Sever All Ties
Chapter Forty Five: Departure
Disclaimer: I don't own Radiata Stories or any of the characters in the game; they are the property of the brilliant minds at Square Enix.
Author's Note(s): Words in '…' indicate a thought. Words in "…" indicate spoken words. This story will proceed based on the assumption that Jack has joined Ridley on the path of the non-human. This path would inevitably lead him to face his former friends and allies in combat. It is these fights I will illustrate in this story. Some creative liberties will be taken regarding who they face (i.e. Jack will face opponents in this fic that you don't get to face in the game). I hope you enjoy.
When the Arbitrator sank into Aphelion's chest, Jack felt certain they had won. The dragon's eyes widened in surprise as the sword struck him, and his own blade fell from his hand. The weakened guardian was already wounded and struggling to stay on his feet, but this blow would be too much. The young swordsman pulled his blade free as Aphelion stumbled backward. The guardian was severely wounded, and roared in pain as he struggled to keep his feet. His thrashing agitated the dust and rubble from the dome, and Jack covered his mouth with his right sleeve. A single misstep was all it took and Aphelion fell onto his back with a dull thud. With a sigh of relief, Jack cleaned the blade of the Arbitrator and returned it to its scabbard. Keeping a wary eye on the place where the dragon had fallen, he looked to his friends.
Gil had managed to get to his feet, though he was leaning heavily on a fallen column for support. With the exception of a horizontal cut on his ribcage, the elf's wounds appeared to be mostly superficial. Jack knew that the elf's weakness came from the magic assault that had drained his energy. Ganz was not on his feet, sitting on the ground and clutching the wound on his chest in pain. The older man was breathing heavily, but he smiled and nodded his head to Jack. Ridley, standing at his side, was winded as well. The dragon had not struck her, but the power of the finishing blow had drained her strength. Fresh from the powerful blow that had finished Aphelion, Ridley's face was flushed and her hands were shaking. When Jack saw tears streaming down her face, he wrapped his arms tight around her.
"Ridley, it's over," Jack soothed, stroking her hair and squeezing her tightly to him. "Do me a favor and grab some healing supplies out of my bag for Ganz and Gil."
When she nodded her head, Jack released Ridley and turned to face the silver dragon. The guardian of the world was laying on his back, breathing heavily. Seeing Jack approach, Aphelion's body tensed unconsciously. Black blood flowed freely from the wounds that marred the dragon's body and limbs, pooling on the floor around his body. Breathing had become a strain, and he winced visibly with each inhalation. Despite all of this pain, Aphelion's blue eyes had the same sharp, piercing gaze when he looked at Jack; there was no fear. Finally, the dragon appeared to acknowledge that he was defeated. Exhaling slowly, Aphelion's body began to fall away. His dragon form seemed to disintegrate and disappear as if it were made of dust. After this, Jack found himself staring once more at Lucian, the Lord Chamberlain's advisor. His body was unmarred and showed no signs of having been in combat. However, appearing unharmed was not the same thing as being unharmed, and Lucian made no move to rise. When his eyes found Jack's once more, the faintest hint of a smile crept over his face.
"The guardian is defeated by those whom he would guard," Lucian seemed amused by these words. He continued in a soft, level voice. "Human strength is a frightful thing, Jack."
"We are powerful, because we protect the ones we care about," Jack replied in a somber tone. "But, the desire to protect isn't exclusive to humans. The non-humans at Fort Helencia are fighting to protect their friends and family at home, the dragons fought to protect the cosmic order, and even you fought to protect humanity; I fought to protect Ridley."
"To protect Ridley," Lucian mused. He chuckled as he continued. "How unfortunate then, that you and I should diverge on that single point. Still, humanity is forever indebted to us."
"What do you mean," Jack asked, confused by these words.
"Dragons exist only because humans want them to," Lucian said cryptically. "It was your choice, you wanted to be ruled. I wanted to give humanity the chance to create the future it deserved. You, Jack, broke the cycle by preventing the Changeover and defeating me. From this day forward, humanity is responsible for its own fate. After everything I've seen, I want to believe that you can be the masters of your own destiny. You and Ridley must make yourselves a part of that effort, Jack. I know that it is possible for humans to prosper and maintain the balance of the world. Humans and the fairy creatures have failed to maintain the Order of Tottaus because their interests are always opposed to one another. By working with one another, it is possible that you can rise above these issues and maintain the cosmic order yourselves."
