Two Thousand and Five Hundred Years Later
Bahamut did something that he never thought he'd do again one fine spring day.
He woke up.
He remembered nothing of who he was at first. Those memories had been buried under the span of infinite time. And during that time, he had seen little. He remembered seeing faces…thousands upon thousands of faces. Many he had seen before. Many he had not. They were all running around with him, all talking to him, and yet he couldn't make them out. It was strange there. It was warm and pleasant and enjoyable…and he could have lost himself there. But he didn't. He continued to reach out. For endless centuries he had reached out and tried to know where he was. It took him a thousand years to realize, at last, that he was a face too in this whirling stream, cycling about endlessly. After that, he had begun to gain control of himself. He began to stop himself periodically in the stream, and pause and look around. He began to regain his form, and had nearly been able to talk out to them, and see where he was in this strange, warm place… But then…it felt as if his body had turned to ice. The pleasant sensation became hard. The shadowy world vanished…and some new sort of rough, jagged, harsh version of reality had settled in. And at once…even his memories of that place faded like dew in the morning sun.
And now…he awakened.
Bahamut's huge eyes slowly cracked and began to see again for the first time in centuries. He felt strange. He felt…new. It felt as if he had never done anything he was doing before. He felt as fresh as a new baby, and yet as strong and as wise as he once had been. But his memories…gone. Buried into the mass of eternity. He only remembered his name because it had been called to again and again. The voices in that place had cried out to him…wanting him to respond and come to meet them. But now, they were gone. He heard none of that now. He heard only insects buzzing and birds chirping.
Slowly, his other senses returned. He recognized nothing right now. His mind was too fragmented to even realize what things were. But he felt warm again. The sun was coming down on him, and the power of its light always rejuvenated him. Strange…he felt so weak… He felt so…new. It felt as if he had never used his body before in his life, though he remembered how. Everything he did…breathing…seeing…hearing…he felt like he was doing it for the first time. And so, he could only lie there and get used to doing these things for a moment. His mind…a shattered mess…slowly began to replace itself, and he tried to remember where or who he was. The sun's energy continued to power him, and he felt stronger slowly with time.
At last, enough of his memories returned to recognize what he saw. It was a forest. A bit young…but filled with wildflowers and young leaves. The trees swayed in the gentle breeze ahead of him. It was spring…yes, he knew that. He recognized the smell of a spring day anywhere. And there were other things here…squirrels, birds, insects…he remembered them too. They moved around now on their business, looking to him curiously for a moment from time to time, but then leaving. Seeing this, Bahamut felt strangely tired. He closed his eyes again at this, and tried to drift off…back to the place where he was before. This place was too unfamiliar…too alien.
Yet all Bahamut did was go back to sleep. And this sleep was far more rigid and rough than it had been existing in that other place. And the sun continued to strengthen him and beat down on him. He felt his body continue to move even after his mind had quit. It was not so in that other place. He felt his heart beat, his lungs breathe…everything. And as he dreamed, even the visions he saw were unreal. They were far less real than what he had seen before. But they began to work on his brain. They began to awaken parts of it, and stimulate his memories as they came back together.
Bahamut finally awoke, and opened his eyes again. It had only been a few hours. The sun was still shining down brightly, and the small creatures in the windy forest continued to move and stare at him curiously. Bahamut blinked and continued to look at them, wondering what this all was and where he was. However, he felt stronger now. He was no longer confused by the strange new movements of his body. He knew what they were, and he was getting used to them. So now…thinking came easier.
Bahamut lay there…and slowly began to remember more. He knew why he was Bahamut. He was Bahamut…because that was what the Planet named him. And his family…Odin, Starlet, Ogopogo, Leviathan, Phoenix…and Wyvern. Wyvern… Yes, Wyvern had been his best friend, but he left when they started Terratopolis… Terratopolis… Yes, he had ruled as king of the espers there. That's what he was, an esper. And he had given birth to the dragon race. Races… Humans. They were his favorite. He had watched them develop and grow ever since Palad… Slowly, it all came back to him. His memory finished rebuilding itself, and as quickly as he remembered new things they became second nature to him. It was like a cabinet full of tomes that had been dumped out into a pile, but were now being replaced in order. He remembered all the people and espers he had lived with his entire life. He remembered Wyvern…how he had turned from his best friend to his mortal enemy. Their horrible battles…first on the Planet, and then on the Lunarian Moon. And that was where he had beaten him. That was where…he had given the last of his life to Rydia and her friends…and…
That's where I died.
Immediately, Bahamut snapped out of it. He suddenly leapt to his feet where he lay, and stared about in shock and terror. He ignored the rush of blood to his head, and he remembered. Death…he had died. He had finally died, after thousands of years of life. But…if he had died…then what was he now? He wasn't even on the moon anymore. He was…here. Was he on Gaia? He was in a forest…and he felt no pain or agony of death anymore. He felt…great. He could honestly say, he had never felt better in his life. Then where was he? Heaven? Bahamut looked around a bit at his forest. As he did, he saw a rotting log to his left, and to his right he saw a dead crow due to some parasitic disease. If it was Heaven…then it sure still had a lot of death and decay. Somehow, however…he doubted that it was. It felt too real. Too solid. And he could still feel pain and sorrow here. This wasn't Heaven…and it wasn't the afterlife either. No, somehow he knew it wasn't. The smell on the air was too familiar. It was the smell of reality…but more importantly, of the Planet. He closed his eyes and reached out his senses a moment. Yes…it felt like it too. It sounded like it. He opened them again, and realized where he was. He was on Gaia after all.
And he was alive.
But how was that possible?
Bahamut looked down, searching for more answers. Yet the moment he did, he nearly cried out in surprise. To his shock…he wasn't in his normal body. He was in a totally different one. Gaping in amazement, he looked up and to his sides and around his flesh. His dark blue color had gone, as had his old layered scales. He now had far more compact and thickly armored scales covering his body, and they were bright red, not dark blue. Only his chest was bright yellow. Not only that, but as Bahamut flicked his tail, he realized the heavy appendage he used to carry with him was gone. It was replaced with a long, whip-like tail with a clawed barb on the end. Still marveling, Bahamut looked up to his shoulders, and saw that great, independently moving spikes were now on either shoulder, giving him much more muscle and build. He couldn't see his face, but he could tell that his jaw felt different. It felt less like a beak and more like a maw now. Finally, he looked up to his wings…and received his greatest surprise yet. They were fully unfurled, and were frozen in position. They were great pieces of red scales now, and they looked to almost be like foils instead of wings.
