someone were squeezing the air right out of her lungs. Her eyes immediately darted to Palom's scarf and for a moment, she thought she saw dark stains of blood begin to spread over the fibers, like it was being used to dress a wound. But when she blinked her eyes, she saw it was perfectly fine – with the exception of being tear and mucus stained, thanks to her.
"Palom..." Leonora whispered, lacing her fingers together.
The mysterious girl shook her head as she slowly dragged her fingernails down the petrified arm of the former mage, leaving tiny white trails in the stone. It hadn't been quite the same magic she had used on those troublesome Eidolons, but it was certainly close enough – extinguishing nearly all traces of one's own life wasn't an easy feat. She silently acknowledged that it took a powerful soul to commit such an act – especially coming from such a selfish, worthless human.
"Petrifying yourself along with the crystal..." she smiled. "Unfortunately, you've only proven yourself to be a fool. I'll just shatter your body and retrieve the crystal." She raised her hand in the air, the crackle of pure electricity coursing through the air and sparking between her fingers as she readied her strike.
"Wait!"
The mysterious girl cried out as something heavy struck the back of her head, forcing her to her hands and knees. Reaching up to gingerly caress the throbbing lump that was forming under her scalp, she felt a shadow fall over her and turned to see Leonora looming above, a jagged slab of wood she had pried from the door held aloft in her hands, her eyes wild.
"Don't you touch Palom!" Leonora shrieked.
The girl sighed, shaking her head as she pulled her fingers away, bemused by the blood streaked upon them. "Why are you so eager to throw your life away after your little friend tried to save you? All we want is the crystal."
"I know that," Leonora hissed, and brought the board down again, smashing the girl in her temple with all of her strength. The mysterious girl grunted and slumped to the floor, her eyelids fluttering in a daze as Leonora tossed the wood aside and ran to Palom, placing her hands on his chest.
"Esuna!"
A golden light washed over Palom's form, and the drab gray of his flesh began to restore to its natural state, spreading from his chest under Leonora's hands and coursing through his limbs. As the color returned to his lips, he immediately sneered and reached out, trying to shove Leonora away before she could complete the spell. But his strength was still returning to his numbed muscles, and she was too fast, ignited by adrenaline – she reached up, grasping his wrist mid-air with her right hand and glaring at him defiantly as she pressed the fingers of her left hand deeper into his now thundering heartbeat.
"You idiot!" Palom whispered. "Why did you come back here!?"
Leonora stomped her foot into his, causing him to howl in protest. "How could you do that!? What if she shattered you to pieces?"
He rolled his eyes as he tried to ignore the impulse to yank what remained of her pathetic, disheveled ponytail. "She was bluffing!"
Leonora suddenly released his wrist, shoving him away roughly and biting her lip. "You're the one who's bluffing here...And you've always been that way."
Palom blinked, flexing his fingers as he eyed the crescent-moon shaped marks her fingernails had left in his skin. "What!?"
Leonora looked into his eyes pleadingly, both of them ignoring the mysterious girl, who had started to twitch menacingly as she recovered from Leonora's second assault. "Don't you remember? It was right after the war had ended…"
17 Years Prior, Mysidia
"So I cast a mighty Blizzard on the fires of Mount Ordeals…"
A young pigtailed girl was enraptured as Palom repeated her favorite story in the spot they had been meeting every morning since her arrival into town. She was wearing her best green taffeta dress, the one her mother had always told her brought out the green undertones of what she thought were dull, boring gray eyes. She considered today a special, but sad occasion – it was her last day in Mysidia after what had been one of the best weeks of her life. Her school in Troia had arranged a field trip for aspiring magic students now that Mysidia was welcoming visitors again – the war was over and the Water Crystal returned to its rightful home thanks to the five heroes who had traveled to the moon to save their world.
But after their trip was over, she would be returning to an emptied cottage, and her parents would be ready to sweep her off to the new village they had decided to start their lives over in. They had lost everything during the war and had been forced to flee to Troia for any hope of survival. The foreign city's leaders had treated her like one of their own citizens for these past few months, and just when it had started to feel like home, her parents had made the decision to move on.
Regardless of her pending heartache, deep down inside, she had been excited to finally see Mysidia with her own eyes. And it had been a bonus that her very first evening there she had met Palom, a young black mage who was not only rather (in)famous for his advanced magic skills, but had also actually traveled with one of their world's saviors – and he had plenty to share about his adventures.
