I.K.A. Valian, Mandrakefunnyjuice, and Poet Bucky were the reviewers, and we're about to wrap up this final part of our story. And in this chapter, I'm going to pull a final twist, one that I've been leading everyone on all this time. I've told everyone that the Four Seraphim will not be involved, but it just so happens that I managed to include one of them here, and it's probably the one that everyone likes the most. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Kratos Aurion will make his debut.
Namco owns Tales of Symphonia. Martin Scorsese owns The Departed. Felix Chong and Siu Fai Mak own Infernal Affairs.
Lloyd was in Gil's Audi V8, speeding down the road they took earlier to the platform on the field, all the while repeating the same message again and again in the same phone call. "No, you guys should stay here in Iselia, and go to the platform with me," Lloyd explained to Frank, "I called Genis and Raine, and they've decided to go to Sheena. They'll take care of everything regarding the tree from there."
"How can we help you out? Colette's still not a hundred percent, and if Lynn goes with Genis and Raine, then…" Frank stuttered, still alarmed at the revelations. Lloyd had revealed the events of the past day or so to him, and true to the Brunel fashion, Frank did not take it lightly. He fretted over almost every possible consequence, which made Lloyd wonder whether the archaeologist understood anything at all.
Lloyd sighed, switching the cell phone from his left ear to his right. "Mrs. Sage won't be going with Genis and Raine to Sheena. She'll be staying here in Iselia with us to keep an eye on Colette. Since they're both recovering, Captain Noishe's intentions are to have her watch Colette while we track the platform and where they took my dad."
After giving Frank some quick instructions, he hung up and pocketed his cell phone, choosing to focus on the road ahead of him. The vehicle continued through the darkness for another ten minutes or so until it reached the field. Jumping out of the Audi, he charged to the field, where he had been just hours earlier. It was the wee hours of the night, the darkness creating a cold and smothering atmosphere. Lloyd rubbed his arms, his short-sleeve T-shirt not doing too much to help him stay warm.
Lloyd stepped up to the platform and stared at the machine, with the Exspheres no longer flashing and shining. Even with it disabled by Presea earlier, Lloyd still pondered the possible destructiveness of the machine before him, as it led to the main base of the extremists: Derris Kharlan. He touched the Exsphere-covered base, his hand somewhat shielded from the cold metal by his open-fingered gloves. Noishe had told him that he had, from his history, some items that could assist them in saving not just Gil, but the entire world. What's that guy up to, Lloyd thought to himself.
The questions were soon to be answered, as Noishe came down the hill with a sports bag in his hand. Immediately, he rummaged through it and brought out two small objects. One was shaped like an Exsphere, but it was larger in size, and Lloyd could have sworn that the light reflected from it was different as well. "This is no ordinary Exsphere. It used to belong to my former owner, Lloyd Irving," Noishe described, "Your namesake had a very special Exsphere that evolved somehow, and gained the ability to absorb the powers of other Exspheres. That made him a more powerful fighter than anyone else."
"Wait, did you say my namesake, as in the Reunification hero?" Lloyd asked, "It must be a really famous artefact then. You better not let Raine get her hands on that."
Noishe smirked. "I'm surprised you managed to keep your sense of humour even in the face of danger. But yes, my famous owner did once have this in his possession, but the stories behind it were far from positive. It was at its strongest during the civil wars, when those extremists who used his dwarven vows to gain personal power fought alongside him, and nearly soiled his legacy. Believe it or not, one of the Four Seraphim, a half-elf named Yuan, was defeated in this civil war. He was guarding the Great Tree at the time, but took off to help end the violence. He ended up losing to Lloyd, and Lloyd's Exsphere absorbed his. Yuan was lucky to escape with his life, although he didn't live much longer afterwards."
Lloyd was silent, mulling over the power Noishe had in his hands. He heard from the times that he stayed awake in history class that the Four Seraphim were all formidable fighters, each with physical strength and mana abilities. To have his namesake defeat one, that was truly an amazing feat. Yet, the most sobering part was not the power his ancient counterpart had; rather, it was the objective behind the fight: ancient Lloyd fought with a bunch of extremists bent on taking over the world and making it under their own ideas all under a fake support for his dwarven vows. "It goes to show how dangerous extremism can be, I guess," Lloyd murmured, imagining the events in his mind.
