Fantasy Thunder Chapter Twenty-Two: Chi
By Blue Dragon
If Chi is incapacitated there will be one last resort.
How the party was going to deal with the frustrating Lambda was undecided, but when he had first appeared, Cloud hadn't been as fast. Now there were two blurs zooming around, making wind that sliced the air in half.
In a movement that was now crystal clear, he withdrew a plain-looking staff and jammed it forward, straight at Cloud, who deflected it. Lambda slowed to a much slower speed of one hundred mph, giving Cloud just enough time to push the hilt into his stomach, sending him sprawling into Kappa who stepped in an impossibly smooth motion, the pillar next to him completely destroyed by the unfortunate man.
The crowd behind spread out into a straight line, gunmen in the back with upgraded bullets meant to be almost three times as fast as usual. Others stood by, in the event that summoning or healing was necessary.
Kiros, of course followed the every move of Thuka who dashed back and forth around Nu, who followed her every movements. In a flash Nu sheathed and resheathed his blade, the job being done in less than a second, in the blink of an eye. A gash appeared starting from her chest and going down to the bottom of her stomach, what seemed to be all the blood in her body rained out as her face turned deathly pale.
"That is your fate!" Nu yelled victoriously. "Blood and pain!"
Kiros strapped on his katals.
"It'll be Blood Pain alright." He said, making a pun out of his limit break.
"Kiros, buddy, it's not worth it!" Laguna told him.
"Hell yes it is."
Kiros glowed and flew forward at an inhuman speed, slashing the living hell out of any living enemy unfortunate enough to be within the area, in this case it was Nu. He stumbled back, his blood mixing with the red, forming a ghastly crimson pool of blood.
A blur flew by him, grabbing him, and then another by Xu, grabbing her as well. The scream was distorted as they went off.
"Everyone after him!" Squall bounced off one pillar, a wall, and then down the corridor after Nu and Xi. A few subordinates struggled to keep up as he flew at a blurring speed.
Sephiroth had elixed Thuka, and took over her job. Lambda was single- handedly dealing with the others, leaving him with Kappa. Omicron and Luminerion made no attempt to help. That is, until Seifer and Oren blasted their bodies through a wall.
Sephiroth drew his sword in unison with Lambda's rod, sending sparks flying.
An amazing flash of weapons followed.
***
Xu found herself pinned to a wall by Nu.
"Dammit! What the hell do you want with me! I don't know you!"
Xi pulled up her sleeve, and a circle of red was there.
" . . . How did you know about that?" she asked.
Xi and Nu pulled up sleeves as well, revealing the same mark.
"The sorceresses that kept your orphanage were not really sorceresses, they were Zatach."
"What?"
Xi continued the explanation.
"They were your mother and aunt. They fled the home world long before the combustion to flee from persecution for their beliefs, along with a few other dozen. We aren't sure about what kind of persecution, but you were born when in orbit around this earth."
"So now you're saying I'm a Zatach?"
"Xu, when your mother and aunt landed, you were somehow separated, which explains the burned heap. Afraid of your haunted past they never told you. They knew your age and what your markings stood for, because they were related to you. Of course you look almost completely like your father, ironically enough. The only way of you finding out the truth, blocked out by someone that would have wanted to do so. We . . . still don't know anything about your . . . OUR father."
"Well, why can't I do all that superman stuff that you always do?"
"Zatach draw power not from themselves, but the planet. The planet was destroyed by the time you were born. But . . . now that your near an actual core of the planet contained in this ship . . . you might be able to use them."
"Why are you fighting against us!?"
"You wronged us and allied with-"
"Not that!" Xu grabbed Nu's hand that still held her down.
"And let me go!"
" . . . "
There was a sickening crack as she started to break his wrist.
He let go then, of course.
"You say all this 'you suck, you suck, you are our enemy because of this and this and that', but you won't tell us why! We've never even seen you!?"
"Lies!" Nu yelled in anger. "Ow." He said, clutching his wrist.
"Not lies! How do you know all this!?"
Xi shook his head.
"You would try and deny it . . . "
"What are you talking about!?" Xu screamed again, wondering why she wasn't running away.
"At least that's what Pyros said."
In that instant Xu had never felt so angry. Her face turned red.
"ALL THIS DAMNED BLOODSHED FOR NOTHING!!" she tried to keep her cool and not start out on a string of foul language.
"AND ALL BECAUSE PYROS IS A DAMNED LIAR!"
Xi and Nu gasped.
"H-how dare you say that!" Xi said with a hand over his mouth.
Xu tried not to drool from anger.
"H-he lied! This whole time he lied to the twenty-four of you if you count Luminerion, telling you that we did bad things . . . we didn't do a freakin' thing! He's a damned liar!"
Xi could tell by the anger in her eyes that it was the truth.
"This isn't right . . . "
"You're telling me!"
"No . . . I mean, this isn't right! Pyros DOESN'T lie!"
"Apparently that isn't so!"
"I mean it, he just DOESN'T lie!"
"I don't care how much you trust him."
"I don't know if he's possessed, but he just DOES NOT LIE!"
" . . . "
"Pyros is a great man, really! He helped so many Zatach, saved so many lives, because of that he became one of the high keepers of our planet, which is when his name was changed to Pyros. There are six in all, Pyros, Negatorian, Aquila, Nemesis, Itrioutus, and of course Luminerion. Once they achieve this position, they are blessed by an unknown force and literally CANNOT lie! They are incapable of it. We tried it, we gave him a blue cube, and he tried to say it was red but it did not work. He cannot lie! He's incapable! The only logical explanation is that he's possessed."
"What!?"
Xi sighed.
"He. Can. Not. Lie. He. Is. Possessed. Get it now?"
***
Omicron engaged himself with Jessica, while Luminerion was capable of taking Oren and Seifer on at the same time. The odds of that battle would turn and shift greatly.
In a few seconds Omicron had Jessica pinned by the neck with one hand, the other charging a sharp bright beam.
Slowly and shakily, she reached for her gun, then brought it up to his head and shot.
He flew back, clutching his eyes. Unfortunately the last clips of ammo fit for that gun were on the Zatach homeworld, and Jessica's gun was now useless and empty.
Omicron quickly recovered and then recharged the sharp bright beam and charged forward with it extended, the beam almost making contact. A flash had Omicron on the ground and pinned temporarily by Pi.
"What the hell are you doing!?" he asked, leaping back up.
"You know." She said as she ran around a dark wall and came back out of the shadows directly into him.
"We are on the same side!"
"We WERE on the same side." She now ran circles around him, Omicron being unable to keep up.
