Breath of Fire III: Of Gods and Dragons
Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Station in the Sky
Written by Estrelita Farr
.
Nina stirred and opened her eyes slowly, wincing slightly as her sight adjusted to the sunlight. The first thing that came to mind was the soft surface of a bed and blanket, and the first thing that came to sight was a dusty grey ceiling. She was in a bedroom with worn grey walls, with many beds leaning against the wall besides hers.
She sat up slowly, pleasantly noting that all her dizziness and hot flushes had mostly gone off. Then, she slowly turned her eyes downwards.
A sleeping Ryu.
He was seated on the floor, his head resting on his arms on her bed. The only sound that came from him was his breathing.
She smiled to herself. He looked sweet.
When she heard footsteps, she turned towards the door and saw Momo entering, carrying a basin in her hands.
"Oh, Nina, you're up!" the engineer cried, relieved.
She smiled. "Yes, I'm fine now… I'm sorry for worrying you."
"Don't tell me that…" She stepped next to the bed, placing the basin – which was filled with water – on the bedside table and turned to the princess, grinning. "You should tell that to Ryu… he worried the most!"
She automatically gazed at the young man again. "Ryu did…?"
"You bet! When you fainted, he killed the rakda to give you its nutritious meat so that you'll recover, then he insisted on carrying you and watching you when everyone slept!"
Her heart fell. "Wait… that means he didn't sleep...?"
"Yeah… he was stubborn." The engineer sat on a chair. "He didn't sleep the two days he was watching you, and he ended up fainting too!"
Nina shook her head in exasperation. "Goodness, Ryu… what am I going to do with you?"
She waved a hand. "But that means he cares a lot about you."
She smiled fondly. "Yes… he does… but…" She sighed. "Even if it's nice to have someone who cares about me, I'd rather he take care of himself too."
Momo shrugged. "That's just how he is."
"Yeah." She giggled. "So, when are we leaving this place?"
She shook her head. "Oh, I don't know. Ryu said something about staying here until we're all rested and ready to go. We're all pretty much beaten up by the desert, after all." Then her eyes lighted up. "But when we talked to the village chief, apparently there are some ruins called Caer Xhan to the north; that must be where the Goddess is!"
The princess' eyes widened. "To the north? How far is it?"
"Just a two hours' walk, you can see it from the hill, if you look hard enough!" She got up. "But I think you should rest some more, so I'll go tell the others you're awake!"
She nodded. "Thanks, Momo. And please tell them I'm sorry for worrying them…"
"Sure will!" With that, she left the room.
Feeling relaxed, Nina remained seated as still as she could, afraid of waking Ryu. She gazed at him for a while, smiling to herself, and her hand pushed the hair from his forehead affectionately.
It was at that moment when he stirred.
"…mmm…" Blinking his eyes from sleepiness, he slowly sat up, wondering at first where he was.
"Morning," Nina greeted, smiling.
"Morning… huh?" Information rushed into his mind as he recalled the last few events that occurred. "W-wait, Nina?"
She giggled. "Took you long enough to rea–"
He suddenly embraced her tightly, as though he wouldn't let go.
Her eyes wide with surprise, her face flushed with embarrassment. "U-um, Ryu…?"
"I'm so glad, Nina…" came his voice, shaky with utmost relief. "I thought I might lose you…"
She placed her arms gently around him. "Don't worry, Ryu, I'm feeling fine."
For a few minutes, they stayed in that position for a while, until they heard a noise from the door.
"Ahem! Well, I guess we came at the wrong time…" Rei said, grinning.
Garr had a small smile on his face.
"Pui!" Peco cried with a bounce.
Laughing, Momo shooed them out like how a farmer would with chickens, and closed the door behind them.
"Carry on!" came the half-tiger's shout from the outside. "Don't mind us!"
But it was too late; the damage was done. Both Ryu and Nina quickly separated, their faces turning beet red.
The young man stood up abruptly. "I-I'm going outside for a while. Rest more, Nina."
