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Wild Arms: To the End of the Wilderness
Chapter Twenty Five: Demon Spear
Written by Estrelita Farr
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The wanderers chased after Zed through more hallways. Just as they were wondering when he would stop, they emerged in a large hall, the stone platform lined with lit consoles and more bronze pipes, the light on the bronze pillars illuminating the place. Past the metal railings at the edge of the platform was a bottomless pit and nowhere else for Zed to escape, so he whirled around to face them, the ends of the orange scarf fluttering.
"You!" he cried. "This is quite the challenge! This is my day to shine – to walk all over me is not acceptable!" He shoved an accusing finger in their direction. "And for that crime, I sentence you to death! Alhazad has given me a reborn, immortal body with the Darkness Tear! Feel my power! Yaaaaaargh!"
A burst of gold. Golden energy circled around him like a vortex, filling the air with power as his eyes shone golden. The wanderers slowly backed away. If even a seemingly weak demon like Zed had such power because of the Darkness Tear, they shuddered to think what destruction it could wreck–
CRACKLE.
The sound tore across the castle, the vibrations cutting through everyone's hearts… a feeling of dread as though the subspace was tearing apart. Zed gasped as he stopped, the golden energy fading.
"The generator is working?!" he exclaimed. "I neglected to check that point! Argh, this place is dangerous… but I'm already doing the best I can! Who's responsible for this?!"
"I am," came a deep voice.
A familiar blue portal appeared on the stone floor by Zed's feet, from which the imposing figure of Zeikfried emerged. The huge glowing purple spear in his hand was longer than his height, the single eye on its handle staring at Zed.
"S-Sir Zeikfried?!" the shorter demon cried.
"The Gate Generator is on full drive. Because these fools wasted time on you, we were able to complete the energy conversion. We now only need to enter the coordinates."
"B-but if you do this… what will happen to the reactor?"
"When the system disintegrates, a dark rift will be created and begin growing. When it completes its growth, it will consume this subspace and the Gate Generator along with it."
He jumped. "W-what?! How?!"
"Humans are weak, but if you test them, they can gather unexpected power, like when they destroyed our Mother… that is why we should settle this now, once and for all. This dark rift is our failsafe." He swung a hand, the blue cape spreading. "There are no more tricks they can play, death surely awaits!"
The wanderers entered a battle stance, raising their weapons.
"What in the world are you talking about?!" Jack shouted. "In your selfish wish to gain power, you sacrificed your own master! That's all there is to it!"
Ziekfried swung the glowing spear in his hand, the eye staring at them. "All that is important is: no matter what happens from this point, only demons will be left to enjoy this world. All the land and sky of Filgaia will be under my control! Here, until the face of the dark rift opens up and swallows you"–he charged–"come play with the evil spear Glumzamber!"
"Shut up and enter the whatever rift yourself!"
Jack gave a cry as he swung, a powerful downward slash that tore even the stone tiles around them, but Glumzamber emerged in a burst of dark blue. He sidestepped with a gasp as the spear rushed by and incinerated a few strands of golden hair.
ROAR. A rush of wind swept past his shoulders and exploded at Ziekfried's shoulder. The latter's eyes narrowed at the smoke, at the blackened mark on his armour, then he swung a wide arc of dark blue. Jack swore as he faded into a blur, retreating backwards. Rudy's eyes narrowed as he braced, ARM and sword raised, as the arc drew blood from his arms.
Glumzamber glowed as Ziekfried raised it, then he stopped. He glanced down – his feet had been frozen solid, a layer of ice on the floor. In the distance, Cecilia's staff glowed with the remnants of magic.
"Now!" Jack cried as they all charged–
CRACKLE.
Force tore through the subspace. A chill cut through the wanderers as they turned, as their eyes widened.
A black and purple sphere, shining brightly from below the platform. Pulsating as it grew, as it consumed everything that fell into it.
The dark rift.
"Only fools lose focus in battle!" Ziekfried shouted.
They looked up just as a crackling ball of lightning slammed onto the floor. Cecilia gasped as she brought her hands up to form a barrier–
White. Everything became white.
Pain. Searing pain. Burning into them, through them.
Even as the light faded, they remained on their knees, trembling, eyes tightly shut from the pain. Even if it was not as strong as Luceid's Dark Renegade…
Ziekfried chuckled as he stepped towards them, Glumzamber gleaming above Cecilia's head. "Is this all humans are capable of? Then–"
ROAR. An explosion at his helmet, leaving another blackened mark.
Legs trembling, Rudy forced himself up and fired two more times. Sword in his left hand, he rushes in.
