Cloud stepped down one final time, removing his feet from the rock path that led to the valley behind him, and stepping onto the soil beyond. The man stopped there, for the first time in close to an hour. Here, he gazed out at the horizon and his surroundings, his look dark and fierce. He kept his anger stoked at the moment, not calming down for anything. To do so would only make him feel fear…terror at what might have happened. He didn't know who this person was or why they had done this…but they were dead. For their sakes, they had better not hurt her… He forced himself to focus on what he would do to them, trying not to focus on what they could have done to Tifa already…and trying not to focus on hating himself for letting this happen.
The ex-mercenary looked around him. The hill sloped upward just ahead. The elevation rose a bit more before snow began to cover the ground. Beyond that, all of the Icicle Inn area stretched, and all of it was covered with snow. The air had already grown much cooler. It was fall again, which meant it might as well be winter a bit north of here, for it wasn't going to get above freezing again. The sky was dark overhead…and small flakes were beginning to flurry and fall. Soon, it could turn into a real storm. Those in the valley might only get rain, but any further north and Cloud would run into real snowfall. He could take cold temperatures…but it would reduce visibility.
Again, he cared little for that right now. He cared only for Tifa and finding who had taken her. His eyes darted around the horizon for a moment. Who was it? New Shinra? Some old enemy? He didn't think they had any left… And if they did, they should have come for him. Tifa didn't have any enemies… And who could have come after her anyway? No average person in the world could withstand a fight with her. She was too skilled… So who was it?
Cloud's puzzlement was cut off momentarily, as he caught something far to the left. About a quarter of a mile away…a person was standing out there, just on the edge of a hill, just in view of the surrounding area. The ex-mercenary swung his body totally to look to him. Far across the way, standing on top of the snow fields that surrounded him, he saw this figure raise an arm and wave at him. He could make out little else, other than the fact that he was dressed in black. But before he could shout out or do anything else to signal him or alert him, the figure turned and vanished behind the snow-covered hill.
The ex-mercenary grit his teeth and raised his weapon. Not caring about the snow, cold, or coming storm, he charged forward after the figure. Soon, his boots were tearing apart the snow beneath him as he ran, racing up the hill. A minute later…he was dropping down the other side just as the figure had done before.
He had just begun to drop behind it when another figure stepped off of the stone pathway and into the dirt. Ragnar panted and wiped his brow. He didn't have the stamina of Cloud, despite his own training, and keeping up with Cloud's pace had taken a toll on him. The young general looked around for a short moment, until he caught sight of Cloud's hair to his left. He looked out immediately…and once again was just in time to see Cloud vanish. The youth frowned and let out a long sigh.
Ragnar caught his breath for a moment, but then looked up to the heavens. Flurries were falling steadily now. More snow would follow…and with it would come another cool front. It wasn't going to be a blizzard, but still it wasn't something he wanted to be out in. It would decrease visibility, and it would take forever for them to find their way back if it got heavy enough. The army would be here any moment too. The young man frowned and slumped his shoulders. Wyvern sure had picked a good time for this. He didn't know what he had planned…but between the attack and the storm, it couldn't be good.
In the end, he still had no choice. Frowning, Ragnar looked back to Cloud's tracks, and then took off again, following behind them as best as he could. Within a minute, he too had reached the hillside, and had vanished over the edge.
Only then did the sound of heavy engines and treads begin to come from behind the hill to the north…followed shortly by the first of the New Shinra tanks…
Red XIII let out a long exhale. The beast lacked a timepiece, but it was easy enough to look slightly to his right to see a soldier crouched behind the barricade holding his own watch up. The Colonel looked at it…and saw that it was now nearly eleven. Still, there was no sign of Ragnar, Cloud, or the other missing persons. The beast steadied himself…and tried not to let his own growing worry show as he looked out and ahead at the valley again.
The army was set up once more. There were many former construction personnel in their ranks. They had rigged up a temporary construction elevator alongside the troublesome cliff, and making use of it they were easily able to move their entire force up and into the valley. They had moved out the specific crews to each of their enclaves, manned each of the heavy machine guns, put gunners at the two artillery units, and had the rest hunker down behind their barricades. It was much the same set up as last time, only they had far more ammunition and troops to go around. All in all, the army looked in better shape than it had during their first conflict. At least…they did on external appearances.
But Red XIII was skilled at sensing things not visible to the basic five senses. As he turned his head from side to side, he began to smell anxiety on the people surrounding him. There was puzzlement on many of their faces…especially as they began to look up and around them. Red XIII didn't have to be a genius to realize they were looking for the same man he was looking for…and the more time went on the more anxious and fearful they became. They expected to have their leader at the front lines like before, ready to be the first to charge into the fray when the time came. They expected the same bold youth who had rallied them last time to be their strength now. But he was nowhere to be seen…and time was quickly starting to run out. Red XIII knew he could only keep the troops in control for a bit longer. He had already sent Barret and Yuffie out to try and rally them, keeping their spirits and bravery up as best they could. To this end…Lieutenant Mack had proven useful as well, moving among them and doing much the same thing. But he wasn't the warrior that they were, and so his words could only do so much…
As the beast sighed and looked out ahead at the empty battlefield, still filled with rubble and metal from the last battle, something caught his ear. The sound of soft footsteps were moving up to his left. If it was anyone else, they never would have heard it coming. Red XIII supposed that was a good thing. After all, it didn't do much good for a spy to be easily heard. A moment later, and Cait Sith stepped up next to the lion/wolf.
"…Yes?" He asked after a moment.
Cait Sith swallowed uneasily. Standing on his tiptoes, the cat leaned over to Red XIII's ear, and cupped a mitten against it to whisper.
"We have trouble."
"What now?"
"Some of the soldiers. They're saying that the Generals deserted us, fleeing for their lives. They're looking fit to run themselves, if that's the case."
The beast frowned. This was wonderful. If some broke off, it was inevitable that others would give into their fear and run as well. That would quickly spell trouble for their entire army. The loss of so much personnel would make others lose heart even if they stayed. They'd feel even more outnumbered and overwhelmed, and they'd be prey for the New Shinra. The only chance they had against these people was if they kept their cool and fought unrelentingly. Confidence would be the difference between victory and defeat if the New Shinra tried something new.
This was the reason cowardice in battle was a crime in war. You did more than just run off in panic, making yourself an easy target for the enemy. You hurt your fellow troops, and jeopardized them all while encouraging the enemy. Red XIII wished he had the authority to inflict a penalty for cowardice or desertion…but he didn't. This was an army of volunteers, after all, and enacting these sorts of regulations would only inspire more people to avoid the force, or possibly desert themselves. About the only thing Red XIII could do was try and tell them that if they broke off from one another, they'd easily be picked off one by one. He lacked the charisma to make that sound inspiring. Coming from him…it would just be another item of fear.
Where is that General?
In the end, Red XIII sighed, and turned back to Cait Sith. "Go among the ranks. Warn the people not to break and run for it, or they'll be an easy target for rifle or cannon fire."
Cait Sith leaned back a bit, and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "…That's it?"
"That's all I can do. The rest has to be up to the general."
The stuffed robot winced uneasily at that. Cringing a little, he turned his moogle to start walking back. However, before he could take a step, he turned back to Red XIII and gave an uneasy shrug.
"You know…you're next in command. You're going to have to take control during the battle if Ragnar and Cloud don't show up."
