@Thanks so much for the reviews guys! (DarkDragonX, thanks for trying to correct me - I love constructive critism!- but I was already aware, I was hoping the whole Dragon Buster thing would build up some suspense, ya know? Anyways, onward:
(Jeez, I forgot this last time)
Disclaimer: I don't own LOD, just the plot. (One can wish right?)
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"Meru!" Albert screamed as he ran to her.
Dart caught his friend in mid-stride. "It's too late. She's gone," he said quietly as he held on to the King's shoulders for his support or Albert's he wasn't sure.
"We have to do something!" Albert exclaimed. "Something . . . We have to get her back to her home. Turn this ship around now!" He cried out in desperation. "Turn it around now!"
Dart let go of his friend who walked away heaving a heavy sigh. Albert took off his cape and laid it over Meru's body before hurrying off to the bridge to inform the captain of their new course. Dart watched this and looked down to the small stone he held in his hand. The Blue Sea Dragon Spirit emitted a soft glow that warmed his palm. His own Divine Spirit, in his other hand, did the same. 'Dammit, why wouldn't you let me transform?' he wondered, grief and anger filling his thoughts. 'Why?'
****************
One foot fall after another on the parched ground had taken its toll on Lloyd in his present state. 'I'm much weaker,' he decided as he sat down, 'than what I was before.' His breaths were deep but hollow, filling his lungs too slowly. 'I don't remember being out of breath . . . since I was a boy.' He surveyed his surroundings. The great expanse, of which the Divine Tree was the centre, still lay devoid of life despite the passing of a year. The destruction that was wrought by the Dragoons and Melbu Frahma had inevitably scarred the land.
"I'll die . . . of dehydration before I get anywhere," Lloyd muttered sarcastically as he belatedly got hold of his breath. No longer gasping for air, he could relax for the time being. A sudden shadow caused him to look up from his vacant glare and deep thoughts. A figure silhouetted by the midday sun towered over him. Lloyd suddenly became quite aware he was nude. He smiled as pleasantly as he could.
The figure took off a blue cloak and tossed it to the Wingly, "Looks like you could use some help, friend." He spoke with a weathered voice and knelt down so to face Lloyd eye to eye. The stranger was a Wingly as well.
Lloyd's smile broadened.
*****************
"Her physical body remains unharmed but her soul and mind are ravaged like nothing I've ever seen before," the Wingly Elder reported. "It is a great loss. Meru will be missed dearly."
Albert and Dart put in their affirmations.
"She will be put to rest in such a way that honours her contribution to the Great Battle," another Wingly explained as she came up from behind the two humans. "What did this?"
Dart ran through the events that had cost Meru her life.
"I've not heard of such a monster, what did it want?"
"This," Dart held out Meru's Dragoon Spirit. "Fortunately, it disappeared when I grabbed the stone before it could."
"Is it after all of your stones?" the Elder inquired.
The thought hadn't occurred to either Albert or Dart but as they looked to each other it was apparent they shared the same thought.
"The others, we have to warn them," Albert said.
"I hope Shana's alright too," Dart added. "Let's see, there's only Miranda . . . and Haschel and Kongol - they're probably back at the Rouge Islands by now."
"And Miranda's no doubt back in Mille Seseau. We should go to her first, Deningrad is closer." Albert reasoned.
Dart nodded, "Yeah, I agree. I think it best if we stay together as well. We'll be too easy as targets completely by ourselves."
"We need to get to Deningrad," Dart told the Wingly Elder who nodded.
"As you know we have the means to make it so, come with me."
*******************
Lloyd watched the two humans as they followed the Ancestor.
"Water, water everywhere . . ." he mused. 'Does he have the Spirit with him? Surely the beast didn't get it.' He looked to the black/blue velvet sky overhead. Flecked with diamonds, it sparkled like white sand on a hot day. 'We have brought about the end of the world,' Lloyd continued with his thoughts. 'I could stop this . . .' he sighed, 'but I won't - too much depends on what will come to pass tomorrow and I am not about to bear the burden of failure.'
A voice called to him from within. Lloyd stayed a moment longer on the balcony, taking in the beauty of the night. 'I wonder if I'll make it to Rouge in time?' His line of sight drifted back to Dart and Albert who had just reached the Wingly Teleporter.
******************
"No, no, no, Kongol," Haschel remarked, putting his hands up in a gesture to stop. "Pay attention will you, you big lug? Now, watch me, like this." He proceeded to go through the steps of his student's newest kata in slow motion, exaggerating his movements so that the Giganto could more easily see his mistake. "There, you see?"
