Chapter 21: Androids and Crystal Pillars

The train dropped us off at the eastern station near Yaluny Canyon a couple of hours later. We picked up our gear and disembarked quickly, stepping out onto the empty platform. Well, everyone except Quistis. All she had to carry were her knives, belt, and rante.

"You don't have much on you Quistis," I commented as we headed north. The towering peaks of the mountains bordering Yaluny Canyon could be seen in the distance, a good hour's walk from the station.

"I came light," Quistis replied. "I was following Seifer from Balamb, I didn't think I needed to carry a lot of equipment for a long stay. I suppose I was mistaken."

"How did you meet up with him?" Rinoa asked, adjusting her pack as Angelo followed. Quistis let out a laugh and tapped the side of her head, where there was a small, shrinking bump.

"He jumped me on the train," Quistis replied, shaking her head. "Locked me in the cabin and took my Guardian Forces."

"I see," I replied before stopping. The others stopped as well.

"What's wrong?" Zell asked.

"Just give me a minute," I replied before I spoke within my mind. 'Hey Hyôrinmaru? Feel like sharing your power with Quistis?' I asked.

"Sure thing Josh," he replied. I felt his power flare inside my mind and I held out my hand. After a few seconds of pulling the energy into my hand, there was a small teal gemstone inside my hand. However I could still feel the ice dragon's power inside me, and I realised that he had simply created an Avatar copy from his own Avatar inside me and then shaped it into a GF gem. 'I guess something like this is possible because I'm a sorcerer,' I contemplated privately. I passed it to Quistis.

"Here. It's a GF stone from Hyôrinmaru," I said as she took it.

"Hyôrinmaru? I don't think I've heard of that one," she replied.

"Hyôrinmaru is Shiva's little brother. His form is a dragon with mastery over the Ice element," I explained.

"Where did you get it?" she asked, staring at the gem in wonder.

"At the Deep Sea Research Centre. And I guess now I need to explain how I was able to get there," I said before looking around to make sure our group was alone. Then I focused my powers and my black wings appeared into view.

"All sorceresses have wings that they can bring out at will. These are mine, and proof of my sorcerer powers. With them I was able to fly to Battleship Island the day after graduation to see if there was anything worth salvaging from the scientist's experiments there. I found a few GFs there and so I liberated them from their prison and asked them to join me. And they did. Hyôrinmaru is one of them," I explained.

"Wow…" Rinoa said as she gazed at my wings. "So beautiful."

"They are indeed," Quistis said, impressed.

I then dismissed my wings before I noticed movement behind me. I turned to see Selphie with one of her hands outstretched toward me. She froze when I noticed her before she grinned sheepishly. "Sorry Josh. I just wanted another feel of your wings," she said.

"Maybe another time," I replied, shaking my head in amusement. I then placed the gem into Quistis's hand before I blinked as Selphie handed a pink stone to me.

"What's up?" I asked.

"It's the GF I drew alongside Amaterasu from the exam," Selphie replied, shrugging. "Her name's Siren, but I haven't been doing too well junctioning her. Maybe you'll do better?"

"If you think so," I replied as I took the gem from her. 'Kyuubi, can you create an Avatar for Selphie?' I asked in my head.

"Yep!" she replied before I felt the same feeling of power massing into my hand. A second later a crimson gem was in my other hand. I gave Selphie this one before absorbing Siren into my body.

"Thanks Josh," Selphie said.

"No problems," I replied before a new voice spoke up.

"Wow! Your mind really is spacious," the female voice I assumed was Siren's said.

'Why is it every time a new GF enters my mind, that's always their first reaction?' I asked.

"Because we're not used to sorcerer minds. We're used to ordinary human minds which are significantly smaller. It's not a matter of how smart they are. It's just a different makeup. A sorceress's mind needs to be bigger to accommodate the raw magic they use," Bahamut supplied.

"Hey! You're here Bahamut. And Sukuna. And Kyuubi. And Diablos. And… oh Hyne, what are you doing here?" Siren said.

"Hey babe!" Dante said.

"You stay away from me or we'll have a repeat of what happened the last time you tried to feel me up!" she hissed.

Dante yelped and seemed to withdraw into a corner, whimpering slightly.

'What in the hell did you do to make Dante, of all people, whimper?' I asked, very curious.

"Don't ask," she replied.

'Shit, now I'm really curious,' I mentally muttered.

"Maybe some other time," she reasoned.

"Ok, I'm done," Quistis said after she had re-arranged her magic.

"Right-o. Let's keep moving," I said.

"So, that's your source of power?" Rinoa asked a couple of minutes later, to Squall. He nodded.

"Guardian Forces are SeeDs primary source of strength," Squall replied. "They are the primary weapon SeeD employs during its missions and the reason why Balamb Garden and SeeD are the most respected mercenary force in the west."

"You sound like a training manual," Rinoa commented.

"He sure does," I laughed. "However I've been teaching Squall and the others to treat GFs with respect and to not use and abuse them. They are living, breathing beings. Intelligent beings. We should not force them to fight for us. We need to live alongside them in peace," I said. "That reminds me." I paused again and summoned Shiva, Ifrit and Amaterasu into the physical world in their human forms. "I thought you could do with some fresh air."

"Thanks Josh," Shiva said, wearing the same clothes I had seen her wearing the first time. Ifrit was also wearing the same tight black singlet, black loose pants and heavy boots. But Amaterasu had changed out of her light cream summer dress and into a pair of light blue jeans with a brown belt, a yellow loose shirt and a blue denim vest over the top.

"You look good in that Amy," I complimented her.

"Thank you Josh," she smiled and bowed a little.

"Hey! I want to join in! So I'll grant you access to my true form," Diablos said.

"Ok then," I replied, summoning him to my side. But instead of showing up in his usual form, Diablos appeared as a larger and more buff form of his Avatar form. He also had two additional demonic wings, bringing the total up to four.

"Wow! So this is your true form, huh?" I asked as he touched down on the ground.

"That is correct," his voice boomed out as he generated a large tennis ball sized jewel and handed it to me. The gem was black with a glowing indigo core of light. I absorbed the gem and instantly felt my connection to Diablos strengthen considerably. But again, it wasn't as big as a jump as Shiva's. As soon as the connection finished getting stronger, Diablos morphed into his human form.

His new form consisted of short black hair that hung longer on his right side than his left. He had deathly pale skin and onyx black eyes. He had a set of elongated fangs that poked out over his bottom lip slightly. He wore a black tuxedo and black boots made for hiking. And he wore a strange, creepy smile. His whole look reminded me of Sebastian from Black Butler.

"So this is your human look, huh? Not bad," I said before shaking his hand.

"Likewise," he replied as he responded to the greeting, his smile growing wider.

