Seven Years Later

"Ok, it's your turn now. Let's pick up from where we left off yesterday."

"I don't want to, Wyvern! We always get in trouble!"

"Don't be such a baby!"

"I'm not a baby!"

"Then do it!"

Bahamut frowned and crossed his arms. He hated playing this game that Wyvern always made him play, truth or dare. He always had to give out some embarrassing secret or do something he would never even dream of doing normally, and most of the time Crusader would get word of it eventually and he'd get in trouble. The fact that Wyvern did too was of little consequence or relief. They always got in trouble together. That's because they were always playing with each other.

As near as Bahamut could tell, it had to have been about seven years since he awoke in Ultima Nexus. His memories were foggy in the beginning, when he was still learning what everything was. But they cleared up quickly once Crusader began to teach him exactly what everything was. His vocabulary was built up as well as his knowledge, and he soon knew whatall thingsin Ultima Nexus were called. He also had a better grasp on who other people were, and how to go about on his daily life. Of course, here, there was little workto do for anything.

He enjoyed hanging with Wyvern. That made up most of his days. They were the most like each other, although Wyvern was far more bold and mischevious. Neither of them cared much for their esper brothers or sisters. Phoenix and Starlet always distanced themselves from the boys. As for Odin, he was always off, struggling to lift and swing around his huge sword. He had grown, of course. They all had. Their bodies had become thinner and more developed. But they were all still pretty weak. Odin himself could barely drag his sword, but he cared more about that than everything, and had only gotten colder in front of everyone ever since they had arrived in Ultima Nexus. Leviathan and Ogopogo were always playing with each other, but they didn't hang with anyone else. That left Wyvern or Crusader, and Wyvern almost always won.

Life was simple. In the early days, Crusader had showered love and attention on all of them. All soon grew to prefer the term "mommy" to Crusader. She kept order between them and taught them basic things of how to live. Even in the early days she would leave them from extended periods of time. As they grew older, she did so more frequently. It figured, because they were growing more able to take care of themselves as years went by. However, Bahamut, and the others, feared that meant the worst…that one day Crusader would leave for good. None of them knew what life was like without Crusader, and hated to think of it. Bahamut and the others lived off of nectar from the flowers and honey that the bees made. It was very good tasting and potent. Even a small amount sated any of them, though some were growing much larger than they had originally been. There was never a cloud in the sky, but clouds always surrounding where they lived. Every night was filled with millions of stars, which served as their children mobile as they went to sleep. Bahamut and Wyvern themselves almost always slept on heights. Odin slept in a cave that Crusader carved out for him. Starlet slept in the midst of some stone columns with a stone roof on what everyone believed was the only bed in Ultima Nexus, as Crusader had intended obviously from the start. There was only one tree in Ultima Nexus. Phoenix slept in a nest on the top of it. As for Leviathan and Ogopogo, they slept, and pretty much lived, in the water, the lake, and the river. They only occasionally came on land, though they were quite able too. What this added up to was the espers mostly avoiding each other except for small scraps of action.

Wyvern and Bahamut played mostly together. There had been lots of rumble and tumble games when they were younger. As they grew older, they got into races and wrestling matches. They also started to do more thinking games, like seeing which one could spell a word faster, spy things that the other one indicated, or, Wyvern's favorite, playing truth or dare games to make the other do something embarrassing or reveal a deep, dark secret. Bahamut wasn't nearly so good as Wyvern was, or at least not as inclined to do such dares and truths as the other was.

"Come on!" Wyvern insisted. The two were perched on one of the cliffs in Ultima Nexus. Bahamut was lounging in the shade under it, while Wyvern dangled the top of his body off of it and taunted Bahamut. "You got to give me another one. Or are you afraid too? Don't you want to get even?"

Bahamut frowned as he looked up at Wyvern's grinning, dangerous face. In truth, he did want to get even. Yesterday, the last thing he had to do was fly off of the top of the cliff that Wyvern was on right now. Neither of them could fly yet. They could only glide, not yet having enough strength to beat their wings strong enough. However, Crusader assured them that they'd be able to soon enough. At any rate, he had a nasty, painful spill, and he had been eager to want to get revenge on Wyvern. But he couldn't think of anything to dare him, not anything that would hold a candle to Wyvern's own challenges. He still couldn't think of anything now.

