It only took Bahamut about a minute to get there.

On reaching the bottom of the chasm, he quickly found another entrance that went deeper down yet. It was a circular staircase, dimly lit by torchlight. He quickly descended this, nearly flying down it as fast as he was moving. Once at the bottom, he found a stone hallway that was lit in a similar fashion. He flew down this as well, thinking only of Terra as he went. There could have been opposition, but it was fortunate for the enemy that there wasn't. The esper would have ripped anything he saw in half. He thought only of Terra, and heaven help anything that stood between him and her.

The man continued to fly down the hall, ignoring all the branches, and making for the end as fast as he could. He knew it all led to one spot…Nireevyou. There was little doubt now that they had all gone to him, and he was sure he would come the same way. At last, he did reach an end. Straight ahead of him, the hallway narrowed. The lights were dimmer here, and sound seemed to fade. But Bahamut was not scared or unnerved by this. He recognized it as esper technology. It was a dampening field effect. It was constructed for the purpose of blocking energy signals. He realized now why he hadn't sensed Nireevyou. He was hiding down here all along. Otherwise, he would have found him long ago. He barreled down this thin hallway in a flash, and emerged into the chamber beyond.

Here, Bahamut hesitated a moment. He looked a bit ahead to what now stood before him. This hallway was the darkest, coldest, and quietest…but, most of all, there was a door ahead. It was huge and made of stone, but it was also interlaced with esper designs. These were no mere decorations for the door. They were special runes that actually functioned as the dampener. They served to block out the signature of whatever was through this door. Yet that too wasn't all. As Bahamut hesitated and looked to the door, he realized there was writing on it…and writing in the native language of the espers. He looked over it and read for a moment.

The Great Hall of Lord N…

…Wait a moment.

Bahamut froze as he looked at that last word. He read over it once…twice…and again. He was still, and trembled a moment. That word…it wasn't spelled as he thought it was. Until now, he had thought that Nireevyou's name was spelled longer…but it wasn't. At last, he saw the correct spelling of the name…and realized he had been wrong all along. The pronunciation of the name had confused him.

And as Bahamut looked at it…an icy fear grasped his heart.

It's…not possible…

The esper stood and stared there, now at last feeling the cold silence of the chamber. It made him tremble and filled him with dread. This was impossible…yet he couldn't deny what he saw. Perhaps it was only a coincidence. Perhaps it was someone who took the name… There was only one way to find out, however. In the end, he swallowed and steadied himself. He looked to the door up ahead, and frowned darkly. Immediately, he stomped forward toward it. As he did, he shot out both hands, and with a massive push placed both on the door, and used his tremendous strength to fling both open.

Bright sunlight spilled from elegant stain glass windows inside. Bahamut, luckily, got his power from the sun, and was not blinded. Instead, his eyes widened, as he saw the images on the windows before him. They were arranged in a large, dome-shaped room, like an inner vestibule of a chapel. And they depicted great events… The first showed the birth of the espers with Crusader. The next was the triumph over Griever. The one after was the founding of Terratopolis. And the last was none other than Bahamut's clash with Wyvern. All of them were in bright colors and vivid hues, depicting in all the glory the myth of the history of espers. It was astonishing to behold…a great tribute. Each esper looked vibrant and free as they moved about and acted in these windows. The rest of the walls were covered with royal curtains, hanging down and covering most of the stone. Below that, the rest of the room was elegant and filled with lovely items, befitting someone of great royalty. What attracted Bahamut the most was a phonograph against the wall, playing a simple symphony. That…and what was in the center of the room.

There, an elegant hickory table, smoothed and finished to perfection, and covered with great details, stood. It was covered with elegant silver appurtances, all for tea. There was a plate of various cakes and crumpets, and a kettle was steaming near a cup. There was one empty chair, near to all this. However, there was also a decanter made of glass sitting on the table. This one was filled with a bright red, thick liquid, unlike any alcohol Bahamut had ever seen. It also filled a glass…which rested in the hand of a tall, dark man sitting in the other chair. He had been in mid-sip when Bahamut burst in. But when he did, he rapidly lowered the glass against the table.

He was dressed in blood red and black robes and elegant clothing, covering him all the way up to a gold trim collar around his neck. His hair was thick and black, and he bore a great thick mustache as well. His features were strong and tall, but his skin was pale as snow, and his eyes burned a blood red as well. However, as Bahamut entered, he didn't look cold. Instead, he formed a look of mock surprise, and threw up his hands.

"Oh! Dash it all!" He cried out in mock regret. "The police have come! They got me! Very well…I surrender. Take me away, officer."

