"NDS: Book 11: Chapter 74: Confrontation"

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Emilia stared into the eyes of Gallows who stood at the doorway on the cold and rainy night. Beside her sat Ed in his bed. The night of his death was repeating in her mind, but the lack of Aries and Gallows at the door did not add up.

"Gallows!"

"You know him?" Ed wondered.

"I will." Emilia looked at Gallows as she stood up without defense. "Did you…kill Aries, Gallows?"

Gallows let out a maniacal laughter. "Aren't you going to ask me my name?" He wondered with an Aries-like voice.

"Wh-what?" Emilia trembled.

"Who are you?" Ed boldly questioned.

With a cackle Gallows gave his reply, "Aries."

"What are you saying?" The woman bitterly refused.

"Why do you insist on bothering us?" Ed wondered with a calm manner.

"Emilia would know." Gallows replied before scoffing with his hand to his forehead. "Oh, that's right, she wouldn't remember." The Baskar quickly drew a short blade from its sheathe. "I must get rid of your weakness."

"And by that…you mean Ed." Emilia came back down from her panic and confusion. There was a situation at hand, and she had to handle it with the same persona she usually held. She had trouble thinking that she was just on Eon with her father dying in her arms, and now…this, the night her first memorable love was killed? "I don't want anyone to die. Even if this could all be false." She took her own blade at the hilt and drew it out. "Are you still a master of the Earth Blade?"

Gallows cackled. "I see you remember something. We finally get our true fight! Quake!" The erupting floorboards quickly give way as green grass blades blow in the wind instead. The scene was over, and instead of Emilia and Gallows with Ed, there stood Jet with his father, Eliot, on a grassy knoll. Seemingly miles and years away from what else was going on with Emilia.

"So…Eliot Enduro…we meet finally it seems." Jet mumbled to himself.

"Oh, Jet m'boy." Eliot noticed his son's presence. "I was worried that I had lost you…First Clyde, and then I thought you. I'm not sure what I would do without my boys."

Jet absorbed the old man's kind presence and words. But it had an aftertaste of a sterile non-existent thing. It was fake. All of it. The only real thing was Jet, the thing that in reality seemed false.

Jet chuckled. "But I'm not your son, old man."

"Wh-what?"

"As much as you might have forgotten, your son is dead. Jet doesn't live here anymore. What you have is Adam Kadmon, if you remember that thing that you created with your little friends." Jet's harsh words bit into the older man who seemed in fear. "You…how could you be so greedy? To think that you would make me in the image of your son to have the boy escape death? Was that your hope?"

"B-But…but I loved my son. You can't ask me to give him up." Eliot whimpered. "He…he was all I had. What else could I do…with the opportunity?"

Jet stared at him as his bitterness left him. "You…you love me, too, don't you?"

"Jet…and Adam are the same to me. If you are Jet…if you are Adam…you're still my son."

"Still…to…do things out of love…no matter…how pure it is…it's wrong."

"I know that, Jet…Adam…I know that. But…love makes you do crazy things. Tell me you haven't felt the same thing, and put it to honest use as I did with you?"

Jet stood there numb. Finally he gave a warm grin. "You're right…I have done the same. I'm doing it right now, and as soon as I get back to Nobuo and Eon, I will do it all again. There…there are people I'm doing this for. I…hate what I am…but I love Filgaia too."

"Than you have the same love as me."

"Yes…while…you used what you had…I use what I have." Jet spoke. "I'm just as greedy. Avarice hands it's cards about no matter how much you think you don't have one."

"Adam, I'm truly sorry, for what I will put you through in the future. But can you stand by me and help me save what I love, like I have saved the memories that belong to Jet in you?"

Jet nodded. "I will help you. Just tell me what to do." Jet stood there a moment, and thought that if this was like a Twilight Element he should not be here anymore, but he was. What was going on within Eon?

That same question ran through the minds of the Maxwell Gang and Amigone as they stood on the bridge of their sandcraft watching the Eon, as they were now stopped miles from it, no longer being pulled. The ship's silver metal color had since disappeared to be replaced by a bright blue color that seemed more like some odd energy.