Bahamut, shocked, felt over his own body. What was this? It wasn't his. It felt entirely new… Was that how he had come back to life? Had he possessed another esper? But if he had…he realized it had been a rather powerful one. To Bahamut's amazement…he had never felt so light or strong before in his life. He felt like a million gold pieces. And even though he felt new…he didn't necessarily feel different. He felt strangely as if this was his. As he smelled himself and sensed himself, he realized that this didn't feel alien. It felt new…but he could sense his own presence and power on it. Only he felt great. To test it out, Bahamut tried lightly hopping.
The esper soon cried out in amazement as his body leapt five hundred feet into the air. With barely any effort, he had launched himself into the sky like a rocket. Quickly, Bahamut extended his new arms and legs to stop himself. But before he could focus his auto-aero technique…he stopped automatically. Now frozen in midair, Bahamut looked around in puzzlement. Suddenly, he was hovering in the sky, but he wasn't expending any energy to do so. He wasn't even beating his wings. How was that possible? Bahamut was confused a moment…until he looked back to his new wings. He marveled at them. Somehow…these new airfoils made him capable of flight in midair without beating. They somehow channeled air to keep him in flight at all times. The esper blinked a moment…and then turned back.
Alright then…let's try this out.
Moments later, Bahamut pitched forward and prepared himself for flight. But that was all he needed to do. As if the foils knew what he wanted the instant he did it, he suddenly pitched forward at blinding speeds. His previous speed limit was soon blown away as he shot through the sky like a bolt of lightning. Within seconds, he was miles away from where he woke up. Gaping, Bahamut quickly moved to stop himself…only to find that the wings obliged by instantly halting him. Once he did, he stayed perfectly in midair, not moving a micron. Bahamut looked about himself in amazement for a moment. Then…he tried flying again. It was a bit hard to get used to…but soon Bahamut was a pro at using his new wings. They were far easier to use than his old ones, he soon realized. Rather than need to actually engage in any maneuvers, he need merely adjust his body in the way he wished to go, and the airfoils did the rest. They instantly raised and lowered him to the exact heights he wanted with no effort on his part, and he was faster than the fiercest hurricane gale. Soon…Bahamut was smiling at himself as he darted around in the sky like a streak, until he finally returned over the area where he had awakened. Yet remarkably, for all his movement, he felt not the slightest bit tired.
Delighted with his new powers, Bahamut decided to try his strength next. He looked to the ground a moment, until his eyes settled on a boulder. Moments later, he swung a fist at it. To his shock, though the boulder was two hundred feet below him, the sheer force of his air immediately smashed it into fragments. Bahamut was overwhelmed. He turned his head to a tree next. He hesitated a moment, and then made a cutting motion in the air. Being an extra fifty feet away didn't matter…for again the force of his light blow sliced the tree in half. Bahamut was overwhelmed. Immediately, he dropped himself onto the forest floor. His wings made him land as lightly as a feather, and he turned his attention to a new tree. This one was older and more powerful, and its roots ran deep in the ground. Bahamut walked up to it and looked it over a moment. Then…he extended his weakest claw, and poked it into the tree trunk. He slightly lifted…and immediately a great ripping sound went out as the entire tree was uprooted. Bahamut felt not the slightest bit strained in doing so. Continuing to marvel, he lowered the tree back into its gaping hole, and turned away again.
What about my mentality?
Bahamut turned his head back to the ground at this. He looked at it a moment, and decided on something. Immediately, he reached out a hand to it and focused. Instantly, a great ball of dirt came up from the ground. Bahamut twisted his fingers and moved them about a bit, and as he did the ball of dirt was twisted, twirled, compressed, and manipulated in a million ways. Dirt flew everywhere as Bahamut squeezed it into a small space, pushed it into an indentation, and rearranged the structure within. Soon, the mud ball was gone. What was left, to Bahamut's amazement, was a crystal goblet with Bacchus wine in the center. Smiling and snickering once, Bahamut beckoned the goblet over to him, took it, and then downed it in one gulp. Sure enough…it was pure. Previously, conjuring up materials required the actual raw materials be present. But with his new power…Bahamut found it child's play to rearrange the atomic structure of any object to make what he wanted, and turning a ball of mud into crystal with wine was no problem.
Bahamut closed his eyes next…and was amazed. Before he even focused, the lives of everyone for a hundred miles were open books to him. He could see them all clearly in his brain, not as shadows but as people. He could see every move they made, and he knew everything about them at once. He need only focus on the one he desired. Not just them…but all life forms. All plants…all animals…all easily available to his new power.
The great esper broke it off, and then looked down to beam at himself. This was incredible. He was both new and improved. His body was greater than ever before. As he turned and walked back through the woods to the clearing where he awakened, he wondered how this was possible. How was he suddenly alive again, and stronger than ever before? What had happened to him? Was this Leviathan's doing? If so, where was he? How long had he been out? Was it just a day? Or a hundred years? Was he in Heaven after all, with this new body?
Bahamut finally lowered his arms and looked ahead of him as he emerged into the clearing. However, as he did…a bit more reality struck him. He soon saw exactly what the place he awakened in looked like.
It was not the ground, as he had assumed, but a great circular stone table. Or, more likely, an altar. Esper runes were carved all around it, tracing into a circle that came into the center. He realized at once that he had been lying in the center of it. As he walked forward…he began to realize he could rule out being in the afterlife. Somehow…some sort of magical operation had been performed on him. He knew of nothing that could bring back someone from the dead, yet if he had to guess that was what had happened to him. But what did this mean? Who had done this? Where was his family?
All of the questions in Bahamut's mind were suddenly silenced, however, as he walked back onto the runic circle. For there was something else in the ring.
Resting on the ground, right in front of where Bahamut's head had been, lay a single envelope. Written in large letters across it, in the language of the espers, was a simple phrase.
Read me.
The great esper paused for a moment. He swallowed inside. Apparently…someone had not only brought him here…but had required a message that was best not delivered in person. This made him uneasy. However, he wanted answers more earnestly. And so, the great esper bent over and snatched the envelope from the ground. On raising back up, he quickly tore off the top of it, and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Heunfolded it, and discovered a message. What more…it was written in esper language, the kind of writing founded by Leviathan himself. Only other espers knew that. With that clue in mind, Bahamut began to read.
Good morning, "Neo" Bahamut.
Pardon the new phrase, but I think you will find that it suits you well. After all, what else do you call what you are now? In case you are wondering or haven't found it out yet…you were indeed dead. But now, thanks to a miraculous artifact I managed to obtain called the Crystal Stone, you live again. What more, it is in a brand new body far superior that that of your old one. You will find the power you possess to be greater than anything else that lives. Hence, I think Neo Bahamut fits you to a t.
