Bahamut soon forgot about his mission to find the hybrid for a while. Instead, he raced across the surface of Gaia, trying to burn off his anguish. Now…he freely wept. His tears dotted the countryside of the world over. Just seeing the Planet…seeing how barren and devoid of life it was…not sensing so much as a single other esper…brought him to tears. The world wasn't even as he remembered it. It had been totally rearranged after the destruction described in the story. So much of the world was nothing more than barren plains, without any sign of life on any of it. But even if there was…the world would still be as empty and cold as it had been years ago.
They were all gone. The world, which had once been ruled by his kind, was no more. His age had totally come to an end. Now…he was just a relic. He was the sole survivor save for this other…and what could they do except sit around and wait to die? There was no world left for them. They had nothing…no peace to go to after this. No wonder that this other had turned to war. War could be the only purpose he had left. It was something. It was a bad something…but Bahamut knew that after it was over this man would have nothing again. There was nothing left for any of them.
After everything we tried…everything we did…the world is the same as it was before we arrived.
Bahamut had to fly now to burn it off. He had to weep for this world. He was a stranger in a strange land now, and that was enough to make anyone miserable. He had to have his time to grieve. And so he did. For hours and hours he flew over this world, silent and sobbing. He indulged the full measure of his misery, letting it all come flowing out. For a long time…there was nothing else he could do.
But then, at an appointed time, Bahamut took in a deep breath to stifle the last of his tears, and wept no more.
He had to make a new start now. He was still immortal, and very strong. He could not run around weeping for the rest of eternity. He had to find a new place in this world for him. He didn't know where it was, but he had to try. In time, he had to regain what he had lost. He was alone…but he was one. Somehow, he would have to try and rebuild. He wasn't sure how to begin. He wasn't sure if he wouldn't be hunted down like the rest of his kind. But he had to try. He had to live…for the memory of his slaughtered kindred. He had to survive.
With that in mind, Bahamut slowly got his wits about him. His grieving was over. He needed to think of what to do next. He began to scan the ground to make a new mental map of how the world looked. As he did, he considered again the hybrid. He thought of her for a moment. Apparently, Khan had little love for her, her mother, or this Maduin. But regardless of that…she was one of the few individuals that had esper blood left in her. And much of Khan's story had been biased toward hatred. There was a chance that it had been stretched. He thought he should find out for himself. She would be an interesting specimen to examine, if nothing else. And she was part esper…which meant that he would want her allegiance eventually.
But if she gave the impression that she had collaborated with the worthless men that had massacred his race in opening that gate…he would gladly finish her as Khan had threatened.
With that in mind, Bahamut stretched out his senses again. Soon…he picked up on an interesting reading, and immediately he made a perfect ninety degree turn in midair and flew for it.
With his new speed, it took Bahamut no time at all to get there.
Bahamut still had only a fragmented concept of what the world was like now, especially after what had happened. He wasn't sure what kingdoms or governments were in power…if any after the apocalypse that Khan had mentioned. Where the signature led was far from human civilization, on the end of a very long peninsula. There wasn't another living soul for miles, and it was getting dark out. This kind of situation, to a human, was not a welcome situation. Normally, he expected to see lights from one of their cities as he neared. However, as he drew closer, he saw nothing of the sort. As the light darkened, he only continued to see darkness. Soon night had fell, and still he saw nothing.
Fortunately, Bahamut had other senses as well. His new body seemed to be excellent at picking up other sorts of light, such as infrared. Soon, he was seeing the world in a black and white, yet clear, view as he continued to go forward. And after traveling a few more miles, heat last saw something. There was a town out here near the seashore. Rather…there was the ruins of a town. There were a couple of wrecked buildings surrounding a mass of ruins, and looking rather overgrown and unkept. On seeing this, Bahamut immediately dropped out of the sky and to the ground.
On touching down, Bahamut called on his superior abilities to be as stealthy as possible, and continued his approach. The town was nestled between rock cliffs…but it was still easily visible. Some of the few trees left in the world grew around it. Bahamut was a bit confused. This place looked like a ruin. A ghost town. No one was here. Not a single light was showing, not even from a campfire. It was dark and silent, and night creatures were moving without hindrance through the town, examining things and moving on. Crickets chirped and frogs croaked. Perhaps his target was only resting here.
But after a moment, he stretched out his senses to confirm it. Sure enough, he soon saw several sentient beings there. They weren't in the wreck. They were beneath it, in some sort of basement chamber no doubt. There were about nine in all. On closer examination, Bahamut recognized five children (three boys, two girls), two teenagers, the hybrid (who seemed to be in her late teens herself), and a toddler girl. All were human save for the hybrid. On scanning her, Bahamut saw that her powers already far transcended that of normal people. She merited a closer investigation at the very least. This would actually answer a question of his that he had for some time. Humans were the only species close enough in nature to espers that they were able to utilize the powers of magicite. So what kind of creature would a hybrid be?