"I don't think we have to worry about the Ark's destruction at this time." Amigone calmly noted.

"Why not?" Virginia wondered.

"It's begun it's transformation." She replied.

"What about Jet?" Virginia anxiously wondered. "And everyone else?"

"Those inside should be find if they can only kill Eon. If they fail to get out of their worlds, they will only be sacrificed to Eon as power." Amigone grimly noted.

"Jet…" Virginia said under her breath with worry.

"You seem to know a lot about this?" Clive noted.

"You can't honestly fight something unless you know the most you can about it." Amigone replied. "My son is in there…and so are family friends. I can only hope they can make it out before Eon finishes it's transformation."

"What's this transformation about?" Sakura wondered.

"Eon may be powerful as it is, but it is weak. It will run out of power because it can't properly use the Twilight Elements, but once Eon makes contact with a human within it's own body, it begins this process of transformation to a state in which it could use the Elements forever, and it will never die after that."

"So…in the end Eon is just one large weapon?" Virginia muttered.

"Believe it or not…Eon was made years ago in order to replenish the planet. It was a means much like other devices on this planet. Think of the Elements as artificial Guardians who can only store the energy they are assigned, and the Generator Eon is what would use them to generate new life for Filgaia. Eon is a self-learning, evolving machine. Warped by the people of this planet and corrupted by foul wishes."

"If it was made to do all that, why was it never used?" Clive questioned.

"Simple." Amigone began. "The being who created this, an Elemental named Hawthorne, was deceived by humankind shortly after promising Eon. He had made it believing humans with their emotions drawn into the Elements could save their world as it started to decay. He asked only for a young maiden with gray hair to become his wife." She looked to them. "The woman was in love with a man, and so the deal never came to take place, and they even tried to kill him to steal the Eon and Elements without the deal coming to fruition…so he took away their hopes and told them to die in their corruption. The Eon was for purer hearts."

Clive nodded. "I see…it sort of makes sense, in the end."

"Still," Virginia began. "That doesn't help Jet and the others. Tell me that they will live."

Amigone looked sadly to the floor. "In one of their memories, there is Eon, if they can kill him, then they will be saved, if not, they will belong to Eon and exist no longer as I had told you before."

"I will not accept that!" All eyes went to Adven as he stood in the doorway. "What can I do to save them?" He questioned. He was not going to let Jet die a hero and he also knew that he was not about to let the others die while he watched. "Tell me!"

"We can only watch. " Amigone sternly replied. Adven could only glare at her as he thought over endlessly about what he could do, and came up with nothing. He looked to the cold metal walls with regret.

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"Gallows, did you hear me, son?" Virgule wondered to the pint-sized and cute Gallows. Hard to imagine that a big oaf his size was once under three feet. "We have something to tell you." The younger Virgule with younger wife, Amigone, beside him.

Gallows grinned. "There's no point." The parents looked on intrigued. "There's no point in telling me what you're doing, or why you're doing it. I mean, we'll meet again when the time is right. We'll meet, and then together, as a family should, we will fight Nobuo and stop his desires." He laughed and ran off with a wave to play with his younger brother as the parents watched in bewilderment, but that quickly beget a warm smile. As Gallows looked back at them, he took in his last sight of his parents.

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Carole's attention returned to her young daughter. Emilia before she grew and matured. Before she became a disgrace with her sinful past. When she was still only a young teen. "Did you hear me mother?" The young Emilia questioned with a mock strength. She was terribly afraid of Carole, whether she was real or not.

"You will go, to find your father then."

"Uh, yes, I will." Emilia trembled. "I've grown up now, Carole. I know that I'm ready, and I'm no longer the girl who cried when he left."

"You're wrong, Emilia. You still haven't grown up at all."

"I want to go!" Emilia argued. "I have grown!"

"I know you want to go, but you aren't mature or an adult yet." Carole calmly noted. "That is why I let you go now. You must grow up, and when you do, I will return to you. Until then, Emilia, I am no longer your mother, understand?"

Emilia nodded and bowed to her mother anxiously. "Th-thank you. For everything." The daughter stood upward.

"Emilia, I must tell you something more."