"I have six years seniority over you! Why would I lose?"
She bounded from the sprint and made direct contact with his abdomen, giving Jessica barely enough time to leap out of the way. The speed of Omicron being thrown actually created a sonic boom, ripping up the floor down to a skeleton of metal frames and wires.
She picked Omicron out of the rubble and squeezed his neck until there was a sickening crack, making him cough.
"Have you any last words?" she asked, staring into his eyes coldly.
"I was killed by a warrior . . . I go with peace to my death."
She lessened her grip.
"You are a true fighter . . . " she dropped him in a heap, he was barely alive and having trouble breathing.
"Kenji Muromachi." She uttered his real name and walked off into the shadows.
Cloud was slashing quickly and desperately at Kappa who was leaving afterimages of his fingers blocking all of the blows.
Out of the corner of his eye, Cloud saw Squall heading back with a group behind him. He also noticed that Tidus and Zidane were trying to help Seifer and Oren with Luminerion, but he was too good
"STOP!" Squall's yells didn't stop the fighting. He had learned information from Xu.
"STOP!" he yelled again.
Kappa jumped back, and threw a pillar high into the air. The pillar that had to be at least thirty times his size. With the pillar lifted, he picked out a small gun and started blasting at Cloud who amazingly deflected.
"Pyros LIED!" Squall yelled.
All of his warriors and Luminerion stopped dead and gasped as if deeply offended.
"Blasphemy!" Kappa yelled into the sky.
Nu walked behind Squall.
"They haven't wronged us. They are not our enemies."
Kappa hesitated.
"Was it their magic? What did they do to you?"
"Nothing, my friend. These people have wronged us in no way. We have been used."
Kappa dropped the gun that had gotten out four shots.
"That isn't good."
"What isn't good!?" Prompted Cloud, hesitant and scared.
"I fired a retrovirus on innocent people . . . you all. I think I missed all the shots. As long as you don't see a black spot forming on your chest, you'll be fine."
Xi came up to Kappa and put a hand on his shoulder.
"This is all a misunderstanding. Let us all just talk Pyros about this and see what the problem is."
Oren couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Just like that? It's over?"
Xi shrugged his shoulders.
"There should be no more reason for us to fight anymore."
"Then its over . . . no casualties." Oren said slowly.
"I wouldn't say that."
Everyone jerked at the new voice.
A Pyros looking fifty years younger floated from above and hovered a few feet away from Kappa and Xi.
"Pyros!? What in heaven's name?" Xi was stupefied.
"You still recognize me? Well, Pyros is dead. Very dead. Has been dead for years. My name is Allen, and I only look like him. Why? None of your damn business."
"Pyros, why did you lie to us?" Kappa asked, not understanding anything.
"I am not Pyros, but Allen. Pyros is dead. And Oren is innocent. But I, Allen, did lie to you."
"Why?" Nu asked this time.
"I can't stay for long, I don't have the energy. Know this; I am not even human or Zatach, but I am your enemy. And right now, I only have the power to do one thing." He pointed to Kappa.
"Fools. This is what is in store for all of you."
Two dark lances went in and out of both of Kappa's hearts, and for a minute, everything was silent.
The eerie voice laughed, and "Allen" disappeared. Kappa's eyes were wide open, and he fell to the ground, a crowd watching him. Pi rushed and caught him, just before they fell.
"Oh no."
Pi number two had caught him before he hit the ground. (It had been number one that strangled Omicron.)
"Kappa . . . ?" she whispered.
"We were betr-" Kappa didn't continue due to a fit of coughs.
"Be quiet! Don't talk!"
"Tell them everyth-" another fit of coughs that echoed and made the less sensitive cringe.
She stroked his head and felt the weakening pulse.
"Quiet."
"Pi. Tell them everything."
He stared her straight in the eye, even as his own eyes glazed over. She didn't want to believe it. In a few seconds, his body began to turn bright, and suddenly it dissipated into thousands of tiny lights that slowly disappeared, his body completely gone. She remembered his last words.
"I think there is something you all should know."
***
Zidane almost slipped on blood for the umpteenth time.
"Is it just me, or is Zatach blood slipperier?" he asked himself. He was tired of the walking and the fighting and blood and killing, and most of all, the pain in his chest from the last battle. He and the countless others had made their way into an alternate corridor, where eventually they all just sat down, Pi number one and two talking with Oren in a way so that they could not hear. Oren started looking very worried. Pi number one walked to the large group and sat down. Another bright white corridor with the bright lights, areas of shadows, countless other corridors, rooms, lifts, etc. All bathed in that annoying bright light coming from beams at the top.
"The reason I am in two pieces is because of a project." Pi number one began shakily, upset over the death of a comrade.
"It was tested on me, and the side effect was I was split into two identical pieces. It also gave me mind reading capability. The project . . . is a wide, tall, long, deep machine. Built from the ship itself, it . .. is hard to explain. It bends time and space, alters the universe to certain limits the way the user sees fit. It can simulate places in the past, things that will later exist, etc. It can create, it can cure diseases, etc. But . . . " she took a deep breath.
"It is meant to destroy. It destroys quickly and efficiently. It can destroy galaxies, planets if it is completed. It is going to be used as a last resort. But, the most important aspect of this machine at the bottom of the ship, it can wrap someone in a fantasy. An everlasting fantasy that takes them everywhere to places that might not even exist. It can put someone into a sort of super-virtual reality. If completed, to put in simple terms, it can do anything. Almost anything."
"How do we know it hasn't already been completed?" Oren asked.
"Every time it is used, or even tested, it makes a sound. It makes a sound that resonates around and comes from nowhere and everywhere at once. It is a sound that can be good or bad. It's a deep sound that can be sudden and loud, or subtle and soft."
"A little like thunder." Cloud mentioned.
"Precisely. The machine that was built for absolute control of almost any aspect of the universe does just this and makes this sound. It has been in turn codenamed by Pyros, or who I thought was Pyros, the Fantasy Thunder."
Just then, Cloud felt a pain in his chest. He stood up and began weaving his way through the crowd, following his own trail of blood.
"We have to stop whoever that was from activating it. If he was lying the whole time, then it is because he wanted us distracted. Maybe he planned on us being hurt or even killed? He didn't want us to know. I don't know why, but I'm sure he's planning on destroying everything. We have to make it to the center."
The words of Pi flew right through Cloud's head as he looked for Tifa.
