Wyvern's eyes continued to burn. None of the hatred was lost from them. When he spoke, his voice was laced with a venomous tone harboring that deep hatred. All besides Bahamut felt their spines shudder at the sound of it and began to subconsciously back away. "I see that you haven't forgotten me, Lord Bahamut, in the past four thousand years."
Bahamut was speechless. He could only stand there. But then, he gained control of himself. Blinking in astonishment, he abruptly put a hand on the rail and leapt over the edge of the balcony. He sailed to the ground and landed nimbly on his feet, and continued to stare at Wyvern. Nothing in the world could make him look away. "Brother..."
Wyvern snorted, and cracked a sardonic smile. "Yes, it is me. Much as you may not want it, Wyvern has returned to Terratopolis. And believe me, Lord Bahamut...I don't intend to leave for a very, very long time."
Bahamut didn't pick this up, nor the malice that was in it. He only continued to stare. And yet...he couldn't move forward. He could only look at him in stunned shock, still unable to believe that this was true.
"For four thousand years..." He echoed aloud. "I have prayed without ceasing that I might see you again. You have come home at last...and now I don't know what to say. I...I..." A pause from the great esper. He was quivering now. His majesty was gone, and now he had become a small shaking figure overcome with emotion. A smile began to spread across his face, and his eyes welled with tears. "Welcome home, my brother..."
Wyvern, however, did not change. Instead, he gave a short, sharp snort in reply...and the blast of air rippled throughout the field and down the courtyard, until it smacked Bahamut right in the face. When he felt it...and smelled this...he sensed a great and heartless evil on it, much stronger than before. It overrid his emotions and restored his logic, and it told him the danger that the man before him represented. Immediately, his smile vanished and his tears dried up, and his emotion turned to bewilderment as he stared at him.
"Welcome?" Wyvern sneered. "You grant me welcome? A precious thing indeed, I'd wager, to come from Lord Bahamut, King of All Espers. I'm sure not many others have received such a mighty gift. Although, despite this simpering, quivering, excuse of a greeting that you give me now, I am sure I know what you're really thinking. The great Wyvern has returned at last, and now my throne suffers a mighty contestant who vies for it. If that's what's running around in your brain this instant, then your fear is well founded, I assure you."
A stunned silence rang over the court at that. The wind blew by, cold and sharp. Bahamut stared in surprise at this, shocked at this turn of words.
"...Brother?"
Wyvern gave a cold laugh to this. "Brother...you use that name freely now. But from you, it sounds like a great and mighty child lording it over the scorned and spurned offspring. You are very fond of that little title so long as it is with someone who is not your equal. Then you would cast it aside and show your true feelings and desires. You have other brothers and sisters here, but I see that there is only one title for you now: Lord Bahamut, King of All Espers. Therefore, to borrow some from the Lunarians, and to dignify myself better, I think I shall assume a better title than simply 'brother'." Here...the dark aura intensified, and the beast pulled himself up and beat his own breast.
"I am Lord Wyvern, Emperor of the Blue Planet."
Now, Bahamut was very unnerved. He felt the coldness and rage radiating off his brother...and it was growing more violent and terrible yet. It made him shrink a bit.
"Brother...what has happened to you?"
Wyvern gave a cold snort to that as he lowered his hand. "Nothing, Lord Bahamut, King of All Espers, than a realization. A change. But that change was not the first, oh no. It was begun on our last parting, four thousand, one hundred, and fifty days ago to this day." He sneered. "Do you not keep track of such things, Lord Bahamut, King of All Espers? I'm sure you remember it well. That was the day when you secured your kingdom and domination. That was the day you set yourself up as the new god of this planet, and banished the one true danger to your power. I'm sure you celebrate it yourself each and every year with ever mounting joy. And now, when I return, I see the fear in you as you struggle to mask your growing terror with this faux happiness. This is the same day that a new change came to the world, and you betrayed me. You sought to increase your own power and superiority, and you were a traitor to your own blood." Wyvern's eyes narrowed, and his voice grew darker. "That day, you proved that you were truly a greedy and contemptable creature, as base and foul as the foe we destroyed. You cared nothing for family or brotherhood...only your own power."
Bahamut blinked at this in response. Never had he heard such bitter words aimed at him, and in such an angry, violent voice. They made him recoil further in fear and shock.
