Chapter Thirty Six
"You must be joking!" the woman in the red cloak yelled from the wall. "What the hell do you think you can do in that messed up body of yours!?"
"More then you know…" was Meyna's response followed with the white Ether forming into the blades that she used back at Colony 13.
The one in blue whistled again and Meyna pointed her sword at them.
"And you can stop with the act, pretending like this, I know you're not the kind of people who would dumb themselves down just to make a lousy impression."
The two suddenly fell quite.
"What are you talking about?" Rei asked Meyna when she lowered her arm. "You make it sound like you've seen something like this before."
She glanced over her shoulder to the Homs woman, red eyes drifting from one member of the group to the other before looking back at the cloaked beings and recalling a blurred vage image of three people about to fight some poor excuse of a villain.
"That's because I have, but… it was a long time ago. And right now, things such at that don't matter." She looked to the Face Mechon then back to the group. "I will fight with Nephilim, and go after the cloaked beings; the rest of you should deal with the Telethia, or take the wiser choice and leave."
"We're not leaving you," Grithiff said to her. "We'll back you up against the Telethia."
She smiled at him. "You haven't changed, alright then do as you see fit, and don't die."
"Grithiff what is going on?" Yuma asked with narrowed eyes as Meyna ran off but was soon joined with Rei and Ethon when fighting off smaller Telethia. "Her body changed, why is it that she looks like a…" she trailed off when seeing the slight glare that he gave. "What is she?"
"She's my sister." and he said nothing more as he took out his gun-blade but paused recalling the case of his father's gun on his back. Now wasn't the time to use it. He had his own, and when this was over and they were out of danger in a safe place, and Meyna had returned to normal he'd most likely switch to his father's blade.
But at the moment it didn't concern him, with one last glance to his sister before taking out his own weapon and began to go against the Telethia firing off a number of rounds while using his blade against them in close-range. Yuma narrowed her eyes on him, she knew that he was hiding something, but with how things were and how Meyna seemed to act, and asking now wouldn't be the wisest of choices.
"You should worry about the others instead of me," she said to Rei.
"As if Meyna," Rei smiled at her. "Just because you changed and have that Monado there, but it does not mean that I'm going to leave you hanging. We're friends after all, even if you can't remember."
She stilled and looked to Rei. "I wouldn't say that, but I'm not Meyna…"
Rei frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Her head snapped up and a number of those machines and Telethia came rushing for them. "Look out!" she pushed Rei out of the way and then twisted around and sent out a cross-slash which formed into Ether shaped X and struck the machines, but the Telethia remained. She narrowed her eyes at this but the Telethia then fell dead when the Face Mechon, with a nod of thanks before looking back to Rei. "Stay close to those in the group, it'd be better that way…" she then ran off towards the Face Mechon.
"Hey Meyna wait!" Rei called out but she didn't look back as she continued to run onwards while Rei remained where she was looking onwards with a baffled look. "What the… what the hell is going on?"
"Rei!" Yuma called out to her, and she rushed over. "What is happening to Meyna?"
"I… I'm not sure."
"You'll find out later!" Grithiff told them sharply causing them to look at him as he defeated a few of the smaller Telethia. "When we get out of this, I'll tell you but now we must stay focused."
Rei stamped her spear-lance down in annoyance before turning to face the enemy. "You better; I don't want any more secrets about my friend."
Grithiff was quite, the kind of silence that would make anyone unsettled. "You and I both…" he whispered but Rei didn't catch it, however Yuma and Ethon did, she looked at him with a puzzled frown before looking back to Meyna who was now fighting on her own with the aid of Nephilim.
What in the name of Lady Mayneth is she? Yuma thought. She looks almost like a… her thoughts stopped at her eyes grew wide the more she stared, no it couldn't be. She couldn't be, it wasn't possible…
"No time for day-dream!" Ethon spoke up drawing Yuma's attention back to the fight. "We must fight Dinobeasts!"
Shaking her head to remove those thoughts Yuma aimed her rifle into the air and fired off a few healing rounds so that everyone before aiming at the monsters with a narrow gaze. They would get out of here, they would win and then after all that they would get some answers.