Bahamut didn't know, but he continued to creep forward. He was perfectly silent as he did so, although the crickets and cicadas managed to keep him concealed. It was late now. As he drew closer, he could sense that some of the children were already asleep. The older ones were awake, but he had a feeling they were lying down too. With his new body and knowledge, it would be child's play for him to slip into this building and investigate further…
However, just as Bahamut began to grow within striking range of the first wrecked building…he heard a vicious barking. He looked up, and saw that two guard dogs had suddenly leapt up and began to sound their alarm call. Bahamut saw this, and frowned. So much for a clean entrance. He should have suspected this, in actuality. This was a wilderness out here, filled with dangerous creatures. No wonder they had gone below and not had any lights. They didn't want to attract any predators. And now that these dogs were barking, no doubt the hybrid would soon be around. Indeed…these weak humans would never have survived without her for defense.
Soon, Bahamut's sharp hearing heard a door opening and closing far in the distance. A dim light began to flutter in the window of one of the wrecks, like a torch. It was time for him to make his escape. Immediately, he turned and took off again. His airfoils made him totally silent, and he didn't leave a sound as he soared a mile away within seconds. By the time the hybrid had gotten to her dogs to calm them down and look for signs of an intruder, Bahamut was well out of range of a scanning spell. From this safe distance, so far away he could barely make out the trees and buildings around this town, he monitored the hybrid. It was odd. It seemed…for a moment…that she was trying to draw some inner power out from within her. Bahamut was intrigued by this, and focused on it. It seemed that she had an inner energy within her…but she was unable to draw it. It was intriguing to Bahamut. It seemed as if it was similar to the trance form of Starlet. She couldn't transform into Ashura unless this "power" was "charged up" in a way. Perhaps this worked in the same format…
However, on thinking a bit harder of this, Bahamut thought of something new. This inner power…whatever the hybrid was trying to draw out…seemed "discharged". Because she was half esper…Bahamut wondered if this might be a side effect of magical energy "disappearing". Well, of course all magical energy hadn't disappeared. Bahamut still had his powers, and he believed this other esper did as well. They'd be dead if all magical energy had faded. But if that was the case…how come the power had faded from the rest of humanity? And how come the shards of magicite had disappeared?
Bahamut's only thought was that somehow, these three statues had made themselves the "sources" of magical power when they took it all to themselves…like some sort of storage tank or capacitor, from which all other magical power now came from. Perhaps…as the espers had lived on in the years following the incident, their innate power had gradually been replaced by this "borrowed" or "outsourced" power. That would explain why, when the statues disappeared, that the magicite had disappeared as well. Magicite wasn't the soul of the esper so much as their distilled essence and energy. And if all of that energy had come from the three statues, then naturally it would have disappeared. Yet if any of those espers had actually been alive, their own innate spiritual energy would have been able to remain fixed on this world, and therefore would have lived even after their power was taken away. It would have drained them, yes…but once the statues were gone, there would be nothing keeping the natural flow of power from coursing through them and restoring their strength. No doubt, this is why the hybrid had survived. She was still alive when it happened, so her spirit must have tied into something of this world and therefore survived the end of magic. Pity there weren't more living espers when this happened…
At any rate, by this point the hybrid had cautiously turned and returned to the house. As she did, Bahamut was left alone in the night to rethink his strategy. Perhaps approaching now was too soon. He should try to get a better idea of what he was dealing with first. And that chance would come tomorrow morning.
With that in mind, the esper slowly settled himself on the ground, folded his arms, and lay his head down. He wouldn't sleep. He was too full of energy for that. But he would wait. Early tomorrow, before the sun rose, he would take his new position.
As it turned out, Bahamut soon received a wave of déjà vu the next day. The only place that could hold his massive size in a concealed area was one of the cliffs overlooking the human settlement. So, he rested there, much as he had thousands of years ago to watch Palad's tribe. However, not trusting his massive size and bright red color to be obscured, he quickly used a vanish spell he had learned prior to death on himself. Soon, the light was bent around him and turned him almost invisible. He wasn't completely invisible, but so long as he lay still no human would notice he was there. Thus prepared, Bahamut lay in patient wait for the hybrid.
