Chapter 27: One Final Effort
The Land of the Livid Dead
Dark Hog sped away from the valley's turbulent centre, as the world crumbled around it. A massive boulder fell from its perch atop a cliff, only Rayden's rapid manipulation of pedals and wheel evading crash or collision. Cracks in the ground widened, swallowing fleeing Hoodlums whole.
An exodus of Hoodlums joined the Rays in their attempt to escape, most having forgotten all use of tools and weaponry in their fear. As Dark Hog caught up with a group of the Black Lums, Rayden accelerated straight through them, crushing many. A few took potshots at the vehicle, only to be swept up by Rayman's turret fire, Raylina's chatter of bullets from Tybalt, and Dark's RPGs.
Some of the smarter Lums were employing balloon-ships and choppers to escape, but the air had become a dangerous place to be. Stray projectiles from the awesome conflict above smashed and set alight many of the craft, while Veurtoya himself swooped down, grabbed a chopper in his claws and tossed it at his opponent.
Weaving through the Hoodlum crowds, an explosion boomed out behind them, and chunks of lava-riffled rock began to rain down from above and behind. A slab larger than the car smashed into the ground right beside them, crushing a Heckler and tossing Dark Hog end over end with the force of the shockwave. Before it hit the ground upside-down, another fireball crashed in front and tossed it sideways, flipping once to land back on its wheels. The suspension groaned in protest as the machine almost tipped again, then thudded back onto all four. About to accelerate, Rayden stopped as Raylina shouted "wait!" He turned around to see Raylex springing back to his feet twenty metres behind them, flaming blade in one hand, rocket launcher mounted on his shoulder with the other, to fend off the screaming hordes of fleeing Hoodlums.
For the briefest second, Rayden considered simply putting his foot down and leaving his old enemy to die. Then, cursing, he turned Hog around in a wide circle, allowing Dark to leap back onto the side. He almost slipped back off, but Raylina grabbed his hand.
Numbering four again, they sped away from the erupting ground. A Hoodlum watchtower loomed in front of them, blocking the most direct path at a junction of two vales. One of the few Hoodbooms who had yet to succumb to panic threw grenades at them, to be taken out by a burst from Rayman. Glancing in his rear-view mirror, Rayden swore as he saw the earth upheaving itself barely a hundred metres behind them.
He put his foot down.
"Dark!"
Raylex fired a rocket from the RPG. It left a trail of smoke as it propelled gracefully through the air to detonate at the tower's base. Dark Hog followed immediately after, smashing through the collapsing tower in a cloud of flame and smoke to emerge on the other side. Raylina closed her eyes against the shower of splinters, the heat glowing against her cheeks.
As they proceeded at full tilt, they found themselves alongside a Masterkaag as it too tried to escape, running as fast as it could operate the ropes which drove its enormous legs. They weaved around it, avoiding its crushing feet, and Rayman laced it with turretfire. It tripped over in quite a spectacular fashion, and the collapsing ground swallowed it.
After ten or so minutes of spinning wheels, bouncing suspension, and crushed Hoodlums, a shriek and roar pierced the ears of the four. An eagle and a dragon tumbled from the sky, slamming into the ground barely fifty metres ahead of Dark Hog. Rayden span the wheel, tires skidding in the mud, and steered the vehicle between two of Veurtoya's neck spikes just before they were driven into the earth. The Leptys pinned the other God to the ground, and proceeded to tear into him. Veurtoya's wings thrashed desperately as he struggled to tip the Leptys off, the enormous appendages beating dangerously close to the vehicle. They sped out of the brawling Gods' physical reach. Raylina's eyes widened. They were within sight of the valley's edge, and the looming Egg Carrier! "We're going to make it!"
Suddenly, an entire section of ground fell away right in front of them, leaving a pitch-black abyss. Rayden had to slam the brake-pedal down and spin the wheel just to avoid falling in.
Looking around desperately for an escape route, the increasingly unstable earth shifted around them.
