Chapter 39: An Understanding

Jonun was in ruins. Fort Condor lied completely destroyed. The eastern grasslands were nothing more than barren rock. Skeletons of creatures and man lined the land like trail markers, bleaching in the red sky. The ocean rose onto rock slab beaches and dropped the remains of sea animals. Midgar was buried. And the source for these problems was the blob of flesh that stretched from north to south, EON. A hell the eastern continent had become, and it was a sign for the rest of the world. The rest of the world will soon follow into death like Jonun did. Like Jonun did…

** *

"Elmyra, when's daddy coming home? I'm scared." Marlene whispered to her caretaker as the looked out the window at the red aura on the other side of the ocean. The Costa Del Sol inn was full, as were the schools, public centers, city hall, and other buildings with refugees that escaped EONs grasp.

"Soon, sweety. Soon." Elmyra tried to comfort the daughter of Barret, but she, herself was worrying about the man on a mission. They had been gone for the longest time, and hopefully will be back soon, or there would be nothing to come back to.

** *

"Red!" Yuffie cried. Emerging from the portal, Cid, Barret, Vincent, Yuffie, Steiner, Zidane, Vivi, Kuja, Freya, and Irontail found themselves with Red XIII and Tifa. The air was calm and the setting dark. Stonewalls and ceiling marked with ancient and beautiful designs made for a room, with an odd mechanical door to the north. The portal continued to rotate as they stepped out, reassuring the Gaia group there would be a way back home.

"Yuffie! Cid! Barret! Vincent! You're alive!" Tifa wailed as she launched herself at the group. Red also gave his greetings, but not in such an emotional way.

"We're alive, we're alive. Jeez woman, you didn't think we'd die that easy, did ya?" Cid said as he loosened Tifas grip around his neck. "Where's Cloud?"

"He's not with you?" Red asked worried. He thought that Cloud missed them and caught up with Cid.

"No, we thought he was with you guys." Barret said.

"Damn." Vincent sighed.

"So where are we?" Irontail interrupted as he gazed at the tan stonewalls.

"Is this EON?" Steiner looked around to.

"It's quite different from what I thought it would look like." Vivi echoed.

"Yes, I would agree. We arrived in this room after a teleport from the Burmecian hand. We also had a vision of what it is like outside." Red agreed.

"This is near EONs core. I can feel Sephiroth is no longer around, but we have to look out for Grand Weapon, Judgment, and EON itself." Kuja said as he turned from the door.

"Seph was here?!" Yuffie, Barret, and Cid all gasped.

"WAS is the term, Cloud took care of him, again." Kuja grinned.

"So he is alive…" Tifa smiled.

"Well, with a team this legendary, Grand Weapon doesn't stand a chance!" Zidane grinned. "I'm wondering whose soul he has, though."

"Yes, an interesting puzzle I have gone through myself." Vincent said.

"I as well." Kuja said.

"Um, what is Grand Weapon?" Yuffie asked.

"Yes, we should know more about it if we should face it." Freya added.

"All right, here's the 'scoop'…" Kuja glanced at Zidane, who gave him a smile. Using common tongue was certainly difficult.

Kuja walked to the center of the room. "About thirty thousand years ago, EON manifested on some other world, it starts with a P, but I forget its actual name. It then proceeded to do as it is doing now, sucking up the life of the planet and slaughter mankind. After draining the planet, it evolved into an amazingly advanced life form and caused the planets destruction. EON then plane shifted to another world and started the process over until it reached the pinnacle of evolution. Its power was so great that could have been considered a god. It then threatened the existence of the multiverse and everything in it. So the higher forces attempted to stop it, which resulted in an enormous war. One of the higher forces became corrupt and sided with Eon, becoming Judgment. During the coarse of the war, Judgment evolved from his state into one of EONs tools, though much stronger than any other ones. For ten thousand years the war raged, until the few remaining higher forces finally defeated EON. Since EON was indestructible, they imprisoned it and all of its data, including Judgment, in a seed and sent it drifting through time and space.

EON is now here, and evolving at a climactic rate. Judgment says that Grand Weapon is a super soldier, being produced to destroy the few remaining higher forces. Once those forces are out of the way…"

"So why don't those higher forces deal with EON now before he gets to total strength or makes Grand Weapon?" Yuffie asked.

"The higher forces cannot aid this world, you have already killed its WEAPONS. And Necron cannot leave his realm, EON must come to his." Kuja replied.

"…So the higher forces are planets?" Steiner thought aloud.

"…In our world, mankind was killing the planet, so it sent the WEAPONS to kill us. But we killed them…" Tifa sighed.

"So Necron is Gaia's weapon?" Freya asked Kuja. Kuja nodded.

"But Necron was going to destroy Gaia…" Zidane sighed.

"There are more similarities between our two worlds then we thought." Red said.

"Fortunately, EON is not at godhood yet, we can finish him and Judgment, who no longer is a higher force's weapon." Vincent said.

