The Song of Eternity
Canto 2 : Gaia
Verse 9
The Battle
Others scramble to take advantage of the situation,
To secure their own positions,
As the mortal enemies end their feud.
"Let's at least convey the image of professionalism here people," Nathan shouted from his seat at the table at the rush of genomes, mages, and normal people. It was the morning after they retook all the cities and the attempted execution of Travis. They had left mages and genomes in the cities to watch for attacks and to raise defensive forces. The major players in the war had traveled to Alexandria during the past hour to discuss their plans.
Mikoto, Deklin, Eiko, Amarant, Lani, and Freya gad all returned from their respective targets to find Garnet, Nathan, Zidane, and Steiner preparing for the next step in their plans. Kuja was too injured to come and was being kept under watch in Treno. Cid materialized with a mage a second later and took a seat. "Now that we're all here, time for the recap for those who were off the planet, killing things in the woods, regenerating in a earth elemental, or flying around in the stratosphere for the last few years," Nathan sighed as he took a deep breath. "Apparently damn near no one died in the Great Battle with the WEAPONs. Those four," he gestured at the four who were on Parm,"Kuja, and Travis were on other planets for a while. And the rest of you were staying alive, waiting for a chance to strike. Okay, recap is done, if you have any blank spots that need filled in, wait until later. Status of the cities?" he asked everyone.
"We took Lindbulm without too much trouble, thanks to these two," Cid gestured at Eiko and Deklin. "The old commanders of the city guard were still alive, so they are taking care of the defenses as we speak. A few minor injuries to my men, but nothing permanent."
"The mages and genomes are all fine. I encountered the main enemy force before the others could join me," Deklin stated.
"He took them out fairly quickly, then I helped patch him when I found him," Eiko said quietly.
"Using the weapons Toma Shinji made, Lani and I had little trouble ripping through the small force left at Burmecia," Amarant said impatiently.
"The same in Treno," Mikoto added.
"Fine, next order of business, what happened to Kuja?" Nathan asked Mikoto.
"He insisted on backing us up with magic, so we let him aid in the attack, but I kept an eye on him. He was exerting a lot of energy, but did not seem to be having too much trouble. Then around the time the broadcast started he collapsed, saying something was draining him. He's been unconscious since then," she finished.
"Speaking of the broadcast, it stopped after they attacked Travis. Cid, what did you find out?" Nathan continued.
"We flew by in the Invincible. The city is a wreck, it looks like a bomb went off in the center where the broadcast was. The WEAPONs and the populous were barely keeping the city afloat, but they will be back at full strength soon. Additionally there has been no sign of the Alpha WEAPON or Travis since the broadcast."
"Okay, let's get the cities fortified. Someone find out how many WEAPONs are left. And for god's sake, find out if Travis is still alive," Nathan ordered as the meeting ended.
The huge metallic monster, the Alpha WEAPON, stood on a ledge overlooking the ocean. The monster was different than other WEAPONs. They were all given minds of great Terran generals and warriors, but Alpha was the only one who did not return to help save the city. He was a great martial artist on Terra. He respected those with the will to fight. The metal body he received close to a decade ago was a mix of human and draconian features. Through his time missing from Gaia he had been damaged and repaired so much that he resembled an enormous metal man with the claws of a dragon. It's face was slightly elongated as well.
It turned around as it's foe appeared. "Welcome Starmore," it spoke respectfully to it's opponent.
"You as well," Travis responded. "Is Garland dead?"
"No, he is still giving orders, calling all the forces back to defend the city and repair the damage you caused," the WEAPON explained.
"Why are you here then?"
"I can ignore his orders, thanks to the events on Earth."
Travis nodded in understanding. He was dressed once again in a long black trench coat and held the huge sword in his human hand. "Did you know of my family?" Travis asked as he grasped his sword tightly.
"No, I did not know that he attacked the civilians," the WEAPON explained. "Shall we end this now? The ultimate battle, between the two strongest beings on the planet, our destiny."
"Yes, no more running away. No more distractions, no outside interference. Just us, for the last time," Travis confirmed, raising his sword at the WEAPON. "This is for Earth." They both quit talking and charged at each other with blinding speed. The ground they stood on trembled as they exchanged blows. They both simultaneously unleashed a pair of energy blasts at each other, sending them backwards a dozen feet.
Travis floated up into the air, his eyes searching for any weakness on his old foe. The Alpha WEAPON unfurled his wings and did likewise. The air around Travis started to waver like heat waves as eyes turned red. They flew at each other again, Travis moving much faster than before, but the Alpha WEAPON still holding his own. The Alpha WEAPON roared as Travis's sword cut into it's metal exterior. It swung it's claw sending Travis down to the ground, leaving a crater where he hit the ground.
Travis was as black as night as the dust cleared and the Alpha WEAPON dove at him. He thrust his hands skyward at the WEAPON as it dove. "Starlight blast!" he shouted as the energy tore out of his body and streaked toward the WEAPON.