"Y-yes, I will."
As soon as he received the reply, he left for the door. However, he forgot that the door was previously closed, and walked right into it with a loud bang.
"R-Ryu?" Nina exclaimed.
"I-I'm fine!" he cried, standing up. "It doesn't hurt at all!"
With that, he quickly opened the door and ran out.
Oh, it was truly an awkward moment.
.
-o-o-o-o-o-
.
At the oasis, stone houses shaped like boxes arranged around the lake. There was a patch of green all around the lake, allowing plants to grow, and there was ample water in the lake for the people.
Days passed as the group of six rested, enjoying the peaceful days that they knew wouldn't last. In return of the kind villagers' hospitality, they (together with a grumbling Rei) often helped with their simple day-to-day tasks – which often include a short session of catching fishes they reared in the lake, watering and harvesting vegetables that grew at the oasis and feeding the rakdas. Peco and Honey, however, were unfortunate enough to be chased by excitable village children during playtime, to the point they had to hide in order to escape them.
Nina, now, finally understood Peco and Honey's need to hide in this village. Everywhere she went, as soon as she was well enough to walk, were chatty women who seemed to think she was married to Ryu.
Yes, married. Not just lovers.
Married.
The word sent a wave of heat to her face, turning her cheeks a bright blush of pink.
"Oh, gosh," was all she could muster each time these women mentioned the word as she turned and escaped as quickly yet dignified as she could.
Ryu and her.
Married.
Oh, gosh.
Momo did not escape the notion as well, as the villagers had caught the sight of Rei helping her when they had arrived. But, fortunately – or unfortunately – she was often too focused on her study on the bits of machinery to even notice the rumours flying about.
The word married apparently did not exist in her head.
"Machine?" was what Momo said each time the word was mentioned, her eyes lighting up. "Yes, I love machines!"
Rei wondered if she had a brain.
If he were with her, though, the women would then shift their attention onto him.
"Married?" he echoed in puzzlement, swishing his tiger tail. "With that metalhead? You think I'm married to her?" When they nodded with a smile, blood would suddenly rush to his head as he yelled, "WHAT? Why would I want to be married to that brainless, clueless, idiotic airhead of a machine-obsessed fan? NO WAY!"
Ryu wasn't any better… in fact, he seemed to be a personal favourite among the women, either because he had blue hair that stood out among the rest, or because he was undeniably good-looking in their opinion. Or perhaps because he was simply the shyest among the group.
Married.
He would be stunned each time he was reminded of the word.
As in, literally stunned, as though struck by lightning. With his face completely red.
"A commitment of life… it does make this old one lonely," Garr chuckled when the group gathered at mealtimes.
Ryu, Nina and Rei would suddenly choke on their food. Momo would continue to read her book as though nothing happened.
Despite all the response they received, the women of the village would laugh to themselves and nod knowingly.
Ah, what fun gossiping brought.
.
-o-o-o-o-o-
.
Though sadly, the peaceful days soon came to an end. It was decided that they would spend one last night here before departing for Caer Xhan.
The night before they meet with their destiny… it brought a sense of apprehensiveness.
Would their journey end… just like that?
It felt hard to believe.
Atop the hill just outside the village, Ryu stood high, his coat billowing in the night wind, his cold eyes gazing towards the north.
Towards the abandoned ruins partially illuminated by the full moon.
A surge of emotions rushed through him. Feelings of sadness, of pity, of anger and hatred…
…of anticipation.
He wasn't quite sure what he should be feeling. Should he worry about the adequacy of his strength against the Goddess? Should he feel relieved that their long journey would soon be over? Or should he rejoice at the thought of meeting a familiar face?
But one thing was for sure. It would all end soon.
Inside him, the Protectors stirred. Even they could sense it.
It would soon end.
The final battle between the Brood and the Goddess.
"Ryu?" the princess called from behind him, startling his train of thoughts, as she walked up the hill and stopped beside him. "Can't sleep?"