The group branched off into two, Ethon with Yuma and Rei with Grithiff.
Meyna on the other hand, she seemed to have her own partner in all of this.
Running along the ground past the smaller Telethia, killing them with one slice of her blade she leapt into the air, and grasped her weapon with both hands and in the midst of the fall towards the ground she pulled it apart. Turning one blade into two, striking with deadly accuracy to the machines and Telethia close by as Nephilim fired off a number of rounds to the larger Telethia killing them off with ease.
It continued on for some time until the beasts suddenly dispersed back in a retreat after Meyna had killed a medium sized one and skidded on the ground to a stop.
"It's as he said," Meyna looked up to the two beings as the one in the blue spoke to her. "You truly are something else."
Meyna remained quiet.
"But she doesn't know does she?" the one in the blue cloak asked. "The one you forced to sleep? He told us about that power and what he wants with it. However he has no idea as to who you might be. He's tried many times but you… are a mystery within itself, not only is she someone who exists outside the pre-established harmony of this world but you are something of another caliber. Just who are you?"
She leveled her blades at him. "I am someone who should have long since passed." she said and Nephilim looked to her, the pilot remaining silent. "But I now realize that there is more for me to do in order to make sure this child remains safe. And if that means I must fight you then so be it," she readied herself for the next fight. "Come at me, disciple of a fallen god."
The one in the blue cloak almost seemed taken aback at her statement then laughed with enjoyment. "You are an interesting one; makes me want to know what kind of Ether you hold and not just that child."
"I won't let you, both the pilot of that Face and I, will never let you get to her ever again. Even if it means I must make her sleep to do so."
"Stop sounding brave!" the one in the red cloak demanded. "This is why I hate you so much, you and that damn brat. You keep grandstanding over and over, why the hell those two are both interested in you… considering what you are. You're just someone who shouldn't exist!"
Her eyes looked to the one in the red cloak. "You think such words would get to me? I know damn well that I should not exist. But don't you dare say such a thing about this child over your petty jealousy!"
When the two said nothing more she looked to the Face Mechon who seemed to nod in silent agreement and then activated a strange power which malfunctioned all of the machines causing them to no longer respond or work anymore while Meyna took the chance to destroy the ones in front of her before rushing the large mutated version of the Telethia. Nephilim flew ahead of Meyna, taking out it's weapon something similar to that of what Meyna had and counter attacked the beast before it had the chance to do anything.
While Meyna on the other hand zig-zagged from monster to machine destroying them in an instant before leaping into the air and landing on the wall eyeing the two cloaked beings before freeing one hand and casting a thumbs-down at them.
"Damn you!" the one in red went for Meyna only to be halted when a shot from a rifle went out, the one in red looked down and saw Yuma with her gun, the one in the red growled in response and turned to attack the Machina woman but the one in blue stopped the one in red. He shook his head saying not to engage as he then took out some type of mechanical device that was in the shape of a ball and threw it into the air. A bright light came from it causing everyone in the surrounding area to shield their eyes, when the light was gone they discovered that those cloaked beings had also vanished.
"It seems that they've fled," Yuma said when she lowered her rifle.
"What the hell?" Rei snapped in anger. "Then why were they even here to begin with?"
"They might have been here simply to observe us," Grithiff said soon realizing that the remaining Telethia was now just the large mutated one. "Or to see what we're capable of."
Yuma glanced to Meyna who was now standing atop of the wall looking at the Face Mechon dulling against the Telethia. "It might not be us you know…"
Meyna knelt down into a crouch before leaping into the air, jumping far across as if gravity was just some formality that she could ignore. When coming down she plunged her blades right into the Telethia head.
But the Telethia refused to die so easily, the creature roared and shook trying to be rid of her but she too refused to be removed.
Grithiff and Yuma both took this chance to aim and fire their weapons at the beast to weaken it as Rei and Ethon did a similar way with its lower body, working in three groups of two it seemed to be working however the Telethia suddenly let out a blast of Ether causing everyone to be blown back from it. Meyna fell back in the air almost bracing for impact but such a thing stopped when the Face Mechon caught her in its large mechanical hands.
She looked at the Face and gave a nod of thanks.