When dawn finally broke, she was the first one out. From her cautious behavior and mannerisms, Bahamut immediately guessed that she was looking for some of the rough creatures in the area. As it was, she soon found one that had managed to slip past the dogs and was now digging around in a small garden planted near the home. It was an ugly great insect creature, and it dug up the rough ground with its massive claws and crammed vegetables into its large mandibles. The hybrid soon saw it, and with expert skill, deadly accuracy, and incredible strength, she slaughtered it with a single blow from the back of her hand. Bahamut was justly impressed, but not surprised. On scanning her power, he knew that was more than possible with her given level of strength. Once she had killed it, she walked over to the garden and looked down to it. Despite her quick response, the creature had been feeding for a while. A third of the crop they were growing was gone, and he caught a heavy sigh from the hybrid and look of anxiety.
The hybrid had definitely inheirited most of her characteristics from her human half. She appeared, by all accounts, to be a normal human young woman. She had a light battle dress on, all of it bright red and shades of pink, and she wore a light set of dress armor over her shoulders. Her eyes were a stunning blue, vivid and strong despite the rest of her mild mannered appearance. Her hair, the only unnatural item on her, was bright green, like fresh leaves in spring. It was tied back in a short tail. On the exterior, she looked perfectly normal. It was easy for this one to pass as human.
After pausing a bit longer, the woman went to the house again and called inside for those within to come out. Soon, the rest of the troop came, along with another guard dog. The younger kids immediately began to rush around the ruins and play, having the time of their lives. They acted as normal children did, laughing and shouting and teasing and generally making a big ruckus in their wake. The teenage woman came out soon after, taking the toddler with her. Once out, she found a place to sit on a large stone, and led the toddler walk around in front of her. In response, the girl began to stare and grab for everything. The older girl, obviously the mother to Bahamut, frequently had to grab things out of her hands when she grabbed them, for everything she didn't was promptly crammed into the toddler's mouth. She also pointed to many things and babbled words, and with a smile and encouraging look, the girl told her the full right name and called her a "good girl".
As for the hybrid and the male teenager, the former led the latter over to the crop. On seeing it, the teenager sighed, rubbed his brow, and uttered some sort of curse. Obviously, he had to be the father of the toddler. There were no other "developed" males in the area. He and the hybrid continued to look with troubled expressions at the ruined field, and crossed their arms and shook their heads. Bahamut only paid slight attention to this as he looked over the other children. As he did, he began to smell them this time, as well as scan them lightly. He didn't want to too much. If this girl was half esper, she would probably pick up on it. All half espers could clearly hear telepathic messages, even if they weren't trying. He could tell that she even had the ability to speak telepathically a little herself.
When he did scan, he found that most of these children were just that…innocent children. But they did not belong to the hybrid. He tried prying in a bit deeper to get their pasts…when he saw the hybrid suddenly snap out of her worry and turn her head to cliff. On doing so, Bahamut immediately cut off and went still. But even after doing so, the hybrid continued to stare up in his direction with an uneasy look for a few minutes, before turning back to the male. With that done, Bahamut realized he'd have to get information the old fashioned way…by spying.
After about a half hour, he was able to pick up somewhat. His smelling revealed that these children actually belonged to several different parents. Only two were related. The hybrid wasn't related to them all either. However, whenever one of the children had a problem, they ran up to the hybrid, calling out, "Mama! Mama!". Hearing that, and seeing how the teenagers were deferring to her, Bahamut began to understand what had happened. Perhaps this town had once been flourishing, but guessing from its position it had obviously been turned into a ruin in the wake of the statues being moved. Perhaps these children were the only survivors. This hybrid seemed to have appointed herself as their guardian or matron.
Realizing that, Bahamut soon believed that Khan had to be wrong about her in at least some ways. Obviously, she did have some love in her heart. However, that was all he would allow for the time being. She had love for humans…but her paternal race? And without being able to scan her mind, he couldn't guess her true intentions. However, he could smell heightened anxiety on her. It seemed that his latest probe in addition to the dogs last night had made her wary. Bahamut began to realize he was overplaying his hand, and had to be more careful. These weren't some easily deluded, dim-witted humans. This one might actually sense him in the area.
Bahamut continued to watch them for hours. They stayed out most of the morning. He eventually learned some names. The male teenager was named Duane. The hybrid was named Terra. Only the older teenagers called her Terra. The younger all called her mother. They all stayed close to her, and always ran to her for protection and love. She had definitely filled the role of mother for them. For the most part, she was very kind to them. And if she was faking the love she bore them…then she was the most convincing actor that Bahamut had ever seen. Even without scanning her, this woman wore her heart on her sleeve. She never held back any emotion she was feeling. In fact…it almost seemed as if she enjoyed loving other people, as if it was an emotion that she craved. Beyond that, however, she also felt fear. He could tell that too…smell it on her. She was hiding it from the children, but not him. From the conversations, he knew the reason. That creature had effectively ruined their meager crop. Now, they were in danger of starving after the next harvest. Frankly…Bahamut thought they were in danger of starving anyway. That puny garden was hardly enough to feed nine people. Yet he understood the problem. There were no animals here for plowing, and only three of them could actually do it. The rest were too young yet. At least externally…Bahamut didn't see anything wrong with Terra. And she didn't give off any residual dark emotion. At least as far as this group was concerned…she seemed to be genuine.