Sword and Glumzamber clashed. The boy's arms shook as he pushed against the evil spear, but he would not lose with his strength!
"Indeed… Berserk was right…" Ziekfried burst into laughter. "You are much like us! Is that not right, 'brother'?"
Rudy froze. Brother…?
"Perhaps you know not? Did you really think–"
Shining slashes came from behind Zeikfried. He whirled around and swung, but the dark blue arc missed and tore into the floor instead.
Jack skidded to a stop next to the boy. "Don't listen to him, Rudy! He's just messing with your mind!"
Zeikfried leapt back, as a ball of lightning crackled in his hand. "Whether it is the truth or not, we shall know soon enough! Zeik Impulse!"
"Reflect!" Cecilia shouted.
A reflective black-and-white shield covered the ground. The lightning ball bounced off it and returned to its caster.
"What–" the demon began.
White. An explosion of white. Expanding in the shape of a hemisphere before disappearing. And, at the centre of the cracked floor, Ziekfried instead was the one on his knees, holding himself up with Glumzamber.
"Now!" Jack faded into a blur.
The wanderers unleashed everything they had. Shining strikes. Crushing ice. Roaring shots. Even Hanpan threw as many magic gems as he could, explosion after explosion.
And, finally, the Teardrop flashed.
Earth Guardian Grudiev. A great muscular reptile, the long neck arched as it growled, the polished deep blue scales and turquoise crystals on its back gleaming. A grand roar rang across the hall as the floor tiles tore, as stone spikes rose and swallowed the demon.
Silence.
The wanderers stood back, chest heaving. Did they do it…?
A stone spike cracked. And another, and another. They crumbled as Ziekfried emerged, Glumzamber glowing a dark blue… then he sank to his knees.
"Not bad, humans," he growled, "And the power of the Guardians. To fulfil my desire, I should not have overlooked the life power of Filgaia…" He straightened. "Right here, this is your end!"
Jack raised his sheathed katana. "I don't know what you expect to do. You're trapped!"
"Am I?"
CRACKLE.
The sound tore through the subspace, a pulse of energy followed. Dark purple light shone from below the platform, strong and pulsating, crackling as though filled with thunder. Suddenly everyone realised – the dark rift had grown much bigger than before.
Ziekfried glanced over a shoulder at the sphere and laughed. "The dark rift will swallow everything… everything! Even demons are not spared from its hunger. But our lives will not end here… we are the supreme rulers of this world! We will not let such a thing happen!"
The wanderers tightly gripped their weapons.
He stabbed his spear in Zed's direction. "Zed, you fool, set the direction of the forward gate! Set it to wherever there are no humans. It matters not where. We shall make our escape."
Zed's eyes widened. "What? But–"
Another laugh. "So, what do you think, human warriors? Where will we end up? It is wherever that fool chooses!"
A scowl as he muttered under his breath, "Don't be so insensitive, sir, you obviously don't think much of my life… but you sure as hell value your own! I have no choice… damn you! I hate having to be a subordinate!" A sigh as he turned towards a console. "Fine, if I must…"
"Pardner!" Jack yelled.
"Already on it!" Hanpan sped forward in a blur. He leapt high into the air, an arc of blue, and landed right on Zed's face.
"W-what?!" Zed exclaimed as he stumbled backwards. "G-get off me!"
Flash. In an instant Jack appeared right before Zeikfried. A shining upward slash knocked the latter a few steps back.
A burst of blue light. A mountain of water crashed onto the platform, as Water Guardian Schturdark dived and forced the demon back further.
But Zeikfried refused to go down without a fight. Growling, he stepped firmly on the stone floor and regained his balance… just two steps away from the edge. Glumzamber shone–
Rudy charged. Clenching his teeth as he bashed the demon with a shoulder, as he swung the ARM followed by the sword.
A gasp. Zeikfried's golden eyes widened as he fell backwards over the edge… towards the dark rift that pulsated below.
Rudy stared, shoulders heaving. He had done it, they had defeated the leader of the demons–
Pain.
Something yanked at his left arm. Towards the dark rift. Gasping, he grabbed onto the nearby metal railing with his right hand just as his shoulders reached the edge of the floor.
A metal cable. One end coiled tightly around his left wrist like a snake refusing to let go, the other attached to Zeikfried's right arm as the demon hung precariously above the pulsating dark rift. Dark purple energy shot through the subspace, like the roar of a creature ready to devour its prey.
"RUDY!" Cecilia screamed. She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around the boy's waist, but screamed again as the latter lurched forward from Zeikfried's weight, dragging her along.