"Yeah…" was his reply.
She followed his gaze to the north. "To think our long journey will soon end… it feels strange." She turned towards him, beaming. "Everyone said it couldn't be done, but we did it! We crossed the ocean, and we crossed the desert!"
"Yeah, it's great." He faced her, smiling. "Of course, I wouldn't have gotten here with your help, or everyone else's."
"We couldn't have gotten here without yours, too." Stretching her wings, she turned towards him. "Have you finished sorting your memories?"
He nodded. "Mostly. They're not jumbled up now, and I remember everything clearly."
"Are all your journeys like this?"
"Yeah, something like this…" His eyes grew distant, focused onto the northern ruins. "I used to feel confident enough to not worry about winning the battle… only about keeping my comrades alive." He closed his eyes. "Now… I'm not even sure I can do that."
"Ryu…" She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry too much about it, okay? After all, we've overcome the obstacles the Goddess put in front of us, we crossed the sea and the desert!"
A slight smile crept onto his face. "Yeah… you're right."
"But while we're on the topic… can you tell me a little about my past lives?" She smiled sheepishly. "I'm curious."
"You want me to tell you about your past live? Hm…" Suddenly cheerful, he laughed. "All I remember was a particular butterfly that refused to fly away…" He grinned. "Are you sure you want to know?"
She gave him a playful punch. "Oh, come on! I'm not a butterfly!"
He laughed. "Hey! I never said I was talking about you!"
Laughing as well, she gave him another playful punch. "Stop beating around the bush and tell me already!"
"Okay, okay!" With one last laugh, he took a deep breath to calm down. "I'm serious though, Nina; are you sure you want to know?" He shook his head. "You might regret it if you do…"
"What's there to regret?" Nina shrugged. "What's done is done, what I'm concerned with is now… but I'm still curious to know about my past life, or lives." She looked up at the bright moon. "What kind of family did I have? What kind of friends did I have?" Her eyes turned distant. "…was my life any different from the one I have now?"
"Nina…" He stepped closer to her. "You really want to know, don't you?"
She nodded. "Yeah, I do."
"…okay. But do stop me if you don't like it, okay?"
She faced him, a little confused. "Sure, but I don't think I will…" She trailed off.
There was something on Ryu's face that made her stop. He leaned closer to her, his blue eyes gleaming in the dark.
"Stop me if you don't like it," he murmured.
There was something about his voice that sent a pleasant shiver down her spine.
She shook her head slowly. "No… it's okay."
Hesitation flickered in his eyes.
Smiling at him, she wrapped her arms around his waist.
Reassured now, he held her tightly, as though afraid to lose her.
She rested her head on his chest, a feeling of happiness washing over her.
Yet, uncertainty loomed from within her.
She knew the bond between them was more than just friendship; the hugs and kisses they had shared before were proof of it. But was it truly how he had felt? Had he done it because he felt obligated… or because he felt he owed her?
Was it all… just a fantasy her romantic heart had weaved?
Then, she remembered.
They had never declared their feelings openly.
She had been to afraid to, in fear of rejection.
Suddenly insecure, she pulled slightly away. "Ryu… I…"
Looking up at him, she stopped.
He was gazing at her.
A fond smile on his face. A gleam of quiet passion in his eyes.
A look that brought her insecurities to a calm. A look that poured deep feelings from her heart.
Her eyes locked onto his, she raised a hand to his cheek.
"Ryu…"
"Nina…" He lowered his head and whispered into her ear. "I love you… I always have, and always will."
A burst of feelings exploded within her.
Contentment. Happiness.
Passion. Love.
Tears of happiness filling her eyes, her voice was momentarily caught in her throat.
He loved her. He truly loved her.
She loved him. She had to tell him.
But her voice was stuck in her throat.
All she could muster was an unintelligible sound.
As though understanding her predicament, he sealed her open mouth with a kiss.
It helped to calm her down.
