I do not own Legend of Dragoon or any of the characters.


Showdown

Cade stared up at the Tower of Flanvel. It looked like a dozen massive roots twisted together into a spiraling pillar with a round building at the top and several curved supports attached from the roots to the edges of the building on bottom.

"It's a swirl," Meru commented.

"Again, it does not seem to be built by humans," Albert said.

"It wasn't," Cade said. "Flanvel was a floating fortress used by the Winglies during the Dragon Campaign."

Rose nodded in agreement.

"This can fly!?" Haschel gaped.

"The Ancient Winglies used to have an enormous amount of magic power," Rose said.

"Then it wouldn't be strange if this much magic power is contained in the Divine Moon Objects," Dart said.

"Who was it," Cade muttered, several of the others looking at him.

"What?" Albert asked.

"I remember there was something special about Flanvel's commander," Cade said. "My mother taught me about him, but I don't remember who it was."

"Faust," Rose said. "At least, according to legend. The second in command to Melbu Frahma. He was regarded as being the most powerful Wingly, arguably even more so than Melbu Frahma himself."

Cade nodded. "Yeah. That was it. With someone like that here, it's no wonder it could fly."

Rose nodded.

"We don't have time for a history lesson!" Miranda finally snapped. "We have to save Queen Theresa!"

Cade nodded, drawing his sword. "Before we go in, let me warn those who weren't in Hellena, particularly Miranda, given what happened with the Divine Dragon. Lloyd's sword is called the Dragon Buster. It will kill you in one strike. Do not use your Dragoon forms."

"We won't," Dart nodded. "Now let's go."

They all nodded and headed into the tower. Inside, the tower was a mixture of stone and wood, the first room having a pair of glowing green tunnels in the ends of wooden logs or roots as the only ways out of the tower. Miranda led them to the tunnel on the left, but as they stepped into it, they suddenly began to float, then were blinded by a bright green light as the same teleportation spell as they used to reach Kadessa blinded them again. When the light faded, they were floating in a spherical chamber with a glowing green circle below them, then two more ahead of them. Cade groaned. This was going to be annoying. He extended his wings, everyone joining hands as he pulled them to the circle Miranda directed him to. They teleported as soon as they were all over it, and found themselves in another, nearly identical chamber, different only by the placement of the teleporters. Miranda directed them to another, then in the next identical chamber, another. Then another, and another. Finally, they found themselves back in the entry way again.

"What the..." Miranda shouted in annoyance, kicking the wall, just as a loud buzzing began to echo inside of Cade's head, blocking out his ability to hear or focus on anything else and directing his attention to a powerful Magic energy somewhere deep below them.

"Cade?" Rose asked suddenly, setting a hand on his shoulder as he realized he was sweating.

"Sorry," Cade said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "It's nothing. I'll tell you about it later."

Rose frowned but nodded, and Cade turned back to the teleporter.

"Let's try this again," Cade said. "I'll lead this time."

They all nodded and headed back through. This time, Cade slashed an "E" into the wall of the chamber beside the teleporter they arrived at using his magic sword, then a single gash into the wall off to the side. In the next room they reached, he formed two gashes off to the side, and a single small gash in a circle beside the teleporter they arrived at. This process continued through four rooms and a dozen teleporters before they finally found themselves standing in a room with a large ball of what looked like stone surrounded by tangled roots suspending it over the floor, and another teleporter tunnel on the far side. Cade put his magic sword away and drew his normal one just as that teleporter flashed and a green sphere appeared from it, depositing a pair of purple-skinned, quadrupedal creatures with a pair of metal tusks jutting out of the corners of their mouths and large pointed teeth between them, which gnashed several times, the creatures drooling, before they roared, both charging at Cade.

"I thought so," Cade sighed, then darted forward, slashing at one as Rose intercepted the other.

