The espers just finished dropping another load. Things were getting bad now. The firestorm overhead had reached its peak. The tornados were beginning to flame up and shoot down their fires on the world below. Large boulders were dropping into the sea, periodically sending up a great spout of water. A growing shadow was beginning to form over a part of the sky. Chaos was reaching its highest point. The wind whipped the trees violently below and stripped some bare. The humans were pressing themselves to the ground and crying in terror about the wrath of Griever. It wasn't going to be long now…

"That's the last for my village." Odin announced, turning and looking up to the sky. He frowned at the sight. It couldn't have taken Bahamut this long to finish Crusader. Why wasn't he back yet?

"Mine too." Leviathan answered. He turned to Palad afterward. "Where's next?"

Wyvern frowned a bit as he let his down. "I don't think we have any more time. We might be able to get in one more trip, but that's it."

"Then let's go together." Starlet answered. "Maybe together we can empty a town."

"Alright." Leviathan answered. But at that, he noticed that Odin was staring at the sky. He turned to him in puzzlement, and called out to him. "Odin? What's wrong?"

The warrior esper didn't answer. He continued to stare at the sky darkly, not saying a word.

"We don't have time for delays, Odin." Wyvern immediately snapped. "We're almost out of time."

Odin paused a moment longer. But then, he finally bowed his head and spoke behind him, without turning. "The rest of you go on ahead. I'm headed to Ultima Nexus."

The other espers, as expected, were rather surprised at this answer.

"What?" Ogopogo asked.

"Odin, we need you." Leviathan answered.

"You're not thinking of being a big shot and fighting that thing, are you?" Starlet asked in a cynical voice.

"I'm not that stupid." Odin darkly answered…secretly angry at the half-insult. "I'm going to see what's keeping Bahamut. I don't have a good feeling about this. He might need my help."

Wyvern scowled and crossed his arms. "Hmph. And what can you do to help him? I'm the second strongest here, and far above the rest of you."

"Like it or not, if no one else is going, I am." Odin simply responded. He turned Slepnir around at that and prepared to spur him on.

"Wait! We need your help to finish with the humans!" Leviathan protested.

"We can't save them all anyway." Odin simply answered. "And if Griever still manages to kill Bahamut somehow, it won't matter anyway. I'm leaving."

With that, and without another word, Odin spurred Slepnir on. The six-legged horse instantly took off into the air and leapt in the direction of the growing firestorm in the sky. The others could only watch and wait behind, some wondering why he left, some angry at his stupidity…and some beginning to consider whether or not Odin's possibility was true.

Bahamut desperately searched the ground of the island. It was growing more unstable all the time. The ground was beginning to fall out from beneath in places, and it was rocking and shaking terribly. The smoke and fire was continuing to come out, and began to erupt lava. Normally, Bahamut would have left Ultima Nexus as fast as he could. But one thing kept him there…one thing that he knew had to lay somewhere in the crater where Crusader had stood…the magicite.

Bahamut knew it had to be there. He knew…because even though the power of Crusader had vanished at long last…the evil force remained, and it was as potent as ever. Somehow, a part of Crusader lived. And so he desperately searched the ground. He ran around within the crater he had made, ignoring the sizzling ground, and constantly searching around the fissures and cracks for a sign of anything. He saw nothing at first, but still he continued to look desperately. He knew it had to be there. He tried to stay in the center…he tried to focus his own sensing ability to focus in on the shard. He couldn't let it get away now, when it could wash up on some shore later and reappear. He had to find it…

Then, at last, in all the flames and quakes, a sparkle caught Bahamut's eye. Immediately, he snapped his whole head to it, and his sensing ability confirmed it. The esper dove to the ground, and pried away a few large slabs of stone and dirt. But after digging a bit, he managed to expose the relic. He reached down and touched it. His hand felt cold as the icy wickedness inside traveled through him. Only now, feeling the full measure of Crusader's cruelty, did Bahamut realize how futile it had been to reason with or try and change Crusader. The evil had grown too strong, pushing out the good. And so, he pulled up the shard and held it before him, all the while his hand tingling with the evil power. It looked much like Phoenix's, only the feelings were different. The light shimmered blood red on it, and the warmth and love of Phoenix was void on this cold stone.

Even as the island continued to break apart around Bahamut, he realized he had to give pause for a second. He felt the power of the evil radiating off the stone. And he knew it held within it the same destructive power that had obliterated the continent under his feet. He had to do something about it. He couldn't let it go free to fall into the hands of another. If it went to any other person, the evil could consume them. Crusader might be able to take them over and act through them. He dared not let it go free. But then again, even if it was with the espers, it might one day overcome them as well. It had taken over Crusader, and it had been an esper too. They dare not keep it either.

They had to put it somewhere where no one could ever get it. But time changed rivers and oceans and eroded mountains. They couldn't store it anywhere that would never change. The espers themselves were immortal. But there was always the chance that one of them would take it too. It seemed like a loss, that there was no way to ensure no one would ever use it.