"I know that Rho, Sigma, Tao, Upsilon, Phi, and Chi are in here somewhere. And I also know that they are under complete and total influence of Pyros . . . Allen. They can't think for themselves, meaning nothing we say is going to save them. I fear they will do anything he tells them to do, regardless of morals or reason involved."
The pain in his chest was really acting up and it was starting to become a bother. The more he worried about Tifa, the more the pain grew.
"What was that that Kappa fired?" Oren asked.
"It was supposed to be a virus that zeroed in on whoever was inflicted with the most sorrow. But I don't think any of the blows were successful"
Cloud suddenly felt horrible and hopeless for reasons he couldn't quite realize. In a flash everything turned white and he fell on the dark ground.
***
The blood on his gunblade couldn't be hidden. The Lionheart had probably seen more blood than a human heart.
And after that last battle, he would probably be pulled into another pointless battle that would be just as dangerous. Someone was sure to get hurt if the kept this up. And if something happened to him, what would happen to Rinoa, to all of his friends? It was then that his chest felt like it exploded and almost fell back.
"In the event that anyone was infected, what would be the symptoms?" Oren asked yet another question.
"Fever, loss of appetite, paleness, anger, sadness, irritablility . . . "
"Anything else?"
"Bleeding, sweating, coughing, compromised immune system, loss of sexual interest . . . "
"Quite a bit of symptoms."
Squall started coughing.
"You okay?" Zell asked, patting him on the back.
"I'm fine." He managed through a fit of coughs.
"You sound-"
"I said I'm FINE!"
***
Zidane enjoyed the excitement greatly, as if it was all pleasurable to his Genome instincts. The thoughts donned on him of how miserable he would be if this ended, returning to the castle and having to go through all that crap again.
It made him break out into a cold sweat.
"Where would the blood come from?" Oren asked Pi.
Zidane got a serious nosebleed and then started coughing it.
"From the mouth and nose."
***
"Tidus?" he seemed to be asleep on Yuna's lap, but at the same time he also seemed to be losing weight.
"Are you alright?" she shook him lightly. Something was wrong; he wasn't snoring. He was barely breathing.
"I think something is wrong! Help!" she called.
Zell had Squall on his back as he walked over to Oren.
"Something's wrong with Squall, he's not breathing properly."
Tifa was still ignorant of Cloud's situation.
Sephiroth found him on the ground, and he didn't seem to be sleeping.
In a few minutes, Cloud, Squall, Zidane, and Tidus were laying on their backs, a pained expression, no consciousness whatsoever, in some cases bleeding, and in all cases heavy perspiration.
Pi number one was observing their conditions.
"I doubt it is the virus I was talking about. If it is, then Oren won't be able to heal them." She looked at him, giving him his cue.
No one was too scared because they had been through bad before, but in this case . . .
"I can't heal them." Oren said simply after holding his hands out, not even looking like he tried.
Rinoa, who had been by Squall, looked even more worried.
"You didn't even try!"
"Trust me, I tried. And if I try harder I might hurt you all"
"Try anyway!" she said stubbornly.
This time, effects of his labors were evident. Oren held out his hands in the same way, the whole room turned hot and blue, and everything light and loose, mostly hair, stood up on end from electrical charge. There was an electronic crackling and the room got hotter, and the temperature steadily rose as Oren tried harder, his efforts not having any visible effect.
"Okay, stop!" Rinoa yelled, the air becoming too heavy. Oren stopped and the temperature abruptly returned to normal.
Pi shook her head.
"It can't be the virus because . . . "
Black glowing orbs appeared on the chests of the four infected ones.
"Never mind. Your friends are as good as dead."
"Don't say that!" Yuna told her vehemently, and a bit out of character.
"I'd say that they have from six hours to six days. It depends on the frailty of their bodies."
"I don't believe you!" Yuna looked at Oren.
"Isn't she lying?"
" . . . I can only hope so."
That wasn't a comforting answer at all.
"I recommend that we go back to Esthar Garden and see what we can do for your friends."
Within a few minutes the murmuring ceased, Allen's fighters went back to confront him. The rest began to follow the long wide hallway back to the docking area of the garden.
Oren volunteered to lift the four incapacitated on his back, stacking the four up in a seemingly uncomfortable way like dead bodies, much to the unrest of the people close to them. It was a very strange sight, one person hunched over carrying them all, no sign of fatigue.
Dagger was made uneasy when she didn't hear the complaints come like clockwork from Zidane, either about the darkness, the light, the talking, how tired he was of traveling, how he wanted to go home, and the way the ground shook every the hideous Quina would make a step and in the devil's case a leap.
Soon the lights went off due to electrical failure.
"What gives?" Barret whispered to who he thought was himself, disregarding the hearing of any Zatach.
"The blood of people seeped through destroyed parts of the gourd, and the wires short-circuited." Oren explained, sending shivers up the spines of the less sensitive.
Eventually, Rinoa fished Squall's Lionheart from his belt and used its glow to illuminate the whole area, which is when she wished she hadn't. Cloud and Squall were leaving grisly trails of . . . blood. So much blood recently. Was there even enough blood among the group for that much to stay?
Oren stopped and bandaged them up, not looking too pleased with what he was seeing. The group was horrified to find that later the entire hallway was completely blocked off by a door that wasn't there before.
Seifer was tired of walking so walked up and started slamming the door, then clutching his hand.
"Not even a Zatach can break that, we need another route." Jessica told him.
"How do you propose we find one?"
"There is an alternate tunnel, a bit smaller, close to here that will give us a different path to our destination." Pi number two thought aloud.
"The downside is that it leads directly to Fantasy Thunder. That machine is dangerous, and the closer you get the worse you'll feel until your body gives out."
"No exceptions?" asked Oren.
"There may be some immune, but I don't' know the conditions. However . . . if you have the virus you can get there fine and shut off certain layers of the machine for others to pass. Ironically, the only four that have that virus can't move on their own."
Oren shrugged.
"What the hell. We'll all go as far as we can and then whoever lasts longest will carry these guys."
The crowd walked towards the block-off and to the right, and just like Pi number two had said the walkway was there.
Pi number two explained further.
"There are three layers, at the end of the third is Fantasy Thunder master switch. We cannot destroy it from there, but we can disarm it. Each layer is divided into six, A-F."
Barret was already losing breath.
"Then how far are we to A?"
They had been walking about five minutes.
"About a fifth of the way."
"Damn."
As the party descended further, the gravity became lighter and they could continuously walk without fatigue.
