AUTHOR'S NOTES: To Saikan, again: Sorry if I sounded defensive.
To everyone: Here's another "thanks" for your collections. Now for this chapter. Hope you're not too badly disappointed.

Chapter Seventeen: Wild Justice

"Ah! Don't swing it like that, you almost chopped off my bloody -!"

"Sorry. Sorry. You hear something?"

Ursula heard and utterly failed to panic. She leaned back into the wall and carefully slid her feet to join the rest of her, and as she did a helmeted head craned, focused past her, then vanished back around the corner. "'s nothing."

"I don't like this. Meddling about with gods and whatnot…"

"Yeah. Yeah, I know. But there's no going back now, is there?"

When the tramp of boots faded Ursula dared to move and breathe properly again. From then on she followed at a distance, never going into the next chamber until she was sure her quarry had left it. Finally, she came to a room with a staircase and a doorway at the top.

As she peeked in, a soldier emerged from the doorway. She froze, but he took no notice of her. Neither did his three companions as they turned and went beneath the staircase. After a time she edged inside, her gun ready, and looked where they had gone. There was another doorway there; she could see them make their way along the floor of the next room, weaving around the bases of columns. She heard a voice from above, presumably the Ludian Master. "You! Down there!"

At the other end of the room one of the soldiers called, "Shall we press this big thingy then, sir?"

"Go on!" Presumably the soldier did. Ursula heard rumbling, a pause, more rumbling, then more sounds from above. "What? They've gone down again."

Another voice - Yuna. "They appear to be linked to some sort of timing device."

"Press it again!"

More sounds.

"Well! I would appreciate some assistance."

"Hold on, then, it should be back down in a moment. No you bloody idiot wait for him to get back up!" Pause. "There! Now press it."

After a few cries for more pressing, presumably as the soldiers made their way across, someone else said "That's everyone, sir."

"I can see that. You - no, not again. Stay there. Move out!"

Damn. Ursula ran towards the base of the stairs, up and through the doorway in time to see the back of the last soldier going through another doorway on another platform at the other side of the room. The platforms were on a level with the flat tops of the columns, and she ran forward, leaping from top to top while she stowed her gun, without a thought spared as to what would happen if she slipped. Below her the Ludians assigned to button-pressing duty, after an initial shocked silence, had begun to yell, but that was all they could do down there without ranged weaponry.

As she reached the last column it began to lower, as well as the one she currently occupied. She paused for a moment, then jumped and almost bounced off it towards the edge of the platform. Her arms and chin clung to the edge, and after a few seconds she lifted herself up and stood for a minute, waiting for the fading of footsteps in the next room. She restarted at a steady walk, her gun drawn again. Behind her the yelling had stopped.

The room after was an excuse for a hallway, with daylight coming through the archway at the other end. They were going in single-file, and Ursula thought she glimpsed Yuna's hat near the front. Sixteen, at least, would be slightly better odds than twenty, unless the four back there managed to get back across the room, up, and across again in the time the columns were raised. Still, she'd have to act quickly and aim well. Again she waited for them all to go, then ran forward and halted in the archway.

Outside was a paved terrace sunk into the ground and leading up a few steps to another platform. The soldiers had fanned out across the terrace, facing away from her. Beyond the loose wall of soldiers she saw the short, balding man she'd glimpsed leaving Chek - the Ludian Master. Beside him was Yuna. Neither looked in her direction. Beyond them were the two guardians, Won-Qu and A-Tur, staring at them and growling, and between that pair was the First and God Emperor Fou-Lu himself, in plain clothes, hefting what she recognized as Ryu's sword. Beyond them were the two survivors of Chek, Nina, Scias, a tall blue-haired woman and a shorter brown-haired woman, all gathered around something on the platform; they had turned to stare at the new arrivals. Ursula had the feeling something was missing.

The blue-haired woman said, "First one to make a move gets melted to a puddle."

The wind that was a discreet whisper on the balconies of the castle became a dragon-roar at this speed. Cray thought his eardrums would blow out and leave him deafened for life before they got within a mile of the place; that was if he didn't fall off and decorate the icy ground with red. Elina was comparatively unaffected. In fact, he thought he could hear her laughter drifting past.

"We art nearing," called P'ung Ryong. "Be at ease."

"Easy for you to say," he tried to call back, but the wind stole his words and he settled for only thinking it, while tightening his grip. They hadn't gone nearly as fast the last time.