However…one idea did come to mind. They were immortal… Perhaps, simply placing the magicite in a place where it could never be used…in the strongest thing on the Planet that would never fall and live forever…that would be enough to make sure no one would ever get it and avoid it ever tempting anyone. That was the only idea Bahamut could think of, as the only viable alternative. And so, he carried it out.

Bahamut opened his mouth wide, raised the magicite to it, and swallowed it whole.

No sooner had the rock run down his esophagus and entered his stomach, however…than Bahamut began to feel rather unwell. A sickening feeling went through him at first. The esper stood uneasily a little, and wavered a bit on his feet. However…that was only the beginning. Abruptly, he felt the evil from the magicite radiate throughout him. It penetrated his veins like fire in his blood, and quickly began to spread throughout. His skin felt on fire. His heart turned to ice. But worst of all…he felt a numbing jolt run through his limbs. His hands and legs began to twist and move on their own. His back began to arch. The force continued to do this and grew stronger with time. Bahamut clenched his teeth and tried to push the feeling out. But it was useless. He could barely suppress it in his body…and it was growing stronger. It began to overwhelm him, and what more…he felt it begin to figure in his brain and thinking. He couldn't focus. He felt dizzy in the head, and he felt as if some black cloud was washing over it…like unconsciousness only worse. It was growing stronger and had its own force over it.

Bahamut struggled and buckled under it. He managed to raise his hands to his head and clenched it, but the feeling continued to rise and grow stronger. It rose and ebbed like waves in a flood, always getting overall larger but radiating as well. He couldn't suppress it. All of the strength he had gained was useless, and his own mental ability, no matter how strong, was only delaying it. Through the growing power and pain…he heard a voice inside him.

Yes…we knew someone would be foolish enough to try something like this someday, Bahamut. We didn't know you'd be so stupid as to do it only moments after our death. Now we live again. Soon this flesh will be ours, and we will be stronger than ever before. Then we'll finish off any humans you managed to save, slaughter each one of your little siblings, and then turn this world into ash. And it's all thanks to you.

Bahamut grunted under the pain. He couldn't stop it. He staggered around, making his way from the crater to the large pit in the middle of the island that still grew bigger. But the force was still growing. And it grew more insidious and mocking as well, laughing at him all the while. Now he realized his foolish choice. He realized the stupidity of what he had done. He should have known Crusader still could have taken him like this, especially now that it was inside him. He had to do something. He had to get rid of it…while he still had time and control over his body. And yet…he couldn't lose it now. If he did, it would eventually do this to someone else. But what else could he do? He couldn't keep it now…and every second he delayed gave more power to the creature…

He had to think of something…anything… There had to be something in his new mentality. There had to be some power deep within him that he hadn't seen yet…some secret in his brain he didn't think of… He had to think of it…

Finally, something did come up. It was risky now. In fact, he might die from it. But there was no other choice. It was the only way to make sure that Crusader could never return in any form. He had to try it.

Abruptly, Bahamut forced his hands down at his side. He arched his head back and stiffened. After that, he began to focus inwardly. But he focused not only mentally now, but physically. He found the shard of magicite within him. And now, he tried to accelerate what it was doing. He wanted it to intrigrate with him even faster than before. He wanted it to unite as soon as possible, to become part of him. But specifically, he didn't want it to just become a part of him generally. He too was part wisdom, part courage, and part power, as all espers and living things were. And now…he wanted it to unite with his power. Slowly, it began to work. With both Crusader and Bahamut working, it quickly began to merge. Bahamut's strength began to increase rapidly, soon beginning to bulge his muscles and increase the aura around him. But still he fed it more, wanting it to become part of him even faster…

Naturally, the voice responded.

…What are you doing?

Bahamut didn't answer. He kept focusing, letting it enter him. The power over his body increased as well. But he grunted and sweated and strained, struggling to keep control for a bit longer. He kept focusing, and finally it was all in his system. When that happened, Bahamut felt his consciousness fading. He felt the black closing in over him. He was running out of timefor realnow. Still in the arched position, he focused and began to draw inside him.

There was a certain process that espers were capable of. A certain method of reproduction. It had been revealed to him by the Planet. It would change him irrevocably. He would have to surrender a part of himself permanently to do it. But he was still going to try it. There was no choice. Immediately, he started to focus…

What are you doing!

Bahamut closed his eyes and kept focusing. Slowly…he felt the power drawn out of him again. It faded down once more, and as it did…he felt objects begin to fill his stomach. They started out small, but they all began to grow quickly. They became larger and larger as the power faded out. Soon, he was back to his previous level.

No!

The power kept fading, however. His aura vanished. His muscles began to atrifute. He grew skinnier and smaller, and some parts of his features began to alter as well. Still the objects in his body began to grow. They grew so large they began to push themselves out. They started to travel up his neck, making it bulge. The gag reflex was triggered. Bahamut began to choke and grow sick, and his mouth began to open as the objects were pushed out. The last bit of it went into the objects. As it did, the force left Bahamut's body. The dark cloud vanished. His control was reinstated. One last fading statement hissed viciously in his mind…

This isn't over…

Then, the voice was gone.

