Star Ocean: The Second Story

The Unknown Threat

By CodenniumRed

Disclaimer: Star Ocean and Star Ocean Ex are the property of their respective companies. The fanfiction I write in no way reflects any desire for profit on my behalf.

Chapter 4: Escape:

Things were looking bleak. Neither Ashton nor Rena had any conception as to where they were, let alone how to escape such a place. Again, all's they could guess was that they were underground… deep underground. But it couldn't have been a natural cavern; blood poured from the rocks as if they were living - blood that gave off a slight luminescence. They were fortunate to not run into any opposition for the time being - Ashton wasn't in any condition to fight, and Rena's healing power was all but lost.

"Stay clear of the walls." Rena exclaimed, having remembered how they scalded her very skin when she was dazed. We will find a way out of here."

"Yes," Ashton agreed, as the two walked and supported one another. "Then we must notify everyone of the more threatening nature this problem has assumed."

"Gyoro…" Rena started. Neither Ashton or she had figured out what happened to Ashton's comrades. Ashton didn't even know if they were removed prior to his interrogation. If they were removed by force, dare he thought, how did he survive? And why no wounds where they used to occupy? At least, Ashton thought, this signified at least some hope for them….

Finally, they began to hear noises. Echoes of unlife these sounds were. The blood in Ashton's ears had dried up long ago, so he was able to distinguish these noises as approaching Marauders.

"Darn!" Ashton cursed under his breath, but loud enough so Rena could hear. "We must find cover quickly."

Fortunately, they had arrived at a section of hall which branched out into three more directions, for a total of four openings connected around a central hub. Huge archways flanked the entrance to each hall; atop each arch was carved a demonic face, not unlike that of Rena's tormenter.

"It was him!" Rena gasped, pointing up to the top of the arch as the two took cover. Indeed, this was the face of the creature that appeared in Ashton's dream. Since the stone itself was nearly black, the face shared an eerie resemblance to his actual visage.

Their observation was interrupted by the approach of the Marauders. Ashton and Rena watched as they marched in, double-file, until their line ended at six soldiers total. One of them spoke:

"Our summoning is of up most importance," this one seemed to remind his group.

"Yes," another agreed. "After this, we will become unstoppable. This land will be ours for the taking."

"Don't be so eager," reminded the first. "We answer to our master alone."

With that, the group exited the corridor right relative to Ashton and Rena's current position.

"We must follow them," Ashton concluded. "They are obviously heading towards a place of importance. It might be risky, but this location might just be our ticket out of here. We'll also find out more information about these guys."

"Right," Rena agreed. "We have nowhere else to turn to anyway."

********

Following the lead of the rear Marauder, Ashton and Rena made sure to keep themselves well hidden in the shadows, lurking as close as possible to the walls without becoming scalded.

However, the nature of the labyrinth began to change. Red luminescence transmogrified to yellow, that in turn eventually emitting a greenish hue. Whether this passage provided a means of escape or not, though, Ashton had a feeling that things would take a turn for the worse.

The Marauders then descended down a set of stairs, their own reddish hues transmuting to orange, approaching the yellowish-green illumination of their surroundings. These beings then mixed with a much larger group down below, in a place which appeared to be an enormous adytum of sorts. Indeed, there must have been hundreds… thousands… gathered together facing a single shrine, chanting hymns of the damned. Ashton and Rena watched wearily, peering over the edge of a balcony down below.

The cavern choose this time to rumble, in coherence to the monster's chanting. The light was briefly offset by a familiar reddish hue, which in turn adopted a whitish glow that consumed the sight of all its beholders, including Ashton and Rena.

Once this light cleared, a large central figure occupied the space the Marauders had all been facing. The chanting ceased to continue.

"It is he!" Rena gasped, referring to the large demon that sapped away her powers.

"Their leader," Ashton hastily concluded. Of course, anything was possible, given the situation, but this theory was evidently very likely.

"The time is now," started the master, interrupting Ashton and Rena's thoughts. "We have found what we were looking for. The gift of regeneration is now within your grasp. Pain, suffering, and sorrow will now dominate the land."

With that, the demon summoned what appeared to be a crest into his hands, tinted in green and engraved in a Mithril disk. This crest looked very familiar to Ashton; legend had told about it's significance on Expel….