He listened to the laughter and realized it was P'ung Ryong's laughter.

Yuna said, "Well! This is quite a surprise."

Nina said, "You stop that! She's not bluffing. And I'm not either. You try doing anything to Ryu and I-" Ursula blinked. That was it - Ryu was nowhere to be seen. And what was Fou-Lu doing with his sword, anyway? "I'll-" She looked past the soldiers and her mouth opened.

Ursula decided this was as good a time as any and began to fire. Two Ludians went down before the rest turned and made for her. Won-Qu and A-Tur moved faster; they picked up two more in their massive jaws and flung them at their fellows. Those were down as well. That made six lying on the ground and moaning. Ten to go.

"Stop that! Do you know what the penalty is for assaulting Alliance-"

"Self d-defense." The Ludian Master turned and glared at Scias with rather more apparent vitriol than Ursula thought was called for. Did something happen between them she didn't know about? Scias went on, "Sixteen is a b-bit m-much f-for sight-seeing."

"Twenty, actually," said Ursula, leveling her gun at the remaining, who clustered, shoving each other about and scrabbling for positions in the middle. "There were four hitting that switch back there."

Scias looked at her over the heads of the soldiers, half of which swiveled around as well. "U… Ursula? Is that y-you?" Ursula nodded back.

"As a matter of fact," said the Ludian Master, "it is sight-seeing. The Imperial scholar has asked to be shown the way to such an important historical site."

"The Imperial scholar is wanted for high treason."

He stared at her. "And who might you be?"

She held back a proud smile as she informed him, "General Ursula, of the Imperial Army. I've come from Chedo to find the former Minister of Thaumaturgy. And I have."

"We were certainly never informed of such."

"You wouldn't be."

Yuna finally turned toward her, with a look of vague surprise. "I was not responsible for the death of the Emperor."

"Not for lack of trying."

"I have no idea what you speak of." His expression was as sincere as it could ever get, with it being him.

"Ah - excuse me?" The brown-haired woman waved. "Are ye sure yer talkin' of the same Emperor?"

"I'm talking about the first," said Ursula, gesturing toward Fou-Lu. "How about you, Lord Yuna?"

"I," said Yuna, "spoke of the Thirteenth."

She gestured at the Ludians and they hurriedly stepped away, leaving her with a clear line of sight. "You want a list?"

"That would be appreciated, yes," said Yuna. His eyes moved from her to the Ludians; the Ludian Master threw up his hands as if to shield himself from potential entreaties for help.

"To start, there's complicity in firing the Carronade at Soma Forest."

"It was authorized by the Emperor," said Yuna. "The Thirteenth, that is," he added quickly.

She felt herself smile. This is fantastic. In both meanings. "Then there's attempted murder of a former emperor." Behind Yuna, Fou-Lu grimaced. "Since you used the Carronade against Imperial lands, that's murder."

"Actually," said the tall woman, "it's not." She indicated the brunette, who pressed her hand to her mouth and nodded. "Because that's her, you see. Just make it another attempted."

Ursula nodded back. She could get the details later. "Care to confess?"

"I confess to nothing. All that was done, was done with the direct authorization of the Emperor."

"Good luck trying to get your friends at court to believe that." That actually seemed to worry him somewhat.

"Ursula. Wait. It's no use."

Fou-Lu and his companions looked behind them and promptly stepped aside as Nina marched past. Ursula looked at her face and was taken aback; before it had only harbored sweetness and softness. Ursula had never seen anything in her face beyond muted sadness or maybe fright, let alone the diamond-hard anger she saw now. But now that it was here… what a sight it was.

"No use." She seized Yuna by the arm. "You can charge him with anything you want, but it won't matter. He'll get away in the end. He got away from us and he got away from the people in Astana." Yuna squirmed, apparently as unsettled as Ursula by this newfound quality.

"Do you know what he did to my sister?" she screamed at the Ludians. Wide-eyed, they shook their heads in unison, and she told them the same things Ursula had uncovered in the books.

After she had done the Ludian Master said, cautiously, "That is quite astonishing news. It certainly sheds a new light on events. My condolences-"

Nina shook her head. "You were the ones who wrote her off. You can go give them to her herself. Tell her to her face."

"I thought you just said she -"

"What, your prince didn't tell you? Ryu fixed her. And he fixed Mami." She nodded at the brown-haired woman, Mami, who blushed at the eyes all aimed in her direction.

