The Song of Eternity

Canto 10 : The Gift

Verse 8: Trial

When you look at the end of the world

You gain a new perspective.

A perspective of surrender

And not being able to hide anymore.

You give up.

But those you love do not give up on you.

"Open this goddamn door," Murphy shouted as he pounded at his cell. After Talik broke the news to everyone who didn't already know about Cole being Travis Starmore they had all been taken back to their cells. The guards brought him food, but besides that he had no idea what was going on outside. He looked all over his small cell, but there was no way out. He and the others were trapped until their captors decided what to do with them.

Only one of the captives had any visitors at all. After they were taken back, Talik came to Xavier's cell and spoke with him. "You people do not need to stay here, we will send you back to the planet tomorrow then leave when we have executed the criminals," he told Xavier.

"That is unacceptable, those two men are our friends and family and do not deserve this, they had reasons for what they did," Xavier said angrily. "And you are going to execute them without hearing their side of the story."

"Those men killed millions," Talik replied coldly. "You may stay and act in their defense if you wish, but do not try our patience or you will die like them. You have 2 days until you may make your case," Talik told him before leaving the cell.

Two days later, the captives were all brought back to the large stadium area, but things had changed for the worse. Talik waited at the raised pedestal with Vincent and Cole each trapped in what looked like force-field holding cells to his right. The mutants were ushered to some chairs that looked to have been hastily brought in as if not planned for. The rest of the stadium area was filled with people, thousands of them. Lastly several of what looked like flying news cameras darted around documenting the entire thing.

Everything was silent as Talik spoke. "Greetings everyone, we finally have these two murderers in our grasp, but their companions, the descendants of the very same people they slaughtered have demanded a fair trial, seeing both sides of the story," he continued as the crowd erupted in anger. When the quieted down, he continued. "They shall have their wish, we are a just people. We are not like these monsters," he finished as he pointed at Vincent and Cole.

Another man, dressed in a black robe came forward. "These men are charged with the attempted annihilation of all life on the planet below us," he began. "Ages ago, they took it upon themselves to purge this planet of most of it's sentient life. The only survivors were our ancestors and the ancestors of the current inhabitants of the planet. Remove the force-field and see what they have to say," he finished. "What do you two have to say for yourselves? Did you try to kill everyone on the planet?"

As the force-field came down neither of them said a word.

"Won't even speak up to save your own lives? I hear you have an explanation for what happened. What kind of an explanation could you have for trying to kill off this planet?" he shouted at them.

Vincent looked over at Elena whose jaw was set and looked like she was about to jump up and try to fight her way out. He shook his head at her. "Jenova," he said as he looked up at his questioner. The crowd grew deafening for a moment, then grew quiet.

"Explain yourself Vincent Valentine," the man ordered him.

"Jenova, an alien life form-" he stopped as he was cut off.

"We are quite aware of what Jenova was and of the circumstances surrounding her defeats. Once to the ancient Cetra, and once to the AVALANCHE group. What could that have to do with you killing off most of the planet?" he demanded.

Vincent stared at the man coldly. "Answer me this," he directed at the man. "Who am I? And how old do you think I am?" Vincent questioned the man.

"You are Vincent Valentine, a man who commands the Chaos demon from within his own body. It has kept you alive for half a million years," the man told him.

Vincent glanced at Damon who shook his head slightly. "What do you know of AVALANCHE? You people truly know nothing. I was with AVALANCHE when we killed Jenova. I was with them when we stopped the second coming of WEAPON and Sephiroth and destroyed Garland. The people we killed were being controlled by Jenova and Garland," Vincent shouted before the force-field went back up over him.

"We do not take kindly to people lying about AVALANCHE Valentine," Talik told him. "They saved this world long before you came to destroy it," he said as he slowly lowered the force-field again. He reached his hand up as Vincent threw something at him once the field was down. "What is this...?" he asked as he examined what looked to be a picture.

"A picture of all of AVALANCHE, one of the only things tying me to them," Vincent explained. "I did not revel in the glory of their victory over Sephiroth and become famous. I went back to sleep with my demons," Vincent told him.

"That would make you about a million years old Valentine," Talik told him as examined the photo. "Suppose this picture is real, suppose you are who you say you are. Why then did you help him destroy this world?"

"He already told you," Cole replied angrily. "Garland had merged with Jenova and infected most of the populous after we initially defeated him," Cole said as he stared at the questioner.

"Who is this Garland you speak of? We have never heard of him?"