"Wyvern...I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't play the fool with me!" The esper violently snapped...the power radiating off him causing the nearest espers to fall back. "You know exactly what I'm talking about! You took lordship over the espers for yourself! You snubbed me, your best friend, your only true brother! You became so arrogant and greedy that you cast me off! You drove me away! All so that you alone could be the King of All Espers, and thereby be the king of the world! You wanted to dominate all life so badly that you forsook your twin brother!"
Bahamut was astonished at this, and gaped in surprise. He furiously shook his head. "That's not true! I never wanted this position! And I never wanted you away!"
"Liar!" Wyvern roared back. "You feared me since the day you met me! That was why you were always dragging your feet! That was why you withheld from me the secrets to true power! That was why you drained my power to kill Griever! You knew you couldn't do it yourself! You needed my power, the greater strength and might that I possessed! I was better than you, and so you seized my energy and made it your own! Then once that was done, you took the crown for yourself and banished me! Even then, you realized you'd never be able to kill me, so you drove me off instead! Otherwise, I'm sure that you would have simply spilled my blood at the first chance!"
Bahamut couldn't believe what he was hearing. His happiness faded as a cold fear shot into him. All of his joy was turned into horrified shock. His brother had changed, been twisted and turned by a terrible, horrible grudge that now consumed him. It did so much that the esper had altered history, creating lies in his mind that Bahamut had feared him and driven him off. He couldn't believe it. This was what was festering in Wyvern's mind for the past four thousand years? This was what had ate at him and wore away his happiness and joy? This whole time...he thought that Bahamut had ruined him? Had believed himself better than him? Had given him all of this evil? Bahamut was totally overwhelmed at such a history.
"You're wrong!" Bahamut retorted. "I never banished you! I've been waiting endlessly for you!"
Wyvern hissed furiously. "More of your foul lies. You thought I was a danger ever since the first day we built this mountain. You were overcome with greed and avarice and jealousy for my might. Don't try and paint a rosy picture to delude yourself, Lord Bahamut, King of All Espers. Or is that the only way you can stomach your own foul soul? By making everything work out for you in the end? Repainting history so that it suits your own needs? I'm sure this is what you have been telling all of these people for generations...about how your hot-headed brother spurned you, so kind and noble, and ran off, and that you've been weeping endlessly for millenia eagerly awaiting his return? The only thing you prayed for is that this day would never come! That I'd never return to take what was rightfully mine!"
Bahamut's face lost its color. Wyvern was mad. Everything about him had turned from true events to being the attempts of Bahamut to ruin him. He couldn't believe it. This was his brother? His best friend? His faithful companion? The person he loved as much as himself?
"Wyvern, you must listen to me. I never wished for any of this to happen. I never craved this throne for myself. You've created all of these fantasies in your own mind. The only thing I ever wanted was for you to return so that we could live together. I wanted the chance to apologize for what happened to us on that day, and I have had no peace in my heart about it for that time. I wanted was for us to be a family again."
But this only cause Wyvern to laugh, and laugh bitterly. It was like daggers in his heart as Bahamut heard the malicious, cold sound of Wyvern's voice in reply.
"Live together?" He echoed. "Live together indeed...but with you as the great and mighty king of all life, and I as your foot-licking slave. That was what you wished for our 'family'." He paused again at this, but then shrugged. "Very well, Lord Bahamut, King of All Espers." His tone was now nearly snarling whenever he said that title. "If you want us to coexist, then here is the conditions. Right now, you must come forth and place that diadem on my head, where it has rightfully belonged for over four thousand years, and then you must thrust yourself down at my feet and wallow in the mud at my pleasure. There you will spend the rest of your days, being my personal amusement, to kick and to beat and to shove into the slime of the ground whenever I wish. Then we will have our peace, Lord Bahamut, King of All Espers! Then will I give you justice for four thousand years of banishment and your malicious selfishness and greed! Then shall I accept your arrogant, selfish apologies! Then we shall have a family as it was meant to be, with the greater brother at last in his rightful position over the lesser! When I am rightfully proclaimed Lord Wyvern, Emperor of the Blue Planet!"
Bahamut was overwhelmed. Wyvern had come so far to actually be saying these things. He was struck dumb for a few moments, all the while his heart breaking and his mind swimming with shock at this.