And she finally found her voice.
She broke away and yelled as loud as she could, "Ryu, I love you! I love you!"
Then, a response she had never expected.
Tears of joy. Sliding down his cheeks.
Embracing each other once more, they laughed in joy, their voices carried on the wind of the night.
They had found each other again, after so many years apart. They were still together, after so many lifetimes.
Suddenly, she understood.
Their love for each other had lasted through lifetimes. Transcended time and death.
That was the part of her past lives he was trying to tell her.
"There's nothing to regret," Nina stated. "Why did you say to stop you if I didn't like it?"
He responded with a fiery kiss.
And she returned it.
A love that had transcended time and death.
Suddenly, a bright light surrounded them. It circled them like a whirlwind, a pillar of light cutting through the night sky, and then engulfed them like a thick mist.
Energy circulated inside them, surging through their veins like electricity, travelling back and forth between them through their touched skin.
Growing stronger with each cycle.
And slowly, their forms changed.
When the light dimmed, they were no longer there. In their places was a magnificent Dragon, as graceful as a swan, as white as purity.
Its long graceful neck curved, the golden crest on its head swayed lightly in the wind. It had the body of a swan, with sharp claws like that of an eagle, and feathered plumes intertwined with serpentine tails extending downwards behind it. Instead of wings as forelimbs it had another set of legs, front claws that were as sharp as the hind ones, with great white wings extending from the elbows.
With a great cry to the dark night sky, it extended its wings and soared to the air, enjoying the wind.
The power of a Dragon, manifested by their love for each other.
The Silver Phoenix.
And it danced around in the moonlight, the night wind in its wings.
A love that had transcended time and death.
.
-o-o-o-o-o-
.
"This place is incredible," Rei commented. "I always thought that nothing could survive in a desert, but the people here seem to be doing well!"
The engineer nodded. "I guess with a little luck, you might even be able to live out here in the desert."
Both of them were sitting atop the terrace atop a particular house, watching the full moon as it shone gently on the surface of the lake. With the desert framing the lake, it was like a flower striving to survive in the harsh desert.
It was a beautiful sight to behold.
Even Rei, who did not often enjoy sceneries, thought it was beautiful.
Beautifully melancholy.
It made him feel kind of gloomy himself. Like the time he was hunting for his friends' killers in Dauna.
"It's been a long journey," he mused. "It felt like a long time since I first met you guys…"
"Yeah…" Momo nodded, her gaze focused on the scenery. "We've worked together, fought together, covered each other's backs…"
He grinned. "Not to mention getting on each others' nerves!"
"True!"
And they burst into laughter, remembering their constant arguments.
After she calmed down, Momo continued, "Still… even if we argued a lot, you're not that bad a person."
"I feel the same," the half-tiger agreed. "You're not actually that bad either, and your head actually helped us when we needed it."
"So is your speed; each time we couldn't get there in time, you're always there. "
He chuckled. "I wonder if we'll get our answer… why we have these powers…"
"…and why these machines exist."
As they lapsed into silence, gazing at each other, a thick feeling emanated in the air. Rei wasn't quite sure what that feeling was… one thing was for sure; it was something he had never felt before.
Whatever it was, he liked it.
Wait a minute… he liked it?
Suddenly, he remembered the words of the women villagers in the past few days. Heat rushed to his face as he inhaled sharply in surprise and turned away, rubbing the fur on his face.
Thank goodness for the golden fur on his face. She wouldn't be able to see how red he had gotten.
No… no! Never in my life!
But deep down, beneath his denial, there was a hint of acceptance.
As much as he hated to admit it.
"Rei?" Momo called, a puzzled expression on her face.
Damn clueless airhead. No, wait, forget that. For once, he was thankful she was dense.
He cleared his throat. "Um… well, we're finally going to meet the Goddess and get our answers." He turned towards her and half-grinned. "How sure are you that you won't suddenly stop to look at machines and make our trip even longer when we get there?"
