Bahamut stared a moment longer at the burning star. As he did, he felt the last bits of his Supra-Velo begin to fade out. His arms and legs were beginning to ache again…not just from being sore but from oxygen deprivation. He had been able to tolerate a month in space…but not fighting as hard as he had been doing. He had nearly spent the last of his air. He began to feel weak and feeble again. His hands started to loosen, no longer able to hold them in fists. His wings began to drift. His eyelids began to lower… In the end, he realized that Wyvern had been right. He may not have been busted up now…but he was out of energy. He guessed he had anywhere from an hour to five minutes of air left. After that, he would black out again…and he would be dead. He had nothing left. He couldn't send himself back to Gaia now…
Finishing Wyvern would once again cost him his life.
This time…it looked like he would be gone forever too.
The esper bowed his head. He had known this the whole time. He had never intended to survive his fight. This had been a kamikaze mission. Again…he had managed to save lives by stopping Wyvern at the expense of his own. History was repeating itself…and this time it would be the last time. He could no longer make magicite. Even if he could, it would be sucked into the same hell that Wyvern had fallen into soon enough. Death would finally take him…and with him the last of the espers would be gone for good.
He felt he should be ready to accept this. After all…not long ago, he had been ready to die. He had nothing left, after all. He lost Shinza now along with Terra, his race, and everything else he ever had. And this might have been his destiny…to go out making sure that Wyvern was gone too. He should have been used to sacrificing now. He had lived long enough…
And yet…he couldn't feel that way now.
As he began to hover in the void, unable to move himself anymore, he thought back to his student. He was the one thing he had left. And truth be told…he had felt some affection for him. True, Bahamut had trained various people through the ages…but he felt an unusual connection with this one. Perhaps it was because he was the first boy he had run into since Terra…since he had learned to value more simple things and regular life. There was one way that mortals sought to continue their legacies. That was through their children and pupils…passing on what they learned to them. And Bahamut knew he had a truly concerned young man with Ragnar. He had one who was molded after his own heart in days long ago. He loved the Planet…and he loved the espers. He loved the ancient world the way it had once been…and was one of the few who would still respect what had passed when all else had faded. And he had enjoyed spending time with him…helping him on his way…seeing him improve from what he had been and go about his great mission…
He wished…he could have seen him finish it.
Bahamut closed his eyes at that, and prepared to sink into his final sleep. It wouldn't be painful, he didn't think. He would just pass out, and that would be the end of it. Now, for his final minutes of life…he was alone in this dark, silent void. How typical… That was what he was now, after all. Alone… Or at least…he would have been without Ragnar. It didn't matter anymore… It was all gone and over. Hefigured he should bea bit glad, that drifting into the sun would be how he would go. He saw what he was now…how destructive he was. He had never fathomed that he would have had that kind of power. Even if he lived…his existence would be a threat to worlds and to Gaia, just as Wyvern had been. If he did go back…he wouldn't even want to live like this. He would have preferred that his ZERO form ceased to be in the end…even if that meant that he would be nothing too.
He only had one thing left to do now…give Shinza and her race the pity and mourning they deserved. There wasn't any other Ettecan left to do it. And in the end…it had been her hint that had allowed him to finish Wyvern. In a way…she had been the one who slayed the monster, kept him from destroying anything else. He wanted to think of her before he went… Perhaps, after his spirit energy returned to the Lifestream, his soul would meet up with hers in the next place…along with Terra…
Bahamut began to think of Shinza soon after, trying to remember her and serve out a silent memorial in his mind…
However…he didn't get far.
The esper's face twisted into confusion. Something wasn't right here. He remembered something…but he shouldn't have. He suddenly recalled a conversation between himself and Shinza. But even as he recalled it, he grew puzzled and shook his head. That…had never happened. He was sure of it. And yet now…he was remembering it. Was it a dream? Was it his precognition? What was it? He didn't know…but suddenly it popped into his memory. It was impossible…but it came none the less.
Confused…Bahamut tried to think back to it, and remember what the memory was about.