Dagger was even more worried and was constantly checking Zidane, who wasn't getting any better or worse. After twenty minutes, the effects were beginning to show. Once the group passed into layer two, people dropped out. Eiko and Vivi were unable to continue, Quina, to everyone's relief, fell face first with a thud that shook the ship. Rinoa felt pain but refused to give up. Selphie left a few minutes later, and Rikku's slight build began getting the best of her. Sephiroth held her close and formed a protective shield, weaker than normal. Tifa was worried sick that this would begin to hurt Cloud very much, but he started to get better. Oren didn't seem affected. A quarter of the way into layer two, not even Sephiroth's shield could help Rikku who started coughing and had to go back. Yuna was beginning to feel pain but didn't want to leave Tidus. Tifa's rigorous training kept her fairly strong. Yuffie had tried to tough it out, but fatigue got the best of her.
Aeris began breathing heavily but didn't quit. Reeve started muttering under his breath. Quistis had to stop and go back. Pi number one and two laughed, as they were only slightly affected.
"Weeding out the weak." Pi number one said.
"Quiet" Seifer snapped.
Freya began to limp. Lulu had to be carried by Wakka, Laguna was sent back after a lot of whining.
Three fourths of the way in, Aeris was floating, Tifa refused to leave cloud, Yuna, Dagger, and Rinoa felt the same about respective partners. Oren was just fine, Jessica's breath became long, Kiros had to be held up by Thuka, Braska, Auron, and Jecht turned back. Steiner collapsed, the mighty Barret lost his funk, Cid stayed behind, Zell, and Irvine lost it. The mighty Ward was worn down and turned back. Lulu and Wakka fell back along with Kimahri and Freya. Elena and Reno also turned back. When the end of layer two was near, the mighty fell. Aeris lost consciousness and was carried back by Tifa to a safe spot, Rinoa and Yuna bid a tearful farewell and turned back. Amarant lost consciousness and just before he muttered he would rather be left there. Cloud, Squall, Zidane, and Tidus, were showing serious improvement and now seemed to be sleeping, but Pi warned they were still in critical condition.
Kiros sadly left, Vincent lost his mojo, Tifa and Dagger said goodbye and left, and Red XIII lost his nerve as well. Rude swallowed his pride and turned back, and the remaining showed fatigue.
Sephiroth was sweating, Thuka began to pant, Seymour tried to look composed but failed miserably, Seifer and Jessica took turns pinching each other to stay awake, Pi number two began to leave, followed by number one, Tidus, Squall, Zidane, and Cloud got better still. Oren was unaffected. Once the party crossed into layer three, Thuka, Sephiroth, Kuja, Jessica, Seifer, and eventually Seymour turned back. It was now only Oren carrying the four. Halfway into layer three, Cloud woke up, followed by Tidus. Squall regained consciousness and so did Zidane. Oren dropped them all rudely.
"It's about time. Carrying you all becomes . . . a pain in the ass."
No one responded.
"What happened?" Cloud asked.
"Long story. We have to shut off the switch before Allen finds us with his cavalry."
"Who?" Squall inquired.
"Rho through Chi are going to be a doozy to handle ourselves." He explained. The hall opened into a bright room, with a single anticlimactic switch no bigger than a bowling ball.
"Let us not waste time." Oren walked briskly the switch, hands in his sleeves. Something was wrong, though. The closer he got, the farther it got away.
It was as if he was going somewhere and nowhere at the same time.
Squall raised an eyebrow and tried as well, but he found himself next to Oren, never getting any closer to the switch.
"What is this?" he asked.
As if in answer, a large rumbling was heard suddenly, a sound like distant thunder.
"Not good" Oren said under his breath.
Allen floated from nowhere and landed next to the switch.
"My beautiful machine is not yet at full power, but it can still pull off a few things. Would you like to see what it can do?"
Cloud pulled out his sword.
"You!?"
"I am not alone." He snapped his fingers six black cylinders the size of a full grown human landed on the ground, six figures came out. All dressed in white, all with featureless masks on their faces.
"Six against five."
Allen disappeared.
Oren just laughed.
"Give me a break. I've been up against worse odds. No way we'd lose."
Surprisingly, five of them sat down near the switch, and only one approached.
"You are guilty of murder, defacing of planetary modules, and perjury. Punishment: Termination."
"State your name" Oren said indifferently.
"My name is Shirian Kumishiro. I have been designated with the prestigious codename 'Rho'."
***
Sephiroth was among the last to return to the beginning of the hallway, very tired. Everyone was arguing about who was weakest and jumping at each others throats.
"Chicken-wuss, you were a weakling."
"My name is ZELL, and watch what you call me. I don't see you still down there."
"Yeah, and you were on drugs." Irvine added.
"Quit the squabblin'!" Barret snapped.
"Shut up BARRET. You almost collapsed." Cid snapped right back.
"I don't think Barret could bear it." Yuffie whispered purposely loud.
Kuja finally came back.
"I'm tougher than all of you. So you're all equal."
"You're on drugs, too!" Irvine accused.
"And Seymour here?" Kuja countered.
"He's on drugs!"
"Irvine, your only defense is to say everyone's on drugs, just admit you're a weak-ass!" Amarant bumped him on purpose.
"Don't push me!"
"Out of all of us, Seymour lasted the longest." Kuja reasoned to himself, and then aloud.
He was met with four "Shut the hell up"s, five "Be quiet"s, one "Be silent", and three "Go eat some yellow snow"s.
Jessica was just leaning on the wall contemplating. She pulled Seifer aside.
"Oren isn't much tougher than me. Why was he unaffected?"
"Don't bother asking. He'll just dodge the question."
"What?"
"He's been dodging every question he was asked. Why do you think so?"
" . . . "
***
Rho looked as if she was contemplating.
"Turn off one of the switches."
With ease, one of the figures got past the trap no one else could, and flipped the switch.
***
The harmful waves from Fantasy Thunder ceased. As Seymour was the last to come out, he was the first to go back in.
"Where are you going?" Kuja asked, flying after him.
"They need help!"
A horribly loud sound like distant thunder echoed through the corridors, followed by a gasp and a slam, then four more screams, after that a ripping sound and eerie silence, giving everyone an incentive to rush down after the others. Soon, six separate voices yelling battle cries and cries of pain could be heard, and nothing could be distinguished.
Quina, to everyone's relief, stayed flat on his/her face.
There was the sound of an electrical charge, the sound of the FT preparing to do something big.
________________________________________________________________________
AN: The battle in this chapter was short, but this one will span over one chapter. For this reason, Chapter twenty-three will be divided into two or possibly three chapters. Twenty-four will be in three or possibly four parts. Prepare yourselves. If you've stuck with me this far, you are a saint. Thanks for stickin' with me this far.