"Hey, take that back!" The engineer crossed her arms indignantly. "I don't always hold up every else!"
Feeling better now, he laughed. "All right, all right! That was just a joke!" Grinning, he held up a clawed hand. "We'll have to work hard together for this last leg of the journey, so how about a temporary truce?"
She laughed and nodded. "You bet!"
And they hit a high five.
.
-o-o-o-o-o-
.
Garr sat beneath a palm tree, his eyes focused on the reflection of the moon on the lake. His trusty halberd, once belonging to his comrade Gaist, lay across the sand beside him.
Though his surroundings were serene, his heart was not. As he gazed at the moon, he pondered upon his thoughts, yet he was filled with doubt.
"Caer Xhan… could it be where the Goddess once dwelt?" he muttered to himself. "But why would the Goddess want to distance herself so far across such a place of waste and death…?"
He leaned back, turning his eyes towards the full moon.
"Perhaps there is a message she wished to convey to us by making us see the desolation that wrecks upon this place… yet there is still life thriving in the desert."
He sighed to himself.
"Gaist… would our battle be for naught? Would this journey be for naught?" He gripped the halberd tightly. "We are but going against our master…"
A soft gust of wind blew, circling around him, and the halberd grew warm in his hand. It was as though Gaist was responding.
"Pyu…" came a sudden mournful voice beside him.
He turned to his side, only to see Peco and Honey standing next to each other, looking up at him in concern. The robot doll shook her head, as though telling him not to think too much.
He gave a slight smile. "Worry not; my resolve still stands strong." His expression grew hard. "I will bring Ryu to meet the Goddess, even at the cost of my life."
"Sure you will…" Rei's voice came from behind him. "But isn't that kind of depressing?"
Garr faced his half-tiger companion, chuckling. "Perhaps you would cheer me up again?"
Rei grinned. "Do it yourself this time."
Momo came up beside him. "Thinking about tomorrow, Garr?"
The Guardian nodded. "A battle that could be our last… whether or not we will succeed, I know not."
Ryu and Nina arrived then, in time to hear his last sentence.
"We might not win this time, but…" The young man smiled. "We'll still work together, right?"
"We've come this far together!" Nina cried, extending a hand forward. "We're not going to back down now!"
"Yeah!" Rei shouted, putting his hand on top of hers. "I'll finally know why there's so much power like the Dragons' and mine!"
Momo grinned as she placed as hand on top of his. "To solve the mysteries of the Techno Age!"
Garr smiled, his hand on hers. "To learn why the Brood branded as evil beings."
Ryu placed his hands on top of everyone else's and glanced at every one of his comrades. "Together, we'll cross over this last hurdle, just like how we crossed the ocean and the desert."
"PUKYU!" came Peco's frustrated voice from the bottom; he was bouncing up and down, angry at being forgotten.
Honey nudged Momo's foot, shaking her head sadly.
The others laughed at their two smaller companions, as Nina and Momo carried the onion and robot doll respectively.
Yes, their bonds had strengthened throughout their journey. A journey in search of the truth, the answer to their questions…
And together, they would survive the last battle.
.
-o-o-o-o-o-
.
Across the endless sea of sand, what was once a grand city was now mere ruins, abandoned and helpless in the glaring heat of the sun. What was once a bustling, crowded place was now silent, eerie place, where even the wind did not approach. Cracks cut across the ground like snakes, the terrain rendered uneven.
When the six of them entered the ruined city, they felt as though they had entered a dream. All the buildings, not unlike those in Kombinat, were made of metal, with shining windows that reflected light back into the sky. On the ground, strange road of black stone branched out to many parts of the city, with white lines that divided it into lanes. By the road, strange metal poles that curved inward stood high at regular intervals, and the travellers all wondered what they were for until they came across a particular pole with its end flickering endlessly like a flame about to be put out… perhaps they were artificial lights that would illuminate the road at night.
"…what kind of place is this…?" Rei muttered in awe.