It had been after dinner at the inn, and the students had been given some free time before an early rise the next morning to join the village elder's students in prayer. Exhausted and melancholy, she slipped off to a small pond she had spotted in the northern end of town so that she could at least feel sorry for herself in solitude. What seemed like only a few moments later, her peace was disturbed by a short, brown-haired boy that appeared out of nowhere, his cherubic cheeks streaked with dirt and imbued with a sunburn that was starting to fade into a toasted glow.
"What's your problem?" he asked by way of greeting, his narrowed eyes sweeping over the sour look on her face. Shocked that he hadn't just pardoned himself and left her alone like any normal stranger, she let her whole somber tale out about how her parents had sprung their news about leaving Troia right before she had boarded the ship for Mysidia. When she finished, he sat down next to her, legs crossed and his arms stretched behind his head. The sky had started to darken, and the first twinkling stars for the evening had begun to make their debut. It was a new moon, and both children silently noted their discomfort over how weird it was that the second moon they had known for the entirety of their lives was suddenly just gone. Still gazing at the empty sky, he puffed out his chest.
"You know, I traveled with the people who fought on the moon."
"What!?" she gasped, tears forgotten as her eyes widened. "How could that possibly be?"
"Well, they really needed my help," he grinned, giving her a wink. "Their leader practically begged me." She felt a soft warmth travel up her belly to her face – this was just the kind of distraction she needed – a story with a happy ending. Plus, she had heard that some of the heroes had been quite the lot of dashing knights – maybe this boy had some insider secrets he would spill.
"Leonora!" a distant voice drifted over the stifling summer heat, breaking the temporary spell of glee that had overtaken her senses. She stood up, biting her lip. She could feel the boy's eyes on her as she gazed out back toward the main drag through the village, where a figure in shadows was calling for her.
"That's my teacher…Must be time to turn in for the night."
He rested his cheek against his hand. "Well, come back here after your prayers tomorrow. I'll tell you all about it."
"O-OK!" she flushed as her teacher called her name yet again. "Good-bye…um…."
"Palom."
"Er, OK. And I-I'm…"
"Leonora. Yeah, I picked up on that."
Whether Palom had been stretching the truth ever so slightly about some of his stories or not, they had made Leonora enthusiastic about her mornings and dulled the ache in her chest when she thought about home – or what was soon to no longer be her home – especially when he made her laugh with his less-than-gentlemanly language or when his twin sister would come storming after him and drag him away to whatever lesson he was cutting. When she thought about how homesick the people who had been fighting in the war must have been, including Palom himself, it made her realize that perhaps things would turn out OK for her after all. The whole world was healing and starting over – she had the revelation that it even felt a little nice to be part of it all – like she was connected to something far beyond herself.
That last morning in Mysidia, right on time, Leonora watched as an oblivious Palom recalled his heroism on Mount Ordeals while Porom, his twin, marched right up to him from behind, rearing her tiny hand back and smacking him on the head. Palom screeched and tried to bat her away, but she blocked his fists with expert timing and reached over his head, smacking him again. Leonora's eyes bulged as she planted her hand over her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter as she watched Palom get dragged away for the final time.
In the years since, Leonora had never forgotten the underlying kindness in the prodigy of Mysidia's tales, although he had certainly seemed to have forgotten all about her. She had known the moment she had looked into his eyes when she had been summoned to the Epopts' chamber – there had been no flicker of recognizance whatsoever. And she had been all right with that – she didn't need for Palom to remember her to still appreciate what he had done nearly seventeen years ago – he probably hadn't even realized that his boastful tales had done her any good in the first place.
But she had been disheartened by the bitter, despondent young man that boy by the pond had become – and realized she could not stand aside and watch him suffer any longer. If they were to die – and she was quite positive that was becoming more and more likely with each moment they remained in the mysterious girl's crosshairs – she decided she wanted at least one of her last acts on this planet to help Palom remember who he really was. She was positive that the carefree, benevolent spirit he had once harbored was not quite snuffed out – she had seen echoes of it in the limited time they had spent together, after all. Unconsciously, her fingers brushed over the scarf draped across her breast.
Palom watched her fingers stroke the fabric of his scarf, shaking his head slowly.
"…That was you!?"
She nodded, a wistful smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
"You've always been that way for as long as I've known you. Bluffing and talking big...just to make others feel better." Palom reddened, his eyes finding hers. When he saw the blushing, timid man reflected back in her pools of gray, he hardly recognized himself.