"Please put me down," she asked Nephilim and the Mechon obliged her.
"Wait," Rei called out when she stood seeing Meyna now walking to the Telethia the Monado she had now combining back into one. "What are you intending to do? You cannot fight it by yourself!"
She glanced at the others of the group before extending her arm out to her side. "That is not my intention," she said as Ether began to form around the blade. "I will use my power to weaken it, then we must all take it as a chance to do one final strike. This kind of creature was now something born naturally, it was altered and experimented on." her eyes narrowed as her voice grew soft. "I never thought he would continue such experiments… you damn bastard just what are you thinking you High Entia fool…"
The Telethia rushed forwards but Meyna shot out a blast of Ether from her blade, a white light that almost went out like a cannon.
"Now!" she called out to the others, when the Telethia fell to the ground and all of them charged at once to attack it, giving it no chance to counter or retreat before it let out one final cry and falling to the ground and vanish into Ether.
When it was over Meyna now stood on the shoulder of Nephilim and smiled at the pilot with relief before her body seemed to give out and fall towards the ground, the Face Mechon caught her with both hands as the Monado vanished once again into white Ether particles. Meyna however was still just barely aware; she lifted a shaken arm to the pilot and mouthed something before collapsing completely.
"Meyna!" Grithiff ran to the Mechon as it went down and handed Meyna over to her brother. "Meyna can you hear me?"
Yuma came rushing over and quickly examined her. "Something's not right; her body seems to be reacting to something."
"Return to Colony 4." Grithiff looked up to the Face Mechon, the pilot spoke, and it was that of a woman's voice. "You must take the transporter that is waiting for you at the base of the mountain, go and have her treated. Meyna will be fine if you do so."
Grithiff frowned, how did this person know his sister's name? What's more her voice sounded familiar but he couldn't place it.
"Hurry!" the pilot commanded. "I will remain and exterminate the remaining Telethia, you must return to Colony 4 this instant!"
"We're going!" he told the woman and Rei gave a brief nod in response as he carried his sister out of the Colony and down the mountain side. Doing so reminded him too much of what had happened twelve years ago. As he ran he looked back to the Face Mechon, there was just something about this pilot he couldn't place.
Upon reaching the bottom of the mountain instead of seeing Linada like Grithiff had hoped he saw that it was Kaisotozs instead. "Where's Linada?"
"She's back at the Colony, when she found out what happened with Igholt she asked me to come get you guys…" he trailed off when she saw Meyna. "Wh-what in the world happened to her? Her body it's changed."
"It doesn't matter now; we need Linada right away how fast can this get to Colony 4?"
"I can get us there in under five minutes,"
"Then do it, please Kaisotozs."
Kaisotozs gave a wary concerned looked to Yuma who nodded silently letting him know that it was alright. With a sigh he shook his head and went to the pilot seat. "Alright fine, I know when to not ask questions. Sit down and hold on."
When reaching Colony 4 Grithiff carried his sister to the Clinic stationed in the area, when he finally saw Linada he called out to her. "Linada!"
She turned, and paled when seeing how Meyna looked. "What happened?" she demanded as Grithiff put her on a stretcher.
"We were ambushed by Telethia," he told her. "In the midst of the attack she changed, is it possible to help her here?"
"Well yes but it will take some time. I'll do what I can." She then took the stretcher and wheeled it into another room, Yuma watched as her mother left quickly, completely unaware of Yuma even being nearby.
When the doors closed she let out a breath and went to wait with Rei.
Several hours passed and they were allowed into the room where Meyna was, when they entered Yuma was taken aback when she saw a tube hooked to the back of Meyna's neck draining Ether from her body. After a moment or two she asked Grithiff. "What is she?"
He looked to Yuma before turning a worried look back to Meyna who was still in her mechanical form. "You must promise me that no matter what, what is said here does not leave this room, and… you must not tell Meyna ether."
Rei put her hands on her hips. "Because she doesn't remember when she's like this, is that why?"
He nodded. "Yes, so will you keep this to yourselves?"
When the two nodded Grithiff looked to Ethon who now cast a worried expression to Meyna who remained asleep.
"She… Meyna is… she's half Machina."