Bahamut glared at him in wide-eyed surprise. His hands fell limply to his sides. He didn't even notice as the basilisk and drake that had been waiting on the other side of the door came out and shut the great stone doors behind him. His mouth hung down as he glared at him…unable to believe it. It couldn't be true. It couldn't be possible. In the end…he was the other esper.

"…Wyvern…"

The man smiled and held up a finger to this. "Ah, ah… Don't spill the beans, brother of mine. I've been using the title Lord Nrevyw for some time now." He hesitated at that, seeing Bahamut stare blankly at him. In the end, he snorted and leaned back, folding his hands in front of him. "Oh…don't tell me you're surprised, big Bahamut…or should I say…" He hesitated here, and snorted as if he thought the idea was funny. "…Tumahab."

Bahamut didn't react. He blinked and stared at him. "You…it…it can't be you…" He slowly remarked. "You were dead… I abandoned your body on the Lunarian moon…"

Wyvern merely smiled and chuckled in response to that. "Wow…are you way behind the times, big brother." He snorted in response. He slowly shook his head at him. "It's obvious you've missed more than a ton of information. Not only that…but you were rude enough to keep me waiting ten long months for you. Why Bahamut…I didn't know you could be so unpunctual. I always thought you were so proper."

The esper blinked. He still couldn't believe it. "You… You were Nireevyou…Nrevyw…the whole time… You…"

Wyvern frowned and looked rather amiable at this, and leaned back and beckoned Bahamut in. "Oh, come on now!" He interrupted brightly. "Don't be a stranger! You've come so far, killed so many of my pets… Sit down! Take a load off! Let me get you something to drink! It's just about tea time, as it were. And I think you'll find these cakes to be most agreeable. We have lots to discuss, after all. The world…the War of the Magi…why I'm not a rotten corpse…why you're not a rotten corpse…"

Here…Wyvern dipped into his pocket for a moment. What he emerged from made Bahamut's stomach sink, and filled his mind with terror.

"Your little fiancée, Terra…" He remarked, as he twirled around Terra's head clasp on one of his fingers.

Bahamut stared blankly. Cold sweat poured from his brow. His heart raced. A horrible fear went into his heart. However…this lasted only a moment. Soon, the coldness was evaporated by growing heat as his anger and rage began to rise.

"…What have you done to her?" He spoke though clenched teeth…as his eyes began to turn serpentine.

"She's still alive, if that's what you want to know." Wyvern casually replied. "But there will be plenty of time to get to her later. Have a seat. No doubt, you'd like to know why I'm still alive… To tell you the truth, the story is so long I don't care to go that much into detail about it. But I'll give you the short version…the 'nitty-gritty' so-to-speak. Those are the things you're more interested in. And then, I'll-"

Bahamut, teeth clenched, took a single step toward Wyvern, obviously ready to lunge at him…

At this, Wyvern's merriment vanished, and instantly turned into a dark look as his voice turned cold and sinister.

"Sit your ass down right now or she dies."

Bahamut froze again at that. He didn't dare show anymore emotion…but he didn't dare refuse him either. Inside, he cursed and fumed at Wyvern. He had her. He should have stayed with her. He should have followed her after Celes. But he overestimated her abilities…and he never expected Wyvern to be the esper they were trailing. If he had been…he would have had Terra hide in a hole on the other side of Gaia before he would have let her anywhere near him. And now…not only was her life in danger, Bahamut realized Wyvern had him. He realized he was in his power…and that was a very unhealthy place to be in. He clenched his teeth for a moment. But in the end…he had no choice.

Stiffly moving…struggling not to snap or exhale a breath attack at Wyvern…he slowly moved forward to the chair at the table. He slowly rounded it, stood above it for a moment, then swallowed as he slowly lowered his body into the seat. Once there, he licked his lips a moment, glaring at Wyvern…and then leaned back.

Wyvern smiled at this, becoming casual again. "Much better." He simply said, raising his own glass up to his lips and drinking again. "Help yourself." He added, gesturing to the things. "Mi casa es tu casa. The chocolate bundt is my personal favorite…"

"How are you still alive?" Bahamut coldly cut off.

Wyvern snorted at that, taking another sip. "Right to the point, as always, big brother. You always were." He simply answered. He set the glass down again after that, and then calmly leaned back and folded his hands in front of himself.