Wyvern grinned wider. "Are you scared?"

Bahamut scowled. "No!"

"Then do it!"

"Fine!" He shot back. After that, he went silent, unable to think of anything still. He tried to see what kind of secret he could expose about Wyvern, or if there was anything dangerous he could make him do. But nothing came to mind. He frowned and tried to think harder, but still nothing came. Wyvern kept grinning.

"Well?"

"I'm thinking!"

"Hurry up."

Bahamut frowned. He had to focus. He knew Wyvern well enough to know what he hated! What would be the worst thing that Wyvern would do? What would be something that he would never bring himself to do in a million years? What did he constantly brood about whenever they were talking about themselves to each other? Bahamut struggled to think of it…something he hated…but what? Then, all of the sudden…it hit him. He knew exactly what. Abruptly, Bahamut burst into his own grin. He looked up to Wyvern's own smiling face, and spoke slowly and calmly.

"I dare you to kiss Phoenix on the beak."

Wyvern's smile instantly vanished, and his red color went a shade white. He began to quiver, and was suddenly wracked with fear. "Uh…um…er…" He stuttered, growing nervous. "Uh…you know…this game is kind of stupid. Let's just forget…"

"No." Bahamut stated with a smile. "You have to do the dare, or I win."

Wyvern's brow creased and he swallowed. "Aw man…I don't want to kiss a girl! Give me a break, Bahamut!"

Bahamut smiled and shook his head. "No way. Do it."

Wyvern swallowed again, and continued to turn white. However, even as his face turned uncomfortable, he managed to slowly pull himself back up the cliff…

"I'm going to be a queen someday." Starlet spoke as she added another flower to her crown.

Phoenix looked up to her as she pulled the stem on another flower in her own crown. Both of them were sitting in the flower fields of Ultima Nexus, busying themselves with making flower chains. She turned her head in a bit of anxiety to Starlet. "What about me?"

"You'll be a queen too." Starlet answered with a smile. "We'll both be queens. We'll rule over all the boys, and we'll make them make mud pies and eat them all day long." This last part was accented with a small grin.

Phoenix chuckled a bit too. "Yeah! I wonder how come we have to have so many boys, and we're only two girls."

"Crusader's a girl." Starlet answered simply. "That means we'll be their bosses some day.Mommy told me. One day I'll be just as tall as her."

Phoenix looked slightly confused. "Really? Will you have those things coming out of your chest too?"

Starlet plucked another flower, but then suddenly froze. Her face went to puzzlement, and she lookd up and thought a moment. However, nothing came to her, and in the end she merely shrugged. "I didn't really ask her, so I don't know."

"Hmm…" Phoenix mused.

Suddenly, the firebird esper felt a tap on her shoulder. Noticing it, and wondering what it was, or possibly just reacting out of confusion, Phoenix turned her head behind her to see what it was. No sooner had she done so, however, than she felt the powerful scaly red beak of Wyvern plant itself on Phoenix's beak and give a powerful smooth.

Starlet looked up and saw this, and immediately recoiled in shock. She wasn't alone. Phoenix did as well. She was far more violent about it though, nearly smashing Wyvern back out of the way as she scrambled back, and spitting out as she did so. Her face was shocked, and all of her feathers were bristled with rage. As she continued to scramble back, her eyes filled with anger and she screamed out at the esper before her, who was already recoiling with a scared look on his face.

"Ew! YOU PERVERT! Get away from me! Ew! Ew! Ew! I have cooties! Grrr…!"

Wyvern didn't need another moments warning. He turned and he bolted off as far and as fast as he could, before Phoenix truly did ignite into a firebird.

Bahamut laughed hard until he cried.