Bahamut, a skinny ruin of his former self, opened his mouth. Immediately, a great white oval was pushed out of it. It was covered with a leathery like skin. Bahamut paused a moment, but then suddenly spat out. The oval spewed out of his mouth, catapulted across the sky, far outside of Ultima Nexus, and then went sailing for the ground. But Bahamut didn't stop. He immediately spat out another. And another. And another. And another. Each one went sailing over the edge of the flying continent and went sailing randomly to the world below. But still Bahamut spat up more. It wasn't until twenty of them had come out that he finally stopped.

When that happened, Bahamut collapsed forward. His strength was totally gone. He could barely summon the strength to breathe. He could do nothing else now but lay on the edge of the growing, crumbling pit, among all the fire and destruction that continued to build around him. He was moments from passing out. The only good thing that could assure him was that Crusader was gone forever. Only if something could manage to kill all his children and their children would Crusader return. And now, the magicite was broken into so many pieces that it would never have the strength to rise and take over any of them. It truly was over now.

Bahamut smiled at this as he fell completely and shut his eyes, just as the ground beneath him gave way and he fell off of the continent to the world below.

Time was up.

Odin gaped at the sight as it finally happened. The clouds blew aside, and the dark shadow emerged. Like a flaming cinder, the ruin of Ultima Nexus, still breaking into fragments, came out of the clouds and went falling to the ground. It was flaming and smoking more than ever, yet overhead the clouds were still broken and shone light down below, beaming on this flaming wreckage as if it was an item of salvation rather than destruction. Pieces a quarter mile long broke off and crashed down. Mountains crumbled on it. Odin stared in shock on his own horse. He couldn't believe it. He hadn't had as much love for the place as the others, but he was still shocked to see it come down like that. It was really over. It was really falling in one great flaming cinder, and it was headed right for the ocean.

Odin had just felt the evil energy vanish at last. He didn't know how it had happened, but Crusader was gone for good now. Bahamut still had yet to reappear though. And now, Ultima Nexus was falling and he still hadn't come. What was worse, Bahamut's power seemed to have vanished at the same time. Had they both destroyed each other? Odin didn't know…but he continued to scan the falling land, waiting to see if anything would come up.

Then, abruptly, he saw it…falling just ahead of the island. Bahamut's body, limp as a rag, was sailing down headfirst and headed straight for the ocean.

Immediately, Odin spurred his horse on. Slepnir took off, and shot straight for the falling Bahamut. It was going to be a very close shave. Odin didn't know if he could make it. He spurred Slepnir on harder, bringing them closer and closer to the ocean and lingering longer underneath the falling island. Bahamut didn't seem to get any closer. But Odin trusted in his horse, and continued todrive him onward. He grit his teeth, not looking overhead as the flaming, smoking, crumbling overhead got closer and closer to him… He focused on Bahamut, wondering if there was time to grab him and run. The sound of destructiondrew closer, threatening to kill them both. Finally, he reached Bahamut in mid-air. Instantly, he shot out his hand, snagged the esper out of mid-air, and kept running.

He grit his teeth harder and groaned, feeling the heat of the coming island. He kept lowering himself, knowing the overhead was closing in quicker. Rocks kept falling. Debris fell around him, and the esper was forced to dodge one way and the other to escape. He drew so close to the ocean that water began to splash up around him. Odin, for a moment, thought it was over. But then, at last…he reached the edge. Moments later, Ultima Nexus crashed into the sea behind him.

Odin quickly pulled Slepnir up, making the horse shoot into the sky as fast as possible. It wasn't a moment too soon. The moment Ultima Nexus crashed down, a massive tidal wave grew from its wake. It quickly grew larger and faster, and rose up behind Odin as fast as he could go. The esper grit his teeth, holding Bahamut tight as the wind slammed against him. It threatened to push him back, but he held on tighter as he continued to rise and pick up speed. The wall of water matched up behind him, a great sizzling coming from the continent as it cooled down. A continent-sized cloud of steam and smoke arose from it. But the tidal wave kept growing, because the continent kept sinking. Odin kept rising, but the water still closed in… Finally, it began to overwhelm Odin. He felt the spray come over him from behind. He felt the water begin todouse him…

Then, at long last, he overran it. He managed to catch up over it, and the growing wave of water, already nearly a mile high, rushed underneath him. He kept climbing, not wanting it to get any higher, but he also turned Slepnir forward and began to have the horse carry him farther away. He kept riding hard for a few minutes. The wave beneath him rose a bit more, but then faltered. The huge wave of water ripped, swelling the sea and heading toward the land. But now, he was clear. At last, Odin halted his steed, and turned and looked below in safety.

They had made it.

The Planet underwent a severe change.