The mysterious girl growled as she watched the two of them stare at each other, a vein in her temple twitching with impatience as she picked herself up off the floor. She had reached a new level of irritation where her normally monotone voice held just a hint of exasperation.
"I've had enough of this," her eyes drank in the crystal still shining in Palom's hand. "Hand it over now."
Palom whirled around to face her, blinking as if he just only remembered she were there. "I think you misunderstood..."
She stopped and stared at him incredulously, her dilated amber eyes turned on him like spotlights. Palom laughed and gave the crystal a pat.
"Who said anything about giving you this thing?"
The mysterious girl shook her head. "Giving up your last chance to live? I find such a decision incomprehensible."
"Maybe so," Palom shrugged and looked at Leonora. "You know, this girl here is no good as an Epopt."
What?! Leonora bit her lip and looked at her feet, shame flooding her face. Why, Palom…? I thought…!?
Palom suddenly threw his arm around her shoulders, clutching her to his side, and pointing the crystal toward the mysterious girl like a loaded gun. Leonora gasped, looking up at him with her mouth agape.
"But as my partner, she passes with flying colors!"
He grinned down at her, and she couldn't help but grin back – and she couldn't ignore the fireworks show that had suddenly gone off in her stomach. The girl crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head. "A poor choice for final words, but I suppose I was wrong about you. You really are just like all the rest of your kind – your fear clouds what should be the simplest of decisions." A pristine white aura began to envelope her body, and eyes flashed like two lanterns bursting aflame in the darkness. "I am almost sorry that you forced my hand." Her feet slowly lifted from the floor, and an unseen wind whipped the hair back from her face, revealing a sterile smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Palom…!" Leonora choked, her fingers involuntarily clutching his coat.
"Come on, Leonora!" Palom chided. "There's two of us, and only one of her! You trust me, right?"
"T-Trust…?" Leonora blinked. "Well, I suppose so, but…" Weren't you just saying before that we were no match for her!?
The mysterious girl was rising higher in the air – her toes dangling about a foot from the floor now – and her flimsy gown was being tossed about by the wind, tugging against the pale curves of her skin. Palom lowered his head, his voice dropping to a whisper as he pressed his mouth to Leonora's ear.
"You've heard of Twincasting, right?" She nodded.
"Yes…a spell you create using the intense bond between two people. Is that about right?"
"Close enough. This is going to be your final exam, alright? I need you to Twincast with me."
Leonora raised her eyebrows. "But…how?! I have no idea what to do!"
"Just…just close your eyes and give in to whatever your body tells you to do," Palom said, dropping his hand from her shoulder and pulling away. "You just have to surrender yourself to your partner. I don't know a better way to explain it – pour all your power into us."
"Er…" Leonora felt her face getting scalding hot up as she turned away. "Yes, I-I'll do my best."
"Here goes nothing!" Palom winked, and closed his eyes. Leonora worriedly glanced up at the mysterious girl, who was still glaring down at them, as if she were having trouble deciding just how exactly she wanted to end them. For a brief moment, their eyes locked, and Leonora realized that there was nothing behind the girl's gaze – no passion, fear, drive…not even hatred. It was like being stared down by an automaton. She had told Leonora all "we" wanted was the crystal, but…who was "we"? And more importantly…why did the crystal hold such importance to them?
She'll let nothing stand in her way, thought Leonora, a shiver running down her spine as she closed her eyes. But Palom is right…I have to believe in us. We're the only two people in the world that stand between her and our precious Crystal of Earth!
Leonora tried to black out everything in her mind, but with each beat of her heart, Palom's name would reverberate in her ears. Her mind drifted back in time as she watched Porom take Palom away, Leonora's giggle masking the tightness she had felt in her chest as he was swallowed once more by the Tower of Prayer.
Bye, Palom…thank you for cheering me up this week. I hope we can meet again if I am ever fortunate enough to return to Mysidia, but you'll probably be long-gone by then…I just know your sense of adventure and justice is going to take you to many wonderful places. I'll pray to the Crystal of Earth for you before my family leaves Troia…
…May we both find happiness on our new journeys.
