I told you I just wanted an excuse to write all of the characters together. Riiiiiiight?
Tales of Vesperia: Lights and Shadows
Chapter 34 – Light that Pierces Darkness
Time moved slowly as Estelle intercepted Shadow's attack. She jumped without thinking and had only felt her feet touch the ground again before she saw the darkness in front of her. But there was more than only darkness there. Dark mingling with white flashed before her eyes, and then the ray of shadows that meant to kill shattered to pieces. With her arms still extended and her mouth parted in shock, Estelle tried to make sense of what she saw.
Crouched down at first, having slashed a mighty red blade through the darkness in order to destroy it, he hesitated before rising. White hair cascaded down his back and swayed as he slowly rose to his feet. He kept his back turned to her at first, and then he faced her, ruby eyes falling upon her. Dein Nomos shone red within his hands.
"Duke…?" Estelle breathed. "But why…?"
Green lights suddenly glittered up from his feet before Sylph appeared, zipping around him. The spirit of wind met eyes with the princess before turning a nasty glare on Shadow.
"I called them!" said Sylph. "He can't have his way!"
"Them?" Estelle echoed.
A familiar bellow echoed through the skies, causing Estelle and the others to look up immediately. Ba'ul circled above with the Fiertia in mouth. The large Entelexeia had been badly injured but was there nonetheless. And as he drew their attention up, two more figures fell from the heavens, standing in the space between Shadow and Estelle.
"Hang in there!" called out the first voice. "We've come to help!"
Shocked expressions fell upon her as she reached the ground. Wearing a new pair of goggles upon her head and twirling her scarf around her to assert that she meant business, the fiery mage prepared to attack the monster threatening her friends.
"Rita!" Karol exclaimed.
"Saving your sorry butts again," said the second voice, irritable.
Dropping from the sky was a familiar mercenary wielding a shining white sword. Rolan stood straight and set his sword on his shoulder, narrow eyes wickedly glaring upon the dark monster threatening their world.
"Rolan?" Estelle gasped, startled.
"Let's do this!" Rita called out to them, giving Duke and then Rolan a look.
Shadow merely laughed at them again, his voice shaking the ground beneath their feet.
"Mere insects," he mocked them.
Spreading out his hands, he began to form a much larger orb of black energy, one that would assuredly devour the entire town and beyond. Rita, Duke, and Rolan answered him by each pulling out a shining white crystal. Yuri and the others blinked in surprise as the stolen stones materialized before them in the hands of their allies.
"Estelle!" shouted the mage, firm. "We need your help!"
Estelle met eyes with her briefly before looking upon the monster prepared to drown them all in darkness. She folded her hands together in front of her, prepared herself by closing her eyes so as not to lose focus, and then began to sing.
Shadow pulled back his hands before throwing them forward, launching a monstrous black ray of energy to engulf the town. The very moment it should have reached them, Estelle spoke the last word. The crystals shone brightly, resonating with her words, and then flashed a barrier that shielded them all. Black energy struck white magic and flickered out.
Without missing a beat, Duke dashed forward and swung Dein Nomos down upon the spirit of darkness, causing the dark matter that created the monster to flicker. Rolan struck as well, a flash of white igniting from Claiomh Solais before it struck Shadow. The monstrous spirit snarled and then slowly allowed his form to waver and then sink down into dark waters. He did not appear again, and trembling waters eventually grew still.
Everyone standing on the shoreline waited with a held breath to see if their foe arose again. Shadow did not reappear, and Undine finally broke the silence.
"He has left this area," she informed them.
Estelle slowly exhaled, and then she wavered and collapsed to her knees. At once, Rita rushed over to her, alarmed.
"Estelle!"
"I'm all right," said the princess, closing her eyes in an attempt to stave off dizziness.
"Did you defeat him?" Karol asked, standing at a distance from the water that had drowned their foe.
"Our weapons are incapable of defeating him," Duke responded, turning and facing the group. Ruby eyes fell upon the Child of the Full Moon, and then he moved and stood before the princess. "You would have sacrificed your life?"
Estelle met eyes with him but did not respond. Yuri and the others drew close, and the dark-haired swordsman glanced between the trio and then frowned at the white stones they had provided.
"This is quite the unusual rescue team," he commented. His eyes drifted from the crystals that had shielded them to Rolan. "You were the one stealing the crystals?"
"Not all of them," responded the mercenary, calmly.
"I stole the one in Zaphias," Rita explained, rising to her feet after checking on Estelle.
"Rita?" her pink-haired friend said with a frown. Carefully, she climbed to her feet.
"What the hell happened?" Yuri asked, glancing between the trio in bewilderment. He set his hand on his side, tapping the tip of his sword against the ground.
