A/N: Before this chapter starts, I want to thank YinYangSymphonia for his constant reviews to this story. If people didn't accually read this then there would be no point in me doing this, so thank you to all those who have supported this.

This is the final chapter of the fic. I was literally on the edge of my seat writing this, so I hope you enjoy it. It is also the longest chapter by far of anything I have written, and in my opinion, the best. Enjoy

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Chap 21: Eternal bond

The tremendous hoard of monsters charged all around at Sheena. It was one guardian user and 10 summon sprits against thousands of ferocious beasts. 'I might be out numbered here, but that doesn't mean I will lose. Everything I have fought through has built me up for this moment. To be able to stand in front of enemies too numerous to count and not be afraid.' She gazed up at Volt. 'The one who once struck unbearable fear inside me now is with me, freeing me of my cowardice.' "All right guys, let's kick some butt," she said with a smile across her face.

Undine countered the charge of zombies, slicing several of them in half with her water blade. Celsius jumped over the water sprit and fired freeze lancer down ending more monsters. The disciple of ice landed and fought hand to hand alongside Undine's sword. Celsius' beast attack sent one of the fiends right into the maiden's blade. Even though they had slain a dozen of the undead, that barely made a dent in the enemies' massive numbers.

The chimeras thought they would have free rain of the sky, but that was before the sprits of light and wind stopped them. Luna rode upon the giant bird while the fairies flew along beside them. The chimeras sent a stream of fire at Aska, but Sephie raised her sword to cast wind blade to deflect the attack. Luna cast her ray attack on some of the monsters and Aska blasted a few with feathers that were getting too close.

Efreet and Volt intercepted the centaurs advance. The lightning sprit put up a wall of lighting blocking their path while Efreet pounded them with explosions. This killed many of them but soon the centaurs went around Volt's wall and began slashing at the sprits. The druids stood back and began chanting their spells. From afar, they believed it would be easy to catch the sprits off guard. Gnome turned their plan against them when he emerged from the ground they stood upon. He bashed the three closest to him with his shovel, and then cast ground dasher on dozens of the others. Maxwell assisted with a meteor storm and Origin's thunder arrow added to the destruction. The number of enemy spell casters quickly fell.

Sheena aided the water and ice sprits. The zombies were the weakest of the enemies and she didn't want to rush into something too dangerously. She knew that if she were to fall, then so would the rest of them. Things seemed to be going well, with the three of them continually pounding away at the fiends. However, things weren't going as well elsewhere.

Volt and Efreet were surrounded, and could not kill the centaurs fast enough. Even for the mighty sprit of fire, the numerous swords wounds were becoming too much. "Efreet get out of there!" Undine ordered. The maiden of the mist rushed over to the struggling sprits and used spread, giving him a way out. Once Efreet escaped, Undine cast tidal wave, which knocked the centaurs back, and did some damage. Volt saw his counterparts plan, and uses his master field attack. His most powerful attack launched lightning in a circle all around him decimating the few enemies that were near him. The current traveled along the soaked ground tidal wave had made, and flowed into all of the moistened victims of Undine's attack. In one attack, nearly the entire Centaur army fell.

Origin continued slashing through any druid unlucky enough to get close enough. Those smart enough to fear Origin ran from him and began casting spells. The ruler of the elements saw to it they did not get far. Several of the chimeras flew down from the sky, but Origin stopped them with his Rameesh attack. The massive triangle of energy destroyed the flying beasts.

The summoner saw that the battle was going well. The enemy army that once numbered in the thousands, was down to a couple hundred, and was continuing to fade. Her celebration caused her to not notice the monster rising from the ground behind her. "Sheena, look out!" Celsius called and fired her freeze lancer at the target. It deflected the attack with two of its blades and aimed the other two for Sheena. She turned around and saw the fiend about to slice through her but had no time to block it. "Piercing arrow!" an unfamiliar voice called and an arrow flew across the fiends swords, blocking the attack. The ninja backed away from the enemy and turned behind her to see her savior. He held his bow up and readied another arrow. "He won't be stopped that easy," he warned.

"Neither will I," Sheena replied reading a card. "Celsius, get back to fighting the hoard, we can handle the sword dancer now."