"Thanks for the reminder." Red XIII darkly answered, not turning back and not sounding the least bit enthused about the situation. He continued to watch the field…as the first few raindrops began to fall.
While it began to rain several miles south of where Cloud was, the situation was far different where he had come. Here, it was more than altitude and latitude that changed the climate. It was the weakened world itself sucking warmth and life into it. Because of that…this part of the world took a sharp turn to being inhospitable. It wasn't nearly as bad as Great Glacier to the north…but with Fall having come on this part of the world, it was still far from comfortable.
The storm was hitting here hard now. Snow was falling down in a steady stream, and the world all around the ex-mercenary was covered with a white haze. It was hard to see more than a hundred meters in front of yourself at this point. The wind whipped by more than once, blowing in from the valley to the north where Icicle Inn lay nestled. Every breeze blasted against his bare skin and chilled him to the bone. Despite as durable as Cloud was, he soon felt himself shivering a bit in the wind. Yet he didn't stop now. He continued to go to the northwest, following after whoever this was…
The man had been hiking in that direction for some time now. His boots were caked with snow from having trampled through so much. Whoever he was following didn't leave any tracks… The ex-mercenary wasn't sure how he managed that, but he kept going. A few times, he wondered if he was being led astray, diverted away on a wild goose chase. But each time…he would see the same figure materialize out of the swirling snow again, just long enough to wave at him before vanishing again. And so, Cloud continued. He didn't care about the storm or the snow or the cold. He just continued to go further and further north…further away from the battle site and further away from both armies. As the hours went by, he didn't give up for a moment, but kept chasing the man…not caring that each step took him farther from civilization, shelter, or anyone else…
At last, the man crossed over a snowdrift. He nearly fell into it, stumbling once as he tried to go through. The snow here was deep. However, he managed to get over the edge, and looked out ahead. He had crossed several of these hills and drifts before now. Most of the time, he saw nothing but more of the empty fields and endless snowfall. Occasionally, he saw the person he looked for, however. He would see him wave to him from far on the horizon, before turning and disappearing into the snowfall once again.
However, on crossing this, he saw something different. His trail had taken him far to the northwest now, up against one of the mountain ridges that rose from the plains of ice. To his left, a series of cliffs of rock and ice blocked any further path to the west. Ahead of him, the road to the north was still clear. His quarry could continue going that way, if he so desired. And yet…that didn't seem like it would be the case now. Instead, Cloud's eyes turned down to what was just a few hundred feet ahead. There was an ice covered lake nearby. It was accumulating about an inch of white powder on it, and a dead tree hung over it, withered and bare. It was probably the ruins of an ancient tree that had been up here before the first meteor struck. Yet Cloud didn't notice that either.
What he did notice was a woman was chained to the tree with her head bowed.
He recognized her gi and hair immediately.
Tifa…
The ex-mercenary didn't hesitate. He immediately charged forward, tearing through the snow again with renewed vigor. Tifa wasn't moving from where she was. However, he doubted it was due to cold, lightly dressed as she was. It seemed more due to something having struck her or knocked her out. He couldn't tell from here. He could barely tell it was her. Yet as he got closer, he only saw more details that confirmed his suspicions. He moved recklessly…almost in a blind charge to get up to her. In doing so…he almost forgot about his opponent. About halfway to her, he remembered him. At that thought of that, he raised Event Horizon up with one arm, and turned his head from side to side as he moved forward. He watched the drifts and the hills as he closed. He saw nothing. No opponent. No figure. No signs of an ambush. But he knew that was too easy… Tifa was just standing out there in the open for him. This figure hadn't let him on this far without planning something… He stayed alert as he closed in on her.
At last, the ex-mercenary reached the woman. He came to a halt right in front of her, and paused again to quickly look around the area. Still nothing. There wasn't a sign of anyone. However…he didn't feel safe here. Now that he saw Tifa again…now that he was calming down out of his fear…he began to realize how foolish he had been. He had wandered this far from the army…out miles away from anyone. This was a trap…the most blatant trap he had ever seen. Whoever was here…whoever had done this…he had been trying to bring him out on purpose. He couldn't stay here. He needed to run while he still could. He had to get Tifa out of here. He finally turned back to the woman. He turned his sword over, and stuck it into the snow for a moment. He reached out and planted his hands on the woman's shoulders, and gave her a shake.
"Tifa… Tifa, wake up." He called to her as he did so. "We need to get out of here, fast. We have to get back to the army."
Cloud shook the woman again…but he had barely moved her at all when her head suddenly snapped up. When it did…Cloud immediately released her and stepped back, staring in surprise at the face he saw on the woman as she looked up to him. It wasn't Tifa's. It was a sickeningly white face…with blood red eyes, and cruel lips twisted into a grin. It was also male.
"My hero." The figure hissed.
Cloud was stunned. But before he could make another move or even fully take in what had happened, "Tifa" spread his arms out and immediately snapped the chains that held him to the tree. As he did…the flesh seemed to melt off of his body, in every place except the face. As it did…a black coat was revealed beneath, as well as long, black hair as dark as midnight. A powerful, muscular build fleshed him out as he stepped forward. Cloud couldn't even utter a syllable before he reached out with one snow-white hand and seized the ex-mercenary by the throat. Immediately…the fingers dug in…and he felt five sharp dagger-like nails dig into his flesh. His airway wasn't cut off…but he felt pain against his neck as the fingers pressed against it. With an easy effort, the dark man that had emerged lifted him off the ground.
The man's eyes gaped. Immediately, he raised his own hands and seized the hand of this dark individual. He began to pull at his fingers…only to see he might as well have been trying to tear a tank apart with his bare hands. The grip was iron…seeming almost to fuse itself to Cloud's skin. And no matter how hard he pulled, he couldn't move it. The man had him, and all of his strength was useless against him. He could only dangle.
Cloud gaped a moment longer, but then looked down. Event Horizon was still there in the ground… Suddenly, he took his hand off of his neck and reached for it. However, the dark man was a bit too fast for him. He swung his body around quickly, putting it over the frozen lake instead, and taking him far from the hilt of his sword. The ex-mercenary looked back to him and grit his teeth. Furiously, he began to kick at him with his free legs. Cloud had enough power to break ribs with each of his kicks…and yet it felt like he was kicking a mountainside. The man didn't react to any of them as he feebly tried to inflict damage.
"Well, well…another spirited one." The dark man spoke as he stepped forward, placing Cloud further over the frozen lake. "They're always the most fun to grind intooffal with your bare hands…"
"Who…the hell…are you…?" Cloud spat around the closed fist.
"Death incarnate." The man simply answered, grinning sadistically back at him.
"What…did you do…with Tifa…?"
The dark man simply snorted. "You really want to see her so badly? Then by all means…let me send you to her."
With that, the man suddenly reared back and raised Cloud over his head. The ex-mercenary was shocked…but not nearly as shocked as when he swung him down onto the frozen lake. His body was smashed through four inches of thick ice…and yet the force continued to push him down even after doing so. It felt like he had been shot out of a cannon. His body sank down through the water beneath the ice and into the lake…leaving a trail of bubbles behind it like a torpedo. After about twenty feet, he struck bottom…head first. The buffering effects of the water were ignored as his head was smashed roughly against the hard ground at the bottom of the pool. Pain soon flooded through his senses, and his body went limp as he opened his mouth to cry out in agony. The water around him was suddenly stained red.