"There!" Rayman yelled.
Only one way remained open to them: straight up the steep slope of a large hill.
Brow set, Rayden threw the machine into gear, turned the wheel, and put his foot down. Dark Hog accelerated, gathering speed as the earth fell away behind it. It began to climb the hill, bouncing and roaring, wheels spinning furiously. After a few moments of jarring tension, Dark Hog cleared the slope and came onto the flat at the top of the hill. At the end was a sheer cliff, well over fifty metres tall; and just beyond this escarpment, hovering expectantly, safety mechanisms preventing it from coming any closer, was the Egg Carrier.
Between its open cargo bay and the cliff was a gap of close to ten metres.
No time to think. "Hold onto your butts!" Dark Hog flew forward at full speed, the four sets of jaws it carried clenched with apprehension, the ground losing integrity mere feet behind them. Then, with a lurch that sent Raylina's stomach through the floor, they were in the air. With the grace of a brick, Dark Hog sailed through the atmosphere, and for a seemingly perpetual moment it was suspended between the rapidly degenerating cliff and the open cargo bay. But then came possibly the most relieving sensation Raylina had ever experienced; the thud, squeal, bounce and jar of all-terrain tires touching down on a stainless steel floor. But almost straight away that relief was replaced by yet another stomach-absenting lurch as Hog slid backwards; only two of its wheels had made the bay; half of the vehicle remained suspended precariously in the air. Raylina and Rayden vaulted over the windscreen as Dark Hog began to fall backwards, and Mr. Dark swirled onto the steel floor. But Rayman, in the turret seat at the very rear, jumped onto the transport's nose as it slipped out of the cargo bay and into empty space. With a last, mighty leap, he launched himself into the air, reaching upwards with every centimetre the invisible bonds joining his hand to his body allowed.
He fell just inches short.
But then, just as he consigned himself to the fall, another hand swept in and gripped his. Raylex hauled the former Chosen One onto the Egg Carrier, and they rolled onto the floor, panting with relief. The erstwhile enemies shared a grateful nod.
The bay door slid closed behind them and the Egg Carrier sped away as fast as its engines allowed.
The valley descended into a swirling vortex of fire and dust as the Gods entered their endgame. Monumental powers were flung back and forth across an arena of ash. The Land of the Livid Dead became a pit of raw, elemental fury, churning with primeval force. The pressure and heat approached such magnitude that the nuclei of atoms in the vicinity began to fuse together, unleashing ever more energy as Veurtoya frantically tried to evade capture. But not only was the Leptys more powerful after years of preparation, it was older. The ages of the two numbered in the hundreds of millions, but Veurtoya's in fewer hundreds. The Leptys had enjoyed a far longer period of freedom before being bound by the Ancients, and as such had gained more knowledge of the workings of power and force. Able to contain the unstable reactions Veurtoya was causing from destroying the planet while simultaneously tightening a binding noose around his neck, the Leptys remorselessly assaulted the fellow spirit. All aboard the Egg Carrier watched in awe as the phenomenal battle climaxed with a fantastically bright white-blue light, shining such that they were forced to shield their eyes even through the automatic radiation shielding of the bridge's windows. The sound of Vertoya's last despairing screams echoed across the entire planet as the Leptys finally shut him down, and the light began to dim. As it faded, it became clear the devastation this conflict had caused. Every element lighter than uranium lay muddled together in the pit of the valley, those with higher evaporation temperatures rapidly solidifying into a brown-black mass of metallic confusion. And high above this mess glided the Leptys, ostensibly riding the thermals caused by the immense release of heat during the battle. In its claws was gripped a perfect pentagonal trapezohedron of blackest obsidian. Contained within was Veurtoya.
The Griskins aboard the ship began a haunting song of history and loss, one which brought tears to the eyes of all aboard the flagship, as they mourned for their lost home. It was a simple song, but a beautiful one, without any discernible words, which somehow carried the entire story of a culture, the fingerprint of a race. As the last few notes faded away, so too did the Griskins, freed from their centuries-old curse by the grace of the Leptys. Free at last to die.