Eventually, as the afternoon began to come on, Terra called the children inside. It was still fairly early, but she seemed eager to get them in. Perhaps it was lunchtime. At any rate, they obliged and readily went inside. The teenager and her baby were taken up and went in, and Duane brought up the rear with the dog, shutting the door behind them. Bahamut heard it double lock, but he knew full well that only something that was interested in getting in by turning a handle would be kept out. Anyone else would just break it down. As it turned out, going inside was a pretty good idea. After the high of the day, and the sun began to set, wilder animals came out again. These ones were far more dangerous than the typical fare that was out that morning. It was an unnecessary risk to leave them out. Things would only get wilder as night came.
Bahamut, therefore, was left to sit and stew over his latest considerations. However, to his disdain, he had learned little of what he considered important. He wanted to know who this person was up close and personally. He wanted to hear her story. But she had little need for recalling things about espers or her travels in front of a bunch of children. If he wanted a real answer…he needed to talk to her personally. Or at least get in her mind more formally. Yet he didn't want to do it normally. She'd resist then, or try and come after him and ruin his secretive approach to this investigation.
That gave him one other option, and he realized in short order he'd have to go with it.
He could wait until she fell asleep.
Terra sleepily opened her eyes. When she did, a pale blue glow greeted her. She was surrounded by it on all sides. This was definitely not Mobliz. However, rather than react in fear or astonishment, she was perfectly calm. She didn't know how she had gotten here or why, but she didn't care or think about it. After all…a dreamer often doesn't consider how they got to the place where their dream began, or could even remember it that well unless they thought harder about it. She just calmly accepted her reality, and reclined where she was.
Still…this seemed more real than usual.
It was a forest…a very deep, very old forest. It was a place that looked like it was from an enchanted fairy tale, one of those places were old fairies and elves lived. It had an open, empty undergrowth, because the canopy was too thick to let any light through. It stretched on endlessly in all directions, as far as the eye could see for miles. Then there was that pale blue glow… It covered everything. It poked through the trees overhead and bathed the world in its soft light. Small specks of blue light danced in the sky around her, gently floating on the breeze. All was calm and quiet…and she felt cool and comfortable here. That was strange…she never recalled feeling anything in a dream.
Slowly, Terra began to rise from where she lay. As she looked down, she received another unexpected thing. Yet again, like in any dream where something out of the ordinary happened, an air of familiarity was on it, and so she didn't react. She had changed clothes. She was wearing a longer, more elegant gown now. But it wasn't the same style as the opera singers wore or the nobles. It was much simpler…older…and yet still made of some fabric she couldn't identify. It seemed to shimmer too. She next raised a hand to her head, and found that her hair was still tied back, only now with fresh flowers.
At that, she sat still for a moment, seated up and looking about the area. The normal purpose that one felt in a dream, the pressure to accomplish some goal, didn't exist here. And because it did not…she grew more aware of reality. What was she doing here? Where had she been before that she would dream of this? What was with these strange clothes she was wearing? She continued to think as she ran her fingers gently along the soft petals of her hair band…
"Like it?"
A single male voice, powerful yet inquisitive, sounded behind Terra. It was unnaturally calm and controlled, far more than any mortal should be. The woman, shocked at this, immediately went to her feet, spun around, and then began to back off from the source. It had been right over her shoulder, and she hadn't even heard it coming. The dream part was over. Now…her mind began to feel that she was totally in reality.
Standing next to the tree she had lain before was a powerful-looking man. His hair was pure white, but he looked neither old nor young. He was dressed in some sort of silk that was a royal purple, and he wore a seven spired crown on his brow. His eyes were vivid and powerful…far stronger than anything Terra had ever witnessed. And now, with a dark look, they were turned fully on her. Seeing that gaze…those powerful eyes…it made her feel different within. It excited something she thought that was long gone by now.
It excited…her other half.
She couldn't bear looking in those eyes. They were intoxicating…mesmerizing. She had to turn away from them. But she only did that a moment before looking back up to the cold man.
"Who…who are you? What do you want?"
In response, the man calmly removed himself from the tree, not changing his dark expression, and began to walk toward her. "…I am your lord and master, Terra." He simply responded. "I am the King of All Espers. I am Bahamut."