Bahamut floated in the suspension tank with the breath mask on his mouth. Below him, he had hoses and tubes connected all over his body. But these were more technical…more advanced. This wasn't how it had been months ago, when he had been stuck on board Shinza's research vessel. Now, they were rebuilding him, just as they rebuilt his arm. He was coming back as something new. Behind him, a considerably large device was wired up to his brain. They were replacing it now…switching out the neurons one by one, and letting them replace themselves. He had never felt easy about this. What if he lost his memory? What if he changed? The thought made his non-functional stomach turn. He was more than eager to get the brain test ready and done with. He looked up and out of the tank…
Shinza was standing there. Her glasses were on and she was in her lab coat and dress. However…Bahamut didn't see her though his mind's eye or through infrared, like he should have in the visor. Somehow, he saw her as clear as day. It was as if his eyes had already been rebuilt…although they would take months to complete at this point in time. Bahamut said nothing in response to this, however. He didn't even feel confusion. He just focused on Shinza as she smiled, and listened to her as she spoke. He didn't need to read her mind either. He could hear her clearly…
"Hi, Bahamut." She greeted pleasantly. "Remember this day?" She chuckled a bit after saying that. "Of course you don't. That's because this is a false memory. It never happened. Somehow, I think you'll manage to guess that on your own. You see, in order to help victims with brain damage and memory loss on our world, we actually have the technology to implant false memories inside them, and then set off things to trigger them. Some stimulus that is unknown to them at the time. It's a really safeguarded technology. However, we've been doing it for a while on you. We had to, in order that your new brain would know how to work its new body once it was complete. Those are just aptitudes and talents…wisdom, if you will. However, this is a bit of knowledge that you're about to hear…
"I had Dr. Maester insert this memory into your mind. I did it to tell you something that's important…important right now for you to know. If you remember this, it's because the stimulus that I feared would arrive has happened." Shinza hesitated here for a moment, and bowed her head uneasily. She gave a wince and a shrug. "I kind of hope you never see this…because I set it to go off in two different events. One is that something arose that could beat you. I don't think a thing in the universe can do it…but if it did then I'm rather scared at what kind of monster that would be. The other, far more likely, event…is that you grew displeased with your ZERO body, and you wished that you didn't have it. In other words…you might be considering suicide again when you think of this memory. I truly wish you wouldn't, Bahamut. You're a great and noble creature. You're kind…understanding…and gentle. More so than you realize. The universe needs more people like you, regardless of who they are. Everyone would benefit to know someone like you." Shinza held a moment, and then bowed her head a bit more and murmured. "I know I have…"
Bahamut said nothing and didn't react. He only continued to stare at Shinza, and waited as she stayed low and paused. In the end, however, she raised her head again, took in a deep breath, and continued in a more normal voice.
"…Your ZERO body has a special ability built into it. Dr. Maester meant this as an emergency measure. It's by no coincidence that we gave you the ability to turn back into your initial and Neo forms. It's a special measure. If you're about to be beaten…you have one final option. You can use this ability to convert your own ZERO body back into your Neo body. The armor…scales…extra wings…all of them will be consumed and processed into energy in order to power up your Neo body. Likewise, from this point…your Neo body can be consumed to return you to your original form. In effect…you have two 'extra lives'.
"If you're not about to be beaten and you're considering suicide…" Shinza hesitated here. She inhaled deeply, and bowed her head again. "…Then you know how to do this too. It would be far more easier to destroy yourself in one of those weaker forms…" She paused again, and then looked up uneasily.
"But Bahamut…I pray that you won't do it. I know you think that for years I only wanted you to live to further my career…" She paused again, and winced as she did. "…But the truth is, you're my only friend. You're the only one who I've ever been able to really talk to. I've felt like my life has so much more meaning since I met you. I'm glad I met you. Before you…I didn't feel like I was accomplishing anything in my life. Even with my research and position…I still felt like I was just drifting through life. It was you who began to teach me the value of living and interacting with others. You've meant a lot to our world…but you've meant our world to me. I hope…if nothing else…you see this memory one day so you will know that."
Shinza hesitated again, and then looked up, and forced herself to give a smile. "Good luck, Bahamut…in whatever you do."
Bahamut was frozen. Seeing Shinza in that way…it was like she was there again. He could remember her saying those things…being in front of him… Even though he knew it wasn't real, he could hear her and see her just the same in his mind's eye. She had said such things about him…such flattering great things about him… A man who thought he had nothing left in his life…and she had showed him just how much he still meant.
The esper thought that he was done. He thought he was just clinging on as something that should have died…but hadn't. But now…in the wake of what he had said to Wyvern…in the light of this memory of Shinza…he thought anew. Until now…he had begun to think of life as a curse…something without meaning that he couldn't get away from. But…what if it wasn't? What if it had all been as Wyvern said? If he had lived until now to have a purpose? That he was supposed to be here, even when the rest of his race died? True…he had many losses…but he kept receiving more in their stead. All he ran into eventually died…but now he began to wonder if they didn't truly live. Shinza hadn't been upset that she was dying. She had spent her last breath telling Bahamut how to survive. And now…he knew that she hadn't truly lived until she had met him. Even when he thought he was finished and washed up…he continued to inspire…
He wasn't done. Long as his life had been…he realized that there was still more. Maybe not in himself…as Wyvern had tried to find…but in others. In all of the lives he touched, there was a little more joy he could bring…another mark on the world for a new peaceful generation. Things did fade. Nations crumbled. Lives ended. But that was only half of history. As many ends as there had been throughout time...there was always at least one more beginning.Life was constantly being renewed and reborn every day. Each new person who arose bore a new potential hope for the world. And in time…that hope would grow and mature, and it would bear fruit…scattering the seeds of a new peaceful generation across it. Perhaps all things had to end…but for every end there was always a new start. There was always something fresh and new and alive…
And as he realized this…he realized there was always a place for him.