That said, you're probably wondering who I am or why exactly you are alive after you died. Well, to answer both, at least in part, I'm the one who brought you back from the dead. Of course, you're also probably thinking what I want in exchange for this service. You would be correct in thinking so, but that can wait for the time being. For right now, I want to tell you that the world is not the wholesome, comforting place you left. Much has changed. For one thing, you have been out of it for two thousand, three hundred years at least at this point. And this world has changed quite a bit. We'll have much to discuss when we meet about it, but I think it's best if you take it nice and slow.
If you have time to read this, then don't worry, you won't be there much longer. I'm sending an envoy to pick you up as we speak. They'll bring you to me, and then I shall help…"bring you up to speed", so to speak. Until then.
N.
A flood of thoughts went through Bahamut's mind as he read this. The biggest phrase that stuck out was how long he had been dead. Two thousand, three hundred years… To an ageless esper, that may have meant little in terms of aging and relationships…but it was a horribly long time. A million things could have happened since then. The Lunarians could have moved in, for all he knew. There were several generations of espers that he had never met. The human race might be flying by this point. That long…he had been gone for that long… It was a stunning thought…an overwhelming thought… It was ages ago when he died…
Yet Bahamut was strong, and had been alive much longer than that. And so, he managed to stand. This was overwhelming, but no more overwhelming than realizing he was alive again when he should be dead, and had this new powerful body. Now, he tried to sort some things out. Someone had revived him…and wanted recompense? Who was this N.? He knew of no powerful espers that began with an N… So was it a human? A human had brought him back to life? Or a Cetra? He didn't know…but in any case, he didn't like it. The tone of this letter was too smooth and dangerous. It was filled with hidden venom, and it made the esper sweat to read it.
What he supposed might have made him the most fearful of all, however…was the fact that the letter said the world had changed. And in that long period of time…anything could have happened…
"Help! Help!"
Before Bahamut could think of this any longer, however, he suddenly wheeled around to the sound of a woman screaming in terror. His new senses immediately helped him to zero in on the precise location of the echoing noise he now heard. Deep in the woods, someone was being pursued. He had been distracted until now, and hadn't heard it coming. But now, he forgot about the message and waiting for any envoy, as he heard the sounds of danger. He thought of stretching out his senses, but he realized he didn't have to. Fast as he was now, it would take no time at all to get there. His new hearing pinpointed the person at exactly three miles away.
Immediately, Bahamut sprang into the air. Using his new airfoils, he pitched forward and soon shot through the sky. Even as fast as he was going, he could still hear the sounds. Even from his distance, he could hear everything. It sounded like a struggle. A woman was screaming for help, and she wasn't alone. There was a man with her…and he too was crying out. And he heard horrible noises…monsters. They were attacking them. And there were several of them.
Within moments, Bahamut was there, hovering over the forest right where he heard the noise. With a simple gesture, he pitched himself around and then dove for the forest floor. He soon tore through the canopy and landed on the ground. Right before him was the group. On his sudden and silent arrival, they all spun around in shock and glared in terror at the new monster that had shown itself.
First, Bahamut looked to the two humans. Both of them had collapsed on the ground from exhaustion. Hovering over them were horrible, twisted looking creatures. One had some sort of strange Mohawk and carried a bloody sickle, one that Bahamut could smell had been used to kill many more humans. The other carried a wrench himself, also matted with blood, and had a greasy look about him. They had both been poised to kill their prisoners. However, on seeing Bahamut, both of them froze and turned as white as ghosts. The two humans stared at him in petrified fear for a moment. Bahamut saw that although they were humans…they were dressed very oddly. They seemed to be too fond of collars and sleeves, and they were wearing too many clothes. Their hair and faces were also much cleaner and well groomed than he expected. At any rate, with Bahamut's arrival, they were free, and somehow they recovered from dragonawe to get up and run for it. Bahamut then turned his attention to the others. There was also some giant kind of gecko creature slinking along the ground. Beyond him, far to Bahamut's left, a rather old, battered, scarred, and weak looking giant lizard lurched about weakly. It was missing most of its teeth, three of its claws, and had only one eye. But it looked weakly to Bahamut, and glared at him.
"Get him."
Despite the age on the voice, Bahamut couldn't help but hear some familiarity to it. However, after hearing it, he quickly forgot about it. He was being attacked. Both the greasy one and the Mohawk flung their weapons at the great esper. On seeing them and the power behind them, Bahamut merely crossed his arms and stood. Sure enough, on connecting with him, the two weapons harmlessly dinged off his mighty new body. The two gaped in response, and that was the last thing they did. Using his new speed, Bahamut shot forward and was soon behind them, and swung his elbows back behind their heads. Even though it was a light tap…it broke both of their necks and fractured their skulls. They were dead before they fell to the ground.
The gecko was next. Suddenly, its throat bulged. It made a horrible snorting noise. Then, it snapped its head forward and spat a disgusting wad of phlegm at Bahamut. The esper turned to this, and saw it coming a mile away. He knew full well that this species of giant gecko had toxic spittle. Though he was more than strong enough to whether it, he decided there was no point. After nimbly dodging it, Bahamut shot forward to the gecko and swung his mighty fist. The gecko gaped only once before its body was sent flying through the air, smashing through several tree trunks along the way. Long before it landed…or even finished breaking trees…it was quite dead.
Bahamut turned his attention to the old lizard next. Hissing viciously, it shot forward and began to swipe menacingly at him with its remaining claws. Actually, it would have been fairly lethal if Bahamut wasn't as insanely powerful as he was. However, he merely dodged three times, easily moving out of the range of each claw swipe, before seizing the lizard's arm and barely squeezing. The result was an instant bone snap in its arm. The thing roared inhumanely, before swinging its other claw forward. Bahamut caught this and did much the same. Soon, the monster was bellowing in agony, and helpless in Bahamut's grasp.
"D-D-Damn you…" It hissed in a horrible voice.
"Filthy traitor." Bahamut hissed at the creature in its own tongue. "You think you can so easily violate the eternal decrees of Lord Bahamut? Did I not warn all creatures, under pain of death, to not harm humans?"
On hearing this, however, the agonized monster grew livid. It suddenly thrashed and spat about madly, and was filled with hate. "And you call me a traitor, you wretched human lover!" It snapped back. "You're the traitor! You've cursed your own race! You deserve to die, you miserable-"
Yet as the monster continued to curse Bahamut, it suddenly looked up and glared at his face. For a brief moment, the eyes of the two locked…or rather, the monster's one eye to Bahamut's two. And when they did…immediately recognition came into their brains. At once, their look into the other's eyes told them both who they were. The monster stopped thrashing about instantly, and beamed in overwhelmed amazement. As for Bahamut…his jaw dropped, and he immediately released the creature and let it fall to the ground. Yet even there, the creature continued to stare up at him in awestruck surprise.
