It's time. The revealing of many things is upon us! (laughing manically) Anyhow...first thing's first.
Dairokkan: Hm...One Winged Angel is nice as well. You'll see my musical choice for this fight.
Arsenel: Basically, had some issues with people placing song lyrics in their fics (can't remember the entirety of it), and so they simply decided to ban all song lyrics from being used. I hope to have a version with the lyrics included on my site soon. And the stick...figure of speech. (smile)
Shadowkiller27: I'll do my best. I'm quite a bit busy with work and college now, though.
Iron Reaver: (also clears throat) And I believe you're overestimating your own strength. Also...who says I'll be alone?
ChaosRonin: I don't believe I've welcomed you yet (if I have, I've forgotten), so welcome to Eternal Requiem! And yes, final battles are fun to write.
Duderman: Oh yeah. And I believe you're referring to Drante. I'll not say anything...
KamiKaze no Kage: Oh, when you see this chapter's twists, you'll see why it was hard to write.
XxCougarxX: Wait till you see this one. (smile)
Omega Gilgamesh: If you're reading this, then welcome to Eternal Requiem! Yes, Drante looks just like Vincent. The character is not mine, but yes, the resemblance was intentional.
Zysos: Welcome to Eternal Requiem, Zysos! I'll try, but as I said above, I'm quite busy now with both work and college. --
Anyway...onward to the chapter!
Chapter 26—Strands Of Fate
Gliding down, I instinctively grab both swords from their sheathes on my back, holding them beside me as I fly towards Darius. Slowly, he looks upward at me, stepping back a few steps as I land on the ground. Both swords come up in front of me in an attack position as Darius smiles.
"Well, well...you're back for...what is this? The third time you're going to be beaten down?" he says, chuckling.
"This time is different."
"Oh, really?"
"Really. One, I'm more powerful than I was before," I say, staring him down with an impassive expression, "And two, I'm not alone." As I finish speaking, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine run up beside me, weapons drawn.
(Play Star Ocean 3 theme Powerbroker)
"This is it! It's time to fight! No turning back, no hesitation!" I yell, staring down the figure of Darius DeValle with Yuna, Rikku, and Paine by my side.
"So you think you have what it takes to bring me down, now that you're all together?" Darius asks smugly. "Let's find out! Thundaga!" The lightning attack strikes me hard, forcing me back a few steps as the charge courses through my body.
"Liquid Steel!" Paine yells, slashing down at Darius with all her might. Darius simply vanishes, reappearing behind Paine and smashing into her back with a clubbing strike. Grabbing his pistols, he turns to Yuna, who also has her pistols raised for a volley of shots.
"Take this!" he cries, unleashing a Trigger Happy attack at Yuna at the exact same time that she uses her own. Bullets fly between the two, striking both of them hard, but Darius seems to come out unscathed.
"You're boring me. Haste!" he yells, his movements becoming faster and even harder to see. Before I can react, I'm sent spinning to the ground, my head throbbing from the sudden strike by the butt of Darius' pistol. A cry sounds out a moment later, Rikku joining me on the ground in much the same fashion.
"Demi Sword!"
Paine charges up to Darius and lands a hit on him before he can react, slashing across his side. The attack seems to do little else, however. Angrily, he spins to Paine, re-holstering his pistols and grabbing a rifle from his back.
"Kazkata!"
Darius' shot echoes throughout the immediate area as Paine is almost lifted off her feet by the power of the attack. With a scream of pain, she falls to the ground, a large hole in her stomach now almost pouring blood.
"Paine!" I scream, standing up quickly. Rikku springs to her feet, spherechanging to White Mage and running over to her fallen friend. Yuna's eyes are now blazing with fury as she spherechanges to Black Mage.
"Waterga!" she yells, blasting the spell at Darius.
"Shell!" he shouts, the magical barrier covering him as the spell washes over him, doing little damage. "Face it! You're outmatched!"
"I'll make you suffer..." I mutter, glancing over at Paine and Rikku. Quickly, I level my palm at Darius, casting a spell of my own. "Firaga!" My spell does as little as Yuna's did, however.
"Let me show you a real spell!" he replies, aiming a palm at me. "Flare!" My eyes go wide as the non-elemental energy slams into me, blowing me clear off my feet and into the hard ground of the plains. "Pitiful," he continues, shaking his head before evading another shot from Yuna without even looking, "I should just end this now." Light gathers around Darius as he now begins to spherechange, giving little worry to the four of us. When the light clears, Darius is now garbed in a black, zip up shirt and a black pair of pants. A pair of brown boots adorn his feet, and he also wears a red jacket that goes down to nearly the back of his knees. All of his guns are still on his person as well.