"…it's so technologically advanced…" Momo said disbelievingly.
No words could describe their awe and wonder.
They stepped cautiously along the crack-covered roads, their eyes taking in the sight of the ruin. A little further, they parted to explore the area individually, to look for clues on the Goddess' whereabouts.
The moment Nina stepped into a particular building, however, she quickly ran out and shouted excitedly to the others, "Guys! Over here! Look at this!"
Wondering what was up, the others rushed to the building's entrance where she was waving from.
Inside, leaning against a green crystal-decorated counter on the cracked, debris-filled floor, was a small robot doll.
Momo gasped.
"…it looks just like…" A pause. "…Honey…"
Honey appeared uncomfortable.
Nina shook her head. "Does it mean she came from here?"
Before they had a chance to ponder further, a loud metallic voice rang across Caer Xhan. Startling them.
"Attention: the lift for Myria Station is now at Platform One. Departing in ten minutes."
"Myria, Myria, Myria…" The half-tiger kicked a piece of rock. "I'm getting tired of hearing that name."
The young man's eyes grew cold. "At least now we know she's here…"
Garr looked grim.
"Well, we won't find out anything standing around here!" Momo declared. "C'mon, let's look for this Platform One! We only have ten minutes!"
Honey nodded and jumped out of her mistress' pocket. From there, she moved quickly to the north and into the large building at the end of the road.
The others knew by now that whenever she did that, she would lead them somewhere. Instead of chasing after her to grab her, they followed her inside the building into a large, spacious room with many gates at the top of a wide staircase, separated cleanly by glass walls.
Past the gates, they emerged on an open terrace at the top of the building on a raised area, next to which was a thin metal platform attached to a large machinery sitting quietly on a set of tracks. As they followed the tracks with their eyes, they found themselves gazing steadily upward.
The tracks stretched beyond the clouds.
It seemed their destination would be above.
"This is… the lift?" Rei asked, as they stepped onto the platform.
"I hope so," the princess replied.
Once the ten minutes of waiting was up, there were loud beeps as metal fences slid out from the sides of the platform, and the metallic voice spoke again.
"Attention: the lift for Myria Station is now leaving Platform One."
Then, without as much as a single jerk, the lift started travelling across the tracks. Slowly and slowly it approached the bend that would then them upward, then slowly and slowly they rose gradually high and higher into the sky.
To a place that shared the name of the Goddess.
Myria Station.
High in the sky, the winds roared around them, circling around them like hungry dogs but unable to touch them. They grew louder the higher they go, even when they entered the mist-like clouds, then suddenly softer as they burst out of the clouds.
As though subdued by the sight of Myria Station.
It was certainly an impressive building. From the lift, they could see that it was spherical in shape, like a hovering ball made of metal, and the lift track stretched all the way to a gap in the centre. Metal platforms extended from various areas of the sphere, interrupting its smooth sides, and robots hovered from place to place, working busily for their master.
The group could already see Momo's eyes light up with excitement.
Rei slapped his forehead in exasperation.
Nina giggled.
Garr crossed his arms, focused on the building.
Ryu said nothing. As he stared at the clouds where the tracks disappeared from sight, he felt he didn't want to touch anything Myria created… yet he was filed with wonder for his old adversary.
…you've certainly outdone yourself while I was gone, Myria…
And the spirit of the Pygmy, still a child, trembled inside him.
Soon, the lift entered the spherical building through the gap, greeted by hovering robots that seemed to be attracted to the sound of the lift, and slowed to a stop next to a raised metal platform. The tracks continued on, stretching out of sight around metal walls.
"Last stop: Orbital Station Myria, Arrival Platform," the metallic voice announced.
As they stepped off the lift, a door stood on the opposite end of the arrival platform, as though beckoning them to enter.
And enter they did.