Suddenly, his eyes focused on something else that was of interest. It looked like an Exsphere, but had an irregular shape and strange colour. "What's that?" Lloyd asked, pointing to the object, "Is it an Exsphere of a different type?"
Noishe picked up the object and put it into Lloyd's hand. "This is Aionis Ore. It enables those who are not half-elves to wield the ultimate weapon: the Eternal Sword," he explained, "It was first wielded by Mithos, the leader of the original team that ended the Kharlan War. He had it in his possession for millennia, where he used it to split the world in two, and controlled mana flow to his liking. Your namesake, with help from his real and adoptive fathers, created this to help him wield the sword. He then used it to put the world back together. Unfortunately, the Eternal Sword was also involved in the bloody civil wars later on, where Lloyd used it as his main weapon against his enemies."
Lloyd rolled the object around in the gloved palm of his hand. "So why are you giving it to me? We don't have the sword around anyway, so it's useless to keep it for the time being," Lloyd replied, still nervous about the object's bloody history.
Noishe packed up his bag one last time. Lloyd could not see very clearly, but it seemed like there were firearms of some sort in the bag. "The Eternal Sword is still part of today's life. When we finally convinced Lloyd to give up his madness, he gave up both his titles and his weapons, and retired to a life of solitude. The condition was Dirk would keep the Aionis Ore, while the Eternal Sword was returned to the summon spirit Origin. When Dirk died, the ore became in my possession, and when Lloyd was on his deathbed he requested to me that the Eternal Sword should only be summoned again at troubled times. I had it with me throughout, and I figured that this is finally the time to reuse it."
Lloyd looked at Noishe, the silhouette of the former Protozoan moving towards the platform as he prepared, Lloyd figured, something drastic. Lloyd still couldn't believe the historically significant objects that were in Noishe's possession the entire time. And now, it seemed like the police captain planned to have Lloyd carry out his former owner's legacy. "His former owner, meaning my namesake," Lloyd said to himself, "It's now in my hands to help save the world, and even my dad."
At this time, Lloyd and Noishe heard some shuffling from the hills behind them. They turned just in time to see the Brunels along with Lynn make their way down to the field. Lloyd immediately charged forward to the blonde teen, formerly his friend but now his girlfriend, and the two embraced each other. "Colette, are you alright?" Lloyd asked.
Colette nodded. "I heard about you helping your dad stop Cruxis, and now he's been taken onto the comet. Lloyd, I promise you, I'm going to do everything I can to help you. We're going to stop them once and for all, and we're going to do it together."
Lloyd nodded determinedly. Turning to Colette's parents, he asked them if they brought what was needed. When they pulled out a series of shovels and picks, Lloyd turned to Noishe, who gave the final instructions for them to dig a hole near the platform. "We want it at least deep enough to plant the seed of the Mana Tree," Noishe explained, "If Derris Kharlan is going to disrupt any of the world's mana, it's going to come from right here. So for the new tree, if we can get it, it should be here to serve as a stabilizer."
Frank and Lloyd nodded as they, along with Noishe, attacked the ground with the shovels and picks. They kept at it throughout the night, occasionally switching with Phoebe, who was the fourth healthy body around and could contribute. During the dig, Lloyd would receive several phone calls from Raine, who updated the group of her process to the remnants of the Mana Tree to help Sheena with Origin, with the most recent one informing him that she was nearly at the tree, and that both Mark and Ricardo would be going to Iselia to give whatever assistance possible. "We require all the help we can get," Lloyd informed Raine, "So the sooner they can get here, the better."
As Lloyd wiped away his sweat, he glanced upward at the sky. The bright shine of the comet was right above them, and although they could not see it, it was inching ever closer to the planet. "We can't fail, or that's it for the world," Lloyd muttered, "Dad, hang on up there, alright? We're going to come and get you."