We then continued to walk along the path. We were quiet for a few minutes before Rinoa continued her conversation with Squall about GFs. "How, exactly, do you summon them?"

"It's similar to casting magic," Squall responded, shrugging. "If you can cast spells, then junctioning a Guardian Force is no different than simply stocking a spell. If you want, we can show you when we stop to rest."

"You'd show me?" Rinoa asked, surprised. "Isn't that breaking protocol?"

"No," Squall replied, shaking his head. "Garden doesn't prohibit us from explaining or teaching others how to use GFs."

"But I thought that Guardian Forces were some big secret Garden kept protected," Rinoa said. "I thought that was why only SeeDs from Balamb used GFs."

"Nah," I cut in. "Balamb Garden believes it's ok to use Guardian Forces, but Trabia Garden try to avoid arming SeeDs with them and Galbadia Garden just plain don't like them. Most world militaries avoid use of Guardian Forces as well, despite the lure of using their power and the ease in which one can be trained in their use."

"Why?" Rinoa asked, curious.

"Other militaries are hesitant to use them because of mental effects," Squall explained. "Guardian Forces inhabit a section of their host's brain, and the effect of this is unknown. Most militaries refuse to use the GFs until they know more about the effect that they would have on their soldiers, but Balamb Garden research indicates there is no irreparable brain damage resulting from their use."

"Actually, while there is no brain damage done to our summoner's brain, where the Avatars are stored supresses long term memory," Diablos said casually.

"What?" Quistis exclaimed. "So you're saying we're losing our memories?"

"Didn't you hear Diablos? He said that our Avatar forms supress long-term memories. Only supress. If a form of stimuli is used, like a recording or a letter is used, then you will recall the memory. And if you unjunction us for a period of a few months, depending on how long you've junctioned us for, your long term memory will return of its own accord," Ifrit said.

"An example is that we might supress memories of your childhood. If you have no form of audio or visual reference, then you will not remember your childhood," Shiva added.

"I see. And that's all?" Rinoa asked, to which the four GFs nodded.

"But it does take some getting used to," Squall added. "If you're not careful with the junctioned magic, you may hurt yourself."

"I understand," Rinoa replied, nodding. "I'd like it if you both could show me," she added, looking at both Squall and I.

"Sure thing. I've got the perfect partner for you to help you get used to it all," I said with a wide grin.

"It's practical," Squall said. "If you have Guardian Forces to help you, you can defend yourself better. We won't worry about having to protect you."

"I figured you'd say something like that," Rinoa replied, shaking her head.

An hour later, my team, our client and the four GFs in human form had passed under the trees of the small forest nestled between the rock walls of Yaluny Canyon. We made good time through the forest, using a well-established trail made by Galbadia Garden's students as we passed through the forest. Another hour later, and we had reached the northern edge of the forest.

"We're almost to Galbadia Garden now," Quistis commented as we paused for a break. Everyone sat down for a breather.

"Heeey," Selphie said, her expression growing worried. "I was just thinking…."

"Uh-oh," I said, grinning widely. Selphie glared at me before she giggled.

"Well, what's up?" Shiva asked.

"We're passing into Galbadian territory," she said. "There might be some bad news from the Galbadian government." She grabbed her throat and made choking sounds. "What if we get caught and then get broadcast to the whole world?"

"Then make sure you go out laughing. Make a joke. Insult the President. Flash your boobs to the public. That's how I'll probably go out with," I laughed.

"What? Flash your man boobs?" Ifrit grinned. He continued to grin until I slapped him upside the head.

"You think you're real funny, Flame-o," I growled out. After a moment we laughed.

"Hey Josh?" Zell asked. "Do you think Deling will retaliate on Garden?"

"Are you still worrying about that?" I sighed.

"I can't help it. Balamb is my home," he replied.

"I'm not sure. Deling did threaten the Gardens, but he has to realise that Galbadia would be going up against all the SeeDs in the world armed to the teeth with weapons, magic and with the GFs on our side. If he wins, he wouldn't have much of a nation to rule afterwards since we wouldn't take his attack lying down. He might have a Sorceress on his side, but they are always a wild card. So to be honest I don't know if Deling would be ballsy enough to wage war against the Gardens," I replied honestly.

"I guess… I guess you're right," Zell replied, still feeling disheartened.

"Don't worry. If Galbadia declares war on us, I will fight alongside you all to the death. I promise. This does not mean that I will become a martyr as I hate that. I don't want to die unless absolutely necessary," I said.

This cheered Zell up. "Thanks man," he said, smiling.

"No problems mate…." I began to say but then a very familiar sensation took over me. "Oh… I forgot…" I murmured as I swayed a bit before I fell to my knees, dimly aware of Shiva calling my name. But she sounded so far away. I fell forward onto the grass, never noticing Squall, Selphie and Quistis doing the same.

Jack Soule stood beside Laguna as they looked down at the vast canyon below. Jack paused for a moment, scratching his unshaven stubble. This wasn't right, was it? That thing down there in the canyon… it shouldn't have been there in the first place. Hell, the canyon shouldn't have been there. The last recon flight into this section of Centra had shown a level plain, not this gouge in the earth. Nor did it show the miles-long crystalline structure below, partially encased in a massive rectangular metal shell.

"The fuck is that thing?" Jack muttered quietly to Laguna, who shrugged.

"I dunno, Jack," he replied.

"Kiros, you sure this is the place where the report of Estharian activity originated?" boomed Ward from behind Laguna. The two soldiers turned to face their huge comrade, as Kiros stepped around the bend in the mountain trail.

"Positive," the lithe man replied with a nod.

"Good," Ward responded, with a nod of his own. "I don't wanna be patrolling the wrong area, like last time. There weren't any Estharians for miles."

"Ahh, sorry," Laguna said. "This isn't the place."

"Oh, no you don't," Ward said, shaking his head. "Even you couldn't have gotten us off track here."

"This is it," Kiros added. "We're exactly where we're supposed to be. Let's get going, fearless commander. If the Estharian forces are up to anything, its here. We won't find out anything by sitting around."

Laguna sighed, and brought out his map. But before he could study the map again, Jack snatched it out of his hands.

"Hey! Gimme!" he protested, trying to grab the map, but Jack shoved his hand on Laguna's face and kept him back.

"Just give me a sec! Don't be such a baby!" Jack replied before letting go and studying the map himself. He looked over it, then into the canyon below. He checked again, and then sighed. The map that Laguna had been using was in fact the one for the region ten miles north of this area. Considering how Centra was pretty barren and featureless, that somehow didn't surprise him.

"You dumbass! You brought the wrong map. I swear it either one thing or the other every time you get us lost. It's a good thing we're in the correct spot this time," Jack said, shoving the map in Laguna's face.

"For once. Shouldn't have been in a rush to leave," Kiros muttered under his breath as he and Ward shook their heads in disbelief. "Well, let's go. Even your total incompetence couldn't screw this up."