Terra felt herself backing away from this man. It was strange. Strong as she was…powerful as she was…she didn't want to be near him. In her dreams, she was always uncertain about herself. But here, she was even more so. There was something about him that made her afraid…and continued to appeal to that other side of her.
"Bahamut…?" She echoed. "That's impossible. We had Bahamut's magicite. It disappeared with the others."
At that…the man before her suddenly stopped in his tracks. However…his face suddenly turned darker. His eyes blazed, and Terra suddenly felt very, very afraid of this man. He drew himself up and his jaw tightened. "You were…collecting magicite? From espers?"
Terra trembled slightly. Somehow…this man had control over her other half. And when he used it…she felt herself humbled before him. She felt scared and terrified…and she nearly fell down before him. Her legs were turning to jelly. Her body began to sweat. But somehow, though it all, she spoke out in response.
"Me and my friends didn't kill any espers, if that's what you're accusing." She finally managed to spit back, though it was more of a nervous splutter than the bold retort she had planned. "Most espers gave us their powers willingly. We found the magicite of others."
The man didn't seem convinced of that. He gave a slight snort. "Gave them to you? They so willingly surrendered their lives to increase your power?"
"They wanted us to keep Kefka and Gesthal from using them." Terra answered immediately. "I would never kill an esper to get their power."
The man was silent and continued to glare at her darkly for a moment. Terra continued to tremble under his gaze. She backed up more…but finally ran into one of the large trees. She was unable to move anymore, and now pinned under the gaze of this man. After a moment or so longer, however, he continued.
"…Regardless of what you feel about me…I am Bahamut. My magicite is gone, but I am very much alive. And because I am…I remain the King of All Espers. And you, Terra…you are an esper. Your service is owed to me. Your allegiance is mine."
Terra blinked in response to that. This Bahamut was beginning to sound commanding…like he was the boss of her. He spoke as if he was still a king, although the rest of the esper race was gone. She didn't know what to say to this. "Service…? Allegiance…?"
"Answer me this." Bahamut cut off in a cold voice. "Why did you undo our seal? Why did you invade our world?"
Terra, despite her confusion and fear at all of this, looked surprised at that. "Invade? I didn't invade the esper world. I just tried to open the seal to see if the espers would help us…"
At that, Bahamut seemed to grow twice as angry. He drew himself up, and his eyes blazed. The world seemed to turn cold and dark. In shocked fear, Terra actually cringed before him as he appeared to tower over her, and his eyes blazed like fires in darkness.
"So…you were working for this…Gesthal…in the end?"
However, on hearing this…Terra snapped out of it. Though she was still scared…terrified of this giant, powerful esper…she wouldn't be accused of this.
"No!" She immediately cried back…so loud that Bahamut hesitated a moment in his dark overshadowing of her. "No! I would never have helped him fight his war! He killed my mother and father! He made me his slave…forced me to kill hundreds in his name! I opened the seal so that the espers would help us defeat him! But after I did…they went too far and destroyed the Imperial City…killed thousands of innocent people. I tried to help him then…but only because he claimed he wanted peace and I wanted the keep the espers from hurting anyone else. But right when we started to negotiate with them…" Terra had calmed down by this point, and now bowed her head sadly. "…He tricked us. He had Kefka kill them all…and then invade the gate I had opened."
Terra stopped then, and looked up to the dark man towering over her. She continued to tremble in fear. In truth…she feared that he wouldn't believe her. The story was too fantastic…and just happened to coincide with many of the victories of Gesthal and Kefka. She now realized just how easy it was for Kefka to make her look like a spy and traitor, what with all of the trouble that had happened. She could only pray that the man knew she was sincere…and try to find a way to get out of this place she now found herself trapped in. She was all alone in this silent forest…stuck with him here unprotected and defenseless.
Bahamut continued to glare at her for a short moment. But then…he relented. He seemed to return back down to normal, and the sky grew brighter again. His face turned from angry to cold, but showed no more of his rage. His eyes turned back to their normal glow. Slowly…Terra began to rise, still looking panic stricken and staring at the powerful man.
"…I won't say I believe you…because your story seems too convenient." Bahamut darkly answered after a moment. "But it's enough for me to give you a berth. You'll have your chance to prove your loyalty to your race soon enough…now that you're in my service."
Terra hesitated at that…and blinked a few times. "…I don't understand…"
"Understand this." Bahamut darkly answered. "From now on…your life is mine."
The girl swallowed a bit at how cold and serious Bahamut sounded, but didn't reply.
"You belong to me now. As your king…I claim rule over you. You will do as I say from now on. When I request a service from you, you will do it. When I wish to know something, you will tell me. Your life as it has been will be allowed to continue for the time being…but if I wish you to end it then you shall. And I will, eventually. You are one of the last members of the esper race. Based on what has happened, I will soon be having you leave this world of men and coming with me as I try to see what type of new world I can found for myself. For right now…you will make yourself available. There is much more that I want to know about what you have been doing and what you are doing, and eventually you will tell me."