"Like I said before, I won't bother you with the details. There's a lot more to this story than you realize, but I'll keep it simple. The long and short of the matter is after the fall of our race, the beginning of the War of the Magi, the espers went a bit crazy. No leaders…humans snatching us up left and right…invading Terratopolis… There was utter chaos. We went from being the gods to being the slaves, and we were hunted relentlessly all around the face of Gaia. However…at that time…my two lovely assistants, Zola and Noonian, ever faithful to their lord and master, managed to find this…"

With that, Wyvern reached up and dipped into the collar of his shirt. Moments later, he pulled out something that was on a chain around his neck. It didn't look like much. It appeared to be a perfect glass prism, perhaps even crystal. It had been cracked before, Bahamut could tell, and broken into four pieces. But those had been fused again, and it was again whole.

"Behold…the Crystal Stone." Wyvern announced, presenting the device. "It was Leviathan's greatest creation. He intended it to make an amalgamation of an esper…but it turned out to have a lovely other effect too. You see…over a period of hundreds of years, this stone absorbs solar power in addition to spiritual power. The closer it is to the sun, and the more intense the heat, the faster it absorbs it. It stores that power over the years, concentrating a greater and greater threshold of power. Once it becomes fully charged, it possesses enough energy from the sun to actually force one's spirit out of the Lifestream and back into their body…and then gives that body life again."

Wyvern paused here, frowned a bit, and shrugged. "Of course…it's not perfect. The body has to be completely fixed up and ready to live…so it doesn't work for old age. And it takes centuries to fully charge it. However…it did work. At the onset of the worst War of the Magi, good ol' Noonian and Zola managed to recover my magicite. Now, magicite, as you know, is our entire essence distilled. Because of that, even though my body wasn't present, all the critical components were there. It just needed life. Hence, this technique, as you might imagine, works best for espers. And as a result, they brought me back from the dead…bigger and stronger than ever before.

"Now, of course, I had a monumental task ahead of me. I had to rebuild everything we had lost. However…I knew I was fighting an uphill battle. The other espers were sealing themselves away in Terratopolis, and the humans turned Gaia into a wasteland. I was alone and abandoned in this world. For centuries, I struggled to rebuild our power. But there were precious few espers left that were willing to aid me, and most of the world was in shambles. I was forced to do little more than wait for a thousand years to pass as this world put itself back together before I could start finding the resources I needed to rebuild our kingdom, and to find a way to get in touch with the others on the opposite side of Terratopolis.

"But, in the end, you know how that worked out. The humans turned our world into a wasteland again, and this time killed almost all of our brethren.The base I was building was destroyed when the world was torn up, and everything was flung into chaos in the wake of the human called Kefka. Yet, again, as luck would have it, about a year later he was overthrown.Monsters descended from espers roamed the world in huge droves. Governments of humans were shattered. At last…I had the perfect time to rebuild our empire. I had the forces to realign, and the call for order in the time of chaos. At long last…I saw my chance to retake this world from the humans that had so abused us, and to at last get revenge for their genocide of our race.

"But that too was a problem. Gathering all these disparate peoples into one great kingdom…forging a new nation…rebuilding an order…leading our people into final victory against our long-time human oppressors… Such a task was no thing that a single esper could hope to do, even one as mighty as myself. I needed help. And I needed help from someone who I knew was strong, intelligent, prudent, and had a knack for leadership and doing the right thing. And to that end…" Wyvern trailed here, sipping again from his drink, but focusing his eyes on Bahamut as he did.

"Well…that's where you come in."

Bahamut, who had been stoic until now, felt his eyes enlarge.Was Wyvern saying what he thought he was saying? But that couldn't be true. Wyvern hated him so much…was filled with such psychotic anger toward him. Could he have actually brought himself to do this? It didn't seem true…

Wyvern smiled and waved his hand. "Yes…I know what you're thinking. We've had our…'differences'."

Bahamut, on hearing that, lost his surprise. Instead, he glared darkly at his brother. "You've tried to kill me twice now. I'd say that's a pretty big difference."

Wyvern smiled at that again, and shook his finger. "Oh no, big brother…I did kill you, remember?" He simply responded. "But yes…to be blunt, therein was the root of our problem. I couldn't stand you. I hated you. But at the same time…I had enough foresight to know that there was no one better suited for the job of managing and ruling a world than you. You were always smart, quick-witted, and very strong too. Out of all of the other espers in the world…despite how much there had been between us, I knew full well that there was no one else I could get for this job. And so…I decided to bite the bullet, bury the hatchet, swallow my pride…whatever you want to call it…and did the unthinkable. In case you have any doubts now, Bahamut…yes." Here, he looked up to him, and leveled a smile at him as he raised his glass to sip again.