"After Dahngrest, I went to Keiv Moc to look for the crystal to examine it and see if there were any other uses for it," Rita explained, folding her arms over her chest before lifting her eyes to the gloomy skies above. "I found Riddick sneaking around there and followed him. He explained everything, so I decided to join him." The mage of Aspio then closed her eyes before continuing. "I knew my way around the castle, so I helped by sneaking in and stealing that one."
Yuri's suspicious gaze shot between Rita and Rolan before landing on Duke, expectantly.
"Duke was outside Zaphias tending to Ba'ul's injuries," Sylph explained, floating up to just behind Duke's shoulder. The man glanced at her before closing his eyes, allowing her to explain. "I met him there and explained what happened. He went to Zaphias to take Dein Nomos and met Rita and Rolan there."
"Ba'ul was hurt before he even left here," Judith breathed, sorrowfully. She looked up into the skies, watching as her closest companion circled above them. "He never made it to Zaphias…"
"But Duke took care of him well enough, and Ba'ul brought us here," Rita told them. "And now we can deal with this thing."
"How can we do that?" Flynn asked, grimacing.
"Gameliel was feeding off the lives of everyone he interacted with like a leech," Rolan explained, breaking away from the group so that he could stand over one of the white stones that had been left on the ground. "Once he had a firm enough connection with them, he could contort their energy to suit his needs, and they eventually became a part of him. Serge and the other mercenaries were no different—they died and became an extension of his spirit. That's how he was able to live even after the princess tried to end him. A fragment of his soul still lived within Serge."
"That's why you killed them…" Estelle breathed, recalling his merciless slaughtering of his former allies. "They…"
"They were pieces of his spirit," Rolan explained. He looked back at them. "The only problem was that when he created those towers and sucked all of that human life into the princess and therefore him, he was essentially bonding all of those humans to his spirit."
"He created a network of living beings that guarded his life," Raven spoke up, stunned. "Killing him would be impossible without killing everything he touched."
"You've got to be kidding me," Yuri snapped. He turned on Rolan, furious. "Why didn't you say anything!?"
"At that point, there was no reason to. I had to be certain," replied the mercenary, grim. "But there's another way to stop him without sacrificing all of those lives."
"I would hope so," Judith began, her eyes narrow. "That means he is also connected to all of us who were his hostages as well."
"Don't worry," Rita said. "There's a way."
Shouting arose, then, from not far off. As the yelling grew louder, the sound of hooves became apparent. Flynn turned and glanced beyond the ruins of Capua Nor, frowning.
"The Knights have arrived," he commented.
"What do we do?" Yuri asked, ignoring Flynn and focusing on Rita.
Rita looked at all of those standing around, and then she turned her attention to Estelle. The princess blinked a few times and then looked around, noticing that everyone had followed Rita's gaze.
"How do you feel about making a spirit?" Rolan asked, stepping closer to the princess. He set a hand on his side before meeting eyes with her, and then he slowly looked back to the white crystals.
"Are you crazy!?" Karol exclaimed, rushing over. He stood beside Estelle before shaking his head adamantly. "We talked about this! We have no idea what sort of spirit would be born!"
"That's true," Judith agreed, setting her fingers to her face in contemplation. "We don't know if they would be our ally or not."
"But it's the only thing that would be strong enough to defeat Shadow," Yuri declared, recalling Duke's words. He looked at the white-haired man before looking at the red blade in his grasp. "You brought everything we needed to do it, too."
"That is correct," Duke confirmed. "This spirit has fed upon the lives of Entelexeia, humans, and a Child of the Full Moon. His strength far surpasses our abilities."
"Whatever spirit would be born of these crystals," Rita started. "It would at least have within it the power of an Entelexeia, a Child of the Full Moon, and several humans. It was joined with Gameliel for centuries."
"I say we go for it," said Raven, folding his arms behind his head and grinning. "What's the worst that could happen?"
"Two giant spirits trying to kill us," Karol retorted, shaking his head again.
"Come what may of this," Undine began, speaking up from behind them. "We spirits are also with you; we will reason on your behalf with the spirit born by these crystals."
Yuri glanced around at all of those present. Eyes and bodies shifted as several of their party members struggled to think of an appropriate action to take. Dark eyes finally met turquoise eyes; Estelle was looking at him very intentionally. Finally, the princess looked to Rita, Duke, and Rolan.
"I'll do it," she agreed. "I think we have no other choice."
"Estelle!" Karol began to argue. The princess immediately offered him an apologetic look.
"Right now, we're facing an opponent we cannot defeat as we are," Estelle explained. "If this new spirit is able to fight on our behalf, then we will have a better chance at success."
"And even if it doesn't," added Rita, firm. "We already have the strongest spirit opposing us. We'll have to look for another way, and whatever method defeats him would defeat this new spirit as well."
"That settles it," Yuri confirmed. "Let's do it."
