Wild ARMs: Last Ignition

In response to the last review I received Hana no Kaze you'll just have to wait and see who Zeig is related to, and as for the Ziekfried thing, if I'm guessing right, his real name is Siegfried, and I think the original Wild ARMs wasn't translated properly, so some of the names are wrong.

You'll just have to wait a little while to find out Zeig's origins. But I promise it will be a shocker.

Chapter 13: The Festival

Glenn smiled broadly as the cool breeze washed through his hair and he made his way into the Festival grounds.

The area where the festival was held ran the full length and half the width of the city, and the south half was full of games, balloons, and other entertainment, while the north half was filled with pedestals of various relics.

Glenn spotted the foreman standing next to a large pedestal with what Glenn guessed was a Gull Wing Class plane.

"Glenn" the foreman said as the Ranger approached

"Morning" Glenn greeted.

The foreman smiled as he handed Glenn the payment "As we agreed…7,500 gella each"

Glenn nodded as he tossed Alex her money and said "Let's go take a look around" then he walked off towards the relics. Alex smiled as she followed.

Zack looked at Bryce for a few moments before he walked into the southern section looking for Elena. Bryce sighed as he watched Glenn for a few moments before following the Zoa Priest.

Serena smiled as she walked around the relic section of the Festival. While she had an aptitude for the less standard forms of Magic, Serena still liked ARMs, where magic might fail, ARMs would always get the job done.

She had separated from Zed that morning. He was off somewhere brooding. For some reason he didn't like being in Neo Adlehyde. She never asked why and he never said so she just left it at that.

There were some very cool ARMs among the collection, most of them no longer functional, but still very cool.

Including one that a pair of Rangers to her left were looking at.

"I don't recognise this ARM configuration" the man said

"It's a very powerful Heavy ARM called a Rail Gun" the woman said "If I remember my ARMs mechanics right it fires a stream of focused electro-magnetic energy at a target, very deadly"

"I've heard of this ARM" the man said "Its power is said to be rivalled by only two ARMs in all of Filgaia's history"

"The Phazer and Arc Smash ARMs of Rudy Roughknight" the woman said

"Yeah" the man replied as they walked on, nodding to Serena as they passed by.

Zack met Elena at one of the game stalls in the southern section. They spent the next while moving around the games, Zack showed himself to have an excellent aim on the throwing games.

Four hours passed and the two mages were exhausted, they had been walking from one stall to another, watching the bands and entertainers and their feet were killing them.

Now they sat across from each other sharing a Pizza at a restaurant in the city.

"Who was that man who passed you when we met up?" Elena asked as she bit into the pizza crust in her hand.

"Marcus Bryce" Zack replied "He's Glenn's Godfather"

Elena nodded as she finished her drink, then she looked over Zack's shoulder.

To see a small boy, around six or seven, on the verge of tears, clutching a small scruffy stuffed bear in his small arms as he looked around.

Zack looked behind him and saw the whimpering boy, he smiled as he left some cash on the small plate and crouched down beside Elena and asked "What's wrong kiddo?"

The boy sniffled as he said "I can't find mommy"

"Do you want us to help you find her?" Elena asked with a warm smile

The boy nodded as Zack smiled and turned his back to the boy and said "Climb on…you'll be able to see better up top" the boy smiled as he climbed onto Zack's shoulders then the Zoa Priest walked slowly out of the restaurant.

Elena smiled as the young boy looked around "You're pretty good with kids Zack"

Zack shrugged slightly "Not really…I've got an eight year old brother back in Baskar…when he was younger his favourite pastime was jumping on my back and yelling horsy, horsy, horsy, horsy until I gave him a piggy back ride…he's a screwy little runt, but he keeps me on my toes"

Elena began to chuckle, but stopped when a strange feeling washed over her. Then she looked up.

The sky above the city seemed to distort and was covered over with dark clouds.

"Something strange is going on here" Zack said "Let's find the kid's mom and go look for Glenn and Alex"

Elena nodded as she broke into a jog towards the Festival grounds.

"Ryan" a female voice called from ahead

"Mommy" the boy cried.

Zack nodded as he took the boy from his shoulders and handed him to his mother as he said "You two should head for the castle, something's up"

The woman nodded as the boy wrapped his arms around her neck and she ran.

But it was too late.

Lightning began to rain down on the city.

Including the path the mother took.

"No" Zack roared as he charged along the path just as the lightning flash dissipated.

To reveal a tall white skeleton with an axe in its hand.

The beast raised the axe above its head and prepared to swing at the cowering humans.

When it was suddenly struck by a pair of booted feet, throwing it back several feet.

The creature stood up to see its attacker standing before the other two humans brandishing a spear.

Spinning the spear in his hands Zack glared at the Skeleton and said "Back off" then he began gathering his energy and muttered "Sonic Claw" and swung his spear at the creature, releasing a small blade of golden wind energy, which cut clean through the beast at the chest.