"But, man," Laguna commented before the team could resume their patrol. "I've got a real bad feeling about this." He looked down at the structure below. "Something fishy's going on here. Esthar's up to something. You know what the old folks say, the unfamiliar always happens…"

"Unfamiliar?" Kiros asked, suppressing a laugh. "You mean 'unexpected,' right?"

"You only go the 'un' part right," Ward added.

"Ah, shut up," Laguna muttered. He took out his rifle and checked it quickly. "Check your gear before we move out."

Jack did the same thing, checking over his guns. As soon as he finished he took another look at the giant structure.

"Though I hate to admit it, Laguna's right. This place is spooking the crap outta me," Jack said before the team moved out.

"For once, you're right, man," Kiros commented as the small squad of four reached the canyon floor. "Something funny is happening here."

"Told ya," Laguna replied as they neared the strange structure. The trail that he had led them down had circled halfway across the canyon, so they were approaching the crystal and its encompassing metal structure from the east side, as opposed to the western end. At this point, they could hear the distant sound of ocean waves crashing against the cliffs to the south. Doubtless the ships that had dropped the team off were still waiting there for the patrol's return.

"Looks like no one's home," Ward muttered quietly as the team advanced down a cut trail. The trail featured rail lines along its length, and led to a large doorway in the side of the metal structure. As the group continued advancing, they heard the sound of operating machinery and the rumblings of stone.

"Maybe they're out for lunch," Laguna commented. "Keep an eye open for any threats." The other three soldiers nodded and readied their own weapons. Ward had his harpoon out, while Kiros' hands hovered near his belt, ready to draw the katals swiftly. Jack hovered his hands over his handguns, ready to draw them at a moment's notice.

No soldiers charged out to attack them, and neither did an alarm sound or gunshots boom as the team came closer. They soon spotted the source of the noise: a large conveyor belt, transporting heavy stones and dirt from some place deep underground.

"Excavation of some kind," Jack commented as they closed. Beyond the machine there was a pair of catwalks branching off, leading into the structure. Beyond them was an eerie crystalline glow.

"Seriously," Laguna said as they passed the machine. "This place sure is strange. What are they up to? Are those rocks natural rocks for carving tombstones or something?"

Jack looked at Laguna in an odd way. "The fuck?" he asked, completely taken off guard by the soldier's random comment. "Who cares?"

"Well, the government might," Ward replied. "They sure are interested in finding out why Esthar has such a large force operating in Centra in the first place."

"Nothing here of interest anyway," Kiros said, shaking his head. "Not much in the way of resources and it's too far south to launch an effective attack from."

"Maybe… they're checking out the ruins?" Laguna suggested. "Definately looks like they're excavating here. Maybe they're after old Centra tech?"

"Its possible," Kiros replied. "Though the idea of anything useful surviving the Lunar Cry from eighty years ago seems a bit of a stretch."

"Well, Esthar seems to think so," Laguna said with a shrug. He paused, then held up a hand, letting the others know to be quiet. They couldn't really hear very well, but Laguna thought he heard the sound of boots clanking on metal over the machinery.

"You hear that?" he asked, raising his rifle. The others nodded, and their own weapons rose as well. A moment later, there was more clanking, as if more boots were joining the first set. Then, suddenly, a group of white and purple-garbed men came into sight on one of the catwalks, the one directly ahead. The men wore a white bodysuit made of some toughened elastic metal. Over this they wore purple armour on their torsos and shoulders that conformed to their bodies, and similar purple armour over the thighs and lower legs. Their heads were encased in a purple and white helmet, with large red eyes, almost insect-like in appearance. The armour and helmet definitely made the soldiers look like inhuman machines.

"Esthar soldiers!" Laguna warned. "Still wearing those flashy armour suits." He pointed his rifle at the soldiers ahead. The men paused, and brandished odd weapons. They looked like three-barrelled pistols, with a huge and heavy pickaxe head mounted on top. The weapon, called a shotaxe, was an effective weapon for ranged and melee combat, and the standard issue Estharian weapon.

"Laguna!" Ward shouted from behind. Laguna glanced back.

"Don't be such a weenie, there's only three of 'em!" he said.

"Maybe you should turn around and recount!" Jack hissed.

Laguna stopped as he looked behind. Three more Estharian troopers were behind the squad, and more could be seen closing from the distance, hurrying down the mountain trails.

"What the…?" Laguna managed to say before the soldiers attacked. The three behind the group leaped into melee, hacking with their axes. Those further down the catwalk in front of Laguna charged as well, firing as they advanced.

Ward raised his harpoon to block a chop from one of the soldiers. He shoved the stopped axe aside and swung the harpoon across, the butt end smashing into the man's helmeted face. The soldier reeled, stunned, and Ward smashed him again in the face, knocking him down, his helmet crushed inward by the sheer force.

Ward spun to face a second soldier, though in the back of his mind he realized that even he didn't have the strength to crush hardened metal like the Estharian alloys. As he knocked another chop aside, Ward recalled the battle against the Wendigos just a month ago. He'd been far stronger than normal there too…

Laguna, standing on the narrow metal catwalk, didn't have anywhere to go as the soldiers ahead of him fired. He gritted his teeth and dropped prone, his left hand grabbing a grenade off his belt. The soldier fired his rifle one-handed as the Estharians closed, and as he hit the deck, Laguna let fly with the grenade.

Jack had decided to back up Kiros and Ward by firing several shots toward the many soldiers approaching them from behind. Each and every shot found their mark with almost perfect accuracy, despite the large distance between them. He was surprised for a moment at that surprising feat before a bullet whizzed past his face, creating a long but shallow cut along his cheek.

"Sniper!" He called out as he ducked and quickly scanned the many places one could snipe effectively from. After only 2 seconds he spotted the sniper in a well-covered spot. There was no way he could get him directly. After another two seconds of thinking up a plan, he readjusted his aim and fired three bullets. Two hit an iron beam directly above the sniper and ricocheted away from the shooter, but the third hit the beam and rebounded to blast a hole right through the sniper's head.

Kiros faced off against the last soldier behind the squad. His katals leaped into his hands and deftly parried the clumsy shotaxe swing. His right arm swung in a circular parrying motion, knocking the shotaxe aside, while his left shot forward. The katal struck the hardened torso armour, but did not penetrate. Kiros retracted the arm and sent it forward again in a blindingly fast jab, aiming higher. His katal cut through at the soldier's neck, jabbing into his throat.

Ward spun his harpoon over while it was still connecting with the soldier's axe. The big man drove the soldier's weapon down using the butt end of his harpoon. He angled the sharpened tip forward, and thrust hard. The razor edge of the harpoon punched clean through the soldier's chest armour, impaling him.