But Lloyd's words were of no use to Gil, who was receiving the beating of a lifetime on Derris Kharlan. Not even in his days with Magnius had such cruelty been heaped upon him. The first few hits by the angel warriors completely destroyed his cast, making the already immobile undercover police officer even more immobile. Then the front few angels took turned swinging their staffs at Gil's broken leg, causing the fracture to worsen. Each sickening crack from the staffs slamming into bone echoed throughout the chamber, with Gil crying out in pain at each shot. Straining to sit up properly, he stared at whatever was left of his legs, and was not surprised if it was broken altogether.
But the cruelty did not end there, as the lead angel ordered his troops to send weak mana spells at Gil, further weakening him. For the next few minutes, Gil felt a variety of mana, ranging from fire, to ice, to lightning course through his body. "No one can betray Cruxis and escape punishment," the leader spat in an acid tone.
Gil glanced up again, blood oozing out various parts of his body, not to mention immense pain throbbing from his legs. His eyes were so blurry that he could not see who was where anymore. Even then, he tried looking around for any route to escape, but his luck seemed to be out as he was surrounded by angels in all directions. "Escape is futile, inferior being," the leader exclaimed, "With our leader Pronyma at the helm, all efforts to stop us are fruitless. Once we've taken over the world, we're coming back to kill you."
As if right on cue, a female half-elf approached the group. Even with Gil's blurred vision, he could feel a strange aura of evil around her. It was almost as if a door was left open in Flanoir, and the winter weather was blowing in. The half-elf had dark hair, dark eyes, and strangely enough, dark lips. The angels backed off like the tide going out from the beach, and the presumed Cruxis leader approached. "You were accepted by my best associate Forcystus, and you ended up betraying him? You may be one of us, but humans can't ever be trusted, and you're going to receive your punishment," she snarled.
Gil's response was not what Pronyma expected, as even in his weak state, Gil did not back down. "The only people to be receiving punishment are you," he retorted, blood still dripping from his face, "You destroy the world's mana, wreck its stability, and think you can take it over? Even if I don't stop you, you can't move forward either."
That drove Pronyma into a rage. Charging up a dark sphere in her hand, she threw it at Gil, catching the undercover police officer right in the chest. That sent him flying across the room, slamming back first into the wall. Gil crumbled to the floor, unconscious and unmoving. "We'll deal with him later on. Right now we need to deal with infiltrating the planet. Lock him up!" Pronyma ordered, coldly turning away. Two angels flew to Gil and hauled him off, roughly throwing him into a cell before heading off to their mission.
Just as there was complete silence, the prisoner in the cell adjacent to Gil's went up to the bars. "Hey, you alright?" he asked. Gil did not stir, which caused the prisoner to feel for a pulse. Reaching across the bars, he managed to grab Gil's wrist and pressed on it. Luckily, there was still pounding from the arteries, but it was so weak that immediate medical attention would be required. The prisoner turned back, got into a fighting stance and charged up some surrounding mana. "Healing Wind!" he shouted.
Just then, a green aura spread through Gil's cell, surrounding the lifeless body and engulfing the wounds. Cuts were healed and bruises faded, and even the bent legs were straightened out somewhat. As the light dissipated, Gil began to stir. He turned around to get a good look at the adjacent cell, only to see a silhouette standing tall and erect, staring over him. "You," Gil stuttered, "you just cast that mana spell, didn't you?"
The figure nodded and replied in a deep voice. "You were injured badly when the angels threw you in here, so I had to use the healing spell if I were to keep you alive." He crouched down to Gil's level, and then continued, "I can tell from your mana structure that you're not a half-elf, meaning you can't possibly be from the comet. Since you were probably captured by Cruxis, I'm guessing they must be near the planet by now."
Gil shook his head, confused at the events. "You said you can tell that I'm not a half-elf, and you can also tell how far Derris Kharlan is to the planet," he went over the details slowly, "So you're against these guys from destroying the planet? Is that why they imprisoned you? I thought all half-elves up here are bent on this madness."