"As a matter of fact, our prince did indeed-"

"And now because Ryu couldn't not try to pick up the mess that he made -" She visibly tightened her grip on Yuna's arm. "He's going to die. While you run away and get away with everything and I'm sick of it." Yuna squirmed with renewed intensity, but while Nina's physical aptitude was hardly competition for that of the likes of Cray and Scias, neither was his. She marched up the terrace toward the platform, dragging Yuna with her, as the Ludians backed still further away. "Now you're going to do some good for once."

Fou-Lu turned around, stood there another moment, then set off after the pair. So did Ursula, and as she did the Ludians fled around her back into the interior of the shrine with their wounded companions in tow. A regular procession followed Nina and Yuna up to the platform. Now that she was closer Ursula could see the circle engraved on it and Ryu sprawled inside, unmoving. In one hand he held a cord; strung on the cord was a small golden bell. Nina came up to him and knelt, dragging Yuna with her. Fou-Lu and the blue-haired woman stepped up beside her and knelt down as well. The two people from Chek stared. The gray-haired one - called the Abbess, Ursula remembered - said, "You intend to…"

"Yes. I do." Her voice was beginning to falter.

"Are you sure that is wise?"

The anger began to melt away from Nina's stance. "Not really."

"You will likely regret this later," said the Abbess.

"I probably will." Nina's voice and stance had reverted near completely. She stared at her hand but maintained her grip. "Ryu needs this now. I can regret it later."

Yuna had gone even paler. "What is it that you intend?" I'd like to know the same thing.

"If she doth have her way thou shalt die," Fou-Lu told him. The sound of his voice gave Ursula a start. "Ryu… Ryu shalt live as a result."

Eyes wide as they could get. "No. You cannot do this. You would not dare."

Nina said, "I could now. I would now."

"If we consider this a while longer," said the other one from Chek, her with the pointed hat and the goggles, "maybe we can come up with an alternative." Yuna bobbed his head at the sight of a potential ally.

"You said everyone doing a little bit wouldn't work."

"Maybe so, but as you said, there should be another way."

"There is another way." Nina didn't shout; Ursula would have preferred it if she had. "He's right here."

"Hold." It was Fou-Lu again. He went up the steps and took Yuna by his other arm. "There might be such." Yuna obviously hoped this other way did not involve his death.

Fou-Lu shut his eyes. A cry issued from Yuna, then equally suddenly ceased as he sagged, held up only by the hands on his arms. In Fou-Lu's other hand he now held a sphere of intertwined tendrils of deep blue, within which light throbbed. As he contemplated it the sphere and the light visibly increased a fraction. In turn he passed it to the guardians, and it grew a little more with each of them. He looked at the result, nodded, then knelt and pressed it over Ryu's heart. It sank downward bit by bit as if through thick liquid and finally vanished.

He nodded at the Abbess, who took Ryu's free hand. She closed her eyes, frowned, then smiled very slightly and said, "It's gone back up."

"'Tis above replacement, then?"

"It looks like it. A month or so and he should be fine."

"I see." Now Fou-Lu looked at Nina. "Shall I continue?"

"Pardon?"

"I hath taken the majority of his life-" He jerked his head at Yuna's still form. "He may still recover. Dost thou wish to rid him of the rest?"

"There's a choice?" Nina looked from Ryu to Fou-Lu, then again at the way her hand tightened on Yuna's sleeve.

"I didst make use of my share of the power to create a simple vessel for his life force to reside. 'Twas a simple matter to halt my extractions before 'twould hath been fatal, and augment it with such amounts from us that art easily renewed. Ryu didst take it from this vessel instead of directly from its source. Now that thou art assured of Ryu's safety, art thou willing to go further?"

"I…"

"He hath done much wrong," said Fou-Lu. He let go of the other arm; surprised, Nina let go of her end as well and Yuna fell completely to the ground, sprawled in a manner obscenely like Ryu still was. His hat came off and rolled a few inches. "I wilt not lay blame on thee if thou dost decide against him."

Scias and Deis lifted their hands and stepped back. After a pause, so did Ursula, putting away her gun as she did. Rhem and the Abbess were the last, and Won-Qu and A-Tur maintained their positions at the base of the steps. Now only Mami was near them, and her hands made elaborate patterns as she cried. Why is she crying?

Nina worried at her lips, upper and lower in turn. The hatless head looked unusually vulnerable. "Why don't any of you say no?" she asked them.