"Lord…Bahamut…?"
Bahamut blinked only once, before whispering the fateful name of the one he hurt.
"Khan…"
The two were rendered silent for a moment. They could only stare at each other. Bahamut was shocked. He had hurt his trusted aid so badly. And yet…he had looked so different. He looked as if he had been through hell. And the reason he was so scarred could only be because he had been injured at points so severely that even his ability to regenerate couldn't help him. But how? How had this happened to him? What more…why did Bahamut sense so much evil and rage coming off of him a moment ago? He had been attacking those humans… He had been ready to rip them apart… But how? Why?
He had little time to think of an answer, for suddenly he saw Khan thrown himself forward. Old and withered as he was, his arms managed to regenerate. The bones snapped back into place, and Khan now prostrated himself before Bahamut. But it was more than that. Soon, he began to sob and cry. He dragged himself forward along the ground, blubbering as he did so, until he was at Bahamut's feet. Then he threw his arms around his legs and began to weep against him, clutching him hard as he did so.
"Master…master! You've come back! I thought I'd never see you again…but it's you! Master…"
The esper didn't know what to say. This was a total reversal. Now he stood there in stunned silence, looking down on the ruin of Khan as he continued to cry.
"Khan…why…?"
But he was unable to get anything. Khan continued to grasp him and moan out in happiness at his master's return. He became incoheirent as he continued.
Bahamut's face slowly turned away from shock, and his voice gained more power. "Khan…why are you doing this? What's happened to you?"
Still nothing. Khan continued to cry against him and didn't say anything else except the same blubbering chants. But before Bahamut could try and push anything else, Khan suddenly came back to life again. The creature leaned up and groveled at Bahamut's feet, but stared at him with open eyes filled with fear and tension.
"Master…you have to help us!" He half-cried. "You have to help us destroy them! All of them!"
Bahamut blinked on for a moment, still puzzled. He shook his head. "Who? Destroy who?"
"The humans!" Khan yelled back. "Help us destroy them, like they destroyed us!"
The great esper was shocked. He gaped at Khan in surprise. However, his old assistant didn't back down. He continued to stare at him, with a fervent, almost maddened look. He continued to plead with him. Bahamut couldn't believe Khan would have said such a thing. What was he talking about? What devilry had happened to the world since he had went out of it? At last, he had to press for more questions.
"Khan, you're not making any sense to me!" He nearly shouted. He reached down and seized both of Khan's hands, keeping him from groveling any longer. "I have no idea what you're talking about!"
Khan sniffled and continued to stare at him with tear-streaked cheeks and swollen eyes. He licked his lips and was silent a moment. He was still earnest and eager, and he was trembling with anxiety and panic. However…as he sat there…he began to calm down a bit. "No…I suppose you wouldn't, master…" He slowly answered after a short while. "Nireevyou said that you wouldn't…"
This only made Bahamut blink in confusion again. "Nireevyou? Khan…I don't understand. What's going on? Why are you doing this? Why are you talking like that about humans? Who is this person? What's happened to the Planet in the past two thousand years?"
Khan continued to sniffle and sob, but he slowly managed to regain his composure. He looked like he was having a hard time of it. It took him a few minutes before he was able to calm down enough around his lord and master. For that time, Bahamut relented his wrath. Normally, he would have ripped any creature limb from limb for attacking his beloved race. But this was Khan…and he allowed him a berth for now. But what happened? What madness would drive his friend to do this? He had believed in the Light Warriors before Bahamut had. He loved humans. And now…he was so bitter and hate-filled about them…
At last, the great lizard relaxed. Still sniffing, and rubbing his one good eye, he crept back a bit from Bahamut's presence. He was going to a nearby rock. Once there, he slowly climbed backward onto it. He sounded very stiff as he did so, old and injured. He grunted and moaned as he pulled himself across it. Once he was there, he lay flat and panted a moment, getting his bearings back from the exertion he had been through. He looked lazily out and showed nothing. But then, he turned to Bahamut again and focused his full attention on him. His slit eyes were filled with sadness, and Bahamut could already sense the trouble in his heart.
"I'm sorry, master…for my lack of respect. I just haven't seen you in over two thousand years. And I am so happy to see you after so long… But…things have gone horribly, horribly wrong. Something terrible has happened to us…to this world."
Bahamut stared back at him silently at this. But seeing as Khan was getting situated, he felt he must do the same. Slowly, he lowered himself to the ground and got into his own lying position. He feared for a moment that it would be impossible due to his new wings, but much to his pleasure they at last moved when they folded back and lay in collapsed rows along his sides. It was like collapsing a fan. He looked at this a moment, but then turned his full attention to Khan. He heard the darkness and sadness in his voice…and he already knew that something serious must have transpired to drive Khan to this.
"…What happened?"
Khan continued to steady himself. Pain joined his inner sadness. He swallowed again.
"…Things were alright for about the first thousand years…" He slowly started. "We weren't as unified as we were under you, and the Planet underwent a few minors crises. The Cetra nearly died out. A great meteor struck the Planet near Narshe…turned that part of the world into a frozen waste…but things were alright. Then we found out that Wyvern had been impersonating you…"
On hearing this, Bahamut's red immediately turned white. "Wyvern!" He suddenly exclaimed. "What are you talking about? How did Wyvern get here?"
"He came back after killing you, master. He was severely injured, but he had your magicite. He fooled us all into thinking he was you. He tricked us into rebuilding his broken body, and he ruled in your place for a thousand years."
Bahamut stiffened at that. His hands balled into fists…and he felt no small surge of anger within him. Damnit…he thought he had managed to finish Wyvern back on the moon. But he had survived, and there was no telling what evil he did when he came back. "What did he do to the world?" Bahamut instantly snapped, immediately blaming Wyvern for any danger that had happened. "Where is he now?"
"He didn't do anything to Gaia." Khan slowly continued. "Lord Leviathan managed to find a way to restrain him. He didn't do anything for close to a thousand years. But then…some horrible wizard from another world came and made a deal with him. He said he'd let him free and increase his power if he'd serve him. And so he agreed. He killed Lord Odin and Atomos. He destroyed the last standing human kingdom. He would have destroyed the world if it hadn't been for Lord Leviathan. He used the cast off positive energies from all esper-kind and united them into making a single esper offspring: Alexander. He destroyed Wyvern for good."