"Wyvern...what has happened to you?"
"I came to obtain what was rightfully mine." Wyvern coldly returned, his voice quieter. "Take off that self-given crown and give it to me. Then I shall be king over all life on this world. Then I will end this sickening state into which our people have fallen into, a state that you, Lord of All Espers, allowed to happen! We are becoming the playthings of humans! These Summoners dare to put us at their order, as if we were some sort of dog following its master? Under me, all shall know that espers are the true power of this world, and we shall make the people of this world subject to us, as they were meant to be. We will end their petty struggles and strife, and we shall establish the way they are to live. We will teach them true respect and fear for those over them. That was your responsibility, King of All Espers. But you neglected it. You are allowing us to fall under the heel of worthless creatures. You are having us fade into nothing, when we should rightfully command this world! It is our right as children of the planet! To use this power that is rightfully ours, and teach the other races of this world their proper place!"
Bahamut still couldn't believe this. It brought horrible memories to mind. However, at this time, he finally changed. The mention of the danger to the rest of the world came forth. He could not and would not allow such a thing to happen. That had been the mistake of Crusader, and it had almost led to the destruction of the world. Bahamut thought that Wyvern would remember that. But he did not, and now...to Bahamut's shock and fear...was beginning to sound like Crusader itself. That reckless pride eventually led to feelings of superiority over all life...and then to reckless evil as worthless lives were destroyed. That must never happen again.
"If you wanted anything else, brother, perhaps I could consent." Bahamut replied, his voice still filled with surprise. "But...I cannot let your rule over the espers if that is your desire. We cannot rule over the other races. We never could. If we do, we would become the same as Griever. We would eventually become enemies, and ruin this world in our arrogance."
"Do you speak out of concern for humanity?" Wyvern challenged. "Or are you rather afraid to lose your power? You tell me you fear arrogance, but your greed makes you far the more arrogant. You let these humans do what you want because you fear they can take your power from you. You won't expand our realm beyond this grimy hole because you feel that to do so might unclench the iron fist you hold these people in!"
That was too much for Bahamut, and his voice turned angry. "You're spouting nonsense!"
Wyvern snarled in response. "That's your default response, isn't it? The lower brother can't think of anything, because he's not as wise or strong as the King of All Espers!" Wyvern paused after this, hissing and snarling. But then...he suddenly lost his anger. His face twisted into a crooked smile, and his eyes burned with not only anger, but malice as well. Now the people really did retreat, and Bahamut himself began to sweat. His own angry face faded, and he stared at Wyvern as he felt his aura suddenly rise dramatically in power. As for the esper, he drew himself up and crossed his arms, and flashed his white teeth in a menacing grin.
"If you want me to take the crown by force, Lord Bahamut, King of All Espers," Wyvern smoothly continued. "Then I will. In all honesty, I like it better this way than by you becoming my slave. I can't stand your ugly face anymore. Each look at it makes me want to rip it off. You see, Lord Bahamut, King of All Espers...while you have been sitting here glutting yourself on your own power, greed, and pride..." Here, he narrowed his gaze and grinned wider.
"...I've been evolving."
Bahamut sensed a deep hidden danger in that reply, and something told him he should take it very seriously...and be afraid.
"You see, Lord Bahamut, King of All Espers, I found a way to reach the very life blood of this planet, the river of spirits that flows through this world and is constantly feeding life and being refilled by death." Wyvern coolly explained. "I knew you were stronger than me. I knew I'd never be able to surpass the strength that you reached. So I found an entrance to this river of spirits and placed myself there. And there, Lord Bahamut, King of All Espers, is where I have been while you have been so desperately waiting for me. That is where I have remained, with infinitely more patience than you thought I was capable of. I have spent an eternity deep in the ground, wading in a stream of endless voices, emotions, and life experiences. It was a struggle for me to even maintain my sanity there, especially for what to all others was infinite time. But I did it. I did it because as I stayed there, I began to change. The spirit energy slowly flowed into my body, and as it did it slowly began to change me. I was charged with the energy in the stream. My cells were adapted and enlarged to become stronger, healthier, and mightier. Power flowed into me slowly. But still I waited, and still I held on in that chaotic place. And still I gained more and more power. The events of the world flashed by me in bolts in lightning, and I was barely able to focus on it. But I saw it none the less, and I stewed over it with my own thoughts. I slowly began to truly unlock my powers as I continued to gain more. Finally, now, at this time in history, I was satisfied with my power. And now I have come. Now, after eons of waiting, I will have what is rightfully mine."