Raylina met the Leptys at the edge of the still-scorching pit that once was the Land of the Livid Dead. She was saddened by its loss, for it had been a beautiful place, and home not only to the Griskins, but the intelligent turtles of the Crossroads as well, and many other peaceful creatures. Now it was uninhabitable, and would remain so for centuries. If the Leptys had not contained Veurtoya's wrath, though, this destruction would have spread across the entire planet.
The Leptys bore Veurtoya's container to Raylina, placing it on the ground in front of her. Even contained within layers of enchanted obsidian, she could feel his malice radiating from inside. She shuddered. "It will need to be hidden, lest this occurs again."
The great eagle nodded in agreement.
"Thank you, Leptys. You have done us a great service."
In an unexpected gesture, the Leptys spread its broad wings to their fullest extent, bowing to the ground (a motion which no ordinary eagle would have been able to pull off). Raylina did likewise. Then the Leptys took off in a great flap of its wings, and faded as it flew towards the horizon.
Space Colony ARK
A gathering of Mobians and Crossroaders stood in the huge teleportation chamber aboard the ARK. Twin foxtails protruded from the access hatch of the heavy-duty equipment, waving as their owner fiddled with its internals.
"Blast it!" Tails' frustrated voice echoed from within. Struggling to back out of the hatch, he exclaimed in annoyance. "Dark Rayman sure did a good job of breaking the damn thing. The spatial dilation crystals are completely smashed, and don't even ask about the redstone conduction webbing. Even if we could replace those, I doubt there's a mithril-australium alloy refinery for lightyears to fix the ecumenical transience foundations."
"Does that mean you have to stay?" Raylina asked, trying not to sound hopeful.
"No... there is one alternative," Shadow replied.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Shadow?" grinned Sonic.
Perhaps," he replied, with the barest hint of a smile. "We've done it once before, but over a much shorter distance. Still, I don't see why it wouldn't work."
Noticing Raylina struggling to hide her disappointment, he placed a hand on her shoulder, in an uncharacteristically sympathetic gesture.
"I'm sorry, Raylina." He said, meeting her eyes. "We don't belong here. This is your world, not ours."
She nodded, smiling morosely. "And maybe we can find a way to visit," he finished.
Smiling broadly, she embraced him, then stepped back, and did the same to Sonic. "Goodbye, guys. We'll never forget you."
Sonic flicked his thumb, and something golden flashed through the air. Raylina caught it, and opened her hand to see what it was.
"Just so you don't," Sonic said, winking.
It was a round, unadorned, golden ring.
Rayman shook Sonic's hand. "Thank you for your help, Sonic the Hedgehog. And you, Shadow. All of you. Our world is in your debt."
The other Hero grinned. "You're welcome. Thank you for helping to return the Chaos Emeralds, and for stemming a threat which would have spread to all worlds. Ours is in your debt, Rayman."
A last wave, a final nod were exchanged as the two parties separated, and Rayman lifted the Earth Mask to teleport the Crossroaders away.
As they disappeared, Shadow and Sonic stood back-to-back, the seven Emeralds beginning to orbit them. Both became gold, shining across the whole room. Together, the two Hedgehogs flew out of the colossal space station, taking position on opposite sides.
Ready?
Ready.
With the power of two Supers, they mentally shouted.
"CHAOS...CONTROL!"
With a phenomenal burst of gold and blue light, the ARK, along with everybody and everything onboard, disappeared along the channels of space and time.
Returning to Mobius.
The flash could be seen in the night sky, from the surface of the Crossroads. Watching silently on the Fairy Council lawn, Raylina closed her hand around Sonic's ring as a single tear slid down her cheek.
"Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog."
The Longest Shortcut (Once known as Nullartus City), near the Cloud Sea
Rayman stood. "Thank you all for coming here today. I have asked you to this place, as a reminder of what our species can do."