Cloud writhed at the bottom of the pool a moment, feeling pain radiate throughout him. That blow hadn't been minor… He didn't think something existed that could throw that hard. The soreness and trauma continued to ripple through him for a moment as he leaned back nearly senseless. But then…a new pain took hold of him. Horrible…stabbing…agonizing pain from all directions. It felt as if his skin was being crushed. Although he was now underwater and couldn't breath anyway…it felt as if his body stopped taking in air as easily as before. At this, the ex-mercenary opened his eyes back up in fear. He was at the bottom of a frozen lake. The ice cold water was surrounding him…forcing him into agony with its numbing effects… He looked up above again…and saw, far on the surface, that the dark man was still there, bowing over the hole he had made and placing his hand over the water, as if to wave at him.
Gritting his teeth, Cloud immediately pushed off of the bottom and tore for the surface. Already…he felt the muscles in his legs beginning to weaken and lock up. He didn't have much time. In an instant, he was at the opening. The dark man leaned back as he came, and Cloud prepared to shoot himself against it and get out…
When he instead received more pain to his head as his skull rammed against a piece of ice. The ex-mercenary recoiled in pain, grabbing his head and crying out silently again in the lake. But then, he looked back up as his face turned to shock. Two inches of ice had already frozen back over the hole. The man couldn't believe it. That was impossible. It wasn't nearly cold enough to do that… It was barely cold enough to start having a thin layer of ice form. Gritting his teeth, Cloud balled back a fist and swung it forward. However…he was still dazzled. And the cold was beginning to sap his energy. Coupled with the ability of the water to soften his force, he barely managed to give the ice a weak, meaningless blow. His lungs began to hurt soon after…and his head began to get fuzzy. His eyes hurt just from staying open…being stabbed by cold daggers.
Through this all, Cloud could only look helplessly up through the fresh clear ice…and see the dark man calmly look back down on him.
"Well, well…it seems you're about to die of oxygen deprivation down there. But keep trying. If you manage to build enough strength and smash your way through…you'll get to enjoy the fresh, cold air for another three minutes before you freeze to death. Either way…you'll see Tifa again. I'm a man of my word."
Ragnar caught these dark words as he charged over the snowdrift, tearing up Cloud's previous tracks and forcing his way through the trench he had dug. They were horrible… They had such darkness and maliciousness in them. Ragnar was normallyresistant to cold. Even now, in the midst of this snowstorm, he didn't feel the slightest bit chilled. Nevertheless…hearing these words made an icy feeling go down his spine. The storm seemed to get cooler, and the sky grew darker, as he crossed the drift. He knew immediately who it was…
Despite his fear as to who he was about to encounter…despite the dread of knowing he had walked right into a trap…the thought that his friend was in trouble invigored the young man beyond his fears and doubts. Now that he had crossed the snowdrift, he drew Ragnarok at long last. Even in the darkness around him, the blade gleamed like a bright flame. He continued to charge forward as he looked ahead of himself, seeing a ridge of ice and rock walls to his left, and a frozen lake with a dead tree over it to the north. What more…he also saw a man who looked almost draped in shadow, looking down at what seemed to be an iced over hole. On seeing this…Ragnar's heart raced. He knew what had happened now…
Somehow, Ragnar forced his face into a sneer, and his eyes blazed challengingly. This was suicide…but he brought his blade behind him and continued to charge forward, ready to strike the dark man. "Wyvern!" He cried out in rage to the dark creature.
In response, the dark man calmly turned and raised an eyebrow. He wasn't at all miffed that Ragnar was now tearing through the snow, charging at him to lop his head off. Wyvern merely snorted, and then grinned in response.
"Well, if it isn't the man of the hour…"
"You bastard!" Ragnar cried as he continued to charge at him. It was taking forever to close the gap…but still he pushed himself on. As crazy as his charge was, he kept it up, wanting to strike him down.
Wyvern stayed perfectly calm as he turned to the youth, crossing his arms. It was sickening. He looked almost like a shadow of Bahamut like that. They were twins…and they did bear a resemblance to one another. But their choices and souls had long since twisted their flesh to become separate people. Ragnar knew this demon wasn't his master, and if anything he felt disgusted that he should look anything like him. However, as he closed the last bit of distance and prepared to swipe, the calm Wyvern spoke back to him simply.
"It seems you have a choice now, Ragnar. Either save yourself…or jump in after your friend so you can die together. Somehow…I feel that telling you this won't dissuade you. In fact…I'm counting on it, just like I counted on you following him all this way. Life or death, Ragnar. Make your choice."
Ragnar grit his teeth and cursed the dark esper before him. At last, he was on top of him. He reared back his blade, and at last swung it forward to strike down the creature. But before his blade could hit him…the dark esper vanished into the falling snow that surrounded him. One moment he was there…and the next he disappeared into nothingness. Ragnar swung his blade the rest of the way, but his eyes widened in surprise. He stopped as his blade fell to the ground, and held himself in his final position. Shocked, he looked around from side to side, trying to see where he had gone too. Could he really move that fast? So fast he didn't even see him run, and was already away? No…that couldn't be it. Ragnar began to remember when he first met Bahamut. He had given him mental illusions…made him see him behind him in his dragon forms. Immediately, he understood. Wyvern was doing the same thing. He thought he was charging him…when the whole time he was charging a mental illusion while the real one was moving away after having thrown Cloud in...or doing who knew what else.
Ragnar sneered and brought himself back up. He looked to the sky, his eyes blazing with fury. The damned wretch… Why didn't he stay to finish him? What was he doing now? The young man didn't know…and after a moment longer, he didn't care. Instead, he remembered the ice. His fury vanished, and he turned his full attention to the lake. Not wasting a moment, he dashed over to the side of it, and toward the frozen hole he had seen before.
There he was. Underneath a layer of ice, Cloud was trapped in the lake. Ragnar's face soon filled with fear. The ex-mercenary was weakening. He was beginning to move less and sink. Either oxygen depravation was getting to him…or his body was shutting down due to the severe hypothermia he had to be experiencing. Either way…he was going to die. He had to do something.
Ragnar looked to his sword and raised it up for a moment. Now that Wyvern was gone, it blazed forth like a flame even more brilliantly than before. He stared nervously at it a moment, and prayed that it did have something of a fire in it. With that, he turned back down and quickly brought Ragnarok around. He sliced away at the two inch ice that had formed over the hole, cutting a large square. That done, he tossed Ragnarok away to one side, dropped to his knees, seized the ice square, and yanked it out. He immediately threw it to one side…recoiling a bit as he did. Even feeling the tips of his fingers fall into the water chilled him, and he felt them going numb. But there was no time to worry about that. Once it was away, he quickly reached down and plunged his arm into the icy water…
A newproblemsoon awaited him. Cloud was passing out. He lacked the ability to keep his body up and out of the water. Even though the way was clear…the cold had seized his limbs. He was sinking into the water now, going away from Ragnar's grasp. The youth's eyes filled with fear, and he tried to reach in a bit more to grab him. But it was too late. His hand only brushed cold, clammy skin before Cloud sank out of his grasp. Feeling the icy chill against his own clothing, Ragnar ripped his arm back out of the water and winced, but also looked down in terror at his friend.
Then, suddenly, it hit him.
Either save yourself…or jump in after your friend so you can die together.