Both of their sword clashed with the creatures' tusks hard and they leapt away as the creatures slashed at them. Cade charged and fired a sphere of magic energy, slightly more powerful than usual, and it blasted one of them back, thick black blood spraying from its mouth, only for it to flip, landing on its feet and roaring, charging again, as did the other. Dart intercepted one, blocking its tusks, only to be sent skidding aside from the force of the blow. The creature roared and leapt at Cade and Cade shot forward, separating into three blue-tinted afterimages which all slashed it, two across the creature's left side and one across its right, before rejoining behind it as the creature crashed to the ground. Then, as the other creature leapt at him, Kongol stepped past him, slashing. His axe crashed into its tusks hard, hurling it away before Meru and Haschel crashed down on its back, Meru with her hammer and Haschel his feet, crushing its body flat. It roared in pain and rage until Miranda put an arrow through its eye, killing it.

"Why were they targeting you?" Albert asked.

"They live in a Wingly fortress and I'm an abomination in the eyes of Winglies," Cade said. "I assume a lot of Winglies died here. Their lingering wills may be targeting me for existing."

"Then why not target us Dragoons, who fought the Winglies?" Dart asked.

"I don't know," Cade said. "But either way, we have more pressing concerns."

The others all nodded and they turned, hurrying to the teleporter and taking it further up the tower. A moment later, they found themselves in yet another spherical room, this one unmarked. Everyone groaned and they began to process of trying to find their way through again. After another ten minutes of getting lost, they finally found themselves in the round section at the top of the tower, which Cade now realized was about the size of Seles. In the center was a massive tree with an enormous seed-shaped chamber formed from its branches, more twisted roots extended from all around the massive room they were in to hold it up. At the foot of the tree, the floor was broken, several chunks forming a broken path up to a teleporter in the base of the tree, which would likely take them to the chamber above them.

"The Moon Mirror is in there!" Miranda said, pointing up at the chamber above them.

Just then, a light began to shine from inside, Cade sensing the Divine Dragon's magic power inside. At the same time, Dart's Dragoon Spirit began to resonate with it, shining from Dart's pocket.

"The Dragoon Spirit of the Divine Dragon is resonating," Rose said.

"Lloyd!" Dart snarled. "Finally, we've cornered him."

"Don't be so sure," Cade said. "Don't forget, he's capable of teleporting. Though, I suspect he'll fight us this time."

Everyone nodded and hurried up the broken path into the teleporter, light blinding them one final time before they all looked around. The room was bigger than Cade realized, with metal plating, machines, and tubes lining the rounded walls, floor, and ceiling of the chamber. The far wall was decorated by three metal pipes with a gap in the middle and a shining, rippling, fluid-like wall around them, from which Cade could sense a huge amount of magic energy. It flowed outward from a round depression where Cade suspected the Moon Mirror had been before Lloyd took it. Lloyd, currently standing before the hole, was watching them knowingly, while Queen Theresa was off to his left, unharmed. The Moon Mirror hovered just over Lloyd's right shoulder. However, it was what Lloyd was wearing that instantly captured both Cade and Rose's attention. He wore silver armor with a red jewel embedded in the center of the chest, in the front and back of each shoulder, one on the front of an armored skirt-like piece on the armor. The armor had an intricate design covering it with what looked like suns on the sides of its skirt, black lines sweeping and running over his entire body, metal boots and cloves, a high collar that was about level with the top of his neck in the back then rose to just above his head on the sides before ending, then a pair of wing-like pauldrons that reached from his shoulders down in a gentle sweep to about his knees but angled back slightly, both pauldrons having a slightly-raised, flat, red circle about level with his bicep, and Cade could sense the armor multiplying his magic power several times over.

"Lloyd!" Dart shouted the moment he saw him, drawing his sword.

"Oh my God," Cade breathed. "That's..."

"Wingly Power Armor!" Rose gasped just as quietly.

"Here they are," Lloyd said, then held out his hand, the Moon Gem and Moon Dagger both appearing in a brief flash of light, floating up to the Moon Mirror, which was spiked around the edges like a star, or a flower with a couple dozen petals.

The three Divine Moon Objects shone for a moment as they aligned themselves before him. Cade swallowed, drawing his sword, as did Rose, and the others all took the hint, readying their weapons.