"Long story. He killed my wife then created a nanotechnology virus that he sent to other dimensions. I have hunted him down for the last million years, killing all 3 of his incarnations here," Cole told the man.

"Three?"

"Sephiroth and the weapons first. Most of the planet half a million years later. And Galactus not too long ago," Cole explained. "I assume that is how you found me, by the energy is used to destroy Galactus?"

"Yes, do you have anything besides your words to back up what you two say?" the man asked them. They shook their heads. "This new information changes nothing, for trying to kill the Planet, you are sentenced to death," Talik said as he put the force-fields back up.

"Hold on now," Logan growled as he got out of his chair and popped his claws out.

"Right with you on this one runt," Sabertooth growled before they found themselves unable to move.

"You people are here as a courtesy. We have prepared for this day, your powers will not work here and we are too technologically advanced for you to be a threat. Do not make yourselves a threat," Talik told them.

"Who are you, that you think you have the right to pass judgement on them? You were not there, they were," Xavier demanded.

"We were there," Talik told him. "Years after the defeat of Sephiroth, we were born again and learned of our role to protect the planet."

"Cetra..." Damon growled as parts of him began to shift into Chaos. "Your kind did this to me," he roared as he fought through the technology that was restraining the others' force. "We did what we had to do, just as your kind did to me, making me this monster," Damon growled as another force-field popped up and trapped him.

"I do not know what trickery this is, or how you got free of Vincent. You were part of this too Chaos-beast. You shall die with them," Talik said as he recovered from the shock.

"If I may interrupt this, we can clear this unfortunate situation up quite easily, if you really are the Cetra," Murphy said as he got up and walked towards Talik easily. "I'm guessing you used your knowledge of the Lifestream which is part of all of their," he pointed at the mutants,"powers, to keep them powerless and immobile." "I guess it works for Elena, Vince, and Cole too because they are born of this world as well," Murphy said as he waved his hand and dissipated a force-field that appeared around him.

"Now I realize you are angry and have been so for quite some time now, but by turning this ship into a power/Lifestream blocker, you cannot communicate with the Planet, can you?" he asked Talik.

"Communicating with the Planet is pointless, the Lifestream and the consciousness of our ancestors is no longer there," Talik said plainly.

"Mostly. There is one Cetra left though, the last true Cetra from before your kind was created and became Cetra. Now turn off the power to your machines blocking you from the Planet, and she will sort this out," Murphy told him.

"If we do that, they will all try to escape," Talik motioned at the others frozen in place.

"No they won't, now do it before I have to start destroying things around here until I find it," Murphy ordered as he created a ball of magic in his hand.

Talik pushed a button and there was a whirring sound as the force-fields dropped and everyone could move again. "Well, where is this Cetra?" Talik asked. Murphy just smirked and went to go check on Cole who already had Rogue at his side. Talik looked over to Vincent who was talking to Elena quietly. "Where is the Cetra?" he demanded again loudly.

He quieted and looked in amazement as a green glow appeared in front of him and transformed to look like a beautiful woman in a pink dress. "Aeris Gainsborough?" he asked in wonder.

"Yes, I had wondered when you new Cetra the Planet and I made would come back," she smiled as she waved at Vincent, who nodded back.

"These men killed most of the life on the Planet," he motioned at Vincent and Cole.

"Life that was controlled by evil forces. The Planet and I were too weak to tell you at the time due to Jenova and Garland's power over the people and you had fled the Planet in fear before it could recover to tell you," she explained. "These are all good people, who have saved this world more times than I care to count, despite all that life has thrown at them. Even Damon there," she added as she looked at Damon who was being talked to and partially restrained by most of the X-Men. "Our kind wronged him in a most horrible way."

"We...regretfully apologize for this situation," Talik bowed at Aeris and the others. "What of him?" he asked as he looked at Murphy who was walking over giving Cole and Rogue a hug. "What are you?" he asked Murphy.

"I'm his brother," he pointed at Cole. "Only problem is we were never really from this world and I wasn't even on this world until I was brought back to help him and Vincent get their lives on track," Murphy explained.

Murphy looked over to where Elena was clinging to Vincent with tears in here eyes and Cole and Rogue were locked in a kiss. "I think I did a good enough job," he laughed.

"You are not alive..." Talik realized as the power of the Planet allowed him to see Murphy as he really was.

"Nope, just was given a little bit of the Planet's power to make this body and get things on track," Murphy admitted. "Now if you don't mind, I have a wife waiting back for me on the other side. Take care of the Aeris," he smiled as he vanished from sight and was gone.

"I think they can take care of themselves now," she smiled.

Fin