Terra blinked in response to this a few times. She didn't like the sound of this. This man had just appeared…and now was claiming lordship over her. The woman had served under another against her will once before. She would not do so again. However…Bahamut was far too commanding and domineering. She couldn't outrightly refuse him.
"I…I can't. I have to stay with the children…"
"They are no longer your concern." Bahamut flatly answered. "Your race is. In days to come, you will rethink your priorities and devote yourself to your race more clearly."
Terra's face turned more insistant. "I can't leave them."
"You will, whether you like it or not." Bahamut responded. "I wasn't giving you a suggestion. I was giving you an order. I command you. You obey me."
Terra paused only a moment longer, before she drew all the boldness and courage she could muster. Doing so, she forced herself to straighten up, and forced a defiant look on her face. She glared back strongly at the man and stood her ground. "…And what if I refuse?"
Terra had barely stopped hearing her last syllable before she found Bahamut two inches from her face. His overwhelming presence washed over her and nearly made her swoon…and her blood turned to ice in her veins. That was all in addition to realizing that an iron grip was now laced around her neck. Long, dangerous nails were poking into her flesh behind it, just short of breaking the skin. Bahamut's face was cold as death, and he made sure that Terra knew that he could snap her neck with the slightest gesture. Her confidence faded…and she now gaped up at Bahamut in full terror.
"…Then you die, just like any other traitor to our race."
With that, the esper released her. Though he hadn't throttled her, Terra had been unable to breathe while he held her. She now had an imprint of a hand around her neck, and she grasped for it as she gasped for air. She couldn't move or react in Bahamut's grasp. She couldn't do anything…not even raise a hand against him. He held her perfectly in his gaze, and had subjugated her so easily. Bahamut, at any rate, turned away and walked back a certain distance. When he did, he continued to speak in his bold, strong voice.
"You don't realize the delicacy of your position. I am seriously debating now whether or not you betrayed your people. Don't give me reason to think a choice that is not in your favor. Currently…you seem to be fairly genuine in your story. But I am still wondering why you are wasting time with the very race that killed your own. On seeing you this close…I realize now that you can be much more than you are now. I will need that esper part of you in order to give our race new life."
Terra continued to cringe for a moment, still grasping at her neck and fearing for her life. But in the end, after this, she managed to straighten a bit. She looked to the back of Bahamut, and then slowly shook her head. "…Then you're wasting your time. I'm just a human now. My esper half is gone."
Bahamut paused for the briefest moment…before Terra thought she heard a snicker.
"That's because it hasn't been properly…stimulated."
The moment Bahamut said that…Terra suddenly felt strange. Immediately, she felt warm all over. A wave of some sort of power had come over her senses, and she was dizzy. She felt sick to her stomach, and her arms and legs seemed to grow weak. She didn't know what had happened…but some great power had come over her. And she couldn't push through it. In fact…it quickly began to grow worse.
"What…what are you…doing to me?"
Bahamut simply turned around in response, but Terra couldn't see him. Her heart was racing. Her breathing increased. Beads of sweat began to drop down from her forehead. She staggered about on her feet, but only continued to feel warmer and warmer. She felt sicker and dizzier. The world began to fade in and out, and she couldn't focus on it. But through it all…she realized something else. As the power increased, she began to be familiar with it. She remembered this… She had done it so many times before…and every single time it scared her. But it was impossible. She lost this part of herself. She should never have been able to do it again. She was human now…human…not this creature…
No…
Not again…
But despite all that had happened…despite how much she had changed…she nevertheless suddenly saw a burning yellow aura erupt around her. It was so strong that it tore through the air, producing some strange burning noise, as it flared up to full power. Soon, the woman was enveloped in flame from the power. The feeling within her became too strong. It became overwhelming. It collected and surged within her, trying to break out from her body. Finally…he could take it no more, and turned her head back and screamed.
However…her voice was no longer human, but a bestial roar.
Terra's hair suddenly became wild and fierce, like a lion's mane, and grew to the point of shredding the hair band that held it back. It extended to her waist soon after. She balled her hands into fists at her side, as her nails became long, cruel claws. As she screamed, her face began to twist and deform, until her lips split into a cleft and became catlike. Long, sharp teeth grew from her jaw. Though her eyes stayed the same, a powerful light shone forth from them, filling them with inner power. Finally…her very clothing was burned away as her whole body turned a bright pink color, from her toes to the end of her wild hair dangling down her body.