She ran at the monster, dodging his blades and rapidly landing several of her seals to weaken the monster. While Sheena occupied the monster up front, the archer shot an arrow up into the sky above the monster. "Look up," he said, and she saw the arrows coming down at them. Sheena jumped out of the way and the sword dancer was pelted with the attack. The archer used piercing arrow at the monster, slicing an arm off. The creature threw one of its other swords at the archer and it struck his leg. He fell to the ground and screamed in pain. Sheena ran at the monster and ended it with her demon seal. As the sword dancer fell, the final warriors of the army were also defeated. She now had time to help her mysterious savoir.

He had begun to cast healing magic on the wound, but with one that severe, it would take time for it to take effect. "I never thought I would be caught that much off guard," he said.

"Why did you save me?" Sheena asked.

"You were fighting the monsters so I decided to help you. I was surprised to see someone like you here."

"My sprits and I held of the monsters while my friends went on ahead to end this."

"I guess you better go with them. Once I get this healed I will come to give you a hand."

"I'll stay to help heal you."

"No, don't, someone as strong as you, needs to get to the action as soon as you can."

"Fine," she conceded, "What is your name though?

"Ayo," he answered. "Now go!" he ordered as he continued to heal his leg. Sheena and her sprits followed the path her friends had earlier.

_

The four continued down the dark pathway until the light of the sun could no longer reach them. A hundred thoughts race though their minds. Fear and hope, courage and dread, friendship and love. The darkness could be felt all around them. The light of a better future pierced the suffocating presence as the heroes followed the path.

Colette hated to see all the people that had been hurt. They were just innocent victims torn from their lives. None of this was their fault. That is why Colette would fight. The Angelic Maiden fought for the innocent victims. She wasn't alone in her cause. Genis continued on for the friends that always stood beside him. His sister and his best friend had both been taken from him through this. During their journey, he came to love their view of the world. Anything could change if they would go forth and change it. That is why he came. Even if it was a lost cause and they failed, it would be no worse then if they just let Alto have his way.

Zelos went through most of his life being the target of affection from everyone around him. It was only recently he saw the reason they all adored him. He was the one to save the world when the time came. Being thrust into such a situation was not the life he had expected, but looking back, he would not have it any other way. While he still enjoyed the fame, he enjoyed his duty to save the world just as much. He would go and fight for those who loved him, knowing that his life wasn't just for himself anymore. His people, his friends, they were what made his life worthwhile, and he would do anything for them. Even if it meant facing down a foe, whose power was beyond anything he could imagine.

David looked at the great heroes all around him. Together they would face the greatest evil the world had ever known. He wondered what he could bring to a collection of such power. There was only one answer David could allow himself to give. Everything he had would go into this final battle. No running or hiding this time, that wouldn't even be an option. This battle wasn't just one he had to fight in, but one he wanted to. Everything Alto had put them through would be paid back tonight. Vengeance would belong to him. David felt that with his new friends, there was no way even someone as strong as Alto, could stand against him.

_

"You nervous Genis?" David asked, seeing the young mage's arms shaking.

"Yea, a little. How couldn't I be after what we've been through to get here?"

"Just by knowing we will win."

"How can you be so certain?"

"Genis, you and your… our friends are stronger than anyone I have seen. Even the elders in the city would pale in comparison to your power. Zelos is a master swordsman and when his magic combines with Colette, there isn't anything that can get in our way."

Genis started shaking his head. "I'm afraid that this battle won't be like the others. When we fought Lloyd last time, we shouldn't have won. The only reason we did, was because Lloyd let me kill him. Alto has no desire to stop now."

"I still say we can beat him. We've made it this far so we can't lose now."

"I hope you are right but," Genis paused and looked away from David. He didn't want to bring the realization of the words to his mind.

"What?" David asked.

"I don't want to lose anyone else. On the way here, I lost Raine, and then seeing Lloyd disappear in front of me. I don't know if I can take any more."

_

The near endless descent finally came to an end. Alto's alter was so far underground that it should be engulfed in complete darkness. The alter itself lit the room. It seemed to tell them that running was the safest bet.

The room was a vast hemisphere. The stone was so smooth that only unnatural causes could have crafted this place.

As they finally approached the alter, Alto sat upon it with flames encircling it. He stood when he saw his foes and drew his blade. Flames went out from his sword at the heroes.