As the beast dissolved Zack rested his spear against his shoulder and looked at the pair.

"What in Ge Ramtos' name are you still doing here?" he growled "Get to the castle… and I mean now"

The woman mumbled a thank you as she sprinted north to the castle.

Zack nodded as he hefted his spear in his hands and looked around.

The whole of Neo Adlehyde had gone to hell in and hand basket. The city was crawling with monsters and riddled with fires, people were running everywhere in an attempt to escape.

But the monsters we're a more pressing concern for Zack. Where had they come from? Monsters didn't just appear out of thin air.

"Remember the Kesaran Pasaran" a part of his mind said "the Chimera in Adlehyde, and that thing Caina summoned on the train" All were forms of summoning.

Then it hit him, the Demon Summoners Glenn's parents were tracking, they had returned

"We need to find Glenn" he whispered as he ran down the street towards Elena. In time to hear her chanting at the top of her voice.

Elena tightened her grip on the Sorceress Guard as Zack ran after the woman and her child.

While the Baskar went to play solo monster slayer Elena was left to consider what was going on around her.

The entire city was ablaze and crawling with monsters. And for the moment she was alone.

Around her she could hear the distant sounds of steel striking flesh, and ARMs fire, and the roar of monsters.

Including the growls of several monsters coming towards her from the main street.

"Uh oh"

As Elena tried to think of a plan the group of eight Gallowbear's was stomping towards her.

"This is not good" she whispered "No way I can take that many…and if I run they'll be all over me"

As hope began to slip from her mind a voice whispered "Have no fear Child… I am with you"

"Wha?" she whispered "Who said that?"

"As I have given in the past" the voice said "The ability to make our power flesh is yours Sorceress of the Light…I am Schturdark, I hold dominion over the waters of the world…power which shall be yours should you call my name"

Elena nodded as she held her staff in her hands, oblivious to the pulsing light of the Teardrop on the chain around her neck flashing in time with her heartbeat, as a pale pink aura surrounded her.

She raised her staff above her head and began chanting as her aura exploded into a pale pink pillar of light.

"Guardian of the Waters, I call you to this place. SCHTURDARK"

In the sky above the city Elena could vaguely see a streak of pale blue falling towards her. At the centre of the streak was a blue tortoise with spikes running along its black shell.

When the Guardian of the Waters struck the ground he threw up a spray of water, then he seemed to take a deep breath, drawing all the water towards him. And with a great screeching roar, released a shockwave of water in every direction.

The wave of water ripped through the Gallowbears, disintegrating them.

With its work complete the Guardian of the water began to fade away, as he whispered in Elena's mind "Call upon me when there is need"

Glenn swore in every language he knew as he killed a Cybergeist monster. The festival grounds were in chaos. What few Rangers there were in the area were caught unaware and were struggling to keep up with the monsters. He and Alex has split up to pick up the slack, so far they were holding their own.

Behind him Glenn heard a scream; he whirled to the source of the scream to see a Harpy descending quickly upon a small boy. He was too far away to try for Braver or Sonic Blade, but a thought occurred to him.

As if on instinct Glenn rammed his sword into the ground and reached for the Sabre Fang and his original Boomerang the Crescent Fang. He focused his energy into the throwing weapons and hurled them at the Harpy at blinding speed.

The Boomerangs seemed to glow as they cut the Harpy across the centre, splitting it in half.

Glenn watched the creature disintegrate in mid air as the Sabre Fang and the Crescent Fang flew back to him, unaware of the dim light emanating from the sword shard on his neck.

He caught the weapons and returned them to the harness on his back, then picked up his sword.

Out of the corner of his eye Glenn spotted Alex running towards the northern section of the festival grounds, he looked around to see that the area was more or less clear, and then pursued.

He arrived in time to see Alex weaving back and fourth to avoid the attacks of a man wearing a black bodysuit and a black mask with a black overcoat, wielding a pair of bladed Tonfa.

Her sword was in two halves several feet away and she was barely keeping up with her adversary.

Glenn was about to intervene when Alex got the room to kick the man backward and move back to get room to use her Multi-ARM.

But before she got the chance the man was back in her face, slashing upwards with his left Tonfa. Straight through the barrel of the Multi-ARM, not splitting the weapon in two, but coming damn close.

Alex stared in shock for a moment, not sure what had happened, until the man spun around and delivered a roundhouse kick to Alex's solar plexus, knocking the wind out of her and throwing her clean across the area, and crashing into a burnt display pedestal.

Glenn knew he had to check on Alex, but he also had to deal with the Tonfa guy.

The man looked Glenn over attacked.

Glenn leapt back to avoid the first strike, then brought up the Black Feral to defend himself from the lightning quick attacks his opponent was throwing at him. He was barely able to keep up.

Then a strange energy seemed to flow through him, the sword shard around his neck seemed to pulse with a silver glow. A feral snarl erupted from his throat and he knocked away the weapons in mid strike, then he kicked his opponent backwards.