Leonora felt as if her entire body had reached a fever pitch. As sweat dripped down her scalp and neck, she bit down on her lip so hard that it hurt, the metallic taste of blood on her tongue just enough to keep her distracted from the agonizing sensation of her blood boiling. She felt yet more sweat drip into her eyes and roll down her cheeks, and she idly wondered if it looked like she was crying in fear – her legs were shaking, and her heart was pounding relentlessly, but she had never felt so powerful in her life.
Just a little longer…! I have to stay in sync with Palom…!
Palom's eyes snapped open and he thrust out his palm. A blast of freezing wind tore through the chamber, spiraling around his arm and forming sparkling ice crystals that exploded in growth when he muttered a Blizzaga spell under his breath. Flicking his wrist in the air, they rose into formation and frantically spiraled toward the mysterious girl like a barrage of shooting stars.
"Now!" he cried, and Leonora opened her eyes, raising her hands in the air. Roaring fire exploded from her fingertips, rushing to embrace the ice crystals Palom had created. But rather than melting, the two elements fused together into a bright purple convulsing haze, a sharp hissing noise ripping through the stillness of the crystal chamber as the newly-born storm slammed into the mysterious girl and exploded in a volley of fire and ice, decimating the aura that had been protecting her. She let out an ear-piercing shriek and fell to the floor in an unceremonious heap of gossamer thread, the cringe-inducing smell of burned hair filling the chamber as she pushed the drenched and singed tendrils out of her face, teeth clenched.
"Is that it?" she demanded, and shook her head irritably as she took in the bemused smiles on Palom and Leonora's faces. "Don't be so impressed with yourselves…this ends now." She clenched her first, slamming it so forcefully into the floor that the crystal tile cracked beneath her fingers. "Shiva!"
The eidolon had emerged once again from the sloping shadows behind them, her sky-high stiletto heels clicking against the tile as she took in her new targets. Before Leonora could register what was happening, Palom grabbed hold of her, the Crystal of Earth slipping from his hands and clattering to the floor as he pulled her into his chest and covered her face with his arms. Leonora buried her face in his chest, her scream muted in his coat. Shiva rested one hand upon the curve of her hip, raising the other in the air and making one clean snap with her fingers that echoed off the chamber walls. A surge of glacial wind washed over them, and Palom could feel his strength draining away as the biting gales tore into his flesh. Leonora slumped away from his numbed arms, falling face-first onto the floor with her hair spilling down her back as delicate diamond-like frost began to climb up her body, turning her pearl-white skin into a pale blue mask of death.
Palom, staring in horror at his legs as the frost began to ascend his body too, felt as if every last molecule of air was being forced out of his lungs by prickly needles. Gasping for breath as he fell to his knees, he tried to reach for the fallen Crystal of Earth, but found his hand suddenly pinned underneath the bare foot of the mysterious girl as she smiled down at him, grinding her heel into his immobilized fingers for good measure as she leisurely swept down and scooped up the crystal – completely unaffected by Shiva's magic. Palom managed to lift his head and sneer with blue-tinged lips, and she repaid him the favor by smashing the crystal against the back of his head, forcing him back down to the floor.
"That's for what your friend did to me earlier," she said softly. "An eye for an eye, as they say."
"L-Leonora..." Palom moaned, his eyes sliding shut. Leonora didn't stir as the ice crystals made their way to her lips and cheeks, the rest of her body completely blanketed in frost. Ignoring the stabbing pain on his crown and the salty smell of what he could only assume was his own blood pouring from his head, Palom lifted his eyes defiantly toward the mysterious girl once more, his voice shaking. "Wait...You can't…"
"I am done with you," she declared, and closed her eyes, disappearing in a flash of divine light, crystal in-hand. Shiva, now left to her own devices, commenced twirling and pirouetting about the chamber, gesturing elegantly as she continued to blanket the rest of the room in layers of snow and ice, her sparkling cape swirling behind her as she sang with unabashed joy.
"No..." Palom whimpered, biting his lip as he felt the slow burn of the ice wrap around his throat. His brain had started to get heavy and foggy, like a damp, rotting sponge, and black spots started bleeding into his vision. Porom…can you hear me?
For what it's worth…I'm sorry – about everything. Just wish I could have told you to your face…but what's one more screw-up for me, huh?
Palom's cheek hit the crystal tile, and he summoned the last of his strength to expel the scream he had been holding in since he had awakened and saw that Leonora had foolishly returned to him, her gray eyes shimmering with a strange light he had been simultaneously enthralled and terrified by.
"Nooo!"