"Two corrections," the figure responded in a somewhat condescending tone, "First, half-elves opposing this madness since the comet was re-colonized were killed off, meaning anybody left out there is among the radicals. Second, despite my abilities to use mana spells, I'm not a half-elf. In fact, I'm a human, just like you."
Gil thought about it for a few minutes. How could a human be on Derris Kharlan? Kratos Aurion was the last one there, and he had been around for millennia. Unless he had an Exsphere, which Noishe told him could artificially enhance one's longevity. The person standing before him was a human, yet he could control mana, meaning he must have an Exsphere on him. Kratos Aurion also had an Exsphere, so was it possible? Gil stared up one more time, and could make out from the silhouette a sword belt of sorts. "You're Kratos Aurion, aren't you? You're Captain Noishe's friend?" he asked.
The figure moved closer to Gil, revealing red-brown hair, spiked to a fashion eerily similar to Lloyd's. The dark purple clothes were reminiscent of a time long before Gil's, and the determined eyes seemed like they could see right through him. "Noishe, that's one name I haven't heard in centuries," the man reminisced.
"We're at the tree right now, and we're meeting up with Sheena," Raine spoke on her phone with Lloyd. After several conversations throughout the night, it was obvious to Raine that this would be their hardest test, with the fate of the entire world on the line. "I assure you, Lloyd, we're going to face this challenge head-on, and we will win. We've got experience on our side now, and everything's going to work out."
As she continued speaking to Lloyd, Genis was helping Sheena set up the mana detectors. Indeed, true to Sheena's words, the mana levels had steadily increased through the night, and were still going up as they spoke. "You got any idea how we're going to deal with Origin?" Genis asked nervously as he put the charts away.
Sheena returned the nervous glance. "Origin was, at least according to historical documents, sealed away for the longest time under Kratos Aurion, someone that your friend Captain Noishe knew well. We spoke with Captain Noishe earlier, and he told us that Lloyd Irving from the Reunification was asked to give up his swords and return them to Origin after the civil wars. So I assume if we get Origin to cooperate, then we may just get something on that sword, although I'm not sure how it'll help us."
Just then, Raine pocketed her phone and approached them. "Captain Noishe told me that when Origin was first released, they had to break Origin's seal. As he recalled it, the summoner back then, Sheena's namesake, sealed Origin within whatever was left of the seed, while the rest of the summon spirits were assigned as guardian roles of the tree after Martel was sacrificed. So if we break the roots or stumps somewhat, there should be a reaction from Origin. Let's get started," she decided.
The three immediately began tapping and hacking at the stump, trying to get it to open up. Sheena summoned Gnome to help them pry open the ground, while Genis used a fire ball spell to burn away at some of the rotting wood. The summoner, the half-elves and the servant of mother earth kept at it for a few more minutes when mana dissipated from the slightly-opened tree stump. The bright specks streamed steadily skyward, like butterflies emerging from their chrysalides, a sight that had Sheena and the Sage siblings in awe. Only a sharp clearing of the throat by Gnome did they return to their work.
They would continue at the stump, swinging a few more times at it when it cracked open like a coconut. The three inched back for safety as the mana shot up from the opening like a geyser. A large being then materialized before them, he had a stern face, four arms, and a strange genie-like tail. Around him were colours of every type of mana, symbolizing the completeness of the world. One look at the being and the three knew who they were dealing with. "Origin," they said in unison.
The large humanoid glared down as Sheena approached. "This is for everyone out there, thanks for believing in me. I won't let you down," she muttered. Looking at Origin, she explained the world's state, "The state of the world is precarious right now. The mana has been destabilized by a group of extremists operating out of Derris Kharlan. We want you to remake the seed of the Mana Tree and stabilize the world again."
Origin crossed his arms and stared at Sheena expressionlessly. "Once again, the inhabitants of this world entered a conflict, and once again, I am summoned to save it. You have abused my powers again and again, and I am truly tired of your problems."