The man stared in shock at Glenn at the ease he had repelled the attack while Glenn spun the Black Feral in his hands and made a motion for him to come and get it. The man immediately took Glenn's challenge

Glenn could feel the strange energy flowing through him; it was as if there was another person inside him, guiding his sword to the perfect place to counter a strike, but he was unsure how long it would last, so he had to kill or at least defeat his attacker.

Alex groaned as she rolled over onto her back, and instantly regretted it; rough guess her impact with the pedestal had broken a few ribs. She hurt like hell.

"How're you holding up?" Shiro asked from her side

"I've been better" Alex replied "But I am seriously pissed off…that bastard slagged my new ARM"

Shiro moved back as Alex slowly sat up, and looked around. Her Multi-ARM was nowhere to be found, she must have dropped it when that guy hit her. But she did see something else.

A Bayonet ARM, three and a half feet long, the riffle section two and a quarter feet long, made of sleek black wood and clean silver metal. The blade was a foot and a quarter long, similar in shape to a scimitar combined with a broadsword.

(AN think the blade of the Revolver Gunblade in FF8, only smaller)

With a small smirk Alex picked up the weapon and checked it over. It was still functional, there was a cartridge loaded, all it was missing was ammunition.

A problem Alex easily remedied.

Running through one final check of the weapon Alex used the Bayonet as a crutch and pushed herself to her feet and made her way towards where Glenn was fighting.

When she got there Alex spotted someone moving up behind Glenn.

In an instant Alex sighted her target and pulled the trigger, praying that whatever came out did the job.

The barrel flashed briefly before the shot flew towards its destination, the bullet began to spread out when it left the barrel, ripping into everything in its path.

Glenn swept the Black Feral horizontally across his opponent's stomach, just barely missing, then he heard the shot from behind the man, and saw Alex standing shakily against a pillar fifty yards away with a Bayonet against her shoulder, he also saw the scatter shot coming towards him and he immediately leapt upwards, flipping in mid air as his jump carried him twenty feet backwards to land in a crouch on top of a destroyed pillar.

His opponent was on his back, his overcoat was shredded, and the spot he had been standing on was now a black crater, and standing near a pile of rubble ten feet from it was Caina, Randolph floating near her hand just as before.

The woman turned to face him with a wicked smirk on her face "I'm impressed" she said "Not many people have been able to keep up with Cypher in single combat"

Glenn glared at her as the woman began casting a spell.

But as soon as she cast the fire spell, he was already moving. Glenn smirked as he made his way towards Alex; he was too fast for her to attack and moving too randomly for her to anticipate.

Just as he reached Alex's side she fired another shot from the Bayonet. This time firing skywards to take advantage of the cartridge loaded in the ARM, Multi-blast Shiro had told her.

Caina scowled as the fire rained down on her. Then she raised Randolph above her head.

But before she could try anything she heard two voices to her left yell

"VORTEX"

"SONIC CLAW"

Then she was bowled over by two great blasts of wind which hurled her across the area and crashing into a stone pedestal.

Caina roared in anger as she pulled herself to her feet, just as Cypher did the same.

With a sharp glare Caina said "It's time I put you out of my misery" then she raised Randolph above her head and the tip began to glow.

But before she could summon something a barrage of bullets exploded at her feet.

Caina leapt back to avoid the shots and the glow from Randolph faded "WHAT NOW?" she screamed.

"I'm afraid your party will have to be cancelled" a voice said

Glenn looked towards the source of the voice. To see the woman he had seen earlier when he walked past the Rail Gun with Alex standing on top of the pillar he was beside, with her Might Glove trained on Caina, he could just see the glint of an ARM barrel inside the Might Glove.

Cypher spun his Tonfa in his hands as he began to make his way towards the woman.

But a flash of movement caught his attention.

Cypher stopped in time to see a man in black with a scimitar style Katana in his hands.

The woman who fired at Caina groaned as she leapt to the ground "Z...what the fuck?"

The man, Z grinned maliciously as he said "Well gee kid, looks like I'm crashing" then he looked towards Caina and said "You've been out manoeuvred and outgunned, leave or I'll make you regret it"

Caina glared at the man then at the others and said "I'm not done with you yet…with or without the Teardrop I will get my Armageddon"

Glenn snorted as he sheathed the Black Feral "When hell freezes over bitch…you can tell your little friends…I'll be waiting for them if they want the Teardrop"

Caina glared at Glenn one final time before she disappeared.

Glenn sighed as Zack and Elena approached, while Alex rested the Bayonet against her shoulder and whispered "That was interesting"

Glenn nodded as he looked the new guests over, feeling the warmth of the dying fires and the fading heat of the setting sun on his face. Things had just gotten a lot more interesting.

Authors Notes: Done.

Not bad if I say so myself.

Next time we get some background information.

Enjoy.