"It was indeed I who ordered you brought back to life with the recharged Crystal Stone."

Bahamut showed nothing in response. But inside…he was filled with unbelief. It didn't seem possible, and after their last encounters Bahamut had thought Wyvern would die before he would do such a thing. Lastly…it made Bahamut feel sick to his stomach. So…that was why he lived again. In the end, it was because of his twin. His mortal enemy was the reason that he was sitting in this chair, breathing and listening to Wyvern's casual tirade. He'd still be dead…if not for him.

Wyvern drained the last of his glass, and then sat it back down. "By the way," He casually continued. With that, he tossed the Crystal Stone over to the esper. Bahamut didn't show his surprise, although he was a bit, but reached out and snatched it from the air. "You can take it, if you like. It won't do any good for almost another thousand years, however. And it only works on preserved bodies or magicite. There's little of either floating around out there."

Bahamut looked to the object a moment…Leviathan's final masterpiece. After staring for a short while…he lowered it to his coat and tucked it in the pocket.

Wyvern reached for the decanter to refill his glass at this point. "Bahamut," He announced, in a somewhat bright tone. "After all this time, I've decided to let bygones be bygones and to put an end to our rivalry. After all…in the end, I did prove myself to be the stronger esper. And, in a line of thinking I'm sure you would agree with, there are too few of our kind left in this world to waste time bickering. After all…we two are the only survivors of our race." Wyvern finished filling his glass, and set it down after that. At this, his face turned a bit darker, and he leaned in closer on the table.

"Although…" He spoke up again, holding a finger up in a gesture of a point being made. His voice continued to grow quieter and lower as he spoke. "There is one thing that still annoys me. And that has to do with your half of this story.

"I go to considerable effort in preserving your magicite…recharging the stone…finding a suitable area for revival…bringing you back from the dead with this new body…and all because, I firmly believe, that in the end you, as you so often told me, will do what's best for your kingdom. The whole 'kingly'-thing-to-do motif. And to that end, I thought you would be more than happy to come and see me, and discuss how we are supposed to go about reclaiming our broken world from our human oppressors. I even send little Khan out to you, knowing that you like him as your former servant.

"And what do I find?" Wyvern suddenly challenged, pausing long enough to drink again from his glass. "My envoys…murdered. Your friend…slaughtered…and by a person I can only assume to be you. And you? You're gone. I spend considerable resources and time searching for you for close to a year…and guess what I find out?" Wyvern looked up to him and glared somewhat angrily at his twin. "…You've wasted all of your new talents I worked so hard to give you…becoming some sickening human babysitter…and you're sleeping with a half-human."

Bahamut raised an eyebrow at that. "How did you-"

Wyvern sighed and waved his hand at him. "Oh, come off it, Bahamut. I can smell as well as you can, and these humans don't bathe regularly. I could still smell you all over the woman when she came in here." Wyvern took another sip, looking a bit more disgusted this time. "I never suspected…not in a million years…that you, the great champion of espers…the great sacrificial king…would have stooped himself so low. The woman I could forgive…conceivably. She was half human and so I wanted her dead as much as anyone else. However, she was also half esper, so technically I should have given her a berth. And out of all the sickening bipedal creatures on the world, I could have conceivably tolerated you with that one. After all, I know how much you love humans, and as far as you mating, I supposed that would be as good as I could get. But those damn children…that stupid shack of a ghost town…

"Frankly, I didn't believe it. I didn't think that my brother, of all people, would have turned around so readily to plant a kiss on the ass of the race that had conducted genocide on his own people. I wouldn't expect that of Ogopogo…much less you. In fact…I killed the messenger." He leaned his head up at this and glared at Bahamut. "You hear that, Bahamut? I killed him. I killed him, screaming at him the whole way…that how dare he feed me this pathetic, stupid lie. But then I sent Zola and Noonian out…and I trusted them. I still couldn't believe it, but I trusted them. By the way," Wyvern took another drink here, looking even more disgusted with it than the last one. "You have a funny way of treating your old friends. I've been providing for Zola and Noonian since I came back to life. All you could do wasdestroy your servant, and then turn around and become the garbage boy for the people who hunted him for a thousand years. Are you absolutely sure that, between us two, you aren't the crazy one?"

Bahamut silently glared back. He said nothing and offered no confirmation or denial of what had happened, presented no defense. He merely sat there. As he did, Wyvern frowned at his glass, and unceremoniously tossed the contents to one side on the floor. Before it hit the ground, it burst into flame and evaporated, avoiding a carpet stain. He then turned to the area behind Bahamut, and gestured. "Zola…would you be so kind as to get me a fresh bottle? This is already rotten."