Palads…Light Warriors…Terras…Shinzas…Ragnars… There were people like that filling the world and filling time. Great, noble people with boundless potentials and pure hearts. People who were living in darkness and doubt and fear… People that Bahamut knew he could help. People that he could show their true calling and destiny…and elevate them beyond the gloom that surrounded them. And as he nourished each of these lives and helped them to grow, the world blossomed around him and the face of Gaia was renewed. And if it should wither and die…another seed would show up…a new person to be shown the way to the glorious future they could carve for themselves…if only they could realize what they were capable of…
Bahamut saw this…and saw history itself. No longer was it a chain of death and wars to him. It had potential. It had life. It was a story of the world being saved from the brink again and again by those who cherished goodwill and peace. Just as he had served the Planet…so too did they…ready to make the world safe again…ready to wash away the blood of war and grime of destruction…ready to usher in another glorious age for their children and their children's children… And Bahamut himself…he began to realize that he had a hand in this…and managed to see it happen again and again throughout his time…knowing what he had done to bring it about.
The esper knew what he wanted now. He wanted to return to Gaia. He wanted to take up his place as watchman again on the human race. He wanted to see new generations of Light Warriors arise. He wanted to watch his pupil grow in power and intelligence. He wanted to see the life that he would make for himself, and the world he would change.
For the first time in centuries…Bahamut wanted to live.
Thank you, Shinza… In the end, you taught me some things too.
The esper snapped out of his thoughts. At once, he was back in space. The sun hovered in front of him, and he was surrounded by the void and heat. He had to get out of here. He had to get back to Gaia. Just as the new memory had appeared, he soon realized that the new ability appeared as well. Suddenly, it became clear in his mind as day.
Then, he realized he had a problem. If he turned back into Neo Bahamut here, he would be at full energy. But then what? He could generate a shield around himself to protect him from the crushing effects of space…but that would last only about two days. In his Neo body, it would take longer than that to return to Gaia. Besides…he was nearly out of air. He had only minutes left… It could give out at any time. The esper began to panic. What could he do? How was he supposed to get back?
In the end…he could think of only one thing.
Quickly, he spread out his wings, and began to search out for spiritual energy again.
The strongest force in the battle that had been unleashed was his Terra-Pyrin. It had gone the fastest and possessed the most thrust. It shot out like a beam of light rather than a streaking flare. If he could power it up once more…just gain enough energy to shoot once again…he might be able to push himself back to Gaia. He had no idea how close he could get…but hopefully it would be enough that if he converted into his Neo form right after…he could still get back to the world before he suffocated. It was a long shot…but it was all he had. He didn't have enough power to fly himself. He could only do this with a Terra-Pyrin, for it absorbed energy external to himself. And so…he continued to gather.
Bahamut tried not to lose it as he worked quickly. Soon, his wings began to gather in the spiritual power. Luckily, a lot of it was still swimming around from the first attack. The radiant glow soon began to form around him again, and the rays of light began to be conducted into him. Unfortunately…he couldn't go as strong as before. If he did, he would never be able to hold it. And he couldn't put his own power into it. Even now, he felt his body beginning to buckle and strain. Sweat began to break from his brow, and he felt himself grunting as the orb began to form in his mouth. But still, he gathered more. He really couldn't afford to strain his body any more…but he needed more power. This had to be far stronger than a Giga-Pyrin to work, and so he kept charging. His throat tightened. He winced as he tried to keep hold of it. He began to let some of it slip out…but still he pushed more in. He just had to outstrip the loss for now. He had to get more…as much as his weak body could still hold…
At last, that was it. He was at his peak. The sphere in his mouth wasn't nearly as dazzling as it had been with Wyvern…but he could do no more. Any more and he would lose as much as he got. In fact…he already felt it slipping away. It was time. Quickly, he folded his wings in and against him. Grunting to hold himself, he put his legs together and his arms at his sides, and let himself lean backward. He had to turn his body into a living missile…make it as least resistant as possible. He could sense the life coming from Gaia behind him. It shone out more distinctly than any other world in the solar system. Lowering his head, he aimed it at the sun, and put it at such a trajectory that it would shove him straight back to it. He only hoped something didn't get in the way. The force of this blast would tear his ZERO body apart…but running into something would most certainly kill his weakened body.
Palad…Leviathan…Terra…Shinza…everyone… I'm really going to need your help on this one.
At that, Bahamut opened his mouth and fired.
The esper felt his vertebrae stretch and crack a second later. The force was so great it ripped his wings off of his body, and he actually felt his horns begin to bend and his scales start to get stripped from his flesh. It didn't matter. It flung him into more agony…and now he lacked the energy to regenerate…but he knew he could make up for it in the end. He only cared that his body was now hurtling backward through space, back to home… He let the pain happen. He let his own mouth begin to melt, his beak deform, and his crest begin to liquefy. He was heading back…and he kept focusing his energy as he flew…forcing himself to push on and on.