As Crusader had predicted, Ultima Nexus caused a ruin on the world. The massive wall of water it put out on all sides soon began to flood the land surrounding it. Anywhere the coasts were was soon flooded completely. And any life that was on those places was soon washed away. Even trees were ripped out. Rocks were upheaved and thrown away. The force of the water, fortunately, was so strong that very few could survive the initial impact. But still the tidal deluge washed over the surface of the Planet, and much of the land several miles inland was wiped out by the crashing of the waves. By the time the waves had reached the shore in some areas, they had died down considerably. But in other areas, they were still near peak as they struck. Some islands were totally wiped off of the horizon. It was terrible destruction to be sure, and undeniably so. Last of all, Ultima Nexus has fallen into the ocean. There was nothing left of the place as it sank into the sea.

A monstrous cloud of vapor and smoke rose overhead. It continued to rise as time went on. But it was mostly vapor, in the end. And it did begin to die down. And as it did die after a long while, it revealed that the hole in the clouds remained. And now, bright and glorious sunlight beat down on the world below. It shined and sparkled fully now, free of the cloud cover that had been there before. In addition to that, the fires and tornadoes faded. The sky turned normal once again. The clouds returned to the way they were.

But they didn't stay that way long. Soon, the clouds began to thin out. They grew less ominous and opaque, and instead began to let stronger light through. This didn't happen everywhere, but over much of the world it did. And it only grew in power as time went by. More clouds began to fade. More lights began to appear. At last, the clouds parted all together. The sun was allowed through. All over the Planet, the clouds continued to vanish. As they did, more and more sunlight was allowed to reach the world below. That soon caused another effect. The world grew warmer and more pleasant in places. The snow began to melt. The frost vanished. As the world was bathed in a new light, the seeds that had been so long dormant under Crusader began to germinate at last.

The world had been given a new life.

The espers stood in awe. The humans were much the same. Both groups looked up into the sky, seeing the sun beat down for the first time in a generation. Now the sun shone freely, and the sky was blue. Already, it was making everything much more comfortable. Starlet smiled and extended her arms to take in the light. The other humans, both fearful and curious, looked up and around in surprise. Palad walked forward in the midst and looked in the sky as well. They just stood there, waiting for a very long time for signs of anything to come.

But at last, the espers picked out a spot in the sky. Leviathan called up and waved to it. As it came closer, they all realized that it was Odin on Slepnir. The humans shrieked and backed up again, no doubt suspecting Crusader coming once more. But the espers and Palad waited. At long last, Odin returned to the ground. Slepnir trotted a little to slow down, but then steadied himself and came up to the other espers. Once stopped, Odin immediately dismounted. The others saw, in one arm, he was holding none other than the limp body of Bahamut.

"You did it!" Ogopogo cheered.

Wyvern was somewhat less cheerful. He saw Bahamut and recognized the change instantly. "What happened? What's wrong with him?"

At that, the other espers took a look, and saw the change too. Their faces turned from excitement to concern. Odin himself took Bahamut over to a rock and laid him against it. After that, the espers plus Palad gathered around and began to wait. They watched Bahamut and hoped for his recovery. For a while, they saw nothing. Bahamut lay perfectly still in his thin form, barely breathing and looking wasted. He seemed pale and lifeless, as if he had exhausted all the energy in his body. They held for a while, until at last Starlet spoke up.

"I know! I forgot all about this…"

Immediately, Starlet closed her eyes and focused. With her power restored, it was simple for her to transfer more of her energy to Bahamut, at least enough to make him wake up. She did so immediately. Some color returned to his face. Some life stirred within him, and he abruptly breathed in sharply. He loosened his fists at last, letting the one seed fall out. His eyes slowly cracked open at last. When it did, he moaned a bit.

"The sun… I'm back in Ultima Nexus…"

The other espers sighed in relief. They looked to each other, then turned back to him. "Sorry, Bahamut." Leviathan answered. "It's gone."

"Starving…" Bahamut moaned.

The espers reacted a moment at that. Wyvern himself looked around a bit, until he saw a squirrel that had just popped out to enjoy the sunlight. Immediately, she shot his hand over, seized the squirrel, and turned around to hand it to Bahamut. "Here."

Bahamut immediately used what tiny amount of power he received to extend his head and eat the squirrel in one snap. He immediately swallowed in a single gulp, and leaned back and breathed heavy. He panted hard for a moment, before belching out loud. The other espers leaned back a bit nervously. But then, Bahamut spoke again. "More…"

Now Leviathan looked around. He saw the ground, and saw that a small rat was running out. He looked overhead, and saw that a local owl, seeming to be confused about the change of day, had come down to get it. Leviathan watched it dive for the rat, seeming ready to snatch it. However, Leviathan caught it first. After seizing it, he brought the still struggling owl over to Bahamut, who even more ravenously than before snatched up this bird and swallowed it whole. As he ate, Starlet frowned at the sight.

"I don't see how you all can stand to eat those poor creatures." She scolded.

"Do you see any fruit trees around?" Odin grumpily answered.

