CHAPTER 9: MELODIES OF LIFE

"Melody!"

Jaileen jumped down from the cliff, dropping to her knees and staring into the dark. "No! You bastards!" She rose again, sword ready in hand. Then she charged, backing up Jack who was busy fighting off the three attackers. With one blow she crushed the crossbow, making the archer draw his knife. The second brute was soon at his side as they both tried to push her over the edge.

Jack ended up facing the leader alone. "So, we finally meet face-to-face again!" the large bully said, raising his sword. Jack backed away, as he tried to get a better position. "Not that I missed that ugly face of yours," he answered, sarcastically. "Just get it over with, Gav."

With a grunt Gav swung downwards, almost slicing Jack in half. He jumped away just in time tripping over a small rock. Gav laughed triumphantly. "Ha! You're losing it, Jack! Didn't think that you would go down that easily!"

As the sword chopped down against Jacks head once more, he rolled over to escape the deadly swing. He ended up lying against the cliff, staring up at a formation of loose rocks, and idea forming in his head. "Like you'll ever get me! You're too slow to know when you've been insulted."

With a roar he swung down towards Jack once more, but only struck the red cliff as Jack once more ducked out of the way in time. Rubble rolled down the side, making the brute look up in surprise - only to see half the cliff falling towards him. Jack threw himself away, rolling across the rocky ground as Gav was knocked down. A rumble told them that the rest of the walls were close to collapsing. "J!" Jack called, coughing because of all the dust. More rocks came down and blocked the way between Jaileen and her two attackers. She ran over to help Jack up, and they barely escaped more falling rocks.

"What happened?"

Jack stared at the cliffs. He had had no idea that what he did would have started such an avalanche. "I think I just broke this place - come on, we have to get away." He took Jaileens arm and dragged her along as he climbed some of the rubble. "This won't hold them off forever."

Jaileen followed and they left the path behind, red dust floating above the rubble. But after some time, she stopped. Jack turned and looked as she sat down on the ground.

"What is it? We have to go. They might be following us already."

She shook her head. "They killed her."

Jack didn't answer. He turned and watched the gigantic tree. They weren't far from the edge. "I wonder what she wanted here."

"I... I couldn't protect her. She left because of me. Because I had to ask the way I did." She looked up at Jack. "It is my fault. I always do that, I go too far..."

He sighed. "Will you stop it? We don't have time for this. Who knows, maybe she survived somehow."

Jaileen looked at the endless deep, but she didn't have to say anything. Jack ran his hand through his white hair, knowing that there was no chance that she had survived that fall. "You couldn't know what she would do. And anyway, there's nothing to find here. This is not what we expected. What anyone expected - not even Gav and his gang. There is no power here, no treasure. The tree is dead - whatever she was looking for, it belongs to her now, and no-one else."

Jaileen nodded, and he walked over to her. "Maybe we should go now."

"No. let's find a place to rest." She rose on her feet, brushing the red dust off her clothes. "There must be somewhere we can be safe around here. A place where they can't find us."

"I have one favour left to ask of you," the voice said, a soft and kind voice, but at the same time dangerous.

Melody held her dagger tight, staring at the ray of energy surrounding the cage of roots. And the shape inside it, curled up as if it was holding on to the last string of power that it had.

"What do you want?" she whispered.

"My cage... destroy my prison, my chosen."

For a moment Melody didn't move, but then she stepped forward with the dagger in both hands. She raised the blade and closed her eyes. Then she struck down towards the thick roots, slicing almost half way through them. Filled with the rage of the happenings these last days, she struck again and again at the roots, bits of the vegetation flying around her face as she let out her anger at the very tree that had let her down so much. Soon there was only one small, brown root left, blocking the way into the core. She stared at it for a while, recovering her breath. Then she struck down a last time, slicing it in two. The light brightened up, and the last roots around the shape inside were cast aside as Melody sat down on the path underneath her. She didn't care what would happen to her now - nothing mattered anymore. She had done what she was supposed to do.

"You are crying, my little bird?" the voice said right in front of her. It was no longer in her mind, but real and living. She opened her eyes and looked up at a pale face surrounded by long white - almost silver hair. He smiled down at her, his arms crossed across his chest.

"You..." she whispered. "... It cannot be... how?"

He laughed, and spread his arms. "This! This place - dreams, souls... this was made for us. This was once a living thing, my little singing bird. Made to obey us. It knew it was dying, and that is why it tried to kill us as well."

"Zidane," Melody whispered. Mikoto had told them that Zidane also had died here, in this tree.

"But just as it thought it had succeeded in taking my life, I took the last life that it had left instead. I kept me alive instead of killing me - it was never able to defeat its true master."

Melody shook her head, confused. "But then... where is..."

"Zidane? He left. Somehow he avoided death. Maybe because the tree didn't want him dead as much as me."

Dead, Melody thought. All this time we thought that they were all... She looked up and eyed the blue sky high above. Jack and Jaileen. they are most likely gone by now. Dead. Stopped.

Kuja looked in the same direction and smiled sarcastically. "But now... now I am free again. Now that these cursed roots are no longer sealing my powers, I can reclaim my strength."

"But how did you contact me? In my dreams?"

"I used the magic I could spare in my fight to stay alive. That is why you couldn't understand me until you got this close. While collecting every piece of energy in this tree, I could communicate through it. See everything that happened outside and inside it."

"That means... that it was not this tree that cured me... It was you." There was no thankfulness in her voice, and she avoided looking at him. But then a small hope brewed inside her, even though she wanted it to die. "You are able to see everything outside this tree? Can you... did you see anyone fighting?"

"Your friends are alive," he answered without interest. "But they have given up all hope of ever seeing you again. Just like you wanted it. But they don't have much time left."