"I just got all the Divine Moon Objects," Lloyd said. "Now the world will be reborn into the Utopia that Emperor Diaz and I desire."

"The world will be reborn!?" Dart demanded. "What are you talking about!?"

"You should know, Your Majesty," Lloyd said, turning to Queen Theresa, who had fled from Lloyd as soon as they arrived and was taking shelter behind a machine off to the side now. "The evolutionary plan created by the great will, Soa. And the flow of evolution woven by the Divine Tree." Lloyd turned back to Dart. "You humans are merely the one hundred sixth in the plan. And we Winglies are the one hundred seventh in the plan." He formed the Dragon Buster from a ball of light, extending its blade. "I desire the one hundred eighth evolution! I desire a utopia created by the last species! For that, I will use every conceivable means!"

"Lloyd, that's all you have to say!?" Dart demanded.

"I'll let my sword say the rest," Lloyd said. "Shall we finish this?"

Dart roared in rage and charged, Cade just behind him, then Rose after that. The others all hung back, wisely. As Dart slashed at Lloyd, he spun around him, slashing, only for Cade to deflect the sword over them and slash at him. Lloyd flipped over the sword, grinning, and moved to stab at him, only to spin and block Rose's sword. Dart spun, slashing at his back and Lloyd shot into the air, avoiding it and allowing Dart's sword to knock Rose's down and away. Lloyd laughed and dropped, moving to slash her, only to twist, Cade's blade crashing into his and sending him backward for a moment before his wings' magic particles began to fly from the edges of his pauldrons all the way around. He stopped on a dime, then formed a sphere of explosive energy, which he fired at Cade, who shoved as much power as he could in an instant into one of his own, only for Lloyd's to smash straight through his, exploding into his chest and sending him crashing into the ground. He groaned, then stood just in time to block a slash from the Dragon Buster, its blade now extended across the room, allowing the tip to have vastly more momentum, sending Cade bouncing bac across the room. He shoved himself up as Dart and Rose both retreated back to the others with him, Lloyd floating down to land in front of them, keeping his wings formed.

"He's a lot stronger than I expected," Dart said.

"It's his armor," Rose said. "It's Wingly Power Armor."

"That's real!?" Meru gasped.

"What's Wingly Power Armor?" Albert asked.

"It's a special kind of armor forged by the Ancient Winglies, which multiplies the magic of whoever wears it several times over," Cade said. "It's also got far stronger defensive wards than what I'm wearing. As of now, he is the second most powerful opponent we've faced, just behind the Divine Dragon."

"We've fought Dragoons, before," Dart pointed out.

"He's stronger," Rose said. "Both because of his armor protecting him, because we can't use our own Dragoon Forms, and because the Dragoons we fought weren't fully accepted by their Dragoon Spirits, or exceptionally powerful in their own right. This will be far harder than that."

"Not to mention Lloyd's like me," Cade said. "He trains his magic, so there's no telling what kinds of spells he can use."

"Great," Meru groaned. "Remind me to start training mine after this."

"I will," Cade nodded, glancing at his sword, then his magic sword's hilt. He was tempted to use it, but for now, he'd stick with his normal sword.

"I see you still wield that sword you took from me," Lloyd said. "I don't know why. You have a stronger sword with you. Are you underestimating me?"

"Probably," Cade nodded. "But for now, I'll stick with this one. I've grown fond of it."

Lloyd chuckled, nodding. "I can understand why. I think I'll start things off for real, now. Try not to let this be too disappointing."