Unlike the duller, dust-filled interior of the buildings of Caer Xhan, the large hall inside was spectacular. Everywhere they see was silvery metal, stretching across the ceiling and along the wall, and the floor was tiled with green and gold tiles that formed two separate paths to lead the way. The wall was decorated by coloured crystals at regular intervals, which glowed as though filled with energy.
Like chrysm crystals.
As they stepped into the hall, gazing around them in wonder, a large panel at the centre of the room caught their attention. Standing right in between the two coloured paths, its wide screen flickered with a cold blue light. By its side, a line of little robot dolls just like Honey stood immobilised, looking very much like goods displayed in a store. Curious to see what this meant, Momo played with the panel.
After a series of beeps, a metallic voice came from the sides of the panel.
"Navigators are guides to the Myria Orbital Station." The picture of the little robot doll appeared on the blue screen, with descriptive words and arrows pointing to various areas of its body. "They contain numerous safety features as well as keys, called navigator codes. Scanning begin."
Suddenly, a line of red light flashed across them, blinding them for a moment.
"PukyukyuKYU!" Peco protested, bouncing up and down.
Undaunted by the bouncing onion, the voice continued, "Scanning completed. Navigator already assigned to current party. Program terminated."
And the screen became black.
This left the group confused.
"…so… what you mean to say is…" Rei rubbed his head uncertainly. "Honey's really from here?"
The Guardian crossed his arms. "Apparently so."
"So that's why she could use the portal!" the princess cried. "She helped us a lot!"
"Pui pui!" Peco agreed.
Honey rubbed the back of her head, as though embarrassed.
Ryu smiled. "She's definitely one heck of a navigator… she guided us all the way here."
"You bet!" Momo said, grinning. "C'mon, Honey! Take us to Myria's place!"
The robot doll understood. She quickly ran along the green-tiled path, to a metal door, and paused. As the others followed behind her, the small panel by the door glowed, a red light flashing across Honey, and the usual metallic voice filled the air.
"Verifying code… navigator code accepted."
And the door slid open.
"Way to go!" the engineer cried.
Beyond the metal door, the green-tiled path continued onwards, through numerous passageways that twisted here and there like a gigantic snake. As they advanced, however, they began to see parts of an overgrown plant along the silvery metal wall, like the beginning of a jungle that grew in a building. At the end of the hallway, there was a door that was covered with a bizarre wriggling vine-like plant – which reminded them of worms – that struck anything that came close enough.
"Is the way through this door?" Nina asked.
Honey nodded.
"Stand back," Ryu said, unsheathing his sword. "I'll cut it down."
With all of his might, he swung his weapon thrice, slicing the vines with the blade. But, even with his skill, the vines were so overgrown that his sword barely did any damage.
Garr did the same. Same result.
"Wait, let me try!" Momo volunteered, raising her cannon to her shoulder.
The others stepped back in a hurry as she switched her usual chrysm pellets with another. She took a moment to adjust her cannon, muttering phrases such as "Pressure okay, density okay," but a few moments later, she grinned as she hoisted her weapon onto her shoulder.
"Incoming!" she shouted as the cannon fired.
With a great burst of flames, the shot hit the plant squarely in the cluster of vines and, to everyone's surprise, completely incinerated them in a blink of an eye.
None of the wriggling vines remained.
She grinned triumphantly. "Well! Shall we go?"
The others made up their minds there and then never to double-cross her.
Through the door, the decorations of the hallway they passed became more and more sinister. Gleaming brown walls stretched as far as eyes could see, and crystals with a deep purple light stared at them as they passed. They were thankful when they finally arrived at the metallic elevator at the end of the passageway.
After Momo pressed a few buttons on the panel next to it, a voice announced, "Destination: Eden."
"Eden?" Nina echoed, puzzled. "Not the same Eden as the garden of paradise in stories?"
No one knew.
The lift descended smoothly, floating easily downward without making them lose their balance, but the distance was so far that it took a minute or two before it finally slowed to a stop, allowing them to step off.
Then, they froze. Struck with admiration and wonder.