"…Damn, this is getting pretty deep." Cid remarked.

"So to put it all in simple terms, Grand Weapon is a weapon that EON is making to finish off the rest of the planets. Judgment is EONs harvester to make the production faster, and EON is a monster who has a cycle of mortal ooze to evolve to godhood. Right?" Barret stated.

"And we have to stop all three." Vivi added.

"Can we do it without Cloud?" Tifa asked.

"…I dunno…but we have to try anyway…I got a wedding to do!" Cid smiled.

"Hell yea! For Elmyra and Marlene!" Barret grinned.

"To quote Barret, 'There ain't no getting off this train we're on!'" Zidane smiled as well.

"We gotta hurry this up guys. Burmecia hand is dying, but reversible. If it takes two worlds to become god, then EON is almost there. Gaia and Planet don't have much time left before they're drained." Vincent said.

"Let's go then." Kuja simply put it. Zidane took out his double bladed tower. Vivi grasped his Mace of Zeus. Steiner was sure to unsheathe his mighty great sword. Freya had her Whale Whisker spear prepared. Fratley had his own spear at hand as well. Kuja was battle ready.

"Let's mosey!" Tifa said. Cid fondled the handle of the Venus Gospel. Tifa checked to see of her materia was still in her Platinum Heart. Barret was locked and loaded with the Missing Score. Red XIII has ready for his limit break. Yuffie and the Conformer were eager to end it. Vincent and the Death Penalty were ready as well.

And the legendary team strode through the mechanical door.

** *

"Queen Garnet! The men you have summoned for are here!" A Pluto knight cried as he opened the large Alexandrian castle doors for familiar folks. In walked in Amarant, mercenary with flesh as white as snow and hair as red as fire. Quina, the humble cook creature with an appetite to span the globe waddled into the throne room. And little Eiko, summoner of Maiden Sari, walked in.

"Amarant! Quina! Eiko! It has been a long time." Garnet said as she descended the throne.

"Yes it has." Amarant coldly said.

"It Garnet! How do you? Long time Quina no see!" Quina said as he/she gave Garnet a big hug.

"Hey Dagger…" Eiko wasn't feeling too good.

"Well, you three would probably like to know why I summoned you here. Zidane, Steiner, Vivi, and Freya have all gone to face the EON creature in Burmecia. If EON is not defeated, it spells an end to our world. I would appreciate it if you were to stay here and help pray for their safety. Only you have fought along side them before and know their attributes." Garnet said as she started to sob.

"…Zidane…" Amarant sighed.

"Zidane and friends went to fight in big flesh tower? Why no invite Quina? Quina eat tower up!" Quina said as she/he pulled out a monstrous fork.

"I went with Zidane in the Lindblum fleet. Our fleet had to pull away after getting the Red Rose in because so many monsters kept coming out…" Eiko sniffed.

"Yes… Beatrix told me about the air battle… she cares deeply about Steiner, but she could not be with us today." Garnet replied.

"Where is she?" Eiko looked at Garnet.

"I don't know… I let her leave to do what she needed…" Garnet replied.

"Well Quina is going to save Zidane from flesh tower. Eat it all up!" Quina said.

"No Quina. You'll only get hurt." Garnet stopped it.

"As I recall…" Amarant stated from the corner of the throne room. "…Quina has fallen off of the burning Cleyra tree, swam all the way from the outer continent, and a plethora of other amazing tasks."

"Yes. Lets hope Zidane can pull something like those as well…" Garnet said.

** *

"Steiner…" Beatrix had her hands over her heart as she gazed out over Alexandria from the lookout tower of the castle. "…Don't die…Please come back to me."

"What is the matter, Lady Beatrix?" A familiar old voice rang from the stairway behind her.

"Doctor Tot?" Beatrix turned her had and her one ye on the old bird doctor as he came up from the steps.

"Aye, it's me. You have been up here for quite some time. It's not like you to leave the queen alone for such a time."

"…You are right, but I can't stop thinking about…"

"Steiner? Ah, yes. You two are a nice couple. But he is at service of Alexandria now, am I not correct?"

"…He's gone to fight the EON beast in Burmecia with Zidane. I do so worry about him. It would be different if I were along side him in combat, but…"

"But you are, protecting the queen. Steiner would probably have it no other way. He loves you very much and wouldn't want anything to happen to you Beatrix."

"…yes…"

"He'll come back. Steiner is a dedicated man. He followed Garnet till the ends of the earth. He'll come back for you."

"Yes. Thank you Dr." Beatrix smiled.

"It is my pleasure. I can't help it when women worry." Doctor Tot grinned.

Beatrix turned her one eye back to the window. A lone dove flew past, gracing her with it's silvery white wings.

"~So far and away, see the birds as it flies by. Gliding through the shadows of the clouds up in the sky. I've laid my memories and dreams upon those wings. Leave them now and see what tomorrow brings. In your dearest memories, do you remember loving me ? Was it fate that brought us close and now leave me behind ?~" Beatrix sang.

** *