Kongol nodded, but then went stiff as a screeching sound filled his ears. Haschel also stood stalk still.
"Damn monsters, there's another one got in here!" The old man complained.
"Should we look for it?" Kongol asked.
"No, it's approaching. Listen. Can't you hear its steps get louder? Sounds like . . . I dunno." The fighter's face contorted as he realized his confusion. "I don't know what it could be."
A dark pink creature leapt on to the roof of Haschel's house as if on cue.
Both Kongol and Haschel readied themselves, as the beast effortlessly hopped down to the ground and began making its way toward the two. Thin membranous wings lay flat against its back and a long tail swayed from side to side as it walked closer on all fours. The creature opened its mouth to reveal sharp jagged teeth as it let out its battlecry again.
"C'mon, make your move," Haschel taunted.
"Show us your moves," Kongol attempted. His teacher cast a sideways glance of approval.
The cat-like dragon lunged at Haschel. The martial arts master drew back in a defensive stance while Kongol rushed in to intervene. The creature moved too fast for the slower Giganto and toppled Haschel rather forcefully. Both hit the ground loudly and were engulfed by a storm of lightning and purple smoke. Suddenly, the winged beast was blown back by an electric charge. Haschel stood as the Thunder Dragoon, preparing for another attack. Kongol summoned himself to transform as well but found that nothing happened. Before he had time to check his spirit, the creature was attacking again. It charged Haschel, extending its wings as it did so, then wrapped them around him once it was close enough. The Dragoon fumbled in the mesh of the tendrous wings but then was suddenly quite still.
The beast screeched again and withdrew its wings. Haschel fell to the ground, reverting out of his Dragoon armour before landing. Kongol rushed the dark pink attacker but found the blade of the Dragon Buster first. The power of the sword thrust the Giganto to the side of his mark. He had just enough energy to see Lloyd kneel down and snatch Haschel's Spirit stone from where it lay in the air over his body.
"I'll handle it from here, thanks." Lloyd assured Kongol as the huge warrior lost consciousness.
The creature set its sights on the Wingly. Growling deeply in its scaled throat as it turned to face its newest opponent.
"Let the joust begin." Lloyd gave a melodramatic bow.
The beast charged him. The two collided and then Lloyd let the weight of his adversary carry them off the side of the cliff they fought on. Both fell towards the sea.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Heh, hope you guys liked this week's latest installment! Thanks for reading, Allusia.
(Jeez, I forgot this last time)
Disclaimer: I don't own LOD, just the plot. (One can wish right?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Meru!" Albert screamed as he ran to her.
Dart caught his friend in mid-stride. "It's too late. She's gone," he said quietly as he held on to the King's shoulders for his support or Albert's he wasn't sure.
"We have to do something!" Albert exclaimed. "Something . . . We have to get her back to her home. Turn this ship around now!" He cried out in desperation. "Turn it around now!"
Dart let go of his friend who walked away heaving a heavy sigh. Albert took off his cape and laid it over Meru's body before hurrying off to the bridge to inform the captain of their new course. Dart watched this and looked down to the small stone he held in his hand. The Blue Sea Dragon Spirit emitted a soft glow that warmed his palm. His own Divine Spirit, in his other hand, did the same. 'Dammit, why wouldn't you let me transform?' he wondered, grief and anger filling his thoughts. 'Why?'
****************
One foot fall after another on the parched ground had taken its toll on Lloyd in his present state. 'I'm much weaker,' he decided as he sat down, 'than what I was before.' His breaths were deep but hollow, filling his lungs too slowly. 'I don't remember being out of breath . . . since I was a boy.' He surveyed his surroundings. The great expanse, of which the Divine Tree was the centre, still lay devoid of life despite the passing of a year. The destruction that was wrought by the Dragoons and Melbu Frahma had inevitably scarred the land.
"I'll die . . . of dehydration before I get anywhere," Lloyd muttered sarcastically as he belatedly got hold of his breath. No longer gasping for air, he could relax for the time being. A sudden shadow caused him to look up from his vacant glare and deep thoughts. A figure silhouetted by the midday sun towered over him. Lloyd suddenly became quite aware he was nude. He smiled as pleasantly as he could.
The figure took off a blue cloak and tossed it to the Wingly, "Looks like you could use some help, friend." He spoke with a weathered voice and knelt down so to face Lloyd eye to eye. The stranger was a Wingly as well.
Lloyd's smile broadened.
*****************
"Her physical body remains unharmed but her soul and mind are ravaged like nothing I've ever seen before," the Wingly Elder reported. "It is a great loss. Meru will be missed dearly."