Space around him became a swirling oblivion. The stars streaked by likea meteor shower. His brain almost felt like it was being compressed as light streaked by too quickly for his neurons to pick up. He saw only darkness…and heard and felt nothing but his own pain. Once more, he was a sole being in the universe, alone and with his thoughts as he raced on. He could barely even think…couldn't sense any energy as he flew. He merely closed his eyes, and hoped and prayed that it would be enough…
The force began to die down, but Bahamut kept traveling. In the frictionless void of space, he was able to dash much further on much less energy. Even as the Terra-Pyrin faded, he had enough thrust to keep moving. And so he did…continuing to whiz through space. As the velocity kept slowing, he felt his bones begin to slide together again. The force on his scales lessened. His brain began to expand and relax once more, and the nubs where his wings had been began to come back. He began to feel more agony and pain…more injuries…weary limbs…and death around him.
It was time.
Immediately, he sent the command to his mind.
Light enveloped Bahamut. It wasn't normal. It seemed to be a pale green…rather like Bahamut's own scales were in this new form. What more, the light came through oddly. If filled in the cracks on his flesh, and began to stream outas if thebright light shone from within. It spread throughout his body quickly, covering him, and illuminating him through fractures all over him. In between every injury…every scale…every opening on him the light shone out, casting is pale green glow around him. It was as if his scales were nothing more than an armored shell…concealing some great power within it. As this happened…his scales began to darken. They lost their iridescence, and became dull and hard. They stiffened and seemed to dry up behind the light. They shriveled next, peeling away from the cracks of light that surrounded them…
Then…something happened. Bahamut's back suddenly split…right from the back of the head down to the lower body. If there had been noise, a sort of wet cracking sound would have resulted. Shortly after cracking, however…the pale green light died. It faded back into the flesh of Bahamut ZERO. However, the scales stayed withered and dry….useless and dead. Abruptly…another wet snapping sound came out as the back of the creature bulged…and out snapped two bright red lines of fleshy material. On exiting, they immediately lengthened into long, firm rods…and seemed to harden as they did so. After they had…they began to unfurl, stretching out some thin red material away from them and out from them, fanning out as it did so. The bulge continued to grow out of the crack, revealing that it was red like the material as well.
At last, they fully extended…and became airfoils. After that happened, the dried Bahamut ZERO lurched. A moment later, with more wet snapping sounds, a red scaledback rose from the scales. It yanked away from the old body, revealing yellow scales as well on the opposite side. With a ripping noise, two red forelimbs suddenly yanked from the dried body and came out, grasping the sides of the "husk". A second later, they pushed up…and yanked out a long neck with a red, draconic face with one long horn…the face of Neo Bahamut. The creature continued after this, pulling itself out. It was like a cicada molting into a new body.
Soon after exiting…a ring of light enveloped this red creature. Before it had fully pulled out, the ring swung around him, and began to spiral. It picked up speed as it did so, starting only as a ring, but eventually turning at a blinding pace and forming a series of ripples in a sphere shape. It kept turning after that…and finally became solid. A barrier of energy now enveloped the creature, protecting it from the crushing vacuum of space by creating pressure equal to Gaia around it.
Neo Bahamut quickly ripped his body out the rest of the way, and discarded his husk of a body. As he did, he suddenly felt air seem to rush into his lungs. That made sense. In his ZERO form, the air was stored in his tissues. But now, all that was left was pumped back into his lungs once more. It was more than standard, and soon the esper had to buckle down in order to contain it as it rushed to fill his lungs to tidal capacity, actually pushing down on his diaphragm. But in the end, he did hold it. The esper had no idea how long he could go on a gulp of air in this body…but he feared that it wasn't much. This form was built for power, not efficiency. This was his last breath…and it would be his final one if he didn't get back. But now, his body had been restored. His Neo form was at full power, without a scratch on it. It was nothing to hold the barrier in place that now surrounded him. With that in mind, the esper looked up to see how far he was.
His newly red scales began to turn pink.
He was only to the second planet.
Gaia was still a tiny blue ball far in the distance.
The esper forced himself not to panic. It would only use up his remaining air. But this was horrible… He hoped to be at least to Gaia's moon. His Neo form was strong…but it wasn't that strong. There was no way he could fly back with just this… His body wasn't powerful enough, and he hadn't the energy. He didn't have the air to live that long either. The creature cursed mentally. He had just decided to change his life…he wanted to live…he wanted to see his pupil continue…and yet Gaia was still out of his reach. He was stopped here…so close and yet so far… If only he had the power of his ZERO form…just for a few more moments… Using it, he could have flown to Gaia in five minutes…
On thinking that, however…an idea suddenly occurred to the esper.
He could get the power of his ZERO form…at least, a fraction of it. The fraction he normally used for space travel. He was Neo Bahamut again. He could perform the Sol-Velo. The result would pump him up with so much power that his muscles would threaten to rip his skin…and he would consume his remaining air much faster than normal…but he would also be able to fly to Gaia much faster than before. Of course…he could just rush his own demise… He wasn't even sure how long he could live on one breath of air in his normal body… At that level of power, how long could he possibly last?
He didn't know…but he didn't have time to find out.
Immediately, he performed the Sol-Velo…and even as it launched he took off at full speed for Gaia.