Bahamut paused at all this, and took in this large amount of information. Slowly, he managed to lean back a bit and relax. So, Leviathan had come through at last. What he lacked in power he made up for in intelligence. He had managed to thwart his brother before he had done too much damage…and had eventually finished him by making a new esper, this Alexander. But more dread began to strike him… He had killed Odin. Bahamut cursed inwardly at that. Another member of his family was gone. It filled him with dread and sadness. However…the worst was yet to come.
"After that, my lord…humanity changed." Khan continued. "This wizard hadn't just used Wyvern. He used other espers to destroy large cities of the world. He got them by extracting the seal that Leviathan had placed on the summoner race. Eventually, humanity beat this wizard…but after that, every kingdom wanted a summoner. They became their most precious commodity. They first gave each other in marriage…but then they starting fighting wars to get summoner infants. And when they received summoners…they received the ability to control us. To use us as weapons in wars. Soon, any country that had a summoner was able to use an esper as a weapon and became a major power."
Bahamut looked up again. His eyes widened. Had he just heard that correctly? Summoners had been mostly unknown to him during his time on Gaia, but they had always been friends of espers. Their powers were only to be used in times of distress or noble purposes. But now…what was this devilry he was hearing? Espers…destroying cities? Using their power for war? And being forced to do so by humanity? He didn't believe it to begin with. It seemed like some sort of fantasy or fanciful scenario presented.
"Things grew worse, my lord." Khan continued, his voice growing into a quiver. "Humanity began to realize how to get our true power…through our magicite. They saw that if they took it, then even the least among them could get incredible powers. Even the ability to summon more espers. And so…soon they were grabbing for us. Any esper that appeared on the world was fair game. They began to invade our homes…seize our children and drag us out. They enslaved us. The strong ones they made fight their wars with one another…made us fight our own kind. The weak ones they slaughtered for their magicite. They began to fight openly with one another, lying each other's cities waste, making us kill one another…esteeming everything based on their own power. They turned the world into a wasteland. The skies turned black from all the smoke and chaos… Forests were burned away… Everything was gone."
The great esper heard all of this…heard the deep sadness in Khan's voice…heard him as he grew quieter and slower in speech. And when he did, and scanned his own mind, he realized the truth.
Khan wasn't lying.
Bahamut nearly fell to the ground. He continued to gape at his old attendant. The nightmare of the past thousand years was replayed before him. And he couldn't believe it. That was what had happened, though. He could see the memories in Khan's mind…and they were horrible. Absolutely horrible. It was true. His people…once the mighty rulers of this world…reduced into a state of chaos and slavery. The Planet…his mother…turned into an ashy waste. Humanity once again had succumbed to its dark side for one of these wars…
"…What of Lord Leviathan and Lady Starlet?"
Khan quivered in response to this. "…Both were captured by a horrible weapon that the humans built as their own engine of destruction…the Atma Weapon. Leviathan was killed when he refused to submit to the owner of the machine. Starlet…she lived just long enough to destroy Leviathan's magicite, keeping any human from ever using it, before she too was murdered."
Bahamut felt his blood turn to ice. His head fell, and he clenched his mouth and eyes shut. He felt tears soon begin to run from them. Murdered…they had been murdered too. He couldn't believe it. When he had ruled, the espers had lived as they pleased. But now…for someone to so easily capture Starlet and Leviathan…to so easily kill them just like that… It was like the world turned upside down. From what he heard, it sounded as if espers were now the ones beneath humanity. The great esper couldn't believe it, that such things had happened… His last brother and sister…dead. He was the only one who had survived of the original espers…
No…I wasn't.
I died too…
"Humanity continued to ravage the world. They killed off their own species by the thousands. Eventually, there were three humans who reached a level of power so great they became like demi-gods on the Planet. No esper could stand against them. They were twisted and warped by their own pride and power…and they ruined what was left of the world battling each other. There was one…some phantom man who was nearly indestructible to any level of power and loved war… Another was some vain woman who wanted all to bow down to her in worship… And then there was the last…a killing force so terrible he declared himself to be the 'god of death incarnate'.
"Our race was doomed to extinction. They actively tried to hunt us down. The only thing we could do was flee to Terratopolis itself and seal ourselves in. So we did. After that…somehow these three monsters managed to get enough of their decency back to realize they were doing something horrible. Using their last shreds of dignity, they drew all of the Planet's spiritual power that had been used for magical abilities to themselves, and then turned themselves to stone. On seeing this, one of us left and picked their statues up and sealed them away with us, so no one could use them. But we left three statues made of gold on an island that paralleled our own.
"Over the next thousand years, humanity rebuilt without magical powers. Wizards were the things of legends to them. I'm not sure exactly what they did…but eventually they became strong enough to find the entrance to our lair and break in." Khan paused at this. He bowed his head slightly, and sneered. "It was all Maduin's fault…"
Bahamut was sank into deep thought and horror by now, but he managed to raise his head at this. "Maduin?"
"He was an esper born after the War of the Magi, as we called it." Khan retorted. "Some damn human woman found the way into our world. We wanted to kill her so she could never betray us, but Maduin refused to let us. He actually fell in love with that cursed race. He even had a bastard child with her."
The esper raised an eyebrow to this. Despite all the terrible things he was hearing, this gave him pause. Never before in the history of all espers had one of their kind actually interbred with a human. Bahamut never thought much of it in his time. After all, he saw humans as beloved creatures…but nothing more. To actually want to breed with a mortal human seemed…almost beneath them. Yet he supposed…if an esper was young enough an inexperienced enough…they might want to. But that was unbelievable. An actual human-esper hybrid? However…he also picked up on Khan's fury at this.
"No doubt…she eventually betrayed us." Khan sneered. "A year later, a damned human army followed her right into our world. They started capturing us again. We managed to seal them out…but not before the bitch, Maduin, and their bastard child went through the entrance as well. I'm sure she lived like a queen for selling us out after that…for selling out her own fool of a husband and child. We didn't know what was going on exactly. Luckily…they had forgotten about us in some respects, how to use us for magicite. We assembled a force by the sealed doorway and wondered how we could help them. While we did…they used what they did know about espers to build another horrible army, this time using real machines fueled by our very life forces. Finally, the bastard came back…and she opened the door, letting us into her world. I wasn't there to see what exactly happened…" Khan trailed off for a moment at this, and bowed his head. He closed his eyes and trembled. "…But I saw everything when they returned."
Bahamut looked in closer at Khan at this…and sensed a horrible fear in him. His memories were blotted out, because the demi-esper couldn't bear to remember them. But Bahamut pressed him. "…What did they do?"
Khan held a moment longer at this. But then…he raised his head and looked mildly at Bahamut.