By Blue Dragon
If Chi is incapacitated there will be one last resort.
How the party was going to deal with the frustrating Lambda was undecided, but when he had first appeared, Cloud hadn't been as fast. Now there were two blurs zooming around, making wind that sliced the air in half.
In a movement that was now crystal clear, he withdrew a plain-looking staff and jammed it forward, straight at Cloud, who deflected it. Lambda slowed to a much slower speed of one hundred mph, giving Cloud just enough time to push the hilt into his stomach, sending him sprawling into Kappa who stepped in an impossibly smooth motion, the pillar next to him completely destroyed by the unfortunate man.
The crowd behind spread out into a straight line, gunmen in the back with upgraded bullets meant to be almost three times as fast as usual. Others stood by, in the event that summoning or healing was necessary.
Kiros, of course followed the every move of Thuka who dashed back and forth around Nu, who followed her every movements. In a flash Nu sheathed and resheathed his blade, the job being done in less than a second, in the blink of an eye. A gash appeared starting from her chest and going down to the bottom of her stomach, what seemed to be all the blood in her body rained out as her face turned deathly pale.
"That is your fate!" Nu yelled victoriously. "Blood and pain!"
Kiros strapped on his katals.
"It'll be Blood Pain alright." He said, making a pun out of his limit break.
"Kiros, buddy, it's not worth it!" Laguna told him.
"Hell yes it is."
Kiros glowed and flew forward at an inhuman speed, slashing the living hell out of any living enemy unfortunate enough to be within the area, in this case it was Nu. He stumbled back, his blood mixing with the red, forming a ghastly crimson pool of blood.
A blur flew by him, grabbing him, and then another by Xu, grabbing her as well. The scream was distorted as they went off.
"Everyone after him!" Squall bounced off one pillar, a wall, and then down the corridor after Nu and Xi. A few subordinates struggled to keep up as he flew at a blurring speed.
Sephiroth had elixed Thuka, and took over her job. Lambda was single- handedly dealing with the others, leaving him with Kappa. Omicron and Luminerion made no attempt to help. That is, until Seifer and Oren blasted their bodies through a wall.
Sephiroth drew his sword in unison with Lambda's rod, sending sparks flying.
An amazing flash of weapons followed.
***
Xu found herself pinned to a wall by Nu.
"Dammit! What the hell do you want with me! I don't know you!"
Xi pulled up her sleeve, and a circle of red was there.
" . . . How did you know about that?" she asked.
Xi and Nu pulled up sleeves as well, revealing the same mark.
"The sorceresses that kept your orphanage were not really sorceresses, they were Zatach."
"What?"
Xi continued the explanation.
"They were your mother and aunt. They fled the home world long before the combustion to flee from persecution for their beliefs, along with a few other dozen. We aren't sure about what kind of persecution, but you were born when in orbit around this earth."
"So now you're saying I'm a Zatach?"
"Xu, when your mother and aunt landed, you were somehow separated, which explains the burned heap. Afraid of your haunted past they never told you. They knew your age and what your markings stood for, because they were related to you. Of course you look almost completely like your father, ironically enough. The only way of you finding out the truth, blocked out by someone that would have wanted to do so. We . . . still don't know anything about your . . . OUR father."
"Well, why can't I do all that superman stuff that you always do?"
"Zatach draw power not from themselves, but the planet. The planet was destroyed by the time you were born. But . . . now that your near an actual core of the planet contained in this ship . . . you might be able to use them."
"Why are you fighting against us!?"
"You wronged us and allied with-"
"Not that!" Xu grabbed Nu's hand that still held her down.
"And let me go!"
" . . . "
There was a sickening crack as she started to break his wrist.
He let go then, of course.
"You say all this 'you suck, you suck, you are our enemy because of this and this and that', but you won't tell us why! We've never even seen you!?"
"Lies!" Nu yelled in anger. "Ow." He said, clutching his wrist.
"Not lies! How do you know all this!?"
Xi shook his head.
"You would try and deny it . . . "
"What are you talking about!?" Xu screamed again, wondering why she wasn't running away.
"At least that's what Pyros said."
In that instant Xu had never felt so angry. Her face turned red.
"ALL THIS DAMNED BLOODSHED FOR NOTHING!!" she tried to keep her cool and not start out on a string of foul language.
"AND ALL BECAUSE PYROS IS A DAMNED LIAR!"
Xi and Nu gasped.
"H-how dare you say that!" Xi said with a hand over his mouth.
Xu tried not to drool from anger.
"H-he lied! This whole time he lied to the twenty-four of you if you count Luminerion, telling you that we did bad things . . . we didn't do a freakin' thing! He's a damned liar!"
Xi could tell by the anger in her eyes that it was the truth.
"This isn't right . . . "
"You're telling me!"
"No . . . I mean, this isn't right! Pyros DOESN'T lie!"
"Apparently that isn't so!"
"I mean it, he just DOESN'T lie!"
"I don't care how much you trust him."
"I don't know if he's possessed, but he just DOES NOT LIE!"
" . . . "
"Pyros is a great man, really! He helped so many Zatach, saved so many lives, because of that he became one of the high keepers of our planet, which is when his name was changed to Pyros. There are six in all, Pyros, Negatorian, Aquila, Nemesis, Itrioutus, and of course Luminerion. Once they achieve this position, they are blessed by an unknown force and literally CANNOT lie! They are incapable of it. We tried it, we gave him a blue cube, and he tried to say it was red but it did not work. He cannot lie! He's incapable! The only logical explanation is that he's possessed."
"What!?"
Xi sighed.
"He. Can. Not. Lie. He. Is. Possessed. Get it now?"
***
Omicron engaged himself with Jessica, while Luminerion was capable of taking Oren and Seifer on at the same time. The odds of that battle would turn and shift greatly.
In a few seconds Omicron had Jessica pinned by the neck with one hand, the other charging a sharp bright beam.
Slowly and shakily, she reached for her gun, then brought it up to his head and shot.
He flew back, clutching his eyes. Unfortunately the last clips of ammo fit for that gun were on the Zatach homeworld, and Jessica's gun was now useless and empty.
Omicron quickly recovered and then recharged the sharp bright beam and charged forward with it extended, the beam almost making contact. A flash had Omicron on the ground and pinned temporarily by Pi.
"What the hell are you doing!?" he asked, leaping back up.
"You know." She said as she ran around a dark wall and came back out of the shadows directly into him.
"We are on the same side!"
"We WERE on the same side." She now ran circles around him, Omicron being unable to keep up.