"It ends now!" Zelos yelled as the four dodged the fire. The angel drew the sword of cruxis and ran at the enemy. The two blades of fire clashed with a tremendous force, knocking both of them back. A smirk crept across Alto's concealed face. The fiend charged at Zelos with a speed that none of the heroes expected. One slash and Zelos' sword flew out of his hand. Alto stabbed his sword at the angel, but he rolled out of the way. Colette pounded him with angel feathers and David with earth-breaker. He switched his gaze to the spell casters and raised his sword toward them. "May the killer embrace of frost take you, Absolute!" Genis said and ice came from the ground encasing the enemy in a frozen prison.

Flames soon surrounded Alto melting the ice and his burning rage accompanied the inferno. He sent a ball of fire in all directions out from himself. There was no escape from the blaze. David channeled all of his energy for his most powerful spell yet. "Frozen powers incase the fiend!" he called as he pointed his staff at the fire. "Blizzard!" he said. Snow and ice came from the ground around him and pounded the fire. The two attacks canceled out leaving a cloud of steam.

In the mist, neither of them could see their enemy. Zelos picked up his blade and looked to Colette. They both nodded and grasped each other's hands. David cast wind-field on the area, clearing the mist but doing nothing to Alto. The angels set their sights on Alto and focused their magic into one attack. With one hand pointed at the enemy and one hand still holding the others, the combined their magic into one attack. The judgment burst attack left their palms and went straight for Alto. The fiend cast his own magic to block the attack. His blade became incased in darkness and he swung at the spheres of light swiftly approaching him. Through the fusion of darkness and light, Alto emerged unharmed.

Alto took out his dark flaming wings and ran at the angels. The two mages stood on the sides of his path and readied magic to stop him. Fire came out from his wings, disrupting the spells and leaving Colette and Zelos wide open.

Zelos pushed her to the side and held his blade the block the attack. Alto saw this coming so sent fire out from his feet that hit the chosen. In the distraction of the heat, Alto swung his dark blade across Zelos' chest, flinging him into the nearest wall.

Anger filled Genis at seeing his friend tossed to the side like that. As soon as he could, he cast the mighty indignation spell. The burst of lightning sent Alto onto his back for a moment, and appeared to hurt him. Colette ran over to Zelos to discover he was still alive, but wounded horribly. In contrast, Alto recovered nearly instantaneously.

"Stay down fiend," David said as he pointed his staff at him.

"Try and make me," Alto said.

David's anger and determination released a new power within him. A power hidden away for as long as he lived, now revealed in the time that it was most needed. "Divine forces of the elements combine here for me now!" He began spinning his staff and the eight colors of the elements began spinning around it. As it spun faster the colors combined into a bright white. "Banish the foe by thy combined might!" The burst of magic struck Alto knocking him back and sending him to his knees. Alto rose once again, but was breathing harder this time.

"Fade into darkness," Alto said. David's sight became obscured and all around him, all he could see was blackness.

"David, no!" Genis said as he saw the other mage encased in a prison of the dark. Alto set his sights for Genis, before the young mage could help his friend. He pointed his blade at him and streams of fire flew at the mage. Genis cast force field to block the attack, but the dark flames merely ripped through the shield. The scorching inferno consumed his body and Genis collapsed to the ground.

Inside of David's prison he could feel the heat rising. It was as if a fire was all around him, but he could not see it. 'Take my eyes to see the world you are in,' David heard a voice inside his head tell him. He let the presence take him and he saw the darkness in all its wondrous shades and hues. 'This is the world that your kind never gets to embrace. You see darkness only as fear and let it paralyze you. Take my power and embrace the beauty of it. Use its magnificent force to defeat your foe,' Shadow instructed.

David held his staff and the dark aura around him bent to his will. The heat that the darkness held disappeared with a swing of the staff. David sent the darkness out and it consumed Alto as well. "How could a mere mortal control something as magnificent of the dark?"

"I'm not alone here," David said. Alto sent streams of fire at David, but with a twist of the staff, the darkness dissipated the flames. The power Alto had used for so long to defeat his enemies was now being used against him. Only one other time had someone been able to turn the battle against him like this.

"Shadow, I see you betray me once again. You won't win this time though," Alto said.