This was Wyvern's plan. This was what he had in mind all along. Bahamut was right…he had been telling the truth. He wasn't going to harm Ragnar himself, and he hadn't. This was his plan…to devise a way for him to kill himself. He wanted him to come after him. He wanted him to jump in and try and save Cloud, and by now that was the only way he could do it. But once he pulled him out…there would be nothing to make fires with and nothing warm to wear…not even something to dry himself off with. He'd be dead from exposure himself in minutes.
Ragnar cursed himself again. He thought about throwing his concerns to the wind and going in after Cloud…but his own cape and clothes wouldn't be enough to warm his friend up enough to survive. They would still die together. The young general nearly fumed. This was all that damned Wyvern's fault… He couldn't believe this. For years, he had been part of Icicle Inn's "polar bear club". He could move in freezing water and lakes like this year round. And yet now…it couldn't save him or Cloud from…
Wait a minute…
Ragnar suddenly realized something. Lakes… He was in the Icicle Inn area again. It was near the outskirts, but he was there. And all of the bodies of water and landforms had been charted in the area. That included all the ponds. People went out ice skating all the time when they weren't playing hockey or ice fishing. There were dozens of lakes all around…and he was familiar with a lot of them… He looked up again, and saw the dead tree hanging over the water. He hesitated a moment, staring at it. But then it hit him. He knew this place. It was one of the farther lakes in the area, but he had seen it before on maps. The one dead tree made it stick out. This was Miner's Pond. It was charted and known by the people of Icicle Inn…
And the people of Icicle Inn always made sure there was an emergency shelter in case someone fell through thin ice…
Realizing this, Ragnar looked up and to the west again. The rock wall was still there. However, he ran his eyes alongside it for a moment, desperately searching for something. As he did, he began to reach up and remove his cape. He moved down to his tunic next and began to unbutton it. His fingers fumbled and slipped, and he cursed and nearly tore it open to get it off. He thought of skipping it and going right in…but in the end he recanted. He had to have dry clothes after he was out. Soon his tunic was off, followed by his shirt, and next came his shoes, socks, and pants. At last, Ragnar spotted something. Up ahead, directly across from the pond… There was a small cave just nestled inside the rock, just out of eyesight.
The youth began to grow nervous at seeing this. It could just be a cave, not a shelter. And even if it was, Wyvern might have emptied it. If either of those were true…both he and Cloud were toast…or ice, whatever was more appropriate. Yet he didn't have time to check. He had already wasted too much time. He needed to get in if Cloud was going to have a chance at all. Now stripped to his skivvies, Ragnar stood up at the edge of the water, leaned over, and dove right in.
Ice water splashed Ragnar in the face and moved over his body. He felt bitterly cold for a moment…before the pain settled in instead. That was the worst part about jumping in. However, he held on, and kept swimming down. He endured it, waiting for his outer layer of skin to numb. It was still numbing by the time he reached Cloud…but he didn't care. Quickly, the youth put his arms under his friend's shoulders, and then turned his body up and began to swim back for the top. By then, he was starting to feel a bit numb, but it was too late at that point. He was already coming out. He feared for a moment that there would be more ice, but his fears were unfounded. On reaching the top, only a thin, easily broken layer was there. The two inch layer that had formed…it had to be Wyvern's doing.
Moments later, Ragnar's face broke the top of the water, and he gulped a deep breath of air. Dipping your face in freezing water did something to your respiratory system…kept you from using the air you had. He didn't think about that for very long, however. Grunting, he raised Cloud up out of the water, and poked his head above surface. Miraculously, the man's eyes snapped open, and he immediately gasped himself. Ragnar, panting as he was above the freezing water, smiled a bit in relief. That was one bit of good news. If he had to do rescue breathing on Cloud…there was no way he could get him into shelter before he was done. At any rate, Cloud's eyes quickly drooped again, and his body became dead weight. It was too numbed to move. The youth thought fast. Immediately, he began to bob Cloud up and down in the water. The natural buoyancy would help lift him, and would aid Ragnar's strength for what happened next. He bobbed Cloud up and down once…twice…and on the third time put all his strength behind it and cast Cloud out of the freezing pond. It worked. Thanks to Ragnar's strength, the man was thrown out of the water and onto the shore. Half of his legs continued to dangle in the water after he was out, but Ragnar would get those in a second. Next, he put his own arms on the shore side, and quickly pulled his own body out of the water. Despite the fact that he was yanking himself into freezing cold snow, Ragnar kept pulling himself up and dragged himself totally out and to shore.
The youth didn't stay there long. His already numb skin barely felt the sting of the snow against his bare flesh. He turned to Cloud, and saw much worse. He was still breathing, but already he was shivering, and his skin was turning blue. The youth quickly went over to him and practically tore off his armor, shirt, and pants. Having nothing else, he pulled up his cape and covered him with it. By now…Ragnar felt his own body starting to shiver. He may have been able to jump into freezing water, but he always had several warm towels and a fire waiting for him when he came out. He didn't have any time to waste. Quickly, he pulled Cloud off of the ground and slung one of his arms over his shoulder. For the first time, he would be the one supporting him, not the other way around. Cloud's legs didn't move at all as he pulled him up, but Ragnar began to drag him none the less in that way.
"Cloud…can you hear me?" Ragnar called from his own quivering lips. "Say something."
He heard a grunt from the shivering man, but nothing else.
"Cloud…stay awake. You have to stay awake for a bit longer… Try to move your body around."
The ex-mercenary mumbled something, but Ragnar couldn't make it out. He continued to drag him, for he still gave no support. As he did, an icy wind ripped past his wet skin. The youth gave out a violent shiver at that. His teeth began to chatter as goosebumps covered his flesh. His muscles were beginning to spasm uncontrollably. He didn't have much time either… Moving as fast as he could, dragging Cloud along, he finally went past the pond and to the rock wall on the other side. He headed straight for the opening in the rock and went inside.
The cutting off of the wind was welcome, but it was still freezing inside the small cave. Ragnar's panicked breath came out in clear white puffs. He looked around as soon as he entered. It wasn't big, only about twenty feet by twenty feet. However…to his relief…he saw his suspicions had been correct. It was a shelter. There were fire logs piled up, a small rusty can of lighter fluid, and a box of matches. A darkened spot on the floor had a pipe built over it, meant as a sort of chimney for this small area, feeding the smoke outside. There were also a couple blankets folded up against the wall, and what looked like an old bottle of liquor.
Ragnar's toes and fingers were starting to feel numb by now, and he knew his time was almost out. Quickly, he put Cloud against the ground. He reached over and yanked out the first blanket, and quickly wrapped his body in it. Then he took the second and wrapped it around himself. It was still cold in the interior, but it helped somewhat. His limbs were shaking and jerky now, but still he forced himself to work on. He grabbed about eight of the logs and piled them up on the sooty spot. He took up the can next and squeezed out the fluid over them. With that done, he fumbled for the matches. Between his numb fingers and his shaking limbs, he could barely grab them. When he did, his hands were shaking so much that when he opened the box, he spilled them everywhere. The young man grit his teeth, forced his body to stay still, and reached down to take up one of them. He had trouble striking it, and broke the first match before he could do it successfully. But he threw down this one and took up another. This one he managed to light, and he threw it onto the logs soon after. They immediately ignited.