"Not here," Rolan said at once. "Let's head out to sea. The last crystal is there, and it would be a lot easier with it nearby."
"We'll have to use Dein Nomos to draw that energy to us," agreed Rita. "Smaller crystals would be easier to pull than larger ones."
"We can help you guide the flow of energy," Sylph volunteered.
"Ba'ul!" Judith placed her fingers to her forehead, summoning her Entelexeia companion. "We'll need your help!"
The large blue Entelexeia slowly drifted down in their direction to collect them on the Fiertia. Meanwhile, Flynn stood aside and glanced in the direction of the incoming knights. Yuri noticed his behavior at once and offered him a genuine look of understanding.
"Duty calls, Flynn," said the dark-haired swordsman to his childhood best friend. "You can go if you need to."
The commandant of the Imperial Knights hesitated. Ba'ul had arrived then, and everyone was boarding the ship. Flynn lingered on the knights only a moment longer before shaking his head and moving on towards the ship. He passed a bewildered Yuri and Estelle in the process. Pausing, he smiled in confidence.
"I trust them to continue to succeed even without me around," said the blond, calmly. "They will protect the citizens in our absence."
Yuri passed a smile to Estelle, then nodded and followed the blond onto the ship. The pink-haired princess lingered behind only a moment longer, glancing at the charred ruins of Capua Nor before proceeding onto the Fiertia.
Darkness lingered all around as the Fiertia rocked on wavy seas. Black clouds swirled ominously above, and the ocean itself looked dark and gray. Ba'ul had carried the ship far enough to leave them in the vicinity of where the Atherum sank. Having come this far, the heroes fighting to eradicate the darkness from their world gathered on the deck of the ship. Estelle stood in the center of them all, her hands folded together in front of her. Three shining white crystals were on the ground at her feet.
"I'm ready," she informed them.
Rita stepped closer, and all of her companions formed a circle around her in order to lend their aid. Likewise, the four spirits that accompanied her also appeared around her. Flynn took a step closer than the others, worry evident upon his face.
"Lady Estellise, are you certain about this?" he asked. "The Imperial Knights and the guilds can work together to find a different way..."
"I know," Estelle answered. "If this fails, then I know the Imperial Knights and the guilds will be able to resolve this problem. But if it helps us and saves lives, it is worth the risk."
"Your energy is already unstable," said Rita, frowning. "You should be able to handle something like this, but—"
"I'll be fine," said the princess with a warm smile. "Don't worry. We have greater problems to concern ourselves with."
"We will help," Efreet told the others, turning to his fellow spirits to ensure they agreed with him. As he was their leader, all of them did.
"Thank you," Estelle said, bowing slightly. She then turned to Rita. "Please. Let's begin."
"Fine," Rita murmured, calling forth a screen of green light in front of her. She glanced at those standing around the princess. "I'll be counting on all of you to help, just like before."
"Got it," Raven answered with a nod.
"Let's do this," Yuri said.
Estelle bowed her head and closed her eyes, focusing on manipulating the energy of the world and focusing it toward the crystals before her. Duke stepped forward and held Dein Nomos out before releasing it, allowing it to linger in the air in front of him, suspended by sheer will on invisible strings. He closed his eyes and used the sword's abilities to call on the stones that scattered the world.
Lights flickered first underneath Estelle, then under Rita as well, and then they spread out and circled underneath everyone on the ship. Flashes of white light shot through the sky and cluttered around the pink-haired princess before disintegrating. The white crystals at her feet joined together into a much larger stone, and then they rose from the ground, spilling out a blinding white light that caused all of the ship's occupants to cry out in bewilderment.
A pillar of light erupted from Estelle and shot forth into the dark clouds looming above, dissipating the clouds with ease and erasing them from one horizon to the other. Bright blue skies were revealed beyond them, and not a trace of them remained. The princess staggered back and flinched as the lights began to diminish, and the others around her covered their eyes.
Over the waters and beside the ship was a massive morphing white entity composed entirely of light. All eyes fell on it as it began to solidify in shape with massive wings, and expectant expressions shifted to shock as the light split in two and began to form two beings rather than one. The first to appear out of the brilliant display was a beautiful woman with emerald hair, a dark blue gown billowing down from her waist that glittered like starlight. She was seated upon a crescent, a magic halo above her head and a staff with a blue gem in hand. Alongside her appeared another: a massive creature with wide orange and red wings tipped in violet light, two griffon-like heads, two powerful clawed feet, and a long and feathered blue tail.
"There's two!?" Karol exclaimed, taking a step back.
"The infant, and…" Judith began, her frown deepening.
Estelle stepped ahead and met eyes with the beautiful woman riding upon a crescent moon.
"Nohea," she said.
"How is that possible?" Yuri glanced at the princess, then gave Rita a look for some sort of explanation. The young mage was deep in thought, but Undine answered on her behalf.