The basilisk gave a nod, and then turned and began to creep over to a certain area of the room. In front of one of the curtains, a liquor cabinet was stationed. However, the most prominent thing about it was that, in addition to all of the glasses and normal bottles, there was also what looked like a tapper for beer. Zola took up another glass decanter and set it under the tapper as he approached, and then pulled the lever. Thick red liquid soon began to fill it. Wyvern smiled and looked to Bahamut.

"These things rot so quickly, but they're only good fresh."

"What are you drinking?" Bahamut asked, his tone cold and flat.

Wyvern hesitated a moment at that, and then merely let out a chuckle. "Oh…just a little beverage of mine that I've taken up recently. Once you get past the unusual flavoring, it kind of grows on you." Here, he motioned to his servant. "Zola…show Bahamut what I'm drinking."

By now, the decanter was almost full. The basilisk nodded, and then removed the glass vial and put a stopper in it. As he did, Wyvern himself rose from his chair, and began to calmly walk over to the bar area. Zola crept over to the side of the curtain, and seized it with his front claws. With one quick swipe, he pulled the entire curtain over to one side, revealing what was on the other.

Bahamut's face turned white as the grotesque sight beyond.

There were the others.

They looked roundly beaten now. There was no doubt that they had encountered Wyvern…and had failed to defeat him. But now…painful bolts had been screwed into their wrists, attaching shackles to their bodies. They hung from these shackles by chains that led from the ceiling, making them look like macabre puppets. That, however, wasn't the worse. No less than two dozen long, sharp needles were jabbed into each of the bodies at their vital points. These needles were attached to thin tubes that all ran down…right into the tapper. Blood was being tapped from their bodies like sap from a maple tree.

Wyvern walked closer to this…while Bahamut rose from his chair and stared in stunned horror as the nightmarish sight. He couldn't tell if they were still alive…or had been drained dry already by this device. As for Wyvern, he came to a halt in front of it. "Well…humanity siphoned the life out of our race to satiate their thirsts…and I always thought turnabout was fair play." He turned to Bahamut at this. "Would you care for some?"

Bahamut didn't hear. All he saw now was the person hanging in the center, already looking pale and nearly lifeless, and back in human form.

"Terra…" He echoed aloud, staring at her horribly strung up body.

Wyvern, on hearing this, raised an eyebrow. "What? You want her down?"

Bahamut stared on for a moment. His lip quivered, and his mind was wracked with terror. But that gave way to fear, as he saw her hanging there…dying right before his eyes. It struck the feelings he now had in his heart, and felt like icy daggers jabbing it. Soon after…his rage swelled again. His hands clenched into fists, and his face turned red as his eyes turned serpentine again.

"Let her go!"

Wyvern, however, wasn't at all disturbed by that. "As you wish." He simply responded. With that, he waved a hand over Terra. Immediately, his own telekinesis went to work on her bonds. Each needle seemed to erupt from her flesh, making her moan and twist from where she hung. After that, each nut slowly unturned itself, releasing her from her shackles. As she began to loosen and fall, Wyvern calmly walked over to her. When she was released, she only fell a foot or so before Wyvern reached out and seized her by the back of the neck. "Consider her a welcome-back gift." Wyvern merely said, before turning around and tossing her at Bahamut rather roughly.

The esper immediately reacted. Not waiting for her to come, he shot into the air with his hovering ability, and gently caught Terra as she flew into his arms. He quickly took her back to the ground. Once there, while supporting her gently, Bahamut stripped off his outer coat and wrapped her bleeding, injured body in it. After that, he continued to hold her close. He pressed her to his chest, and placed his own head down on hers. He struggled to suppress tears from rolling from his eyes.

Luckily…she was weak, but far from dead. After a moment of gentle breathing, she slowly opened her eyes. She still looked in pain, but she managed to look up to Bahamut. She stared at him a brief moment.

"I'm…sorry… I should have waited…"

"No, don't be sorry." Bahamut reassured her. "Don't talk. Stay still."

"He…did this…to my friends…"

"Shh…it's alright. I'm here now."

Terra stared on at him…and weakly smiled. Bahamut managed to smile back…and leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. He pressed her closer as he did so. He continued to hold her for a few moments, unable to do anything else. His heart was aching at how horribly injured she had been…what had happened to her. But he also felt joy that she was still alive.