Laguna's sustained fire caught the leading soldier in the stomach. The man cried out, lurching over in pain as blood erupted from his stomach. A second later, the grenade Laguna had thrown detonated. The leading soldier simply vanished in a black and red cloud. One of the other soldiers was blasted to goo, while the third was hurled off the catwalk to tumble down into the depths below.

Ward pulled his harpoon free from its victim, and then ducked as a shotaxe blast tore a chunk out of the ground below him. Despite Jack's efforts to take out the force closing in, there were still too many reinforcements, and there was no argument among the small squad. They turned and ran down the only route they could.

Straight into the crystalline structure.

"Wasn't our mission just to patrol?" Kiros asked as they hurried down the catwalk, bullets pinging and flying around them. Another group of Estharian solders emerged, directly ahead, blocking escape down that catwalk.

"Why does it always turn out like this?" Ward asked as Laguna veered the group down the other catwalk. Laguna and Jack fired at the approaching soldiers, dropping two and sending the rest diving for cover. Laguna looked ahead, and then pointed. The catwalk ended, but there was a ladder leading down.

Kiros reached it first and practically bounded down the ladder. Ward was second, Jack was third while Laguna held back, firing bursts at the pursuing Estharians. He lobbed another grenade at them, and then scrambled down the ladder. Halfway down the fifty-foot ladder, the grenade exploded.

The ladder led down to a narrow catwalk, positioned between the outer metal wall and an inner wall of an eerie blue-white crystal. Jack could almost feel the power resonating through the crystal as he hurried down the ladder. The outer metal wall was criss-crossed with metal support beams and high-tech Estharian machinery. Both above and below the catwalk were more catwalks and supporting beams, many leading to tunnels bored directly into the inner crystal wall.

As the team hurried down the ladder, a bullet suddenly bounced off it, followed by a second that flew over Kiros' shoulder. A single Estharian soldier, standing on the catwalk near the ladder, was firing. The small man dropped off the ladder, falling the remaining fifteen feet. His katals flashed as he landed, knocking aside the striking axe of the soldier. Kiros struck quickly, spinning around. His katals came around and smashed into the soldier's torso. They didn't penetrate, but the force of the weapons and Kiros' spin knocked the soldier off his feet and over the edge of the catwalk. The man plummeted into the gap.

The other three soldiers reached the catwalk a second later, and Laguna dropped a grenade by the foot of the ladder. The trio ran on, and were more than safely far away when the grenade went off, destroying part of the ladder.

"Can't come at us that way," Laguna commented as they ran down the catwalk. A few minutes later the catwalk turned down to one of the tunnels bored into the crystal, and standing there was another Esthar soldier, who had his back turned to the group. Jack quietly took out a backup knife and silently made his way up to the unsuspecting soldier. He brought his knife around and quietly slit his throat. He fell away, and Ward grabbed the man. With one arm, Ward flung him off the catwalk.

Not stopping, the group hurried into the crystalline tunnel. Their footsteps rang as if they were hurrying across thick glass, and a strange, blue inner light illuminated the shining tunnel. None of the soldiers really understood what this crystal was, though they could easily sense the power throbbing through it, as if the massive structure was a living thing.

The men ran on without tiring. They rounded two bends, and blasted past a pair of Estharian soldiers, a katal taking one man in the stomach while Ward simply slammed the second against the wall, cracking both the man's helmet and the wall.

The crystal had changed to a greenish tint at this point, but Kiros, Jack, Laguna, and Ward paid it no attention as they reached an intersection. Before Laguna could even begin to decide which direction to take, though, Estharian soldiers came charging down both routes, four from the right, five from the left.

The leading soldier from the left tunnel died almost instantly, a single shot from Jack's right handgun blasting apart his face. The rest of the soldiers raised their axes and dove in. Laguna and Jack fell back, with Kiros stepping forward to meet the group coming down the left tunnel. Ward spun on the Estharians coming down the right.

Ward struck the first blow as the soldiers attacked him. He flipped his harpoon over, grabbing it close to the point, and swung it like a warhammer. The ring slammed into the closest soldier, crunching his armour and smashing him up against the wall, killing him instantly. Ward then deftly spun the harpoon over, holding it like a quarterstaff to deflect the next attack, an overhead chop of the next soldier's shotaxe.

The first soldier to strike at Kiros died in a quick spinning parry of the right katal, while the left thrust into his throat. The next soldier died just as quickly, his shotaxe parried by Kiros' left katal, and his neck cut by a crossing right katal. The third soldier struck with a powerful overhead strike, the axe head aimed squarely for Kiros' head.

Laguna found one of the soldiers from the left tunnel attacking him. The man came across with his shotaxe, a strike which Laguna ducked under. The axe came back around, but this time Laguna blocked it with his rifle. Laguna shoved the axe down, and stomped on its shaft, using his foot to hold the axe down for the split-second he needed. Laguna thrust the rifle up, jabbing the barrel into the soldier's chest. At point-blank range, Laguna fired, his rifle's bullets tearing into the soldier's armour. The rounds punched through and blasted into the man's chest. He fell back, dying as blood poured out the holes in his armour.

Jack was engaged with a soldier who had gotten past Ward somehow. He was currently using both his left gun and in his right hand was his backup knife. The Estharian came down with his shotaxe, to which Jack blocked with his gun. He then countered with his knife with a swipe across the face, but the soldier bent backwards as the knife tip passed an inch from cutting into his nose. But then Jack brought his gun up and fired a shot into the soldier's knee, collapsing him onto the ground. Jack then pounced and delivered a second shot to the head.

Ward easily stopped the chopping hit of his foe's shotaxe. He twisted his weapon to the right, shoving the enemy's weapon aside, and at the same time putting the butt of his harpoon in line for the man's face. The iron ring shot forward, smashing into the soldier's helmet and crushing the metal faceplate.

Kiros' katals rose into a crossing block, catching the descending axe between them. He quickly pushed back, shoving the soldier and his weapon back, and then stepped away, bring the katals out wide. Kiros then hopped forward, his katals coming together like the snapping jaws of a wolf. The katals slammed into either side of the shotaxe, hitting it on its shaft. The momentum of the two katals striking from opposite sides knocked the weapon out of the man's hands, and before he could react, Kiros' blades went out wide and snapped closed again, this time taking the man's head.

A third foe closed with Ward, who stepped back. He tossed his harpoon backwards, as if he was thrusting it one-handed at a foe behind him. However, instead of releasing the weapon, his right hand, which had been positioned near the spear tip, ran down the length of the weapon. Ward caught the harpoon at its ring, and then came forward, reversing the harpoon's momentum. He swung the harpoon across, slashing with the spear tip as if the weapon were one of Kiros' katals.