Suddenly, his entire body flashed and suddenly they were all standing in a pitch black void. Lloyd shot skyward in a blur, and a moment later, a pinprick of light appeared over them as he began to return. However, four spheres of light appeared in a box around him before expanding and dulling, leaving four massive spikes with blue lights glowing over them behind as the light faded. Cade's senses began to go haywire from the magic both in the four spikes, and also building up inside of Lloyd. The spikes exploded into the ground, or whatever they were standing on now, around them, an a ring of light suddenly shone from beneath them before parts of the light faded, leaving a green metal ring with the four spikes stabbed into four round slots, then a similar circle of green metal under them, blue lights running around the edge of it. Lloyd landed in the center of the circle instantly and a black barrier began to rise from around the edge of it, forming into a dome around them before Wingly writing appeared around the dome in three rows. Everyone else looked around just as a golden sphere of magic energy appeared around Lloyd and began to shine. Cade grit his teeth, focusing as much magic as he could into a protective barrier for all of them. Then, as Lloyd rose into the air, the sphere exploded into a blinding white light, the explosion shattering the barrier, the pillars around them, and the magic dimension they were in. As the light faded, Cade groaned, staggering back to his feet, blood running down one side of his face and burns covering parts of his body. The others were all struggling to stand as well. Some had faired better than others. Meru was about as well-off as Cade, Miranda was slightly more wounded, Cade had mostly shielded Rose, so she was a bit less wounded, Dart, Albert, and Haschel were all wounded a bit more than Miranda, and Kongol, being as large as he was, had caught more of the blast than the others and was barely conscious.

"That hurt," Cade groaned, then shook his head, taking a breath to steady himself before extending his wings again.

"I shouldn't be surprised you're all still standing," Lloyd said.

"Spread out," Dart said, everyone quickly complying, except for Haschel, who stayed with Kongol as the Giganto finally began to stand.

"Let's get him!" Albert shouted.

"No, wait!" Dart shouted as Lloyd grinned.

Lloyd pulled his sword back across his body, holding it at his left side, then shot forward as Albert approached, only for Cade to teleport between them, his sword blocking Lloyd's as Albert's spear passed Cade on his left side, stabbing at Lloyd. Lloyd leapt backward, then shot sideways out of the way of Rose's sword. As he stopped, he deflected strike after strike from Dart. He spun around the sixth slash, moving to slash Dart's back. As he did, he altered the angle of his slash partway through so that Miranda's arrow split in half on his blade, the halves both flying past him. Then, his blade tore through Dart's side. Dart shouted in pain, staggering away before spheres of darkness began to slam into Lloyd from all sides, courtesy of Cade. Lloyd shouted in pain as the mass of darkness began to grow rapidly. However, after a moment, waves of magic energy began to fly off of Lloyd dispersing the darkness and cancelling the second half of Cade's spell. Lloyd rose into the air as the waves all swept back to him, condensing into a massive, shining sphere of blue magic energy around him. Lloyd turned toward them all and began to punch in a blur, each punch sending out a head-sized sphere of shining purple energy, which streaked down at them in purple streaks. The rain of magic blasts slammed down around them, several blasts hitting Cade, and the others all likewise being hit several times before Lloyd slipped out of his sphere in the back, his hands resting on it as magic energy began to shine from inside, filling it until it shone too brightly to look at. Then, he sent it streaking directly at Cade.

"Shit!" Cade shouted, bracing himself with several layers of barriers, only for the explosion to blast completely through it, sending him exploding into the wall behind him.

Rose shouted in rage instantly, charging as Lloyd reached the floor again. She attacked him in a blur, slashing, stabbing, and stepping around his attacks with her usual grace, but to a much, much higher level than he'd ever seen her fight. Suddenly, he could see the years of warfare in her skill, and he could tell Lloyd did as well. He retreated from her rapidly, deflecting her sword again and again. Finally, he saw an opening and stabbed at her, only for her to spin to the outside of his stab, her sword splitting his abdomen at the beginning of her spin, then his side at the end. He leapt away from her, shouting in pain, only to spin and deflect Dart's sword, blasting him from point blank range with a sphere of explosive magic energy, sending him crashing into Albert, both crashing to the ground. Then, he turned, Cade's sword, held in two hands this time, unlike his preferred one-handed style, crashing into his own and knocking it out to the side. Cade's arms instantly reversed directions as Lloyd leapt backward, the back edge of Cade's sword splitting his torso diagonally across the chest. As soon as he did, Rose's blade slashed him down the back. Lloyd roared in rage, spinning and slamming a backhanded fist into her head, hurling her away before stopping and swiping his shining left hand through the air rapidly. Icicles the size of Cade's arm and spheres of darkness swarmed toward him instantly, Cade's barriers managing to shatter the icicles and lessen the damage from the darkness, but just as the darkness faded, Lloyd's blade split him across the chest from bottom right to top left, hurling him away. Dart passed Cade instantly, again beginning to slash at Lloyd rapidly, Lloyd struggling to keep up now, thanks to Cade and Rose.