Bahamut grit his teeth as he felt his muscles bulge. His organs began to work faster again, and suddenly he felt sharper, stronger, and more agile than before. It was nothing compared to the feeling of his ZERO form…but it was rather mighty. His body quickly picked up speed, and soon he was racing across space like a beam of light. He looked up and focused himself on Gaia…and did not look away again. He began to calm himself down…try to limit his need for air…and stay focused just on his goal.
The blue planet slowly began to grow closer…far too slowly for Bahamut's wants. His body began to throb soon after. He ignored it, but kept pushing. It only got worse though. He struggled to keep himself moving forward, and it was beginning to cause an energy strain. He had to channel power over his own airfoils to keep them moving. He also kept feeling his muscles bulge…stretching his skin…crushing in on his bones… Yet still he held. The seconds ticked by as he tried to calm himself, feeling his pain slowly growing as he continued to strain himself… He had to get back there… He had to go home.
As he closed in to the halfway point…it finally hit. His lungs were starting to burn. Sensing this, he grit his teeth harder…and pushed himself even more. He felt his heart rush faster…and he managed to put on more speed. His muscles bulged again…and he felt some of his scales beginning to rip. Parts of his bones seemed to be pinched again. He felt his eyes pushed forward, and the gums of his own teeth felt like they were beingshoved out of his skull. But that was the price he paid to go even faster… It worked somewhat…forcing him onward the precious distance closer…
Bahamut's lungs continued to hurt. They were growing worse…beginning to want air. Bahamut forced himself to hold in, and hoped that he could hold a bit longer. He was beginning to feel pain throughout him. Fast as he was going, coupled with air loss…he felt his body starting to hurt. It was getting more and more painful to keep pushing… But still, he forced himself on. He felt the strain continue against his flesh and bones. He felt like they were going to break again. As he kept shooting onward…the lack of air began to affect him. As he devoted more and more of his remaining strength just to keep going…he started to take away from the energy around him. He stopped focusing on keeping his shield up…and the pressure began to come back in on him.
The esper's body began to spasm. His diaphragm tried to spontaneously breathe…and received nothing for its efforts. It made him gag…and he nearly arched up. He was starving for air now. His body was beginning to burn. His muscles were hurting. His face was turning even redder as he failed to receive what his body desperately needed. He started to break down…letting the barrier fall even more. He began to feel pressure pushing back against him as his body pushed out. He felt his skin begin to rip. Blood began to ooze out of fractures in his scales. His eyes…being crushed on both sides…began to slowly cry tears of blood. His teeth gnashed as they too spat out the crimson fluid. He felt himself start to slow down…as he finally passed by the moon's orbit. It was getting to be hell. He had to struggle to keep his body from thrashing about wildly. He began to think of air…and that was all he could think about. Gaia swirled in front of him. His thoughts of everyone else faded. He thought only of air…needing air… He tried turning his rage and anger to the world…toward flying to it…forcing himself on… He tried draining solar energy again…using it to push him on more and more… But his body was seizing. Lactic acid was filling his muscle fibers… His face turned from red to blue. He had to breathe…he had to breathe now…
Bahamut continued to slow down steadily, gritting his teeth and writhing. But he kept pushing. His head was swimming. His thoughts were growing hazy. Dizziness was beginning to come over him… Yet still he pushed. He had to keep going…a bit more…a bit closer… He had to get back… He was so close…almost home…almost back to mother…to his pupil…to everything…
Must push…must push…
Finally, it happened. Bahamut lost the ability to keep the barrier up. It dropped around him, and crushing pressure closed in on all sides…beginning to squish his blood and guts out through his cracks and orifices…
Before Bahamut suddenly felt his body bathed in heat. A tremendous force slammed into him, and it felt almost like hitting a brick wall at full speed. He was nearly dazzled as he smashed into it, but somehow he forced himself on further, and went into it. As it did, his body was enveloped in fire. Horrible melting heat surrounded him, and his bulging eyes, about to burst from his skull…began to burn in the heat that surrounded him… Yet though it all…he knew he hadn't hit a force. He had felt the result of moving out of a vacuum into a cloud of gas…
He had entered the atmosphere.
Blood oozing everywhere, Bahamut opened his mouth and struggled to gasp. It was a horrible sound. Edema immediately seized his lungs, and blood was vomited out everywhere. He received nothing for his efforts. The atmosphere was almost completely hydrogen up here. However…he somehow continued to blindly charge forward. He had lost most of his speed by now, between smashing and having his body finally give out. But he was back into the gravitational pull. And now…he was plumitting down again…and picking up speed as he did so.