The tip missed the soldier it was aiming for, the target hopping back and sucking in his stomach, narrowly avoiding the razor tip of Ward's weapon. But Ward spun the harpoon over his head, bringing it back around to his side. This time, instead of thrusting, Ward punched out with the harpoon, again like one of Kiros' katals. The Estharian soldier brought his weapon up to block, but Ward's strike was too fast, and it went clean through the man's chest.

Ward yanked his iron spear loose with his right hand as the last soldier came in. Ward's left hand rose up as the shotaxe descended, and caught the hybrid weapon by its shaft. Ward then pulled his harpoon back with his right hand, releasing it as he did so. The weapon flew back, and Ward caught it at mid-shaft. He then spun the weapon, thrusting it at the soldier. The man took the iron spear in the chest, and went down.

Not wasting anytime, Laguna glanced down the tunnel behind them, to see more Estharian soldiers coming. A quick check of the other tunnels showed another party of enemy soldiers coming down the left tunnel.

"The right! Go right!" Laguna shouted, and they did so. Laguna paused long enough to drop a grenade and then ran as well. The Estharian soldiers converged at the intersection in time to meet the grenade's explosion. The pursuit was stalled, with the survivors either unconscious or in no condition to fight, until yet another squad of soldiers arrived, and bypassed their disabled comrades.

A couple of minutes and a ladder later, the small team ran across a trio of plates built into the floor of the crystal tunnel, apparently to cover up holes in the tunnel. Laguna paused at the middle one, and examined it, upon hearing a rattle in its frame.

"Hey, the lever's broken," he said, bending down. The plate, he saw, was designed so it could swing open if pressure was applied, probably either so teams could access the gap below or for trash disposal. All that was needed was someone to remove the lever.

"If we use this, we can slow down those stubborn Esthar fools!" Laguna proclaimed, as he fiddled with the lever.

"What are you up to?" Kiros asked, stopping and glancing back at Laguna. Ward and Jack stopped as well.

"Probably something stupid, I bet," the big man added.

"Or idiotic. Probably both," Jack grinned.

"You guys," Laguna replied, shaking his head as he continued working with the lever. "You guys are gonna regret saying that. They say the one who makes fun of a genius will end up crying in the end."

"So…" Ward replied, "Who's the genius?"

"Oh, shut up!" Laguna said, continuing trying to force the lever. "Anyway! The lever on this hatch is busted. If I can just get it loose…"

"They come at us from that direction, and…"

"Yeah! You guessed it!" Laguna replied. "They'll walk right over the plate without expecting anything! Then all of a sudden, whoops! Down they go!" Laguuna laughed. "I have to admit, I really am a genius."

Ward barked a laugh. "Like the Estharians are gonna fall for that trap," he said, shaking his head.

"Well, they could be that dumb, or maybe they won't expect a bunch of Galbadians to be that smart," Jack reasoned. "It's worth a try."

"That's right!" Laguna replied. "And those who never try will never know! You guys stand back. It's almost loose… there!" Laguna stood up, smiling at his handiwork. Aside from a small piece of metal that was missing, the trap was invisible. Not waiting to see the effectiveness of their simple trap, Laguna, Jack, Kiros, and Ward cleared out.

A couple of minutes later, the pursuing squad charged down the tunnel. Not even paying any attention to the metal plates below, the men crossed them without a thought.

Four men fell in as the plate swung loose, and two more were accidentally pushed in as the whole squad came to a sudden stop. The soldiers paused, and then turned around, running back down the tunnel. They would be able to catch up with the intruders, but the clever trap had cost them many minutes.

Another couple of intersections and a pair of patrolling Estharians later, the four Galbadian soldiers passed a series of boulders and rubble piled among an open chamber in the crystal.

"Must have been using explosives," Ward commented, noting a large tunnel leading straight down, on the west side of the cavern. A small, round boulder was perched nearby, a small pack of explosives set beneath it.

"No time to admire the scenery!" Laguna said, waving them on. "Those Estharians are hot on our tails!"

The group continued up the tunnel, passing by a very large boulder, also featuring a pack of explosives set under it. Just a few feet away there lay a detonator panel, with two switches, one red, one blue. They corresponded with a pair of fuses, the red one leading down the tunnel, while the blue one led to the large boulder nearby. Laguna paused next to it, then looked down the tunnel.

"Maybe we can block this tunnel, using the boulders?" he asked.

"Hey, man!" Ward exclaimed, an incredulous look on his scarred face. "Are you crazy? You don't even know how powerful that thing could be! Look at that boulder…" Ward pointed at the massive boulder nearby. "No telling how much firepower's needed to move this thing."

"Ahh, I bet it's not all that," Laguna assured his large friend. "The detonator's right here. As long as we stay behind it, we should be alright. Only an idiot would put the detonator where he could get caught in the blast!"

"Face it Ward, he's gonna do it. He's like a little kid. Just go with it," Jack said.

"Well… I guess so," Ward conceded. Laguna nodded and crouched beside the detonator.

"Let's see," he said. "Which one first? Red or blue?" Laguna shrugged and hit the red switch. He glanced back up at his friends. "Don't worry. The bomb blast won't reach us he Laguna was cut off as the crystal beneath their feet shuddered violently. A tremendous rumbling rippled through the structure, and Laguna and Ward were hurled off their feet. Kiros and Jack barely managed to stay standing, relying on their amazing agility to keep upright. Seconds later, the quakes faded.

"That was…" Kiros commented as the others rose. "Awfully loud. Must have been some major bombs they were using."

"Lucky we were here," Ward commented, dusting himself off.

"Like I said," Laguna said. "You should always check how powerful the thing could be first!"

"Ward said that you jackass!" Jack growled.

"…Uh… ah… hm… Anyway!" Laguna said quickly, scratching the back of his head nervously. "We're still alive, right?"

"Over there! That's where the explosion came from!" A shout sounded down the corridor.

"Maybe not," Kiros said. "They probably heard us."

"Probably?" Ward muttered. "That kind of explosion would wake the dead."

"No time to waste, then!" Laguna said, he bent down and tossed the blue switch. "This'll slow 'em down!" He then stood and waved frantically for the group to run. Judging by the power behind the bombs needed to move the small boulder in the chamber before, this explosion was going to be tremendous.

"It's gonna blow! Run for it!" Laguna shouted, and they did. Within moments, the group was almost out of sight up the corridor, scrambling up a staircase at the end of the tunnel. Halfway up, they paused and waited for the explosion, but none came. There was a faint cough, like that of a small firecracker, and then a distant rumbling as the boulder rolled away, accompanied by the panicked screams of the Estharian soldiers scrambling out of its way.

"That was… awfully quiet," Kiros commented.

"I was expecting a blast of some sort," Ward added. "Something big."

"It's like the Estharians are intentionally trying to screw with whoever activates the detonators," Jack muttered.