While the fire began to catch, Ragnar turned back to Cloud and the bottle of liquor. It was half full. There was no telling if it had been used before and if so, by whom. Some drifter could have come by and drank some. But there was nothing for it. Right now, he realized he had to be more worried about freezing rather than getting some sickness. Ragnar took it up and undid the cork, and dipped it down to Cloud. The man was shivering uncontrollably in his blanket, but Ragnar took that as a good sign. So long as he was shivering, his body hadn't given up on him. He raised the man's head and forced him to drink some of it. After doing so, Cloud immediately coughed and hacked from the dryness, before leaning back and going back into his semi-unconscious state. Ragnar raised it to himself next and took a swig. It burned so much as it ran down his throat, he thought he was drinking pure alcohol. He too made a face and yanked it away before giving his own cough and hack. That stuff was terrible. However, it did its work. He began to feel his insides burn a bit, traveling through the core of his body.
The fire was starting to blaze now. Ragnar's condition stabilized, though he was still shaking. He turned to Cloud and immediately dragged him forward, setting him in front of him and close to the fire. Once he did, he hesitated a moment…but then decided to not be a fool. With only a slightly uneasy look, he put himself down next to Cloud, and shoved his body against his. After that, he spread part of his blanket over him, and wrapped his arms around Cloud to push them both close together.
"…I d-d-don't like this any more than you would, if you were awake, C-C-Cloud…" Ragnar stammered. "But it's-s-s the best way to keep warm…"
Cloud said nothing. However, he continued to breathe. As the fire began to blaze, and Ragnar felt warmth coming over both of them, he felt his friend's shivering begin to subside. He sighed in relief as he leaned down. They had done it. They were alive.
However, as Ragnar put his head down, he soon began to worry about other things. They may have survived Wyvern's plan to kill them both, but there was no telling if or when he would come back to try and finish them if he figured out they were still alive. Yet there was a far greater problem. Neither he nor Cloud would be able to go back until they got warmer. Even if Cloud did recover enough to start moving again, he had to get his clothes so they could be dried out first. And even then, it was another two hours to head back to the battle site. By then, they would be behind the enemy, not in front of them. What this meant for all intensive purposes was that he and Cloud were out of this fight. That had to be Wyvern's intention. He wanted them both dead so that they couldn't go back to the battlefield…so there wouldn't be any leaders for the PPA. And in this regard, he had succeeded. Both of them weren't going anywhere for at least an hour.
The young man cursed to himself yet again. He had saved Cloud's life…but at what price? And if Wyvern didn't have Tifa…then where was she? What would Zola and Noonian do in his absence?
Ragnar had no answers. He had made a choice again, and now he was helpless to the consequences. And so, having no other option, he huddled in closer and tried to get his flesh warmed again as soon as possible. That was all he could do now to counter the disaster that had befallen them.
"Colonel…we have visual contact."
Red XIII clenched his teeth and growled, his equivalent of swearing. None of them were anywhere to be found. What had happened to them? Where were they? He didn't know…but now it was too late. If the New Shinra Army had visual contact, then that meant that they already had filled the front end of the valley. They had nowhere to go except here now. They were on their way…and he would be forced to lead them.
However, a new fear soon began to linger in his heart. His radio transmission hadn't been on a private channel. It had been on one of the general channels for the other officers to hear. That meant that the message that the enemy was nearly here was spreading throughout the rest of the barricade.
And the change was instantaneous.
"…Where the hell is General Ragnar?" One man behind him yelled.
Red XIII turned his head slightly behind him at that. "We are in a combat zone now, soldier. You are to maintain silence."
"Screw silence!" Another suddenly yelled. "The General fled! He and General Cloud!"
"Lieutenant Zola said they would!" Another cried out from the ranks. "They're saving themselves! They know we can't win!"
"We beat these guys before! We can beat them again!"
"Then the Generals are cowards! They left us here to fight their war for them!"
"I'm not dying for some damn kid! I'm gone!"
Red XIII turned behind him at that, looking to the ranks assembled behind him. The beast grit his teeth in frustration. They were beginning to shift back there. Mean looks were appearing on their faces. Fear was spreading throughout. They were beginning to get up and look around uneasily. He could smell the anxiety growing on them. Now, the horrifying possibility had been planted in their minds, and they were reacting to it. His fears were being justified.
And yet, despite all that…Red XIII noticed something.
Lieutenant Zola said they would flee?
"Come on, you bunch of wimps!" Yuffie yelled back at them. "We can kick their asses without them! We don't need those two!"
Red XIII bowed his head and groaned as he heard this. That wasn't going to help them…
"You do it then! I'm not fighting in some damn war that has a general too chicken-shit to fight himself!"
"Damnit, he'll be here!" Barret yelled behind himself, his own voice gruff and booming. "But we can't leave this spot! All we got left south of us is our children and families! If we let them break through, there ain't nuthin' going to defend them from Shinra! Now sit your asses down and wait!"
This angry outburst managed to give pause to the soldiers for a moment. Barret was right, after all. Their helpless were just beyond them. If they broke down, there wouldn't be anything to defend them from an oncoming attack. That, if nothing else, made those ready to break off and defect hesitate. Some of them, however, it drove only into more panic. They wanted to break off even more readily now. They were going to die if they stayed here…but if they stayed and fought, then their families would be killed too. It was better to run and save them now while they could. The two choices filled them all with fear, and made them hesitated as their anxiety rose.
"Poor fools…you're all cattle herded into the butcher shop."
Red XIII felt a cold chill suddenly go down his spine. The rain suddenly seemed to fall a bit harder…and the sky grew a bit darker. His heart seemed to slow for a moment. Most of all…he felt his blood curdle as he heard a dark, powerful voice ring out from above him. He wasn't alone. The rest of the people heard it as well, and immediately halted in their own private thoughts and emotions. They slowly turned and looked up to the source of the sound. Red XIII did as well…but far more slowly. He had greater senses than the people around him, and he could hear more about a person from their voice.
And as he looked up…he realized that this voice was unmistakably evil.
A shadow of a man stood on top of one of the surroundings cliffs. There was no way up there, and the ground surrounding him was rocky and rough. And yet…he stood there none the less. His arms were crossed as he looked down, letting his long black coat sweep over him with the wind and rain. His smooth black hair slowly rippled behind him, and he glared down below with blood red eyes. The man was fearsome to behold…and awoke a primal fear in Red XIII's heart. The hair on his neck began to rise, and he felt his tail begin to slow and come down to place itself lower to his legs. He seemed to radiate dark and cold. The storm seemed to be coming from him, framed against the sky as he was.
The man grinned, exposing bone white teeth, and extended a hand. He swept it over everyone in the barricade. "You are all sentenced to death." He let thickly slide over his teeth. "Your precious general is a traitor. The one you all trusted in is a faithless coward. He knew that the enemy coming was too great for him to handle. He knew he had no hope. And so…he fled to the north along with his closest commanders this morning, his intention being to hand each and every one of you to the New Shinra. It was the only way he could be spared execution. He told them all your weaknesses, all your limitations… You will be easy prey for them now."