Bahamut writhed and gagged for a moment, struggling to get in anything. The lack of pressure ravaged his body, making him spill blood everywhere, crushing his muscles against his bones…squeezing his brains into jelly. The heat continued to envelop him as he fell down. For a few minutes of hell, he blindly writhed forward, spiraling through this airless, pressurized hell, burning alive…
But then, as he struggled to gag…he began to feel a little something enter his lungs. It wasn't much…but he received it. It was barely enough, and he felt like he was being smothered, but it did make him stop writhing. And as he continued to fall…more of it began to come. His eyes were mercifully released…and he felt them begin to sink back into his skull. His body began to shrink again. As it did, he dropped the Sol-Velo. He had no power for it left anyway. His muscles immediately shrank…and his bones felt relief. His body was still strong. Although he was in an area of pressure that could kill a human…he could withstand it now. His body slowly began to limp again…relaxing as more true oxygen began to enter his body. It was drained of most of its power after that last event…but it still had some left. And now, it began to focus on the most critical part…healing Bahamut's lungs to enable him to breathe the area he was entering…
Bahamut gasped and tried to breathe more through the heat. As he did…he began to feel the wind against his skin. But it wasn't really the wind…it was him plummitting downward headfirst. It was the rapidly thickening atmosphere sailing by him. Slowly…the heat began to die, and the air grew cold. His blood began to thicken and stay on his body, hardening as it did so. He continued to fall…and began to enter into the area of the world where birds could live. Next…he passed into where some mammals could survive as well… More precious air filled his lungs, which rapidly began to clearblood and reconstruct. His regeneration wasn't nearly the way it was for his ZERO form…but it was still strong in this body. His brain was released as well, and as air began to reach it again…his thoughts began to clear once more.
Weakly…Bahamut opened his eyes. Now, coldness struck them. They were damaged from space…but he could still see. He was passing through whiteness now…a great mass of whiteness surrounding him. Down and down he sank, passing through this world of white streaks for a few fateful moments… But then, the whiteness disappeared…and below him the world opened up wide and spacious.
The world…
His world.
He was back on Gaia.
Somehow, the esper managed to make a weak smile. He was back. He had returned to his world…made it out of the hell of space…made it back from the fight with Wyvern… Air was filling his lungs again… He felt the warm sunshine beating down on him again. It wasn't blistering hot or teaming with raw power…it was just the pleasant sun, warm and wonderful. And the world…the wonderful, wonderful world of Gaia…stretching beneath for him to see and enjoy…just like back when he first arrived. The ocean stretched out everywhere…shimmering and swirling eternally…
Yet now, as Bahamut's brain began to recover…he began to realize he wasn't quite out of the woods yet. He was free falling to Gaia at a pretty high speed…high enough to damage him rather badly in his weakened body. He had already passed the clouds. Now…the water was coming up fast, and from his height it might as well have been steel… He realized he had to do something. But he was so drained…so sore…so weak…
Still, somehow, the esper grit his teeth. Broken and falling as he was…he forced himself slowly to turn upright. The greater surface area hitting the wind slowed him down somewhat, but he was still closing and closing fast. He was only a mile from the water now. Bahamut grunted and groaned. He drew more energy from the sun…struggling to summon enough of it… He took in one more deep breath, feeding his starved muscles oxygen… He fell to a thousand meters… Very slowly, he closed his eyes and put power into his airfoils. Five hundred meters… Giving one last grunt…the first sound he had uttered in hours for anyone to hear…he cried out and forced his airfoils to unfurl… At a hundred meters…they finally began to weakly open, and he forced them to go to work…
A mere ten meters from the water…the air beneath Bahamut's wings caught them…and he was snapped violently backward as he went down the rest of the way. It was so powerful it nearly ripped his airfoils…but it cut his free fall speed to a fraction of its velocity. An instant later…his body crashed into the ocean, sending up foam and water everywhere.
After a few seconds, Neo Bahamut spun himself around, thrashing in the water like a dying insect. He cast up water around him crazily, struggling to put his head above water and keep breathing.Finally, hesnapped his body back, putting himself into a supine position.Once there, he stopped thrashing. His limbs fell loosely into the water, and rested there. He rocked roughly for a few moments…before the water around him began to calm down. He gaped and gasped as his mouth sat out of the water, gulping in more air. He didn't move anything else. Slowly…he began to float there, motionless and in the middle of the ocean.
The esper gasped for what seemed like forever. Ten minutes…thirty minutes…an hour…two hours… Days, perhaps? He didn't know, but he never remembered the sun setting. It felt like forever though…floating in this endless ocean and struggling to breathe. But he did finally calm…and he did finally relax again.
When he finally felt like he had enough air in his lungs…he smiled and let out a loud, long laugh.
He was alive…and it was over.
His bones had nearly been broken. His muscles were strained. His body was covered with lacerations. However…all of these things would heal. His lungs would take the longest, and his eyes would take quite some time too. It could be months before he was in good enough shape to be at full capacity again. But in the end, he would heal. He wouldn't be crippled or disabled. He would have full use of his Neo body. For once…his fight with Wyvern had not cost him his life or his confidence. He would be back to full health…and he would be back on Gaia.
It was finally done. It had started thousands of years ago with Wyvern walking in on his assembly…but now it was over. The nightmares…the fears…the pain…it was all gone. He actually held for a moment…unable to believe it for certain. After all, a cell could have survived…and that would be all he needed. He stretched out his mind to make sure…and found that it was true in the end. He could sense a massive power passing into the Lifestream…and he knew the signature. At long last, Wyvern was returning there, both his spirit and his soul. No magicite this time…not even a fragment of him. And his soul had moved on again. There was no way for him to come back.