Another astonishment went through Bahamut's mind. He knew what Wyvern spoke of. They called it the Lifestream. But to get into it was dangerous. Few people could spend even a few minutes in it without being driven insane. Others were hopelessly lost in it. Many tended to gain more power if they spent long in it, for they were flooded with the life energy of the Planet until it warped their bodies to accomodate it. It explained how Wyvern's eyes were shining forth...they were always the first to change. But spending too long in there was hazardous. They could get poisoned by the energy, becoming hopelessly lost in their own minds. No one on record had ever spent longer than a day in the Lifestream. But Wyvern...he had spent over four thousand years... Could that possibly be true? Could one possibly be in there that long? For century after century, could he have really been in there? Could his obsession with Bahamut be so complete that he would do that to himself?
"That's...impossible."
That made Wyvern smile even more. His eyes flashed to malice. His eyes blazed.
"...You want to test me?" Pause, and then a shrug. "Very well..."
At that, Wyvern slowly unfurled his wings from his human back, first one and then the other. He planted his feet on the ground afterward, and stretched out his tail, sticking it out from his human back, to balance himself. With that, Wyvern inhaled deeply and then leaned his head back. After that...he began to focus his power. Almost immediately, Bahamut sensed a horrifying thing. Wyvern's power began to shoot up tremendously. Far faster and far stronger than anything he had seen in eons. Around him, the air began to crackle as energy gathered. It grew so strong that sparks actually began to encircle the esper and crash. The air began to wave around him as a tremendous amount of heat began to burn. But it only got stronger. The bolts became larger and more frequent, encircling him. The heat began to wave faster and faster, and the grass at Wyvern's feet spontaneously began to smolder. Some of it actually burst into flame. A wind picked up around him, and soon it began to pull and whip up around the espers surrounding him. Even more so, it began to push on wings of espers and threaten to push them down.
Bahamut gazed at this in awe. For the first time in centuries...fear came into him. Terrible fear. He was actually going to attack him. His brother, his best friend, was really going to attack him. They had been driven that far apart. And this wasn't going to be a small attack either. It was a new one, far stronger than Wyvern's old moves. Bahamut swallowed. He still didn't understand how this had happened, but he didn't have time. He quickly crossed his arms in front of himself and planted his feet. However, Wyvern's power only grew. The electricity grew so bad it began to snap at surrounding espers, and they cried out and fell back. The others shielded themselves. Fear ran throughout the group, and they fled back farther and farther. Soon, a wide open space was right before Bahamut. The great esper feared any further strength to this attack. Yet right at that moment...the power suddenly stopped building. Bahamut saw this, and for the briefest moment was perplexed. It was obvious that Wyvern could gather a lot more power, but he stopped it there. Yet that was all he could think, for abruptly the thing opened its mouth, revealing a blazing burning light inside.
"Mega-pyron." Wyvern calmly said.
Moments later, everyone was blinded and forced to look away as a terrible attack fired from Wyvern's mouth. Bahamut alone endured it, and he gaped in terror at it. It was right there...the huge balls of fire erupting from the mouth, gathering together in one concentrated blast, forming one massive strike. But they were larger than ever before. They burned and blazed hotter than any other breath weapon. And they sailed forward far faster than Bahamut's own attacks. They rushed straight for Bahamut, tearing up the ground and burning the remains. But through it all, right up to the point where the blinding light struck him, Bahamut gazed in terrible shock...for this attack was a far stronger version of his own Mega-pyrin attack.
The blast connected right where his arms were crossed, and immediately erupted. In a flash, the other balls of fire rushed in and exploded. Bahamut's body was instantly bathed in flame. Terrible raging fire swept over him and consumed him. This magical fire didn't simply bathe him and roast him as Bahamut's did. Instead...the terrible fire penetrated him and consumed him from within to outside, burning its terrible heat through in and through out. Explosion after explosion occured, each one adding to the overall intensity of the blast. And that made it burn him more, consuming him in a red flame that burned hotter than the core of the planet. And through it all...Bahamut struggled not to scream. Mind-numbing pain penetrated throughout him. His muscles and bones threatened to turn to ash from within. His flesh began to tighten from being roasted. His brain felt like it would melt out from within his skull. And still it burned hotter. Bahamut felt his feet lifted off the ground. His arms buckled and the bones threatened to shatter. His whole body shaked. Each and every last ounce of power was poured into withstanding this attack...but to Bahamut's horror it wasn't enough. It kept pushing...kept burning... Bahamut stretched and groaned, and began to cry out in pain. He couldn't hold it any longer...