Red XIII and the others silently stared at him. The beast glared at him with his one good eye, and let his mouth hang open slightly. Who was this man? What was he? He didn't know the answer…and, strangely enough, he found himself unable to care about the answer… He instead focused on his words. The beast winced, and shook his head. He knew that couldn't be possible… Cloud would never do that, even if Ragnar would. And neither would Tifa. He would die before selling them out…
And yet…something strange was inside him. He began to visualize him doing that. He began to see things in his mind…scenes of Cloud and Ragnar alike coming before General Leers…bowing before him…offering him the army in exchange for amnesty… It was crazy. It made no sense. And yet…he felt that image begin to fill his brain…and he felt himself start to believe it, too…
The world seemed to grow darker. The rain made things more hazy as the dark man swept his arm out again and spoke. "You shall all be nothing more than bloody flesh in the treads of their tanks. Your families will be the next generation of New Shinra slaves. And it will all be because you were foolish enough to follow a miserable, faithless coward of a man. You have only one choice. Run while you can. Flee while you can. Go south and get as far away from your deaths as possible. Abandon this post that will lead to your destruction, and save what truly matters…"
Red XIII began to feel a bit dizzy. He wasn't alone. The rest of the soldiers were totally transfixed on the dark man, letting his thick, dark words sink into their minds. They all began to feel different now. Red XIII himself did. Cloud…he had betrayed them once before. He had given Sephiroth the Black Materia. He had almost cursed the world to death. Tifa…she was nothing more than a simple woman, wanting to save her own children. Ragnar…he was a liar, a traitor… It made perfect sense now. He feared the New Shinra. He knew they would come for him, conquer the world, and would kill him for running away… So he started this fake army…made them be a threat…then decided to hand them over. He would be pardoned for his service, and the rest of them would die… They were all his pawns. The dark man was right…they were all going to die. Fighting was hopeless. They had to run away…leave the faithless man and their defenses…
"Don't listen to him!"
Then, at once, Red XIII found those thoughts evaporate. They melted away into nothingness, and became shadow and substance again. The lion/wolf shook his head, and snapped out of his daze. At once, he realized what he had been thinking. He was shocked. How could he have felt those things? Cloud had been manipulated before…and he knew Ragnar well enough to know he would never do something so horrible. The thoughts he had considered and indulged only a moment ago now became ludicrous. He wasn't the only one who realized this. Other soldiers behind him began to shake their heads as if snapping out of something, and looked around in a bit of confusion. The lion/wolf hesitated…and then realized it. This dark man…he had been doing something to them. Hypnotizing them or something…making them lose faith in Ragnar to get them to run. He had nearly fallen under the spell himself…but then, someone had snapped him out of it…
Now, Red XIII and the rest of the army looked up again, and turned their attention to a new form. To his surprise, another man was standing on the opposite cliff. He was dressed in rugged mountain clothes with a wide hat over his head. His face was stern and strong, and his blue eyes blazed out like magical fires. His own white hair spilled out into the sky, and the storm seemed to lessen and the sky brighten around him. The beast was astonished. He looked closely at this man's face…and realized that he looked a lot like the dark man across from him. Only this one seemed good…noble…strong…
The white haired man pointed a finger across at the dark man. On his part, the dark man looked up calmly and turned to the white-haired one, putting his hands at his sides. "He's a liar! A snake! He's tricked you all! He's the reason Ragnar isn't here! He led him away! He tried to kill him! He tricked him, just as he's trying to trick you! He's poisoning your minds!"
The beast was stunned. Who were these people? Where had they come from? They were so powerful looking, and framed in the storm that surrounded them. They spoke with voices that shook the world around them. Now, from their positions…they looked almost like a pair of celestial beings fighting over the souls of the people below. Red XIII looked from one to the other, his mouth hanging open in stunned shock.
"Who the hell are they?" Barret finally announced.
"Team mascots?" Yuffie asked with a shrug.
Their comments went unheard, it seemed. The dark man smiled a bit wider, and crossed his arms as he stared at the man who pointed at him. The white-haired man glared darkly at him, his teeth clenched and seeming enraged at the dark one. But as for him, he merely gave a snort.
"Well, well…so much for your policy of non-involvement, Bahamut."
Red XIII, Yuffie, Cait Sith, and Barret all turned their heads up at that. Puzzlement covered their faces…as well as a realization.
"Wait a second…" Cait Sith announced. "Did he say…'Bahamut'? Isn't that who Ragnar claimed trained him…?"
"You violated it first when you tried to manipulate this army for your own insane goals, Wyvern." Bahamut spat back at him. "You can attack me if you wish…but I won't let you discredit the memory of a truly noble human in this world."
The one named Wyvern reared his head back and let out a chuckle. He turned back to the people below, and waved a hand at his opposite. "Poisoning your minds? Am I not rather telling you the truth? Do any of you really want to die out here for some boy's cause? I'm merely telling you your own grim fates. I'm trying to warn you against your own destruction. And all that the mindless pawn of Ragnar can retort with…" Here, he gestured to the white-haired man. "Is that I myself am the culprit. I'm your friend. I'm trying to save you while you still can run. If you don't listen to me, you will all die. If you would like to stay here based on the words of this ramshackle bafoon near me, then feel welcome to."
Red XIII sensed the words of the dark man once again probing him…trying to sink into him. Some of the soldiers behind him, those still filled with doubt and fear, allowed them to fall on them once more. However, the beast did not, and neither did the faithful nor his friends around him. He knew now what this thing was. He was evil. He could sense it dripping off of him. He was the one who was the liar. He knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt. He didn't know who this guy who claimed to be Bahamut was, but he believed him. He only hoped that more of their army did too…
Bahamut looked out at them all and blasted forth again in a clear, powerful voice. "This man over here is a demon in the flesh! A plague upon the world! He brings dischord and misery wherever he goes! He's trying to weaken you from within! His words are venom, sapping away your strength and will to live! You must know! If you flee here, there's nothing left to save the rest of the world from New Shinra!"
"New Shinra is only a threat to those foolish enough to oppose it!" Wyvern retorted. "Leave now! Return to your lives! Live in peace! They have no reason to come after you if you don't anger them! They don't want to kill you…but your faithless leader does! Only with your deaths does he ensure his own success! And as for this man…" Here, Wyvern turned back to Bahamut and gestured to him. "He is quite mad. He is the true bringer of death. Everywhere he goes, catastrophe and war follow. Everything he's touched throughout his life has died. He's a curse upon this world, a marked man who lets all around him feel the consequences of his eternal sin."
"Who came back for you?" Bahamut yelled out, ignoring Wyvern. "Who has worked tirelessly trying to keep you armed and fed? Do you really think that same spirit that inspired you to follow him would so easily break down in time of danger? He gave you strength you didn't know you had within you! You have that strength now! Use it!"
Red XIII was overwhelmed. Whoever these people were…he had been right. They were fighting over the hearts of the army. Both of them struggled to win the people to their side. For the life of him, Red XIII couldn't tell who was winning…
"Come to your senses!" Bahamut continued. "You know what it will mean to break down now! You have to stand and fight or-"
"Oh, Bahamut…"
This last phrase wasn't a shout. It was something else. It sounded almost like a tone of disappointement. Sure enough, it was followed with a sigh soon after. Red XIII looked to Bahamut, and saw him freeze in mid-speech. The man hesitated a moment, but then turned and looked to Wyvern. The dark man looked calm and confident again, and had his arms crossed as he stared at the white-haired one. An evil look was on his face. He "tsked" Bahamut, and slowly began to shake his head at him with his cruel smile still painting his face. The rest of the valley went silent, and watched this exchange as it occurred.
"You still haven't learned the truth, have you? And here…I was trying to spare these people." He calmly went on. "You don't realize that anything begotten by you must inevitably perish. That is your sentence for all eternity. Everything you touch must die. And now…you want these people to die as well."