"Get Garnet and Eiko!" Mikoto shouted as she stuck her head out of a room in Alexandria's castle. She hurried back inside checking her pockets for potions of any kind. "I have a potion here," she said as she tossed it at Nathan. Nathan snatched it out of the air and popped to top off and poured it into the mouth of the figure on the bed.
"Hold him down," Nathan said through his clenched teeth. He, Zidane, and Mikoto had taken Kuja to the room when he had arrived an hour ago. A few minutes ago he collapsed again. Since then he had started to convulse and spontaneously bleed from invisible wounds.
"What's going on?" Eiko asked as she and Deklin rushed into the room. "Dear god…" she muttered as she began to cast high powered cure spells on him.
"What the hell's going on here?" Deklin asked as he helped Zidane and Nathan hold him down.
"No idea, he started babbling about a battle, then all this happened," Nathan shook his head as he explained. Garnet ran into the room and started casting spells with Eiko.
The spells seemed to be helping enough that they could let him go. They stood up as Eiko and Garnet continued casting spells. "You boys better go grab some ethers for us, we're using Curaga and it's barely helping enough to keep him stable. If we stop he'll get worse again," Garnet explained as she started to sweat from the exertion.
Travis and the WEAPON circled each other in the air, studying each other's injuries. They were both covered in their own fluids. Travis, slick from his own red blood and Alpha, covered in it's own black fluid, each of them leaving trails on the ground as they circled.
"Why are you holding back?" The WEAPON asked him as it looked for an opening.
"Only one person on a world is supposed to have the power. One person with the power awakened in him actually. If two have it, the stronger one will drain the other's life force as he uses his power," Travis explained as he wiped some blood from his eyes. "I'm trying to keep Kuja alive, but if I have to I will let him die to stop you." As he finished speaking he flew towards Alpha and began attacking again. They blocked each other's attacks perfectly for several minutes of fighting. They separated as Travis and the WEAPON cast Ultima at each other simultaneously.
They landed on the ground, both breathing hard and covered in the other's blood as well as their own. "I have waited for this event so long Starmore," the WEAPON said as they both caught their breath. "The two of us, only caring to stop each other. No Garland holding me back. No United States military keeping you on a leash. The ultimate battle," the WEAPON shouted as it lunged towards Travis.
Travis knocked the claw away with his own metal arm and stood face to face with his foe. "Is that what this is all about? Wanting to fight me to the death? Is that why you killed all those people on Earth!" Travis shouted at the WEAPON in anger as he performed a spin kick, knocking it away. "Is that all you want? A death match?"
"Yes," the WEAPON replied as it got back to it's feet. "To fight the only one close enough to me in power. To fight one stronger than myself. To die in battle, rather than in weakness and old age as I did on Terra. But you," the WEAPON snarled. "You have been holding back out of fear for the last four years. You are afraid to strike me down. You are afraid of what you are!" The WEAPON roared as it lunged at Travis again.
Travis disappeared and reappeared behind Alpha as the claw went through the space he was once in. "Face me!" the WEAPON roared as he whirled around hitting Travis with a backhand. It advanced on where Travis fell and picked him up with it's claw. "Strike me down or you will not face Garland. You will not face the one who killed your family unless you kill me here and now!"
Alpha's claw exploded in a shower of black blood as a shockwave exploded out of Travis's body. Travis drifted to the ground slowly as the WEAPON drew it's hand back ignoring the pain. Travis kept his human hand at his side, making it send occasional bursts of lightning into his own body. He raised his sword in his metal arm and pointed it at Alpha. "No one will stop me from killing Garland, not even you."
"You need to be strong to beat him, you need to become as horrible as me. You need to kill everything in your path. That is your destiny," the WEAPON spoke to him.
"I am not like you Alpha," Travis said quietly as he let another Starlight blast loose at the WEAPON. As the dust cleared, Travis stumbled over to he fallen form of the WEAPON. He crouched and looked into it's eyes as the light faded from them. "I am not like you Alpha."
"No… you are much worse… I saw it on Earth…" the WEAPON muttered as it died.
Kuja finally settled down and slept peacefully in Alexandria's castle. Eiko and Garnet sat in two chair in the room exhausted. "Keep a watch on him through the night, if anything happens, contact someone quickly," Nathan ordered as he and Mikoto left the room.
Zidane picked up Garnet and carried her from the room as she fell asleep in his arms. Eiko left Kuja alone with the genome guard and went out into the hall. Deklin stood there waiting for her. "Hello Deklin," she greeted him wearily.
"Hey Eiko," he returned the greeting. He started to walk away and Eiko fell into step beside him. "Why is everyone trying so hard to save him after all he did?" Deklin asked as they kept walking.
"Because, he realized what he did was wrong and is on our side now," Eiko shrugged as she stopped walking. "He's been forgiven," she whispered as she leaned on the wall. She closed her eyes and fell to the ground exhausted, but never hit, because Deklin caught her.