"What is that?"

"I know that you want to find your father, and I'm sure you will someday. I also want you to find yourself a husband, and get yourself some good friends who would protect you to the end."

Emilia remained silent. "I will moth—I mean, Carole. I will do these things and make you happy."

"It's not for myself." Carole interjected with a breath and a thought, "I'm already happy. I want you to do that all for yourself, and no one else. I want you to be happy. I'll be fine…even…even if you forget me." She closed her eyes as she heard Emilia depart from the room. "That's right…I'm fine, so long as I know those around me are fine as well. I can't forgive Clyde for not returning, but still, I love him. If I didn't…I probably would have found a new man by now. I just hope…he can so eagerly take me back into his arms." A woman's words to herself will open only heartache in the end. One that will only lead to her heart to weaken.

But the true Emilia was meanwhile at the end of a Quake from Gallows, who seemed only to be Aries in a new shell. While the room shatters and the floorboards break, the two jump from the second story home into the mud that the downpour outside has brought. Gallows is quick to strike out at Emilia who jumps over the man and lands as they both turn to one another.

Emilia came to her conclusion, "I can't bring myself to kill Gallows. You may act as Aries, but all I see is his face."

Gallows grinned with an all-too-familiar Aries laugh. "Stalagmite Chain!" The attack rips up the ground, mud and all, and quickly comes for Emilia who stands in her place.

"Transcendent the Blade!" Her attack hits the front of the Stalagmite Chain, thus breaking it and ending it before it hit her. Ed was watching from the window on the second floor of his house as Gallows came charging through the mud in the air from Emilia's counterattack. Gallows easily slashed Emilia's right arm, leaving a tear in the clothing and sending blood about. As Emilia regained her strength and looked to the wound it became clear that the wound, while it was there and did happen, did not hurt. It did not feel real.

Gallows came forth slinging his blade about at Emilia who dodged every swing. Finally Emilia kicked him to the gut, sending his body to the muddy ground, and before Gallows could react he had a blade at his throat. "Kill me then, Emilia, or do you no longer do that?" He wondered up at her face as she held the blade inches from his fate.

"Shut up!" She bellowed. "You aren't the enemy."

"Huh?"

Emilia glared up at Ed who stood in the window watching them. "You are. Ed is the only person who shall die today."

"E-Emilia?" Ed questioned out of fear.

Emilia quickly left Gallows on the mud as she jumped into the shattered window and landed behind Ed. "It was you." She accused.

"Quiet Emilia. Kill Aries, Gallows, whoever he is, and then we can be together." She replied in a fearful state. As if trying to bargain with her to stop her insanity.

"Ed would never tell me to kill another person." Emilia quickly countered. "When I fought Gallows, he felt so fake, but when I came to you earlier, you were very real."

"I can give you the life you desire." Ed quickly replied with calmness. "What do you want?" His voice began to echo. "You can have anything, as long as you stay with me."

"The only life I desire is the one that I have."

A force field surrounds Ed like a wind continually swirling around him in order to protect his life. "Then you must…die!"

Emilia grinned as the sound of rain faded away. "Still using Ed's guise. It's true that I once loved him, and I feel guilty about his death, but that is no longer true. My heart lies with another man." She looked out the window to find only the room still existed. The woman with her sword drawn looked to the man with the face of her ex-lover. "You won't win this way, Eon! X-Strike!" Two wind blades crossed like an X connect with Ed's shield, to no luck. No damage occurred.

"That was pathetic." Ed remarked.

"I will stop you! I will make my father's death worth something so he does not die in vain!" Emilia charged at her enemy with her blade stabbing the wall of Ed's force field, not allowing her shinobi-zue through. She slowly gets her blade in, but it is too much force against it and she can get no further. Her strength slowly dying she vehemently kept her eyes on the prize. "I won't lose! I refuse to be beaten by some machine! I won't let this go on!" With a roar of rage she let out all her strength, running her blade through Ed causing the world around her to collapse and return her to the room she was in back on Generator Eon.