"Genocide."
The great esper leaned back at that. That sudden black word suddenly shot through his brain…and on hearing it his heart seemed to stop. He stared back fearfully at Khan, who silently stared back.
"They had found out how to use magicite now…and they had killed every last esper that had went through and absorbed their powers through their magicite. Then they came back to our own domain…and continued. With their new powers, we couldn't stop them. There were only two there…some demented clown of a human and some heartless old ruler…but between the two of them they started to slaughter us left and right. They stood right in the doorway, not letting anyone escape. Every one they killed made them even stronger. Within maybe an hour…our race…was gone."
Bahamut's jaw loosened again. A blackness went through his mind, and suddenly it was blank. His heart froze, and his breathing ceased. He could only stare at Khan. He couldn't say anything. He couldn't think anything. But after a moment…he managed to slowly voice his denial.
"That's…impossible."
"That's what I thought, master…but I saw it none the less." Khan trembled in response, beginning to cry again. "I watched them die…and I can still hear that horrible man's laughter as he treated us like we were collectables. I wanted to kill him…but I couldn't. There was nothing I could do as they grew stronger and stronger. They became god-like…and yet they weren't satisfied. They wanted every last piece of magicite in the world for themselves. They only wanted more and more power. And the more they killed…the faster they became at it. Children…" Khan clenched his teeth and cursed. "Damn children who couldn't so anything but sit and cry…that horrible man killed them and just took what was left… They didn't care how weak or strong the esper was. Just for power…only power… All the human race ever wants…more power."
Bahamut was speechless. Now…he could read Khan's mind and see this…see the horrible genocide as it unfolded…and see that twisted excuse of a human doing it all. He couldn't even really call him a human at this point. He was a monster…a true, unadulterated monster. And his people…his race…slaughtered without pity or mercy. The race that had struggled so hard for humanity…now merely considered raw materials to be collected. Humanity was no longer destroying itself…it was destroying its old saviors…the ones who had loved them for so long… Killed so cruelly and pitilessly. Not even thought of as living creatures…just means to more power.
The great esper didn't feel anger right now, however. He felt just great sadness. So many espers…espers he had seen be born and grow for generations…now gone. His people…gone. Terratopolis…the world he had made for himself…gone. Turned into a graveyard. The full measure of what had happened began to sink in. There was nothing left. His whole race had been destroyed. Wiped out. Slaughtered.
He had woken up…in a world without espers.
He feared it. He wouldn't believe it. In denial, he began to stretch out his senses. But as he did…he saw it was true. No large energy signatures. No familiar faces. All he saw were humans…a world of humans. Not one esper. He scanned over at Terratopolis…and found there was nothing there to scan. Nothing was left except a few plants. He couldn't even feel the energy of the volcano. Gone…all gone. His heart began to feel like ice…and a vicious tremble went through him. He was alone. The rest of his race…all destroyed. He was…the last of his kind. Everyone else was gone. His generations…the offspring of his family…dead. All of his friends and acquaintances…his family…had been wiped out.
The horror made the esper apoplectic. He held himself up on his forelegs a moment longer…but then wavered and collapsed to the ground. He let his head fall, and stared blankly ahead as he saw the horrible images in Khan's memory. He wasn't a man who cried often, and the mixture of negative emotions he felt now included far more than just sadness. So he did not cry…but he still looked out in sadness and horror…and realized all of his race was gone.
Khan himself sniffled and bit back tears, and then continued. "…Even after they had killed us all, they still hadn't had enough. They wanted even more power."
Bahamut paused in stunned silence at this. He stared out blankly for a moment longer. But then…his jaw slowly tightened and began to twist into a furious sneer. "…How much more power could those damn butchers want!" He found himself hissing, growing in volume as he did.
"The statues, my lord." Khan answered. "They wanted every last bit of magical power on Gaia to be given to them. So they went to the statues. I don't know what happened then…" Khan paused here a moment. Slowly…his head bowed…and he grew quieter and shook again. He struggled not to break out in more sobs. "Singh and I fled…for when they reached the statues…they made Terratopolis rise from the earth and float in the sky. They also unleashed horrible mutant abominations…and Singh didn't make it…" The half esper trailed at this, and bowed his head a bit lower while closing his eyes. Bahamut stared out in response, showing no more emotion…but inside feeling his own sadness grow a bit more. That was why Khan had come alone. Singh would have always been with him.
However, Khan recovered after a moment, and raised his head. "Like I said, I don't know for sure what happened…but somehow they did something to the statues. When they broke up…they rearranged the face of the Planet and destroyed Terratopolis. Everything on Gaia that had taken a thousand years to regrow was laid waste again. Everything started to die. The clown man killed his own master so that he could alone rule, declaring himself the god of Gaia. The dark monsters of the Ancient World were unleashed and rampant. I thought it was the end.
"Then…about a year ago, some human group attacked him. They destroyed the three statues and the madman. As a result…all of the magicite on the Planet began to disappear. Somehow, those three demigods had ensured that the very essence that kept magical power on this world was tied to them, so that our own essences faded afterward. Within a half hour, all of the magicite shards had disappeared, and their spirits returned to the Planet.
"As for those who were left…we were hunted down. Humanity has resumed its ownership of this world, and now freed from their oppressors they want us dead along with the other monsters of the Ancient World. We have been tortured…beaten…starved… We were a miserable ruin. Humanity almost finished off our entire race." Khan paused for a moment after this, and then raised his head in a somewhat more hopeful gesture. "But then… Nireevyou came."
Bahamut was sunk in his own gloom at this point, realizing now that even the essence of what his family had been was gone. It was something too horrible for him to imagine. But then, he raised his head again at this name.
"You've mentioned that before… Who is this Nireevyou?"
"One of us, my lord. One of the last of the non-human races alive." Khan responded. "He's been around for hundreds of years, ever since the end of the War of the Magi. He had sealed himself away and watched to see what would happen. After the clown man was destroyed, he finally showed himself again. He wielded fantastic power. He found the last few survivors of our races and brought us together. My lord…other than you…he is the last pure esper still alive."
Bahamut's eyebrow raised at this. Another esper? So he wasn't the last of his kind after all… But who was this? The name filled Bahamut with puzzlement. He had never heard of a Nireevyou… Then again, it had been a couple thousand years since he had died. He probably hadn't heard of a lot of espers since then. And yet…this one was the only survivor. Out of all of his kind…only one esper had managed to avoid death. Everyone else was gone. Whoever this mysterious esper was…he had to be rather resourceful and competent to have gone on for this long.