Bahamut let out another large belch, and eased back again. The others looked more uneasy than before. However, after catching some breath, Bahamut had more color than before. He looked slightly more relaxed. He spoke again at last.

"Alright…that'll do for now…" He admitted. "But I'm still starving."

"I'll go find something bigger." Wyvern responded. He immediately turned and began to flap his wings, taking off into the sky again.

"Or some fruit!" Starlet called as he flew into the sky and began to disappear. She sighed after he left, and turned back to the others in disgust.

"What happened up there?" Leviathan asked. "What's wrong with you? You look different."

Bahamut smiled a bit at that. He managed a small, weak laugh. "That's because I am different. Technically, I'm not Bahamut."

The other espers immediately turned from curiosity to surprise. They stood in stunned silence.

"Pardon me?" Leviathan asked.

"After I killed Crusader…" Bahamut explained. "I knew that if its magicite was left alone, it could one day come back. So I ate it. I thought that if I did, and the magicite was inside me, and I was the strongest being in the world and immortal, no one could ever get it because they would have to kill me. But I was wrong. The magicite began to invade my body, and nearly took me over. There was only one thing I could do.

"The Planet had taught me how to reproduce when I learned my Omniapex. One of the ways I could reproduce was by voluntarily breaking off a piece of myself. I could either choose between my good half and evil half…which I wasn't eager to do, or I could have broken off a part of myself like Crusader did…wisdom, courage, and power. If I lost my wisdom, I'd lose everything I had gotten. If I lost my courage, I'd lose any of my integrity or good points. So I sacrificed my power. So I'm really only 2/3rds Bahamut."

"Hey, Bahamut Scholangi!"

The other espers turned to the sight of this. They soon found themselves looking at Palad. He was standing sort of behind the others, but was looking in as much as possible. He now perked up a bit and looked into the crowd, and explained his reasoning. "It's not an esper word. It's a human one. It means 'wise man'. I figured it fit because Bahamut only has his wisdom and courage now."

The other espers looked a bit skeptical, but Bahamut was especially uneasy.

"Uh…Bahamut will do."

Odin crossed his own arms and snorted. "So what? Now not only is Crusader back, but it has all your power. I'd say the situation is worse."

Bahamut cracked a smile at that. "I didn't say I just made one of me. I broke off twenty of them. Ten different kinds, and a male and female of each. I spat out their eggs just before I passed out. In a day, they'll hatch. Each one of them only has a small part of Crusader in it, not enough to take them over. Each one will be free to make their own lifetime decisions. As they have children, they'll become more diffuse than before. But each one is still our inferior in power. Well…maybe not mine at this point…"

Abruptly, Wyvern dropped back down. He held a deer this time, and handed it over to Bahamut. Immediately, Bahamut seized it and began to hungrily dig in, swallowing huge mouthfuls of deer this time. The others let him hungrily dig in for a few moments. But then, Starlet spoke up again.

"So, in time, you'll be as strong as before?"

Bahamut paused a moment, but ruefully shook his head no as he ate. "Sorry. I'll never be as strong as I used to be. I'm a different, lower-powered creature now."

Wyvern seemed to be intriguedat that. He turned his head to that and opened his eyes.

Bahamut just finished devouring the deer. After doing that, he tossed the nearly bare bones away to one side. He sighed deeply…and then emitted the largest belch yet. The others grimaced at that, but quickly recovered. Bahamut groaned a bit, and immediately put his hands underneath him. He was quivering and trembling, but began to slowly rise. He groaned and grunted the whole way. His shoestring muscles could barely hold him.

"Should you be getting up so soon?" Leviathan asked.

"No choice." Bahamut groaned in response. "I need to start rebuilding my strength. It'll take weeks before my muscles can be rebuilt fully. But I've got to start building them up. Even eating that deer took almost everything Starlet gave me out of me…"

"Starlet, take some out of me next." Leviathan volunteered. Starlet nodded, and already began to get up and go to work.

"There's a lot to do." Bahamut answered as he kept rising. "First off, you guys have to learn your own Omniapexs. There's a lot of power and knowledge in you that you need to get in touch with. And we've got to do something about the humans as well. These are the only survivors, and they're going to have to start a new life together."

"Well…what exactly do you think we should say?" Odin asked.

Bahamut paused at that. He was silent, and nervously licked his lips.

Despite the sunshine, the sun rapidly set soon afterward. The day was late, and the espers were overwhelmed at all that happened. All of them were exhausted from what they had done. In one day, they had killed both the Four Fiends and Crusader. They had flown from one end of the Planet to the other. Now, they were tired and needed to rest. And so, nothing was planned for that day. All of the espers went down and rested, forming a barrier around the humans. The group was, of course, rather terrified looking. They were all scared at the new monsters. However, Palad constantly reassured them, telling them that they were friends. Some accepted this reluctantly, others were scared of Palad as well, seeing how he was engaging in a lot of forbidden practices. As a result, there was still a lot of distrust of the espers, and a lot of calling them demons. However, all were too scared to do anything about it.