"Ha! I told you!" Laguna replied. "It was close to the detonator. I knew it wasn't that powerful!" His companions merely shook their heads, and the group ran the rest of the way up the stairs.

Soon, the trio reached the top, to find a catwalk leading over a vast chamber. The far end of the crystalline cavern was open to the sky, a circular opening ringed by pink crystal. The glimmers of outside light reflecting off the inside walls cast beautiful reflections and beams of light around the chamber.

Still, Laguna, Jack, Kiros and Ward did not pause to appreciate the beauty, instead hurrying up the catwalk. The catwalk featured a staircase halfway up its length, leading to a second level, above the one they were on. The second level turned to the left, at a right angle to its original course and leading to another tunnel across the chamber. The soldiers rushed up the catwalk's stairs, and turned. The distance between the staircase and the distant tunnel was well over a hundred feet long, and the narrow catwalk made for an excellent ambush spot.

The four knew this, but they had no choice but to cross. Thankfully, no Estharians approached from the distant tunnel, nor did any pursue them from the previous tunnel. Jack expected the group to be able to get off the catwalk without encountering any threats, but those hopes went flying away, as did Jack, a second later.

Something slammed into Jack's face, hard. The soldier went up and back, flying over the railing. He would have plunged to his death but managed to catch the railing with his left hand. Kiros and Ward came to a stop as the air in front of them rippled.

"Optic camo!" Kiros shouted, the implications surprising the other two soldiers. Esthar did indeed possess optical camouflage, rendering the wearer invisible and enabling them to hide their troops effectively, but the technology was still in the experimental stages.

Nonetheless, the soldiers in front of the group possessed this new technology. Now that they were revealed, though, the soldiers didn't bother with continuing the use of the tech. Like a rippling pond, the invisibility was swept away from the soldiers, revealing dozens of insect-like suits of armour packing the catwalk's length with deep ranks. The Estharians readied their shotaxes and advanced.

"How lovely…" Jack grunted sarcastically as he began hauling himself up as the enemy surged toward Laguna, Kiros and Ward. The three Galbadian soldiers readied their weapons, standing side-by- side on the narrow catwalk, and met the attack. The initial pair of attackers met swift ends, one impaled on Ward's harpoon while the second found his weapon knocked aside from a burst of gunfire from Laguna and his throat slashed by a katal, courtesy of Kiros.

The brown skinned man ducked low, the katal in his left shooting across, taking the next soldier coming at Ward in the knee while his second katal blocked an incoming shotaxe. Ward sent his harpoon to the right, the iron spear shooting through the opening the parried shotaxe had opened. The harpoon plunged home. Ward then brought his weapon back against the staggering soldier in front of him, the ring of the harpoon thudding against the man's head and sending him over the railing. Laguna managed to fire some accurate shots at his foe, bringing the soldier down as his kneecaps were blown to bits before several more bullets crashed through the soldier's helmet.

Kiros then went low again, beneath an attacking foe's shotaxe. He stabbed out with both katals, one striking the soldier in front and the other against the man next to him. Both men found katals in their stomachs, and then both went flying, one from Ward's swinging harpoon, the other from his swinging fist.

Another pair of soldiers attacked the three, and met similar ends, one's head severed while the other's skull was caved in. The men behind them died just as quickly, as Laguna let loose a wide spray of lead, killing them quickly.

Still, the soldiers knew they couldn't keep up with the pace. They were rapidly tiring, despite the odd stamina and strength they had seemingly been blessed with. The Estharinas kept on coming, with more streaming out of the tunnel behind the force already arrayed on the catwalk. Over a dozen enemy soldiers were dead or dying, but more than twice that number were on the catwlk, waiting for their shot at the Galbadians.

Jack managed to haul himself back up onto the catwalk, and raised his guns. However, he couldn't fire, as Laguna, Kiros and Ward were in front. As Ward's harpoon dove home, Kiros struck another foe down with a stab and slash and Laguna brought on the pain with several short bursts from his machine gun, Jack found himself unable to help them. None of the enemy presented a clear target.

Ward's harpoon hurled another foe aside, and he brought the point back around to strike again, only to see his next foe not charging. Instead, the man levelled the shotaxe at him. The weapon kicked up once, and the barrel flashed, and then Ward went down, a searing pain in his shoulder and chest.

"Ward!" Jack shouted as the big man fell. The Estharian rushed in quickly to finish him, only to be cut down by a single, powerful bullet. Jack clenched his teeth and continued to pull the trigger. Bullets tore through the enemy ranks, dropping more enemy soldiers.

Kiros, meanwhile, found himself hard-pressed. He was more than a match for his enemies, but the only way he could prevent them from firing on him like they had at Ward was to keep fighting them in melee. Thus, he had to continuously advance and force the enemy into close-quarters battle. The enemy pressed back against his attack, however, and Kiros felt himself becoming overwhelmed.

Laguna and Jack kept tearing into their foes, hitting them hard, but instead of retreating, the Estharians kept coming. Laguna knew he was running short of ammo, as was Jack as he swapped out for his final two clips, and as Laguna's magazine emptied, he grabbed a grenade off his belt. His ammunition ran out, and the grenade flew. It landed in the middle ranks of the enemy soldiers and detonated, even as more foes closed with the two gunners, trying to cut them down.

Blood and body parts flew as those soldiers in the immediate vicinity of the grenade simply vanished. Those not right next to the grenade were torn apart, and many more went flying, the lucky ones landing on the catwalk, the unlucky ones flying over the ledge to their deaths. Only a few of the remaining soldiers were left in any condition to fight, and were cut down quickly as Laguna slammed a new magazine home and struck before they could recover. Several bursts of gunfire and a few strokes of the katals later, the catwalk was cleared.

"Thank god that gauntlet is over with," Jack panted, his hands on his knees, the adrenaline slowing down.

Laguna and Kiros kneelt next to their comrade, who groaned in pain. Ward coughed once, spitting up blood.

"Ward! Are you okay? Say something!" Laguna asked pleadingly, to which Ward coughed again.

"Ouch," Ward replied. Then he laughed. "Damn, that hurt!"

"That shot should have killed you," Kiros exclaimed, shaking his head.

"Nah, Ward's too ugly to die," Laguna joked, helping the big man to his feet. The man stood, and shook his head, then blinked a few times.

"Laguna, is something odd going on?" he asked.

"Aside from being inside a crystal cavern being chased by a small army of Estharian soldiers?" Kiros commented.

"I think he's talking about how we're still alive," Jack replied.

"It's that buzzing again," Laguna said, nodding. "Like when we were in Timber and then in the desert. We're… we're stronger and faster than normal."

"And tougher," Ward added, putting a hand over his chest and the nasty wound. The big man pulled a healing potion off his belt and drank it down.

"What does it mean?" Laguna asked, perplexed. He seemed lost in thought for a moment, before shrugging. "I dunno."