As Cade crashed to the ground, Dart scored a slash diagonally down Lloyd's front from the right shoulder to his left hip, sending him staggering backward to Albert, who slashed him across the back, then cracked him across the jaw with the end of his spear's shaft when he turned. Lloyd staggered away and Haschel's fist crashed into his chest, launching him backward into Meru's hammer, which sent him flying the other way at Kongol. He flipped, blocking Kongol's axe with his Dragon Buster, only for the force to again send him streaking across the room into the wall where Miranda instantly planed an arrow in both of his thighs and one in his gut. He shouted in pain before fury flooded his face. He ripped the arrows from his body and shot into the air, shining blindingly and swiping a hand rapidly. Rays of multi-colored light began to shine from the suddenly hazy air above them, burning them anywhere they touched them, as a frozen wind blew from the side. As they did, more and more rays appeared and the wind began to grow colder and colder. And then, there were spheres of condensed Darkness magic floating around them liquid Darkness magic raining from clouds suddenly filling the air over them, from which the light was still shining, and lightning began to strike around them rapidly, blasting them all from time to time. Pillars of flame exploded into existence around them, more and more forming, closing in the circle rapidly before finally filling it, and yet still the frozen air drained Cade and the others of their strength, even as their bodies burned from the other spells. Then, meteors began to fall from the cloud, massive chunks of stone that shattered on impact with the ground or with Cade and the others. Massive ring-shaped cyclones of razor-sharp wind roared to life, beginning to blow chunks of stone, fire, and liquified Darkness around in four rings, empowering those spells even more.

Finally, the magic all faded, leaving them all lying on the ground, broken, burned, and bloody. Cade swam at the edge of consciousness for what felt like forever before his vision slowly focused, seeing Lloyd step up over Rose, raising his Dragon Buster with the blade directly above her head. Desperation exploded through Cade and he swiped a hand, a single massive icicle forming behind Lloyd and streaking toward him. Lloyd spun, slashing the icicle and shattering it, but just as he did, Miranda fired an arrow into his back. He shouted in pain, staggering away and reaching back, ripping it out, then turned to them as Meru hurled two potions into the air, Miranda shooting both and showering everyone in their contents. Cade felt strength return to him as the liquid that had landed on him shone and sank into him, though he knew they were all still heavily wounded. It was enough, though. He stood, picking up his sword as Lloyd snarled in rage. His body shone, once again dragging them all into the black void from his first spell. He again flew into the air, then returned with four pillars. However, this time, Cade was ready. Just as he began to shine gold inside the barrier, Cade held his hand out in a tiger claw rotated inward, his fingertips shining red. A wave of red energy surged into a single point on Lloyd's chest, Lloyd's eyes going wide with surprise, before Cade formed a fist and twisting sharply. A shining red sphere appeared outside of Lloyd's gold one just as the point on Lloyd's chest exploded, setting off Lloyd's own explosion, which filled the inside of the sphere. Explosions continued from the massive amount of magical energy the spell compressed into the single point at once, as well as from the equally massive amount Lloyd had built up inside of himself for his own attack, resulting in the explosions lasting for nearly four minutes. As they did, Cade stabbed his sword into the ground, cracks shooting outward from it rapidly, blinding white light shining from it before the magic dimension around them shattered again, leaving them in the room where they'd begun their fight once again. A moment later, the sphere around Lloyd faded and he crashed to the ground, groaning for several moments, blood and burns covering his exposed body from where his armor had been destroyed over most of his body, leaving his torso covered around the lower abdomen then in a thin piece of heavily-cracked armor up over the right shoulder, his right arm below the elbow, his boots, and all of his pants besides the right leg from mid-thigh to where his boot started at mid-calf.