Wyvern frowned as he moped on the cliff he had been on before. A sullen look was on his face. Bahamut rarely got him, so he wasn't nearly as used to it. But he was still a bit redder than usual with embarassment. He scratched at the ground miserably and glared at Bahamut below. His blue brother continued to laugh hard, rolling on the ground below. "Aw man!" He called out. "You actually did it!"

"Yeah." Wyvern scowled. "You're lucky I'm not poisoned by girl germs."

Bahamut only laughed harder. "Man…you looked like you were enjoying it! I didn't know you'd kiss her that hard! I think you liked it!"

Wyvern growled under his breath and bowed his blushing face even more than before. Bahamut kept cackling the whole time, still rolling on the ground. It was minutes before he was finally able to stop. As he did, Wyvern lay brooding the entire time. Bahamut had got him, and got him good. That infuriated him. He was used to always being on top with these games. As Bahamut continued to laugh, he brooded and stewed over what had happened, trying to think of an equivalent dare. Something even better than that… He thought of double daring Bahamut, but that would only make him a copycat. He had to think of something better…something great… Wyvern knew very well that Bahamut liked to obey the rules. He always did what Crusader told him to do without fail. That's why Wyvern liked to make him misbehave with his dares. But just a regular one wouldn't do this time. None of that would compare to what Bahamut had made him do. He needed something really good this time. Something that would really hit home. Something that would leave a lasting impression. He struggled hard to think of something as he gazed around, looking for material. There had to be something good around that he could use…

Then…he spotted them.

The mountains far to the south of Ultima Nexus…

…and smiled.

All amusement on Bahamut's face had left him, and had been transposed onto Wyvern. Now, only a look of dread and terror remained.

"B-B-But…Wyvern…"

"That's my dare."

"I…I can't…"

"Because you're a wimp. So just give up now."

Bahamut frowned for a moment. "I am not!" He insisted. However…he quickly went fearful again. "But…butmommy said we should never go there… It's the way to the evil world…"

"I didn't say you had to live down there." Wyvern defended. "Just go down there and back really quick."

Bahamut was still worried. "But…but she said we might never come back! I don't know about this Wyvern… I mean…other dares were bad…but this? Can't you do anything else?"

Wyvern merely grinned. "Revenge time, Bahamut. You have to do this. Do it or you lose, and I get to call you wimp for a week."

Bahamut swallowed. He was scared of that place. He could feel the evil coming from it, some nights. Most people didn't know that…but he did. He didn't spend all his time just playing with Wyvern. He spent a lot of it concentrating, doing what Crusader called meditation. And when he did, he began to learn things about himself he didn't know before. This was part of it. Sometimes…he could feel the evil coming from that place. It threatened all the good in Ultima Nexus. It scared him…

But then again…he didn't want to lose to Wyvern. Crusader wasn't here right now. She wouldn't be watching him. He could get up there easily enough. He was big enough now, and the mountains were more of a barrier than any serious hindrance. He could scale them. It wouldn't take long. Just in there, over to the hole, and back again… Then he could do anything to Wyvern. Heck, he could make him go down the hole too. He knew he'd win. Wyvern wasn't brave enough to do it himself. But Bahamut knew he was brave enough, at least he told himself that. Just one little hike, then he'd be back on top again. Soon…very soon… And it would just be a quick jump. Nothing serious. He'd close his eyes if he needed too.

Finally, Bahamut swallowed. Summoning all of his courage, he nodded. "Alright…I'll do it."

Wyvern followed Bahamut all the way to the top of one side of the mountains. They weren't too high, nothing above a half hour hike. They were rocky, but Wyvern and Bahamut were both able enough to get around. When they got older, they knew they'd be able to fly to the top and back in no time flat. Until then, their wings helped them to glide to easier footing as they slowly made their way up. Bahamut knew very well that once he got to the other side he could glide down in a flash. But Bahamut had never seen the other side before. None of them had… The thought terrified the young esper. What was on the other side? What did the hole bordered by wind look like anyway? And what if…what if things were coming out of it?