"We can figure it out later," Kiros said, pointing back the way they'd come. "Those Estharians won't sit around with their ambush wiped out."

"Right," Laguna said with a nod. "Let's move!"

"Spoilsport!" Jack complained as he straightened up once more.

The Estharians had gained on the four soldiers during their battle and the short pause afterwards. Laguna and Jack rolled a few more grenades and fired some bursts behind to slow the pursuit several times, until the group reached an intersection, one direction leading ahead and deeper into the structure, the other leading to the right, and to daylight and the sound of the sea. Not hesitating, Laguna swung the group to the left. They bounded up a flight of stairs, with Jack dropping the last of his grenades to stop pursuit, and as the explosive detonated, the group reached the top of the stairs.

The tunnel ended ahead, opening to the outside, and the group felt the blowing wind and smelled the salt of the ocean. They ran forward, and exited the massive structure.

Only to find their exit blocked by a cliff overlooking the ocean, four hundred feet below.

"Motherfucker!" Jack swore as he glared at the cliff.

"Don't tell me…" Laguna moaned, shaking his head and staring at the waters below. So close…

Seconds later, there came the pounding of boots on metal behind them, bounding up the stairs. Esthar's army had finally caught up with them.

"Of all the worst possible…" Kiros growled, and they spun to face the enemy as they reached the top of the stairs. A dozen men, a full squad of Estharian regulars, stood atop the staircase. They readied their shotaxes and advanced. Behind them, four additional soldiers, clad in black and green insect-like armour, with blue eyes instead of red, approached the top of the stairs.

"Predicaments?" Ward asked, shaking his head as he brought his harpoon down and around. The black, blue, and green soldiers were actually cyborgs, part living, part machine. They were either manufactured, created from machinery or cloned human tissue, or made from the bodies of fallen soldiers too wounded to continue combat and military service without assistance. Esthar's elite shock troops, their cyborgs were faster than normal, stronger, and far deadlier combatants.

"Here we go again," Jack sighed.

The Estharian regulars surged forward. Ward speared one with a quick thrust, while Kiros dropped two with a pair of parries and a pair of cuts. Laguna's bullets tore through the soldiers' ranks, dropping three. Jack blasted accurate fire at the masses, killing off another three. A fourth struck at Jack, who rolled under the blow. He came up behind the man and kicked him, hard. The unnatural strength running through the soldier hurled the Estharian through the air and right over the cliff's edge. Laguna then fired again, covering Jack and taking the next man in the face with a burst, laying him dead.

Ward parried a cleaving blow, then hopped aside, evading an arcing, horizontal chop from another soldier. Ward dropped his right hand from his harpoon and punched the man whose blow he had deflected, and then thrust towards the second man, hitting him in the chest with the ring of the harpoon. The man staggered back, and Ward swept his weapon around, smashing the ring into the first soldier's face, crushing the helmet. The heavy harpoon rose again, and the ring descended on the second soldier. The man recovered from the first hit in time to catch the descending iron ring on the top of his head. He fell dead instantly, now several inches shorter with his crushed skull.

Kiros dispatched his foes with a dazzling display of slashes and parries. Before the remaining pair of soldiers had realized what had happened, one's axe was high, the other's low and to the side, and Kiros' katals had sliced their throats. The men fell to the ground, clutching their mortal wounds.

As the last of the regulars fell, the cyborgs stepped forward. As one, the man-machines levelled their shotaxes at the four soldiers. Jack opened his mouth to warn his friends to take cover, but then the cyborgs fired. Three sets of shotaxe barrels, nine shells in total, fired at the Galbadian four.

Laguna and Jack dove to the ground, and the shells aimed his way flew overhead harmlessly. Ward tried diving aside, but he was caught in the chest and neck by the shells. Blood streamed down his body from the wounds, and the big man fell back, dropping his harpoon. He scrabbled at his belt, grabbing for another healing potion.

Kiros managed to twist aside, catching the shells aimed at him along the side. His flank erupted in pain, but the soldier gritted through the fiery explosions and charged, katals raised.

The cyborgs then advanced, one going for each of the four Galbadians.

Ward, not wasting time drinking his potion, simply broke the bottle and splshed the fluid over his face and neck, and let the healing liquid work. He then brought his hands up. The cyborg attacking him swung fast and hard, but Ward was even quicker. His hands closed over the descending shotaxe's haft, stopping the weapon's tip several inches from his face. His muscles showing no strain at all, Ward the spun the axe over, twisting it out of the cyborg's hands. A flick of his wrist sent the shotaxe flying away, and then Ward dove into the man-machine.

Kiros matched his foe's speed and strength, his katals striking in rapid succession. The cyborg fell back into a defensive posture, its shotaxe working to fend Kiros' attacks. For a couple of seconds the two seemed evenly matched, until the cyborg suddenly hopped back and then came forward. Kiros stepped after the retreating machine, only to take a shoulder in the chest as the cyborg came back. The man stumbled backwards, and the cyborg struck, its shotaxe crossing in a powerful blow. The sharpened tip slammed into Kiros' side, diving deep.

Laguna met his foe head on, firing as the cyborg advanced. The man-machine took several bursts to the chest but ignored them, coming down with its axe. Laguna swung his rifle out in front, blocking the strike. He pushed off the cyborg, tossing it back. The cyborg came right back in, swinging its axe one-handed. Laguna's left hand shot out and caught the axe hand by the wrist, holding it tightly and stopping it there. He raised his rifle to fire it one-handed, but the cyborg's own free left hand came up and clasped the weapon by its barrel, holding the rifle fast.

Jack's opponent fired off a shotaxe blast, but Jack managed to dodge to the side with milliseconds to spare. He brought up his right handgun, but it was knocked out of his hand as the cyborg came in hard and fast with a kick. In a flash Jack's knife was in his hand. The cyborg jumped into the air and brought it's shotaxe above it's head and then did a vertical downward slash as it came down on top of Jack. He reacted swiftly by rolling sideways to avoid the attack, where the ace hit the ground and caused a few fragments of crystal to scatter from the point of impact.

Ward bore his foe to the ground, punching away. However, the cyborg was much tougher than the Estharian regulars, and it seemed to ignore Ward's heavy punches, and countered with its own. The two traded blow for blow, meaty fist slamming the cyborg while armoured machinery crunched into bone and flesh. Within a few hits Ward was dazed, and the cyborg curled its legs underneath it and planted its feet on Ward's chest. A quick heave tossed the man off it, and the cyborg rose.

Ward shook his head and rose as well. He fell into a fighting stance, clearing his dazed head. The cyborg rushed forward, hands shooting out in a double thrust punch, one fist aimed at Ward's head, the other at his midsection. Ward's hands shot forward as well, and as with the shotaxe's haft, the big man's hands were able to catch the onrushing cyborg's arms and hold them. However, rather than simply stop the machine there, Ward spun, using his inhuman strength and the cyborg's momentum to spin it around. As they turned, Ward released the cyborg's wrists, and it went flying, right over the edge of the cliff.