Greenery. Everywhere they could see. Trees and grass growing in abundance. Clouds swirled in the sky, a river cut through the ground. Birds sang sweetly, rabbits bounded across the ground and squirrels across the branches… it was as though they had returned to their homeland, a green peaceful place rather than the desolated desert of the Lost Shore.
They blinked, wondering if they were dreaming.
"Woooow!" Momo breathed.
"What the heck?" Rei exclaimed. "It looks like we're outside, but it's just another room!"
Nina shook her head. "We're surrounded by a desert, but everything's green in here… wow…"
"I can believe my eyes not," Garr admitted.
The young man smiled sheepishly. "Me neither."
Stepping away from the lift, they crossed the grassy ground. They walked carefully, speculating if this was a trap intended to fool them, and crossed a stone bridge over the flowing river. As soon as they stepped off the bridge, however, they startled a bird that was resting on the ground. Chirping in fright, its tail feathers waving behind it, it took to the air in the opposite direction, towards a figure in the distance.
It was a man about the same size as Ryu, dress in a purple and orange garment with design they had never seen before, though young or old they did not know, for his back was facing them. The birds settled around him and on his shoulders, knowing he was someone they could trust.
But it was his hair that caught Ryu's attention.
Gleaming violet hair, long and straight.
And old memories came to Ryu's mind.
Is it… really…?
He shook his head.
No… it can't be.
He stepped forward slowly, preparing to meet with possibly one of Myria's followers.
When he approached, followed by the other five, the birds took off in a great panic, spreading in all directions. One of them flew high, higher and higher into the sky with everyone's eyes on it… until it crashed into an invisible wall with a loud thud.
It fell downward, stunned.
"They can't tell they're inside a room," the violet-haired man said, without turning. "When they try to fly, they only end up hurting themselves."
The group remained silent, not quite knowing what to reply.
"I suppose I should've known you'd come here eventually, Ryu… you did promise me, after all." He turned around to face them, revealing the face of a young man.
Ryu and Rei froze. Their eyes grew wide open with shock.
A familiar smug smile.
A familiar pair of crimson eyes.
"Y-you're…" was all Rei could say, his voice trembling.
Ryu shook his head disbelievingly, taking slow, shaky steps towards the other young man.
It was a long time before he could muster his name in a whisper.
"T-Teepo..."
.
End of Chapter Twenty-Seven.
.
.
Author's Note:
Thanks to Lord Kain who suggested making the villagers think there are two married couples; Ryu-Nina and Rei-Momo! Hopefully it's good enough. xP
Though after writing that… uh, hopefully not-too-cheesy love scene up there, I suddenly realised… what the heck? Ryu's like a… like a ladies' man! You know, the type that charmed women easily? Zomg, what have I done? What monster have I created? T_T
But anyway, hopefully that Hybrid Dragon is good enough. Not all Hybrid Dragons have to be done in a battle, right? But it just made me realised that I haven't done Peco's hybrid form… I'll probably skip it. Think about it, if you have a companion who is a walking, bouncing onion who can only say "Pui!" and "Pukyu!" and sleeps all day long, would you want to fuse with him? I don't think so… besides, it'll give Ryu an insight to Peco's mind, which is rather a spoiler to a secret that's supposed to be revealed in the last chapter. x_x
And, as you've noticed, I've skipped the part on getting the card key and battling the Chimaera. One has to think, who the heck's idiotic enough to leave a card key in a (scary) monster's sleeping chamber? So hopefully you don't mind that removed part. o_o
.
.
Review Replies for Chapter Twenty-Six:
.
To Lord Kain:
Good idea on the married couple thing! Hopefully the scene I wrote base on the idea is up to your standard. xP
Thanks for the review and the idea!
-.-.-.-.-
To Airess Byrd:
Haha, yeah, I didn't like the desert too! If I remember correctly, the directions the old man gave were wrong… it made a good many players, including me, run around the desert for nothing. x_x
Thanks for the review, glad you think the chapter is good!