"I don't know what I can do," said Jack. He wasn't sure that he fully understood the guardian's words. "But I'll do whatever it takes."
"As I've come to expect from you. Still, that is comforting," Aphelion's voice sounded hollow, and he began to fade away. "Fare thee well, humans. I have saved you all my frail, frail children."
Jack turned his back on Lucian and looked for his friends. Gil was standing upright confidently, and looked as if he would have little trouble with the return journey. The healing extracts Ridley had given him had even helped his wing somewhat, though it didn't look like the damage had been completely reversed. Ganz also looked better than before, on his feet and moving around. Though he was no longer bleeding, the crimson streaks around the gashes in his armor made it clear that he had been in battle. Ridley looked to have recovered some of her strength, as well. Jack had only a moment to reflect on this before the dome began to shake. The Gold Dragon Castle shuddered and threatened to give way. Jack's eyes immediately went to Ridley, and then to the ramp that they had used to ascend the tower. Seeing his gaze, Gil and Ridley both moved toward the ramp. Jack was halfway to the ramp when he saw that Ganz was not moving to join them. The older man was standing over his father's corpse with a listless look on his face. The younger warrior turned and ran to his former superior's side.
"Captain, we have to go," Jack said. Though the situation was not dire yet, he was unsure how much longer it would be before the dome inevitably toppled.
"M…Master Jack," Ganz looked at Jack with a doleful gaze. "I'm…afraid I won't be joining you."
"What? But Captain you can't just," Jack began. Ganz shook his head.
"I'm sorry Master Jack," the older man interrupted politely, but forcefully. "My place is here, with my father. You have grown into a fine young man, Master Jack, and I know that you will only continue to grow. I am proud to say that I taught you and helped you to grow, though you undoubtedly taught me as much as I taught you. It was an honor to fight at your side, and I know that you will take care of Lady Ridley. There is nothing waiting for me back there; my place is here, with my father."
"Captain," Jack said softly, averting his eyes. He wanted to argue and force Ganz to come back with them, but fought the reaction down and met his friend's eyes one last time. "I understand, Captain. Than you for everything you've done for me."
"The pleasure was mine, my friend," Ganz said, embracing Jack. "Please, take my weapon and my father's with you. Send them, along with a letter, to my family's house in the West. They need to know what happened to me, and about my father."
"I will," Jack said, taking the weapons. The castle shook again as he regarded his friend and mentor.
"It's time for you to go," Ganz said somberly. He turned his back to his friend to silently pay respects to his father.
"I know," Jack replied. Fighting down his emotions, he turned toward the ramp and the friends that were waiting for him there.
"What's going on," Gil asked as pieces of the dome began to fall.
"The Captain's not coming with us," Jack stated. Ridley and Gil's looks of confusion forced Jack to look away. He had no answer for their queries.
"Jack, we can't leave him," Ridley protested. The castle shook again as she looked past Jack to where Ganz was standing.
"It's his choice," Jack said, shaking his head. As they turned to leave, Jack had a thought that caused him to stop and turn around. "I have to get the Falvern."
Jack raced back toward the dome, aware that Ridley and Gil were calling after him, but he would not leave the weapon behind. Ducking and dodging, he weaved his way through falling rocks and columns to the place where had fallen through the dome. After a moment of digging through debris, he found the sword buried under small rocks and dust. Covered in dust and lacking the dark flames that had engulfed its blade, the Falvern looked like anything but a legendary weapon. Jack laughed lightly to himself as he remembered his own incredulity when he first held the sword, but falling stones from the roof reminded him of his current situation. Scrambling back to the tower's descent, he joined Ridley and Gil. The three raced down the ramp, trying to get clear of the castle before it crumbled. The beautifully carved white stone walls of the castle were now lined with cracks and threatening to crumble. This time, Jack raced past the walls without a second look. The castle's interior was even more frightening than its exterior, as the roof overhead was shaking. Jack scrambled down stairs that gave way beneath his feet, and focused all of his efforts on staying ahead of the destruction.
The three warriors ran from the castle without looking back, trying to find the correct ladders to guide them out of the City of White Nights. Gil took to the air, struggling a little with the wing that had been healed. With the elf guiding them, Jack and Ridley hurried down a series of ladders and moved steadily toward the Dysett Region. The three were all too aware of the shaking walkways that they were running across. Pieces of the paths were falling all around them, making their journey even more difficult. Ridley was exhausted, and having trouble keeping pace as the seemingly never-ending path went on in front of them. Even Jack was having difficulty maintaining the pace that the city's collapse necessitated. Ridley stumbled in front of him, and he grabbed her hand to help her keep moving. The shocks reverberating through the city grew more and more violent as they reached the end. Scrambling down the last ladder, the group ran frantically toward the Dysett Region.