"That's not true. The issues are relevant to us because in the past, some people chose to give up the development of our world," Sheena insisted, "They took the easy way out and went to Derris Kharlan, while most of us stayed and fought the battles. Surely you can put that into consideration, right?"
Raine then moved forward and had her say. "I agree with Sheena. Throughout our journey, we saw humans, elves, half-elves, dwarves, and even the legendary Protozoan take efforts to safeguard the world. We may be far from perfect, but I sure feel society has progressed a long way since the days of fear and racism," she added.
Lastly, even Genis stepped up to confront the king of all summon spirits. "I may still be young, but you think about it. Haven't there always been those who strive to make the world better? My namesake, the mage from the Reunification, was around my age when he took up the cause. He was among the most influential people to continue the push for equality, even when his comrade was corrupted by radicals," Genis described, "If we ordinary people are all doing our part, then why can't a powerful being like you?"
Origin continued his cold stare, but instead of shirking, all three stood up straight and looked him right back in the eye. With the world at stake, they were not willing to let one stubborn summon spirit slow them down. Finally Origin yielded to their demands, but on one condition. "Since you've decided to save the world, then I should only give you the test that I gave your predecessors. I want you to show me your powers."
Now it was the Sages' turn to look confused, as they glanced at Sheena. She was the one who summoned all those spirits, so what solution did she have? "You do know what to do here, don't you?" Genis asked timidly.
Sheena glanced back, also looking uneasy. "All the other summon spirits worked easily because we were in an emergency: Undine and Sylph during a Cruxis attack, and Efreet after Raine pushed her agenda. The Tethe'alla spirits were convinced to help after their opposites from Sylvarant were summoned, except for Shadow, who was soft-spoken but easily convinced. I haven't had any research done on Origin before, so I'm not sure."
"Um, guys, have you forgotten about me already?" the group looked up to see Gnome talking to them, "We summon spirits are capable of battle too, so don't hesitate in asking us to help you out, okay?" He looked at Sheena eagerly, waiting for her to respond.
As they remained trapped in their cells, Kratos told Gil his story from three hundred years ago, when he put himself in charge of sending Derris Kharlan into orbit, making sure no one could manipulate the mana available for personal gain. There was a promise that the next time he returned, his son Lloyd, the leader of the Reunification group, would hand him all the Exspheres of the world so he could discard them into space, never to be used by people to harm each other again.
"But the promise was not fulfilled though, because Lloyd would then become involved in the civil wars. His own agenda was muddied and his ideals were used by extremists to achieve their own goals," Gil recalled, "So that's why, in an attempt to ease the conflict, you let Derris Kharlan be used as a refuge for displaced people, right?"
Kratos nodded. "To an extent, I should have seen it coming. I had a lot of faith in my son, truly believing that he would be different than the idealist before him, Mithos," he explained, "But just like Mithos, he made the same mistake, and allowed external or narrower interests get in the way of his goal. And once again, I cannot get my eternal rest by removing the Exsphere and return to a normal life. I kept it on and artificially prolonged my life even more just to save these people."
Gil turned to face Kratos again, twisting his body around so he could get a good look at the Seraphim's face. Kratos' healing allowed Gil to be at least a bit more mobile, although Gil figured he probably still needs a cast and crutches once he returned to his planet. "I don't want to be the one that pries into your personal business, but what was it that you saw in these two, Mithos and Lloyd, that drove you to fight for their causes? I understand that they're both all-or-nothing idealists, but don't they see the danger in their beliefs, and how easily it is that they can promote more extremism, or even new hate?"
Kratos gave Gil an expression that bordered between anger and guilt. From years of reading faces, Gil figured that this was a topic Kratos hated to touch on, mainly due to his own denial. "Normally, I would reply with a curt 'I don't feel the need to answer that question.' But this time, after seeing my own son nearly soiled his legacy, it's time that I face my own mistakes as well. I valued both Mithos and Lloyd because at the time, I truly felt they were the ones who can change the world. I had no idea what they would become. Mithos did stop the war, only by tearing the world apart. Lloyd put it back together, and gave me most, but not all, the Exspheres he collected, only to let extremists destroy his beliefs. Both cases were very heartbreaking for me."