"The shadow of darkness will alter its meaning… the gift of unlife will be fully complete…." Ashton did not like the sound of that.

The demon then kneeled on the hard floor below, gazing upward. Forth from his body erupted the image of a transparency - a ghost no doubt.

But both Ashton and Rena realized the awful truth of the moment, for this ghost assumed the form of none other than Rena Lanford! As quickly as it came, though, the wraith dissipated into the crest the demon still held.

"It is done," the demon lord finally spoke. "We shall attack at midnight." With that, the lord disappeared.

The spectacle was far from over, though. The crest still lie behind, its green luminescence gaining strength by the second. A concentric shockwave then emitted fourth from the writing, casting its influence over all those down below.

"We will now be unstoppable…." Though the demon himself was gone, his voice remained as an omen for all to hear.

********

Time passed. What once contained a grueling mass of monsters was now a dark, lifeless pit, save for the existence of Rena and Ashton. It was a wonder they hadn't been spotted; Tria had been watching over them that day.

"What was that about?" Rena asked. Ashton knew that she understood the basic gist of what happened; he also knew, though, that she still had many unanswered questions.

Regardless, Rena continued. "What was that crest? And that ghost?"

The Crest was often spoken of in legend. Ashton knew of that since his Heraldic fencing required the use of crests; he could be considered to be of part wizard himself. "It was the Crest of Power," Ashton began. "Legend tells of a long lost crest that could provide unlimited power to anyone who beheld it."

"Then why?" Rena interrupted, "Why would they need my powers? Why rewrite the crest?"

"Apparently," Ashton replied, "Their purpose was to avert the sole destructive power of the crest into a form of greater potency. These Marauders now have your power of healing, Rena."

"No…" Rena began. This was too much to bear. "It's all my fault!" Rena near-shouted.

"Don't say that!" Ashton quickly retorted, realizing that he possibly presented the information in an inappropriate manner. "It was not of your doing. You were a victim."

"I'm sorry," Rena replied softly, eyes closed.

"Don't be," Ashton responded, not unkindly. "You did nothing wrong." Regardless, he noticed her begin to cry. After another hug, Ashton finally spoke. "Let's get out of here, shall we?"

Rena once again came to her senses as well. "Perhaps we should check out that area," she concluded, gesturing towards the adytum. They helped each other up, and were on their way as quick as their weakened forms could carry them.

********

The pit was noticeably cooler than the rest of the dungeon. However, dank and dark it was still, especially now that the demonic ceremony had ceased to commence. The only traces of light were from the rapidly evaporating remains of the greenish hue, which had apparently covered the liquid residue on the walls all over this Hell.

The two walked up to the Altar where the Crest had been - it had vanished, Ashton noted, probably once again in the hands of its master. However, two large wooden doors beckoned the duo from the rear wall of the sanctum. A bright light seemed to seep between the seams of the double doors - seams large enough to permit easy movement of such massive objects.

Was this the outside world? Both Rena and Ashton hoped the same thing as they approached the door's massive frame. They would have to hurry if they were to warn the continent of an imminent invasion - and they had no idea how much time they had….

Slowly but surely the two opened the doors; Ashton the left, Rena the right. Instead of an outdoors realm, as Rena and Ashton had hoped, a huge portal beckoned.

The rift emitted a light blue radiance, rippling outward from the center like water disturbed with an object. This was potentially evidence of recent use, Ashton concluded. Unfortunately, neither Ashton nor Rena could see through the other side of the cleft, clouded with Heraldic energy it was.

"So this is how they're getting to the roadways," Rena assumed. Ashton hoped that this assumption was correct - it would mean a ticket home!

"Let us hope so," Ashton affirmed. "But remember that no matter what happens, we'll always have each other."

Rena replied with a gentle yet supportive grip on Ashton's hand. This time, she began crying out of happiness, soft tars cascading down her gentle face. She then recalled everything that happened in the past few hours, if not longer - the loss of Gyoro and Ururun in particular was still nagging at her mind. She could barely imagine how Ashton felt about it.

Without saying another word, the two walked hand-in-hand into the unknown… to their destiny.