Wyvern was finally gone…forever.
It had taken lifetimes… Bahamut's life had been through so much that he could barely remember what it had been before… The life he once had was but a distant memory… It had been one agonizing struggle after another…but they were at an end. In the end…he was the final victor. He was the true final esper now…
Bahamut supposed he should have been sad. In the end…he had to kill him. There was no other way. He had become too warped and mad. But before that happened…he had been his best friend. He had been his true brother. It was almost impossible to imagine those days back in Ultima Nexus…but at that point in time, he and Wyvern had been inseperable. It was incredible…ridiculous to imagine…that what he had with him had been what they had turned into. No one could have expected it or known that day they woke up, innocent children in the same nest. This was how it had ended…with him totally oblitering him as he forced him into the heat of the nearest star…
And yet…despite all of that, Bahamut didn't feel sad. He felt joyful…liberated…alive. Long ago, he had already mourned the loss of his best friend. What he had been fighting since then was a demented monster…and now the monster was gone. The thing had been the last shadow in his past…the last nightmare that haunted him…the last part of his history that had lingered on. And now…he felt free. Free and alive to carve out a new life for himself… Free to live without the dread and terror of his eternal foe… Free to drink in the sun and the rain and rejoice in being alive… The time of darkness was at an end, and the last of the dark parts of esper history was put behind them. At last…he would be truly at peace in this new world…in his new life to come…
Knowing this, Bahamut closed his eyes, let out a long sigh, and then fell asleep, floating on the ocean.
It would be his first dream without nightmares in a long time.
A green, glowing grid displayed a technical readout of land areas. Based on the shading and general formation, anyone that had ever looked at a globe would have been able to see that this was part of the Northern Continent and part of the Eastern Continent…in particular the areas of Midgar and Shell Village on both. However, this was a technical readout, and as such it was obvious that it was being displayed for some higher purpose. From the green and black color, it seemed that it was for some sort of military reconnaissance. And in fact, it was.
This readout was being displayed against a wall in the main office of the New Shinra HQ Dome, right above the main desk. A special screen had been deployed there. It was a good spot for briefing, after all. And the army had many needs to actually illustrate some of their movements with examples. As such, it was a typical piece of equipment that General Leers desired. The computer program was continuously updated with the real time data, so that he could always see what was taking place with his army from his own terminal. However, he had brought this map up to help illustrate the situation for the newest members of their force…the four individuals that happened to be seated at the table at the moment.
Leers himself had swiveled around in his chair and had his back to them. He wasn't worried about these guys, however. He knew they had proven more than loyal to their employers in the past…unlike that Nrevyw person. True, he had delivered on much of what he promised. But now, no one knew what had happened to him. It was like he had vanished from the face of Gaia. They hadn't even heard anything from him since he walked out to go to the military zone. Good riddance, in Leers' opinion. They had both gotten what they wanted, and he was glad to be rid of him. These new four individuals were far more trustworthy…
The general raised a laser pointer and motioned it across the map on the screen, illuminating points of interest. Icons began to light up as he did so, dotting the landscape with various buildings, troop icons, and weapon icons.
"As you can see, we've managed to route the enemy from our shore." General Leers explained. "However…we intended to stamp them out. We failed in that respect. A good number of them escaped and fled to Midgar. I've since received word that they have funds and supporters there…so I'm sad to expect that we haven't heard the last of them, regardless of the beating we gave them. Therefore…we're planning to strike them again as soon as possible.
"The navy is currently moving to our position on the shore. We'll begin construction of docks as soon as possible, and once we have established a reliable base we will advance on Midgar with an invasion force. Regretably, we cannot launch an air strike. The Gelinkas can only take off and land from the Dome, and currently they wouldn't be able to get that far and back without refueling. We're working on that, however. In the meantime…this new bogey that appeared…this airship… It's based on an improved model of the Highwind, which was a one of a kind flying fortress. It's unlikely that our own clumsy aircraft can deal with it. We'll have to work on that as well."
With that done, Leers turned off his pointer, and spun his chair back around. He typed a key on the keyboard at his desk, tapped into the controls of the room's machinery, and the green screen switched off. He tapped another one, and the lights of the room turned back on.
"In the meantime…I'm sure we'll find quite a few jobs for your group to do…and we have quite a bit of money awaiting you for your services. I have something lined up right now, in fact. Are you interested?"
A red haired, loosely-black-suited, wily looking man took a long drag from his cigarette. He slowly removed it, and puffed out a rather large cloud of smoke, before leaning it over and proceeding to calmly extinguish it on Leers' table, not seeming to care that this made the general stifle a frown and quiver a bit in irritation.
Reno gave a calm shrug in response. "Sounds alright with me." He turned his head lazily around at that, and looked to the other side of the table. "What do you guys think?"
A burly, bald-headed man raised his arms and set them on the table, locking his hands together and letting his huge knuckles crack from within his black gloves while doing so. He adjusted his neck a little within his own black suit, properly worn and adjusted. He turned his head over to Leers soon after, and peered at him through his stoic black sunglasses.