"He's the one who made us into a fighting force." Khan continued with more earnest. "But there's more than that, master… You see, he came out here the other day. None of us knew why, only that he took one of Lord Leviathan's old devices with him…the Crystal Stone. It was what had been used to make Alexander centuries ago, but he found out that it could actually be used to resurrect espers! But it tookcenturies to recharge its sun energy…so it could only be used once. We knew he was going to try and bring an esper back from the dead…but I had no idea it would be you! Then again…I thought you would be the best choice. You are our king, after all…"
Bahamut said nothing. His face was expressionless now, and he thought over this latest information. So…that was what had happened. That's who the "N" was on that message. It was this Nireevyou. He was the one who had brought him back from the dead. Bahamut supposed he should have been grateful for that… However, something about this story did not seem all together a happy ending to him, and it began to unnerve the great esper. He turned back to Khan.
"How did he manage this?"
"Somehow, Nireevyou managed to get a piece of your magicite from Doom Gaze, the monster that had taken you. Using that, and the power of the Crystal Stone, he managed to reenergize your essence and give you a new body, then call back your spirit into it. I don't know all the details…" Khan trailed off at this, and then smiled wider. "But this…this is wonderful! The King of All Espers lives again! With you and Nireevyou together, we'll be unstoppable! Humanity won't have a chance! We'll rule this planet again within a year!"
The great esper's face changed at this. The eagerness with what Khan was saying got to him, and he suddenly turned dark. He held up his hand in a stopping gesture. "Khan…what are you talking about?"
The half esper calmed down at this, and then spoke up again. "Master…that's why we're uniting. We were in danger of becoming wild savages to be hunted down by mankind again. But no more. Under Nireevyou, we've been uniting. We're starting to build and train now. We're making a true army, and we're gathing more every day who are willing to work. Soon…we'll be able to forge our own kingdom again. Then we'll destroy humanity."
Bahamut's eyes widened a bit at this. "…Destroy?"
Khan clenched his jaw and balled his hands into fists. "We'll get revenge for all the years of suffering we endured. We'll make them pay for kicking us out and shunning us… We'll get revenge for how they twisted and warped our world…turning it into a waste. Every last one of the great espers will be avenged. Humanity has had it. They treated us like dogs and slaves…but we won't give them the same courtesy. We'll make them pay with their own blood for our blood. And with you to lead us…they'll be no stopping us! You could probably destroy humanity yourself!"
But Bahamut was not thinking of that. He was transfixed on Khan. Again, the hate had surged. Bahamut felt his overwhelming anger come forth, and he had seen how it had demented and twisted Khan…and how with such delight he talked about spilling human blood. Bahamut couldn't believe it. Had his friend changed so much?
"Khan…how can you want to do this?" Bahamut finally stated.
Khan's smile immediately faded…and it turned to confusion. He looked up to Bahamut with an almost puzzled expression, as if Bahamut was the one who was truly confused.
"You were the one who trusted the Light Warriors before anyone else. You loved humanity. And now you want to kill them?"
Khan's face nearly turned to shock. However, deep hurt was more of what was in it. He was stunned that Bahamut could be saying these things back to him. "Master…they slaughtered us! They murdered my race! Destroyed our home! Killed Singh! And they didn't think of us as anything but animals! Of course I want to kill them!" Khan's eyes began to tear at this, and his jaw clenched as he grew angry. "I want to tear every last one of them apart! I want to rip apart their babies with my teeth just as they sliced our infants up into meat! I want to burn their kingdoms to the ground just like they burned ours! They drove us off of our own world! Made us live in terror! Tortured and murdered the captives!" Khan's anger had built almost to violent rage at this point, and he suddenly threw his head down and screamed out as tears came from his eyes.
"I hate them! I hate them all!"
Bahamut couldn't believe it…as he saw the agony that had driven Khan mad. It had twisted him inside as well as outside, and now he could sense only ruthless, merciless anger from him. He saw horrible scenes of violence flash through Khan's mind, each one of some terrible, inhuman act to humanity. He couldn't believe it. This was his once youthful, merry assistant? This miserable, hate-filled creature, so full of bloodlust and death?
"Khan…"
But at this, Khan suddenly lifted himself off of the rock. He looked up and glared hatefully at Bahamut…and he seethed.
"How can you tell me not to kill them!" He suddenly accused. "You weren't even here! You didn't see your friends be murdered before your eyes! You didn't see your world be torn up around you to satiate some ungrateful human lust! You didn't see the war when they feasted on their own flesh and sacrificed their families to get our powers! They call us the monsters…but they're demons! How can you sit there and defend them! After all they did! After all the innocent lives they took! They deserve to die! Every last one of them deserves to die! They're a disease! I thought you'd see that! I thought you'd want to help us!"
Bahamut was taken aback. He never expected such violence from Khan. Now, the hate was directed to him for not consenting to this immediately. And it was so terrible…the great esper found himself shocked. Was he that full of unforgiving hatred?
But then, at the same time, another dark voice spoke inside him.
Why don't you want to help kill them?
Look at them. Look at what they did. They killed everything…took everything away from you. They butchered your entire race. You can see it. You can see it when you look into Khan's mind…all of the horrible details. Humanity didn't come through this time. Rather…they used you. They used your people as weapons, and nothing else. They slaughtered every last one of your race. You have nothing…and all because of them. Again, what Crusader said has come around. She warned you. She warned what would happen if you didn't rule them. She was right. Everything she said that they would do, they did.
They turned your world into a wasteland.
They turned your race into slaves.
The first war taught them nothing. They turned this planet into a world of darkness, but it wasn't enough for them. After a thousand years, they did it again. They went worse. So now what? Another thousand years? Then there will be another war. And this time…what will be left? What will they want power from now? They weren't satisfied when they made your people into their personal collection. They weren't satisfied when they gained all the power of magic in the world. When will they be satisfied? Ever? They just keep wanting more…more…more… More power…more death…more destruction… They took everything you loved and slaughtered it. There's nothing left in this world for you.
They forgot again. They forgot everything about what you did. They turned belligerent and horrible again. They are monsters. They are killers. How can you sit there and defend them? Haven't you granted them enough mercy? Shouldn't they all die for this crime? Shouldn't they all pay for what they have done? You've let them live long enough like this. You should vent your judgment. You saved their race. Their lives belong to you. So revoke the gift they have squandered. They have committed a horrible, horrible crime…and their penalty should be death. They should all suffer…
Bahamut was nearly consumed by these thoughts. The fact was…his sadness had passed, and his anger replaced it. How dare they use him and his people like this? How dare they act so ungrateful, engage in these abominations? They were gaining more and more power…and they continued to abuse it. When would they be satisfied? When did it end? How much more had to die for them? And besides…they had committed a horrible crime. And Bahamut couldn't forgive it. He was furious at humanity…filling with rage. They had treated them like sheep for the slaughter…perhaps they did deserve to be slaughtered in return…
Had he never endured the Age of Chaos, he might have joined the wizard there.