As both of them neared the top, however, they both grew nervous. The air was cooler up here…and eventually grew colder. The clouds, white and puffy from a distance, began to turn gray and dark. The sun was blotted out, and darkness swamped over the entire ascent. Both Wyvern and Bahamut grew nervous at this. Both espers visibly shuddered as they continued to climb. Both of them were getting cold feet. But Wyvern vowed to get even with Bahamut, and this was the perfect way. Secretly, however, he began to wish his brother would chicken out, for both of their sakes. The idea was seeming worse and worse as it grew darker and cooler on their ascent. Wind began to blow after a short while, and that made Wyvern nervous as well. As it grew stronger, both grew scared. But neither of them backed down, and they continued to climb.

At last, they reached the top. Neither of them would look over the edge right away. Instead, they looked to each other and both swallowed. Both of them looked terror-stricken now. They shuddered and went silent for the moment. But at last, Wyvern nodded, and gestured. "Alright." He spoke, trying to sound brave. "G-g-go do it."

Bahamut swallowed. "Alright." He replied, also trying to sound brave. "But…you've got to stay here until I get back."

Wyvern instantly shook his head. "Uh-uh. No way. It's your dare."

"But how will you know I did it?"

Wyvern stopped at that. Bahamut was right. Like it or not, he did have to wait for him. Wyvern was more scared than ever now, realizing he had trapped himself. Finally, he sighed, and shook his head. "Ok, ok…But hurry up!"

"No problem there." Bahamut answered quickly. With that, he said no more. He turned to the other side of the mountain. Once he did so, he gulped again, and struggled to keep his heart from beating so fast. He felt cold all over. But at last, he managed to extend his wings. After doing so, he closed his eyes, exhaled deeply, and then ran blindly right for the other side of the mountain. He ran until he reached the edge. Then, he quickly squatted and leapt. In an instant, he was in the sky, the wind caught his wings, and he began to soar downward.

Bahamut thought to open his eyes for his descent. However, the air was cold that hit him. The wind intensified, and began to howl. Bahamut swore he could hear monsters on the breeze, or other evil things that would love to eat little espers. He didn't dare open them, but closed them tighter. Down, down, he drifted, feeling himself slowly glide down the edge of the mountain. It seemed like an eternity as he kept his eyes closed. The mountain continued to go on and on as he drifted down it, and it felt like he wasn't landing at the same place on the other side. He felt like he was continuing to fall, farther and deeper. To his horror, he thought he had already slipped into the hole, and was now falling down it to that deep dark world that was below…that world full of evil…that world full of things that wanted to eat him and destroy him. Bahamut felt himself, despite his best intentions, start to cry tears of fear as he continued to fall… He wondered if he'd ever see anyone in his family again… Wyvern again… Crusader again…

He was so shocked when his feet finally hit rock bottom that he screamed. He was even more scared when he heard his voice echo all around him, bouncing back to him. At last, unable to take it anymore, Bahamut opened his eyes to face whatever was around him. He was definitely on the other side of the mountain now. Rather, he was in what appeared to be a hole made by mountains. They rose, deep, dark, sinister, spiked, on every side. All of them were menacing, all of them were tremendous, all of them were black… The sky had turned so gray that it was practically black now. Bahamut had never seen anything so scary in his lifetime. But what was the most scary thing of all was in the center of this hole…

There was the hole that Crusader had mentioned. It was massive crater in the ground, blackness all around it and the world fractured around it. But not only that…a tornado arose from the center of it. It stretched high, almost halfway up the mountains, and looked like a giant funnel sucking everything into that hole that it could grab. Bahamut was far enough away to be safe, but he still stared in terror. His heart pounded. His spine ran cold as he stared at the massive structure easily extending far larger than him. All bravery faded. He couldn't go in that. He'd never get out again! Nothing could! His mind was stretched with panic. It felt so cold…so dark…so evil here… He was terrified…

Suddenly, a form jumped in front of him. Bahamut cried out in fear and backed up, looking up in terror to what it was. To his surprise, it was Crusader. She stood at her full height, dressed all in gold. She alone hadn't changed among all of them. However…she was changed now. Her kind features were gone. Her face was filled with cross anger. Her eyes blazed at Bahamut, and her lip was curled into a frown.