"I have six years seniority over you! Why would I lose?"
She bounded from the sprint and made direct contact with his abdomen, giving Jessica barely enough time to leap out of the way. The speed of Omicron being thrown actually created a sonic boom, ripping up the floor down to a skeleton of metal frames and wires.
She picked Omicron out of the rubble and squeezed his neck until there was a sickening crack, making him cough.
"Have you any last words?" she asked, staring into his eyes coldly.
"I was killed by a warrior . . . I go with peace to my death."
She lessened her grip.
"You are a true fighter . . . " she dropped him in a heap, he was barely alive and having trouble breathing.
"Kenji Muromachi." She uttered his real name and walked off into the shadows.
Cloud was slashing quickly and desperately at Kappa who was leaving afterimages of his fingers blocking all of the blows.
Out of the corner of his eye, Cloud saw Squall heading back with a group behind him. He also noticed that Tidus and Zidane were trying to help Seifer and Oren with Luminerion, but he was too good
"STOP!" Squall's yells didn't stop the fighting. He had learned information from Xu.
"STOP!" he yelled again.
Kappa jumped back, and threw a pillar high into the air. The pillar that had to be at least thirty times his size. With the pillar lifted, he picked out a small gun and started blasting at Cloud who amazingly deflected.
"Pyros LIED!" Squall yelled.
All of his warriors and Luminerion stopped dead and gasped as if deeply offended.
"Blasphemy!" Kappa yelled into the sky.
Nu walked behind Squall.
"They haven't wronged us. They are not our enemies."
Kappa hesitated.
"Was it their magic? What did they do to you?"
"Nothing, my friend. These people have wronged us in no way. We have been used."
Kappa dropped the gun that had gotten out four shots.
"That isn't good."
"What isn't good!?" Prompted Cloud, hesitant and scared.
"I fired a retrovirus on innocent people . . . you all. I think I missed all the shots. As long as you don't see a black spot forming on your chest, you'll be fine."
Xi came up to Kappa and put a hand on his shoulder.
"This is all a misunderstanding. Let us all just talk Pyros about this and see what the problem is."
Oren couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Just like that? It's over?"
Xi shrugged his shoulders.
"There should be no more reason for us to fight anymore."
"Then its over . . . no casualties." Oren said slowly.
"I wouldn't say that."
Everyone jerked at the new voice.
A Pyros looking fifty years younger floated from above and hovered a few feet away from Kappa and Xi.
"Pyros!? What in heaven's name?" Xi was stupefied.
"You still recognize me? Well, Pyros is dead. Very dead. Has been dead for years. My name is Allen, and I only look like him. Why? None of your damn business."
"Pyros, why did you lie to us?" Kappa asked, not understanding anything.
"I am not Pyros, but Allen. Pyros is dead. And Oren is innocent. But I, Allen, did lie to you."
"Why?" Nu asked this time.
"I can't stay for long, I don't have the energy. Know this; I am not even human or Zatach, but I am your enemy. And right now, I only have the power to do one thing." He pointed to Kappa.
"Fools. This is what is in store for all of you."
Two dark lances went in and out of both of Kappa's hearts, and for a minute, everything was silent.
The eerie voice laughed, and "Allen" disappeared. Kappa's eyes were wide open, and he fell to the ground, a crowd watching him. Pi rushed and caught him, just before they fell.
"Oh no."
Pi number two had caught him before he hit the ground. (It had been number one that strangled Omicron.)
"Kappa . . . ?" she whispered.
"We were betr-" Kappa didn't continue due to a fit of coughs.
"Be quiet! Don't talk!"
"Tell them everyth-" another fit of coughs that echoed and made the less sensitive cringe.
She stroked his head and felt the weakening pulse.
"Quiet."
"Pi. Tell them everything."
He stared her straight in the eye, even as his own eyes glazed over. She didn't want to believe it. In a few seconds, his body began to turn bright, and suddenly it dissipated into thousands of tiny lights that slowly disappeared, his body completely gone. She remembered his last words.
"I think there is something you all should know."
***
Zidane almost slipped on blood for the umpteenth time.
"Is it just me, or is Zatach blood slipperier?" he asked himself. He was tired of the walking and the fighting and blood and killing, and most of all, the pain in his chest from the last battle. He and the countless others had made their way into an alternate corridor, where eventually they all just sat down, Pi number one and two talking with Oren in a way so that they could not hear. Oren started looking very worried. Pi number one walked to the large group and sat down. Another bright white corridor with the bright lights, areas of shadows, countless other corridors, rooms, lifts, etc. All bathed in that annoying bright light coming from beams at the top.
"The reason I am in two pieces is because of a project." Pi number one began shakily, upset over the death of a comrade.
"It was tested on me, and the side effect was I was split into two identical pieces. It also gave me mind reading capability. The project . . . is a wide, tall, long, deep machine. Built from the ship itself, it . .. is hard to explain. It bends time and space, alters the universe to certain limits the way the user sees fit. It can simulate places in the past, things that will later exist, etc. It can create, it can cure diseases, etc. But . . . " she took a deep breath.
"It is meant to destroy. It destroys quickly and efficiently. It can destroy galaxies, planets if it is completed. It is going to be used as a last resort. But, the most important aspect of this machine at the bottom of the ship, it can wrap someone in a fantasy. An everlasting fantasy that takes them everywhere to places that might not even exist. It can put someone into a sort of super-virtual reality. If completed, to put in simple terms, it can do anything. Almost anything."
"How do we know it hasn't already been completed?" Oren asked.
"Every time it is used, or even tested, it makes a sound. It makes a sound that resonates around and comes from nowhere and everywhere at once. It is a sound that can be good or bad. It's a deep sound that can be sudden and loud, or subtle and soft."
"A little like thunder." Cloud mentioned.
"Precisely. The machine that was built for absolute control of almost any aspect of the universe does just this and makes this sound. It has been in turn codenamed by Pyros, or who I thought was Pyros, the Fantasy Thunder."
Just then, Cloud felt a pain in his chest. He stood up and began weaving his way through the crowd, following his own trail of blood.
"We have to stop whoever that was from activating it. If he was lying the whole time, then it is because he wanted us distracted. Maybe he planned on us being hurt or even killed? He didn't want us to know. I don't know why, but I'm sure he's planning on destroying everything. We have to make it to the center."
The words of Pi flew right through Cloud's head as he looked for Tifa.
"I know that Rho, Sigma, Tao, Upsilon, Phi, and Chi are in here somewhere. And I also know that they are under complete and total influence of Pyros . . . Allen. They can't think for themselves, meaning nothing we say is going to save them. I fear they will do anything he tells them to do, regardless of morals or reason involved."