Wyvern watched this for a moment, and then raised an eyebrow. "You know…I could provide her with a bed, if you like. Or a medic. Noonian isn't the best in the world, but-"

"Don't you touch her!"

Wyvern was cut off as Bahamut, face rippling with anger, looked up and glared at him. For the briefest moment…he thought that some of his brother's madness had faded. But that was no longer. Even if it hadn't…now, he was far more enraged at Wyvern than his brother had ever been toward him. Bahamut sneered at him, growling in his animal voice. But then, he turned his head back over to the others. He looked at them a moment, and then waved his own hand. Immediately, the telekinesis removed their own binds and needles, and send them falling to the ground as well.

Wyvern frowned a bit at that. "I never said anything about them, Bahamut." He told him. "These ones are intruders, and I'm afraid they'll have to be punished most harshly. However…like I said before, I'm willing to be lenient with the half esper. She can stay here if she likes. You can go ahead and make a bride or concubine or whatever you want out of her… I did want to kill her, but, what the hey…a compromise might do us good. And she is one of the only females left around that have our blood in them."

Bahamut breathed deeply, continuing to glare at Wyvern. He looked back down to Terra. She had closed her eyes now, struggling to conserve her strength and endure the pain from her body. He continued to hold her protectively, thinking all the while of what Wyvern might try.

Wyvern gave a shrug. "And I believe that brings us to the present, Big B. I think you'll find this deal to be pretty agreeable. After all…it was the way things were meant to be. Our world was destroyed…but now we can reclaim it. This world is a fresh canvas just waiting to be painted. And we…the two great sons of the Planet…we're just the ones to do it. We were always the greatest of our kind…it is our destiny to rule this Planet together. I am willing to step back, at long last, brother of mine…and have you correct that mistake you made thousands of years ago. Once again…I am casting in my vote for the two of us to rule the Planet. And now…the only other voter who is around is you.

"So, what do you say, big brother? Partners at last? Comrades in arms? Joint owners of this vast planetoid? The two of us together…just as we were meant to be? What do you say? Do we have a deal?"

Bahamut glared at Wyvern a moment longer. He said nothing. To tell the truth…he considered this. The fact was that their race was doomed. They had only two espers left, and they were in this room…along with all other individuals that still had esper blood in them. Their great race was now reduced to the occupants here. This might indeed be his only chance. And now…Wyvern was willing to actually start over, it seemed. Much as he disliked Bahamut, this might be the only chance to have a truce between them. He doubted he could trust the esper…but so long as there was a kingdom to rebuild, he supposed he could. And he did believe himself the stronger one, after all, following their last battle…

However, that was all Bahamut considered it before turning his head to the area behind the tapper, where the moaning, barely-living bodies of the four humans lay.

"…And what about humanity?"

Wyvern frowned at this. "Oh, come off it, Bahamut!" He nearly shouted. "Their time is over! They had their chance! They were screwing up the face of this world long before we got here. And you know, just as well as I do, that our people…not even the two of us…will ever be safe as long as they're around. They committed genocide…a horrible sin for anyone. They deserve to be punished. And who better than the true children of the Planet to carry it out? This is their end. We were appointed to be their successors years ago. It's time you made a decision, Bahamut. You and I both know full well know, without a shadow of a doubt, that we can't live together. So which race are you going to back as the ones who deserve this world? Theirs or ours?"

Bahamut hesitated there. To tell the truth…that was a good question. And unfortunately…Wyvern made some good points…points that Bahamut had neglected until now. These were things he hadn't thought of during his time with Terra, because he was so happy with her…because nothing could go wrong.

But what sort of world would there be for him or his children? In generations to come…assuming he stayed here, had his happy little life, lived out his days with Terra…then what? In the future, there would be more espers…issuing from him now. And they would be espers, considering Terra's esper half. Perhaps they would breed with each other as well, becoming more and more esper-like with time. Immortal…powerful…but most of all, sought by humanity. As Wyvern spoke…he did realize what would happen in the future…even his peaceful future with Terra. The cycle that had been broken…the calamities that had been repeating themselves twice now…they would happen again.

As long as there was power…there would be people who desired it…wanted it for their own. Maybe not people like Terra or her friends…but they would be there. They would continue to reach for it. Espers…their very natures…their essences…they represented power. Bahamut couldn't deny that. Ever since Palad had seen the power that he wielded…humanity had wanted that strength for itself. First they aspired to be esper-like. Then they came to them for training. And now…they were harvesting them. A thousand years ago they harvested them as tools of war, using them as weapons. A thousand years later…they sucked the very life out of them and added it to their own. What horror would await the next thousand years?