Lloyd pushed himself up slowly, blood running out of his mouth before he staggered backward several steps before stopping and staggering forward a step, only to stab the Dragon Buster into the ground to catch himself. "I forgot...you knew...that spell."

"I know more than that one," Cade said. "But that was the only one that could contain yours."

"It did...more than...contain it," Lloyd panted. "It seems...you're the more powerful...Wingly." He chuckled dryly. "Outdone...by a half-blood."

"It's that racism that holds the Winglies back," Cade said. "Race doesn't always determine power. The Winglies' pride and arrogance is what has led to their ruin."

"I agree," Lloyd said. "I didn't mean that as looking down on you for being a half-blood. I was merely enjoying the irony of a half-blood being a more powerful Wingly than a full-blood wearing power armor." He took a long breath before standing up straight and pulling his blade out of the floor. "Let's finish this."

Cade looked to Dart, who charged instantly. However, when he slashed at Lloyd, Lloyd shot over him, wings suddenly extended from his back in their normal place, flipping and landing on the far side of the room, only to collapse to the ground again. He struggled back to his feet as his wings faded, then turned to Dart as Dart raised his sword once more. Just as Dart charged, Wink suddenly appeared off to the side from the teleporter, instantly shouting in fear and sprinting toward them. Cade and Albert both moved to catch her, but it was too late. Dart's sword split her back open as she shoved Lloyd backward out of the way, and Lloyd instantly caught her as she fell into him. Everyone stared in shock as she struggled to remain standing.

"Please," Wink pleaded, tears filling her eyes, from pain as much as from the thought of losing Lloyd, who she was apparently in love with, Cade would guess. "Forgive Lloyd."

"Wink..." Miranda breathed.

"Let's go," Cade sighed. "Let's let Dart handle it from here."

Dart nodded and everyone hesitated before agreeing, heading for the teleporter, Miranda bringing Queen Theresa. After a moment, the usual green light blinded them and they reappeared at the base of the tree, only to find three huge, green, insect-like monsters, all of which looked like smaller versions of Feybrand, each standing about human height. All three shrieked instantly, streaking forward, only for Cade to shove a hand forward, a red barrier repelling the three before he drew his magic sword's hilt and extended the blade, focusing to expand it enough to reach all three, and split them all in half in a horizontal slash before putting the sword away.

"They were waiting to ambush us," Miranda commented.

"Smart," Albert said. "We're all weakened from our battle. This would be the best time for them to attack."

Cade made his way down the broken path carefully before dropping heavily onto the side of it, sighing as he sat down before beginning to breathe hard. He'd used too much magic, and his wounds were starting to protest loudly, now that his adrenaline was wearing off.

"Here," Miranda said. "I can heal us all, now."

She transformed into her Dragoon Form and focused, casting Gates of Heaven. However, as the spell's light faded, Cade found that his wounds hadn't healed all the way. It was close, of course. Any breaks he had were little more than a bruise and a sore bone now, any gashes he had were little more than scratches now, and his burns were small and barely painful at all. However, they were all still there. He was also still exhausted from his fight. He sighed. Miranda wasn't as powerful as Shana had been.

"Thank you," Albert said as Miranda transformed back. "That helps a lot."

The others all agreed, then fell silent to wait, either for more monsters to attack them, or for Dart and Wink to return.

"Don't you need to be upstairs, Albert?" Rose asked after a minute. "Lloyd killed Lavitz."

"I trust Dart with everything," Albert said. "He'll bring us the right answer.

"I agree," Rose nodded.

"I feel the same way," Haschel agreed.

"Ditto," Meru chimed in as Kongol nodded.

Rose walked over to sit beside Cade, and he smiled at her tiredly. "Are you alright?"

"Exhausted," Cade said. "But I'll be fine. I'm bummed the armor got so trashed, though. I was hoping to take it after he was dead."