Gil looked at the ground, mulling over Kratos' sad tale. "Everything we do has consequences. Some are good, some are bad, and some don't last for many lifetimes," Gil lamented, "And only to have those you rescued from the civil wars turn on you and throw you here is especially tragic. I truly feel your pain," he sympathized with the swordsman.
"It actually wasn't that bad, at least until fifty years ago," Kratos replied, "That's when there was a movement to regain contact with the planet. Some radicals managed to contact those Cruxis people you spoke of, and that's when things took a turn for the worse. I was aware of their attempts to attack, and did everything in my power to get support from any non-radicals to stop the movement. But one by one they picked us off and only kept me alive because of the respect I normally commanded as Seraphim, even within half-elf circles. So when the time came for them to invade the planet, they locked me up and created mana-based shields around the area."
"That means we can't get out of this room by blasting it with mana, and controls for the shield are just outside of our cells," Gil mulled it over, weighing the options, "But the cells themselves aren't mana-based, so can't we blast our way out of this?" he asked, "I have an idea how we can destroy the controls to our cells without creating instability, but it will require your help. It'll take efforts from both of us to make it work."
"So how do you plan to get out of here?" Kratos asked, cocking an eyebrow in curiosity. He had never heard of any modern day people who could combine mana with a modern technological weapon, let alone a human, so he was interested in this new plan.
Whipping out a gun, Gil quickly explained his plan. "You probably haven't seen a gun before, but it basically works by shooting a projectile known as a bullet out at very high speeds. I'm going to shoot the bullet at the cell controls, but you cast a spell that would slow down the bullet so that when it hits the control, it'll merely hit the button down to release us, without destroying the controls. Do you understand?" he asked.
Kratos crossed his arms and closed his eyes, trying to absorb all the information. It was true that he had never seen a gun before, but the theory and idea behind it seemed familiar enough. In fact, the entire notion of the Mana Cannon was exactly like that. "So I'm assuming you'll be asking for a wind spell then," he responded, "Alright, let's try it."
Gil glanced around the room to locate the cell controls while Kratos took a deep breath and energized the mana around them. As Kratos charged up the wind mana, Gil knelt down and faced the far wall, where the control panel was located. Signalling to the Seraphim, Gil had Kratos stand in line with him as they faced the panel, with Gil slowly aiming the gun at the button. "When I give the word, you release the spell, while I fire the gun at the same time," Gil instructed, "The wind will slow the bullet, but should keep its altitude high enough to reach the panel. You ready?" he asked.
Kratos nodded, with a determined look on his face. "This is for the entire world's safety," Gil said. There was silence between them as they concentrated on the panel. Cold sweat appeared on both men's foreheads as they prepared to fire. Using his heartbeat as a counter, Gil counted down the shot, "Three…two…one…now!"
A green aura emitted from Kratos as he released the wind spell. Gil also pulled the trigger, letting the bullet propel itself out of the barrel. Wind soon met metal as the mana engulfed the bullet, creating more drag and slowing it down. Gil and Kratos both looked on anxiously as the green projectile hurled itself to the wall.
"What do you mean Sheena fainted?" Lloyd demanded, "Sheena's got to be here to summon Origin, and that means we need her around," Lloyd and company were frustrated by the lack of progress on Raine's side. In an unexpected move, Origin insisted that they battle him to prove their worth, and Sheena took it to mean all summon spirits be on their side. The battle was still deadlocked as of they spoke, but it did seem like Origin was weakening, as the sounds of war raged through the cell phone.
"It was actually Gnome's idea," Raine replied, "He told us that he's willing to help, so Sheena just summoned everything else. Little did we know that summoning too many spirits simultaneously would disrupt the balance of mana in the body, hence she fainted. It's pretty similar to why Genis was fainting so often before he learned his skills with Ricardo, so I just tried to rebalance her mana just to make her better."