Bahamut didn't know…but he knew what was inevitable. So long as there were espers…humans would want them. He was right. They weren't gods and subjects anymore. They were one race trying to exploit the other. They had for generations now…and they would do so again when they became stronger. The power of espers would always be an attraction to them…always something they wanted. And once they were mighty again, they would want it again. They would always want it. So long as espers were there…they would forever crave their strength and what they could do for them.

The esper didn't want to admit this…but it was true. The world was not full of small communities like Mobliz. It was full of scared, frightened, shallow people too…and each one of them wanted power to feel secure. The espers would always represent it. They were myths again now…but once word of them came back into the world…they would be craved again, just as they were by this generation and the generation years ago. Bahamut's idea of a peaceful world…one in which he lived among humans…it wouldn't happen. It couldn't. One day…he would be hunted, as would all of his offspring. Wyvern realized that. He better than anyone. He had seen it happen already. When that day came…the world would again be put to waste, until another foolish generation arose.

If this had been all there was to the matter, then he might have sided with Wyvern even now. After all…why shouldn't these people die? They had screwed up so many times… The espers had come after them. Shouldn't they be the rulers? Didn't they, more than anyone, deserve their revenge? And didn't the humans deserve to die?

However…there was more to the matter. Bahamut knew a small group of humans, huddled in a small corner of the wilderness struggling to survive. And he was crazy about them. He loved them. He felt more personal with them than almost any other esper he had ever met. They made him feel so hopeful and joyful for the future…they made him remember what it was to truly live. And he knew there had to be more. But even if there wasn't any more than them…it didn't matter. These people…these few people…they meant everything to him. Long ago, he risked his life for the sake of having one human grow up in peace. And now…for the sake of these children…for the sake of them growing up free and safe…he would pardon the rest of the contemptable race. They deserved a chance in this new world. And if humanity of the future could be more like them…then the world still had a chance.

He had already resigned himself to the fate of his race…and he had fallen in love anew with humanity. If there could only be one survivor…and if the race to come was going to be led by the man in front of him, then he knew he could make only one choice.

Slowly, Bahamut rose from the ground, still holding Terra. However, as she rose, Bahamut looked down to her. His face was expressionless and cool, but he sent her a mental message.

Terra…use your power to heal yourself and your friends.

The woman blinked for a moment at him. But then, she gave a nod. As Bahamut turned his back on Wyvern and began to walk away from him, the woman closed her eyes and focused. A new aura arose. White streams of light, like small fairies, danced out of her hands, did a circle in the air, and then rested on them again, scattering white sparks behind them. After doing so…Terra's body began to glow with green light, as a new aura enveloped her. Bahamut continued to carry her as she did this. Her lighter wounds began to close. Her blood was replenished in a small amount. She felt much stronger. By the time the healing was over, she had no trouble holding her eyes all the way open and looking to Bahamut. He was now on the edge of the room…with Zola and Noonian.

He turned up to them as he bent down to gently rest Terra on the floor. His eyes glared at them fiercely.

Lay a finger on her…and I'll incinerate you from the feet up.

The two servants recoiled at that. Much as they feared Wyvern…Bahamut was not someone to defy. They would obey him. They shrank and gulped against the wall. After doing this, Bahamut began to lean up again. Feeling strong once more, Terra leaned up, but continued to hold his coat around her body.

To this, Bahamut looked to her coldly.

Whatever happens…don't get in my way. He commanded, in a voice so powerful and strong it made Terra hesitate. If it looks like I'm going to lose…run away, as fast and as far as you can.

Terra's mouth hung open. She was about to protest…but Bahamut wouldn't let her. Immediately, he rose to his feet, and turned back around to face Wyvern. As for Terra, she continued to stare at him a moment longer, blinking and eager. A longing was in her face, but Bahamut's commanding words continued to resonate through her body. She swallowed. In the end, she could do nothing else but throw off Bahamut's coat, and then get to her feet to run to the others.

As she did this, Bahamut glared as hard as rock into Wyvern's eyes.

"…No."

Wyvern's own semi-casual look evaporated. A frown began to replace it. Slowly, he bowed his head, and let out a slow sigh. He took a few calm steps forward, walking up to the central table.

"You know…Bahamut…" His tone rapidly rising in volume, and violence. "Sometimes you can really piss me OFF!"