"What are you doing here?" She barked harshly at the esper. Bahamut recoiled more when she said this, filled with more fear than ever. "I told you never to come here! I warned you!" She continued, shouting loudly and darkly to him. "Do you have any idea what could have happened to you? Do you?"

That was too much for Bahamut. Already he was scared out of his mind, but now the person he looked to as his care, companion, caretaker, and everything else was yelling at him as well. She had never yelled at him before, even when disciplining him. He couldn't take it anymore. He opened his large dragon mouth and cried out loud. Large tears poured from his eyes, and he totally broke down in front of Crusader. Unable to contain anything, he cried and cried endlessly in front of his guardian.

Crusader's anger melted away instantly, and a look of hesitation graced her face as she realized how rough she had been with the young esper. Immediately, she became more gentle and soft again, and quickly kneeled down in front of Bahamut. She scooped him up in his arms and hugged him warmly. "Oh…it's alright…" She soothed. "Shh…I'm sorry… I'm sorry I yelled at you… I should've known you'd come here sooner or later… Shh…it's ok, Bahamut."

Bahamut continued to sniffle. Between tears, he called out in pain. "I…I…I didn't want to, mommy. I really didn't. But we were playing truth or dare…and Wyvern dared me…and he said I'd be a wimp if I didn't… I'm not a wimp, mommy!"

"Shh…I know. You're not a wimp."

"I know this place is bad…"

"It is, Bahamut. It's very bad. I told you to stay away for your own good." Crusader grew a bit firmer here. "This place is very dangerous. It's a danger to all of you. That's why none of you can ever come here, and you can never come here again. I'm glad that I stopped you, especially if you were about to go down that hole. I'm serious, Bahamut…you may never return. It's a very evil place…and it's a danger to you all."

Bahamut continued to sniffle, but began to relax. He rubbed at his red eyes, and looked up to Crusader. She looked back down to him. "What's down there…mommy?"

Crusader had a firm look on her face, and stayed silent for a moment. But then…she drew in a deep breath, and exhaled. "The human."

Bahamut blinked. "What's that?"

"A dark creature, Bahamut. They have great evil in their hearts and minds. They're always plotting evil. They're always carrying it out. They destroy the very world they live on. They pervert it for their own desires. They don't eat like you and me. Instead, they kill other living things and eat them."

Bahamut's eyes widened in fear.

"But that's only a sample of the atrocities they commit. You must never go down there, Bahamut. Never. No matter what. And I also tell you this. You are not to play that game anymore that led you to do this. Any game that puts your lives in danger is not a game to play, understood?"

The young esper hesitated, but then nodded. He paused a moment, but then bowed his head. "I'm sorry, mommy. I won't do it again."

Crusader smiled warmly at him. "I know you won't. Now come on…let's get you out of here."

Bahamut brooded over the days events late into the night as he stared at the star-filled sky. Wyvern slept uncomfortably nearby, his rear end a bit redder than the rest of him that night. That was the last day he and Wyvern ever played truth or dare. However…it was still a period of great commencement. The end of one thing, the start of something new.

That day, Bahamut lost a part of his childhood. He lost any silliness, casualness, or horseplaying, and began to think about more serious matters. From that day on, there was hardly a day he didn't think about the hole. Despite what he had promised, despite the fear inside him, he couldn't help but think about it. He couldn't help but think about those things called humans. He couldn't help but think of the dark world when he meditated. He couldn't help but see humans trying to eat him when he slept. And all the time…he began to think more and more about himself and where he was…where all of them were. While he never thought of it clearly in those days, and still wouldn't for years upon years to come…in the back of his mind he began to wonder what his purpose was. More than anything, though he didn't know it, that thought was primary in every last consideration that entered his mind from then on. Through it all…what was his purpose? Here…among his friends and family…in Ultima Nexus…and even in that world of evil, to which they had the gate placed before them but the command never to pass it?

Bahamut didn't know…but the answers to those questions…and all the questions that came from them…would be dominating his thoughts for some time to come.

To be continued...