"Now...let me show you the true power of a lightning alchemist!" he yells, holding a palm to the sky. He then brings his hand down towards us, causing bolts of lightning to strike at us from above. Quickly, we dive out of the way of the electrical energies, trying to find a moment to retaliate. Grunting in pain, I make it back to my feet, trying to find the concentration to cast another spell.
"Blizzaga!" I yell, the spell rocketing towards Darius, but bouncing off of a shield of pure energy that now surrounds him.
"Too slow," he mocks, raising a palm to me in response. "Thundaga!" The spell jolts me to the bone, making my body twitch several times before I slump to the ground. Silently, I fall out of Angel Wing, nearly paralyzed from the spell.
"Ben!" Rikku yells, spherechanging into her Machina Maw dressphere and glaring at Darius. Yuna also spherechanges into her special dressphere, as the both of them begin to call forth attacks.
"Aqua Whirl!"
"Stop Missile!"
A chain of water attacks, followed quickly by a duo of powerful missiles strike Darius, causing an explosion around where he's standing. Looking around, I notice Paine has now spherechanged into Black Mage, standing once again after Darius' Kazkata attack.
"Finally...some fight out of you," Darius says, the cloud of smoke around him dissipating to reveal a few burnt edges on his coat, but no damage other than that. "Looks like I'll have to take it up a notch." Shouldering his rifle once again, he aims carefully as a red ball of energy begins to form, covering the barrel of the weapon. "Charfire!"
The energy from the barrel seems to explode outward in a great wave, the attack bearing down on us mercilessly. Yuna and Rikku scream as they're thrown back, and Paine and I also cry out as the attack picks us all up and throws us to the ground, badly injured now.
"This...is crazy..." I mutter, unable to do much else but sit up some. "How is he...so powerful...?"
"You want to give up now, or do I have to beat you down some more?" he says, smirking and holding the rifle over his shoulder. Painfully, I pull myself back to my feet, the three girls doing the same.
"If you think...I'm giving up this easily...you're more stupid than I thought!" I yell defiantly, causing Darius' eyes to narrow.
"Really? I think you four are the stupid ones for even trying to stop me in the first place. You should've just let me have my fun."
"Fun! You call this," I yell, furiously motioning around at the area we're in, now littered with marks and craters, "fun!"
"You just don't get it," he retorts, shaking his head. "Oh well. Guess I'll finish you off, then." As Darius lifts his rifle to fire another attack, he suddenly pauses, lowering it again and looking up towards the sky. That's when we all notice something.
The storm has stopped. Completely. In the heat of battle, none of us had even bothered to pay notice to the now non-existent storm in the Thunder Plains. All of us are frozen for a moment, looking around at the seeming impossibility of the current situation.
"He's weakened."
"What?" I ask Shuyin, confused. "How do you know?"
"I'm an unsent. We possess senses that no living person has. And I can tell that the one you're fighting has weakened."
Without bothering to reply to Shuyin, I look over at Yuna, who has also picked herself up from the ground. Rikku and Paine have also gotten back up, and the former is looking at me. I curse inwardly as I realize that I said that out loud, and that now Rikku is sure something is up. Sighing, I make up my mind to tell them after the fight, before turning to Yuna.
"We've got to hit him now. We might not get another chance," I say, already tired from the fight. "And we can't let up. If we do, we're done for." Yuna seems to think my words over for a moment, before nodding.
"Alright, let's go!"
"Rikku, I'm gonna need a lift," I say, turning to her. Quickly, she nods, lowering her 'pet' to the ground some to let me jump onto its shoulder. As I do so, Yuna and Paine charge, the latter having spherechanged into Full Throttle while Yuna and I were talking.
"Aqua Whirl!"
"Fiers!"
Yuna's attack connects with Darius, a chain of Water-element spells exploding in his face and disorienting him for a brief moment. That turns out to be all the time Paine needs to get right in front of the marksman, slashing him across the chest with a powerful strike that actually forces him back a step or two.
"...That almost hurt," he says, his face contorting into a smirk as he puts the rifle away, grabbing his magnum from its holster. His body begins to glow yellow again, and my eyes go wide as I hear him call out his Overdrive.
"Arc-Deuce!"