The shield around Ed disappeared as blood rose from out of his mouth like a river. His shape finally returning to that of the blue template of a man named Eon. "I…only…wanted…you…to have…the world…you…wanted…and desired…it was…my…only…wish." The being that Eon gasped with his last words. When they were done, his body jerked and disintegrated into nothing leaving only the blade that Emilia had shoved through his body. With her strength gone, Emilia collapsed to her knees, with her right hand touching the burnt mark and wound Inner Eon had left on her left shoulder.

"I…can finally leave that all behind me now." She looked up with bitter tears shed for Eon. "Your perfect world…is an impossible dream. Eon may be gone, but his body remains." She stood upwards looking at the four Twilight Elements that Nobuo placed in the wall.

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"They did it!" Amigone pointed out as Eon lost it's blue glow and returned to it's gray metal exterior. "It may not be over, but this was a perfect first step."

"What do you mean?" Virginia wondered as she noted the ominous wording.

"Eon," Amigone begun, "if it gathered enough energy it will transform, then commence in destroying the area. It may not be controlled by itself, but it's corrupted circuitry will no doubt take over, and that will only mean bad things."

Adven's fist unleashed as he looked at her again with vehemence. "Can we stop it now?"

"Clive will agree with me that our weapons are not enough to destroy Eon, even in it's weakened state." Amigone quickly replied.

"I'm tried of hearing that we can't do anything! What is our purpose here if we can only watch as our friends die and the world shortly after it?" Adven questioned with wroth, fed up with his helpless position. He is just as strong as Jet. Why is he side-lined? "I'm not going to give up…because…because I know Jet hasn't yet!" Adven turned on his heel and opened the door of the craft as he jumped up to the roof as everyone was left wondering what he was doing. Sakura left her seat slowly. In position atop the craft Adven looked to Eon ready to test his limits. "Here goes…I have a reason now to do this. Negative Missile Barrage!" The multiple shots of negative energy do little but scorch and dent the exterior of Eon, and leave no real damage. "No, I can't just give up like that!"

"Adven!" Sakura shouted as she climbed up to him. His eyes met hers at the same time. "It won't work. You'll end up exhausted before it ever took any damage."

Adven sighed. "I know that, but how can I honestly live with myself knowing that when it got tough I didn't give it my all. That I just did nothing when my time was up." He replied with his words sounding rash, but they were carefully planned to this point. "I'm doing this for us, urm, for all of us on Filgaia." Even though he said that he loved her, anxiety still cut in. "Listen, my life is only just beginning to have a point and make sense now. I'm not going to let it end here." He turns away quickly and sets up his arms. "Besides, using the Negative Cannon can not exhaust someone. Negative Cannon, Blast!"

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The dimly lit walls of Eon's corridors felt life again even as it's lights flickered from damage done by Jet and Nobuo. Under a working light stood Jet with a grin who looked to Nobuo. "Is it time to end this battle? No, this war?"

"If you're ready to." Nobuo grinned as he stood patiently. He had waited for a long time while Eon had done his thing, but finally the battle would resume. "Is there any last requests?"

Jet stared at him. "Nope. None at all. I have only one wish, and I'm saving that for another time. How 'bout you?"

"I have none, for this is not my end."

Jet let out a short laugh. "Let's do this then." He draws the Raven's Wing, in it's ragged and chipped katana form.

Nobuo removed a sickle weapon from behind his back. "Did your life happen to already flash before your eyes? It is a question that has always bugged me, and this is the first time I can find out."

"Pheh. Leave your jokes for the afterlife." Jet simply remarked. "Let's finish this quickly. I have somewhere else to be." The Raven's Wing enlarged to it's zanbato form as it gained weight in Jet's hands.

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AN: Yes, I seriously ended the chapter here at a cliffhanger. I just thought enough had been concluded to end it. Of course, the next chapter just picks up where we left of here anyway, but…whatever. I want to keep it as close to the original at this point as I can, lengthwise, and where I leave off at. I feel happy, I just saw Batman Begins, I have my Gundam Z DVDs, and Star Ocean 3, and I just came back from my vacation, and to boot I also have finished a new chapter for my own novel after like…two months and officially defeated my creative block. So get out the beverages and let's rejoice.