"B-because it's y-your decision." Scias paused. "A… a-and, if we s-stopped you n-now, you'd n-never f-forgive us. Y… you ought to b-be able t-to d-decide."

As the wind blew over their heads she stared from Ryu to Yuna and back again. "I said all that because I thought there wasn't another way."

"We know," said Deis. "But now… well, he's not exactly on his feet yet, but he'll live. If you do it now, you'll not do it for Ryu. You'll do it for yourself."

Not for myself! For Elina…

Ryu had made it right for Elina. She was alive, back as she had been before Yuna had gotten his hands on her. The same went for Mami, the girl with the bell (she didn't have it right now, but Nina's image of her retained it). But could Ryu erase the memories of what they'd been through? Was payment still owed for that? Was it enough of a debt to justify what she would do?

Have I decided to do it already?

She imagined Yuna's blood staining the place where the Endless had been called down. Then what Cray and Elina would say, when they found out - they had to find out. What Ryu would say when he woke up - or what he wouldn't say.

If you let him live he'll only get away again.

Nina was breathing as if she'd run a mile. How long had she been doing that? Fou-Lu had gone to Mami and placed an arm around her so lightly and now stared at it as if frightened he would break her.

And why is she crying?

"What's the matter?"

Her head jerked up and she shook her head. "'s nothing… Nothing ye oughter be concerning yourself with." The account given by her mouth and that by her eyes conflicted.

Ursula said high treason. That should be enough to put him away forever. Unless of course he gets away again.

When would they wake? Ryu hadn't eaten or drunk anything for nearly a day now, he had to have something eventually.

Did Ryu worry about anything like this when he brought them back? Probably not. There's a lot more you can find wrong with killing people than with helping them live.

How do I tell people I've killed someone?

"What's the matter?" she asked Mami again.

"I… I…" Nina waited for her to get the rest out. "I canna' stand to think ye killed like this." Mami lowered her head. "Even if it be him."

"It's fine," she said. "Because I won't."

And that's it, isn't it? I'm a rotten coward who can't stand the thought of people thinking I'm as bad as he is.

But she didn't want me to. And she was the one who died because of him, wasn't she? Shouldn't what she thinks count for something?

"He's not worth it," she said, as she took a step back. "You can take him now if you want, Ursula. But I'll not jump all the way down to where he is just so I can kill him."

The Abbess let out an audible breath. Rhem said, "Good for you." Scias nodded, and Deis shrugged. Mami looked up and smiled. Ryu, of course, didn't move.

Fou-Lu bowed his head, and she took another step back. But he stepped forward, the arm coming away reluctantly, sheathed Ryu's sword and picked up Ryu himself, over his shoulders, then took the bell from Ryu's dangling hand and tossed it to Mami, who caught it. He straightened up and nodded, and Won-Qu stepped forward to hoist Yuna by the collar as his brother had done in Astana. "We should depart, should we not?"

"Yes - yes, I guess we should." The wind… there's something about the wind…

"We'll have to be careful about them," said Ursula. Not just the wind… the sky… something odd about it…

Scias nodded. "They'll b-be h-hanging around inside, w-waiting for us t-to g-go b-back, I'll b-bet."

Nina realized what it was and pointed upward. "Look," she meant to say, but before she'd gotten out half of it the arrival of the Wind Dragon made it superfluous.

He was descending fast, and she was initially petrified - He'll crush us all. But as he neared his form shrank, revealing the two atop it, and when he drifted past the wall P'ung Ryong was again in his Wyndian form and holding Cray aloft. His wings were much larger than she remembered them being. A little bit away from the ground he released Cray, who had a fair landing. Then Elina joined him with her own wings outstretched. His own feet touched the ground and he surveyed the gathering with an expression of calm.

Deis waved. "Good to see you. You missed the interesting part."

He nodded back. "'Twould seem so. Perhaps 'tis fortunate I did."

Nina stared at the door leading back into the shrine. "We were just going."

"B-but n-not that w-way."

Ursula said, "There's another way?"

Fou-Lu smiled and clasped his hands together. The same aura she'd seen around Ryu when he transformed sprang up around Fou-Lu now. "There is."

Two dragons flew, matching their speed with that of Won-Qu and A-Tur below. The rest of them rode atop this quartet. They all got back to Wyndia before nightfall, with Rhem and the Abbess as their guests.