But then, at that moment, the Mega-pyron died. All was quiet again. The espers continued to gape in fear for a moment, but then slowly they began to inch forward and gaze at what had happened. They were shocked at what they saw.
A great burning trench led from Wyvern to Bahamut. The trench was blackened, smoking, and partially still on fire. But the worst part was Bahamut. Around him in a great semi-circle burn painted into the ground was the sign of the blast. Fires were on either side of him, and the ground had been upheaved and burned in that semicircle crater. But as for Bahamut himself, he was a mess. His forearms now had great black burns on them where the flesh was now peeling and bleeding. The outer skin had been burnt to charcoal. His clothing was nothing more than burnt rags now, dripping off of his still-smoking body. His diadem had melted over. Most of his body was not burned, but was stretched to the limit. All of his human muscles were bulging. His eyes were open and blazing, showing he was at his full power. He panted raggedly, and sweat poured from every inch of skin on his body. Somehow, however, he still stood.
Wyvern, on the other hand, didn't look winded at all. He calmly retracted his wings and tail, and they vanished once again into his human body. He straightened up and calmly crossed his arms and smiled menacingly at the esper. "Did you enjoy that?" He mocked. "That was just a taste of what I have become. I wasn't even trying that hard. That blast alone nearly finished you, but I assure you I can go up to ten times that strength. So don't you see, Lord Bahamut, King of All Espers? I have no reason to fear you any longer. I have far surpassed you. And I could take what I want from you right now."
Bahamut couldn't react. He could only pant. He was too out of breath. The flames had burned the air out of his lungs. He continued to wheeze hold, struggling to stay standing. But deep within his mind, in the midst of all his pain and shock...hecontinued to feel fear.
Wyvern at last raised a claw and pointed at him. "I'm going to cut you a break, though. You have three days to give up your throne to me. If you don't, I'll simply kill you and take it anyway. You're welcome to try and fight me, however. I'll be waiting for you at the NorthernValley at the end of the three days, at this time exactly." A pause, and then a sneer. "Oh, and don't try running from me. I'll hunt you down and kill you if you do. In the meantime, you might as well prepare your people to bow down to their new king."
The esper lowered his claw at that, leaving Bahamut to pant and breathe. After that, he turned his head to either side. His attendants had shrunk away now, cringing in fear of their master's power. But when he looked to them, they immediately swallowed their fear and looked up. He gestured to either. "Zola... Noonian... We're leaving."
With that, Wyvern turned around and calmly began to walk out from Terratopolis. His attendants, Zola and Noonian, paused a bit longer, but then they managed to get up and follow after him. Soon, the three of them were walking out from the area, and back into the tunnel. They descended the steps, their footsteps echoing throughout the courtyard, and then entered the hall and walked on. Soon, they were totally gone, and left the people in the square in peace.
No one dared say a word. The espers slowly recovered, marveling in shock and awe. Many of them had only heard of Wyvern in legends, if at all. Now that they saw him, there were mixtures of shock and fear at the sight of his terrible power. They looked to each other with confused expressions and began to talk mentally to one another. The older espers were mortified. Ogopogo quivered with fear on the balcony, grasping his own chest in terror and leaning back from the rail. Odin tightened his fists and grit his teeth, and glared hatefully out at Wyvern. Inside, he hated himself for having fallen so far behind, and for having seen himself and the others so helpless before him. Indeed, no one but Bahamut had dared even speak to this terrible power. Leviathan's brow was soaked with sweat. He was aghast with shock, his mind running through hundreds of horrifying possibilities, and taking all of this into consideration. Starlet had stepped out onto the balcony, and she looked down below to Bahamut as he stood, her mind racing with fear.
"Bahamut...are you alright?"
In response, Bahamut exhaled a blast of air. His arms dropped down to his sides.
Then, he passed out.
To be continued...