"We shall see about that," David and Shadow said from the same mouth. Alto ran at the mage through the darkness. He held his staff up to block the sword. This gave Alto the opening he needed. He swiftly pulled his blade back thrust it through the general's stomach. The darkness all around them faded and David fell to the ground. Alto sent fire all throughout David's body before removing the blade.

"How could you do this to all of them," Colette said with anger in her voice. "I won't let you get away with this."

"And how will you stop me?"

"Maybe I can't, but I won't let you win." Colette began chanting a spell that she had known since the world regeneration journey, but the cost never merited its use, until now. "Thy power floweth purely, ever unwavering. Accept my soul into thine embrace. Sacrifice!" Colette fell to the ground as the light exited her body. The attack struck Alto and a healing light went out to all the other heroes. Their wounds were sealed, as if they had never fought Alto. However, the foe still stood before them.

As Genis rose he looked and saw the tiny angel faint to the ground. Her wings drifted to her sides and began to fade. He knew that the color would not be returning. A fury built up within the young mage. His once logical mind became filled with hatred desire and he would have vengeance. He didn't care what happened to himself anymore. Genis began channeling as much magic as his body would let him. All around him, manna was coursing through his veins. He could feel the point in which his body couldn't handle anymore, but he pushed forward anyway. He would give Alto the taste of what Lloyd had felt earlier. "From the land of the living, I call upon thee in the land of the dead, to unleash the fury of thunder, Indignation!" As he went to release that attack, he felt a barrier break within his own body. More manna then he could ever handle was now in him, but for now he could handle it. The mage knew that this wouldn't last long and there was only one shot at this, but it would be all he needed. His power reached a new level, like nothing he had ever felt before. "I'll show you your powerlessness... Indignation Judgment!" As he said this, all the manna left his body.

A circle of lightning appeared under Alto shocking him, followed by additional strikes of lightning from overhead hitting him. A blade filled with lightning and light came down and pinned him to the ground delivering a burst of magic that shook the very foundations of the planet. The rising smoke and dust blinded the mage from the results of the latest attack. There could only be one outcome from an impact like that though.

Even with the stillness in the room, visibility soon returned. And there he was, laying on the ground, victim to the vicious lightning attack. "That's what you get for messing with me," Genis said.

"Oh, a second rate magic attack, is that all?" Alto said as he once again rose to his feet. "That was more than I expected from you, but you are still far from beating me." Genis was struck with fear. All of them had pushed themselves to new levels of power at the cost of their very being. It was still not enough. What could they do? Alto raised his blade. "I tire of your pathetic attacks."

_

"You have to go back."

"But how is that possible?"

"The clash of magic in the world, a gift of life, and with our help, it might be possible."

"I told you not to die before me. Go back and fix this."

"You too? I can't believe he took another one."

"Go, I believe in you."

"No, not another one, I can't stand to see you here too."

"It was my choice. If my life can bring back all those people, then I regret nothing."

"The seal between the two is breaking. We give you all the power we still have to save them."

"Go my son, and defeat what I could not."

"Give them back the lives that were stolen from them."

"All right, I promise."

_

"Lightning blade!" Zelos called thrusting his sword at Alto. The blade was deflected and Alto held out his palm at the swordsman. A burst of fire once again defeated Zelos.

Alto turned and saw David casting a spell. He called flames from beneath the earth to come and engulf the mage. The burning flames lifted him into the air and slashed through him. As the fire dissipated, David fell hard onto the rock. Only the youngest one still stood to oppose Alto.

He swung the blade of unholy fire at Genis, who could only draw his own blade to counter. The blue and red swords clashed but the difference on strengths was evident. Alto's power pushed the blades toward Genis until his own sword sliced through the mage's shoulder.

Genis fell to the ground, dropped the sword, and held his hand up to the wound. Blood seeped out covering his hand and flowing down both arms. Genis looked up at the one about to end his life. The last one to stand and the last one to fall. He was shaking, unable to even focus his thoughts on how to defend himself. All his hopes of survival were compromised by his fear.

As the blade swung down at him, his hand picked up the blade and deflected the attack once again. However, he was not the one to do it. "Don't be afraid, I'm with you now." Were those his thoughts or something else? Had he wielded the blade without even telling his hand to? "This is going to be tough, but we can do it." There was no one else those thoughts could come from. It didn't make any sense, but to Genis, that was nothing new for him. "All right Lloyd," he quietly answered.