"His death was never going to be that clean," Rose said. "But don't you have a spell to regenerate armor?"

"It has to be applied before the armor's destroyed," Cade said. "It only regenerates to the state it was in when the spell was cast."

Rose nodded, then glanced at one of the scratches in her side, watching it slowly shrinking as the sapphires in her ring glowed faintly. "The ring's enchanted, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Cade nodded. "It makes you heal faster and improves your luck."

"Our luck hasn't been that great," Rose said.

"Imagine what it could have been without the ring, then," Cade said.

Rose nodded before noticing her clothes stitching themselves closed as well. "Did you enchant my clothes?"

"A little," Cade said. "Defensive wards, wound regeneration, self repair. Nothing fancy."

She smiled, shaking her head, then kissed him for a few seconds. They separated as they heard the teleporter and turned, seeing Dart walking down the path toward them.

"It's settled with Lloyd," Dart said. "But there's a new problem. Shana was taken by Emperor Diaz to Vellweb. He wants us to bring him the Divine Moon Objects, and Lloyd."

"Shana was..." Albert trailed off before nodding. "I see."

"When we go there, we can reveal the truth about Emperor Diaz," Rose said.

"Whoever he is, he is dangerous," Albert said.

"Besides, it is unforgivable to take our dear Shana hostage for his utopia or whatever!" Haschel added.

"Exactly!" Meru agreed. "I'll beat him up, whoever he is!"

"Queen Theresa," Dart said, turning to her. "We are heading to Vellweb, and we need the Moon-"

"I understand," Queen Theresa interrupted. "I will let you have the Moon Mirror." He turned away, looking out one of the huge, vertical windows lining the wall of the massive room they were in. "Maybe we were in denial, surrounding ourselves with a comfortable life that really was stagnant. We Humans are not the only species...and all species were given life by Soa's plan. Now is the time to remember. The assault of the Divine Dragon, the existence of the Winglies, the Divine Moon Objects, the utopia that Lloyd and Emperor Diaz desire...and you, Dragoons. Everything is forcing us to remember it. As if things were manipulated by some great will called fate."

"Even if that's true, I don't care," Dart said. "I will take Shana back even from fate."

Queen Theresa nodded and turned to Miranda. "Miranda, you are one of the Dragoons. Go with Dart. Discover the meaning of the fate given by Soa."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Miranda bowed, just as Lloyd and Wink appeared in the teleporter, Miranda glaring at him instantly, the others all watching him with a cold mistrust.

"You have my word, I will not attack any of you on the way to Vellweb," Lloyd said. "I swear it on the utopia I desire."

"You can't swear on something that doesn't exist yet," Cade said. "However, I do believe you. And your armor is useless to you now."

"It will regenerate," Lloyd said. "I made sure to have that spell on it as soon as I got it."

"Smart man," Cade nodded. "Wink. Come here."

Wink nodded, Lloyd helping her down the path. As soon as she was standing in front of Cade, Lloyd stepped away, allowing Miranda to hold her up as Cade stepped around behind her, holding a hand out to her wound. Light shone from it and the deep gash Dart had given her shrunk into a thin cut, though it remained reaching from her right shoulder to the left side of her waist, and it would probably scar. She straightened up and smiled as cade wiped sweat from his brow.

"Thank you so much!" Wink smiled.

"It'll take a few days to finish sealing, but it shouldn't hurt so bad now."

She nodded and they all headed back down the tower, following Cade's markings from earlier. Once they reached the bottom, Wink gave Lloyd a hug before leaving with Queen Theresa and the knights that had escorted Wink.

"Can I ask you one question?" Dart asked.

"Yes," Lloyd nodded.

"Why did you save Wink twice?" Dart asked.

Lloyd was silent for a moment before shaking his head. "I had no reason for doing it."

"I see," Dart nodded. "Let's get going."

The others all nodded and they left the Tower of Flanvel, Cade glancing back at it as the buzzing from when they arrived returned for a moment, then turned and followed the others.


Leave a review.