Darius' body just seems to vanish, his movements happening almost too fast for the naked eye to see. Yuna and Paine suddenly cry out in pain, and I'm barely able to catch a glimpse of Darius before bullets begin to slam into both me and Rikku as well, sending her staggering back from the strikes and almost causing me to lose my balance on top of her 'pet'. Fighting through the pain, I grit my teeth and hold on, as Darius' form begins to slow and fade back into view.
"Floral Rush!"
I smile as I feel the power of Haste come into effect over my body, speeding up my movements as well as those of everyone else. Quickly, I leap into the air before slashing my sword outward, the blade glowing with red light.
"Crescent Strike!"
As fast as Darius currently is, my attack is faster, and the crimson, blade-shaped energy wave rockets towards him, cutting into his side and causing him to look up at my now-falling form.
"You're a pest," he says, taking aim again. Before he can react, though, Paine slams into him, knocking him to the ground. Taking that as a moment of opportunity, we all begin to call out attacks, hoping to inflict some damage on the marksman.
"Floral Bomb!"
"Blind Shell!"
"Whelmen!"
"Fated Circle!"
The four attacks slam into Darius' rising form with terrifying force, and a giant cloud of dust erupts from the ground around him, shrouding him from view. Taking a chance to catch my breath, I shield my eyes, unable to see anything for the dust. Finally, as the dust clears, we can see Darius standing there, singed and fuming from the series of attacks.
(End Star Ocean 3 theme Powerbroker)
Without a word, Darius returns his magnum back to its holster, still seemingly furious at us. To my surprise, however, he begins to walk towards us, chuckling as he does so.
"Well, well, well...looks like you finally grew a spine," he says, looking over the four of us, who are still in our special dresspheres and breathing heavily.
"Shut it...jerk..." I say, trying to slow my breathing. Darius just rolls his eyes.
"I told you before, you should've just let me have my fun. But you didn't listen. Typical. Too stubborn for your own good."
"Why...just why?" I ask, shaking my head. "Why would you bother doing all of this? You don't seem to have gotten anything out of it, except..."
"You mean to tell me that you still haven't figured it out?" Darius asks, seemingly stunned. "Ugh...should I write it out for you?"
"Just shut up and spill it," I mutter, too tired to deal with his arrogant attitude.
"I wanted a good fight."
At that comment, I blink, absolutely stunned by what Darius has just said.
"You...what?" I ask slowly, anger beginning to creep into my voice.
"You heard me. I wanted a good fight. It's no fun sparring with Revolver and Katanas all the time. I wanted a change."
"And you came here, used the aeons, chanced harming innocent people, and generally created havoc just to have someone to fight!" I exclaim, shocked and enraged at the same time.
"Hey! No one got hurt! If the fiends hurt someone, that had nothing to do with me. I only controlled the aeons, not the fiends! What they did is their fault. Did you see me attacking innocent people with them?" he retorts, folding his arms.
"You tried to hit the people here on the plains with lightning!" I reply.
"And if I really wanted to, don't you think I...you know, would've?" he says sarcastically. As much as I hate to admit it, I can't say anything to respond to that, and so I just begin to mutter various things under my breath. Darius just smirks, giving a light chuckle before beginning to step away.
"Well, guess there's nothing left to do here," he says, stopping for a moment and turning back to us, before shaking his head and vanishing.
"I really hate that guy," I mutter, turning to walk back towards the Celsius. As I turn, though, I notice Yuna and the others looking at an approaching figure. I can't quite make out who it is at this distance, though. Squinting to see better, my eyes suddenly go wide as a person who I thought I'd never see again comes into view.
"...Sir Auron...?"
To my great surprise, the guardian whom I thought was dead is striding towards us, his walk filled with obvious purpose and intent. My mouth opens in obvious shock as he steps up to us, Yuna and I instinctively bowing to him out of respect, just as we did two years ago. Nothing is said for a moment, before Auron finally decides to speak.
"Yuna. Rikku. Ben," he says, nodding to each of us in turn. His eyes glance over Paine, and he raises an eyebrow behind his glasses at the girl, but says nothing.
"Oh...uh...Sir Auron, this is our friend, Paine," Yuna stammers, quickly introducing Paine. My mind is doing loops right now at the sight of Auron standing in front of us, even though I clearly saw him leave for the Farplane two years ago. Yuna and I sent him ourselves, but he's here in front of us now, somehow. Rikku seems to be stunned into absolute silence, as she hasn't said or made an attempt to say anything so far. Finally, I decide to ask the question that's undoubtedly on all of our minds.