The pain in his chest was really acting up and it was starting to become a bother. The more he worried about Tifa, the more the pain grew.
"What was that that Kappa fired?" Oren asked.
"It was supposed to be a virus that zeroed in on whoever was inflicted with the most sorrow. But I don't think any of the blows were successful"
Cloud suddenly felt horrible and hopeless for reasons he couldn't quite realize. In a flash everything turned white and he fell on the dark ground.
***
The blood on his gunblade couldn't be hidden. The Lionheart had probably seen more blood than a human heart.
And after that last battle, he would probably be pulled into another pointless battle that would be just as dangerous. Someone was sure to get hurt if the kept this up. And if something happened to him, what would happen to Rinoa, to all of his friends? It was then that his chest felt like it exploded and almost fell back.
"In the event that anyone was infected, what would be the symptoms?" Oren asked yet another question.
"Fever, loss of appetite, paleness, anger, sadness, irritablility . . . "
"Anything else?"
"Bleeding, sweating, coughing, compromised immune system, loss of sexual interest . . . "
"Quite a bit of symptoms."
Squall started coughing.
"You okay?" Zell asked, patting him on the back.
"I'm fine." He managed through a fit of coughs.
"You sound-"
"I said I'm FINE!"
***
Zidane enjoyed the excitement greatly, as if it was all pleasurable to his Genome instincts. The thoughts donned on him of how miserable he would be if this ended, returning to the castle and having to go through all that crap again.
It made him break out into a cold sweat.
"Where would the blood come from?" Oren asked Pi.
Zidane got a serious nosebleed and then started coughing it.
"From the mouth and nose."
***
"Tidus?" he seemed to be asleep on Yuna's lap, but at the same time he also seemed to be losing weight.
"Are you alright?" she shook him lightly. Something was wrong; he wasn't snoring. He was barely breathing.
"I think something is wrong! Help!" she called.
Zell had Squall on his back as he walked over to Oren.
"Something's wrong with Squall, he's not breathing properly."
Tifa was still ignorant of Cloud's situation.
Sephiroth found him on the ground, and he didn't seem to be sleeping.
In a few minutes, Cloud, Squall, Zidane, and Tidus were laying on their backs, a pained expression, no consciousness whatsoever, in some cases bleeding, and in all cases heavy perspiration.
Pi number one was observing their conditions.
"I doubt it is the virus I was talking about. If it is, then Oren won't be able to heal them." She looked at him, giving him his cue.
No one was too scared because they had been through bad before, but in this case . . .
"I can't heal them." Oren said simply after holding his hands out, not even looking like he tried.
Rinoa, who had been by Squall, looked even more worried.
"You didn't even try!"
"Trust me, I tried. And if I try harder I might hurt you all"
"Try anyway!" she said stubbornly.
This time, effects of his labors were evident. Oren held out his hands in the same way, the whole room turned hot and blue, and everything light and loose, mostly hair, stood up on end from electrical charge. There was an electronic crackling and the room got hotter, and the temperature steadily rose as Oren tried harder, his efforts not having any visible effect.
"Okay, stop!" Rinoa yelled, the air becoming too heavy. Oren stopped and the temperature abruptly returned to normal.
Pi shook her head.
"It can't be the virus because . . . "
Black glowing orbs appeared on the chests of the four infected ones.
"Never mind. Your friends are as good as dead."
"Don't say that!" Yuna told her vehemently, and a bit out of character.
"I'd say that they have from six hours to six days. It depends on the frailty of their bodies."
"I don't believe you!" Yuna looked at Oren.
"Isn't she lying?"
" . . . I can only hope so."
That wasn't a comforting answer at all.
"I recommend that we go back to Esthar Garden and see what we can do for your friends."
Within a few minutes the murmuring ceased, Allen's fighters went back to confront him. The rest began to follow the long wide hallway back to the docking area of the garden.
Oren volunteered to lift the four incapacitated on his back, stacking the four up in a seemingly uncomfortable way like dead bodies, much to the unrest of the people close to them. It was a very strange sight, one person hunched over carrying them all, no sign of fatigue.
Dagger was made uneasy when she didn't hear the complaints come like clockwork from Zidane, either about the darkness, the light, the talking, how tired he was of traveling, how he wanted to go home, and the way the ground shook every the hideous Quina would make a step and in the devil's case a leap.
Soon the lights went off due to electrical failure.
"What gives?" Barret whispered to who he thought was himself, disregarding the hearing of any Zatach.
"The blood of people seeped through destroyed parts of the gourd, and the wires short-circuited." Oren explained, sending shivers up the spines of the less sensitive.
Eventually, Rinoa fished Squall's Lionheart from his belt and used its glow to illuminate the whole area, which is when she wished she hadn't. Cloud and Squall were leaving grisly trails of . . . blood. So much blood recently. Was there even enough blood among the group for that much to stay?
Oren stopped and bandaged them up, not looking too pleased with what he was seeing. The group was horrified to find that later the entire hallway was completely blocked off by a door that wasn't there before.
Seifer was tired of walking so walked up and started slamming the door, then clutching his hand.
"Not even a Zatach can break that, we need another route." Jessica told him.
"How do you propose we find one?"
"There is an alternate tunnel, a bit smaller, close to here that will give us a different path to our destination." Pi number two thought aloud.
"The downside is that it leads directly to Fantasy Thunder. That machine is dangerous, and the closer you get the worse you'll feel until your body gives out."
"No exceptions?" asked Oren.
"There may be some immune, but I don't' know the conditions. However . . . if you have the virus you can get there fine and shut off certain layers of the machine for others to pass. Ironically, the only four that have that virus can't move on their own."
Oren shrugged.
"What the hell. We'll all go as far as we can and then whoever lasts longest will carry these guys."
The crowd walked towards the block-off and to the right, and just like Pi number two had said the walkway was there.
Pi number two explained further.
"There are three layers, at the end of the third is Fantasy Thunder master switch. We cannot destroy it from there, but we can disarm it. Each layer is divided into six, A-F."
Barret was already losing breath.
"Then how far are we to A?"
They had been walking about five minutes.
"About a fifth of the way."
"Damn."
As the party descended further, the gravity became lighter and they could continuously walk without fatigue.