The humans stayed awake for a long time. None of them wanted to sleep outside of the "watch of Griever". But it had been an exhausting day. They had seen the tidal waves, the crash of Ultima Nexus, and then the end of the cloud cover and bringing the sunlight down. None could dispute that they enjoyed the sunlight and the warmth. But other than that, they were still uneasy. Some were so exhausted that they finally went to sleep, but most of them weren't. They stayed up all night, watching the espers and waiting for signs of anything. Mostly, they only looked uneasy at the ravenous Bahamut almost constantly eating, using almost all of his new power to eat more, replenishing his strength just enough to eat more.

The next morning, Bahamut's muscles had been all overworked, and he was so sore that he could barely move. But he wasn't in a state of constant starvation either. The few humans that had fallen asleep awakened with the sun, for none were used to it actually rising. But rise they did, all one by one until they were all up. When that happened, the espers went to work again. They gathered all of their attentions together and stood before them. Despite Bahamut's weakness, he wanted to be the one to address them all. The others moved him in front of the group. Once he was there, and in full view, Bahamut called out in their native language to get their attention. Hearing them speak in this tongue, and in Bahamut's monstrous voice, the people quieted down, and quickly turned to him.

"By now, you all are probably wondering what has happened. I will explain, and please believe my words. I guarantee that they are real. The Griever that you all followed was a false god. It was a creature like the rest of you that hungered for power and might. It wanted to dominate you all and destroy you. That was why it destroyed Ultima Nexus and sent it falling down, so that the wave would wipe you out. The thing kept you low on purpose. It only prohibited clothing and tools because it didn't want you to one day surpass it. It wanted you all to stay weak so that it could always overwhelm you. Even the sky was due to it. It was covered with clouds constantly so that none of you could get any of this light or warmth, and that few plants could grow. But in time, it didn't care about just having you as its subjects. It wanted you all dead because it was scared. That's why it did this. That's why it sent its monsters to start destroying the world. That's why those fiends were killing you all before it did this last act.

"But believe me when I tell you that Griever is dead. We're not monsters or demons as you might think. We realized what Griever was doing and killed it. Griever was one of us. Griever was an esper, and just as mortal as you or me. But the thing is gone. Destroyed. Along with the Four Fiends of the Elements. There's nothing left of it. You don't have to live in fear or terror anymore. You don't have to be afraid of the things it forbade you to do. Those weren't evil. It was the truly evil one. And it will not attack you again. You don't have to live in terror of it while you all die one by one.

"It would have killed you all, but now you have a chance for life. You can rebuild and live free from Griever now. You don't have to worry about the monsters killing you again. You're alright now. And if you still doubt whether or not Crusader was a false god, then I suggest you look at this."

At that, Bahamut turned to one side. Odin stepped forward. As he did, the people saw what he was holding in his grasp. They saw that it was none other than one of Griever's idols. Some gaped and gasped. Some looked terrified, and others bowed. Odin said nothing, just set the idol down in their midst for all to see. After that, he stepped back again and left it.

For a few moments, there was silence. Bahamut read their minds. Some were wondering what would happen. Some were scared. Others thought Griever would arise and destroy the espers now. However, nothing happened initially. When one did step forward, it was not an esper at all.

It was Palad.

The humans were surprised at this turn of events. Some murmured among themselves of the rules that Palad had broken. But all looked ready to see what would happen next. They saw that Palad had a cold look. His face had never been so hard or determined. And now, he walked forward in his hide clothing, hoisting his bone axe along with him. He marched right up to the idol of Griever, and held there for a moment. He wanted to get the attention of all of the people surrounding him. Then, he swung his axe back behind his head, brought it around, and brung it down on the idol. Immediately, the idol broke from the impact, shattering and flying into pieces.

Some humans gasped. They stared in shock. Others were silent. In their minds, Bahamut could sense that many of them went quiet. Their earlier disputes had been quieted for at least the moment. The humans were all silent now, and none said a word at the moment. They just considered all that had happened and said nothing. There were a mixture of looks on faces. Some were shocked. Some were confused. Some were indifferent. But no one said anything else as Palad first spat on the idol, then turned and walked away back to the other espers.

Bahamut was finished. He turned away, and let the humans come to their own conclusions.

"Hey Bahamut…do you know anything about these?"

It was much later in the day. Bahamut was leaning against a rock, trying to let his muscle soreness die down and eating whenever he could. However, he had just been alerted to Starlet's voice. He perked his head up, and turned over to the sight. As he did, he saw that the other espers were already focused on the newest sight and seemed intrigued. Much as it pained him, Bahamut groaned and got to his own feet. After that, he stumbled over to the sight as well. Farther behind them, Palad was talking with the humans at the clearing, explaining to the newest converts what exactly had happened. Some were beginning to come around though most were confused. One child even wanted a set of clothes like Palad, and began to pull one of Bahamut's discarded hides around himself. But that was besides the point for the time being. Bahamut was interested in this new sight.