Just then, Genis decided to cast a series of his own spells to assist the summon spirits. He had stayed relatively inactive for the time being. The spirits all told Genis that it was their fight, as it was up to them to convince their leader to save the world again. But knowing that time was of the essence, the young half-elf decided to stray into the fray and tackle Origin. "Everyone, I can help you," he shouted to the summon spirits, "I can cast a series of spells that complement your mana, and you combine it to make it more powerful. Together, we can finish this in one shot."
All the summon spirits paused and stared at Genis, who already got into battle pose and began drawing mana from everywhere. He had only learned spells relating to natural elements, such as fire, water, wind, ice, earth, and electricity, so only six summon spirits would actually benefit from it. Nonetheless, they chose to accept the youngster's help, slowly observing the mana while Luna and Shadow held Origin at bay.
Soon, six different-coloured auras surrounded Genis as he gathered up enough mana to shoot his spells. "Genis, are you sure you know what you're doing?" Raine asked nervously as the summon spirit belong to each respective element lined up behind Genis and incorporated his mana with their own. Shadow and Luna had Origin pinned, meaning there was no escape for him. Just as Sheena stirred next to Raine, the six spirits engulfed the mana and, from Genis' source, shot it straight towards Origin in one blast.
The entire island rocked as the leader of the summon spirits absorbed the blow, making the area light up the night sky. Origin collapsed onto the ground as Shadow and Luna observed him while the other six relaxed as the mana left them completely. From beneath the spirits, Genis staggered a couple of steps, before collapsing to the ground entirely, much to Raine's horror. As she charged towards her brother to check on his health, Origin admitted defeat. "Summoner Sheena, indeed your team is very powerful. I do deem you all worthy of saving the world, so I shall lend my power to you."
"Raine, what's happening back there? What's that explosion all about?" Lloyd continued railing on the phone. From the fuzzy sounds, he could hear the swishing and twirling of mana, most likely due to Origin's defeat. He could also hear from the back that Origin was addressing Sheena, mentioning something about the Eternal Sword.
"Nothing, everything's fine, we got Origin now," Raine responded, still breathing heavily, "Genis just let loose a huge blast of mana and now he's exhausted. Sheena just made the pact with Origin and is getting briefed on the Eternal Sword. He said something about only half-elves can use it, but the Reunification hero Lloyd, your namesake, used something called the Aionis Ore to get around that problem."
Lloyd nodded, realizing what it could possibly mean. With Raine expensing her mana to heal Genis and Sheena, both of whom were exhausted from the experience, there were not too many people left to use the sword. From Noishe earlier, he found out the sword must be used to cut open the new seed for the new Mana Tree. With him being the only healthy body, it might very well be him that would take the last step. "Alright, you just take care of everything on your side," Lloyd replied, "By the way, how are you transporting the seed here? It won't be effective going by plane, would it?"
After a few seconds of inaudible talk, Raine answered, "Origin said he'll take it himself, bringing it straight to you guys. Apparently, he seems to be aware of the active connection between Derris Kharlan and the planet."
And as they prepared the final details, Noishe prepared to infiltrate the comet. Taking out his former owner's evolved Exsphere, he prepared to load more mana into the platform and create the beam that would allow him to enter Derris Kharlan. Taking a cue from Lloyd when he ended the call, Noishe blasted the mana into the skies, creating that strange beacon that lit up the surrounding area. Stepping onto the platform, Noishe stared at Lloyd one last time and assured him, "Don't worry, I'll get your father back."
The group looked on as the mana engulfed the police captain and shot him into the comet. They could only hope and keep faith in him as they prepared for supposedly the make-or-break phase of their goal, with the entire world's safety in their hands.
Just want to clear up a couple of things in this chapter:
1.) Kratos is WAY too prone to escaping his problems by saying: "I don't feel the need to tell you." What I've done here is show his human/sensitive side, which allows him to be less cold and harsh.
2.) The line Gil used on Kratos: "Everything we do has consequences. Some are good, some are bad, and some don't last for many lifetimes" came from Avatar: the Last Airbender, courtesy of Avatar Kyoshi.
Thanks for all your support. The story is ending soon, so just hang in there for a little while longer. See you later!