Rude gave a nod. "…Fine."
In response to this, however, the one sitting closer to Leers and down from him frowned. A blond-haired, high strung woman who frequently adjusted her tie as if it annoyed her cast a glance around the table before turning to the man at the head herself. She crossed her own arms, crumpling her own black suit, and kept on a rather grumpy look.
"Only if you agree to tell us what you know about Tseng's disappearance." Elena threw in at last, casting a critical glare to General Leers. However…it caused the other three fellow members of the Turks to turn and look to him as well. Rude, Reno, and the other weren't as disapproving looking, but they did stare at the man and didn't break off.
Leers sighed in response. "I already told you that we did not call out any hits on your group. We had no need to. I had no interest in Tseng or the rest of the Turks until recently. Now…if, on the other hand, you were hired by a different party and/or came here of your own accord spying…then I'm not responsible for any John Does that were shot for intruding. You four, of all people, should understand that."
Elena grit her teeth in response and glared daggers at Leers. She balled her hand into a fist and began to rise.
Reno, however, was perfectly calm and gave a shrug. "Sounds reasonable to me."
On hearing this, Elena snapped her head around and gaped at Reno in shock. "Are you kidding me!" She nearly outburst. "What if this guy's the reason Tseng went missing?"
"Tseng knew the rules of the game going in." Reno calmly answered, casting Elena a sideways glance as she stared at him incredulously. "You should know them by now too."
Elena fumed, trembling in anger where she was.
Reno sighed at seeing this. "Don't get your panties all in a twist." He continued. "Tseng wasn't the kind of guy who would let a few roughneck guards get him, assuming he even went up here. This guy didn't do it. But he might have access to records that could help us find out." With that, the Turk turned back to Leers. As Elena continued to quiver in rage, he calmly gestured to her. "I believe that is what my…colleague…was getting at. Am I assuming right?"
Leers gave a nod. "Of course. Whatever you need."
"Then we're in." Rude announced, speaking once again on one of his rare occasions. Two of his fellow Turks gave a nod in response. Elena, on her part, crossed her arms again, frowned, and leaned back in her seat with a near pout on her face.
General Leers gave a small smile. "Thank you very much." He answered. "Although…from last I heard…there were only supposed to be three of you since Tseng left."
Reno gave a plastered smile. "We've been recruiting." He calmly answered. With that, he gestured to the silent Turk behind him. "This lovely back here is 'Clyde Arrowny' with a gun. But that only seems to make sense…assuming that the last name she's using implies what I think it does…"
"I've told you a thousand times that it does, Reno."
This female voice, silent before now, now finally broke out. There was something strange about it. It didn't seem like the voice of an assassin. It seemed much softer…milder…even more pleasant. However, it also showed a depth of maturity and seriousness, showing that soft as the voice sounded…the woman behind it was no merciful angel. Her voice did cause the others in the room to look to her, however.
Resting back in her chair, legs crossed, arms calmly folded over her waist, was the new female member of the Turks. She seemed rather lithe…and her face and complexion seemed a little too soft to be a fighter. However…her stunning green eyes, which burned with a vivacity that seemed almost supernatural…were the hard ones of a trained killer. She raised up a hand to brush back a strand of soft, brown hair that had dangled in her eyes. The rest was tied back behind her in a loose braid that extended down past her shoulders. She turned her gaze up ahead to focus on Leers a moment later, and proceeded to introduce herself.
"Krystea Anne Valentine. Don't forget it."
THE END
AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's finally over! In all likelihood, "The Wyvern Battles" was the longest portion of "The Servant". The only section that could possibly match it in size is, unfortunately, the next one. However, at this point in time, I'm not sure how long that will be. I'd like to say that I'm halfway done or more, but I'm not sure.
Hope you've enjoyed the four Wyvern Battles, even if they got a bit tedious. The next section of "The Servant" is called, "The Aleron Saga". Look for it to show up in a few days. (BTW, the name Aleron hasn't appeared yet in this story. The only clue I gave as to what this next saga will be about is contained in some of Bahamut's hallucinations...)
Here's another important note. If you're a big fan of other FF games but hate FFVII, now might be a good time to stop reading this fanfiction, ending on the high note of Bahamut beginning a new life on Gaia. As I cautioned when I started this fanfiction, I warned that "The Servant" would eventually turn into mostly a FFVII fanfiction rather than a crossover. That part starts now. Almost allof "The Aleron Saga" is in the domain of FFVII, and almost all of the last two sagas of "The Servant" is as well. There will be bits of FFVIII inall three, but for right now you won't be hearing anything about it for a long time. As I warned before, most of the content in "The Aleron Saga" originally came from an FFVII sequel I wrote in which Bahamut was a minor, though important, character. I've tried to give him a bigger role this time around and edit out most of the extrenuous pieces, but you'll have to wait and see.
Thanks for reading this far, and I hope that the story (which is starting to be my own rendition of history from this point on) will continue to entertain...