Albert and Dart put in their affirmations.
"She will be put to rest in such a way that honours her contribution to the Great Battle," another Wingly explained as she came up from behind the two humans. "What did this?"
Dart ran through the events that had cost Meru her life.
"I've not heard of such a monster, what did it want?"
"This," Dart held out Meru's Dragoon Spirit. "Fortunately, it disappeared when I grabbed the stone before it could."
"Is it after all of your stones?" the Elder inquired.
The thought hadn't occurred to either Albert or Dart but as they looked to each other it was apparent they shared the same thought.
"The others, we have to warn them," Albert said.
"I hope Shana's alright too," Dart added. "Let's see, there's only Miranda . . . and Haschel and Kongol - they're probably back at the Rouge Islands by now."
"And Miranda's no doubt back in Mille Seseau. We should go to her first, Deningrad is closer." Albert reasoned.
Dart nodded, "Yeah, I agree. I think it best if we stay together as well. We'll be too easy as targets completely by ourselves."
"We need to get to Deningrad," Dart told the Wingly Elder who nodded.
"As you know we have the means to make it so, come with me."
*******************
Lloyd watched the two humans as they followed the Ancestor.
"Water, water everywhere . . ." he mused. 'Does he have the Spirit with him? Surely the beast didn't get it.' He looked to the black/blue velvet sky overhead. Flecked with diamonds, it sparkled like white sand on a hot day. 'We have brought about the end of the world,' Lloyd continued with his thoughts. 'I could stop this . . .' he sighed, 'but I won't - too much depends on what will come to pass tomorrow and I am not about to bear the burden of failure.'
A voice called to him from within. Lloyd stayed a moment longer on the balcony, taking in the beauty of the night. 'I wonder if I'll make it to Rouge in time?' His line of sight drifted back to Dart and Albert who had just reached the Wingly Teleporter.
******************
"No, no, no, Kongol," Haschel remarked, putting his hands up in a gesture to stop. "Pay attention will you, you big lug? Now, watch me, like this." He proceeded to go through the steps of his student's newest kata in slow motion, exaggerating his movements so that the Giganto could more easily see his mistake. "There, you see?"
Kongol nodded, but then went stiff as a screeching sound filled his ears. Haschel also stood stalk still.
"Damn monsters, there's another one got in here!" The old man complained.
"Should we look for it?" Kongol asked.
"No, it's approaching. Listen. Can't you hear its steps get louder? Sounds like . . . I dunno." The fighter's face contorted as he realized his confusion. "I don't know what it could be."
A dark pink creature leapt on to the roof of Haschel's house as if on cue.
Both Kongol and Haschel readied themselves, as the beast effortlessly hopped down to the ground and began making its way toward the two. Thin membranous wings lay flat against its back and a long tail swayed from side to side as it walked closer on all fours. The creature opened its mouth to reveal sharp jagged teeth as it let out its battlecry again.
"C'mon, make your move," Haschel taunted.
"Show us your moves," Kongol attempted. His teacher cast a sideways glance of approval.
The cat-like dragon lunged at Haschel. The martial arts master drew back in a defensive stance while Kongol rushed in to intervene. The creature moved too fast for the slower Giganto and toppled Haschel rather forcefully. Both hit the ground loudly and were engulfed by a storm of lightning and purple smoke. Suddenly, the winged beast was blown back by an electric charge. Haschel stood as the Thunder Dragoon, preparing for another attack. Kongol summoned himself to transform as well but found that nothing happened. Before he had time to check his spirit, the creature was attacking again. It charged Haschel, extending its wings as it did so, then wrapped them around him once it was close enough. The Dragoon fumbled in the mesh of the tendrous wings but then was suddenly quite still.
The beast screeched again and withdrew its wings. Haschel fell to the ground, reverting out of his Dragoon armour before landing. Kongol rushed the dark pink attacker but found the blade of the Dragon Buster first. The power of the sword thrust the Giganto to the side of his mark. He had just enough energy to see Lloyd kneel down and snatch Haschel's Spirit stone from where it lay in the air over his body.
"I'll handle it from here, thanks." Lloyd assured Kongol as the huge warrior lost consciousness.
The creature set its sights on the Wingly. Growling deeply in its scaled throat as it turned to face its newest opponent.
"Let the joust begin." Lloyd gave a melodramatic bow.
The beast charged him. The two collided and then Lloyd let the weight of his adversary carry them off the side of the cliff they fought on. Both fell towards the sea.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Heh, hope you guys liked this week's latest installment! Thanks for reading, Allusia.