Wyvern ended this by sweeping his hand at his table. Immediately, it was broken into shrapnel, and the dishes and food were thrown violently everywhere, splattering against the walls and curtains that surrounded the area. The room thundered with Wyvern's bellow, and the air seemed to grow darker and colder. Now, the esper was mad. He turned and glared at Bahamut's own cold, stoic face, and he sneered as he did so.

He's starting to look like the Wyvern I know now…

"I don't get you!" Wyvern snapped at him. "After four thousand years…I still have no idea who you are or why you do the crap you do! Every time I think I have you pegged, you turn around and do something more dumbass than before! First you screw me over for your own power…then you screw over your own kind for these damn murderers! I mean…what the hell is wrong with you! Why did I ever think you were so smart when you can be such a retarded imbecile! They are the enemy! All I want is to make the world safe for us! Our race! Remember that? That thing you claimed to serve so well?"

"Our race is dead, Wyvern." Bahamut simply answered. "There's nothing left for me to serve anymore."

"Our race will live, if you'll stop being such a fool!" Wyvern angrily retorted. "I don't believe this! What do you owe them? Huh? Nothing! Not a damn thing! Look at me!" He sneered, leaning in close to Bahamut and pointing to his chest. "Look at me! I'm the one you owe! Me! The brother you hated for so long! I kept your magicite! I brought you back to life! I worked so hard to save our race! I even bent over backward to try and make amends between us…even letting you keep that damn bastard woman as a bride! And this is how you thank me! By throwing in your lot with a bunch of gutless, heartless murderers? People who looked at Starlet and Leviathan and saw only the power they could give them? And you call me the traitor?"

"There is more to the human race than just violence and lusts." Bahamut continued. "There is compassion and kindness…the ability to remake this world into a thing more beautiful and wondrous than before. That was what I always believed in, ever since the day I met Palad. The people who want a world of peace, just like us, deserve a chance to live."

Wyvern grit his teeth at Bahamut. "You and I both know, Bahamut…this world will never be at peace so long as our two races exist. And if you don't know…then I do. I've seen the feeble attempts of this world to keep order, and all it did was repeat history in the end."

"Then perhaps the best thing to do is to finish what humanity started." Bahamut darkly answered.

To this, his twin brother actually recoiled, and showed surprise.

"We're both relics, Wyvern." Bahamut went on, shrugging. "Neither of us should even be here. We died, along with the rest of our race. Our age is dead. It's been dead. And it won't come back. All both of us have been doing until now is cheating it. You're right…we can't live together. But we also can't get back what was lost. No matter what we did, the world would never be the way it used to be. No matter how many mountains we tunnel out, there won't be another Terratopolis. No matter how many bastard children we have, there will never be a gathering of espers again. And in the end…humanity would come at us again, repeating history, like you said."

"Then they must die!" Wyvern insisted, turning violent again. "Rub them out! Make a world peaceful for us to live in!"

"It doesn't make sense for us to kill all of another race, just to satisfy the desires of two people who are living on borrowed time." Bahamut answered. "Whether you like it or not, Wyvern…this world is theirs now. It's no longer ours. And there are too many innocent lives out there who deserve a chance. I cannot…and I will not…take that away from them. It is the destiny of the old generation to give the world to the new. Our time is over. This is the only duty I have left."

Terra had made it to her friends, and had just begun to heal them. But now…she turned and looked back to Bahamut. She heard his talk…and she stared at it blankly. Her mouth still hung open, and she wondered if he meant all of that. As for Bahamut, he continued to glare darkly at Wyvern. He was irresolute again. He would not bend…not leave the world to die at the hands of this creature before him. Wyvern stared back…fuming. His white face was red, and his chest rose and fell as he glared darkly at Bahamut, nearly snorting all the while. His own fists clenched…as claws came out of them.

"Well…it looks like this is what it comes down to again, Bahamut." Wyvern darkly uttered.

Bahamut stared back at him coldly. "…It seems so."

"…Strong as you are…I received the same powers you did in rebirth. You haven't a prayer."

"We shall see."

The two brothers glared at each other for a few moments longer. Both of their eyes began to turn serpentine. Their teeth began to grow sharper. Their ancient grudge was again revived as they glared at one another with murderous intent.

"I always knew it would one day come down to this, Bahamut…" Wyvern stated after a while. "Not you and me…but me and humanity. And that's what this is. It's a day of destiny. Is the world going to belong to the murderers and thieves…or to our race…after today? I always knew it would be me standing on the side of espers, in the end. But I never thought, even in my darkest dreams, despite all that we had been through…that you would be the one standingup formankind."

Bahamut glared back without change.

"…You thought wrong."

With that…both espers began to transform.


To be continued...