However, he had.
…No. No, I won't believe it.
…Not yet.
Good never fades out from humanity. Always…there is a remnant. There has to be something. After all…who else would have gone against that madman? Sure, they could have been doing it to save their own lives…but I doubt it. Their whole race can't be finished. They can't all be wicked. There has to be something here worth saving…some genuine people who are still true and just. There have to be people like Palad still in this world… Somehow, in the midst of all this darkness and chaos, good has to have remained. Even these psychotic demigod magi had enough decency in them to end their horrible war. There still must be something left.
I cannot wage war against this race knowing that. I can't put them all to slaughter like they put us to slaughter. If for nothing else…I have to show that I am more merciful than them. Khan…he is too clouded with hate and rage. His story is biased. I owe it to the human race, especially after the Light Warriors, to see the whole story and both sides.
Besides…if this Nireevyou did revive me to have me help him wage war on mankind…then, esper or not, he is simply using me as a weapon. I once pledged myself as an enemy to the enemy of humanity. I can't break that so easily.
"…Are there any others besides you, Nireevyou, and myself left that have esper blood in them, Khan?"
The half esper hesitated at this. He was still brimming with anger, quivering with it now. However, this question made him calm slightly, although he continued to glare at Bahamut. "…Nireevyou has two other half esper assistants. Then there's the bastard. You and he are the only pure espers left."
Bahamut hesiated after hearing this. But then, after a pause, he slowly began to stretch himself back to his full height. Soon he was on his feet, and he was unfurling his air foils again. On seeing this, Khan's calmness faded. It turned into a mixture of confusion and anger. Bahamut didn't explain himself. He merely turned away and faced the forest.
"Where are you going?"
Bahamut hesitated for a moment at this. But then, he turned his head slightly behind him. "…I am going to talk with the human-esper hybrid for myself. I owe it to humanity to hear their side of the story."
But on hearing this, Khan suddenly leapt off of his rock and went vehement with rage. "I was right!" He screamed at him. "I don't believe this! You're actually going to side with them! You're going to help them! You're going to assist the murderers!"
"I did not say that." Bahamut calmly replied. "I merely want to hear both sides. Perhaps I can negotiate a peace…"
"PEACE!" Khan screamed. "You…you traitor! There is no peace! There is only one of us living and the other dying! They don't deserve peace! They deserve to die! Why can't you see that! We need to kill them now while we still have time! Damn peace! And damn them all to hell!"
Bahamut heard Khan seethe behind him. His anger was dangerously high. It was pushing out all other pity or love. He had only his hate now…and it was surging at everything, but especially Bahamut. He sensed horrible hurt and feelings of betrayal in him, and it was stripping Khan of whatever mercy or decency he had left. Bahamut stared at it…and almost couldn't bear to watch. He wasn't the Khan he remembered. He was being turned into the same monster he hated. He didn't recognize him anymore. If nothing else…Bahamut realized he had to show mercy to the humans to keep this from happening to him. If he had given in, this might be him right now. Slowly, Bahamut could only turn away.
"Farewell, my friend."
Bahamut was moments from taking off. But right before he could…he felt something unexpected.
Khan was suddenly on his back, sinking his teeth into his neck and trying to stab him in the back with his remaining claws.
"Traitor! TRAITOR! I hate you! I hate you! I HATE YOU! Curse you! Curse you and every last human! I HOPE YOU DIE AND ROT IN HELL WITH THE REST OF THEM!"
Bahamut was not one to tolerate being attacked. Khan could barely hurt him…but Bahamut realized something else. Khan was too far gone. He would never forgive humanity…and he would always be a threat to them. He had forgotten about the Light Warriors. He remembered only his pain…and he could never forget it. It had driven him mad with hate. He now wanted only to murder Bahamut as well…and to Bahamut's terror he realized now, as he scanned Khan, that his former attendant would do so if he ever got the chance. Seeing this…Bahamut's small tolerance left him. His righteous anger began to replace it, and he felt his strength surge.
Suddenly, the great esper snapped around so fast that Khan was left suspended in the air where he had been.
Before the hateful creature could realize what had happened, Bahamut drove his fist forward and put it through his head.
The esper immediately froze, and his jaw dropped. Moments later…the sounds of the contents of Khan's brains hitting a nearby tree splattered…and the body went limp on his wrist. Bahamut stood in stunned silence.
He…had killed him.
His attendant and friend…he had killed him. He hadn't known his own strength. He didn't know he would have been that strong…
But then, as Bahamut stood there, he rethought that. No…he knew. He knew he was going to kill him. He killed him because he could do nothing else with him. He killed him because of what he had become. He knew what he was doing when he spun around. He knew he was going to murder his own friend. But he had no choice. There was nothing left he could do for him. Khan had started down his own dark path, and he wouldn't come back. He knew there was nothing he could do to bring him back. He would have only hurt people now…
No…
No…I didn't murder Khan.
Khan had been dead ever since the war broke out.
I murdered a madman.
Bahamut slowly let his arm fall. As it did…Khan's remains slowly slid off. He stared at him in silence for a bit longer. His friend was gone. The last person alive he would have talked to and trusted…gone. Now he was truly alone. Alone in a world without espers or magic. A world where only humans still dominated. It was later now. The afternoon was coming on, and still Bahamut stood there for a few moments longer in silence, thinking about all that had happened and what this meant. What would he do now? What was his place in this new world? Did he even have one?
Bahamut didn't know. But he would find no answers here. His answers were with this hybrid…or at least, they would start there. He had to find out.
Despite his thoughts that he had done the right thing…Bahamut looked down to Khan's fallen body. He stared a moment longer…before his mouth whispered something silently to him. He stared at him a moment later…and shed one single tear, letting it slowly roll off of his cheek and fall to the ground. After that, he looked back to the sky and prepared his airfoils again. Moments later, he was not only in the sky and flying away, but already miles away.
To be continued...
Yes, I'm treating Neo Bahamut and Bahamut as the same person. (Sorry, nightdragon)
Some of you may be wondering about how Bahamut's magicite could have been used, or gotten from Doom Gaze when Terra and company did it. Here's the thing. They managed to get the magicite from Doom Gaze, but a piece of it was still left on the monster when it fell. This is what Nireevyou collected, and what he managed to keep from vanishing when the rest of the magicite shards disappeared. They'll be more on this in later chapters.