Lloyd knew he didn't have much time before he would once again be taken out of this world. Until that time, he would give Genis all the help he could. As one, they would stand against this great evil.

He looked down at the wounds Genis had taken during the battle. Blood continued to flow down and the shared pain made it hard to move. There was no way to escape the pain of Alto's attacks but by beating him now. He had taken everything they had thrown at him sustaining hardly a scratch. It wouldn't be easy, but Lloyd and Genis would fight him, until they couldn't anymore. The life and freedom of everyone rode on their success.

Genis rolled out of the way of another slash and began running from Alto. As he was running, Lloyd channeled manna through the mage. Bright multicolored wings grew from his back and his feet left the ground. "What is going on here?" Genis asked.

"Don't worry I will handle the angel powers. I think I know a way to beat him." The winged half elf swooped down toward Zelos and picked up his sword. He pointed one of them at Alto

"You should know who I am by now," Lloyd said through Genis' mouth. "While I was serving you, I kept one weapon hidden from you. The one that can defeat you." Lloyd held the swords together and the blue and red colors began combining. Where the two swords once existed, now the eternal sword rested in his hand.

Alto took a few steps back in fear. "How did you form the eternal sword from those two?"

"All those decades of serving you, they always held the essence of its power. Now die!"

Alto took to the sky and the two swords collided. The clash of the powerful blades shook the entire room.

"Genis, you can still cast you magic while I fight him,"

"Gotcha."

As Lloyd flew through the air, Alto pointed his blade at him and launched several streams of fire at him. Genis began focusing his manna while Lloyd controlled the rest of his body. "Gentle winds gather before me and transform into blades of air." The cyclone appeared all around Alto, slashing him. Lloyd flew in and slashed across his armor. Alto called out in pain for the first time in any memory. Lloyd pointed the blade at the wound and sent a beam of energy out of it and into Alto. The attack sent him crashing into the ground. Lloyd still had a message to pass on. "Light be thy sustenance and destroy the enemy!" he yelled sending a massive burst of light into his enemy.

"Was that?" Genis began to ask.

"Yes, she has one last gift for us."

"Spirits that dance in the air, resound in a chorus of holy exorcism... Fairy Circle!" A colorful light went out to all the heroes healing their wounds. David and Zelos rose again and saw the motionless enemy just lying there. They then saw Genis landing near the defeated foe. So many questions filled their minds, but now was not the time to answer them.

Genis walked over to Alto's alter, and stabbed the eternal sword into it. A massive portal opened. It looked as if the universe itself had begun to tear. "Guys, this will take you back a hundred years to a couple days after you originally broke through the time portal," Lloyd explained. Even though it was Genis who appeared to be speaking, they could all recognize Lloyd. "I am being pulled back by so I can't stay much longer," Lloyd said. Seconds later, Genis' wings vanished and the presence left his mind.

"You won't get away that easily," Alto said as he slowly returned to his feet.

"We'll see about that," Sheena said as she entered the room, followed by her sprits.

"We'll take it from here," Origin said. Sheena nodded and the sprits all surrounded Alto. Even injured, the dark swordsman could easily defeat them. They knew only by surviving a few seconds, they would win.

As Sheena, David, and Genis ran toward the alter, Zelos stopped and ran back. "What are you doing?" Sheena yelled.

Zelos leaned down and picked Colette's body of the ground and then joined the others traveling through the portal.

As they left the world of horrors, they knew that it could become a reality once again.

_

A/N: With that, this story is complete. I plan to write 3 more fics based on this one. A sequel that takes place when they return to their own time, a prequel which shows how Alto was sealed in his alter and is also a Karlan war fic, and a shorter fic that shows how they were thrust into the future. I plan to put some information about the sequel on my profile soon

I also must make a disclaimer that Alto's name was not my idea, but taken from a character in the fic Fallen Insert. The name is the only thing I used, and the rest is my original idea.

With all that, thank you for reading and as always, please review.

Extra note: I went back and edited all the chapters of this including this one about a week after this was originally published. None of the story was changed, just typos and I tried to make it flow better. Currently, the sequel, "Flames on the Horizon" has most of chapter 1 written so expect it soon.