"The Child of the Full Moon has a spirit much like the Entelexeia," explained the spirit of water. "Given the right circumstances, their evolution is possible as well."
"Estelle could become a spirit?" Karol wondered, looking at the princess in surprise.
"Nohea," Estelle said again, stepping closer to the edge of the ship. She set her hands on the rails to balance herself; she was a little dizzy. "That is you, is it not?"
"I was once called by that name, but I am no longer," said the beautiful spirit, her voice gentle. Her eyes landed on Estelle and did not look away. "You may give us a new name."
"Big bright white sparkly—" Karol began, but Rita stepped over to him and dropped her hand down upon his head in a chop. The boy staggered back, flinching.
Estelle viewed the two spirits before her, then recalled the white light that had rid the sky of darkness. She first set turquoise eyes upon the beautiful woman riding upon a moon.
"The brightest light in the night sky," she began. "Luna."
Turning her eyes to Luna's massive partner, the princess continued.
"The light that pierces the darkness," said Estelle, firm. "Aska."
"So shall we be called," Luna responded, and Aska released a reverberating screech in agreement.
The beautiful spirit moved across the air gracefully, leaving a trail of lights behind her as she did. She set herself just before the princess, reaching a hand to touch Estelle's face before closing her eyes in sorrow.
"I grieve over the trouble I have caused you," said Luna, her voice soft. Then, she moved and positioned herself before Rolan before dissolving and flowing in a stream of lights around him. Out of trails of white, she spoke to them and said, "And you as well. Neither of you have held anything back from me; for my sake, you both were willing to give everything."
"We need your help," Rita began, watching as the spirit circled Rolan before floating around all of them on the deck of the ship in wisps of light. "That's why we created you. Shadow is—"
"Yes," Luna said, hastily. "I understand. And it has been my intention all along to help you."
"You sure about that?" Yuri asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion over the former Child of the Full Moon that had caused a great deal of danger to Estelle.
Luna circled him briefly before drifting around all of them again, leaving streams of white around them as though building a web of light to trap them. She glanced down upon them before her eyes softened a great deal. Finally, the spirit closed her eyes and moved more quickly, weaving a wall of light around them.
"I assure you, stopping Gameliel—stopping Shadow has always been my intent," she told them. At once, her form disappeared in a flash of light that spun around them in haste. "Rolan, it is in their best interest to show them the world's memories… To show them how we have come to this place."
"What's going on?" Flynn asked, looking all around at the lights engulfing them.
"Fine by me," Rolan said after some consideration. Yuri glanced at him, which immediately caused the mercenary to turn aside and close his eyes, keeping his arms firmly crossed over his chest.
"Then please," Luna said out of the lights she used to bind them all. "Look upon the world's memories, and may everything become clear."
As she said those last words, the white light blinded those upon the ship. It was only temporary, though. Within a moment, the screen of white around them fell apart and was replaced by an illusion, a memory of a time long past. Standing at the lake in Mantaic was Rolan, though much younger, and around him was Serge and all of their guild companions. Upon the waters, faced marred by deep sorrow, was Nohealani.
"Please listen to me," said the woman with wavy white hair. "Within this lake lies a powerful Entelexeia who seeks to destroy the world. For now, he is sealed within a barrier, but the power that contains him is beginning to wane. Soon, he will be free to do as he pleases… You must help me stop him!"
Several men exchanged looks before one of the guild members whispered to his companion nearby.
"What did we have in that food we just ate?" he questioned, staring in bewilderment at the woman walking on water.
"We're not really a monster-fighting guild, lady," Serge commented, shrugging his shoulders. "We're members of Blood Alliance. We typically fight humans."
"That's right," agreed another member.
"Please," begged Nohea, desperate. She stepped across the water, though her movement did not even cause a single ripple upon the lake. "I am running out of time!"
"Let's go," Serge suggested.
He turned first, and several other guild members followed. Rolan remained standing and looking upon the desperate woman. Serge noticed his hesitancy and glanced back, raising an eyebrow.
"You comin', Lowell?"
"Yeah," Rolan answered, turning away from Nohea.
The woman he was leaving behind shook her head and then buried her face in her hands. She began to sob very quietly to herself. Rolan trailed behind his comrades and took one last look at her.
Nohealani sobbed into her hands as they left her, and then she lifted her head in bewilderment at the sound of footsteps once again at the shore. Rolan stood there again, though the others had all gone away. The mercenary folded his arms over his chest, and dark eyes met tear-filled white eyes.
Taking a long, deep breath, he asked, "What can I do?"
Nohealani slowly lowered her hands and stood straight. She then closed her eyes and bowed to him. Her voice wavered as she spoke again.
"I will tell you everything you need to know," she said, and then she looked at him again. "…so we can save the world."