Terra stopped screaming and gasped, her animal-like eyes wide with shock and fear. She panted, struggling to get her bearings back as she looked over her body. She never thought she would see herself like this again…but it had happened. She had transformed into her esper body. She thought this part of her was dead. But now…not only did she feel it, she felt as if she didn't have a limit on it either. She felt she could maintain this form indefinitely. Until now…it had always taken an incredible amount of energy for her to stay in this body. But not anymore. In fact…she suddenly realized that she didn't know how to change herself back. Before, it was simply a matter of releasing the power. But now that she wasn't struggling to hold it, there was nothing for her to let go. She was stuck in this body.
Immediately, her fierce, feline face looked up to Bahamut and glared. "What have you done to me!"
"Why are you surprised?" Bahamut simply answered. "This is your body, after all."
"No, it's not!" Terra yelled back. "I'm a human now! My esper half died!"
"It didn't." Bahamut calmly and flatly answered, actually making Terra recoil a bit at that answer. "Your esper half drew from the energy of the three statues. Once they faded, your esper form became powerless, and you turned back into a human. But since then, the flow of the Planet's energy through your own life force has refilled it. Your side merely went dormant because you were still drawing on it via the old way of gaining power. But I reawakened it."
Terra stared back at Bahamut in fear. She had hoped to be free of this. She didn't want to be this creature anymore. She didn't care if her children accepted her in the end…she didn't feel human like this. She felt like a monster.
"Turn me back."
"Why?" Bahamut simply answered. "This is who you are. This is as much a part of you as the other being. Why do you fear your esper side?"
"Because I don't want it!" Terra nearly screamed back. Her eyes widened, and she felt terror in her heart. Her animal eyes nearly pleaded with Bahamut. "People enslaved me for this… They killed people for this… And all I've ever done in this body is terrify people and drive them away. They all just wanted this half so I could destroy things…so I could fight wars and kill others… I wanted to just live a normal life, like everyone else. But because I was half esper…I could never have it. I just want to be a normal person… I just want to live like a human…"
Bahamut stared expressionlessly back at Terra. He showed no emotion in reply to that. But as for Terra…she began to be fearful. What if he wouldn't do it? What if he left her like this? Then what? Would the children fear her? Would everyone fear her? Would she never be able to lead a normal life again? Would everyone who saw her see this? Would they remember her as a destroyer? Would they hunt her again? The horrible fears of her past became resurfaced. She had forgotten this part of her…but now it was back. She didn't want it. She began to tremble. Her anger was fully replaced by fear. She quivered and dropped down to her knees. She wrapped her arms around herself as if cold, and bowed her head. Her eyes began to tear…
"Please…please change me back…"
Bahamut coldly stared back, not saying a word. He betrayed not the slightest emotion. But then…at long last, he held up a single finger before Terra and made a gesture with it. In response, Terra felt some powerful force penetrate her. It traveled deep into her mind and body, and began to manipulate things against her will. But she was too distraught to care. She began to cry, and continued to kneel against the ground and hold on.
Finally, it happened. The aura around her flared up once again, and once more she was wrapped in flame. But this time, everything was reversed. The pink glow around her body died. Her hair became smoother and shrank back. Her clothing seemed to rematerialize around her where it shattered. Finally, her face became normal again. The aura died again, revealing Terra just the way she had been before. But the girl seemed to not recognize it immediately. She reached up to her own face and felt over it, distrusting that it was really there.
But even after she confirmed it, she continued to quiver and shake, and struggled to sniffle and dry up her tears. She couldn't rise. She could only sit on the ground and tremble. She said nothing else. She refused to look up to Bahamut again. She thought of all this…and wondered why it was happening to her. What did Bahamut want with her? Now, she realized…she could be forced to do what he said. He could turn her back into an esper if she didn't. She realized she was helpless before him… She couldn't beat him…and now he had her. That knowledge was too much…and she couldn't move.
At last, she heard his voice.
"…Alright. That will be all for tonight." He calmly began. "In a few moments, you will awaken, and find yourself in your human body in your own bed. For now, your life may continue as it has been. But I will be talking to you again. Maybe not tomorrow…but eventually. So go about your regular life until then. Don't try to run. If you do…I'll find you."
Terra didn't answer. She couldn't answer. She merely continued to quiver and sit there. She couldn't even look up to see Bahamut as he stood there and issued his edict. She just felt afraid…deathly afraid of what this all would mean for her…
At last, Bahamut made one more statement.
"Our conversation is over."
"AAH!"