"...You should be..."
"Dead?" Auron finishes, cutting me off in mid-sentence.
"Well...yeah. I mean, we...Yuna and I sent you ourselves. I saw you leave! How...how are you back?"
"For a time, I believed the same," Auron replies, the same stoic expression on his face as always. A lightning bolt then strikes the ground nearby, causing a loud burst of sound to fill the area.
"Um...can we get inside now?" Rikku says, looking a little uneasy. Yuna nods, and the four of us quickly begin to walk towards the Celsius. Auron looks up at the large airship with a look of interest, before following the four of us inside.
"You never answered my question."
Auron turns to look at me as I say that, before chuckling.
"I see you're no more patient than I remember. Very well," he says, leaning against the wall with his arm tucked inside his coat, "I'll explain. Tell me, what do you believe you saw when you sent me?"
"...Pyreflies. Your pyreflies," I answer, not seeing what Auron is getting at.
"You would be mistaken."
"Say what?"
At this, my mind does yet another spin, Auron's answer confusing me beyond anything I'd thought possible.
"When you sent me, what you saw were not pyreflies from my body. They were pyreflies placed there by an outside source...Lady Yunalesca."
"Whoa, wait a second here. Yunalesca!" I exclaim, my eyes going wide in shock as Yuna also gasps in surprise. "What does she have to do with this?"
"Calm down. As I was saying, the pyreflies that you saw were not mine. It was actually quite clever on Yunalesca's part. To keep the futility of the Final Summoning a secret from those guardians who might reveal the truths behind it, she had to resort to...other methods of persuasion."
"And when you say that, you mean..."
"She altered the memories of those who came seeking her, and the Final Aeon. She infused them with pyreflies, changing their minds so intensely that they believed whatever she placed into their minds without question. As for myself...the suggestions she placed in my mind were quite strong. So much so, that when I began to believe I was unsent...I could very well have been."
"So, you're saying that Yunalesca was powerful enough to pretty much make people unsent? That..." At that, I trail off, unable to find words.
"Ordinarily,if I had been sent, it would have been just as if I had truly died. My soul would have gone to the Farplane, to join the rest of the deceased. However, the one thing that saved my soul from being lost...was Sin. The toxin that the creature possessed disrupted the suggestions that Yunalesca placed into my mind. So when you sent me, even though the pyreflies were sent...my body remained in another realm. I have...someone to thank for showing me the light," Auron says, his face returning to its normal expression, clearly showing that he is finished speaking.
"So...you're back, for good?" Yuna asks slowly, to which Auron simply turns to face her.
"Maybe. You, of all people, should know that our time here is never defined," he replies, and I find myself agreeing. Silently, I move past the two towards the elevator, Rikku stopping me by placing a hand on my shoulder.
"Where are you going?" she asks, cutting in again before I can answer. "And who were you talking to when we were outside?" For a moment, a part of me had hoped that she had forgotten.
"I'll explain later. I've got...something to do right now," I say, turning and stepping into the elevator before she can say anything else. Quickly, I press a button, the elevator beginning to ascend slowly, before stopping and opening to reveal the hallway leading to our rooms. The elevator doors close behind me as I step into my room, shutting the door behind me.
"Bahamut...?" I ask slowly, hoping that the fayth can hear me.
"Yes?" he replies, causing me to spin around, the smaller fayth floating behind me.
"You said something a while back about being permitted to help by someone," I begin, trying to figure out a way to word my question. "...You stopped the storm, didn't you?"
"It was not me," he says, "but it was in a way. The higher powers did not know what would happen if Darius kept control of the sphere any longer...and so, they decided to intervene."
"Wait...what higher powers?"
"I am not allowed to say."
"And what about the sphere? Doesn't he still have it?" I ask, confused.
"No. It was destroyed during the fight," Bahamut replies, to which I breathe a sigh of relief.
"At least that's over with..." I mutter, glad to have at least one of my many questions answered. "Thanks." Bahamut gives a short nod, before vanishing once again. Burying my face in my hands, I fall back onto the bed as I contemplate how best to explain everything to Rikku and the others.
Okay. Be honest. How many of you expected that! (resumes laughing) ...Okay, I'm done. The idea for Auron's return is not mine, that belongs to Daniel Wesley Rydell. For a better explanation of Auron's situation, read his two stories 'Foreshadow of Memory' and 'Subtleties of Honor'. You should get a pretty good idea.
Finally...the turning point is here. It's all downhill from here, folks! As always, please review!