Bahamut followed the espers over to a second clearing, not far from the first. They had to cross some forest to get there, which was already starting to sprout new plants beneath it, but they reached it pretty quickly. Once they had come to the edge, the group looked into the clearing, and was amazed at the new appearance.

Coming out of the sky, one by one, were a strange set of reptile like creatures. They all appeared to be like Bahamut in some ways, having small claws and tails and wings and beaked faces. But they were all different as well, each one showing some signs of uniqueness or individuality. There were five colors in all, gold, silver, bronze, copper, and brass. They were flimsy little things too. They were barely the size of a human child. One by one, they all gathered and landed in the clearing. After that, they made small noises, then began to rush over to the espers. They looked at them curiously, turning their heads one way and another.

Bahamut laughed nervously. "I guess…they're my children."

Starlet beamed at a gold one of them. "Oh, so cute!" She exclaimed, reached down and beginning to pet its head. "It looks like you when you were a child, Bahamut."

The reptilian creature looked curiously at Starlet's hand…then began to gnaw one of her fingers.

"Ouch!" She yelped. "No! Don't do that."

The creature didn't seem to understand, and kept gnawing. Finally, Starlet slapped him on the nose. The thing gave a pathetic cry, then shrank back and looked up at Starlet innocently.

The others were moving to the espers and likewise irritating them. One tugged at Odin's clothes. Others chased around Wyvern's tails. Others climbed on Leviathan and Ogopogo. They all tried to talk to them, but it was futile. None of them understood anything except being slapped away, and even then they seemed confused and sometimes came back.

"Why don't they understand?" Leviathan asked. "When we were kids, we could talk and obey at least…"

"Well, they only have my power in them." Bahamut admitted as one tugged on his wing. "They don't have any of my intelligence. I suppose I could have tried to feed some into them, but I was in a rush."

"They don't seem like espers either." Leviathan added. "I'm scanning their minds, but they don't have any of the hidden powers or intelligence. They're blank, just like any other creatures. They have intelligence, which means they can be as smart as humans at least. But nothing preset."

"I don't think they are espers." Bahamut commented. "My reproduction should have produced espers, but I split it up so much that they only became esper-like."

"So, little Bahamut Voltaries." Starlet commented.

Bahamut looked to them in confusion. "Huh?"

"That's what Palad called them." Ogopogo responded. "It means 'power and courage'…"

Bahamut immediately waved that off. "Ok, I got it. But I don't want to use that name." He responded impatiently, not liking the sound of that. "How about this. Let's make up a new name."

"How about dead weight?" Wyvern frowned in response. "We're just going to have to drag them on wherever we go."

Bahamut brightened up at that, however. He turned to Wyvern and held up his claw. "That sounds good. Why don't we call them 'drag-them-ons'?"

"How about, 'drag-ons'?" Leviathan returned. "That sounds kind of dumb."

"Whatever you call them…" Odin darkly replied. "You're going to have some work cut out for you. Only ten are here. Where are the other ten?"

"Gone, I guess." Bahamut simply replied. That cause some confusion among the group, who looked to him in puzzlement. They wondered how he could be so nonchalant. After a moment, however, he explained. "I never expected them all to return. They knew they had to come back to me when they hatched. Some of them did. Some of them didn't. They had their own choices."

"So some of them are already disobedient?" Leviathan asked.

"What if…they become violent?" Ogopogo asked in fear.

"Don't worry." Bahamut asked. "They'll never be as strong as I was. I broke into too many pieces."

"Great…" Odin frowned in response. "I new bunch of drag-ons to carry along. What do we do next?"

"One more thing…" Bahamut responded. "We have to find a new home. And before we do…I have to explain something to you all."

By the early afternoon, the espers were all in agreement. They began to gather themselves together again. Leviathan safeguarded the four pieces of the Crystal. Starlet held Phoenix's magicite. Ogopogo held the seed. Bahamut was ready to be carried out by Odin. Already, his muscles had regained a tiny bit of mass, but it was still days before he could fly on his own. When that all happened, they reassembled with the humans, and Palad came out before them.

"How are they doing, Palad?" Bahamut asked.

The boy smiled in reply. "Better than I thought they would. Five of the kids are already coming together, and I'm making pants for them out of the deer skin. One of them is trying out my spear idea. We're going to try and find a cave area or old tree that we can move people into. So pretty soon, we'll be in good shape. Some people are still reluctant, but I think they'll feel better after a while like I did."

"That's good to hear, Palad." Bahamut simply answered. He looked up to the others at this, pausing for a moment. Starlet was averting her gaze. Her eyes were watering a bit, but she choked it back. Leviathan and Ogopogo bowed their heads. The others looked sad too. However, Bahamut at last turned back to the human. "Listen Palad. Now that my children are here…we're leaving."

"Great!" Palad replied. "Where are we going? Ultima Nexus is gone."