Terra threw herself violently up out of bed, clutching herself in terror. Her body was soaked with cold sweat, and she was absolutely terrified. For a moment, she was frozen in wide-eyed fear, trembling and sitting up in her bed. But then, as she gasped and tried to catch her breath, she turned and began to look around the area. She was back in her room in Mobliz. She was in bed…just where she had gone to lay down hours ago. All the lights were out, save for a single candle, and she was all alone in the room. Everything was quiet. There were no signs of the forest, Bahamut, or anything else from her dream. Even the feelings she had been sensing were gone.
Terra continued to gasp, trying to catch her breath. And when she did…she threw herself back on her bed and cried out softly in misery. She wiped her sweat covered brow and clutched her chest. She wouldn't stop trembling. But…she was back. She was back with her children, and she was human again. Bahamut had been left far behind in the dream world she had left. The dream was done, and she was safely back in reality, back with her family.
However…how long would she stay that way?
Feeling herself start to cry again, Terra knew she had seen no dream. This wasn't a fantasy. It was more like what she had seen when she touched her father's magicite. No…this was very real. An esper still lived somehow. And now…he had his sights on her. He wanted her and her powers. He was demanding that she serve him. He was going to take her like another slave…force her to do his bidding. And there was no telling when he would come. When he did…he would take her away from her children and spirit her away to some other world…and she'd be alone save for him. She'd never see her family or friends again. And seeing his horrible power…she knew there was nothing she could do about it.
This was too much.
Feeling crushing fear inside her, and horrible dread for the future, Terra turned in bed to bury her face in her pillow and weep.
…Perhaps I was a bit too hard on her.
Well, that's too bad. She needs to learn to help her own kind.
Bahamut thought this from his vantage point, back on the cliff side. He stroked his chin and looked below to the valley, where this town called Mobliz lay. Everything was quiet now…save for the sound of crying and a very rapid heartbeat. Bahamut could pick up on that easily enough. However…it told him little other than he had successfully scared the life out of Terra.
Talking to her in her dream had actually been a way of mind reading. In that place, emotions were far less likely to be fabricated. It took one of special training to hide anything. It appeared that she was telling the truth, however unlikely, that the espers had willingly given their lives for her. Maduin probably had for certain. Yet given the animosity that Khan had toward espers, it seemed unlikely that they would have done so. He trusted Khan to give an accurate reflection of esper mentality toward humans. But then again…perhaps Khan's own judgment had been twisted by this Nireevyou. He wouldn't be the first to play on the feelings of others to gain power. At any rate, Terra appeared to at least believe she was telling the truth.
Still, she didn't set well with him. She had far too great a fear of espers for him to trust her that much. If she truly had a devotion to espers, why did she shrink from them as any other human did? Why did she want to stay with humans so badly? Well…there were a lot of reasons for that. It wasn't unheard of throughout history. Nevertheless, they no longer had that luxury. There was precious little esper blood left circulating among the living, and all who had it would have to be utilized. In time, Terra would have to leave these people and help him in founding a new civilization for their race. Currently…esper kind had much greater need than mankind.
However, that also made him uneasy. She was far too emotional about her esper half. He had hoped that she would be grateful for restoring her esper side. The fact that she feared it did not work in his favor. And frankly…Bahamut hated coercion. Despite the dubiousness he had presented before, Terra…appealed to him, in a way. She had the kind of spirit and face that he wanted to trust. Fantastic as her own version of the story had been…he found himself believing it over Khan's. Perhaps it was because it wasn't mired in hatred. Bahamut hadn't lived for thousands of years and been unable to read people without the aid of telepathy. This girl seemed…no, she was innocent. If she did aid those who had murdered his race, then she had done it without knowing the full extent of her damage.
And frankly…he did bear some pity for her. One way or another, she had suffered as being the tool of others. Just like the rest of her kind…she too had been used by other powers…
He preferred to willingly have the help of this half esper. In truth…he was very fascinated with her. When he made her transform, he was surprised at what had resulted. She could have fooled him as being a full esper. That was a rare sight. However…he realized now that directly coming out would not work. She feared him now. The only way he could get her to willingly join him would be if he could work around her fear of espers…get her to not only accept her esper half but actually enjoy it.
But there was more than that too. Bahamut didn't need to be a genius to realize that Terra would not respond to being commanded to do anything. He had set off a traumatic response by trying. And the last thing he wanted was an aid who would be terrified of him and bear nothing but hatred for him. He had to try a different approach. He had to restart again. Back up…and give this another shot from a new angle. The question was…how as the best way to approach this?
He didn't know, but he had time…and patience. The answer, he was sure, would eventually present itself. For right now…he would lay off of Terra for a little while. In time, perhaps she would begin to think she really had been dreaming. Then he would be in good standings to try a different approach.
With that in mind, Bahamut folded his arms in front of himself, rested his head down on them, and closed his eyes to wait until the next morning.
To be continued...