Ward then fell back, the damage from the shotgun shells and the cyborg's fists finally taking its toll. The big man fell on his rear, and then dropped to the side.

Kiros leaped back, tearing free of the axe. His left hand fell to his side, dropping its katal to stem the flow of blood from the wound. He glared at the cyborg as it approached. The shotaxe was raised, and it charged. The axe began to dive, when Kiros rolled away, easily evading the axe head. The small man came back in just as quickly, his katal coming up and thrusting. The punching dagger lived up to its name, and Kiros drove the weapon through the cyborg's metallic skull, smashing electronics. The man-machine sparked once, and then fell limp.

Kiros let out a gasp and fell as well, his blood still pouring from the wound in his side. He grabbed at a potion and downed the liquid, staunching the bleeding.

As soon as the cyborg's attack missed Jack quickly spun around and extended his knife out to slash at the cyborg's unprotected side but it back flipped to avoid the sword strike. As soon as it landed back on the ground it charged head on at Jack with another powerful shotaxe slash, which Jack quickly blocked with his knife, upon which a power struggle emanated between them, where they struggled for dominance and tried to overpower each other. But either the cyborg forgot that Jack was armed in both hands or he was too busy with trying to overpower Jack, who knows. But Jack suddenly let up on the pressure, causing the cyborg to stumble forward. Right into Jack's left gun. A few loud bangs and the cyborg fell to the ground, a mixture of blood and silver fluid flowing out of a few points of entry.

Jack then collapsed to the ground in a heap, gasping for breath.

Laguna was caught in a clinch with the cyborg. The two glared at each other, Laguna's eyes staring into the emotionless blue bug eyes of the cyborg. Their muscles strained, the human's sinews battling the cyborg's mechanized gears. Time seemed to stand still for a moment, and then, impossibly, the rifle edged forward, its barrel turning in line with the cyborg's chest. The cyborg fought back, but with each passing second, the rifle edged another inch closer. Laguna set his teeth and pushed, very hard. Just a little more…

The human let out a growl of both victory and hope, and pushed even harder. With a final surge, the rifle jabbed forward, and stuck into the cyborg's chest. Laguna pulled the trigger, and held it down. The metal slugs punched into the cyborg's chest, tearing through armour and electronics. Round after round dove in, and within seconds, the machine no longer stood. It fell, very much dead, to the ground.

Laguna didn't pause to celebrate. He spun, checking his friends. For an instant, he thought they were dead, or nearly so, but a quick check showed both Jack, Kiros and Ward were alive, if badly injured. Laguna then scanned the area for enemies, but saw none. However, Laguna did spot something beyond the edge of the cliff. He looked out over that edge and laughed.

Down below, on the sea, were a group of Galbadian vessels. The small craft were likely patrol ships, but nonetheless, they were a guaranteed ticket out of there. Moving quickly, the soldier rushed to his comrades, hooking an arm under each man's arm, and pulling them to the cliff's face.

"Look, guys," he told them. "The ocean. We're saved!"

"That doesn't mean squat if there's no boats down there," Jack groaned as he crawled over to collect the gun that had been knocked out of his hand in the fight. He then crawled to the edge of the cliff and saw that there were boats. "Boats… yay…"

"One would say," Kiros gasped. "That we've been run down. It's not like we can go anywhere, and there's more right behind us…"

"Don't jinx it! We won't survive another round!" moaned Jack.

Beside them, Ward growled something. Laguna turned to the big man, wincing at the wounds on his friend.

"What did you say?" Laguna asked, bending down next to Ward.

"I…" Kiros tried talking. He paused for a second, and continued. "I think… his throat… was injured. Lost his… voice…"

"It… was… fu… you…" Ward tried saying, his voice coming out slowly and almost unintelligibly.

"If you're trying to swear at us, that would not be cool," Jack muttered.

"Shush!" Laguna hissed at Jack. "What was that?" he asked, bending closer.

"It… was… fun… you… guys…." Ward finished. "Lag… una… Kir… os… Jack… It was… fun…" He said nothing more, having passed out.

Laguna shook his head at Ward's negative words. He couldn't just give up like that!

"Ward, man, that's way uncool," Laguna said. "Don't say things like that! Just for that, I'm giving you the Cuchi-Cuchi treatment!" Laguna the grabbed one of Ward's arms and raised it, and then proceeded to tickle the huge man, apparently not realizing Ward was unconscious.

"There!" Laguna said with finality, having dealt with Ward. "How'd you like that?"

"You dumbass… embarrassing people doesn't work when they're out like a light. Unless you have a camera," Jack muttered.

"Hmph. Well, when you come to, you're getting it even worse! Anyway, check it out!" Laguna turned to Kiros and pointed over the edge of the cliff. "There're boats down there! We're going back to Galbadia! Only problem is, it's a long way down." Laguna shrugged as he bent over and hoisted Kiros by an arm. He half-walked and half-dragged his comrade to the edge, and then tried to help him down.

Unfortunately, Kiros, at that moment, had passed out, and even if he was conscious, it was doubtful he could have been able to make it even halfway down the cliff before falling.

Laguna was helping Ward up when Kiros splashed into the water four hundred feet below.

The big man met a similar fate as Laguna tried to get him to the ledge. Laguna let out a whistle as he saw Ward splash into the waters. Already, the boats had turned and closed with the two soldiers. Kiros was being hauled on board, and Ward was about to be dragged on too.

"You're not pushing me off!" Jack half yelled. "You'll just mess it up and I'll die from the tumble down the cliff." He heaved himself to his feet and stopped at the edge.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Laguna asked.

"Shut up! These things take a little time to prepare. It's not like jumping off the local town's jetti!" Jack snapped. However he would have no time to prepare as Laguna pushed him off the edge.

"YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD LAGUNAAAAAAAAAA!" Jack roared as he plummeted to the ocean, managing to correct his flight plan before killing himself in what would have been a bellyflop.

"Man, you guys sure have guts," Laguna commented as he began his descent. "You know how high this cliff is? I sure wouldn't jump off it!"

Laguna made it down a few feet before his hands slipped on the rocks. His grip vanished, and the soldier fell.

"Oh, shi-!" Laguna began to shout, before a jutting section of the cliff broke him off mid-sentence, and incidentally broke his right arm as well.

"No way," he muttered as he plummeted. Another section of the cliff jutted out, and Laguna took this one full across his chest, his ribs and left arm pulverized by the impact.

"AHHHHHH!" Laguna screamed (justifiably so) as he bounced, smashed, and plummeted the remaining three hundred feet into the sea below.