A final, violent shock ran through the ground, causing Jack to stumble and crash into the sand. All three turned to see a column of brilliant, golden light extending into the sky. It's glow seemed warm and inviting, a stark contrast to the destruction it had brought to the City of White Nights. Safe in the knowledge that they were finally out of harm's way, Ridley and Gil collapsed to the ground on either side of Jack. Exhaustion overcame everything else and the three of them simply took in their surroundings. The night was cool, a completely different than the blistering heat of the day, and the sky was clear. Large, red rocks dotted the landscape, jutting from the ground all around the path. No one else was around, and even the creatures that lived in the region were absent. The stars illuminated the night, shining down on the triumphant warriors. For several long moments, each watched in silent contemplation as the Gold Dragon Castle collapsed and took the City of White Nights with it.
Jack, for his part, was reflecting on everything that had brought him to the present. His brief tenure in the Radiata Knights, his time at Theater Vancoor, and his decision to follow Ridley; it had all been to bring him to this moment. He had told himself all along the way that he was working toward something, and had finally reached that point. These thoughts reminded him of all of the warriors that he had faced along the way. Friends had stood in his way and enemies had helped him as he worked toward this moment. Though he had triumphed, Jack could not help but remember the ones who fell as he continued to rise; the friends from Radiata that he had struck down while making his way to this point. The familiar sorrow that he thought had left him worked its way to the surface once more, reminding him of what he had lost to reach this point. The list wasn't just confined to warriors from Radiata. Jack's stomach sank as he realized that Gawain and Ganz were also gone forever.
"It's over," Jack said softly, eyes fixed on the bright light emanating from the Gold Dragon Castle. Tears fell unimpeded from his eyes.
Vegeta26: Another one done. I hope that everyone reading continues to enjoy the story, and that I'll hear from you through reviews. I've got two things to confirm. First, in case you hadn't noticed, we're pretty much at the end. Chapter 46 will be the last, and will be more elaborate than a simple trip back to the city via Journey Pig. Second, there will be a sequel. It will follow Jack and Ridley's return to Radiata, and I've got some of my own ideas to inject into the storyline. I might even throw in a couple of one-shot stories if I have some time. Hope everyone sticks around for the conclusion of this story, and that I'll see you for the sequel.
MelMuff: More here, and more to come. Glad you're still reading.
Passionate-melody: The combined volty was something that I wanted to work in at some point, and I think it fit pretty well. Glad you enjoyed it.
kinetic-cataclysm: Nope, no such things as too intense. I'm throwing some ideas around, and the sequel is starting to come together in my mind. I think the combined volty was a universal hit, and it was pretty fun to set up.
aguyuno: Glad you still hold the story in such high esteem. The notion of destiny is as relevant in the non-human path as it is in the human path, because Ridley and Ganz still feel obliged to fulfill their destiny. The difference is that the dialogue that accompanies that train of thought is not as prominent. Ridley's confusion over the term comes from the contrast between she and Aphelion over what, exactly, her destiny is. I kind of disagree with your interpretation of the ending, though. It's true that Aphelion's duty as the guardian dragon is to destroy all of humankind. However, he wants to preserve humanity and allow it to flourish, so he disregards his duty as the guardian and tries to disrupt the Changeover. For this reason, I believe that Jack and Ridley would return to a Radiata where everyone is alive. The destruction of humanity just doesn't mesh with everything else he says. As for Jack, I'll acknowledge that he looks different during the ending, but I don't think he dies. I'll be discussing the difference in the way he looks when I do the sequel to this story, but I don't think that he dies. Feel free to shoot me a message if you want to swap theories on the game and/or its ending, I'm interested in your thoughts.
Ridley-Russell: The combined volty is a lot of fun, but I don't think it's going to get used very much, at the risk of over-using it. Unfortunately, Ganz is not going to make it out of the Gold Dragon Castle. I like the way the ending is set up, and I'm not going to rewrite this aspect of it. Sorry, hope you understand.
nanohaxfate: Glad you're still reading, and I hope you like this chapter. Hopefully I'll hear from you when we get to the sequel.