Jack cursed under his breath as he ran with Accelerator and pulled them back. His arms trembled as one wrapped around Cecilia's waist, the other holding onto the nearby railing. "I'll be damned! What the heck were you thinking?!"
"S-sir?!" Zed pulled Hanpan off and turned, only to have the Wind Mouse back on his face once more.
Zeikfried laughed from below. "Did you believe it will all end by dispelling me to darkness? You should not cling to your hopes… they are absurd. Hope only leads to despair…"
Rudy gritted his teeth. He tried to pull himself up, but could not budge even with Cecilia and Jack's combined strength helping him.
"What is wrong? There is no way out of this, no way to escape… ready to join me, 'brother'?"
He froze. Brother… once again the word chilled his heart.
"Don't listen to him, Rudy!" Jack yelled.
"You are much like us," Zeikfried said, "Enough for me to label you a brother… am I wrong? Did you really think your existence was by accident?"
Rudy shook the thought away, clutching onto the hope that it was mere lies. All lies to mess with his mind… no, he was not like the demons…
…but a part of his heart resigned.
His abnormal strength, his ability to control complex ARM when no human could not… no, rather than a human… he was closer to a demon.
He closed his eyes.
The people who had stared at him with fearful eyes, with hateful eyes… were they right after all? Were they right when they had called him a monster…?
Monster… monster… just like the demons.
A chuckle from Zeikfried. "I know… yours is the power of destruction… but, even with your power to control ARMs, it is impossible to thwart my plan, and now your fate is mine. There is no escaping death!"
The dark rift shot another powerful pulse across the subspace.
"Even if the forward gate was not set, the generator would not be stopped… the dark rift is about to reach the critical mass." Zeikfried laughed, a bitter laugh. "My careless 'brother', our fate is upon us… our time is up. What say you?"
Another powerful pulse. The dark rift widened with a loud crackle, pulling at Zeikfried. Rudy lurched forward once more, arms trembling as he hung onto the railing.
"I can't hold on for much longer!" Jack gasped.
Rudy's eyes widened. "L-let go!"
"No, I won't!" Cecilia shouted, eyes tightly closed. "Even if it costs me my life, I won't ever let go!"
"That's right!" the swordsman cried. "Didn't we agree to stick together through thick and–"
Suddenly Jack's grip on the railing slipped. Cecilia screamed as they all lurched further over the edge, towards the dark rift, but he regained his grip on another railing, cursing under his breath.
Hanpan's eyes widened. He jumped off Zed – who stood there with a gaping mouth – and pulled at Jack's trench coat. "Hold on, everyone!"
Fear stabbed at Rudy's heart once more. If he were to fall, so would his comrades… no, he couldn't let that happen. He had to break free – he had to!
He clenched his teeth as he manoeuvred his right arm around the railing and reached for his sword. The blade gleamed in the light of the rift as it slashed. Once. Twice.
But the cable remained intact.
A yell as he threw his whole strength into one final slash.
The blade shattered, its pieces falling past Zeikfried into the rift… yet the cable remained.
"N-no!" He grabbed his ARM and fired. Once. Twice. Thrice.
Yet the cable was still there. Pulling at his left arm.
A burst of dark purple. The rift crackled as it strengthened its pull onto Zeikfried, as the wanderers lurched further forward with a scream.
Rudy's heart sank. His eyes stung.
Was this… the end? Would he fall to his death… and drag his comrades along with him?
He heard Cecilia choke back a sob. He heard Jack continually telling himself to hold on. He heard Hanpan's grunt. But he knew they would not be able to hold on for much longer.
Was there really nothing else he could do but to succumb to despair…?
Silence.
…no… there was still something he could do.
He gazed at his ARM, his grandfather's last gift to him. He closed his eyes, wishing for strength… but there was no more fear. He knew what he had to do… and he would do it.
The ARM grew warm in his hand, as though to support him.
His lips curled into a small smile.
And, as he aimed at his left arm, just above the coiled cable… he fired.
ROAR. The thunderous cry tore across the subspace. As resolute as its owner.
A collective gasp.
Zeikfried's golden eyes widened as the cable grew slack… as he disappeared into the dark rift.
Blood splattered onto the floor.
Rudy screamed. He screamed as he clutched at his left arm, as blood stained his clothes red.
"No! Rudy!" Cecilia cried, the tears flowing down her cheeks. "Why?! Why hurt yourself?!"
"Why did you sacrifice your arm?!" Jack yelled, shutting his eyes tightly. "I… I can't take any more of this! That wasn't necessary!"
CRACKLE.
The dark rift pulsated. It shot a wave of dark purple energy across the subspace, crackling purple lightning bolts striking the ceiling of the hall. It grew larger and larger, threatening to devour everything in its sight.