"N.. no!" she suddenly yelled. "I did not want them to... suffer. I want them to survive! They have to get away!"

His colour-less eyes narrowed, and he looked down at her with interest. "You want to save them! You want to change their destiny here at this very place - this tree of death. Very well." He lifted his arms, and his tail swayed from side to side as he smiled in joy. The light around him started to shine brighter, and Melody covered her eyes. "Feel the anger!" he yelled. "The anger against your enemies - your friends. Against this world." He laughed. "And against me, my bird. Don't stop it from pouring through you! Welcome the strength it gives you. Use it!"

As he said it, Melody thought back at her journey. She remembered the hatred, the sorrow and the pain. And the power that she had felt inside her on the surface when she thought that she had to fight the battle alone - it returned to her. And she felt herself change.

Jaileen sat on the dry ground, staring into the air. "I wonder if they have stopped following us?" she asked without interest.

Jack sighed. He was checking the rest of their equipment, the few things that they had left since the escape. Bitterly he knew that they wouldn't last them much longer if they had to keep taking detours to avoid their pursuers. But he decided not to share these thoughts. "They better have. How long have we been trying to lose them?"

She shook her head. "Long enough." They were silent for a while as Jack sat near her. They were both looking at what was supposed to be a campfire. The sun was still up, and no one had bothered lighting it. Jaileen slowly turned her head and looked at Jack. His usual joy had disappeared.

"Jack," she said, and then hesitated. "I..."

There was a pause, and Jack then reached into one of his pockets. In his hand was a wooden figurine, which was carved like a Pegasus. The wings weren't fully completed, and still a little rough. He stared at it for a while. "I originally made this for you," he then said and looked at her. He smiled ironically. "I meant to give it to you... under more appropriate circumstances. But a feeling tells me that this is the time."

Jaileen took the figurine from his outstretched hand and looked at it. "Oh Jack, you know that your feelings always get us into danger."

He smiled and looked down. "Well, I was right the last time, wasn't I? About her. She was... really special."

She lifted her head and watched him. "Jack I... I know I have been rough to you, but you must know that I really..."

Their eyes met. For a while they were both silent, but then Jack rose to his feet. "I know J."

"There they are!"

They both turned around in surprise, as no one had heard them coming. Jaileens eyes widened as she stared at Gav standing a few meters away, pointing his arrow at them with his companions behind him. "No!" she screamed and jumped to her feet. It all happened in a couple of seconds, and she heard the arrow flying past her head. In a moment everything went silent, and then she heard a gasp behind her. She turned and watched Jack fall to the ground, running forward to catch him.

"No! Oh God, no Jack! I destroyed it... How? I destroyed that damned thing!" she cried and landed on her knees. The bolt pointed out from the left side of his chest, warm blood running out and covering her hands. "Jack!"

Someone laughed and she hardly noticed that the three men surrounded her. The only thing she saw was Jack lying in her arms, his eyes closed.

"He's not so smart now, is he?" Gav grunted. Jaileen looked up, burying her eyes in his.

"You killed him! It never had to go this far - he was your friend!" she screamed. "Murderer! I don't believe I once trusted you!"

He laughed again and drew his sword. "Yeah, I killed him. And I'm going to kill you too, bitch."

In that moment he raised his sword, a light suddenly beamed up from the endless gap behind them. Gav stopped his swing, staring at the pure white energy flowing from the deep, and Jaileen turned and looked as well, still holding Jack in her arms. Something came up through the light, soon hovering above the edge, spreading its arms as the light faded.

"Melody," Jaileen whispered. "You... came back." Then she hugged the lifeless body in her arms, as tears welled up in her eyes. "But you are too late... too late."

Gav and his three men completely forgot about Jaileen as they saw the being in front of them. Something in their memory told them that they once had fought this girl - but now the sight of her filled them with fear, as she had completely changed. Her simple clothing had become longer and wider, hanging from her like several white capes. Her tail waved from side to side as a cat's, and her yellow hair was a bit longer and wilder, hanging loosely around her. Her eyes were no longer green and kind - they were dark as a storm, narrow and filled with hatred against the humans. Wing-like attachments sat on her back, keeping her in the air without moving, and in her one hand she held a long black dagger, shining with blue energy.

"Shoot!" Gav cried, trying to get a proper hold on his sword. "Wake up morons and kill her!"

Without a word Melody raised her arm, and sliced horizontally through the air with the dagger, creating a white line of energy where it had passed. The energy shot down towards the men, and they screamed as the light hit them. The only one who got up was Gav, gasping for air. Wounded though he was, he desperately tried to run away from the tranced genome, but stopped as he stared at someone he had never seen before. In front of him stood a person, only slightly taller than Melody. He wore white and purple clothes, and had long silver-hair. He looked at Gav with his grey eyes, smiling.

"Leaving already?" he asked with his soft and beautiful voice. "I'm not sure that she is through with you yet. And I have a debt to pay." Kuja lifted a hand and pointed behind the frightened man.

Scared Gav turned around, and saw that Melody was standing right behind him, the wings moving slowly without a sound.

"Now," Kuja said. "Finish it!"

Melody lifted her dagger against the desperate Gav who was still pleading for mercy, and ended his life within seconds. In that moment she felt the raging power leave her body in a white flash, and cried as she fell down on the harsh ground. Tired and weak she lifted a hand, brushing a lock of hair away from her face. In front of her there was nothing left of Jacks murderer, but a dark shadow carved into the rocky ground.

"Melody!"

She turned around, and for the first time she saw Jaileen sitting on the ground with Jack in her arms. "Jack?" she asked, and ran to them. Shocked she stared down at the lifeless body. "No... it cannot be true! Kuja said that you were still alive, I... no!"

END OF CHAPTER 9