"We'll find another place Palad…but that's not your concern anymore." The esper slowly replied. He felt a weight in his own heart. Already, he felt a longing inside him. He swallowed back and deep. But after inhaling sharply, he was able to speak again.

"Palad, you're not coming with us. You have to stay here and help the humans."

At that, the news finally hit the boy. His face turned to surprise, and was frozen for a brief moment. "What?" He asked.

"Palad, you have to stay with these people." Bahamut answered. "They need you now."

"But…" Palad began to respond. "But…what about you guys? Aren't you going to teach them everything they need?"

Bahamut looked up and looked to the others. Wyvern frowned, crossed his arms, and looked away. But other than that, the others were resolute. Starlet turned away more, hiding her eyes. At last, Bahamut turned back to him. "Palad…we don't want to teach them. We can't. Everyone took orders from Griever last time, and you see the chaos that resulted. If we stay here, people might start to worship us too. And then everything could happen all over again. We're still trying to figure things out ourselves and make our own ways in the world. We don't want to have to be accountable for all of you." He paused. "…We can't stay."

Palad's eyes grew larger. He hesitated and grasped the seriousness of that, and the fullness of what it meant. Slowly, tears began to form in his own eyes. That only made Bahamut feel worse on the inside, and colder throughout. "But…you can't leave!" He suddenly protested. "We need you! I need you!"

"You don't need us." Bahamut gently answered. "You've grown into a strong young man. And I can't think of anyone better who could teach these people all that they need to know. They deserve to have a human ruling over them, and I think you would be best for the job. None of them have as much wisdom and courage as you do."

"But you're my friends!" Palad broke out in a sob.

None of the other espers could respond to that. They all went silent. Bahamut himself lowered his head and said nothing. Starlet, unable to hold back, began to cry. Leviathan and Ogopogo did as well. Even Odin looked sadder. Wyvern and Bahamut alone held back their tears. At length, Bahamut opened his arms and extended them to the crying human. He immediately ran forward and put his head against his chest and cried there. The esper hugged him for a moment, continuing to hold and not saying anything for a little while.

"Palad…" Bahamut spoke at last while hugging him. "You are our friend as well. And because of you, we've become much more than we ever dreamed. It is because of you that we gained the power to destroy the Four Fiends and Griever. You made this all possible, including this victory today. And now, today…you must help your friends and fellow people to survive. They need you more than anything now. You must help them and show the love for them that you showed us. This is your world now, and it will be up to someone brave like you to take it. You must let us go for their sakes. I know it is hard…but you have to be strong now."

Palad continued to sniffle and cry for a few moments longer. He held for a long time. Bahamut knew what he was thinking, not through his powers, but because he was thinking the same thing. He thought if they didn't let go they would never have to. But that time would come. It had to come. Bahamut didn't want the godhood that Crusader had craved. This did all have to end now, tonight. And it wouldn't so long as espers remained among humans. They had to leave them alone and make their own choices and decisions, for better or for worse. And deep down inside, he knew that Palad would understand this too.

At last, Palad choked back his tears. He sniffled and managed to speak.

"…Will I ever see you again?"

Bahamut slowly pulled Palad away at that. He held him at arms length, but kept his hands on his shoulders. He lowered himself until he was down to eye level with Palad. The tear-streaked face of Palad looked right back to Bahamut, who made himself firm and hard and spoke with seriousness. He held up his hand and placed it on Palad's chest.

"We will always be right here for you."

Palad sniffed a bit, but stood still. He managed a nod as well.

"I love you, Bahamut."

Bahamut smiled. "I love you too, Palad."

The two embraced again at that, holding more tightly and strong than before. After that, Bahamut stepped back, and let the tearful Starlet embrace the human as well. Leviathan and Ogopogo both did so next, embracing Palad more than once with their coils. Odin was next, who didn't hug at all but gave a bow to the young man. Palad responded by running forward and hugging him. The warrior esper blushed in reply a moment…before returning the hug. Wyvern came forward afterward, and in his typical manner reached out a claw and moused up Palad's hair.

"Keep out of trouble, you little runt." He playfully mocked.

Palad smiled softly. "You bet."

With that done, the espers all backed up. They looked at Palad one last time longingly, freezing him in their memories as he did the same. Then, at last, Bahamut turned and went to Odin, letting him grab him. Starlet jumped on behind the warrior, and Leviathan grabbed Ogopogo. Odin spurred Slepnir on, and instantly, they took off into the sky. Wyvern quickly flew afterward. Leviathan and Ogopogo were last, taking off as well. The ten little mini-Bahamuts then followed after, having already imprinted on Bahamut and not planning to leave his sight for a moment. They all rose high into the heavens, until each one of them and their last looks, focused on Palad until the end, became black spots. After that, they turned, and took off into the sky. Palad watched them go for as long as he could, focusing on them until they were completely gone. But they did leave in the end, and Palad was alone.

Brushing away a tear and inhaling deeply…Palad turned to return to the others…and forge a new world.

The End

The Griever Saga is Complete.

Don't go away! I have one more post!