Dagger was even more worried and was constantly checking Zidane, who wasn't getting any better or worse. After twenty minutes, the effects were beginning to show. Once the group passed into layer two, people dropped out. Eiko and Vivi were unable to continue, Quina, to everyone's relief, fell face first with a thud that shook the ship. Rinoa felt pain but refused to give up. Selphie left a few minutes later, and Rikku's slight build began getting the best of her. Sephiroth held her close and formed a protective shield, weaker than normal. Tifa was worried sick that this would begin to hurt Cloud very much, but he started to get better. Oren didn't seem affected. A quarter of the way into layer two, not even Sephiroth's shield could help Rikku who started coughing and had to go back. Yuna was beginning to feel pain but didn't want to leave Tidus. Tifa's rigorous training kept her fairly strong. Yuffie had tried to tough it out, but fatigue got the best of her.
Aeris began breathing heavily but didn't quit. Reeve started muttering under his breath. Quistis had to stop and go back. Pi number one and two laughed, as they were only slightly affected.
"Weeding out the weak." Pi number one said.
"Quiet" Seifer snapped.
Freya began to limp. Lulu had to be carried by Wakka, Laguna was sent back after a lot of whining.
Three fourths of the way in, Aeris was floating, Tifa refused to leave cloud, Yuna, Dagger, and Rinoa felt the same about respective partners. Oren was just fine, Jessica's breath became long, Kiros had to be held up by Thuka, Braska, Auron, and Jecht turned back. Steiner collapsed, the mighty Barret lost his funk, Cid stayed behind, Zell, and Irvine lost it. The mighty Ward was worn down and turned back. Lulu and Wakka fell back along with Kimahri and Freya. Elena and Reno also turned back. When the end of layer two was near, the mighty fell. Aeris lost consciousness and was carried back by Tifa to a safe spot, Rinoa and Yuna bid a tearful farewell and turned back. Amarant lost consciousness and just before he muttered he would rather be left there. Cloud, Squall, Zidane, and Tidus, were showing serious improvement and now seemed to be sleeping, but Pi warned they were still in critical condition.
Kiros sadly left, Vincent lost his mojo, Tifa and Dagger said goodbye and left, and Red XIII lost his nerve as well. Rude swallowed his pride and turned back, and the remaining showed fatigue.
Sephiroth was sweating, Thuka began to pant, Seymour tried to look composed but failed miserably, Seifer and Jessica took turns pinching each other to stay awake, Pi number two began to leave, followed by number one, Tidus, Squall, Zidane, and Cloud got better still. Oren was unaffected. Once the party crossed into layer three, Thuka, Sephiroth, Kuja, Jessica, Seifer, and eventually Seymour turned back. It was now only Oren carrying the four. Halfway into layer three, Cloud woke up, followed by Tidus. Squall regained consciousness and so did Zidane. Oren dropped them all rudely.
"It's about time. Carrying you all becomes . . . a pain in the ass."
No one responded.
"What happened?" Cloud asked.
"Long story. We have to shut off the switch before Allen finds us with his cavalry."
"Who?" Squall inquired.
"Rho through Chi are going to be a doozy to handle ourselves." He explained. The hall opened into a bright room, with a single anticlimactic switch no bigger than a bowling ball.
"Let us not waste time." Oren walked briskly the switch, hands in his sleeves. Something was wrong, though. The closer he got, the farther it got away.
It was as if he was going somewhere and nowhere at the same time.
Squall raised an eyebrow and tried as well, but he found himself next to Oren, never getting any closer to the switch.
"What is this?" he asked.
As if in answer, a large rumbling was heard suddenly, a sound like distant thunder.
"Not good" Oren said under his breath.
Allen floated from nowhere and landed next to the switch.
"My beautiful machine is not yet at full power, but it can still pull off a few things. Would you like to see what it can do?"
Cloud pulled out his sword.
"You!?"
"I am not alone." He snapped his fingers six black cylinders the size of a full grown human landed on the ground, six figures came out. All dressed in white, all with featureless masks on their faces.
"Six against five."
Allen disappeared.
Oren just laughed.
"Give me a break. I've been up against worse odds. No way we'd lose."
Surprisingly, five of them sat down near the switch, and only one approached.
"You are guilty of murder, defacing of planetary modules, and perjury. Punishment: Termination."
"State your name" Oren said indifferently.
"My name is Shirian Kumishiro. I have been designated with the prestigious codename 'Rho'."
***
Sephiroth was among the last to return to the beginning of the hallway, very tired. Everyone was arguing about who was weakest and jumping at each others throats.
"Chicken-wuss, you were a weakling."
"My name is ZELL, and watch what you call me. I don't see you still down there."
"Yeah, and you were on drugs." Irvine added.
"Quit the squabblin'!" Barret snapped.
"Shut up BARRET. You almost collapsed." Cid snapped right back.
"I don't think Barret could bear it." Yuffie whispered purposely loud.
Kuja finally came back.
"I'm tougher than all of you. So you're all equal."
"You're on drugs, too!" Irvine accused.
"And Seymour here?" Kuja countered.
"He's on drugs!"
"Irvine, your only defense is to say everyone's on drugs, just admit you're a weak-ass!" Amarant bumped him on purpose.
"Don't push me!"
"Out of all of us, Seymour lasted the longest." Kuja reasoned to himself, and then aloud.
He was met with four "Shut the hell up"s, five "Be quiet"s, one "Be silent", and three "Go eat some yellow snow"s.
Jessica was just leaning on the wall contemplating. She pulled Seifer aside.
"Oren isn't much tougher than me. Why was he unaffected?"
"Don't bother asking. He'll just dodge the question."
"What?"
"He's been dodging every question he was asked. Why do you think so?"
" . . . "
***
Rho looked as if she was contemplating.
"Turn off one of the switches."
With ease, one of the figures got past the trap no one else could, and flipped the switch.
***
The harmful waves from Fantasy Thunder ceased. As Seymour was the last to come out, he was the first to go back in.
"Where are you going?" Kuja asked, flying after him.
"They need help!"
A horribly loud sound like distant thunder echoed through the corridors, followed by a gasp and a slam, then four more screams, after that a ripping sound and eerie silence, giving everyone an incentive to rush down after the others. Soon, six separate voices yelling battle cries and cries of pain could be heard, and nothing could be distinguished.
Quina, to everyone's relief, stayed flat on his/her face.
There was the sound of an electrical charge, the sound of the FT preparing to do something big.
________________________________________________________________________
AN: The battle in this chapter was short, but this one will span over one chapter. For this reason, Chapter twenty-three will be divided into two or possibly three chapters. Twenty-four will be in three or possibly four parts. Prepare yourselves. If you've stuck with me this far, you are a saint. Thanks for stickin' with me this far.