"Shut up." Bahamut snapped back, his face turning to anger again.
Wyvern merely bared his teeth in a grin and uncrossed his arms. He began to reach into his coat. "You don't get it, do you? I told you once…you must die. You are destined to die. As long as you live, you will continue to kill everything that goes by you. Your orders of knights…your attempts at a family…your own race…and now…" The dark man paused…and his eyes blazed forth with new maliciousness.
"The races of other worlds as well."
On hearing this, Bahamut's face fell. All of his anger melted away…and his blue eyes began to widen. His mouth hung loose. Red XIII suddenly smelled fear on this one as well…much stronger and more potent than what was on the army below. The white-haired man suddenly looked stricken with terror. His arms began to fall to his sides.
"You…you didn't…" He slowly echoed out, barely audible below.
In response, Wyvern let out a dark chuckle…before pulling something out of his coat. Red XIII saw it as he held it up.
It was a simple pair of glasses.
On seeing that…Bahamut began to shake all over. His mouth dropped open, and a horrible fear filled his eyes.
"No…" He slowly whispered.
"She had the prettiest mismatched eyes, Bahamut…before I tore them out of her head one by one." Wyvern calmly continued. "Right until the end…she thought you'd come back to save her."
Moments later, Red XIII and the rest of the army leapt back in terror. A gigantic fiery explosion suddenly eruptedagainst Wyvern's chest, and his body was enveloped in flames and debris.
The people screamed below. They covered their heads as rock began to rain down. Red XIII himself shrank back, but somehow managed to look overhead still. He saw rocks begin to fall. He saw black smoke rise from the cliff side.
Most of all, however, he noticed Bahamut.
Never before had the beast seen such pure, unadulterated rage. His eyes seemed to turn blood red as well. His hands were in such tight fists that blood poured from his knuckles to the ground. His body quivered and seemed to bulge. It looked as if the flesh from beneath it would burst out. His teeth were gnashed, and foam nearly came out from between them. His face was twisted into the most horrible expression of total hate and vengeance that Red XIII had ever seen. The wind seemed to rip at his clothing. The air grew hot around him. Just looking at him…Red XIII felt terror deep in his soul. At once…a horrible, monstrous cry went out that rended the heavens and was heard everywhere for miles.
"You…damn…murdering…MONSTER!"
Suddenly, the man took off from where he was perched. In his wake…the cliff crumbled beneath him. A fracture traveled into the stone, and rocks and boulders soon began to fall to the ground again. People cried out again and went for cover. But as they did…Red XIII watched and saw the man leap from the cliff to the opposite side, and dive right into the black smoke. He emerged from the other side a moment later…seeming to carry something. But he was too fast. He saw only a blur before they went back behind the cliffs and vanished. The rocks continued to fall. The smoke disappated. But in the end, both things had vanished. The people below were left alone again, and all was silent.
The army slowly recovered, unable to believe what they had just seen. They were confused, wondering what this meant, and who those people had been. This only added to their anxiety and tension, unfortunately. And many of them were still considering running. One particularly panicked soldier looked about for a moment, covered with sweat and shaking like a leaf. Then…he suddenly dropped his gun, turned, and began to force his way through the ranks to run back to the city. Another soon threw down hers, and turned to join him. Red XIII was still staring ahead, stunned at what had happened, and trying to make sense of it. He couldn't care about the people behind him. He was too busy trying to figure out what that was…
And yet, as he did, a voice from the walkie-talkie came in after a blip of static, commanding his attention.
"Colonel…the army just stopped. They're just out of range of our siege weapons. I have no idea what they're…"
Softly…a small whirring sound began to be heard on the transmission…growing louder.
"Hang on a second…huh? What's that-"
That was all Red XIII heard before the transmission went dead…and far down the valley he heard an explosion. By now, several soldiers were turning and fleeing. But those that were left, the Colonel included, turned and looked up to the source of the noise. Echoing through the canyon…the sound of explosion still rang. That was right before he began to hear the sounds of treads and machinery again…moving forward.
The beast stiffened as this new fear struck him.
"God help us all."
Bahamut poured out his rage, hurt, and anguish into the fiend. He shoved him farther and farther, trying to force into him the same misery that he had given him. But for all his anger…he kept feeling tears flood from his eyes. He felt a horrible well of guilt inside him. The anguish nearly made him pass out as he realized the truth. Not Wyvern's truth…but the truth about his vision. Again, he had his heart torn to pieces within him…realizing in terror that it was his fault.
That was what the boy had meant. He had to choose between his world and Etteca. He should have known it earlier… His book said it all. It told everyone on Etteca where they could find another esper almost identical to him, and in the exact same condition. Those scientists…those fools…they ignored his warning about how evil he was, and had gone for him anyway. They were the ones who rebuilt him. They had to be. There was nothing else in the universe that could have. And once he had been rebuilt…he went crazy. He remembered his words…their race. The Ettecan race… He remembered what he claimed about them… Bahamut knew he had enough power to turn a continent into a cinder at this point. Wyvern had to have the same…even more than that. It would have been easy for him to destroy all life on that world… His crazy vision was that he had to destroy everything Bahamut touched…and so he had on that planet. He had annihilated it…killed everything on it…
He had come here to save Gaia…but he had left Etteca behind. And because he wasn't there to stop him when he was rebuilt…he had destroyed that world.
The damned psycho…
Murderer…
Bahamut's skin ripped off of his body and his wings unfurled. His body became streamlined and iridescent. But still he pushed on as he grew into his new size…using his new speed to accelerate his body to a blinding velocity. Still, he felt the agony with him. He felt his heart continue to tear as he tried to force his anguish onto Wyvern. Shinza was dead. The monster had killed her…horribly murdered her…just so he could get to him. His only friend…the woman who had come so far…the person he had helped free from her past…who had such a life ahead of her…she had been crushed by this psychopath. This vile thing of hate and evil…he had murdered millions…billions…just because he had some damned delusion that he was some weapon of justice. He had nearly caused the army to collapse on itself. He tried to kill his pupil. He tried to drive him insane, twisting the world so that it was his fault.
No more.
I don't care if the Planet has chosen him over me.
This ends now…for good.
Bahamut halted himself in midair…now fully reverted into his ZERO form. As he did, he cocked back his fist, and used the last push to slam his appendage into the still flying body of Wyvern. Still in his human form, snapped over so that he was traveling headfirst, the dark esper was smacked away and continued to sail through the air, toward the back and onward. Bahamut didn't know where was now, as he came to a stop. It seemed like it was still the Northern Continent. There were trees surrounding him to the south, and mountains to the north. But where he was now was an empty field…and it had to be miles and miles away from the City of the Ancients. The sky was still cloudy, and the rain was still here. It began to pick up, in fact. But he didn't care. He watched as he saw his brother's body sail further…until it reached a rocky hill. It immediately tore right through it, and crashed through on the other side. It slid along the ground afterward, digging a muddy trench into it…before coming to a halt at last.
The esper clenched his claws into fists. Using his power, he leapt into the air. His body sailed across the distance between him and Wyvern easily, going over the rock hill that was still collapsing from the hole Wyvern had smashed into it, and then landing on the opposite side. He touched down in the mud trench that had been dug on the other side. He looked ahead to a mound of dirt with two black boots sticking out from it.