Hanpan rushed to the console and jammed on the keys. But he shook his head as his ears drooped. "The generator is very unstable… and there's no way to stop it. For all my knowledge and wisdom, I can't do anything from this terminal…"
Zed sank to his knees. "Sir Zeikfried… even if you had become the master, would you have enjoyed it…? If there was no one left to rule over, even if you were the master… who would care?"
Cecilia shut her eyes, tears dripping onto the boy's face. "Rudy… oh, Rudy… I want to help him, but my power alone is not enough…" She clasped a hand around the Teardrop crystal. "Oh, Father, Mother… Teardrop crystal… please… grant me your power!"
Between her fingers, the Teardrop responded with a brilliant white shine.
Hanpan sighed as he hopped back to Jack's side, and smiled a little. "It's been fun, eh, partner?"
Jack gave a sad smile. "It's certainly been, pardner."
And, as the dark rift sent another rush of dark purple across the hallway… everything turned into darkness.
Darkness. Where nothing moved, nothing made a sound. Where there was no life… no light.
But the Teardrop crystal then shone. A brilliant white light that cut through the darkness, as though to make way for the wanderers as they floated.
As the remains of Cecilia's tears disappeared into the void, as her mind drifted towards darkness, she wished upon the Teardrop crystal with her whole heart.
Please… we must return to Filgaia… please lead us…
Everything around them turned white. Warm, gentle… then, darkness once more.
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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When Cecilia opened her eyes, she quickly shut them again at the sunlight streaming through the stained glass windows. She sat up, wondering where she was… and looked up at the familiar sight of golden polished floors, the statue of the armoured king with two horse statues – the mausoleum in Adlehyde Castle Town.
"Rudy?!" she cried, turning around, then rushed over to the fallen figure of the boy and found Jack and Hanpan doing the same.
Rudy's eyes were tightly shut, teeth clenched in pain, cold sweat dripping down his face. Already a pool of blood had formed below him, dark against the polished floor.
Jack's hands trembled as he cradled the boy against his arm, as though afraid he would just fade away. "N-no… Rudy… we… we have to do something! Please, Princess, we have to help him! Do something! Anything!"
Nodding, Cecilia raised her hands shining with a healing spell. She had done it hundreds of times before, healed Rudy's bleeding wounds so many times before… but this time his body rejected it. He screamed as lightning coursed through him, as stray lightning bolts escaped from his wound.
She gasped. "No… what happened? Why doesn't it work this time…?"
Hanpan's eyes widened. "What… the… his arm… no, his whole body is… why is it like this…?"
"What?!" Jack cried. "What's wrong with him? Tell me!"
The Wind Mouse's ears drooped as he gestured at Rudy's left arm. They looked, and their eyes widened.
Amidst the blood, they had expected to see flesh and bone… yet all they could see was metal parts, the torn machinery crackling.
Rudy had a metal body… like the demons.
Cecilia stepped back, trembling. "No, this can't be… through all our travels together… our battles together… and he's… he's a demon…?"
"PRINCESS!" Jack shouted, making everyone jump. He took a deep breath, then lowered his voice. "Princess, please… he's my friend, my comrade. He risked his life and hurt himself… all to protect us. If he's your friend and comrade too, please don't say that…"
She closed her teary eyes. "I… I'm sorry…"
"He's always been protecting us, risking his life many times over… and it's our turn to protect him." He gazed down at the boy's pained look, with eyes filled with worry. "Look at him, he's shaking… his own body held this secret… imagine, fighting to protect the world, only to find out you're just like the enemy…" A flash of anger as he struck a fist against the floor. "How cruel! Why must he be singled out as an outsider to Filgaia?!"
"You're right." Gently, she took Rudy's right hand. "Rudy… even if the whole world denies you, I will stand beside you. I won't ever leave you… I swore it in my heart when you first protected me. I will stand by you."
"Hey!" Hanpan exclaimed. "From here we can call Doctor Emma! I'm on my way!" And he disappeared in a streak of blue light.
Jack shut his eyes. "The secret of Rudy's body… if only the old man with him were alive…" He struck the floor once more. "Dammit! Why am I always helpless when I'm needed most?!"
And Cecilia had no words to answer, except a single sob.
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End of Chapter Twenty Five: Demon Spear.
Author's Note:
That scene where Rudy sacrifices his arm always gets me… although in-game it looks more like he did so to save himself, I'd like to think it's because he wanted to save his friends regardless of himself. So in this version, everyone is desperate to help him, and that leads him to the decision at the end! Man, he's so cool. :D