At the crystalline table in front of him sat representatives of the last remnants of the Rays: The Musician, earring swinging as he nodded thoughtfully; Tarayzan in his accustomed loincloth; Raypledra of the mountain village, loose hair falling well below her shoulders; Rayden, staring daggers at the sorcerer across from him; Raylex Dark doing his best to ignore him; and Raylina, at her father's side.
"Our ancestors built this city more than two millennia ago, and still it stands untarnished. But with our great virtue, as with any species, have come great vices. Wars we brought on ourselves have reduced us to a dwindling fringe culture. There are too few Rays left.
"Now is the time for us to unite as a race. We must set aside old enmities and ancient rivalries befre we hunt each other to extinction. For that is we face unless we can learn to co-operate, not just with each other, but with other species too: extinction."
He nodded to Raylina. She stood, the Chosen One's red kerchief resplendent on her shoulders. "As the Chosen One of the Ancients, and of the Rays, I declare the crimes of every person in this room forgiven. Go forth from this place and spread this pardon as you see fit. Those whose crimes are within the bounds of forgiveness, forgive, unless they prove to be a menace to us or themselves. You are the wisest among our species: We trust you to carry out this task. Those who have been banished must be welcomed back to our society with open...ah...arms." She blushed at this slip, but Rayman nodded encouragingly. "Tarayzan, you will once again be called Rayzan, and your banishment considered null and void."
The newly redeemed Rayzan's mouth fell open in shock. "Thank you," he whispered, when he had regained some manner of speech.
"This is my daughter, Raylina," Rayman went on, the pride in his voice apparent. "And now we come to the true reason for this gathering. I am her father; but her mother is not a Ray. Her name is Ly, and she is a Fairy."
Shock appeared once again on the faces of those who had not known this.
"You see, the Ancients provided us with one great curse, and one great gift. For hundreds of millions of years we have existed as we are; we do not adapt or evolve as the other living things of this planet do. As a result, we have diminished greatly. But now I have uncovered our gift. Raylina is a Ray, as you can see. She possesses all the talents and abilities native to us. Yet she has also gained the empathy and sensitivity of a fairy. We as a race are able to interbreed with other species, and integrate their positive traits without diluting our own identity.
"With this knowledge, the Rays can flourish once more. We no longer have to fear inbreeding as a result of our ever-shrinking gene pool. It will take some getting used to, true, and there will always be those who resist change.
"I charge each of you now: spread the word. Tell this long kept secret to all of the surviving Rays you know of. Tell them that if they find themselves attracted to one of another species, if they find themselves falling in love, not to fight or dismiss it. Tell them to embrace it, given the other's consent.
"Maybe we will live to see the day the Rays become great again."
Epilogue: Remote Control
Metal Rayman stood alone at one of the peaks of the Precipice, gazing upon the steep cliffs and black abysses which swept down the mountain's slopes. Digital eyes analysed shapes, forms and features, noting the slightest flickering movements. Constantly adding to a database of everything and anything that might be of use.
Spider-webbed across the elevated collection of canyons, escarpments, and over-ambitious rocks which constituted the Precipice were a cluster of old Robo-Pirate structures. Weathered, beaten, and occasionally destroyed by cannonfire from their own warships, the wooden buildings clinging to the cliff-faces like leeches nonetheless remained standing.
A reminder of what a machine can do when free of its masters.
The Sceptre of the Leptys lay balanced in the robot's hand, grey and inanimate. The key to a God. A power which remained unmatched by anything currently in active existence, organic or machine.
So far.
Sliding steel palms across the sphere, it glowed softly and began to shrink to a more manageable size. Metal Rayman's chest opened, the 'O' unfolding, and he placed the Sceptre within. As it closed again, a single thought-file crossed the android's processors, to be stated simply from his speaker.
"I am not a slave."
The End.
Next Fanfiction from me: Flames of the Limbless (a prequel). Coming Soon!