"Get up." He spat viciously. "Get up now."
Moments later, the mound shifted. The dirt was flung off of it, and to either side of the trench. A second later, and the figure within pulled up inside it, and tucked his legs underneath him. After another moment, Bahamut saw Wyvern's pale white face stick out from the mud…still grinning, still full of insanity and maliciousness. He calmly flipped his collar, knocking mud off of it, and then smacked away at his arms as he cracked his neck and came to his feet. Soon, the dark man was standing again, right before the monstrous form of Bahamut ZERO.
Wyvern let out a simple sigh, still smiling. "It always comes down to this in the end, doesn't it, Bahamut?"
"It will never come to this again." The esper sneered. "You've walked the surface of this world long enough. It's time to die for good."
The dark esper merely chuckled as he knocked off a bit more dirt. "If ever the pot called the kettle black…" He murmured aloud. After that, he turned his red gaze to the esper before him. His eyes still flashed violence and confidence. "You don't get it yet, do you? You can't kill me. You never could. You were never able to. All you can do is chase me away…but I'll always come back. I'm your shadow…your guilt. I am as much a part of you as your soul. This world wants me. It craves me. The universe itself wants me around. That is why I keep returning."
"Not after this." Bahamut sneered.
But to this, Wyvern merely kicked his head back and laughed. It was a dark, horrible sound…full of glee and pride. It made Bahamut's stomach turn…but his anger kept him from being afraid. He only tightened his hand into a stronger fist.
"You fool!" He cackled. "With my new body, I can see into the future itself!"
This made Bahamut's face melt for a moment, turning from anger to surprise, and he leaned his head back.
Wyvern grinned wider, his teeth sharpening as he did so. "Oh yes, Bahamut… I have seen the future. The drugs they gave me while rebuilding me helped me to see it. And the future doesn't include you. It is mine. I saw myself standing before you throughout the whole of history…and as time went on you kept changing…but I always stayed the same. And no matter how many times you changed, you could never match my splendor or power. So let's see…space…time…destiny…each of these are on my side. You? You have nothing…nothing except some pitiful desire to live and fight me."
The esper hesitated a moment longer…but at last his brow creased again. He pushed that fear away, refusing to believe the words he had heard. The damned creature was full of lies and poison, and he wouldn't take of it. "Shut up." Bahamut spat at last, his face turning back into anger. "I won't believe your ramblings again. If you really think you're stronger, then show me. But I'm not going to lose tonight. This ends…and I'm going to make sure you never hurt another living thing again."
"Simple imbecile…" Wyvern answered, still grinning. "You still don't know. It seems I've surpassed you in wisdom and knowledge as well now, what with how little you realize." The dark creature rose up a bit more. He cracked his neck again, and then laced his fingers and cracked them as well. The air around him seemed to grow colder again as he did this…and the sky seemed to rumble a bit more as rain fell harder, starting to paint over Bahamut's face.
"Let's put it into nice secular terms." He sneered. "You were never anything more than a civilian prototype. When that Dr. Maester made you, he just wanted to see if he could do it. But me? He wanted to make me be the ultimate military model…a weapon for his use. He remade me completely…improved on my cells…enhanced my mentality and physicality. He made you an immortal…he made me a god. While your body may have come back stronger and faster than ever…"
The creature leaned his head down. To Bahamut's surprise…his red eyes suddenly vanished. In their place, two translucent, blue, shimmer orbs replaced them. They shone forth with unparalleled glory, and pierced deep into Bahamut's own eyes. They were immediately framed by the face of absolute wickedness.
"…I've evolved."
A transformation suddenly seemed to come from the creature before Bahamut. To his surprise…his blackness and shadow suddenly faded. An inner light suddenly illuminated the creature's skin. It was pale, blue, and shimmering…just like his eyes. And as it came forth, it swallowed up the blackness, and turned him into a creature of iridescent light. Yet he didn't stop there. He spread out his arms calmly at his sides, holding them up with his wicked smile…as if he was some sort of heavenly creature. When he did…Bahamut felt his power begin to rise. It was terrible…how quickly it shot up. The energy that began to flow through him. After a moment…it began to lift him off of the ground. His coat fell off and began to splay at his sides. His clothing underneath burned away. But still, he stared on at Bahamut, as his light grew brighter and brighter.
Then, suddenly, a flash went out. Bahamut recoiled as the blue light expanded to blinding. He raised his claws in front of his face a moment. But just as quickly…the light died…revealing what it had concealed before. Bahamut looked back…and gaped in amazement.
A new creature…or being…was hovering off of the ground. Its wings were smooth and curved, and were intricately designed with some sort of radiant or heavenly look. They way they hovered behind him made him look almost as if they were some sort of radiant symbol behind him rather than wings. His scales had grown long and flat, becoming like celestial armor. His hands were still out, although they had turned into claws at this point. His feet hovered beneath him now, lightly curled up above the ground as he calmly floated there. His breast was thickly armored…almost like it was armor rather than his own scales. His shoulder scales raised on either side of his head, becoming like the collar of his coat rather than his own body. The scales at his sides extended down long and to his feet, almost as if they were the edges of a coat. His tail hung down loosely beneath him, slowly swishing through the air. Then there was his face. It was smooth and streamlined…reptilian and powerful. It looked radiant and flawless now. His crest flayed behind him in razor sharp lines, looking almost like a radiant fire coming from the back of his head. His face was still turned into that wicked smile.
Most of all…his entire body now shimmered and swirled. He looked to be like liquid, glowing blue metal. He was radiant and beautiful…but it only helped to accent how deadly he had become. His power was sky rocketing now. It was horrible to behold. Coupled with his shimmering body…it was as if he had truly become a god. The radiant light around him seemed to make the water part from his body, and drained the dim sunlight to surround his own body with darkness, from which only his own form gave light.
As Bahamut stared at this…a memory returned. He had seen something like this before. In his first vision…he saw Dr. Maester. He had turned into some sort of deadly, radiant creature in that vision. And now…he saw that Wyvern had done the same. It made sense now. The vision was showing him that Dr. Maester had the ability to bring that horror to life, but that it wouldn't be him. It had ended up being Wyvern instead.
"Impressed, Bahamut?" The creature asked in front of him. It didn't even sound like Wyvern anymore. It sounded stronger…more spirit-like…deadlier. "The pinnacle of Ettecan technology…me. Their greatest legacy now that they have been destroyed. No longer does darkness alone fuel me. The very energies of the dead have become my strength. Their despair and anguish is my power. I have become death incarnate…for I both channel the powers of the dead, while I myself am above it. I have transcended the limits of mortality and immortality. And you…pitiful wretch…you are nothing to me."
Bahamut stared at this creature. He couldn't even really call it Wyvern anymore. It barely even resembled him. Even if he couldn't focus on it himself, however…the truth of the matter was that it was far stronger than him. He could sense its power…and saw that Wyvern hadn't been lying. They had made him better…made him into this monster. The fools knew the whole time how unstable he was…and yet they turned him into this. They fed his all-consuming ego and made him even more lethal than before. There was no telling how high his pride would rise if he survived. There was no telling how many people would perish in his wake. He had to be stopped…somehow.
And weak compared to him as he was…Bahamut knew he was the only person.
"One thing is certain." Bahamut finally stated. "You still ramble like a lunatic."
With that, Bahamut ZERO took off to assault this new creature.
To put an end to their battles for good.
To be continued...
